These days, it is extremely understandable when some people find the need to become strong preppers. Indeed, it is essential to always have emergency supplies ready, such as a ready get home bag, medicine supplies, first aid, food storage, and weapons for defense. You might want to check out this article about prepping basics to find out more about prepping and what you should include in your list.
However, some people want to become strong preppers and minimalists at the same time. Although this is possible, a certain question pops up. How do you determine the amount of resources that you need to be actually prepared? Well, the answer depends on how you look into things. Not only that, but you must also consider that by minimizing your preps, you become less bogged down and feel more prepared.
Furthermore, if you want to become successful in becoming a minimalist prepper, here are 10 ways that might be of great help:
1. Determine Your Needs and Wants
Having a food storage that can last up to a few years can make you feel secured just in case emergencies occur. But, is it really a need or more of a want? Having sufficient food supplies and other basic essentials does not mean hoarding every food or item you can purchase; this can include flour, milk, and the like.
Thus, it is crucial to identify the basic items that you need. Then, consider thinking about the amount of resources that you need that are actually necessary. Remember that it is only important to have basic essentials on hand and that being prepared does not mean you should hoard or stockpile items.
2. Focus on Skills Instead of Stuff
As mentioned above, it is obviously necessary to store enough food and other basic essentials. However, the problem when storing food is the inevitability to consume them past its use by date. Although you can avoid this by practicing a first-in-first-out method, you should still not compromise the chances of wasting food from your storage.
Instead of focusing on stuff, skills are another matter that you should pay more attention to. You can become a better minimalist prepper by learning cheese-making, herbalism, fermentation, and other valuable skills. Developing as many skills as you can will help you go a long way when it comes to survival and preparedness.
On that note, here are some skills that you might want to learn:
- How to use a compass
- How to start fire from scratch
- How to cook over that fire
- How to make home remedies using medicinal herbs
- How to filter your water and make it safe to drink
- How to build shelter or tent
- How to communicate without using a phone
- How to take care of your hygiene without amenities
3. Have a Get Home Bag or a Bug Out Bag Ready
Whether you are heading off to somewhere or simply staying home, having a get home bag prepared is a must. As its name implies, it is a bag that includes all the essential things that you need to ensure survival. You can think of it as an emergency preparedness kit.
Moreover, your get home bag or bug out bag must include sufficient water for drinking and sanitation, non-perishable food, clothing, a first aid kit, flashlight, extra batteries, and more. Also, it is important to consider your get home bag’s weight since you do not want it to be too heavy to carry around.
4. Consider Value vs Cost
Items such as flashlights can come in handy during emergencies or disaster situations. However, some people might think that purchasing such a product would cost them a lot of money. Although there is a truth in this, you should consider the product’s value over its cost.
Thus, it is crucial to take stock of the resources that you really need and make room for them. Some essential items that you should also consider are matches, heat source, candles, oil lamps, and the like.
5. Focus on Multi-Purpose Items
One of the best ways to become a successful minimalist prepper is to focus on items that are double or triple duty. This does not only help you save a few extra costs, but can also help you save space from your storage.
There are a variety of multi-purpose items that you can check out in the market today. You can choose from five-in-one survival tools, trail guide compass watch, emergency lights with radio function, or even cast iron pans. Having items that can serve more than one purpose can keep you from buying things that might be necessary but are not budget friendly.
6. Consider Space
Some people tend to be conscious about having enough space around them. Regardless if you live in a huge space or a small area, space is absolutely something that you should consider.
Regardless if you live in a spacious or small area, it would be best to start organizing your space by categorizing items according to what you need most. Then, you can declutter and eliminate unnecessary items that take up too much space from your storage. Determine whether the value of the item justifies the space that it requires.
7. Organization
Organization is one of the vital things when you are planning to become a minimalist prepper. It is extremely essential because if you organize the items in your storage in an effective manner, it is easier to look for things when you need them.
May it be organizing your medicine in one box, having a first aid kit where other medical supplies can be seen, or organizing essential tools in a toolbox. These may be simple ways to organize the items in your space, but these simple ways can have a significant impact in your life; in terms of saving space and convenience.
8. Re-evaluate your Stuff
Everyone has gone through a phase where they would buy items simply because they are on sale or they look pretty. But, as your priorities and situation changes over time, some items become useless and space consuming. Re-evaluating your stuff means freeing space from your storage so more important things can be stored.
9. Get Smaller Versions of Everything
If you do not have a lot of space for your preps, it would be best to get smaller versions of the things that you want to purchase. You can get smaller versions of bath essentials, smaller radio, compass, and knives. Having smaller versions of these essentials can be a better option when considering what to include in your get home bag.
10. Don’t Stock Up on Everything
As mentioned earlier, being prepared does not mean stockpiling or hoarding food supplies and other items. Though this might be the first mistake preppers make when preparing, getting excited and buying everything without doing proper research should be avoided.
With the lack of research, preppers may purchase overpriced low quality products or give in to cheap ones without considering their long term benefits. Hence, money, effort, and space are being wasted. Remember that as a minimalist prepper, you should only want and focus on the things that you really need.
Conclusion
Being a minimalist prepper is nothing out of the ordinary except that you only have little stuff and spend less money. Although this may sound easy and doable, not everyone can be successful in it. Controlling yourself about stocking up on essential things can be tempting, but once you realize the benefits of saving space you will realize the importance of minimalism.