Ever considered prepping? You need this book. That’s right, I am just coming right out and saying it. Like that. If I were to write a book on “how to start prepping,” this would be it. I wish it had been around 2 years ago when we started but even though we stumbled along and muddled through past many newbie stages, this book has considerable value to us. Yes, we have started the “Countdown,” though modified to fit us. That is the genius of this book; The adaptability. And it should be that way because on many levels, that is what being prepared is all about! Allow me to explain.
So many people seek the end-all, be-all “how-to” prep the “right” way. The bottom line is there really IS no “right way” that fits everyone because we all have our own needs, wants, and methods of doing things. I have often said that the only ‘right’ way to prep is to make sure you have food, water, warmth, and shelter covered. Having it on hand in such a way that you can grab and go if you had to is a major plus. How and what is far too subjective for each person/group and their location that it is nearly impossible to nail it all down to the “Ultimate Right Way.” When I opened up this book by well known author, Jim Cobb, I recognized it from the series that was up on SurvivalWeekly.com. When we were first starting our own journey but back then, it was hard to know the good stuff from the bad and I didn’t realize what a gem it was.
The idea of preparing for different scenarios can be horribly overwhelming to a newbie and give up because they don’t know where to start. Many think they need to go out and start buying gear and buckets of food. That is completely wrong. Have you determined what you are preparing for? If your answer is “A disaster,” you need to go back to square one. In the book, it all starts with what you already have on hand, figuring out which scenarios are realistic for your area to prepare for. Starting with natural disaster such as storms, tornadoes, hurricanes is not only smart and logical, it will cover other scenarios that are less likely to happen, too. This is where Countdown to Preparedness shines, breaking everything down into weekly activities that takes the guesswork out of prepping and helps you tackle it in easy-to-chew chunks.
It dives right in at Week 1:
“Create your master lists [for] food, water, first aid, hygiene, tools, and misc. Keep them handy so you can [make notes]…”
“Prepper savings, $20. Water storage, 1 gallon or 2- 2 liter bottles and store them in a dark, cool place..”
There is even a shopping list of items to get but it is purposely written so you can adapt it to your situation. For example,
“3 cans vegetables, 2 cans fruit (packed in water vs syrup), 1 canister of oatmeal, [etc]”
Honestly, how much easier can it get than that? This book not only tells you how and when to build yourself up to be able to handle pretty much anything that gets thrown at you. it also tells you why you are doing this or that task and how it works as part of the overall plan. Each week, you are adding another piece of the puzzle but the difference is, the picture will look different for everyone to meet their own unique needs. You have complete control over how it plays out. What you may not have control over is how much your point of view will change. You may not expect your mentality to alter as much as it will/may. I certainly didn’t when we started working toward a homesteading lifestyle. I am sincerely looking forward to the next year and my journey through this book. We already have many things in place and may be able to skip some weeks while others will show me an area I hadn’t thought about or really addressed. It will help to show me holes in my plan and that has real value!