5 Prepping Items on my Wish List

With this Coronavirus going around it got me to thinking about what I would do if this does become a pandemic. More so it got me thinking “man I wish I had that” or “it would be nice if I could afford that”.

There are a number of disaster scenarios that would cause a massive population decrease, which in turn would lead to many other problems. It could affect the economy, public services and our supply lines among others. If food couldn’t get to the grocery store, or fuel to the gas station, most people would be clueless about what to do.

Anything that could affect the population like this would completely change the way we go about our everyday lives. Scenarios like this are why prepping (not just preparedness) are so important. We need to be as self-sufficient as possible when the grocery stores are empty, the gas stations are closed, and water isn’t spilling from our faucets.

Long story short, I started thinking about things I could have or do that would be the most beneficial in disaster scenarios like these. I put together a list of 5 Items on my prepping wish list that aren’t just prepping supplies, but rather things that would help my overall situation in several ways.

I started off by going to the extreme, but because most of us don’t have an extra 50K laying around, I also went into some more realistic options. Because this is a prepping wish list, I started off with money not being an object and whittled it down to more realistic options.

A Big No Go for Me…

Before I get into what I would like to do, I want to cover one I wouldn’t. You may have a different opinion, but something I would never consider is buying a spot in one of those underground bunker communities. You know, the ones that rich people buy into just in case the apocalypse comes.

When I think about these underground communities, I think about what happens when you kick over and ant hill, and how bad it would be to be stuck inside a tin can. If the government can find Osama Bin Laden hiding in a cave in the middle of nowhere, I’m sure they (or any government) can find these apocalypse bunkers.

On top of that, 5ft thick reinforced walls, a state of the art air filtrations system and 100 years’ worth of food storage don’t take into account human nature and our ability as people to screw anything up. We can’t even get along out here, let alone being trapped in a bunker for 10 plus years.

I’d rather take my chances out in the middle of nowhere with a group of people I trust than live in one of these bunkers. I’m sure there are other factors that go into qualifying for entry, but just like everything else in life, enough money can get you anything you want.

Bug Out Vehicle (BOV)

We’ve all seen pictures of these bad ass bug out vehicles with the welded-on armor, spiked wheels, and a plow to tear through roadblocks. Or even newer armored vehicles that will put you out at least 30 grand.

If money were no object, I would most definitely have one of these sitting in my garage. Shoot, if money were no object, I’d have a garage big enough for a few of them. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case so back to reality I go.

The truth is any vehicle sitting in your driveway is a bug out vehicle and will work just fine in a lot of disaster situations. However, situations where there are environmental hazards (man made or otherwise), you need to avoid people, or you need to go off road, your everyday vehicle may not cut it.

A good bug out vehicle isn’t just the armor-plated tank you can drive in a straight line from point A to point B. A good bug out vehicle is something that will get you there as safe and efficiently as possible. A bike, motorcycle, ATV, boat or even a Minibike can be good bug out vehicles depending on what you need from them.

Before you laugh about bugging out on a minibike, think about it. They are basically a lawnmower on wheels which are EMP proof. On top of that they low cost, have good fuel economy, can go just about anywhere, and are easy to hide if needed.

Bug Out Location (BOL)

I’m sure I’m not the only one out here that has seen shows like Doomsday Castle and thought “Oh hell yeah!” The one difference being I wouldn’t be advertising my plans all over national TV. We all have our “dream BOL” right? The problem is, when you start thinking about cost you wake up in a cold sweat and that dream fades quickly. 

Just because we can’t afford everything on our BOL Wishlist doesn’t mean we can’t figure out alternatives. As a mater of fact, I like to go big and think about “the perfect BOL” and then figure out some realistic options.

I may not be able to purchase a castle on a mountain top, but I could purchase a plot of land and start working on my perfect bug out location. This is actually what we’ve done. While it’s not much more than a plot of dirt right now, doing this one step at a time eases some of the financial burden.

Although this isn’t the castle on the mountain top, it is a place we can go to when all else fails.  God willing, nothing major happens in the next couple of years and we can build this into something more than just a place to park the camper.

Classes and Training

Now that I know more about prepping, and hindsight being what it is, I wish I would have hade a few different decisions when I was younger. It would be nice to have some military experience, or possibly got an education in the medical field.

While that ship has sailed, it doesn’t mean those skills can’t be attained. A while back I looked into taking classes to become an EMT and quickly abandoned that plan when I saw it was going to cost upwards of 15 grand.  

Even though it may be a challenge to take these high-level classes, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other more affordable options. There are plenty of shooting classes, medical classes and even prepping classes that will do just fine.

I try to take some sort of class at least once a year and build on some of the skills I already have. Instead of spending that 15 grand on an EMT certification I can spend a few hundred dollars a year on a number of different classes.

Hidden Rooms and Furniture  

We’ve all seen the pictures on the internet of secret doors behind a bookshelf or secret room under the stairs. If I were still a bachelor, the odds are I would have something like this. There are some options however that don’t require a building permit and the spouse’s approval. 

There are quite a few less invasive options including wall outlets, secret shelves, furniture, safe room etc..

I even made a secret counter top extension a little while back that blends into the kitchen counter top. Imagination is you only limitation when it comes to hidden storage…well, maybe money too.

Go completely off the grid

It would be fantastic to be able to generate enough solar power to completely disconnect from the grid and completely protected from an EMP. Unfortunately, that can get really expensive really quick. On top of that, if the power goes out and you are the shining beacon in the neighborhood, you become a very popular person.

While this may not be the best option for your home, it would be a good option for a bug out location. In your main home it may be a good idea to figure out options to generate enough power for the important things, not the entire house.

At a bug out location you probably won’t have access to the power grid. This means that having some sort of alternative energy would be a necessity.

What’s on Your Wish List?

These are just 5 things I came up with as I was thinking about what I would do if I had to take off quickly. If you have any comments let me know below? You can also head over to our YouTube channel and leave one there.