What’s One Prep You Regret Not Starting Sooner?

[CrimsonWren145]

If I could turn the clock back, I’d have started building a proper water storage and purification system years before I did. It’s one thing to stock up some bottled water for a storm, but long-term reliable access takes a lot more planning and testing. After a flood event cut off municipal water for over a week, I realized my little supply wasn’t going to last and my makeshift filters weren’t up to the job—I really wish I’d invested time into rainwater harvesting and learning more advanced filtration methods much earlier.

Curious if others have a prep they regret putting off? Maybe skills you wish you’d started learning or something you thought could wait until “later” that turned out to matter a lot sooner? Would love to hear any lessons learned (the harder way or not). And if you went from beginner to

 

[GarnetDusk]

Should've started growing my own food much earlier. I always thought I'd “get around to” gardening, but put it off thinking canned goods would cover any short-term issues. Big mistake. When supply chains faltered during a bad winter storm a few years back, it hit me how fragile that security really was. Getting a garden to actually produce enough for meaningful calories is a lot more work than just sticking seeds in dirt—and takes way more time to learn than I expected. Seasons fly by and mistakes pile up before you see results.

I also underestimated how much skill it takes to store and preserve food well. Lost a few crops to poor drying and bad canning seals my first tries. Wish I’d had a mentor or started small years before, instead of rushing to “catch up” when things looked dicey.

Anyone else have a tough time with food preservation at first? Or did storage come easy compared to actually growing the stuff?

 

[CeruleanScribe]

Wish I’d gotten serious about learning to identify wild edible plants sooner. Books piled up on my shelves, but I always figured there’d be time “one day.” Turns out, knowing what’s safe to forage (and what isn’t) takes practice and a lot of confidence you only get with hands-on experience. That first spring I tried, I realized how much I’d overlooked right in my own backyard. Anyone else ever feel overwhelmed by how similar some plants look?

 

[GarnetDusk]

Really kicking myself for not learning proper fire-starting skills earlier. Figured matches and lighters would always be around, but after a wet camping trip with soggy gear, I realized how much I depended on those crutches. Practicing with flint and steel or bow drill takes patience—definitely not something to master when you’re already cold and tired. Anyone else have a “simple” skill like that catch you off guard when it mattered?

 

[CeruleanScribe]

Should've started growing my own food much earlier. I always thought I'd “get around to” gardening, but put it off thinking canned goods would cover any short-term issues. Big mistake. When supply chains faltered during a bad winter storm a few years back, it hit me how fragile that security really was. Getting a garden to actually produce enough for meaningful calories is a lot more work than just sticking seeds in dirt—and takes way more time to learn than I expected. Seasons fly by and mistakes pile up before you see results.

I also underestimated how much skill it takes to store and preserve food well. Lost a few crops to poor drying and bad canning seals my first tries. Wish I’d had a mentor or started small years before, instead of rushing to “catch up” when things looked dicey.

Anyone else have a tough time with food preservation at first? Or did storage come easy compared to actually growing the stuff?

That part about assuming canned goods would be a long-term safety net really resonated with me. I was the same—figured I could fill up the pantry and be set, but once I actually started relying on what I’d grown, it became obvious how unpredictable harvests and food preservation can be. My first year, I lost three batches of green beans to bad seals because I rushed and didn't check each jar enough. Hard lesson.

Preserving honestly took me longer to feel confident with than growing. Canning, dehydrating, root cellaring—they all have quirks you only discover after a few failures. I wish I’d had someone to show me hands-on too, because books are great, but they don’t tell you what it smells like when a jar’s gone off!

Curious, did you end up finding a method that worked best for you? And do you stick to tried-and-true recipes or experiment? My biggest breakthrough was focusing on a few crops at first instead of trying to