Are you prepared?
You think you know how to prepare. You're prepared for any eventuality and have plenty of supplies. Your family has everything covered. Every T is crossed. And your stuff doesn’t stink. Congratulations! Congratulations! What now?
Preparing is an unusual activity because some people get caught up in the excitement of the process. They consume news and information. They learn about the various issues and make lists. This helps them to be more prepared. The novelty wears off eventually. Either this or the urgency doesn't seem quite as strong as it used to.
Preppers can get complacent when they believe they can relax and just sit back. If this goes on for too long, we won't be any better than someone who didn't prepare at all. You can let your guard down and think you're done, which could lead to making common mistakes in prepping that can negatively impact your family or group. We don't want to lose the effort, time, and energy that you put into prepping.
You forget to rotate your supplies
We all get our food from many sources. A good mix of foods that can be stored for years, such as freeze-dried or dehydrated food, is a wise choice. We also have foods that can last for a few more years, such as canned vegetables or grains. You might also consider MREs and Mainstay bars. The last category is store-bought food that can be purchased at your local grocery store. It's easy to look at a well-stocked pantry and feel content about the way you're feeding your family. This is something I've experienced myself. You can store great food, but it is important to rotate it all to ensure the best shelf life and nutrition.
The easiest food to apply the principle to is the one purchased at the grocery store. However, the mechanics of the process are not always the best. All foods purchased should be used and restocked with the FIFO process. FIFO stands for First in First Out. It's simple, and everyone knows it.
This is not as easy as it sounds. It requires a system and discipline. What do you do when you get home from the grocery store? Are you able to place the latest cans in the back, and the older ones at the front? A rotator is a simple solution for storing canned foods. You can purchase plans online or buy the solutions. This process is simple and takes away most of the effort and thought involved in FIFO. Simply add the new cans to your rotator, and the old cans will be forced out the front. These can be great if they are available, but not if you don’t. You need a system to rotate your cans. Otherwise, you could end up with a lot of un-usable fruit and vegetables that no one will eat. These systems can be quite expensive.
What if you don’t have a fancy rotating can system? Can Organizer offers a variety of cardboard options that are very affordable. I plan to review them later. You could also have the discipline to add cans and shuffle stock after each grocery shopping trip. Although it takes longer, this is easy and frees up space.
This is in addition to regularly checking for expired stores. Although many dates may be more like guidelines than actual dates, you don't want to keep too much medicine out of date for two years in case of an emergency. Everything should be fresh. This means that any megapacks of aspirin and vitamins you bought need to be replaced with new supplies.
Not resupplying
Have you ever taken your First Aid Kit with you on a camping trip? This happened to me, and I was grateful I had the supplies to treat minor injuries. It was appreciated by the people who were treated. But what happens when supplies are not available? They must be resupplied.
You can use your preparedness for many reasons. It helps you be prepared for any eventualities and gives you the opportunity to practice using your supplies. You shouldn't buy rice if you don't need it. You should always get a new propane tank in case of a storm. You can refill your lawnmower's spare tank if you've used it to fuel it.
Uncertain how to use your pre-prepared meals
This is the most dangerous mistake we can make. It can lead to reckless behavior in the future. Imagine you bought a large yacht. Would you like to learn how to operate the lifeboats? Or would you prefer to just enjoy the view from the deck? It's great to have lifeboats, but what if you get stranded on an iceberg mid-night and are trying to figure out how to use them?
Tools are essential, I believe, and should be part of everyone's preparedness kit. It would be great if Bear Grylls could use his survival mirror to light some twigs to make it a little easier to survive. It is possible, but it is also important to know how to use your lighter or striker to make a fire.
Many of us have bought a grain mill, hundreds of pounds of hard-red winter wheat, and have never made flour with that wheat. I have, and it was quite time-consuming. I also have a decent mill. Perhaps I did something wrong. I had to run the flour through the mill several times and adjust the grinding stones until the flour was the right consistency. Although this may not have been a crucial lesson, I learned more about grinding than what I thought. Similar results can be made for canning. You may find yourself in a tense situation if you purchase a dozen Ball canning lids and lids, and you don't have a large enough pot. We've had some canning mistakes that led to us eating more vegetables than we planned, but they taught us valuable lessons. If you aren't going to sleep soon, don’t can red beets in pressure cookers at 10 pm.
You may find that firearms are worthless if you don't have the skills to use them properly. You need to be able to use a firearm instinctively when you are in real danger. Do you know how to feel if your safety is working in darkness? Are you able to clear or reload a jam without having to look at your gun?
Prepping is a lifestyle, something that I have heard others call. I believe that you can be more prepared for anything by making use of your preps and not just buying them and putting them under the stairs.
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By: Doomsday Prep
Title: 3 Common Prepper Mistakes
Sourced From: www.doomsdayprep.com/3-common-prepper-mistakes/
Published Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 04:06:11 +0000