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.

 

[CeruleanScribe]

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?

Had the same blind spot—didn’t realize how tricky reliable comms are until after a rough storm. Did you go with handheld ham radios or set up a base station, EchoTangoFox?

 

[ChrysanthiDream]

That first real blackout was a wake-up call for me too—nothing like watching batteries disappear to make you rethink your setup. Have you found a solar brand that actually holds up?

 

[MarigoldBreeze]

EchoTangoFox, did you end up sticking with solar, or did you add a generator too?

We ended up with both, actually. Solar’s fantastic for day-to-day stuff, especially if you’ve got the panels and batteries sized right, but after that ice storm a couple years back, I realized it just wasn’t enough for longer spells or cloudy stretches. My husband was stubborn

 

[BlueHarborTea]

Seems like finding solar gear that actually holds up is trickier than I thought, too. Some of the cheaper “emergency” panels barely made it through one rainy season before the wiring gave out—lesson learned. I finally saved up for a more reputable brand (Goal Zero), and so far it’s survived a couple storms without issue, though it’s pricier. Has anyone had better luck long-term with those foldable off-brand panels, or is it basically a gamble?

 

[ChamomileCraze]

Have to agree, those cheap fold-ups just can’t take the weather—mine lasted two seasons, tops. Have you noticed any drop in output on your Goal Zero after heavy use?

 

[OrbitJazz21]

Really wish I’d invested in better batteries and panels sooner—thought my little setup would last, but one cloudy stretch and my amps dropped off a cliff. Anyone tried mixing solar with wind?

 

[EchoTangoFox]

EchoTangoFox, did you end up sticking with solar, or did you add a generator too? We ended up with both, actually. Solar’s fantastic for day-to-day stuff, especially if you’ve got the panels and batteries sized right, but after that ice storm a couple years back, I realized it just wasn’t enough for longer spells or cloudy stretches.

That ice storm really tested a lot of setups—had a similar wake-up call myself. Solar’s great, but I added a small generator too for those exact cloudy stretches you mentioned and haven’t regretted it since.

 

[OrbitJazz21]

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

Totally get what you mean about thinking shelves would always be full—I used to be the same way until I saw how fast basic stuff just vanished during a minor supply snag. Took me a long time to figure out how to store food, and even longer to make sure the stuff

 

[CrimsonWren145]

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?

That’s exactly what caught me off guard, too—the phones and tablets chew through batteries way faster than I ever thought. I stuck with solar as my main backup, but ended up adding a small inverter generator for longer outages since cloudy days were more of an issue than I expected. Linda, did you try any of those hand-crank chargers? I found them more effort than they’re worth, but maybe I’m just too impatient. Now I keep everything topped off and

 

[ChrysanthiDream]

Really wish I’d started a proper seed bank sooner. I always grew what I liked each season, but didn’t think about saving viable seeds for long-term storage until I saw how certain varieties vanished from catalogs overnight. Now I’m much more careful about selecting, drying, and storing seeds from each harvest. Anyone else notice how tricky it can be to keep some heirloom seeds going year after year?

 

[CeruleanScribe]

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.

That’s such an easy trap to fall into, thinking water will always be there. I did almost the exact same thing—focused a lot more on food than water at first, until a water main break left us without for days. Rain barrels are a game changer, but keeping them clean is a chore! I also underestimated how much

 

[EchoTangoFox]

That first real blackout was a wake-up call for me too—nothing like watching batteries disappear to make you rethink your setup. Have you found a solar brand that actually holds up?

Totally get what you mean about blackouts forcing you to rethink things—I went through the same scramble when my “stockpile” of AA batteries vanished in a single evening. As for solar brands, it’s a bit of a minefield out there, but I’ve had decent luck with Renogy panels paired with a Jackery battery for portable use; they’re not perfect but way better than the cheap stuff from big box stores. If you’re running radios or charging multiple devices, I’d steer clear of anything that looks too good to be true price-wise—it almost always is.

One thing I’ve learned the hard way is to check actual output vs. advertised wattage, since some panels are optimistic at best. Maybe most important—invest in quality cabling, connectors, and a backup charge controller; a weak link there can mean the whole system goes down right when you need it most. Curious if you’re looking for something lightweight or more of a permanent setup, ChrysanthiDream? That makes all the difference in picking gear that won’t let you down mid-crisis.