Today there are endless options when it comes to prepper gear. It can become overwhelming when it comes to choosing what to buy. However, there are specific areas associated with prepping that are extremely important. These will include water, food and personal hygiene. These are items that can prevent illness and preserve life. Here is a list of the most basic, yet most important items.
1. Food
When faced with an emergency situation or when a natural or manmade disaster strikes, food may become difficult to obtain. For this reason, it is always advisable to have sufficient food supplies on hand. Here are the must-have food items in association to nutrition and food needs:
Short-Term Food
Every household should always have at least a 2-week supply of food available for emergencies. This includes regular food that is eaten daily and is regarded as the short-term food supply. If the emergency event is short-lived, this food should be enough to get the family or individual through.
Long-Term Food
When a disruption occurs to society which becomes extensive enough, individuals and families need to be thinking about their long-term needs, which includes enough food to survive on for a number of months. The emergency food buckets are one of the essential additions to any person’s prepper gear. These include full-meals that only require hot water. They also have an extremely long shelf life, which means they can be stored safely for a long time.
2. Water
Water is even more important than food as humans can survive for weeks without any food, but only a few days when they run out of water. It is always advisable to store bottled water that will last for a minimum of 2 weeks. Once again for short-lived emergencies this will be enough to get through. However, when it comes to long-term emergencies an item like the waterBOB is truly indispensable. This product has been designed to line a bathtub without the need to sanitize the bathtub, it ensures the water stays clean and fresh for up to 16 weeks. This device comes with a versatile pump for extracting water for cleaning, cooking and drinking.
3. Personal Hygiene
Personal hygiene becomes a lot more important during emergency situations in comparison to everyday life. Personal hygiene in these situations is all about avoiding any conditions that are unsanitary and keeping clean to avoid illnesses. The most important item is a fully-stocked emergency kit. The next item is some soap and toothpaste. The most important item would be a “poop bucket” in situations where the plumbing is no longer available. The bucket should be lined with garbage bags and is one of the easiest ways to dispose of urine and excrement, while maintaining a sanitary environment.
There are obviously many other items to include for emergency and disaster situations, but these are the most important and most basic items that should be focused on first. Individuals and families that have these items on hand when faced with an emergency have a higher chance of survival in comparison to those who don’t.