What’s One Prep You Wish You’d Started Sooner?

[GarnetDusk]

Wish I'd gotten serious about water storage a lot earlier. I always assumed access to clean water wouldn’t be an issue, but after a boil advisory last winter, realized how wrong that was. Now I’m playing catch-up with rain barrels and filtration setups. Curious what others overlooked until later in the game—what’s one prep you wish you didn’t delay, and how did you fix it?

 

[EchoTangoFox]

Didn’t take comms seriously enough at first—thought a couple walkies would do it. Big mistake! Anyone else regret not getting their ham license sooner?

 

[EchoTangoFox]

Should’ve prioritized backup power sources way sooner. Had batteries and a little solar, but didn’t realize how fast you burn through juice running radios and charging devices if the grid’s down for more than a few hours. Ended up cobbling together a better setup after a big storm knocked us out for a weekend. Anyone else find themselves scrambling to keep gear powered when it really mattered?

 

[AquaFern1028]

Wish I'd started canning and dehydrating food way sooner. Used to think store shelves would always be stocked, but after a few supply hiccups, realized how quickly things can disappear. Learning to preserve my own harvest took some trial and error, but it’s

 

[StarlitNavigator]

Didn’t take comms seriously enough at first—thought a couple walkies would do it. Big mistake! Anyone else regret not getting their ham license sooner?

Comms really did sneak up on me too—figured my old hand-crank weather radio and a pair of basic FRS walkies would be enough for almost anything. Turns out, they're pretty much toys once you get past line of sight or need to reach anyone outside your immediate group. Actually sat down during lockdown and studied for my technician license, and honestly, wish I’d done it years earlier. There’s so much to learn from the local ham community, plus it’s comforting knowing you can actually reach out for help when cell towers are down.

EchoTangoFox, you nailed it about underestimating battery drain—my first weekend drill, I ran through AA’s faster than I’d have believed just monitoring bands.

 

[PrepperLinda65]

Didn’t take comms seriously enough at first—thought a couple walkies would do it.

Funny how easy it is to underestimate how much power everything needs, especially once you’re actually relying on it. I remember thinking a pack of AA’s and my old lanterns would cover me, but even just keeping phones charged ate through my stash in no time. EchoTangoFox, did you end up sticking with solar, or did you add a generator too? I’m still weighing options for something quiet but reliable—those crank chargers only go so far.