First things to do when starting to prep?

[Ghost Prepper]

just had a thought and wanted to see what others thought. What would be the first 10 preps you put in place if you lost all you had and had to start again?

I threw this list together quickly in about 5 minutes so ive probably left out something really stupid and important
these aren't in any order either

1. Get a bug out location
2. 1 month of bottled water. approx 80 bottles ( 500ml ), soft drinks ( morale boosters? )
3. 1 months supply of food. canned goods approx 100 cans.. ( big bags of rice?. ) get some chocolate / canned fruit ... MRE's for wild camping
4. get a knife, hatchet and handsaw
5. fire lighting equipment. 3 ways to be efficent. ( matches , Zippo and Jet lighter ) also consider fire lighters
6. Med kit & basic first aid. ( paracetamol / ibuprofen/ burn gel )
7. BOB / GHB / 72 Hour bag
8. Lighting Equipment ( chemlights, torches & candles )
9. outdoors sleeping equipment ( space blanket, sleeping bag , hammock , sleeping mat )
10. Shelter building expereince / Equipment. ( tarps, tent, plastic sheets ) learning to build a basic shelter from woodland materials

[izzy_mack]

Wow! I wish I was as clued up as you when I first started, in fact you seem more clued up than I am now! The only thing I would add is skills. Look at what you are already good at and start learning to fill in the gaps. Maybe your first aid is good, maybe a course would be a good idea if not, etc.

Not only the "big stuff" either, I have a neighbour who can't even use a needle and thread! she brings buttons for me to sew on, who can't sew a button They live in the country and mow their grass and have a few bought in plants at the edge, but have never so much as sown a seed. Sometimes it's the little skills that are missing but we only know ourselves what matters to our situation at any given moment, the trick for a prepper is to think of skills we may never need to use but want to have - just in case.

[lonewolf]

the 1st thing I did was to get a stock of tinned food together, nothing large, just filled up an old wooden box(old wine box I'd bought off someone) with tins, just enough I could throw in the back of the car and skedaddle.

[featherstick]

When I sat down to systematise what I was doing, I looked at vital information. For me, this was things like:
Insurance policies
Passports
Inventory to back an insurance claim
Qualifications
Priority photos and artefacts
Driving licences

And so on. Fact is we are far more likely to lose everything to a fire or flood than to zombies and anyone who has been in that situation will tell you that the hassle of proving a claim and the loss of treasured family photos is enormous.

We've got boxes of food, water, tents, BOBs, etc. etc. but I think a few copies of important docs so that we can rebuild our lives is a really important prep.

[FEISTY]

When I sat down to systematise what I was doing, I looked at vital information. For me, this was things like:
Insurance policies
Passports
Inventory to back an insurance claim
Qualifications
Priority photos and artefacts
Driving licences

And so on. Fact is we are far more likely to lose everything to a fire or flood than to zombies and anyone who has been in that situation will tell you that the hassle of proving a claim and the loss of treasured family photos is enormous.

We've got boxes of food, water, tents, BOBs, etc. etc. but I think a few copies of important docs so that we can rebuild our lives is a really important prep.

I've also started sorting everything out and simplifying everything. Today I put my bank and c/c accounts on-line and shredded half a filing cabinet drawer full of paper, keeping not more than a couple of pages for each. All of these are in one folder in a secure, but easily accessed area. It's a start. My husband's uncle suggested years ago that we photograph every room from every angle and then photograph everything individually (put a ruler beside jewellery etc for scale), etc. Of course, we've been far too busy to do that, but I'm going to do it now and give my brother, who has a safe, copies to keep for us in case our whole house goes up. Going to make sure all insurance companies together with policy numbers are on my 'phone. My bag with 'phone, purse and make-up (;) would be the first thing I'd grab. All you much more advanced preppers out there would probably just grab the BOB - I don't have one yet .

[PreppingPingu]

Echoing the others - great start, and yes skills are essential. All the equipment in the world is useless if you haven't got basic life and survival skills.

As for a bug out location - that's not really important for us lot in the uk as its almost impossible to properly bug out unless you are planning on leaving your home to join a friend/relative's home. Try not to focus too hard on that aspect - good to be prepared for it but in a small way. I would tend to focus on what I have to see out in a small scale disaster that forces you to bug in and then you can build up from there to seeing out a large scale disaster. So yes food, water, medical, power, safety and shelter. Ok, a small scale disaster may include temporarily leaving your home in case of say, flood, but the chances are, you will be able to return to collect belongings and its unlikely to be permanent.

And yes certainly documents. Both personal ones and those that may have useful info on them - ie prepper documents that tell you "how to do X Y and Z" And as has been said a photo or two and a piece of music - in dire situations you need to keep your moral up to stand a snowballs chance of survival.

[Ghost Prepper]

I should have added a generator aswell. some good ideas here, certainly had a good think about what preps I buy / put in place next

[Manclife]

The first thing you should do is work out what your prepping for.

[Flippertyjibbet]

A cheap and easy prep not mentioned is a corded phone. In a powerout it will still work due to low voltage in the telephone system. You can pick one up for under a fiver.

[Plymtom]

I'm with Pingu on the bug out concept, but the living out of a Bergen always ready would be the ultimate readiness along with being fit enough to have a chance in a bug out DDpreppers situation, Mancliffe's what to prep for question is fair but again most Brits have a broad outlook on this, wanting to cover as many scenarios as possible, starting with the most likely and probably more "bad patch" than SHTF where all your outdoor/ survival kit, is superfluous to the situation I'd say first to prep to manage for as long as possible without going out much or at all, then add things like to do so without usual utilities, have a flood plan, have a fire plan, have somewhere in mind to go to should your home become uninhabitable, it may be good to think big, but more practical and affordable to start small but less focused on one particular thing.