1. Intro
  2. Overview with enough tips to get your started and going for a while. Each of the topics I’ll cover, from home security to water storage could easily be another 1-hour webinar – and I’ll probably be doing those!
  3. For now, take notes, learn what you can, check out the resources I’ll be providing.
  4. Prepping NEVER comes to an end. There’s always something new to consider.
  5. Why did millions become preppers?
  6. Paying attention
  7. Macro vs. Micro
  8. Macro:
  9. North Korea, Syrian refugees, illegal immigration, EMP, economic problems/possible collapse, you name it.
  10. No control at all over these things.
  11. It’s natural, then, to zero in on what you CAN control in the face of uncertainty.
  12. Example: Traffic accidents
  13. My daughter will be getting her license soon.
  14. I can’t control what every other driver on the road does, but I CAN control:
  15. Her learning good skills and habits
  16. Insured out the wazoo
  17. Vehicle is maintained, brakes and tires checked
  18. She has a cell phone and knows what to do in case of an accident.
  19. We’ve done all we can and now we have to bless and release.
  20. What is a prepper?
  21. You can be a prepper and not even realize it.
  22. This is one reason to not worry TOO much about whether or not there are other preppers in your neighborhood, church, etc.
  23. If they’re smart, and preppers tend to be VERY smart!, they are laying low.
  1. Is a prepper a survivalist? What’s the difference?
  2. You can be one and NOT the other!
  3. The life of survivalists is far more difficult than most people realize, including themselves, sometimes!
  4. They may not have the time, resources, physical energy and strength to prepare for much more than the current season and maybe, hopefully, the next one.
  5. Also, survivalists may or may not be aware of issues that preppers are aware of.
  1. Get ready to be a prepper
  2. Become educated about potential dangers of all types
  3. Don’t discount even “crazy” theories but don’t try to plan for, literally, the end of the world if you don’t even have 2 or 3 flashlights with batteries that work! It’s just too overwhelming!
  4. Knowledge helps you set priorities,
  1. First, know what you’re preparing for
  2. Become educated
  3. Natural disaster
  4. Extreme weather
  5. Man-made event
  6. Terrorism
  7. Economic collapse
  8. Pandemic
  9. EMP
  10. Personal crisis
  11. These are the ones that happen hundreds of thousands of times every week.
  12. Illness/disease diagnosis, followed by overwhelming medical bills
  13. Loss of income
  14. Death in the family
  15. Accident of some sort
  16. ACTIVITY:
  17. Go through these 4 categories and list wht you believe are the most likely events in each one.
  18. For each of the 4 categories, circle the ONE that is most likely based on what you know about current events, your personal circumstances, and location.
  19. Now, of those 4, which is the most possible, most imminent? Put a star by that one?
  20. Are you hearing rumors at work about lay-offs?
  21. Has work slowed down noticeably?
  22. Are you waiting to hear from a doctor about a diagnosis or treatment?
  23. Is the stock market giving you the willies?
  24. Are you convinced that September, 2015, is the beginning of the end, as a number of prognosticators are saying?
  25. BINGO! That is the one you should prepare for first.
  26. Good news! Planning for one helps with others
  27. Easier to prepare for more extreme events once you have the easy ones covered
  28. Insurance example:
  29. Think of a time when you didn’t have car and/or health insurance? How secure did you feel?
  30. Probably on edge a lot. Trying to not go to the doctor, extra nervous when on the road.
  31. When you did get insurance, you could relax. You didn’t go all crazy and reckless but, instead, you knew that if something bad happened, you had some backup with the insurance. Safety net.
  32. Educate yourself – ongoing, not do one time and stop
  33. Keep an open mind.
  34. Go ahead and listen to crazy hypothesis. It’s good to know what others are thinking. Also, your “prepper friends” don’t all have to be preparing for the exact same thing in order to be helpful.
  35. First focus on reading and researching information related to your #1 prepper focus.
  36. This will keep you from becoming overwhelmed, but you’ll also start seeing how much of what you’re doing will help out in other scenarios.
  37. Reliable resources
  38. Forums – you get what you pay for BUT there is value to dozens, if not hundreds, of opinions. Take what is valuable to you and shake off the rest.
  39. Good advice – caves, salt mines – terrible advice!
  40. I like survivalistboards.com and there’s a Survival Mom forum you can find from my homepage under Community.
  41. Is this hysterical? Crazy? No!
  42. In fact, most preppers go out of their way to avoid the crazy stuff that has been featured on shows like Doomsday Preppers.
  43. We know that the safety and lives of our loved ones could hinge on our decisions, so most of us tread this path very carefully.
  44. Here are a few scenarios that may be way out there – but who knows?
  45. DOOR PRIZE
  46. Winner needs to send their mailing address to
  47. BASICS – Water
  48. Store 2 gallons per person/day
  49. Usual recommendation is 1 gallon but I prefer to store more
  50. Living on 1 gallon per day is extremely difficult
  51. Unforeseen events
  52. Where to store the water?
  53. Keep in mind, water weighs about 8 lbs. per gallon! Be careful about storing it upstairs!
  54. Most water containers are very inexpensive, if not free.
  55. Water purification & filtering
  56. Boiling – pros and cons
  57. Bleach – pros and cons
  58. WAPI
  59. Other systems – there are MANY! Mini Sawyer is a good budget friendly choice, LifeStraw, too.
  60. Have a well?
  61. Manual pump
  62. Don’t depend on a generator, long term
  63. Other fuels? Natural gas?
  64. Have a way to test your water. Get it tested now so you have a baseline.
  65. Water catchment systems
  66. Easy, inexpensive
  67. If this is illegal for you, have the materials, know how to put it together.
  68. Many, many different types. Even a tarp strung up from 3 or 4 corners is effective.
  69. Be ready with water barrels.
  1. BASICS: Food
  2. Start with 3 layers concept
  3. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have
  4. Important 4th layer
  5. Grow your own
  6. Eventually, the stored food will run out. It may be difficult/impossible to buy more.
  7. Get started with even one pot of herbs, a single tomato plant
  8. Learn where these grow ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY!
  9. Keep a diary/journal so you’ll remember what plant did best in what area, how much water, any fertilizer used, etc. AND, what did NOT do well.
  10. GET ORGANIZED!
  11. You might not think this is a survival skill, but it is!
  12. Imagine evacuating ahead of a flood or wildfire and you haven’t done laundry in 2 weeks! You have no idea where your car keys are, where you’re going to go, or if there’s gas in the car!
  13. The more you can be organized with your supplies and routines, the easier it will be to handle a crisis
  14. Check out this planner! – 3 slides
  1. BASICS: Shelter
  2. Focus today is NOT on wilderness survival but on helping you prepare a safe place wherever you happen to live.
  3. Frankly, bugging out and trying to live out of your car or in a tent or tarp lean-to is a worst case scenario. It may be required in some situations, but get your home base prepared first.
  4. It’s safer
  5. You know the area, roads, neighbors, resources
  6. You won’t be a refugee unless situation becomes extremely threatening
  7. All your stuff is there. There’s no way you’ll be able to transport out all your food, water, supplies, gear, etc.
  8. If YOU are there, it’s automatically more secure than a remote bug out location, which requires a lengthy journey and could easily attract squatters, or worse.
  9. Shelter considerations
  10. Can be secured
  11. Intruders
  12. Pests, wild animals
  13. Natural disasters
  14. Weather
  15. Warm enough in the winter
  16. Plan for the worst winter in your memory.
  17. Have more than 1 heat source with ventilation AND carbon monoxide detectors
  18. Live in one room OR set up a tent. Be sure to bring in your pets – great source of heat!
  19. Stock up on blankets for windows, doorways, etc.
  20. Cool enough in the summer
  21. Takes the human body 3 weeks to adapt! Babies, toddlers, elderly and those with chronic health problems fare the worst.
  22. Find ways to do this: Water + Air Flow + Shade
  23. Easy and cheap things to stock up on:
  24. Battery powered fans
  25. Squirt bottles
  26. Even old fashioned hand fans!
  27. More tips in my book, from someone who spent close to a lifetime in Phoenix!
  28. Sanitation
  29. Pests, rodents, mold, mildew
  30. Toilet
  31. Laundry
  32. Bathing
  33. Light sources
  1. BASICS: Security
  2. Without security, everything you’ve done may end up as someone else’s property.
  3. You have to be able to secure what you own and have acquired.
  4. Story from Lucifer’s Hammer
  5. Millionaire has the perfect bug out location, fully stocked. When he arrives there, it’s full of squatters who aren’t going to leave without violence. Suddenly, he’s a homeless refugee.
  6. Think in layers
  7. It’s not just guns, alarm systems, heavy duty door locks. It’s all of the above and more!
  8. Common sense
  9. Secure locks on windows and doors – Something as simple as longer screws 2.5 - 3" long., replacing the screws that are in the hinges of your doorway.
  10. No handy hiding places for bad guys
  11. Alarm system
  12. Know your neighbors
  13. Get a dog or two
  14. Important: Keep your home looking good and obvious that someone lives there and cares about their property = Ready and willing to defend what you own.
  15. Assess home for weaknesses, including aesthetically pleasing features that don’t help with home security – beautiful front door with stained glass, window inserts.
  16. Have a plan for securing things like that at a point when it becomes necessary. Unless you live in an area that has rising violent crime, enjoy your home, its windows, etc. Just have the supplies and know-how for securing them when/if necessary.
  17. Situational awareness
  18. Don’t underestimate this
  19. What’s going on in my neighborhood? Recognize cars, people, routines.
  20. Rule for my kids: Don’t be with stupid people doing stupid things fueled by alchohol!
  21. Levels of awareness
  22. White – Susan and mailbox/bicyclist incident
  23. Yellow
  24. Orange
  25. Red
  26. Detailed in my book
  1. Personal & home defense
  2. Too many preppers think guns first, second, third, and fourth and THEN think about water, toilets, first aid, etc!
  3. Firearms
  4. Have a plan for intruders
  5. City of Houston had a suggested plan that was quite good:
  6. One adult grabs firearm and holds off intruders with shots
  7. Second adult grabs kids and secure them.
  8. Link at the end of this webinar.
  9. Important: have a plan, practice it.
  10. Scary scenarios like a home invasion happen in seconds and are 100% unpredictable
  11. More than any other category, get firearms training and plenty of regular practice. Every family member should know basic gun safety. Great website:
  1. 2 Survival Unmentionables
  2. Rarely focused on in most survival/prepper sites because they aren’t glamorous.
  3. Who wants to go on a diet or pinch pennies, if you have them!
  4. Fitness
  5. Build strength, endurance
  6. Get off any prescription meds, if possible
  7. Take first aid, CPR, wilderness first aid classes.
  8. Build an impressive medical kit and know how to use it.
  9. Teach kids first aid and CPR.
  10. If on FB, join our Skinny Survival Moms (and others) group
  11. Stock up on important vitamins, herbs, essential oils, supplements, and other healthy ingredients (coconut oil, honey)
  12. Financial preparedness
  13. Like it or not, you’ll have to spend at least SOME money on preparedness.
  14. Do shop Goodwill and thrift stores
  15. Craigslist
  16. Freecycle
  17. Ebay
  18. Yard sales
  19. Read our 52 Weeks Savings Club resources and monthly savings guides
  20. Join Facebook group
  21. Set priorities for what you want/need to purchase.
  1. Overriding principles
  2. Rule of 3
  3. Keep in mind when assessing threats
  4. Wildfires, housefires will affect air quality – if those are concerns, then think about the 3 minutes w/o oxygen. Face masks, perhaps?
  5. Severe environments – if you normally travel through unpopulatged areas, you may want to keep basic camping and survival gear in your vehicle.
  6. Water – did you realize how quickly dehydration kills?
  7. Food – From this stat, it’s obvious that water is the most important.
  8. Two is one, one is none.
  9. Backup systems, gear, tools, and supplies.
  10. That’s the principle behind having more than one way to cook food, more than one fuel you can use, more than one water filter.
  11. If something is important to your survival (air, shelter, water, security, food), then it’s important enough to require a back up of some sort.
  12. The backup could be a plan B. It doesn’t necessarily have to be more stuff.
  13. Quality rules
  14. Ties in with the previous rule.
  15. Don’t buy crap. Buy used if you have to but make sure it’s well made, very sturdy.
  16. You never know when it may make the difference between life or death or the quality of life.
  17. With millions of Americans out of work, here is a way to get prepared without spending money.
  18. Major misconception abot prepping – it’s all about stockpiling and buying stuff.
  19. Classes at stores like Cabela’s, Bass Pro, REI, bike stores, health food stores, etc.
  20. YouTube!
  21. Udemy.com
  22. Meet-Up groups
  23. LDS churches offer free preparedness classes, with no religious discussion
  24. Library books
  25. Hundreds of ways to learn new skills AND when you become an expert, it could become a source of income for you.
  26. DOOR PRIZES!
  27. Gaye Levy is one of my favorite bloggers. She always researches her stuff, it’s always reliable.
  28. Here’s her guide to food storage – great for beginners and intermediate preppers.
  29. Ebook version, so you’ll have it with you everywhere. You can print it out and add it to your files or survival binders.
  30. SELECT WINNERS
  31. Send me an email with your email address and I’ll forward it to Gaye for delivery of your ebook.
  32. DON’t BECOME unbalanced. Some areas are quicker and easier to prepare for than others.
  33. Keep track of your sanity
  34. Network with others
  35. Who can you trust?
  36. Meetups
  37. Forums
  38. Clubs
  39. How much time is this taking?
  40. Are you losing sleep?
  41. Are you doing illogical things, in the big picture?
  42. Trusted friends are crucial
  1. How NOT to be a prepper
  2. Don’t believe every wild conspiracy
  3. Chemtrails
  4. Fema camps
  5. Civil war
  6. Be logical with your priorities and stay balanced.
  7. Don’t model your ‘preps’ after those you see on Doomsday Preppers, other TV shows, even websites, even MINE!
  8. Don’t think you’ve ever completely ARRIVED. Always learn.
  9. Purchasing power does not equal preparedness. Not stuff but skills and a proper mindset
  10. Where to go from here?
  11. 3 List system
  12. Will help you stay focused on your priorities.
  13. Will help you not buy things that you may already have or don’t need.
  14. Good reminder that doing and learning are as important as buying.
  15. Research the #1 crisis as determined in the first portion of this webinar.
  16. Learn all you can about it.
  17. Research how people have survived it, past survival stories, news reports.
  18. Use this information to add to your 3 lists.
  19. Meet with those who will be your partners in prepping.
  20. Together review your survival scenario priorities. Do they agree with your assessment?
  21. If they aren’t fully on board, then continue on your own. A little prepping is better than zero.
  22. Maybe they’ll be willing to take a class with you and learn something new and fun.
  23. Keep it fun!
  1. Products I own, use, and recommend
  2. (Active links on webinar screen.)

Preparedness Planner