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Even the most experienced preppers can make mistakes. They aren’t necessarily immune to making mistakes when preparing for life-altering events that could upend everything. It’s nearly impossible to anticipate every scenario or plan perfectly for the unexpected. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been prepping for six months or twenty years, mistakes are bound to happen.
But mistakes aren’t failures. Mistakes are teaching moments. That’s why it’s good to connect with experienced preppers, share insights, and learn from their mistakes. Doing so can save you time, effort, and resources.
Here are 15 common errors that even seasoned survivalists make. Once you know them, do your best to avoid making the same ones.
Overlooking Mental Health Preparedness
Physical survival is only part of the equation. Long-term survival situations can take a heavy toll on mental health, and many preppers fail to prepare for the psychological challenges of isolation, stress, and trauma. There is no way to truly prepare for this beyond telling yourself there will be hard days.
Relying Too Much on Gear
While having the right tools is important, over-reliance on gear can be a mistake. A prepper may not have the skills to use all their equipment, and gear can fail or be lost. Basic survival skills should always come first. If you’re forced to leave all of your supplies behind, you will be in trouble if you don’t have other skills to make up for the lack of equipment.
Underestimating the Importance of Community
Many preppers focus on self-sufficiency but neglect the value of strong relationships with others. Collaboration and mutual aid in times of crisis can be as crucial as individual preparedness. Preppers are naturally secretive, which is good, but you do need to develop a network of people.
Failing to Regularly Rotate Supplies
Canned goods and other supplies can expire or degrade over time. Preppers often forget to regularly rotate and replace supplies to keep everything fresh and usable. Don’t just put stuff on the shelf and forget about it.
Ignoring Hygiene and Sanitation
Maintaining cleanliness is essential to prevent illness and infection, especially when access to medical care is limited. Preppers sometimes overlook the importance of having a solid sanitation plan that includes waste disposal, latrine building and water purification.
Underestimating the Difficulty of Bugging Out
The idea of escaping to a bug-out location can be appealing, but in reality, bugging out is often impractical. Leaving behind your stockpile is dangerous, especially if that is the only safety net you’ve created for yourself. Stay realistic about your bug-out plan.
Not Preparing for All Seasons
Many preppers focus too much on winter survival or summer conditions but neglect the full spectrum of seasonal challenges. Plan for year-round survival, including extreme weather, insect infestations, and seasonal illnesses. Prepare to deal with flooding which is always a possibility in almost any disaster scenario—even if you are not in an actual flood zone.
Focusing Too Much on One Type of Disaster
Some preppers focus solely on one disaster scenario like a financial collapse or storm and fail to prepare for a broader range of possibilities. Flexibility is key—prepare for multiple types of scenarios. Mother Nature can strike anywhere at anytime. Just because it hasn’t happened before doesn’t mean it will never happen.
Neglecting to Practice Skills
Having the right tools is great, but if you don’t practice using them, you may not be able to effectively use them when it counts. Regular training and skill-building are crucial for long-term preparedness. Develop muscle memory which will pull you through when you are stressed and not thinking straight.
Overloading on Supplies
Stockpiling too many supplies can be just as detrimental as not having enough. Excess food, water, and gear can become a burden if you can’t transport them, store them properly, or use them efficiently. And it’s a waste of money that could be used to pay off bills or possibly buy land to bug out too.
Forgetting About Medical and First Aid Needs
Many preppers focus on food and weapons but forget the importance of medical preparedness. Having a well-stocked first-aid kit, knowing basic first aid, and preparing for long-term medical needs are essential. This includes natural plant medicine. Get books, attend some classes and learn how to take care of yourself.
Not Considering Long-Term Sustainability
Short-term survival supplies will only get you so far. Preppers often fail to plan for long-term sustainability. Surviving is not the goal -thriving is. Think about what that looks like. Things like growing food, creating renewable energy and raising animals for food are important.
Neglecting Communication Plans
In the event of a disaster, communication is key. Many preppers overlook the need for backup communication methods and fail to create a communication plan with family and friends. Set up contingency plans in case disaster strikes and you are not at home.
Not Planning for Emotional Support
Emotional and mental well-being is just as important as physical survival. Preppers sometimes ignore the potential impact of stress, loss, or trauma on themselves and others in their group. For some, this is going to be leaning into their faith.
Overlooking the Importance of Training Others
You can’t always rely on being the sole expert. It’s important to train others in your group. Your family, friends and community members should all have basic survival skills so everyone can contribute and survive together in a crisis. You cannot be the one taking care of the group. You will get exhausted and the entire group is put at risk.
14 Prepper Items to Buy at the Thrift Store
For preppers, thrift stores can be a real resource. Building up a stockpile of essential supplies to support your family over an extended period can quickly become quite costly. With that in mind, thrift stores are a great place to find some key items preppers often look for. Here are 14 essential prepper finds you can pick up at a thrift store.
14 Prepper Items to Buy at the Thrift Store
19 Survival Items You Should Stockpile from Dollar Tree
Stockpiling can get expensive, but Dollar Tree offers affordable items that can help you stay prepared without overspending. With plenty of useful options, Dollar Tree makes it easier to stay ready for anything. Here’s a list of 15 essential items you can find at Dollar Tree to start building your stockpile today.
