Summary: by Pete Orndorff<br> So you think you should learn how to start prepping for SHTF - or at the very least, potential emergencies. You look online, check out social media, and browse some websites. And you go into sensory overload—lists here and lists there. If you're going to start prepping for SHTF, you've got to have this to survive the coming apocalypse, and then you must have to have this other thing to make your life in the woods bearable.<br> <br> You're wondering what you have gotten yourself into with all this stuff and the expense.<br> <br> But hold on.<br> <br> You don't need all the stuff.<br> <br> You need food and water. And any medications you are on. But guess what? You probably already have nearly everything else to begin prepping for SHTF.<br> How to Start Prepping for SHTF with Everyday Items<br> It's not all about the fancy survival gear.<br> <br> You can use everyday items you already own in a pinch; they may not be thought of as "survival tools," but they will work. You've been using them for months or years already. Why should they suddenly become obsolete when an emergency happens?<br> <br> So, take a walk around your home and garage. What kind of stuff can you use, not as a hack, but as the product was meant to be used as? Those everyday items you don't really think about will help you get through those emergencies that pop up.<br> Knives<br> Do you need a $300 bush crafting knife, or even a $30 one?<br> <br> Look in your drawer or knife block; you have knives already. Are they perfect? Nope, but will they work in a pinch? Yep. Will they hold up over a long period of time? It all depends on how you treat them, use them, and maintain them. For the average person, they will last quite some time. Grandpa's 55-year-old Buck knife he gave you on your 16th birthday that you tucked away in your drawer, yep, it's still there. Sharpen it up and put it to work.<br> <br> You don't need to depend on purpose-made items to get you through a scrap, specialty knives included.<br> Fire<br> OMG, how will you start a fire without six months of dryer lint and petroleum jelly? Or a Ferro rod or the knowledge of how to make and use a bow drill?<br> <br> You will.<br> <br> You probably have matches or even a couple of lighters stored away somewhere. Many will argue you need a specific skill to make a fire. Yes, you should eventually learn how to do it without modern tools, but a good old lighter or match will work.<br> <br> And for a little extra tip here, maintaining a fire is as important as getting one started. If you can maintain a steady burn and use your coals correctly, you may not have to light it again for days or weeks. So, round up those matches and lighters and get them organized.<br> <br> Cooking<br> Is a lightweight backpacking cook set absolutely needed for your survival? Not in my book.<br> <br> You have pots and pans. Are they big and bulky? Yep. Will they work? Also yep.<br> <br> Start a fire wherever you can—inside a grill, in your landscaping using some blocks, out in the middle of the driveway (be careful with asphalt). Remember, this is for survival; it does not have to be pretty to work. Grab a rack from your oven. Use over the flame or preferably the coals once the fire dies down and get to cooking some of that meat that is rapidly defrosting. Call the neighbors over to the house; make it a good time in the middle of a crappy one.<br> <br> YOU do not need the latest ultra-lightweight cook set. If you're wondering how to start prepping for SHTF-style cooking, you'll probably find that you already have much of what you need.<br> Bug Out Bag<br> The most talked-about item or tool, the one pushed aggressively on just about every survival/prepper group, page, or website, is the BOB or Bug Out Bag.<br> <br> Should it be a top priority for your well-being and safety? Not really.
