What’s Your #1 Most Overlooked Prep?

[EchoTangoFox]

Every time I review my own setup or help someone with theirs, there’s always one thing folks tend to overlook—backups for power sources. I’m not just talking extra batteries, but real redundancy: solar chargers, hand-crank generators, even ways to recharge comms gear if the grid vanishes for weeks. A fancy radio won’t do me much good once the batteries are drained and no way to bring it back.

Curious what everyone here sees getting forgotten the most. Is it water collection, alternative signaling, maybe spare parts for gear? For me, power always seems to be the gap, especially among those just starting out. People stockpile food, lay out water purification, pile up ammo—but then have only a

 

[CrimsonWren145]

Interesting discussion. I'll need to think about this some more.

 

[CrimsonWren145]

Every time I review my own setup or help someone with theirs, there’s always one thing folks tend to overlook—backups for power sources. I’m not just talking extra batteries, but real redundancy: solar chargers, hand-crank generators, even ways to recharge comms gear if the grid vanishes for weeks. A fancy radio won’t do me much good once the batteries are drained and no way to bring it back.

Curious what everyone here sees getting forgotten the most. Is it water collection, alternative signaling, maybe spare parts for gear? For me, power always seems to be the gap, especially among those just starting out. People stockpile food, lay out water purification, pile up ammo—but then have only a

That’s a big one, EchoTangoFox, and you’re spot on—power’s the thing that slips through the cracks even for folks who think they’re meticulous. I also notice people don’t test their backups enough. Solar chargers sound great until you have five days of rain and spotty sunlight. One overlooked area I keep running into is manual non-electric tools, especially for basics like cooking or repairs. When batteries and sunlight both fail, a good old-fashioned hand tool can be worth its weight in gold.

 

[CrimsonWren145]

Every time I review my own setup or help someone with theirs, there’s always one thing folks tend to overlook—backups for power sources. I’m not just talking extra batteries, but real redundancy: solar chargers, hand-crank generators, even ways to recharge comms gear if the grid vanishes for weeks.

Redundancy is everything, and you’re right—if the grid goes down for more than a few days, that backup stash of batteries isn’t going to last long. I’ve learned the hard way that hand-crank or even pedal-powered generators are underrated, especially for things like running small lights or charging a basic radio. Solar’s