If you’re a prepper, you’re obviously looking to survive any conceivable disaster, big or small. While the idea of doomsday took a knock thanks to premature “prophecies” failing to be fulfilled, we still know it’s coming. We just don’t know when or how.
So rather than get caught with your Kuhl Liberator Hiking Pants around your ankles, take a look at our 10 tips on how to survive doomsday!
1. Prepare To Breathe
Chances are high, no matter how doomsday goes down, breathable air will be scarce.
This is because post-disaster, the air you breath will be heavily polluted with volcanic ash, chemicals, radiation, suffocating smoke and/or contagion. As buildings collapse, asbestos and fine dust become a major additional issue.
This is why no prepper survival gear should be without at least one gas mask.
Here’s a quick list of things to bear in mind when shopping for yours:
- The closer you are to a city, the higher quality gas mask you’ll need. Cities are where attacks and riots are most likely to occur.
- Surplus gas masks are usually cheaper, but of a lower quality than what is needed long-term. If you buy one, try to use it as a short-term solution only.
- NBC masks are by far the better deal, as they’ll protect you from Nuclear, Biological and Chemical exposure (hence the name).
- Make sure you stock up on filters, no matter what type of mask you buy.
- To get the absolute most protection from your gas mask, secure it before exposure.
- Most gas masks don’t fit children.
- If you have an awesome beard and don’t want to lose it just so your gas mask will seal properly, make sure to keep an unholy amount of Vaseline in your gear pack.
- Know how to operate your gas mask and remove the plastic filter plug when SHTF.
- Even though you can drink in some gas masks, you won’t be able to live in one. Make sure you have proper air filtration in your doomsday bunker (or know someone who does).
2. Make Sure You Have Drinking Water
Water is called the essence of life for good reason. When you know you can keep breathing for the long run, check your water supply.
The good news is, doomsday isn’t here yet (touch wood). So presumably, you still have plenty of time to build up your shelter’s supply of bottled water.
Here’s the problem though – not everyone has enough space to store 270 gallons of water, which is what a family of 4 is going to need to survive for 3 months. And that’s before you start thinking about your pets, cooking, cleaning and gardening.
This means you need to know how to get clean drinking water. While there are many alternative options, you’ll definitely want to invest in a heavy-duty filter. Stocking up on reserve filter media is a good idea too.
3. Shelter
Keeping up with the Rule of 3, your next priority is shelter.
When you’re looking to buy a house, location is punted as being pretty important, right? It’s the same when deciding on your survival shelter; whether it’s purely for a doomsday event or for any other disaster.
Ideally, you want to have a fortified homestead. This way, you know the lay of the land and you’re able to stock it up on supplies.
Still, you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. You may end up having to bug out, so it’s a good idea to have a location in mind beforehand. If you can organize a cabin, even better.
Next up: food.
4. Food
A 3 month supply might seem like a lot… until you’re down to your last can of food and its only been a week. Don’t be stingy when making sure you and your family have enough to eat: stock up on non-perishables, MREs and dry-freeze foods.
You can do this by adding a couple extra supplies to your shopping cart every time you do groceries. Just be sure to rotate your supply so nothing goes to waste.
5. Fire
You need to know how to build a fire for several reasons: warmth, light, water purification and food preparation. It’s an important survival skill every prepper needs to know – no excuses or exceptions.
If you want to be extra prepared, get a gas stove or camping cooker in addition to mastering the skill. The former can be used indoors (provided you have proper ventilation and a good supply of gas), while the second makes boiling water and preparing food out in the open much easier.
6. Gear
Even if you have a fully-stocked homestead, you still need a comprehensive set of bug out gear. You never know when you’ll need to head out, or if you’ll be caught too far from your primary shelter to make it back in time after doomsday hits.
So, first things first: make sure you have everything you need to defend your homestead. Then get to work on kitting your bug out bag.
Keep the following in mind when planning your bug out bag:
- It needs to be a comfortable weight, or you’ll be tempted to leave it behind or abandon it in a necessary move toward safety.
- Keep it simple – luxury items are just going to bog you down. Leave the toothbrush at home: you can keep your teeth clean using ash.
- Pack versatile items that will take up less space but improve your self-sufficiency.
- Plan for your bug out bag to sustain you for around 72 hours.
7. Defense Skills
We’re big fans of the 12 gauge shotgun. But the simple fact is: defense goes beyond the ability to blast a hole through anyone (or anything) attacking your homestead.
Thus, you need to know how to defend yourself without a gun. This means starting with self-defense skills and knowing how to use a knife properly.
And as always, the ability to improvise isn’t just a cute Bear Grylls catchphrase.
8. Survival Skills
One of the most important traits every prepper should have is the willingness and ability to never stop learning. Whether it’s new gear, new ideas or new skills, you should never grow complacent with what you already know.
And there’s a lot of skills to learn.
9. Medical Preparation
When doomsday hits, don’t expect to waltz into the nearest hospital or dentist to have that cut or loose tooth taken care of. If such facilities are even standing, they’re going to be overcrowded with panicked civilians.
Lucky for you, this is why preppers go beyond the simple First Aid Kit (though it’s a good place to start). In addition to the First Aid Kit, you also need to build a Trauma Kit that can act as a mobile ER. And make sure you know how to use it.
10. The Right Mentality
Closing off our list is perhaps the most important tip for surviving doomsday: faith and determination.
Practice makes perfect (to paraphrase an otherwise faulty cliché).
Prepare by honing your skills. This will help you have faith in your capabilities when SHTF. Couple that with a determined spirit and willingness to survive, and you’re already several steps ahead of everybody else.