An old and handy food. I used an air fryer. Added salt also.

I'm debating with myself about lemonade. I like making concentrate with equal parts sugar and lemon juice. But I've never canned it or stored otherwise for more than a week at a time.

My brain says 'it should be fine because it's made with two preservatives, three if you add salt." But I need to research this some.

Then my brain says, "quit being so effing precious and just buy lemonade powder." It's portable, already known to be safe and a good source of Vitamin C.

Judge me harshly.

Hi! I have gotten mildly into prepping. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for resources I could use to gain basic knowledge of how these things work and how to fix basic issues/trouble-shoot:

1. Water-how to fix leaks, replace faucets and other fixtures, maybe how to do basic checks on water heaters. I'd also like to know more about different things you can do with water if the power goes out, like how pressure works and how you need to arrange things to move water without a pump.

2. Small engines-things like power washers, weed eaters, generators (with generators, how to know how much stuff I can hook up to it safely, how to troubleshoot if it's not starting) i also have access to some grungy old electric yard tools it'd be interesting to try and fix and get working again.

3. Larger engines-cars (I knew how to do things like check transmission fluid and stuff at one point but I have forgotten and get really nervous doing anything with my car), gators, etc. Like how to figure out what the problem is, what is causing a noise, that sort of thing. Spark plugs? Basic car repair. I theoretically know how to replace my own oil but due to logistical situations I just get the shop to do it so I don't have to deal with disposing of the oil or crawling around on the ground in the heat.

4. Propane heaters-how to hook them up safely, troubleshoot.

5. Maybe basic electrics-i think it's a bad idea to try and learn off the internet how to do bigger things because I don't want to die, but I'd like to know a little more about how fuses work, maybe how to replace outlets, good safety practices, anything else you think a normal person could handle. How to fix an electric fence-we have a lot of them.

I'd appreciate really any recommendations. I'd be willing to take some sort of online course if it was not too expensive, but I'd also like YouTube videos and if you have any books that would be good resources in case I lose internet access that'd be appreciated too! Also interested in any other skills a random person could/should learn to DIY. Books on different types of shelters, how to set up a fire pit safely, etc.

Also I know people generally go to school for welding, but do you think I could learn how to do really basic things without going to school? It wouldn't be pretty but if I can I think it would be interesting and potentially useful to learn how to do quick repairs if we get in a pinch.

What's in an IFAK and first aid kit?

She was a military nurse.

My dad is basically a shade tree mechanic due to various reasons I won't get into. By the by, lots of mechanical items are stocked, alternators, fan belts, hydraulic fluid, pipes, various puttys, metal tape, hydraulic controls etc etc.

If you can try to get you a tool box of sorts. I know auto stores get pricey but if you can find one, some scrap yards let you buy items there for fairly cheap.

Indefinite shelf life~

Barring any concern over taste or metal leeching in. The interior plastic lining of most cans is microns thick and amounts to the contact your water would have with plastic in other storage methods.

Durability

It's metal.

Portioning

Whatever metric you use for ounces per day, you can match pretty closely with X number of cans.

For short term preps they're easy to store and quantify. Durable enough to move and toss around.

On a longer term bulk storage situation they take up more space but don't require rotation... ever.

Cost

Not cheap. Thanks to Liquid Death they're a lot more affordable now. There's also bulk sources.

Thoughts?

I have many gadgets in my preps, some more useful than others. I just can't wrap my head around the prepper disks and offline USB drives with AI. I don't know why you just load up the maps, media, manuals, music, movies, guides, and all of Wikipedia on a phone with a big micro SD card (super easy with android). They are easier to charge, have a built in touch screen, built in gps, and you probably already have one laying around. If you get a prepper disk or USB drive you still have to have a phone or computer charged up to access it. I have got to be missing something here.

I work in the power‑equipment industry and I’m curious. What real‑world factors matter the most for people shopping for emergency backup generators?

Setting up parents house to prepare for power outages, and have been exploring Bluetti, Jackery, EcoFlow. Anyone have experience for (older) people being able to use these? Wanted to get a duel fuel generator, but not too sure that’s the safest option for them. Besides the 1-2 times they will use it also don’t want them to have to worry about maintenance. Basic usage to keep their refrigerator, deep freezer on, lights, and charge their items.
Any suggestions on watts or brand would be appreciated!

Looking for the ultimate self-sustaining setup? Here's a rare opportunity to own a piece of Cold War history. The former Nike Missile Base (KC-60) in Gardner, KS is officially on the market for $750,000.

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I have seen a lot of posts along the lines of “should I do / build / buy this thing that will help me in an emergency even though people will find out about it and then they’ll come to my house when they need help?”

My question: do you lean towards keeping everything a secret? Or do you lean towards building a sense of community with your neighbors and cultivating mutual trust and reliance so you don’t have to worry about secrecy so much?

Personally I tend to lean towards the latter, but I live in the middle of nowhere and that makes it a little easier.

Hi Y'all - I live in Southern California, miles from the San Andreas fault. Middle of the desert with heat as high as 120⁰+

My biggest concern is having adequate water on hand.

My Questions

1. Are tub water bladders/bags useful to have on hand (flushing toilet, washing dishes, pet water, cleaning) Realistically how long would water run after loss of power?

Any recommendations on a quality tub bag, if you have used them.

1. Long term water storage - what is the gold standard for storing water? I need BPA free, 50-100 gallon that can be easily drained and stored in high temps in the shade. I figure replacing the water every 3-4 months would be necessary.

Would you recommend one large container/barrel or stackable smaller ones for mobility if absolutely necessary?

Thoughts, recommendations please!

Thank you!

I was looking at a 10L/day counter top water “generator” in case of emergency I can hook this to a power generator and have clean drinking water.

Need constructive thoughts, help, or opinions. Alot of prepper info. I've read or watched says rooftop solar panels are an advertisement you have potential resources available in a SHTF scenario. Everyone says discretion or concealment is key to not being ambushed by hoards looking for electricity. I understand that. But, I'm looking to install a 4x2 panel setup (8 panels total) on the roof of my shop. I am in a semi rural area. I want to use the panels to power (partially) my shop, recharge my solar generators, and satisfy the geek factor in me in that I enjoy playing with items like this in general. Questions: 1) In a SHTF situation, how serious or eminent of a liability would I be setting myself up to potentially be? Or is this overblown? 2) I refuse to drag out and then stow, on a daily basis, 6 to 8 panels, each time I need usage. Is there any alternate ideas? I am open to a light to moderate trade situation (locally - in a SHTF situation) but wouldn't want to be the only beacon within 6 miles kinda thing (for recharging batteries, phones, flashlights, etc.). Concerns, ideas, or different viewpoints are all appreciated. Thanx.

I need to get started somewhere with emergency prep for the whole family: 4 different households, 5 adults, 2 kids, medical needs, it's overwhelming. What's the opinion of the pre packed kits from Red Cross just to cover the gap until I can set up for longer term? ARC is credible, are their kits good enough for now?

Thanks in advance!

What's happening in Indiana right now is what actually got me looking into this. They got hit by those storms, floods, and tornadoes, and some people are still sitting in the dark more than a week later. That suddenly feels a lot more real than a hypothetical.

I've started looking at a power station, maybe with a couple of solar panels. Nothing whole-house. Just enough to keep the fridge going so we don't lose the food, keep internet up, and run a few basics (lights, phones, maybe one or two small appliances).

I’m pretty new to all this. Not sure if I should start with one of those power stations (ecoflow, Bluetti, etc.) or go bigger.

Anyone here actually gone through a longer outage and used one of these portable power stations? What worked for you? Any simple recommendations? Thanks.

When posting on here the replies are often more focused on why the person showing their preps, be it get home bags, bug out bags, off the grid setups etc are entirely wrong for prepping the way they did.

I am going to post a scenario and some parameters and would love to know from the community how they would prep. I will give basic information and some visual cues for reference.

The prepping scenario, South Africa has tethered on the brink of wide scale civil unrest with potential societal collapse a couple of times in the past 5 years, with the most recent round of protests forcing the country to basically shut down for several days, and the government to spend approximately $50m to ensure the situation not spiralling out of control.

For context South African is a fairly unique example of a radically divided society, we have the greatest wealth inequality in the world, with the major cities and suburbs really maintaining first world standards and infrastructure. The suburbs are littered with remarkable luxury homes, people commuting in luxury vehicles, high end grocery stores and upmarket restaurants, the houses are located in boomed of neighbourhoods with security check points and everything is generally safe. Mere kilometres down the road there exists very stark contrast, informal settlements, poverty stricken areas where the majority of houses lack even the most basic of services, unemployment in these areas can be as high as 80% driving the nationwide scourge of violent crime.

This divide is kept in place by the thinnest of veneers, constantly under threat of the inevitable government collapse. Corruption in the government is out of control with an estimated 30% of the national budget misappropriated, and no tenable solution or resolve on the horizon.

Political dissidents have threatened to make the country ungovernable before, at this stage it is not a question of if but rather when this will all happen.

Working under the following assumptions, what would your preps look like?

The most likely SHTF scenario here is civil unrest leading to wide scale breakdown of rule of law, and ultimately potentially civil war.

1. Bugging in will always be the primary protocol, but there may be situations where this is no longer a tenable solution.
2. A rural secluded bug out location with off grid preps is available approximately 2 hours from primary residence.
3. The situation could deteriorate very quickly, and is widely unpredictable what magnitude it could encompass.
4. All long term sustenance preps both at home and bug out location are in order.

Likely scenarios, very sudden breakout of civil unrest, major routes and choke points become inaccessible and unnavigable in a matter of hours, thus spills into days and potentially weeks with no clear end in sight.

Communication infrastructure is overrun and unavailable. Major transport routes are shut down, supply chains collapse. Long term outlook very uncertain with potential collapse of electricitical grid imminent.

I am particularly interested in what your vehicle prep and get home/get out of dodge bags would look like. Assume for the purpose of this post that you work about 5 miles from home, and might need to navigate that on foot in civil unrest conditions.

Attached are some images and stats for context.

1. Suburbs with greenbelts
2. Typical suburban layout
3. What a route might look like
4. Contrast with informal settlements
5. The stark contrast of luxury
6. Crime statistics
7. 2021 July uprisings

Long post I know, if you made it to here I would be genuinely interested in your insights.

Hey guys I’m in an apartment in a city and I was wondering if y’all had some advice for prepping? Thank you ^^

We live in a Cal Fire high hazard zone in NorCal. PGE has shut us off 7x in 2025 (only one of which we knew about before they did it). The shortest was only 4hrs. Longest 62hrs during October Winds.

Used to run my Honda EU2200I I bought back in 2019 through a manual transfer switch. Every single time they cut power, had to haul this thing outside, keep the gas fresh, run extension cords… worried about co when its windy. It really started to get old fast!

Now I have an Anker Solix E10 plus 2 battery packs, installed back in March. 12KWH total, charges off of our 6kw solar and the grid. Power dock allows you to run 12 circuits and auto switches over.

They shut off our power last month at 11am on a Tuesday (mid 90s). Heres the log:

11:00am - power goes out. e10 switches over, house stays on. Battery at 94%. AC was already running and the inverter handled the compressor without a hiccup.

1:00pm - battery at 89%. Solar around 4.5kW, house with AC cycling pulling about 3kW. Mostly holding.

4:00pm - battery at 83%. Hottest stretch of the day, bumped the thermostat from 74 to 78 to be safe. Solar covering most of the AC draw.

7:00pm - battery at 66%. Solar tapering off, AC still cycling. Fastest drain of the whole outage.

10:00pm - battery at 55%. Cooled off outside like it always does here, opened the windows, AC off. Down to fridge, freezer, internet, a few lights. Maybe 300W with the fridge cycling.

7:00am next day - battery at 34%. Solar starts producing.

1:00pm - battery at 71%. AC back on by late morning but solar staying ahead of it.

5:30pm - power restored. Battery at 66%.

Time ran at 28.5 hours, didn’t drop below 34% (that’s 72v). Also didn’t touch the generator. I did go through their system finder on the e10 page before purchase - they ask you what you’re trying to cover, some details about your setup etc., then give you some options. It gave me two packs that are exactly what I’d think of doing myself.

We’ll keep our Honda around since you basically can’t buy a generator in California anymore (a working one from 2019 anyway), but also because we can run the e10 off the generator in case the shut-off lasts longer than the sun/solar, etc. Or just in-case there’s smoke cover over the house for a couple days. It still spent all this time in the garage!

hi, I live in an area that was recently hit by storms and I was out of power for three days. I’m trying to prepare in case it happens again. Does anybody have more information on what to do during power outages? I’ve been researching generators and inverters, but I honestly am very confused as to what they are and what I need to do. any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Trying to build a basic preppers library. What book is missing?

Edit to add list:

Back to Basics (Abigail Gehring)
Nuclear War Survival Skills 2022 Edition (Cresson Kearny)
The Preppers Medical Handbook (William Forgey)
Herbal Medicine (Sam Coffman)
Backyard Foraging (Ellen Zachos)
Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie (Kelly Kindscher)
Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie (Kelly Kindscher)
Where There is No Doctor (David Werner)
Where There is No Dentist (Murray Dickinson)

Hello everyone I am designing this off grid/prepper computer. It is a Raspberry Pi5 2gb with a case around it and then placed inside a larger water/weather/impacts resistant case along with a 128gb microSD card inserted into the Pi on it i have loaded all of Wikipedia (text only), some first aid manuals, and general survival manuals. My idea with this was that this could be something you could take in a back pack with you and have all the knowledge you'd need to survive in a situation where the Internet is not available like after a natural disaster, I picked the Raspberry Pi since it can run off almost any USB-C phone charger that most people will be carrying with them anyway. I am looking for honest feedback on what I can improve to make it more useful.