If you remember only one thing when it comes to prepping, remember the Rule of 3’s. At its core, the rule is as follows; the human body can last 3 weeks without food, three days without water and 3 hours without shelter. This rule should help you prioritize your prepping.
Shelter
When I first read about this rule, shelter caught me off guard. It seemed like something a bit unreasonable. The reality is shelter can be as simple as a sleeping bag. It really just means something you have to protect you from the elements. A tarp and some cord can be used to create a lean-to. You can also have a few small tents you can take with you if you need to bug out.
Of course, location and seasonality plays a part in this process. If it’s snowing, a lean-to may not cut it, but a lean to and a sleeping bag might be good enough. You have to think about your personal situation to know what is going to work for you.
Water
I started with a 2 week supply of water and grew it to 1 – 2 months. There are a variety of ways to store water. Here is more information on my water storage system. Because I can only utilize part of my water collection system throughout the year, my supply fluctuates. A minimum of 6 weeks, however, is always on hand.
I wouldn’t recommend more than 2 months and in fact you would probably be fine with 4-6 weeks. It is not likely you would be in a situation where you need more than that. If you have to leave your home, then plan on 3 days of water for each member of your group.
Food
It really is important to understand your preparedness goals. Storing food takes up space and you have to really keep track of expiration dates. If we only look at canned foods, the first thing to realize is they don’t last forever. Again, food storage is an entirely different and long conversation. As a general rule, canned foods only last between 3-5 years if stored in a cool and dry place. Storing canned foods in your garage in Florida will drastically shorten the life span of canned foods.
When I worked in a grocery store as a kid, we followed a common rule, FIFO or First In, First Out. This simply means, the first cans you put into storage are the first ones you pull out. In practice, it means the newer products go to the back of the row. This way, whenever you go to your food storage location, you will know the product in the front is the oldest and the one you should use first. As you replace the items, all new items go to the back of the row.
The more food items you have, the more you have to keep track of expiration dates. It also means you are going to have to eat the items you have in storage so if you don’t like canned meats then you shouldn’t store them.
There are other food products with longer shelf lives. For example, rice and dried beans can, if stored correctly, last for 30 years. Even MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) can last a maximum of 7 years if stored in a cool enough location.
Conclussion
The other considerations outside of the scope of this article, are what things are you going to need to use these things? For example, you have all this food, but do you have what you need to prepare it? If you think a charcoal grill is your answer, do you have a three month supply of charcoal? Do you have outdoor cooking utensils and cookware? Do you have stuff to start a fire?
You will hear this a lot it here, but every decision you make will depend on what kind of a Prepper you want to be. Personally, I am working to have enough supplies to last me 2-3 months. I do have a separate BoB for each member of my family with 3 days worth of supplies, but that’s it. You have to decide what works best for you and your family.
Whatever you decide, start your plan with the rule of 3’s in mind and have fun with it!
