Prepping With The End In Mind – How A TEOTWAWKI Mindset Can Make You A Better Prepper (A Major nationwide catastrophe Could be Right Around The Corner Or Years Away, The Timing Is Ambiguous But The Preparation Should Not be)

In this sponsored post, we cover so-called doomsday preppers (i.e. very well prepared preppers) and go over a few SHTF situations. We talk about if you should prep, the basics to include in your prepping plans, and some major SHTF scenarios that are most likely to happen. 

“Doomsday Preppers”, aka smart people preparing for a major society altering catastrophe, or the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI), go to extreme lengths to prep.

They (smartly) do whatever it takes to cover plausible SHTF events and what life will be like far after SHTF.

Like most preppers, there are typically three categories that so called doomsday preppers fall under depending on their overall preparedness.

The three categories are… those that do just enough to feel good, those ready for most major situations, and the ultimate prepper who’s ready for anything.

Should I Prepare?

Our growing society of preppers has taken off in recent years as the number of preppers has increased drastically.

It’s estimated that there are about 3 to 5 million preppers in the United States, with millions of preppers in other countries as well.

It’s hard to get a real number because not surprisingly most preppers like to remain anonymous, not wanting to identify themselves in the event that a SHTF scenario occurs. After all, good OPSEC is an important part of prepping.

This leads to the question, “Should I prepare?”. The answer to that is a resounding yes. There is no doubt. Being prepared is one of the smartest things you can do to secure your future. None of us know when we will lose our job, or get seriously hurt, or have a tornado rip through out house. In times like those some cash reserves and prepping can make all the difference.

So the next questions becomes, “What should I prepare for?” or put another way “Should I prepare for TEOTWAWKI?”.

In some respects, we all prepare in varying degrees, whether we are aware or not. Most of us stockpile matches and lighters, batteries, water, and canned food without thinking about it.

Some of us are partially prepared for a natural disaster or some catastrophic event, but becoming a doomsday prepper means taking a few more proactive steps to prepare yourself and your family for basically anything the world can throw at you.

Are you up for taking that leap?

The Essentials for a Doomsday Prepper

Prepping for survival can be as easy as stockpiling a box or backpack with essential items, items that every prepper should have.

As prepping has grown in popularity, the survivalist market has expanded to meet demand. Access to survival items and long term prepping gear is much easier than it was 20 years ago, with more and more survival items available than ever before.

All this gear can be overwhelming and confusing for beginners and old timers alike. But luckily if you focus on the five major categories of what you’ll need to survive you’ll be ready for most anything.

Food & Water
Having a substantial stockpile of food and water is by far the most essential thing a prepper can have, with water being the most important of the two.

Water is also useful for sanitation and bathing, which should be accounted for when planning out your water supply for you and your family.

Fire
Fire is the essence of man. It warms our bodies and our hearts.

On a less poetic note fire cooks our food, sterilizes our found water, keeps us warm, and gives us light. Those are some very essential survival needs, so stockpile several easy ways to make a fire. A lighter works fine, just remember to store a few backups because they run out and they break.

Shelter
Without a shelter keeping the weather at bay you’re at the full mercy of nature, which is a fast ticket to sickness and death depending on what what’re up against.

It’s also your first line of defense, where you’ll store the bulk of your items, and a massive mental boost. Having a home base is essential. If you can afford the high cost, a carefully hidden bunker is the ultimate shelter.

Medical & Hygiene
Please don’t neglect your first aid kit. This is one prep every family needs. You never know when you’ll get hurt or how bad it will be, so having the necessary supplies to clean and bandage a wound is important for everyone.

As a prepper you need to have an extensive first aid kit, a kit that can cover “what if” scenarios, like what if there is no way to get to a doctor because the SHTF but you just gashed open your leg all the way to the bone. You not only need the equipment to fix it, but the knowledge to do it safely and cleanly to prevent an infection.

Also, storing away medication that you or a family member needs on a daily basis should be a part of your preps.

Keeping yourself at least modestly clean is important. I’m not saying take a bath every day, but having bar soap and toilet paper and trash bags makes a difference. When you can afford the water to at least wash your pits and nether regions you should do so. Washing your hands after handling raw meat or using the bathroom will keep diseases to a minimum.

Protection
Anarchy in the streets has become all too common. When the SHTF things will quickly get out of control. People will turn against each other.

Having weapons stocked away, such as guns, knives, and other protective gear should be on your list.

But when we think of protection our minds tend to think in terms of handheld weapons. However, thinking outside the box to what others may have access to in a large scale doomsday SHTF TEOTWAWKI event means preparing to defend against bombs, chemical warfare, and even dirty bombs.

Even a teenager can make mustard gas with simple household cleaners under his bathroom sink, a group of rioters or attackers hellbent on taking your supplies, or a propped up terrorist group, will have far more powerful weapons at their disposal.

When chemicals are released into the environment those that are exposed to these toxic chemicals are dead without proper protection. Having chemical protection gear such as a protective air-purifying respirator and surface decontamination supplies to neutralize the released chemicals is something to consider.

Doomsday Scenarios & Survival Gear To Protect Yourself

There are a myriad of scenarios we could cover, but for simplicity lets consider a terrorist attack, natural disaster, and an economic collapse. All of these scenarios are plausible and could occur without much notice and if you’re prepared for them you’ll be prepared for most anything.

Terrorist Attack
Attacks against our country are not a far-off threat, and in fact they seem more and more likely every year.

As groups like ISIS splinter off and grow with a new name, and as countries in the middle east fund these terrorists off the books, a growing concern and fear from many doomsday preppers is the use of chemical and portable nuclear weapons, making protective survival gear critical.

In the event of a chemical attack you would need a broad spectrum chemical decontamination kit such as the FAST-ACT Chemical Decontamination Kit (use our exclusive promo code be15 to get 15% off your order) that can offer protection in a number of different applications from air-purifying respirators to surface decontamination gear to neutralize a chemical release in your environment.

In a chemical attack or if chemicals were to be released in the air for any reason, FAST-ACT has a specifically designed product line for the survivalist community that effectively neutralizes a broad spectrum of chemicals, with the added capability of neutralizing chemical warfare agents too.

Natural Disasters
It seems nature’s wrath has become more and more dangerous over the past few years as well. Last year we suffered from powerful hurricanes and incredibly large wildfires that left utter destruction in their path.

Prepping against weather that drops a SHTF style emergency right in your neighborhood is smart as a natural disaster of some kind is the most likely scenario you’ll ever experience.

When preparing survival gear for a hurricane the essential prepping supplies like water, food, batteries, candles, and radios are the gear you want to have stocked in your home. We have written about the topic many, many times on our site so I won’t go into a big list here.

Economic Collapse
Economic fallout in the United States is a major concern for many doomsday preppers. One might think the new tax plan, a growing economy, and the currently skyrocketing stock market were good signs, but in reality they are not good predictors because the major underlying problems that weaken our economy… like the FED, current interest rates, too-big-to-fail banks and corporations run by con men, and a fiat currency that’s being heavily manipulated are all still there.

Trouble continues to grow under the sheets and in plain sight as our government increases its debt and congressional conflict grows among leadership ensures that true rightful decisions are never made.

If our countries economy was to falter or completely crumble to the ground it really would be TEOTWAWKI. One only has to look at the Mad Max style roving motorcycle gangs in Venezuela for proof.

A shortage of supplies such as water, food, and other goods as the grid collapses will cause nationwide anarchy. Preparing your shelter with supplies to sustain you like food, water, and the above mentioned items can mean life or death in an economic collapse.

Also, being armed with weapons will be necessary as people turn against each other. Lastly, having extra supplies, silver, or gold stored away will help more that hoarding cash as banks will likely be closed and our fiat currency will quickly dwindle in value as hyper inflation kicks in.

Final Thoughts

“Doomsday preppers”, or preppers in general, are people just like you and me, smart enough to know the world as we know it won’t and can’t continue on like this forever.

They have in years past been labeled crazy, but are now being looked at through different eyes as more and more of society realizes we’re getting close and closer to the tipping point.

People are waking up and the prepper community continues to grow. With the growing fears escalating in our country from different potential doomsday scenarios, preparing and having survival gear stockpiled is going mainstream.

Have what you need, lay out your prepping plans and act on them. Don’t wait until you’ve missed the boat, prepare now.