Where do you start preparing for disasters, when you don’t have a clue of where to start? This book is a good beginning point.
by Leon Pantenburg
Disclaimer: I have been a Jim Cobb fan since I discovered his writings over a decade ago. He is a valued peer and I consider him a friend. I was not paid to writ this review, and nobody had any input into it. This post is strictly my opinion.
One of the most common questions
I hear about preparing for disasters is the very basic “Where do I start?”
And right there is just where you started. By realizing your ignorance, that means you are already concerned about potential (floods, fires, earthquakes, civil disturbances, landslides…fill in the blank!) You know you need to do something to take care of yourself and your people.
That’s where Countdown to Preparedness: The Prepper’s 52-week Course To Total Disaster Readiness by Jim Cobb comes in. This is really an educational course, with 52 weekly goals and suggested actions. Follow this template, and you will be ready for just about anything in 52 weeks. Each weekly section includes a task, and suggests savings, water storage and a grocery list.
Jim Cobb, by way of introduction to newcomers, is among the most knowledgeable survival/preparedness authorities. He has proven himself time and again, as someone who knows his stuff, and his survival expertise is unquestioned. Jim has had several hundred articles appear in dozens of publications, including RECOIL OFFGRID, American Survival Guide, Boy’s Life, and Field & Stream. He is also the Editor in Chief for Backwoods Survival Guide magazine. His books include: Prepper’s Home Defense, The Prepper’s Complete Book of Disaster Readiness, Prepper’s Long-Term Survival Guide, Countdown to Preparedness, Urban Emergency Survival Plan, Prepper’s Financial Guide, Prepper’s Survival Hacks, and more. He is a founding member of Survival Weekly.
So why would a beginner need this book? Here are some common questions it answers:
How can I afford to buy all the stuff?
Granted – all the tools and materials needed to be completely prepared can be spendy, but you don’t need to purchase them all at once. Each section gives you a budget of how much money you need to save that week. It is not a lot of money, generally $10 to $20, but it will add up. Likewise, there is also a grocery list that suggests a few additional things to be picked up on your regular trips to the grocery store. The budget and shopping suggestions make it a lot less painful to get the gear and food you will need.
How do I know what to prepare for?
Nobody can tell you with complete assurance that some disaster will or won’t happen. Remember the severe winter storms in Texas beginning on February 11, 2021? It was of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant a major disaster declaration. And who expected a hurricane in the Ashville North Carolina area? But if you live near the ocean, tsunamis are possible. Wildfires may happen in forested areas. Tornados occur in the Midwest, and blizzards and abnormal cold snaps can happen anywhere. Not to mention that nobody is really safe from earthquakes!
The point is, there is no place that is completely safe. If you prepare for one potential disaster in your area, chances are you will be in good shape if some freak disaster does occur in your area.
Tornadoes can hit many areas without warning. Prepare now for bad weather.
How much stuff do I need?
This is answered in the Week 1 section, Lists, Lists and more lists.
Lists help you know where you are right now. The first task is to take an inventory and make lists of what is already in your home and what may be available to you. This is broken down into categories of food storage, water storage, first aid/medical supplies, hygiene, tools and miscellaneous. The value of this section is to make sure you don’t end up with too much of one item and not enough of another. There are sample lists in each category, with recommendations for how much to buy.
Your survival food storage should include ingredients for tasty, easy-to-made foods.
But what do I need to buy? I don’t have a clue about some of these categories.
In some items, such as canned vegetables, brands are not particularly important. In other categories, such as tools, brand names and recommendations are given.
This is important. Tools can be expensive, and you don’t want to over-spend on tools that won’t be used that much. On the other hand, a pocket knife or flashlight you carry and use every day should be the best you can afford. Cobb walks you through brand decisions on what to buy.
Survive a natural disaster with appropriate survival gear and clothing.
So what’s the bottom line?
Nobody can predict exactly what you might need to survive a disaster in your area. But this book can help you get prepared for what might happen. Follow the directions in this book, and you will have a fighting chance during whatever disaster comes your way. To quote Jim Cobb:
“Start now. You can’t do it all at once but you can do one thing every day to get you further down the path.”
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