Ask Lemmy

We prep based on whats happened or likely to happen.

The most common thing where I live is a power outage. Usually only lasts a half day. Once it was out for 3 days. We have a generator and the gas station isn't too far away.

As for a water outage. Usually, we get a letter stating when the water will be out but not always. We have buckets to fill. A couple of times I've gone to the store and brought home a couple of water cooler jugs.

We always keep extra food on hand.

I mostly prep for digital disasters. Data loss, identity theft, internet outage.

Tomorrow.

I would say fire, flood and no tap water for three days.

Those are the most probable things that people are not ready for and should be. If you leave in a city near a river, chances are high that the general population (you included) underestimate vastly the risk of flooding. I learnt it this year with the heavy rains in my area.

Used to live in an earthquake zone right in front of the ocean, so tsunamis were always a risk.

So I kept a bug off bag with water, clothes, blanket, cereal bars, lights and a battery pack ready to go by my bike.

I did use it once and skipped all over the traffic going to the shelter. Fortunately the water didn't rise enough to be a threat, but I thanks to the peace of mind the bag brought, I didn't even stress during the evacuation

My parents made their house self-sufficient. They have a water pump, filters, and a photovoltaic on the roof that can power the whole house and an EV. They’re planning on using the car‘s battery for the house once it’s too weak to drive. They also installed a wooden stovetop which heats the whole ground floor. As for food, my dad‘s a hunter and inherited way too much ammo for a single lifetime when my grandad passed.

Well, I live 5 meters under sea level. The most realistic disaster to happen to me would involve a giant crushing wave of water, and there's not much you can do to get out of that.

But since I like backpack hiking, and buying in bulk is cheap, I have something like a month of food, some lifestraws, some water, extra cooking gear, etc.

I have a generator and several heaters, as I live in Canada and own a contracting business. I also have neighbours who prep and have urban chickens, and since I have guns and they do not and am also much stronger than them they are my doomsday back up plan.

Well, it's more than one thing but I don't consider myself as a prepper.

• I have a few months' worth of food both frozen and canned/dried/long lasting.
• I have enough of flour to bake a bread for a year.
• I have enough toilet paper, toothpaste, shower gel, soap, cleaning supplies, etc. to use it for 6ish months.
• I grow my own veggies. Between October and May I don't buy any veggies and for the whole year I don't buy spring onion, radishes and herbs.
• I know how to fix things.
• I know how to cook.
• I have several flashlights and radios with a crank (no battery needed).
• I'm about to install solar panels, wind turbine and rain water collector.

Terfs

I have a trans pride flag and a baseball bat next to my front door

On solo outdoors-y trips I pack twice as much food and water as I need, a rescue whistle and I inform a trusted relative before and after a remote trip who can get in touch with emergency services if I don't call back by the morning after.

At home I honestly would be screwed by an earthquake or major catastrophe... at least I have an up-to-date fire extinguisher and first aid kit in a readily accessible area.

Like… where do you draw the line?

I’ve got water, a purchased “bug out bag”, camping gear, extra clothes and water in the car, batteries, ham radio, and a crowbar.

I’m not a prepper but I consider myself somewhat prepared

Just all of my entertainment is stored locally, either on my NAS, or in the form of physical media (books, blu-rays, physical games), so I'm prepared for a long term internet outage. I can also run everything in the house from battery backups and a generator for about three days or possibly up to a week if I immediately turn off everything that's nonessential. Longer, if I'm in a position to get additional fuel for the generator.

I also live in an area that's prone to earthquakes so I have a total of two weeks worth of nonperishable food and water split between the bedroom, office, and main living area of the house. Along with first-aid kits, Tylenol, ibuprofen, emergency blankets, and spare cold weather clothes.

I'm generally pretty well prepared for the major emergencies that can happen in my region of the world. Those being prolonged internet/cell outages, power outages, and earthquakes.

8 tb media back up. Most non essential shit ever lol.

Figure if we're without water I'm dead anyway.

I'm from an area where the power will go down reliably for several days, up to a week due to either a hurricane or an ice storm. I keep enough pantry food such as rice, lintels, canned soup etc. to get through it, and I have a 72 hour bag I can just grab on my way out to the car should there be a need to evacuate.

I'm bought into the Craftsman V20 cordless tool system, I have a number of batteries and among the tools I have for that set is a chainsaw, a reciprocating saw, and an inverter. I have several different ways of cooking without electricity and 9 ways to start a fire.

I'm ready to wait for Duke Energy to fix what the storm broke.

Another pandemic lockdown.

A water outage lol.

Last Christmas eve, my meter froze and the water company didn't consider it an emergency since it wasn't a geyser. I didn't have water for 3 days until it thawed.

Now, I keep several days of water jugs in the basement just in case. Also, my water company sucks.

Battery power on the go.

I have a ~400W power station in the car that charges off the accessory circuit. I have a small solar charging power station in the car. A small crank generator in the car. Two cigarette-lighter-to-USB-PD adapters.

I carry a 100Wh power station, a smaller power station, a wall-power-to-USB-PD adapter, and have three computing devices that can provide USB power with me at pretty much all times.

I keep a backpack in my car with at least two changes of clothes, allergy pills, ibuprofen, sunscreen, and deodorant, toothbrush, and first aid. Worst case I'm ready when shit hits the fan. Best case I'm always ready for a surprise slumber party.

I just like to be prepared for if I get stranded during a storm or my car breaks down

5x 5 gallon jugs of water. A few weeks worth of canned goods. A stack of fire wood. Solar panels and a few batteries to charge small devices like radios. A couple of GMRS radios and a couple of HAM radios. Propane tanks and propane heaters.

If I ever need to make fire, but have no conventional means, I have a ferro rod, I have a Freznel lens, and I have a USB rechargeable electric arc lighter.

The Freznel lens fits in my wallet, along with a credit card sized folding pocket knife, which both stay with me at all times (yes, even when I sleep).

For me it's having a basic lay of the land / sense of direction to know where everything is incase of a total GPS blackout one of these days ( I live in the city, not a rural area )