Okay, let’s just be real here…prepping is not for the faint of heart!

There is food to gather, and water to store, and skills to learn. The sheer amount of information about prepping can be completely overwhelming.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything at once and at the same time having no real plan for moving forward.

Today we are going to talk about common prepping mistakes and how to avoid them!

Here are some common prepping mistakes:

1. Not tracking your supplies - It’s easy to get excited about making progress purchasing all of your prepping supplies. It’s fun to stock up on the food, water, and medical supplies. It’s easy to hit add to cart on your Amazon account, wait for the box to show up, and then store the supplies “safely” away. But if you are anything like me, it can be easy to buy duplicates (or more) if we aren’t tracking our supplies.

   One of my early mistakes was adding things to a buy list and then forgetting to actually check them off when I purchased them. I may have more fire starting material than I could use in a lifetime at this point!

   Create a tracking system for all of your prepping efforts and STAY CONSISTENT when you add things to your lists.

   I recommend having an “inventory sheet” that lists all of your prepping supplies. It’s also a GREAT idea to list where you store things. It sounds silly, but it can be easy to forget where you put the extra batteries, flashlights, and bandaids.

   Having a consolidated list of things you want to buy, what you’ve already purchased, and where you stored everything will make your prepping efforts a lot less stressful.

2. Not thinking about hygiene & sanitation - Let’s be honest, when we start prepping we think about water, food, and probably some medical supplies. However, it's easy to forget about basic sanitation requirements.

   No one REALLY wants to think about what it will be like if our sewer systems aren’t working and our water is not flowing out of our showers. But not stopping to think about this category can be disastrous in an emergency.

   At the very least, you should consider how to dispose of human waste and household trash in a disaster scenario. You also need to think about how to stay clean and healthy during a crisis.

   We have a bucket system for our emergency bathroom, a solar shower for hygiene, and LOTS of toilet paper stocked up! Think about what supplies could make an emergency situation more bearable for your family. Start stocking up on supplies over the next few months.

3. Buying gear, but not practicing with it - Okay, it’s confession time. I love gadgets. I have always loved gadgets and gizmos (I blame The Little Mermaid), but prepping has taken my fascination with multi-tools, fire starting sticks, and emergency communication supplies to a whole new level!

   Having the right gear is smart and I am certainly all for buying the supplies that could make life more survivable and enjoyable in an emergency situation. But having gear you have never used can be dangerous.

   For instance, you might feel pretty proud that you purchased a tourniquet and suture kit for your advanced emergency medical kit, but if you’ve never used them you aren’t really ready to respond to an emergency medical situation.

   When we put all the gadgets in our bags and bins we can create a false sense of security. We think because we have the gear we are “safe.”

   The reality is, if we don’t practice with our gear it is not helping us stay safe and secure.

   It’s a great idea to create a plan to practice with all of the things you want to purchase. This includes the food dehydrator, wheat grinder, fire starting kits, and solar powered widgets.

   PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

   You don’t want to get into the middle of an emergency situation and then try to learn a new skill with a new tool.

4. Focusing just on supplies instead of skills - This mistake is closely related to the previous mistake. Often when we start prepping we worry about all the THINGS we think we need to be safe and secure. We focus on stockpiling supplies and gathering the appropriate tools. Again, there is value in storing supplies, but not if we don’t have the skills we need to survive too.

   We need to focus on the skills we will need in an emergency situation. This includes things like basic medical skills, communication skills (for when the cell phones don’t work), and basic food preparation and preservation skills.

   Make sure when you create your “to do, to buy, and to learn” lists you are focused heavily on skill development.

   Again, you don’t want your first attempt at cooking without power and running water to be in the middle of the storm!

5. Forgetting about your pets! - Okay, here is another potential pitfall for new preppers. Don’t forget if you have pets to create emergency plans for them.

   Make sure you are considering water, food, medical, and safety needs for your pets as you start prepping. It’s easy to not have a good plan in place for emergency situations.

   It’s a good idea to have all of your vet records in one place, your pets microchipped, and extra food and medical supplies for ALL of your pets.

   It’s also good to know what shelters in your local area take animals if you need to evacuate and have a list of pet friendly hotels on your emergency evacuation routes.

   Having a crate and/or carrier for you pets is also important for an emergency situation where you may need to leave with your animal or keep them calm during a storm.

Obviously, this isn't an exhaustive list of potential mistakes, but it does capture some of the most common things I see new preppers forget to think about when they start their prepping journey.

What other mistakes have you seen on your prepping journey?