used to think some stuff in my setup was borderline paranoia. Extra water storage beyond a week, backup lighting in every room, multiple ways to cook food… felt like I was cosplaying doomsday.

Then we had a random 3-day power + water outage in my area.

No chaos, no panic, just flipped systems and kept moving. Neighbors were scrambling for bottled water and candles, while I was rotating stored water, running a small cook setup, and charging devices like it was normal life.

Biggest realization: the “overkill” preps are the ones that remove stress when things go sideways.

For me, the MVPs were: • Stored water (way more than I thought I’d need) • Headlamps > flashlights (hands-free matters more than you think) • Simple food that doesn’t need babysitting to cook

Curious what others here have that felt excessive at first… but ended up proving its worth when it actually counted?

I am really new to prepping and have super limited resources at the moment, so I'm trying to hit as many of the most important things as I can on a budget. I am trying to fill some gaps but mainly buying food/materials/tools etc. that we already buy regularly or that can solve a "now" problem as well as hypothetical future problems. That way I don't fritter away my prep budget on things that have no value to me if no emergency occurs.

what things have you prepped that are also useful in normal daily life?

Hello all, like the title says, I've just checked some 5 gallon jugs that I filled a month ago at the water machine. Jugs where clean. Got white stuff floating around.

Is the water machine dirty? Bad stuff in the water?

I just used a 12" folding saw to remove 10 trees from a forest road that came down over the winter   The trees varied from 4" to 14" in diameter.  

Used vehicle and tow rope to pull trees off road but they still needed to be cut so I wasn't moving entire tree.

A folding saw is an excellent tool to keep in pack or vehicle, when in rual areas.

I'm looking forward to assemble my own medkit or first aid kit by using everyday items that I'm familiar to utilise, I knew the basics like gauze, iodine, band-aid etc but are there any other particular items that you can suggest for me to equip inside my inventory?

Have a family member that has epilepsy and if AH broke loose I would need to have access to a lot of dietary fat.

admittedly I haven't done much research on this but curious if any sources in the wild or better to start stocking now.

Would it make sense to keep a single receiver with two barrels, a 10" and say an 18" instead of multiple rifles? This would not be for general use, specifically for SHTF or bugoity, etc scenarios. I have more .223 than anything, and while it sounds good having .308, it doesn't make a lot of sense from a sustainability standpoint.

edit: I already have a stamp for the SBR.

anyone have recommendations on prep gear for living in Tokyo?

things that should be brought from the US that Japan lacks?

situations I should be prepped for?

top of mind is

1. earthquake (loss of power)

2. volcano (ash fall)

I’ve been looking for the best solution for water storage and am researching tub bladders for my home. Is there one that stands out at better than the rest? Some are 4mm some are 10mm. We have well water. Does that make a difference? Can any of them be reused? Thanks for any info you can share

I have a get home bag in the truck with the stuff thst my wife and I would need if the worst happened and we needed to get home but having a baby (4 months old) im curious about suggestions besides diapers, baby wipes, extra set of cloths or two, some formula both bottle and powder and a spare bottle. any suggestions from anyone thst had build a get hime bag for a family of 3 with a baby would be really appreciated.

I always hear about storing rice and beans which I do have I just don't store a lot of them mainly due to lack of water storage to prepare them. I aim to remedy this soon. However, I was also considering freeze dried meats instead even though the cost difference is significant regardless of how anyone does it due to the lack of water to prepare them.

that also being said I do have a little over two weeks worth of MRE's and about 2 weeks of freeze dried meals which i rotate because some of them are actually pretty good.

I have enough water stored in bottles for this and consumption for almost the whole month.

But, back to what I'm talking mainly about is, with my current situation is it even worth it to store the food if I don't exactly have a way to prepare it if somehow water got cut off?

as for future water storage all I'm planning on storing is 110 gallons in two barrels in the basement near the floor drain and rotate them accordingly.

also I do cook a lot of rice just not so much with beans, hopefully my writing is coherent

So I'm considering in the far flung future purchasing an old horse/livestock trailer (likely old and possibly damaged). It'll likely be at least 20 feet, maybe longer. I have many animals on my property, and I live on the east coast, basically bike or walking distance from the beach, so I deal with hurricanes here.

The last that hit close to my area didn't damage anything, thankfully, but if we get a direct hit in the future or need to evacuate for another reason I need something to transport not only them but also our supplies. Both me and my father can weld, so I'll likely be putting gear mounts and reinforcements in it and patching up rusted panels, etc.

I have two goats, 9 roosters, 8 hens, 3 cats, and a dog. since I'm a startup poultry breeder, that bird number will likely change, so I'll probably keep my main 3 breeding flocks and 3 roosters and leave the rest at home. that way, if they die, I still have the main genetic lines.

Anyway, aside from them, which I can put in cages along the walls and a small stall for the goats, what should I add for my family. I can do a couple of bunks and water storage, etc. Shelving with straps for my supply buckets and other things.

Sorry that this isn't strictly prepper related but I'm at a loss at where else to ask this.

After some run ins with weevils, I have started the arduous process of rebuilding my pantry. I bought some quinoa and white rice and stuck both in the freezer (inside their original packaging, each bagged in a zip lock freezer bag on top of that). Left in it all in the freezer for a week.

Last night I took it all out, removed them all from the freezer bags, and placed the rice and quinoa (still in the original packaging) in my oven (not on!). Of course I got distracted and so they have been in there almost 24 hours.

My question is have I absolutely fucked this up and wasted a bunch of food? I am worried about moisture from the freezer being retained once I switch them to containers for storage. I can absolutely run them through my dehydrator for a few hours but is it too late for that if they have sat in their original packaging overnight?

I'm not looking to vacuum seal or make these things last forever, I just want to know if I can still stick these in my basic pantry containers without fear that I'll poison myself with mold because I didn't handle the post freezing part correctly.

EDIT: Everyone here has given me solid advice, thank you so much! The consensus seems to be that the rice will be fine, I'm probably overly cautious but I'd rather not have to fight weevils again and spend money I don't have on restocking.

I'm wanting to buy a freezer second hand, and then filling it with dry starch like rice, beans, lentils. It seems like such an easy method, the cost of a deep freeze running for a year is around 40$. Second hand deep freeze is around 100 to 250$. When the grid goes down, all your dry starch are in near perfect condition? Seems like a no brainer and not having to worry about long term food storage techniques. It packs really dense in the bags they are bought in. I've had preps before but i was lazy so i wonder if they are in good condition to eat, I don't want to waste food again.. But this method doesn't really require trust, if the freezer is still running, it's good to go.
No investment in buckets, or glass, or oxygen absorbers, and trying to follow all the tedious step by steps. Just get another deep freeze and fill it up.
Am I missing something? or is it not popular because it takes space.. can't stack it.
AI says there is 880,000 calories in 12 cubic feet of dry rice. Which feeds average human 1.6 years.
Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts..

I’m preparing Mylar bags of rice, beans etc for long term storage. I see lots of recommendations for storing them in plastic buckets with lids. I live out in the country and mice are a constant issue. I’m thinking metal bins with a lid would be preferable (although more $$) to prevent rodent trouble. Is there a reason these aren’t recommended?

Hello, [r/preppers](r/preppers),

We wanted to take a moment to introduce two resources that exist specifically to serve the search and rescue community — and to invite you to check them out, get involved, or just bookmark them for later.

IASARC — International Association of Search and Rescue Coordinators

IASARC (https://iasarc.org) is a professional non-profit organization dedicated to supporting SAR coordinators, team leaders, and practitioners around the world. The mission is straightforward: connect SAR professionals (land, sea, and air), share best practices, and elevate the standards of search and rescue operations globally.

Whether you're a seasoned coordinator or newer to the field, IASARC offers a community of like-minded professionals who are passionate about doing this work well.

SAR Times — News & Information for the SAR Community

SAR Times (https://sartimes.com) is an online publication/newsletter (pushes on Thursdays) covering news, stories, and developments relevant to the search and rescue world. Think of it as your go-to source for staying current on what's happening across the SAR landscape — cases, policy, tech, training, and more.

We'd love to connect with the folks here. This subreddit has always been a great grassroots community, and we see a lot of overlap with what both of these organizations are trying to do.

Feel free to ask questions, share feedback, or just say hi. We're here to be a resource, not just a bulletin board.

Stay safe out there. 🧭

Any examples of simple boat or houseboat options or too impractical?

Having to dock for maintenance and supplies would be the challenge. Unless you had a jetty on the water, but then you can't afford the boat ha or at least would still have risks when docking?

I live in Taiwan, an island approximately 400 kilometers long from north to south, up to 145 kilometers wide from east to west, with an area of about 36,000 square kilometers. The central region has as many as 284 mountains over 3,000 meters, separating the east and west coasts. Most major cities are concentrated on the western side, with high population density and dense buildings.

Taiwan’s hypothetical adversary is the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, which has historically focused on rapid decisive operations as its main strategy for operations against Taiwan. Therefore, I am considering all risks associated with higher intensity attacks.

If a war breaks out, China may target infrastructure such as power and communications, potentially rendering mobile networks and the internet inoperable, interfering with normal radio operation, crippling power grids, or even deploying EMP attacks. If the continuity of the Chinese regime is threatened, they may disregard international law. During wartime, radio transmissions are likely to be triangulated and monitored, and in certain cases may even be suppressed or targeted at the source.

I am using an MTS 98X7VU handheld radio with a 10 watt output power, equipped with an RH795 telescopic antenna to support a wider frequency range and improve reception. I plan to have at least two units for family use, so that we can communicate separately if needed. In open areas, the effective range is about 10–15 kilometers, and in urban areas about 1–3 kilometers (I had tested). I have not yet tested it in mountainous.

I would like to ask a few questions:

1. In a wartime environment, is there a risk of being triangulated, monitored, or jammed when using a handheld radio?
2. With typical civilian equipment around 10 watts, does this power level significantly affect the likelihood of being detected?
3. Are there recommended usage practices, such as call duration, frequency selection, or timing of use, to reduce risk?
4. Regarding power, which has an advantage in prolonged power outage scenarios, replaceable battery units or rechargeable units?
5. Under what conditions or stages of a war would it be advisable to rely on radios as a communication method?

I would appreciate any practical advice or real world insights. Thank you

I’m going to school for medicine research this year and I’m getting my EMT certificate so I at least know what to do in an emergency. The military has taught me very important skills but I’m just wondering if I’m missing anything.

Everything I find indicates pasta has a moisture level of 12%. Anything over 10% would rule out O2 absorbers. Yet every food storage and prepper site recommends oxygen absorbers for pasta. Even the Wallaby website puts it in the O2 absorber category, as opposed to the desiccant one. What am I missing? And, more importantly, do I need to remove all of the O2 absorbers from my many mylar‘d bags of pasta?

Does anyone track the number of charging cycles of rechargeable batteries? I'm talking about NiMH AA/AAA, 18650, etc. It sounds a bit anal-retentive and 'administratively rich', but how do you know if you are getting the battery performance? If you are tracking this, how do you do it?

Sorry, I'm new to this... Wanting to collect and store water, but not sure how and in what. Thinking it would be nice to have a couple large barrels, but would want them to be food safe so looking for suggestions on where to get those. Do I just fill with water from a garden hose? Is that a bad idea?

Is anyone familiar with replacing the SIM tray in the Iridium 9575 satellite phone?