The ten prepper commandments that you need to know to be a better prepper.

Have you ever been caught up unawares by something which, if you had taken the proper precaution, could have been prevented? It feels bad, especially if it resulted in you losing money and time. Well, survivalism is all about preparation for undesirable outcomes from anything. Many preppers will tell you most of the things you need to do to prepare for crises and pandemics. However, this article offers you the ten prepper commandments that you need to know to be a better prepper.
To understand how survivalism and prepping better, it’s essential to know the below definitions.
Who Is A Survivalist?
Survivalism began in the 1960s when people became alarmed by things like currency devaluation, nuclear bombing after cold wars, and inflation. Survivalism in the USA rose as more and more people became urbanized. Many survivalists then foresaw the life becoming unsustainable, resulting in a supply shortage of amenities like food, medicine, and other consumer supplies.
Who Is A Prepper?
A prepper is a relatively new word, but it means a modern-day survivalist. The term was brought to life and made famous by popular TV show doomsday preppers. Prepping is all about preparing for anything and being self-reliant. Regardless of whether you consider yourself a prepper or a survivalist, it’s all about self-sufficiency. Preppers and survivalists don’t rely on the government for food and security. They do that on their own.
Survivalism was once considered human nature, but sadly, it’s not the case today. Many individuals nowadays can’t fend for themselves but rely on government and corporations for handouts. It’s widespread for people to receive funds for food, medicine, and even technology. Preppers and survivalists plan for the future and do not need the governments help as they live a self-sufficient minimalistic lifestyle.
The ten prepper commandments are all about giving you some values that you need to understand and practice to become better prepper. They include:
1. Self-sufficiency
The realization that you rely on a system of debt and government handouts for survival will push you out of your comfort zone. As an average person, you may fail to provide for your food, medicine, and even money in case of a threat from an SHTF survival situation.
Most homesteaders are survivalists and will do everything to ensure that their farms run sufficiently all year round. As a result, they grow most of their food and safely store it for use in the future. Therefore, the fact that they can prepare for the long term and short-term survival gives them an upper hand in case of pandemics.
Survivalists ensure they have enough medication for their families in case of an SHTF situation. They don’t rely on handouts from the government but accumulate their stash over the years. In the case of a pandemic, preppers are in a better position to survive as they have all amenities that they need for survival.
Survivalism is a lifestyle that most people adopt to live a lean lifestyle. The fact that anything could happen in the future motivates most survivalists and preppers to use their financial resources well. They only use it on important things that will cushion them in case of an SHTF situation.
CreativityArdent preppers teach their families the importance of learning to do anything by themselves. As a prepper, you will be shown the importance of being self-reliant and never depend on the government for handouts. While this may seem unnatural to many, prepper families consider this normal.
In fact, in prepper families, boys know how to cook and mend their clothes. Girls are also taught how to change vehicles’ oil and tires from a young age. Such preparations not only allow you to learn many things, but it also gives you prepper preparation in case of an SHTF situation.
Prepper creativity allows them to survive, even without government medicine. Since survivalism is something many families do, they teach their children herbal medicine. The herbal medicine knowledge gives a pepper an upper hand in cases of a pandemic.
Preppers live close to nature and are in synch with it. They also know how to exploit it compared to non-preppers creatively. That is why many survivalists are also great hunters and gatherers. They are also fishermen, and while you will be running away from a wild animal, they instinctually know what to do to keep all of you safe.
1. Security and Preparedness
Life as we know, is always under threats. Most countries have been Ante-upping their nuclear game. There is still a threat of attack from countries like North Korea, which is a security concern for most Americans. The other risks, like the global pandemics and global financial meltdown, sends shivers down the spines of many preppers.
Most of the pandemic’s peppers prepare for would need government intervention. However, there are somethings they can do for themselves, like keeping themselves like secure. As a result, most American preppers predominantly prepare themselves for disasters by having enough food, water medicine, and weapons.
They also develop self-sufficiency skills that allow them to lead a comfortable life with little to no money. The media, in general, have popularized the survivalist movement through the rise in the survivalist content. TV shows, movies, and podcasts on survivalists, both fiction and real, have kept people entertained. As a result, the purchase of survival gear and camping equipment has been on a rising trajectory. More people are taking bushcraft courses, explaining the anxiety of the eminent existential risks.
You will be surprised to know that even Silicon Valley elite are preppers. Some like Peter Thiel has gone ahead and declared New Zealand as the go-to country for preppers in case of an SHTF situation. The example shows you how popular prepping is today. People who know, and value preparedness would go a long way to ensure everything is taken care of in case of a crisis.
1. Entertainment for Survival
You will be surprised at the things survivalists do for fun. Apart from doing normal things like partying, survivalists like being close to mother earth. Below are some of the things a survivalist can do in their natural habitat, especially off-grid.
Swimming
As a survivalist, having swimming skills is crucial as you don’t know when you might need them. You may go for boat riding only for it to develop problems which may require you to swim. Swimming is not only a high physical activity, but it also leaves you refreshingly fresh.
Bird Watching
Nothing beats tranquility as watching birds in their natural habitats in the woods. If you are a professional, all you need is a pair of binoculars. You can also double up bird watching with bird photography, which can be an excellent source of income.
Exercising
As a prepper, physical activities offer enough endurance to your body, making it healthy and energetic. Training and exercises not only build your stamina but also give you a toned out body.
Gardening
Free time always presents you with ample time to tend to your garden. Since the garden is your source of food, you don’t need any motivation to spend more time on it. You may decide to remove weeds or even prepare a seedbed for planting time.
1. Barter Trade
As a survivalist, you will have to learn and enjoy barter trade. In most cases where homesteaders are also preppers, you will produce some products in large numbers. You can then go ahead and look for a neighbor that needs what you have in exchange for what they have. In the case of an SHTF situation, money ceases to be the currency.
Drugs and foodstuff take over as currency, and the more you have, the better placed you are for trade. The situation calls for you to be a good member of the society as during this time you will need the help of others too.
1. Embracing Community Survival Plan
Most people convert to prepping after experiencing personal financial trauma, becoming unwell, or having difficulties that come with unemployment. The above situations can change your life for good, especially if you are ill-prepared. Research shows that most European preppers consider American prepping as political, religious, weaponized, and misogynistic. The American media also overhypes it, minimizing its legitimacy on the rational and the practicality of its approach.
European survivalists, on the other hand, are all about common sense. They feel that most institutions lack the capacity to handle a crisis well. As a result, they prepare thoroughly for SHTF situations like a failure of the electricity grid, loss of pension but don’t necessarily care about other apocalypse situations. The approach is different from the American prepping culture that is all about environmental collapse or nuclear fallout.
Preppers and survivalists are sometimes ridiculed and stigmatized due to their obsession with “op-sec” (operation security). Since they value their security and privacy, they withhold security information and will only share it with their fellow preppers. They keep strategic information about the location of their resources for themselves in case of an SHTF situation.
Preppers believe it takes everyone to survive and consider the non-preppers as ignorant of their surroundings. Since preppers are watchful and foresighted, they hate the complacent and trusting nature of ordinary civilians.
You may be tempted to believe that preppers only live in homestead and off-grid. However, preppers are everywhere. They make the city a “jungle” and will always have preps on them all the time. You will find bin bags and radios, survival gears, and kits in their cars and are ready for action all the time.
1. Survival Tools
As a prepper, you should have an arsenal of survival tools ready in case of the SHTF situation. Since you don’t know when this could happen, having the Bug out Bags and Go Bags is very crucial. While it may not be the most essential item, this is where you keep all your belongings.
You also need fire starters. Some of the essential fire starters include lighters, Ferro rods, etc. the fire starters are crucial as you need fire to keep warm. While you may need these fire starters at home, they are very vital outdoors as people use light to keep off wild animals.
First-aid supplies. Accidents can happen anywhere unannounced, which makes having a first aid kit close to you essential. You should stock bandages, ointment, painkillers, and other essentials like cotton wool in preparation for any eventuality.
You need a water filter and water purification. Clean water for drinking could be a problem, especially after a significant social disruption. Living off-grid ensures that you need to have the ability to purify and clean your water for drinking. Choose the best purifier that best suits your needs.
Cutting tools. A machete is one of the most underrated survivalist tools. You can use it to clear a bushy path, carving wood, hunting, and for self-defense.
1. Research
Preppers research all the time, especially on past pandemics like the bubonic plague. They also research ways to escape the constraints of the dominant capitalistic economy. The society offers ideas of having a sustainable world grounded on community emphasis. The preppers, on the other hand, provide a different opinion on sustainability, which prepares people as individuals on how they would react to a pandemic as individuals.
1. Endurance
As a pepper, your endurance will be tested very much, especially when it comes to doing strenuous activities. The good thing is that you are already used to physical activities, especially if you are already a homesteader. However, you need the discipline of working out to keep your strength in preparation for any eventuality.
Jogging is very important not only for helping your cardiac activities but will also help you a lot, especially if you want to build stamina and endurance since it involves all aspects of your body muscles, many people who just want to feel good without weight lifting option for jogging than hitting the gym.
10. Self-defense
When it comes to self-defense you need to learn martial arts. Martial arts not only improve your endurance but also brings you closer to mother nature. Karate and kickboxing not only help you as a survivalist to build body endurance, but you also get fit and lean. As a survivalist, self-defense is required in case of an SHTF situation. Since you don’t expect the police to respond immediately to a job, you can take charge as you wait for back up.
Conclusion
This article is all about the essential things that you need to know about prepping to prepare better in case of a crisis. A prepper is always prepared and in case of pandemics like viral attacks, they will be in a better position to tackle the uncertainties that come with the situation.