How Much Is Too Much?

One of the most common questions I am asked is "how much is too much?"  This question must be answered based on the goals of each individual prepper.  In order to answer this question properly, I ask the individual a series of questions which must be considered in each case.  The first question I ask everyone is simply "are you planning to bug out or shelter in place?"  This question will determine everything else that must be determined for each case.

• What type of disaster are you preparing for?
• This question must be asked in order to know what supplies will be needed for each case.
• If bugging out; "are you traveling alone or in a group?"
• The amount of supplies that will be able to be carried will drastically change depending on the number of people in a particular group.  Because of this if there is to be a group traveling together, I will also ask "how many people will be in your group?"
• How will you or your group get from your current residence to your bug out location?
• By asking this I will know if the group is planning on driving to their bug out location or getting there by foot.  If they plan to drive, the type of vehicle they will be using is also important to know as it will help to better determine what quantities of supplies can be transported.
• I always recommend planning ahead and making sure that there are already adequate supplies at the bug out location.  This will make a very stressful situation much easier to deal with as there will be a lot less to worry about if everything you need is already in place at the bug out location.
• Do you have a permanent shelter at your bug out location?
• If there is no permanent shelter at the bug out location, the amount of supplies that one can have on hand will be limited to the size and number of caches that can be stored at and around the bug out location.
• How long do you or your group intend to remain at your bug out shelter?
• This question is asked for obvious reasons.  The longer one plans to bug out, the more supplies will be required to sustain their livelihood.
• How do you intend to provide water for yourself or your group?
• A well is the best case scenario and a rain catchment system is not a bad plan as long as it will hold adequate amounts of water for the group.  The worst case scenario is planning on relying on stores of bottled water for a long term situation; however, having some bottled water on hand is always a good idea.
• How do you intend to provide food for yourself or your group?
• The best solution to this problem is raising animals at the place you intend to wait out the storm.  The worst case scenario is planning to hunt and fish for everything.  Having stores of freeze dried food, canned goods as well as rice and beans on hand can take  some of the pressure off whether an individual is planning to raise their own food or hunt and fish for everything.

As you can see there are a lot of determining factors that come into play when answering this question.  If a person plans to bug out I recommend that they begin putting together a storage area at a minimum.  This can be as simple as a shed or an international shipping container that is prepared for storing their supplies or as elaborate as building a massive fortified bunker that will hold everything they need and more.  Some of this will depend on a persons finances and creativity.

I also highly recommend raising at least a portion of the food that will be eaten in the way of animals and gardening.  By gardening (and raising animals where possible) the need for long term food storage will be drastically reduced which will in turn open up more space for other items of necessity.  As discussed in The Top 5 Books That Should Be On Every Preppers Book Shelf, one of the absolute best books on raising your own food is .  This book will have any prepper on their way to living a self sustained lifestyle that requires a very minimal amount of land for as long as the need exists.

If a person is planning to shelter in place they will be able to store many more items than those who plan to bug out; however, I will generally tell them that if their preps are beginning to make their home feel overcrowded, it is time to slow down and take note of what they have before going any further.  A persons preps are there to ensure that life can be lived as stress free as possible.  At the point in which the preps begin causing stress in ones everyday life, it is a pretty sure bet that they have too much.

If someone is new to prepping I strongly encourage them to first determine what type of disaster they would like to be prepared.  Upon answering this question they can sit down and make a list based on the questions above to determine what they need to obtain in order to be ready when a disaster strikes.  By completing this step, a person can easily make sure that they have the necessities on hand without going overboard on their preps.

Keeping track of ones stockpile is also a crucial part of the preparedness process.  Good record keeping will help a person to know where their inventory levels are at any given time and prevent them from over purchasing or running out of any particular items in their prep stockpile.

Take the time to answer these questions for yourself and inventory your stock.  You may determine that you have too much or not enough of some items.  If you have too much, check around with other likeminded people.  They may have some of the items you need to stock up on and be willing to trade them to you for the items that you have too many of.  Bartering is always a good way to obtain the items you need and get rid of the ones you don't.  Besides you might as well practice now.....Bartering will be an excellent skill to have when SHTF!

- A prep a day can help keep ill fate away