Back in September 2011, when I first wrote about 12 Months of Prepping, I was excited and highly motivated to share monthly checklists with the beginning prepper.
Leading up to the 12 months article, I had done a lot of reading and a lot of research. It was overwhelming to learn and to recognize just how much I did not know. I tried not to become alarmed and applied my typical pragmatic approach to moving forward, not only for the readers of Backdoor Survival, but also for myself. Most assuredly, I had some gaping holes in my own preps and what better way to fill the gaps then to break things down into manageable chunks?
The overwhelming popularity of the 12 Months of Prepping series took me by surprise. I was astounded. What started as a basic roadmap for a modest number of readers, expanded and grew to where in each month, I was receiving hundreds of emails asking me questions, offering tips and lending support for my monthly prepping articles.
Thrilling? Yes. Humbling? You bet. Challenging? You have no idea.
Now, as we approach the end of the calendar year, I am updating the original article and posting it again with a few more tips plus links to the individual monthly posts. For those of you getting started, I hope you will find this useful as begin your journey toward self-reliance.
And for the experienced prepper? Please take this time to review your supplies, gear and skills and fill in any blanks just as I have done. We have twelve new months of prepping starting soon and for sure, you will want to be ready.
12 Months of Prepping – Year 1
The roadblocks to getting started are many. Time, money and moral support from reluctant family members all play a role in putting off or procrastinating when it comes to your prepping efforts. And then there is fear: not only the fear that something may happen and you will not be ready but also the fear of the something itself.
Let us put those fears and concerns aside for now and instead, focus on setting those roadblocks aside and moving forward. Let me help you break down the overwhelming task of emergency and disaster preparation by providing you with a month by month calendar of things to do, tasks to complete and items to purchase. You will have a manageable number of things to do in a short period of time with a limited amount of time or cash outlay. And instead of looking at a task list 10 pages long, you will have a short list that is eminently doable in 30 days or less.
Does this sound like a plan? And are you ready to start?
MONTH 1
Link: Getting Prepared Month 1: Supplies, Gear and Tasks to Get You Started
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- Water-3 gallons per person and per pet
- Hand-operated can opener and bottle opener
- Canned meat, stew, or pasta meals – 5 per person
- 2 flashlights with batteries
TASKS:
- Inventory the disaster supplies you already have on hand, including your camping gear
- If you fill your own water containers, mark them with the date they were filled
- Date cans of food and food containers if you have not already done so
MONTH 2
Link: Getting Prepared Month 2: First Aid, Personal Hygiene and Home Safety
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- Canned vegetables – 4 per person
- Toilet paper – 3 rolls per person
- Sanitary napkins – 2 months’ supply
- Instant drinks (coffee, tea, powdered soft drinks)
- Family sized first aid kit
TASKS:
- Change the batteries and test your smoke detectors. Purchase and install smoke detectors if you don’t have them
- Make an inventory of home contents for insurance purposes. Take photographs (digital are easiest) of your house and contents. Store a copy away from your home.
MONTH 3
Link: Getting Prepared Month 3: Special Foods, Fire Drills and Home Safety
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- Canned fruits – 3 cans per person
- Any foods for special dietary needs (enough for 3 days)
- A large plastic tub or bin for storage of food and other emergency supplies.
TASKS:
- Conduct a home fire drill
- Locate the gas meter and water shutoff points and attach/store a wrench or shutoff tool near them. Also store special shutoff instruction, if any.
- Establish and out-of-state contact to call in case of an emergency
- Identify a location for your storage of plastic bin or tub.
MONTH 4
Link: Getting Prepared Month 4: Prescription Medicine, Cash, and Things to Keep Us Warm
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- A Minimum of a 7 day Supply of Critical Prescription Medicines
- $100 (or more) in Small Bills
- Pet Supplies
- Infant Supplies
- Extra Storage Containers
TASKS:
- Package your prescription medications in a storage container and date for annual rotation purposes
- Pack up warm blankets, sleeping bags, socks and other cold weather items
- Review your storage area and put stray items in containers that are well marked
MONTH 5
Link: Getting Prepared Month 5: Sanitation Supplies and Establishing a Community of Like Minded Folks
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- Liquid dish soap
- Plain liquid bleach
- White vinegar
- Empty spray bottle
- Liquid hand soap and hand sanitizer
- Bar of soap
- Disposable hand wipes
- Disposable latex or nutile gloves
- Canned, ready-to-eat soup – 4 per person
- Portable am/FM radio with batteries
TASKS:
- Make two photocopies of important papers and put one in the storage container, and one away from your home.
- File an electronic copy of your important papers on a flash drive
- Talk with neighbors about organizing a neighborhood preparedness group.
MONTH 6
Link: Getting Prepared Month 6: Fitness, Energy Bars and Face Masks
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- Box of granola or power bars – 1 per person
- 6 rolls of paper towels
- Box of N-95 or N-100 face masks – 1 per person.
TASKS:
- Check to see if stored water has expired and needs to be replaced
- Put an extra pair of eyeglasses in the supply container
- Find out about your workplace disaster plans and the disaster plans at your children’s schools
MONTH 7
Link: Getting Prepared Month 7: Gear, Tools and Skills to Save Lives
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- NOAA Alert Weather Radio
- ABC fire extinguisher
- Jug of juice – 1 per person
- Adult and children’s vitamins
- A pair of pliers and/or vise grip
- 100 feet of rope or paracord
TASKS:
- Take a first aid/CPR class
- Show family members where and how to shut off utilities
MONTH 8
Link: Getting Prepared Month 8: Adding Supplies, Tasks, and an Emergency Preparedness Kit for Your Vehicle
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- Box of crackers or graham crackers – 1 per person
- Dry cereal or instant oatmeal – 1 weeks’ worth per person
- 1 box of large, heavy-duty garbage bags
TASKS:
- Make a small preparedness kit for your car. Include food, water, blanket, small first aid kit, a list of important phone numbers
- Secure water heaters to wall studs (if not already done)
MONTH 9
Link: Getting Prepared Month 9: Duct Tape and Drills
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- Extra batteries for flashlights, radio and hearing aids (if needed)
- Duct tape
- Add an additional 3 days of water to your supply per person and per pet
TASKS:
- Follow up on efforts to organize your family and your neighborhood
- Conduct an earthquake drill at home: stop, drop and hold, then go outside. (Remember, and earthquake can happen anywhere as recent events have demonstrated.)
- Swap out stored medications with fresh versions. Review your prescription medicines and add those that are missing from your kit.
MONTH 10
Link: Getting Prepared Month 10: Practice Going Off Grid
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- Take the month off from purchases. Yay!
- Or, for extra credit, add:
- Axe
- Hatchet
- Pocket Knife
- Portable (Folding) Shovel
TASKS:
- Become earthquake ready by taking steps to secure appliances, shelves, cabinets and drawers to prevent them from falling and/or opening during a tremor.
- Imagine your house with no electricity. Better yet, shut off the power for 4 to 24 hours and try to live off-grid.
MONTH 11
Link: Getting Prepared Month 11: Stock Up on Disposables & Build a Neighborhood Contact List
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- Package of paper plates
- Package of napkins
- Package of eating utensils
- Package of paper cups
TASKS:
- Exchange work, home and emergency contact phone numbers with neighbors for use during an emergency
MONTH 12
Link: Getting Prepared Month 12: Food, Water and the Motivation to Keep Going
SUPPLIES & GEAR:
- Expand your food supply
- Purchase some comfort food or condiments
- Heavy work gloves
TASKS:
- Check your water supply and rotate if necessary
- Check over your stored food and rotate if necessary
MONTH 13
Congratulations. You have completed your year of preparations. Now is a good time to go back to month 1 and review, replenish, rotate and drill. Good job!
Moving Forward to 12 Months of Prepping – Year 2
Now that you have been bit by the prepping bug, your life has undoubtedly changed. Trips to the grocery store now include searching out bargains on dry goods and canned goods so that you can purchase one for now and one for later. Family outings now focus not only on having a good time, but on learning how to cope in the outdoors and making do without all of the creature comforts that come with a roof over your head.
As we move forward to year two, you will find a greater focus on singular skills such as building a shelter, learning how to start and maintain a campfire and cooking with the merest of basics. These things and more will be covered in year two. In addition, I will share some insight into food preservation, gardening and the gear you will need if you are required to bug out.
In each month there will be suggested activities, recommended purchases, viable alternatives, budget saving strategies and references to more reading material. I hope you will join me.
The Final Word
Perhaps not readily evident is that as I write and as I research, I am standing side by side with you during this prepping journey. Like you, I continually strive to expand my knowledge and increase my survival skills. For us, our common goal is to learn to depend on ourselves not others for our basic well-being – no matter what.
I consider myself to be an ordinary citizen, who again like you, is just trying to get by in these uncertain and chaotic times. And as trite as it sounds, I hope that what I learn, what I do and what I share will make the road to self-reliance just a bit easier for the next person.
The final word for today is this:
Emergency preparation is your journey and should be unique to your circumstances, your family, your geographical location and your financial resources. Yes, it can be a chore. But as I have said before, it should be a chore with a happy ending.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
Bargain Bin: Being prepared for an natural disaster or a grid down situation can be daunting at best. By pacing yourself, you can build up your food supplies and gear over a period of time. Starting with the basics of food and water, then moving on to basic items such as flashlights, lanterns, radios and the all-important bug out bag will put you on the path toward survival. Here is a list of some items to help you along the way.
Kaito Voyager KA500 Solar/Crank Emergency AM/FM/SW NOAA Weather Radio
Cyalume Snap Light Industrial Grade Chemical Light Sticks, 6″, 12 Hour Duration
Emergency Mylar Thermal Blankets (Pack of 10): You will be surprised at how warm these will keep you. Be sure to test one out in advance so that you have the confidence to trust the blanket in an emergency. You will be amazed at how small and portable these are; a packet will easily fit in a back pocket.
Emergency Shelter Tent: The Emergency Tent is a lightweight and compact emergency shelter. It is wind and waterproof and easy to set up and is roomy enough for two people. Less than $10.
Emergency Sleeping Bag: Another low cost item designed to keep you warm in an emergency situation.
Swedish Firesteel: Using this basic pocket fire-starter, you can get a nice fire going under almost any conditions. This is a small, compact version. About $11.
Rothco Type III Commercial Paracord: You can get 100 feet of 
Coleman Rugged Battery Powered Lantern: This sturdy Coleman has a runtime of up to 28 hours on the low setting and 18 hours on the high setting but does require D cell batteries. Personally, I have both a battery operated and Propane Lantern
Fiskars 7855 8-Inch Hatchet
Nano Light Keychain LED Flashlight
Kershaw OSO Sweet Knife: This “oh so sweet” knife is solidly built, stainless steel knife that comes razor sharp right out of the package. It will pretty much cut through anything the price is amazing. Another popular knife is the SOG M37-N SEAL Pup.
Windstorm Safety Whistle
Holding Your Ground: Preparing for Defense if it All Falls Apart
AA and AAA Solar Battery Charger
EcoZoom Versa Rocket Stove: Burning twigs and pinecones, this stove will cook a big pot of rice in under 20 minutes. The stove is solidly built and will burn charcoal as well. There is also a version that only burns biomass for slightly less money. Another option is the highly portable Solo Stove
And last, is the Backdoor Survival Gear Bag, with a number of well-thought out basics to get you started in a rugged, military grade pack. The price is $119.99 and shipping is free.
The big news this month at Emergency Essentials is their Mountain House Sale. You can expect sizable discounts of up to 32% on all types of Mountain House products.
Other specials of note include the Freeze Dried Poultry and Vegetable Combo for $114.99. The six #10 tins include Chicken A La King, Chicken Teriyaki, Noodles & Chicken, Rice & Chicken, Broccoli and Green Beans. Now that I have a good supply of bulk foods, I appreciate the convenience of ready-made meals where all you need to do is add some hot or boiling water and you are done.
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It’s amazing what can actually be done when you set out a plan and follow it. I’m sure a year felt like an eternity when you got started but as we all know can fly by like it was just yesterday.
I just found your site. I also live on San Juan Island and am also a prepper. Are there many of us on SJI? I tried to use your email link, but it must be down. David
Recommending hatchets is usually recommended by those who have never had to use one in the field. A machette is a much more useful tool. Anything you can do with a hatchet you can do with a machette. Get a good one. Only buy Ontario brand machettes. Mine is now 40 years old. Served me in 21 years of the military. Through a tour of duty with the Peace Corps in Africa. Twenty years of work as a civil engineering technician. Still used weekly on my 5 acres of rural land. The machette has a much longer reach for use as a personal weapon. Because it is an extension of the arm the end of a moving machette has much more force to it than a hatchet. Easier to sharpen.
My African Fulani tribesmen with whom I lived for a while all used machettes. No axes or hatchets. In Egypt and Edcuador where I also live and taught school the hardware stores sold machettes with very few hatchets displayed.
Can you chop wood with a machete? I do not own one so pardon my ignorance.
Also, I see that the Ontario brand is readily available. Is there a particular model you would recommend for both myself and my readers?
>>Can you chop wood with a machete?<< Oh, boy, you sure can. You can take down small trees with a machete. Chopping into firewood lengths would be a pain compared to a full size ax, but you can do it, and they are a lot lighter than an ax as well as usable in tighter quarters.
I have seen, but not used the Ontario machetes which Joe Cullen mentioned, and Ontario Marine Raider Knives, which are very similar to short machetes but adapted for fighting purposes as well. (They have clipped points and guards ie are big Bowie knives for dual purpose.) Both look very good. Also the kukri style machetes by Ontario and Ka-Bar seem pretty popular, but I haven't used them, so can't give an opinion.
I have several machetes, including a couple hand made Philippine examples from the local swap meet, but far and away my favorite is a Ka-Bar Cutlass Machete. The Ka-Bar has an 11" high carbon blade with a lot of weight out toward the tip so it has plenty of momentum even in tight quarters. I use it around the yard for pruning hedges where I can't get a long swing. I also have used it on two or three camping trips to the North Shore of Oahu where I used it to split ironwood/Australian pine (casuarina) logs up to 5" diameter for kindling. Last summer I used it while camping on the Salmon River in Idaho, mostly to fell dead Ponderosa pine up to 5" diameter, trim the branches, and split the logs into kindling.
For videos on how to baton firewood with a short machete (or really big knife like the Marine Raider) go to YouTube and plug "baton firewood" into the search field.
Amazon carries the Ka-Bar Cutlass Machete as well as the Ontarios for around $50-$65. In my experience cheaper brands are cheaper because they use junky steel blades: they twist, they bend, they fold. I strongly recommend spending the money to get an Ontario or Ka-Bar.
I think any of the Ontarios or the Ka-Bar would be excellent choices for utility choppers. The Marine Raider might not be as durable for batoning as the pure machetes as the clip point makes it weaker, and that is where you hit it for splitting wood. On the other hand, if you want a dual purpose chopper and extremely intimidating personal defense weapon, the Marine Raider would be something to consider. It's based on the WWII Marine Raiders' knife/machete, the Collins #18. I have read that the Marines in the Pacific Theater absolutely loved them, both for felling palm trees and other utility purposes, and as fearsome knives for hand to hand fighting. (Google "Collins #18 knife" for pics if interested)
As does Mr. Cullen, I greatly prefer a machete to a hatchet. For my purposes the short ones (c. 11" blade) work much better than the long ones, but other people, other circumstances, other lengths.
@Tom – Thanks for sharing some detailed information about machetes. We still have not purchased one for our own use I but am leaning toward the shorter Ontario. They seem to be well priced and universally loved. I will look up the Ka Bar Cutlass too – but we may have to “grow” in to that one.
– Gaye
I looked at the website for Ontario Knife Company, but didn’t see the “Marine Raider Knives.” Do they possibly have another name?
Oops…spoke too soon. I used the “search” field on their website, and it said there were no results. But after looking at various categories of knives on their site I found the SP10 Marine Raider. Thanks for your website Gaye. I really enjoy and learn from it.
I have 6 cats and go through a LOT of cat litter. And I was wondering if I could use the 20# jugs for water. I wouldn’t want to drink it, but the water could be used for a lot of other things. These are HDPE 2 jugs. I just hate throwing them in the garbage…
I totally agree that you should re-purpose those jugs. Before using them, I would use a generous swish of bleach to clean them and then store water for cleaning purposes and also, how about using them for your DIY cleaners and laundry soap?
Thanks! I will definitely clean them out first and then add some colloidal silver to the water. I don’t use laundry soap or fabric softner… I use 2 really strong magnets and it cleans my clothes really well. And they are just as soft as ever without any residue from soap or softners. And for cleaning, I simply use vinegar & water for most everything.
But I can always use the water jugs for flushing the stool if it isn’t too long of a period. Then I wouldn’t be wasting drinking water… I’ll find a use for them somehow.
Just wanted to let you know that I love your website. I think you should make a phone app. It would be great if I had a check off list on my phone
Thank you, Julie. What do you mean by a phone app? I am not sure I know what you mean.
– Gaye
For an iPhone or Android phone. An application that someone could buy instead of printing off the list of things to buy to be prepared.
Perhaps there is somewhat smart about these things that can work with me to put something together – a free App would be good, too. Thanks for the suggestion.
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I coupon so I already have a lot of items stockpiled. Im starting on Month 1 and got to thinking, should I put these items in a special spot or tote instead of just looking on the shelves and saying , Yeah there is more than 3 rolls of TP per person on there? I do run out of TP occasionally when there are no good deals to be had, so maybe I should be collecting things and putting them somewhere separate?
Jen – Oh my gosh – definitely. Even if your storage location is under a bed, it is so helpful to have it separate from your day to day items. Also, it makes it easier to keep track of the stuff you “borrow” from your storage closet when it is not co-mingled.
Congrats on starting with month 1. If you have any questions along the way, be sure to ask
One more thing – you are lucky to be able to coupon. Out here where I live, with only one store, it is tough to do. Couponing is hard work with a huge payoff.
Jen: TP is the most important paper in the whole world!! Thou shalt NOT run out of TP. They don’t send out catalogues anymore, so not only do you have nothing to read, you’re SOL.
Join Costco if there is one near you. They have their own brand, Kirkland, all of which has been very good in quality and cost. And national brands of TP. Which reminds me, we only have 2 36 roll bundles left, so it’s time to get 3 more.
You can eat out of your stockpile BUT every time you do, buy 3 to 5 items to replace each item and so continue to build your stockpile. Coupons are good, but not for much when you need the TP and there ain’t any!? Don’t get too hung on coupons-they are good for things you will use. Costco doesn’t take coupons. But the prices are low enough that they make coupons unnecessary.
Respectfully
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I’ve started to read up on prepping, but I’m curious as to what we are prepping for? What are some scenarios? I see some stuff is “only enough for 3 days”, so I wasn’t sure what the situation would be. The only prepping I’ve done was for hurricanes since I live in New Orleans. Thank you
Hi Ari, Prepping for hurricanes is a really good start. That’s what my wife and I do in Hawaii. It may well be a bigger issue here than New Orleans because no one will be trucking in relief supplies from the next state a couple days after the storm passes. Out here we should be prepared for at minimum a couple weeks on our own, and a month is better still.
After Katrina, our politicians, who are fervent lovers of state action, loudly told us that we Individually need to be prepared for at least a couple weeks after we get solidly hit by a big one. A month would better still.
What you see as appropriate to prepare for is up to you as you know your situation best. Serious preps for a major hurricane will prepare you for the vast majority of disasters in your area, so to a significant extent, prepping for one will prep you well for most things.
You might consider other possibilities such as the social and economic dislocations which would accompany a serious bout of inflation, and the likelihood of seriously counterproductive government responses such as wage and price controls. Serious inflation rewards those with large fixed-rate loans like mortgages— so long as you can keep making the mortgage payments. If you have a big mortgage and can’t make the payments you are in big trouble. There is plenty of advice out there for inflationary times, and I suggest that if you are concerned, read several opinions. Deflation may also be a significant possibility. Don’t rely on the single source.
Another possibility is a major medical disaster, natural or man-made, such as a pandemic so serious that the supply lines for food and other necessities are interrupted for a meaningful time. Your hurricane supplies would go a long way towards getting you though that, though you would need a lot more than three days food.
In some areas something so prosaic as a wildfire can be a serious issue, although it may not be one in Louisiana. One of my wife’s extended family had less than ten minutes to evacuate her house in Pocatello, Idaho, last summer when a wild fire swept the mountainside suburb where she lived. The road in front of the house acted as a fire break, but all the houses across the road were destroyed: there was nothing left but chimneys and some stumps. That sort of disaster requires instant evacuation, and that is very different from a disaster in which one shelters in place.
Only you can decide what scenarios are likely for your area, and how many resources to devote to preparing for them. Living downwind of a 40 year old nuclear power plant might well be worth some effort to avoid, especially in an earthquake zone. However, if you are already there, you might decide it is appropriate to prepare for quick evacuation, and have a supply of iodine tablets, rather than endure the cost of relocating in anticipation of an event which might never occur.
While we worried a lot in the 1950s through the collapse of the Soviet Union about all out nuclear war, the chances of one or a very few nuclear devices detonating in a US city are actually greater today than during the Cold War. The governments of the world are doing a great deal to prevent that from happening, so far with success. Will that success continue? Probably, but maybe not. Each of us can think about what we think the probabilities are for our location, what the likely consequences would be, and then decide whether and to what extent to prepare.
There are lots of possible scenarios for disaster, but many are low probability events. It is easy to get caught up in all of them and let the possibilities take over one’s life. Prepping for a fairly generic disaster is actually pretty straightforward, involving providing water, food, the means to cook it, cash, first aid supplies, means of getting out of town if sheltering in place doesn’t work, defense, and so forth. if you enjoy camping a couple times a year (what I refer to as heavy camping I.e. driving to a prepared site with your tent and cooking gear etc. rather than backpacking) you will already have a lot of the gear needed and know how to use it. Add the canned and dried food you usually eat, sufficient for a week or a couple months or whatever period you think appropriate, and you will be in better shape than 95% of your neighbors.
Don’t get too grim: Have some fun with it.
Wow this is very helpful thanks for sharing!
Thanks! You are very welcome, Bruce. If you would like to read a basic list which I wrote up shortly after Hurricane Sandy zapped the East Coast, please check it out here: http://wudndux.blogspot.com/2012/11/disaster-preparation-basics.html
I geared it toward people who have made few, if any, preparations for a disaster, but are interested in the possibility. I also made it pretty generic – no specific type of disaster in mind. Ramping up from a three day supply to several weeks or even months is pretty much a matter of just adding more of the same stuff, so anyone can can customise it easily for whatever situation they envision.
My rough estimate was that, food aside, you could do it all for around $400, get nearly everything from Amazon.com, and would not have to do it all at once. Food would be nearly free because for anything up to a year one could easily (and in my opinion ideally) simply store more of one’s normal canned goods, pasta, etc. MREs and freeze dried food are not normally necessary for short term disasters, and they are both expensive and, because they are a change in diet, stressful.
Any situation for which a year’s worth of food is insufficient would be an apocalypse, and that requires a whole different level of prep which very few are interested in taking on. It’s just too low on the probability scale. Knowing you can get by comfortably, with good, familiar food for two to six weeks is very reassuring, though.
BTW, I don’t get any revenue from Amazon. I like them for prepping because they are so convenient, and the prices are usually very good, especially if you have Amazon Prime.
Very Nice Site. I love how you have the months broken down. You can really be prepared if you plan. Lots of good information. It feels good that I can still survive if the stores had to close down