Some people believe that any bit of prep is better than no prep.

While it sounds great in theory, it isn’t necessarily true.

The problem is that, if you haven’t lived through a catastrophic emergency, you can easily overlook things that you really need.

Just recently, my family simulated a blackout to see how prepared they actually were.

Guess what?

They weren’t as prepared as they thought.

They found TEN MAJOR HOLES in their preparedness plan.

Holes that, if SHTF today, they would struggle to survive.

Take notes, friends, and then run your own emergency simulation to see how prepared you really are. 

#1 Not Enough Water

While my family had an Alexapure Pro Water Filtration System, they had not considered its use thoroughly.

They realized they had not made a distinction between the water they had already stored and the number of gallons of water they could clean using the Alexapure Pro.

Because they live up the mountain from a freshwater lake, they thought they would be fine. 

Then they realized that just because they could clean 200 gallons of water using the Alexapure Pro, they lacked a plan for carrying the water to and from the lake if their cars wouldn’t work or they had no gas. 

Even if their cars were working, they didn’t have a way to transport large amounts of water.

They realized they were missing two key survival tools:

• They needed portable water containers to transport water to and from the lake. 
• And, with the Alexapure Emergency Water Bank with Pump—which holds 65 gallons of water—they could fill up their bathtubs quickly. 

#2 No Sanitation Plan

My family quickly realized they didn’t have a sanitation plan in place.

They are on a septic system, which doesn’t require power. But it does require water to flush the toilets. 

If you aren’t on a septic system, what are you going to do with your waste?

It’s not just about stocking up on toilet paper. There’s a lot more that goes into safe sanitation, such as how you will dispose of waste.

You can burn, compost, or bury it.

They ended up buying a burn barrel to meet their sanitation needs and increased their ability to compost their waste.

#3 Not Enough Power

They thought they had enough power to meet their needs with solar generators and Wireless Solar PowerBank Chargers. 

Truth was, they didn’t.

In order to power everything they truly need for survival, they needed a bigger solar generator—and one with stackable solar panels like the Grid Doctor 2200.

The big lesson here is to take a power inventory. What do you need to keep powered to survive? Use that to inform your decisions.

#4 Lack of Comfort Food

No matter how serious the emergency your family is facing, you are going to want to have some comfort food with you.

Anyone who has subsisted off cans of tuna, emergency beans, and rice during a weeklong blackout understands the need for variety.

It’s not just variety—you need foods that remind you of better times. Foods that make your taste buds happy and bring you a bit of hope.

And don’t just get a little. During my family’s simulation, comfort foods were the first foods to go. 

Stock up on comfort foods such as chocolate pudding, dried fruits, and mac and cheese.

#5 Not Enough Protein 

In a crisis, protein is critical.

While my family had quite a bit of emergency food packed with protein, if things got really bad, they would NOT have had enough.

After the simulation, they stocked up on emergency foods specifically with high protein, such as ration bars, dehydrated meats, dehydrated beans, and even sprouts.

My Patriot Supply offers a MEGA Protein Kit with Real Meat and Beans Trio and Rice Kit to help fill in protein gaps in your preparedness plan.

#6 Missing Key Components

One of the more frustrating discoveries my family made was that they couldn’t use certain emergency food and equipment because they were missing key components.

With water, they realized they didn’t have extra filters for their Alexapure Pro, and they had no way to treat water for long-term storage.

They needed something like the Aquamira Chlorine Dioxide Water Treatment to ensure they could store water for the long haul. 

It’s too easy to get preparedness gear and put it with your preparedness supplies unopened.

This is a mistake. Review everything you’ve ordered preparedness-related.

Study it. 

Take it out and learn how to use it.

See what else is required.

#7 Fire Problems

One of the holes the family found involved starting fires.

This was a disappointing discovery because they had a fire pit and even the Ember Biomass Oven.

But they realized if the wood or biomass was wet, they might not be able to start a fire with regular matches. 

When things are wet—or it’s been snowing for days—you will need special fire starters.

They invested in fire starters as well as tools for lighting fires, such as Fire Starter Pouches, Waterproof Fire Sticks, and Hurricane Proof Safety Matches.

#8 Unorganized Supplies

The simulation made it crystal-clear that my family needed to get organized. They thought they were!

All the supplies were in one area of the house.

They had dumped a lot of their emergency stuff in buckets and inside a cellar without any sort of organization. 

They had storage buckets they threw stuff in.

This is the WORST way to prepare because, in an emergency, who wants to dig for what you need?

It’s not ideal. Not even close. 

Make sure everything you have is in an organized bucket, and sort the buckets based on sanitation, water, power, and other categories.

And be sure to clearly label each bucket. 

#9 Go-Bags and Get-Home Bags Not Thought Through 

After careful thought, my family decided to bug in—not bug out.

They had emergency items in their cars, but not enough to get home safely should they be an hour or two away. 

And, if things got worse before they made it home, they’d need supplies to keep them alive until they could bug in.

The problem was their get-home bags were insufficient and way too heavy for one member of the family should they have to walk.

And they were keeping their bags at home. 

After the simulation, they wrote down what each family member would need to survive the trek back home if they had to walk. 

They made get-home bags for each family member that included the following essentials and more:

• Personal water filter
• Flashlight
• Emergency blanket
• Ration bars
• Compass
• Map
• First aid kit

For more ideas of what to put in a go-bag, see this article on Grab and Go Emergency Evacuation Must-Haves.

#10 Too Much Reliance on Digital Tools 

The final hole in my family’s preparedness plan came down to technology.

Our society is very reliant on tech, but if the grid goes down or you can’t access your computer or the internet, how will you find all your important information?

Print out instructions of every piece of equipment you’ve ever bought.

Print survival tips and DIY plans.

Print out your emergency contact list—important data, info, numbers, locations, etc. 

Place all this information, along with your personal documents, in a fireproof and waterproof box.

Stage a simulation and see what holes you have in your preparedness plan, friends.

 

In liberty,

Elizabeth Anderson

Preparedness Advisor, My Patriot Supply