When it comes to preparedness, our main concerns are usually

centered around how much we can stockpile, and how long we are prepared for.

Most preppers tend to fall short when it comes to long term self-sufficiency.

Having a years’ worth of food stored is great, but what do

you do when that runs out? And not many of us have the means or ability to

store a years’ worth of water, so what do you do when that runs out?

While most disaster scenarios will not require you to have a years’ worth of water stored, the larger less likely disasters will have far more devastating consequences. Even a depression type event that wouldn’t “devastate” the U.S. could last several years and require some life changes.

SPP276 Long Term Self Sufficiency For Preppers

This week Lisa and I talked about considerations for when the well runs dry so to speak. It’s easy to go out and buy all our preparedness supplies, but what do we do when that options disappears. 

Water: Without water, everything else we have done to prepare is worthless. Water storage is fairly simple, but storing the amount you would need long-term is not.

Regardless of how much water we have stored, we will eventually need a long-term sustainable supply. Lakes, rivers, and wells are all great options, but are they available to you? 

Gardening & Animals: As with our water storage, at some point our food storage will run out. Our food storage should be used as a buffer to get us by until we can produce our own food.

Gardening & raising animals are great ways to supplement your food storage, but both take time and practice. The time to learn these skills is now, and not in a SHTF scenario.

Bartering: After the dust settles and the most dangerous aspects of a disaster subside, people will begin forming communities and trading supplies and goods. Bartering can (and will) also include bartering your skills.

We may not be able to produce enough food to barter with, but if we teach, repair or lend a helping hand, payment would be in goods rather than paper money. 

Food Preservation: Along with the ability to produce your own food, knowing how to preserve it is also important. Some of your meat and your harvested fruits & vegetables will need to be saved for future use.

The most popular method with preppers is canning, but there are a number of options when it comes to preserving and food storage. Dehydrating, smoking, curing meat, and root cellars are other options. 

Cooking Options: Something we take for granted (just like running water) is the ability to cook. The first question is when the grid goes down what emergency cooking options do you have? The second question is what will you do when that fuel runs out?

There are not many cooking fuel options when you start talking about long-term situations. The first that comes to mind is wood, and the second is solar cooking. We have an All American Sun Oven and plenty of ...