RIGHT WAY TO READINESS

AVOID THESE 5 COMMON PREPPING MISTAKES

- JIM COBB

It seems like every day brings more and more people into the preparedness fold, so to speak. With all of the uncertainty in the world, it makes sense that folks would want to be interested in how to be ready to handle emergencies and crises large and small. However, like anything else in life, there's a right way and an infinite number of wrong ways to tackle this endeavor.

Let's take a look at some of the most common prepping mistakes.

1 FAILING TO TEST GEAR

I spend a fair amount of time online in various prepper-related forums and groups on social media. Time and time again, I'll see people post photos of their equipment, such as showcasing the contents of their bugout bag. All too often, most of the items are still in their original packaging, absolutely brand-new and pristine. If you take the time to chat with the person, you'll typically find out that they've assembled their gear based on one or another list they found online or in a book and have never once used any of it.

Sometimes the excuse is that they don't want to waste anything, such as eating some of their emergency food while grocery stores are still up and running. Or they don't want to risk damaging anything, as their budget is limited and they can't afford to buy a replacement. However, the middle of a crisis is the last place you want to be when you learn that a product you bought needs assembly and it is apparently missing parts. Or that the special survival food you squirreled away really doesn't agree with your digestive system.

If something is going to fail, it would be better to find that out during controlled conditions, such as taking it for a test drive in the backyard. This gives you the luxury of experiencing it while you're able to do something to fix it, whether that's through purchasing a replacement or contacting the manufacturer.