If you’re an experienced prepper, you probably finished setting up your gear and a survival stockpile as early as December 2019 when word started spreading about a disease called coronavirus (COVID-19). Now, as the world continues to struggle because of this fast-spreading disease, even non-preppers may be inspired to start prepping to get ready for the coronavirus pandemic.

To the uninitiated, prepping may be just as overwhelming as dealing with a pandemic.

If you want to learn how to become a prepper, follow the tips below to get started on your prepping journey before it’s too late.

Stock up on essentials

Set up a survival stockpile and rotate your supplies to avoid spoilage. Buy items your family likes to eat and stock up whenever you can.

Take advantage of promos, sales and coupons to get the most bang for your buck. When SHTF, you can survive on the supplies you have in your stockpile.

Start with the essential list below and add more items as you see fit.

Cleaning supplies:

• Antibacterial soap
• Bleach
• Disinfectant spray
• Disinfectant wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Isopropyl alcohol

Medical supplies:

• Cold and flu medication or grow medicinal herbs in your garden
• Cough drops or lozenges
• Herbal teas (e.g., chamomile and peppermint tea, etc.)
• Vitamins

Food supplies:

• Canned goods
• Crackers
• Dried fruit
• Frozen fruits and vegetables
• Fruit and vegetable juices
• Granola
• Meat
• Pasta
• Peanut butter
• Powdered milk
• Rice

Stores will run out of essentials first

Essentials include kitchen staples like grains, pasta or pet food. These items always sell out first in times of disaster.

While things are quiet, start building up your stockpile so you don’t need to rush to the store to buy more supplies. (Related: Preppers weren’t overreacting: Americans were taken by SURPRISE because they didn’t take coronavirus seriously.)

Medical access is crucial when SHTF

Access to medical care is essential, and a community lockdown will make even the most hardcore prepping skeptic realize this.

If you or a loved one has a chronic condition that requires essential medication, stock up as soon as you can.

Avoid fake news

Rumors and fake news about the coronavirus will do more harm than good, and they may even get you killed. Confirm any news headlines that you spot, and don’t be the one person who spreads fake news and puts others in danger.

For unbiased reports on coronavirus, natural cures and an updated World Coronavirus Count, visit Natural News.

Communication is important

Keep in touch with your loved ones, but practice social distancing to avoid spreading coronavirus.

Likewise, monitor the news. Listen to the radio and have backup communication methods so you can get in touch with family and friends if the main communication lines are cut off. Ham radios are ideal in survival situations.

Cooperate

When SHTF, cooperation is crucial to maintaining order and improving your chances of survival.

Survival and prepping skills are important

Don’t rely on the internet or Google for everything. Learning basic survival skills, like firestarting or foraging, can give you an advantage when you least expect it.

Sign up for bushcraft classes or get official first aid certification in your free time.

Never assume anything

Whether it’s the severity of a survival scenario, news about a pandemic or how much food you have left, don’t assume anything. Check your supplies regularly and stock up on items that are running low.

Assumptions can be dangerous, and they can cost someone’s life during a pandemic or a natural disaster like a hurricane or tornado.

Preppers know the value of networking

You don’t need to go around asking your neighbors if they prep or not, but it pays to know who has excess supplies that they might be willing to trade during a lockdown.

Surround yourself with people you can trust. Likewise, let your neighbors know that they can count on you in times of need.

You can find or make an alternative for almost everything

When your supplies run out and going to the store isn’t possible, you’ll need to be creative and think of an alternative.

Try to think of possible alternatives to popular consumables, such as apples for eggs when baking.

Other examples include:

• Beans as a common substitute for meat.
• Clear alcohol such as vodka for a cleaning liquid.
• Salt for cleaning wounds.

Live sustainably

During an emergency, preparedness and sustainability are both important. Don’t be complacent because you have a stockpile.

Learn how to craft various supplies and shelter. Make the most of your resources, like the internet and video sharing sites, to learn more about basic skills and odd alternatives to common items that you may need when SHTF.

Find a reliable backup source of power to prepare for a long-term blackout. Save up water for drinking, cooking and cleaning.

Turn your yard into a food-producing survival garden! Learn how to preserve food so you can add excess crops to your survival stockpile.

Practice self-control

The modern world is all about convenience and instant gratification, two things that will become your worst enemies when facing a pandemic like the coronavirus.

Practice self-control so you can make it through an emergency with your patients and sanity intact. Remind yourself and your loved ones that your supplies must last for an indefinite length of time.

Fight the urge to leave the house just because you’re bored. Social distancing, which is crucial to preventing the spread of coronavirus, means staying at home unless you need to buy supplies.

During times of crisis, non-preppers can learn from preppers. After all, it’s always better to be overprepared than overwhelmed by something like a pandemic when SHTF.

Sources include:

SurvivalCache.com

TheOrganicPrepper.com