This is a continuation of Monday’s post. Although it can standalone, we recommend you read Part One first to get the full scope of advanced preps.
Just to recap, when I refer to “advanced preps,” I’m going beyond the things you are likely to find on a list of the top 100 preps, like lighters, a camp stove, headlamps, and dental floss. Advanced items are more specialized and more expensive than your basic preps. Most are not portable, so they are intended for use at your retreat or home during a long-term SHTF scenario rather than something you will want to carry when you are making a quick getaway.
$2,500 in Cash
I do not know how much cash you will need if the SHTF, or if you will need cash at all, but having $2,500 cash secured in your home seems like a reasonable number. It’s not too much, but it should be enough to get you what you need in an emergency or to cover some purchases if there is a banking holiday or credit card and ATM processing goes down. Adjust the figure based on your budget and anticipated needs. I would recommend stocking some smaller bills so you can come close to giving someone exact change.
I see multiple scenarios in which cash should be handy:
- If we have an economic collapse or the government declares a banking holiday, you might not be able to get money from the bank, ATM, or use your debit card. Credit cards may or may not work, but cash will. Cash will allow you to fill your tank at the gas station, buy food at the store, and even purchase a hot meal. If your phone is down and you can’t call an Uber, with cash in your pocket you can still flag down a taxi, pay bus or train fare, or even pay someone to drive you home.
- In the early stages of a widespread disaster, people will accept cash if they cannot process cards. I have a list of things we plan to buy in the early stages of a SHTF disaster, including chicken feed and fresh fruits and vegetables. My cash stash is for these items and topping off gas tanks.
- Even months after a SHTF scenario that knocks out much of the country, you might run into people who still value printed pieces of paper with presidents on them, even if there is no government backing the value of the dollar. They will be working out of habit. They may even think themselves rich, not realizing those old dollars may never have value again. In that case, you might use your remaining dollars to buy something useful.
Don’t waste your cash paying the electric bill or credit card bills in a grid-down scenario. If the banks or the Internet is down, there will be no way for companies to process your payments. If it is a short-term emergency, you can pay your bills when things recover. In a long-term disaster, your credit card company may no longer exist and should be the least of your problems.
A Solar Generator
If you are planning to bug out, you can get a small solar panel that straps to your backpack and can charge devices through a USB port while you are underway, but a larger solar power system is better if you are in a fixed position such as your retreat or home.
I’ve covered whole-house solar power many times, so I will not rehash it now, but if you want a system that can keep your refrigerator running, charge your devices and maybe run the microwave or coffee pot, I recommend a solar generator with at least 3 kilowatt hours (kWh) of storage and 800 to 1,000 watts of solar panels. Reserve most of the battery power to run your refrigerator but use solar power for food prep and other applications when the sun is shining and the battery is approaching max capacity.
I have never used nor endorse either of the following products, but something like either the Jackery HomePower 3000 or the OUPES Mega 3 look like about the minimum you would want, although you should add additional solar panels. A modular or expandable system that can accept additional batteries when your budget allows is a good idea. After using your solar generator over your first multi-day outage, you may decide you want more power the next time.
Whatever size you get, the key to successfully deploying a solar generator is to ensure you can recharge the battery on a winter day, which is why you should aim for enough solar panels to charge the battery in four hours. For a 3,000-watt battery, that means 800 or even 1,000 watts because the panels rarely produce their nameplate capacity. More solar panels are always better, as long as you do not exceed the system’s maximum solar input capacity.
If your system is going to stay in one place, you don’t need the portable or folding panels. A couple of full-size 400-watt panels should be less expensive and can be mounted permanently. Just be sure they will integrate with your solar generator in terms of watts, amps, and cable plug configuration.
Cast-Iron Cookware
You definitely won’t want to bug out on foot carrying your cast-iron skillet and a Dutch oven, but if you are bugging in, these are ideal for cooking over an open flame, which might be necessary in a SHTF scenario. The Dutch oven will allow you to bake bread, make stews and chili, and cook larger meals. The frying pan is good for a quick fry-up or for making flatbreads.
For use over an open flame, avoid cast-iron pans with wooden handles, but make sure you have a way to pick up hot handles without burning yourself. You can use oven mitts or buy a pair of welding gloves.
The video below shows a family in the Alaskan bush cooking their dinner over an open fire using cast iron. It’s cued up to where they start cooking, but if you want to see them harvest the wild foods they prepare, watch it from the beginning. She uses a Dutch oven in some of their other videos.
Rain Gear
This is a big step down from a solar generator, but because the sun doesn’t shine all the time, you should have some high-quality rain gear.
Lots of people don’t have serious rain gear because all they do is dash from the car to their door or vice versa. When you have to rely on your feet for transportation, or if you have to work outside regardless of the weather, having rain gear becomes more important.
If you plan to bug out, camp out, stand guard, farm, homestead, sail, fish, hunt, or cover long distances on foot in any weather, you need a way to keep dry, and an umbrella won’t cut it.
I have a rain suit, but I like my poncho. In fact, I like it so much, I have two spare ponchos, and my wife has a poncho, too. I wear my poncho several times a month because the dog needs to get walked regardless of the weather, and we need to gather eggs and feed the chickens rain or snow. When I wear my Muck boots, there is only a two-inch strip between the hem of my poncho and the top of my boots. It only gets wet if I take long strides or the rain is blowing sideways. If I were out in the rain for eight hours, I’d probably wear the rain pants, too.
A poncho can also be donned over your backpack, helping to keep its contents dry, and can be used as in impromptu shelter.
Wool Clothing
As a kid, I always thought rag wool socks and sweaters were itchy. As an adult, I discovered merino wool. I now own merino wool long underwear and t-shirts, a merino turtleneck, merino hunting/outdoor shirts, lots of wool socks, a pair of wool surplus military pants, knit caps, and a new-but-surplus wool commando sweater from the UK. All are warm; all will keep me warm even when wet; and each has many other benefits.
Wool clothing is excellent for prepping, bushcrafting, or other outdoor activities. Most importantly, it will keep you wet after you sweat, something that cotton and some man-made materials cannot do.
Wool clothing is also naturally flame-resistant, which is good if you are cooking on cast iron over an open flame. It also has antimicrobial properties and resists odor. This is useful if find yourself in a position where you have to wear the same thing multiple days in a row. It is also very durable and resilient. The downside is that it is expensive, and you should use Woolite rather than standard laundry detergents. Treat them right, and a well-made piece of wool clothing (other than socks, which I find develop holes) will last decades.
Warm clothing is going to be important if you are living in a house that is not well heated. In a SHTF situation, or a financial crisis where funds are limited, you may not have heat, or you may have to keep your thermostat set at 55°F instead of 75°. Whether you choose wool or a man-made material, you’ll need layers to keep warm.
Cordage and Rope
Paracord, also known as 550 cord, and bank cord seem to be staples of the bushcrafting industry, and I have paracord in most of my bug out bags. I would add that you might also consider a product called Lash-It, which is even stronger and lighter. More importantly, however, I have at least three sizes of rope among my survival supplies, one of which is suitable for climbing.
There are times when you need to tie things up, down, together, or hoist things up or pull them apart. That requires rope rated for more weight than whatever it is you are lifting, dragging or trussing up. I would add to this list the rope on my UTV’s winch, tow straps, and other similar products. Utility rope is cheap, but high-quality line used by tree climbers or mountaineers gets expensive. Don’t risk your life using cheap rope.
Two of the most-used items in the toolbox on my truck are bungee cords and ratchet straps. These are not technically cordage, but they serve the same purpose. Right now, a ratchet strap is holding the tarp onto my wood splitter, and bungee cords are holding tarps on my stacks of firewood. I also use ratchets to hold my beehives together in the event of a high wind.
Sure, I know how to tie multiple kinds of knots, but for strapping something down tightly in my truck or anywhere else, a ratchet strap is hard to beat.
That’s the last of my recommendations, but I am open to suggestions. If you have any, leave them in the comments below. Stay safe, and keep prepping!
