Prepping 101: 40 Steps You Can Take to Be Prepared: Protect Your Family, Prepare for Weather Disasters, and Be Ready and Resilient when Emergencies Arise

by Kathy Harrison

Anyone can get ready to weather the next natural disaster or global crisis with the straightforward steps laid out by author Kathy Harrison. While some steps are as simple as creating a preparedness notebook and learning to repackage store-bought food for long-term storage, you will also learn how to collect rainwater, build a solar oven, and heat with alternative sources. This accessible and methodical guide also includes ample blank space where you can fill in your own emergency information.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Self Help

177 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 26, 2018

Reviews

[Mylove4book · Rating 5 out of 5]

當文明社會因天災或各種原因停擺時(例如斷水斷電)，如何應用平常已經準備好的各種物品維生。作者是住美國有院子的房子，和台灣住宅還是有些許差異，不過基本概念是一樣的。
羅列出一些比較適合自己的重點(像寵物幼童之類的就先忽略了，畢竟我家沒有)

1. 房屋資料、財務資料、親屬的聯絡資訊(電話等)需存放在適合的地方，像是保險箱內和不會被水災淹沒的高處
- 前兩者是向銀行或政府單位證明財產是屬於你的，不然空口無憑。親屬的電話則是在當手機丟失或沒電時，至少還有聯絡的管道。畢竟現在能記住所有電話號碼的人應該不多了……

2. 照明設備
- 手電筒相關
 大中小型的手電筒都可以備一些
 頭戴式/手持式/放置桌上型
 所需的電池型號以及充電設備
 考慮購入可以用自然充電使用的款式(例如太陽能/手搖發電)
 將小電池擴充成大電池的方法(Youtube)

3. 水
- 符合家人數量和天數的飲用水，一人預估一天需2公升(1公升飲用、1公升清潔)，起碼準備三天以上。
- 基本的濾水器/集水器。學習如何淨化水質(例如雨水的收集和淨化)，但水災過後的水盡可能不要使用因為被汙染的可能性很高
- 雖然作者有提雨水，但我印象中砲彈爆炸產生的那種空氣汙染(蕈狀雲之類)降下來的雨水是有危險性的……不確定是否能真的”淨化”。

4. 食物的長期存放
- 罐頭(作者很推薦自製罐頭，但我覺得太難了啦)、乾燥蔬菜、即食食品、維他命、乾糧口糧、高熱量食物(以前某個老師說過野外求生，推薦帶洋芋片在身上，可以補充熱量也可以當作火種)
- 盡量儲備好煮的食材，像是豆子之類的要煮很久才會軟就會消耗太多能源。斷水斷電時能源是很寶貴的。
- 冷凍食品是很方便，但當斷電的時間拉長時就很麻煩了。

5. 儲備藥品
- 家庭備藥、燙傷藥膏、醫療用紗布膠帶、鑷子(移除碎片)、各種形狀的OK繃…等等

6. 家庭防災
- 配電箱、各式電路的位置
- 滅火器
- 工地安全帽、保暖帽、工作手套(厚的絕緣手套)、保暖手套、拋棄式手套(處理垃圾)…等
- 厚錫箔紙用途廣，可以做防水小包裹、臨時鍋子
- 安全別針可以修補，也可當拉鍊頭，用途廣
- 毛巾可擦洗也可作為防寒物品，用途廣
- 垃圾袋可以當作雨衣，也可以鋪地上等等
- 火柴、打火機(但要妥善保存)

7. 種菜
- 如果長期待在室內的話，可能就需要自己種些簡單的蔬菜。作者介紹種菜的方式太多了，畢竟美國房子有院子。感覺比較適合大樓住宅的頂多就是種種蔬菜根部吧，像是紅蘿蔔、西洋芹、甜菜根之類的。種在淺的容器裡定時換水。

8. 煮飯
- 作者介紹的爐子大多都要在院子(戶外)使用，對台灣集合式住宅不太適用……如果斷電的話還真不知道要怎麼煮開水，需要思考一下。

9. 居家衛生
- 預備很多大小垃圾袋(這個在網路文章也看過，垃圾袋在資源窘迫的情況下有各種的用途)
- 若因斷水造成馬桶不能使用，就需要準備臨時廁所
 水桶套上垃圾袋就是簡易馬桶(大號)。小號可以用另外一個水桶(或是寬口寶特瓶?)，不需要套垃圾袋，只要找地方倒掉就好。
 女用小便漏斗(網路上有在賣)
 乾洗手
- 肥皂、乾洗髮、澆花用的花灑(代替蓮蓬頭)
- 洗衣服的方法(作者居然跟大多數台灣人一樣用曬的，沒有在用烘乾機! 以美國人來說真是太奇葩了啦)

10. 身家安全
- 美國的話當然可以擁槍XD(某些州) 但在台灣了不起買個防狼噴霧啦…
- 哨子來嚇退匪徒(但我覺得視其況而定啦，有時反而會激起不必要的注意)
- 緊急收音機(應該很少人家裡有吧…但在網路不通的時候可以派上用場)。最近的新聞說馬斯克有援助烏克蘭的衛星網路，可能要研究一下衛星網路的使用和設備。(傳說中的小耳朵嗎?)

11. 緊急小包的準備
- 在某些情況下要撤離時，最好能一把抓起來就帶走的背包。
 現金、哨子、手電筒、新電池、手機、充電器、水(壺)、換洗貼身衣物、襪子(長途跋涉時保護腳)、親屬的聯絡電話等
 護唇膏(用途多多)、防曬乳、防蚊液、雨衣、緊急保暖毯(睡袋?)、消毒酒精
 能量棒、乾糧、高熱量的糖果(例如巧克力)
 肥皂、女性生理用品、衛生紙
 必要藥物(但要記得定期更換)


整理的當下俄烏戰爭進入了第四天，圍城戰還在繼續。意外的是原來中國大陸還沒有撤僑，雖然說大家各有立場，但當砲彈在頭上飛……還是先撤再說了吧?! 根據逃到波蘭的人所說，他所在的烏東地區已經自開打起就斷水斷電了。接下來若是民眾開始爭搶資源，不要說是炮彈了，就算躲在防空洞裏面，人身安全也是個問題……

[Critterbee❇ · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I thought was going to be a handy manual for preparing for unexpected emergencies turned out to be a tiny bit more alarming than I had hoped.

The book begins with some moderate fear-mongering and then offers predictions of catastrophic pandemics and urges for communities to band together in resiliency groups. Hey, I just opened the book to look for tips on food storage and supplies needed for an extended loss of power. Let's take a breath. If I were not reviewing this book, I would have stopped reading at the introduction. Maybe lower the tone of imminent apocalypse so the readers do not do a runner.

Setting aside that, the book was organized very well, and had some great ideas about planning for emergencies.

The book will help the reader to learn how to:
- prepare a binder / container to safeguard your important documents (with a suggested list of documents)
- store food and water (and how much to store)
- make a water filter
- take care of pets during emergencies
- stay clean and healthy with a low water supply and/or no electricity
- dispose of all types of waste
and much more.

There is also a lot of great everyday advice like use local banks or credit unions, and volunteer to help others affected by disaster.

I did not care for the overwrought flavor of the introduction, but there are some good ideas inside. I would advise the reader to skip the introduction and go right to the useful information.

*eARC Netgalley*

[Tucker Almengor]

Many thanks to HMH Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

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[Tina Panik · Rating 4 out of 5]

The apocalypse + the skills in this book = I'll be ready. This is a helpful, straightforward, and practical guide.

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as books go, there are several genres and types that I gravitate toward. Books that tell you how to do things have a major attraction for me. I picked this book up from the library because it looked interesting, and it did not disappoint. Prepping 101 is an easy to follow guide on planning for the worst. Author Kathy Harrison provides step-by-step instructions on 40 different things you can do to be prepared.

A lot of times we don’t like to think of the worst happening, but it is a reasonable thought to have. Imagine a situation where utilities were out, roads were inaccessible, supermarkets were closed, and Gas Stations were shuttered. Could you provide for yourself and your family if such a thing were to happen? With our aging infrastructure and dependence on devices to do everything it would be quite difficult.

The most valuable thing this book offers, other than advice, is a mindset. It has plans for a lot of things. For instance, if you own your home, do you know where the utilities enter your house? Do you know how to flip the breakers to restore power? If you don’t, you should.

A lot of the book is focused on down-to-earth methods. Canning your own food, planning for water shortages, keeping your pets or children from panicking. In that sense, it is a great resource. It would probably be better to read it and prepare before something does happen though, and that is the most difficult thing of all.

[Stephen CM · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems like a good intro to the topic. It's probably with searching out other titles for more detailed information. Fortunately, the author has a few further reading recommendation lists in the chapters.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and a good starter book for the prepper-curious. Not overwhelming, and a ton of other reference books are sighted throughout for further reading.

[Bonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

With short, actionable chapters full of suggestions and practical advice, I couldn't put this book down. Skipping the parts that don't apply to me, jumping to those that do - I found this a highly useful book that I'd easily recommend for anyone's reference guide. As well, the author is smart enough to know when other sources are required (for more in-depth conversations, recipes or how-to's); many of the chapters end with a recommended reading list.

I should note, as the author does: this is NOT a 'hunker down in the wilderness survival guide, nor a how to create a bunker information kit. It's meant for families, couples, singles - anyone dwelling in an environment where they might need to live without power, water, sewer or internet for weeks (as I did during a hurricane in the Bahamas a few years back).

My best recommendation? I've housesat full time for years, traveling around the world. I'd easily give this book as a gift to everyone whose homes and animals I've cared for.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, love the images in Prepping 101 but my obsession doesn't end there. Kathy Harrison has put a feminine twist on what always seemed to be geared towards impressing the male prepping world. I am not saying that it wouldn't be useful for the guys, just saying it is appealing and pleasant to flip through without the scent of testosterone emanating from the folds of the book. I found it easy to understand, full of possible suggestions, relevant images, and additional sources for delving deeper. Some of the suggestions were fresh and new, not the often repeated cookie cutter type of must haves in your survival kit. I especially liked the calendar breakdown of what typically is a good buying opportunity each month based on seasonal availability and promotion. The Prepping 101 book is a great addition to your personal library and is would be golden for reference prior to starting your storage plans. Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives instructions for how to prepare your family to survive an emergency situation. There are sections for:
Calculating how much water and food your family will need during an emergency.
How to plant your own garden, and store and cook the food you grow.
How to handle garbage, laundry, and sanitation in an emergency.
Protecting your electronics and having enough batteries.
Making an evacuation plan, or creating a safe room.
Talking to your children about emergency preparedness.
Survival tips on staying warm or cool in extreme weather.
AND a dozen other things that are helpful for not just surviving an emergency, but handling it with poise and intelligence.

I love the cool design of this book! There are a lot of photos and design elements that make it colorful and enjoyable to read. The text is divided into smaller sections on each page that make it easy to read, and the chapters make it easy to find the subject you are looking for.

There are step-by step-instructions, lists, charts, and recipes that give all the details you need to be confident that you are prepared for any emergency crisis. You have shopping lists for a first-aid kit, a tool box, kitchen pantry and cookware, and even an inventory of clothing for cold weather. Everything is organized in the book to help you make sure your family is safe, and it's a great tool to make sure that you haven't forgotten anything important.

There's just so much good information in this book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You do not have to be a “prepper” to need this book. We all need this book.

I remember when Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast hard in 2012. I was without power for a week – both my home in PA and my work in Princeton NJ. We were somewhat prepared at home. Just somewhat. But we do not have kids. The cats were fine. They do not require much, fortunately.

Then the “Covid pandemic” hit. In the beginning we had no idea what was going on. But we were not allowed to go to work. That means everything that normally gets consumed in a household was multiplied by at least 10.

I think that alone should have taught us all a lesson. Well, multiple lessons. Preparedness being one of them. I don’t just mean stocking up on toilet paper either.

This book is really geared towards families. Even going as far as recommending books or movies based on certain situations.

There is a section on preserving food, as you would expect in a prepping book. But there are so many other areas of concern that were fully addressed in this book, from your children to our pets, from water to sanitation, from finances to shopping.

It also offers suggestions for stocking your bookcase(s). What book nerd doesn’t love that!?!

I normally hate when people say this in a review. But I think it is warranted here: Everybody needs to read this book!!! Read it!!! Then implement it!

[Willy Marz Thiessam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prepping 101 is great, but I'm not sure what for. Is it a survivalist guide to living in the event of civilization falling apart or just the preparedness of a mother who is always there with a back up plan. Either way its a great read with lots of wonderful ideas to help you be prepared around the home and in life. Probably the best aspect is ideas for planning and thinking about what you might need in the many situations of life where we will need a back up plan. When someone dies where is the will and what did they leave to whom? When the home needs repairs what to have handy to get the repairs done? When the power goes out what will you need for what length of time? When you need to have food around because the shops are shut for a few days what should you have in storage? These questions and much more she helps you to answer in this book. Be prepared, know before hand what to do and where stuff is when you need it. Well done Kathy Harrison. This book is a book you will want around the house in times of emergencies or just to think ahead about lifes twists and turns and how to navigate them.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard the author, Kathy Harrison, on a podcast. She made disaster preparedness sound so doable and not overwhelming. On the podcast it centered only on long-term food storage. I had been contemplating it for a while but was a bit overcome by everything I needed to do. I ended up buying this book and it started working through one chapter at a time. It made it very practical and doable. I loved the layout and all the visuals and graphics. It definitely a beginner book and if you want to get more detailed in certain areas you can do more research, but this is a GREAT book to get started. So glad I did. There have been times (power outages, a water problem) when I was thankful I had already stocked up on certain supplies that I might not have done otherwise. And I never thought I'd be using what I learned in this book in a global pandemic, but there ya go! You never know what you will face and it's good to be as prepared as possible.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book to have and use for not only disasters but how to prepare a good first aid kit for your car and general emergencies. Practical information for the home owner to deal with power outages, severe weather or major disasters. Learn how to store food for long term, how to collect water and make solar ovens, winter storm survival or worse. Lists for your convenience and notes that help you prepare in advance. Great to have on your bookshelf with the hope you'll never need it. I'd recommend as a gift for the hard to buy for and get a copy for yourself. I received this free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good overview of prepping for people who are new to prepping. It covers most of the expected topics, but hits them at a fairly superficial level (it felt like there were only a few pages per section). This book could be great for someone who hasn't thought about storing water and food before, but if you've got those basics covered already your probably going to think much of this is old hat.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Netgalley in return for my honest opinion. I'm definitely not a doomsday prepper, but as I live in earthquake country, I should have some emergency supplies set up and I don't. This book was well written and very well organized. I don't think I'll be doing everything listed in the book, but it covered many topics and very thoroughly. The author also listed some other books she has found to be helpful. All in all, a good book for its topic.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is aimed at people who are are interested in ensuring continuity of life as normal as possible during a severe incident. It is about taking action before things take a turn for the worse in order to maintain food, services and other needs during an outage, for example.

It is written in simple, matter of fact language which is understandable to the majority of people. There were no technical words to confuse the reader, and the language used was appropriate for the intended audience.

There were many images throughout the book which made it more appealing to read, and made it less of a dry reference book.

I like that each chapter is distinct and this means that the reader, should they so wish, can focus on a topic of their choice and pick and choose how they actually use the book.

I found that the book was difficult to read on the device I was using. I was unable to read it on my kindle, which I would have preferred - as it is bigger, and so had to read it on my tiny phone. This made reading the book a chore and is my one big black mark against the book. Obviously once it is published it will be in a variety of formats so this should not affect anyone buying the book. My score out of five is 3.5, but have to put 3 or 4,

If you live in a remote part of the UK (and considering that in the year of publishing the UK experienced severe Arctic conditions which caused water and electricity outages), it may be worthwhile applying at least some of the ideas in the book.

"If a member of your household moves into independent living, you can give him or her a preparedness folder. Such a binder is a great house-warming gift for the newly independent young adult or even for a parent or grandparent who isn't in the habit of thinking in terms of emergencies."

[Rebecca Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019 // 029 | Prepping 101 - Kathy Harrison | 2018 | 176pp

This book is a guide to establishing back up plans to help in emergencies - anything from natural disasters to financial hardship. It is clear and easy to follow, with sensible suggestions and lists.

I have read too many books about the end of the world not to be curious about undertaking a bit of prepping. I’m keen to make a small kit for the car, for instance, and this book had many great ideas!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is super visually appealing with some really good information too. It doesn't go off the deep end of crazy like many "prepper" style books but it does a much better job than the cut and dry government lists. The explanations and reasoning for thugs was nice too.

[Bruce Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview; fairly superficial info. This is a great starter volume — just don’t think this will provide anything more than a review of what you need, including critical skills and knowledge. Nicely, it includes lists of other written resources.

[Alicia Impink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated how thought out and thorough this book was. Included planning for pets. Practical information for thinking ahead for multiple kinds of emergencies. I already went and made myself a car kit for emergencies.

[Ethan Petuchowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and engrossing. Not a dry and practical how-to guide, but more of a collection of a wise grandmother’s own ideas and lifestyle decisions. Had some nice insights throughout and the rest was still pleasurable to read.

[Maddy Finch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing book with excellent tips. It covers almost all aspects of survival prepping. This is also an excellent book for beginners of survival prepping.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Very basic, but some good information. She outlines things very simply. And there are tips that I’ve never considered for general emergency preparedness.

[Joel Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great primer with loads of ideas.

[Dora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good basic reference if you are new to being responsible for your family emergency preparedness.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great resource for preparing for emergencies! I highly recommend this book.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good primer on emergency preparedness. High level, but approachable and actionable information.

[Chuck Borges · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you've done even basic prepping you will learn nothing new from this book.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy read. More up to date than Just In Case by the same author, although not sure there is quite as much information here.