Author of How to Prep When You’re Broke and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course
We all hope that the world will dodge a bullet again and avoid diving into World War III. But things aren’t looking great. However, the signs and omens of war are not what this article is about. You can read about what is happening now on dozens of websites across the internet.
This, of course, is all out of our hands. The decisions to join in global conflicts aren’t made by folks like us, and civil war is another matter altogether. So what is a prepper to do?
Well, we can’t stop the drums of war, but we can prepare for the potential of war. That is something over which we have control and I’d rather focus on what I can control than worry incessantly about things that are not within my power.
Why I’m prepping for war
A friend of mine has been researching shortages from WW2, and that’s a great place to start. In America, we faced the rationing of things such as food, shoes, metal, paper, and rubber. The priority was given to the soldiers, and whatever was left over was divvied up by civilians. I’m not sure we will have the exact same shortages this time, as war, like many other things, has moved into the digital age, but soldiers will still need food, shoes, rubber things like tires, and metal for manufacturing vehicles and weapons.
What with things being digital, a wise person might also look into things that require motherboards and circuits – computers, other devices, and vehicles.
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It’s important to note that the Defense Production Act is already in place to force our factories to produce what is needed for national defense and prioritize national defense customers over civilians.
We don’t know if this conflict will all be fought overseas or if it will creep onto our shores. In my opinion, it’s best to prepare for the worst-case scenario and hope that it doesn’t happen.
Here’s where I’m putting my money right now as far as preps are concerned.
Food
One of the first things that will likely be rationed or in shortage would be food. I’m beefing up the preps for my family by shopping the sales, packing things away as carefully as possible to prevent degradation and pests, and filling my small home to the rafters. Here’s the strategy I use for prepping with food. If money is tight, this book will help, too.
Many people will be promoting extremely expensive purchases of long-term food in buckets. While that is certainly one way to do it, it’s not the tastiest, nor is it the most nutritious, nor is it affordable. I do have a number of food buckets, but this is my last-resort food, purchased because it will sit there for a long time without spoiling. We all have different strategies here, and if this makes you feel more secure and you can afford it, here is a package designed to last one person for six months. Another benefit to this type of supply is that it’s easily portable and takes up less space.
If you want to make your own freeze-dried food – a fantastic option – my friend Chris has a new freeze-dryer she’s learning to use. She writes about her experience here.
Finally, you want to produce as much food as possible. Whether you are in the city or on acreage, this course will help. We also have a physical paperback collection of all the food acquisition and preservation articles from The OP available here.
However you do it, whether it’s extra canned goods at the grocery store, freeze-drying, or otherwise preserving your garden goodies, or buying buckets, now is the time to pull the trigger.
Medicine
I think another incredibly important prep is medication. Not just a collection of OTC stuff but prescription medication. There’s one place I know where I can get human-grade prescription meds for a wide variety of issues. The Wellness Company offers prescription drug packages for emergencies, and I’ve got one for every member of my household. This means there’s enough of each medication to treat all of us if necessary. When I got mine, the experience was smooth and comfortable and I received my medications very quickly. I wrote about the experience here.
Here are some of the health concerns that can be treated with the contents of the kit.
There are a number of other emergency kits that might be more appropriate for your situation. You can explore them here.
On top of this, I have a great OTC kit, some meds I purchased when traveling, and a lot of fish antibiotics. I also strongly recommend learning how to make your own herbal medicines well before you must rely on this vital skill.
Ammo
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if ammunition was another thing that was rationed or difficult to come by should war occur. I’m stocking up on what I can, as I can. A gun isn’t of much use if you have nothing to put in it.
Precious metals
What do you need to hang on to your hard-earned savings and get through to the other side with your personal wealth intact? Precious metals have long been the savings accounts of the savvy. I know, I know. You can’t eat gold. But you can put it back, hidden carefully, and use it to re-establish yourself once things have calmed down.
There will be expenses involved after any kind of conflict or collapse. Many people lost their homes in the South after the Civil War when they could not pay the outrageous property taxes demanded by the Union. You can be assured that any government will be eager to refurbish their coffers with property tax dollars after such an expensive undertaking as war. We’ve already talked about how the dollar is losing its power – but gold and silver will not. In fact, central banks all over the world are heavily investing.
I have a company I use for precious metals purchases. ITM Trading is really big on education, which is why I like to work with them. I’ve learned so much in my consultations, and there’s no obligation or pressure. If you’re not sure whether gold is for you, I recommend you call and get your own personal consultation. It will help you to make your decision, and this is a company you can really trust.
Remember, this is not something you will necessarily plan to spend DURING the hard times. It’s a way to protect your savings through the hard times so that you have something of value left after the fact.
Communications
Imagine being in a situation in which you know the country has been invaded, but telecommunications are down. Your phone doesn’t work, there’s no news on the television, and there’s no internet. You NEED to be able to communicate and learn what’s going on so you can keep your family safe. You’ll want to check on loved ones far away.
Ham radio is the answer. Aden discusses some inexpensive, simple ones in this article. I’m working on getting my license using his study guide, found here (it’s so awesome!) and, finally, check out his book on emergency communications here.
I also strongly recommend signing up for Alerts USA. This is a service that sends text message alerts directly to your phone when an event of national significance occurs. You get Homeland Security threat and incident notifications straight to your device. (Obviously, these are the unclassified warnings.) I have found this to be completely unbiased and factual.
Miscellaneous items
I also recommend some of the following miscellaneous preps:
- Take care of any medical or dental problems.
- Get shoes for the whole family (grab a size up for kids).
- Get winter coats, gloves, hats, and scarves if needed.
- Get new tires for your vehicles.
- Take care of any automotive repairs you’ve been putting off.
- Fill up your propane tank or get whatever heating fuel you may need and keep it topped off.
- Get your septic tank pumped.
Taking care of these things in advance is not outrageous – it’s something that you can do and be assured you’ll use at some point. Money is tight for so many of us that it seems unwise to make purchases specifically predicting one outcome
What about you?
These preps don’t capture the horrors of nuclear war or the destruction of a ground war here on American soil. This is a guideline, a course of action to get you through everyday life during a conflict. There are many things beyond our control, but these things are within our grasp, and they make a lot of sense. (For more information on nuclear preparedness, check out this webinar.)
Are you concerned about the advent of World War III? Are you taking any particular steps to prep for it? What shortages would you expect to see arise in the event of a global conflict?
Let’s discuss how to prep for war in the comments section.
About Daisy
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites. 1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2) The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews.
Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.
27 Responses
fuel and medical things…over here in europe a lot of medication is not always available, same with carparts, and personal hygene stuff like toothpaste is goinjg out of the roof in price….fuel: armies consume huge amounts of fuel…..it will be restricted.
Also, freedom will be very restricted as police will have a very wide range of liberties in acting….laws and civil rights will be put out of “temperary” order….power is always abused, and law wenforcement is always enforced with violence…so inless you live rural and your law enforcment is also local born and bred you will find the enemy does not live in another country…
Here in Europe we do not know what tomorrow brings…just have to see we keep standing….
I think that investing in alternative power is crucial! Wind, solar, hydro, invest in a good battery system with whatever power source makes sense! Doesn’t matter how much food is in the freezer if you can’t preserve it. Learn how to can on your bbq grill! I stockpile charcoal so that cooking is easier. You won’t be able to refill your propane tank if the grid goes down. Learn how to make your own charcoal from your own scrap wood so that you can have efficient heating for food and water when you need it.
I currently own 5 pressure canners (which is waaay too many LOL) but with one or two I can rotate them on a large bbq. Invest in reusable canning lids via Lehmans or other sources. Also, Menards sells an off brand of canning lids for $1.99 a doz, instead of the $5.00 per pkg on the Ball brand. I buy a few every time I go. I have buckets and totes full of canning jars and lids stashed in my preps.
For food, I have found that I really like the “just add water” soups sold at Menards! They are around $3. a package, feed 4 hungry adults, and keep for a very long time. Way less expensive than those freeze dried meal kits, and you can try them before investing hundreds of dollars. Shore Lunch and Bear Creek brand. We are particularly fond of the potato soup and the wild rice soup. You can make up a pot and can some in 1-2 serving size if you can’t eat the whole thing right away. If you are very motivated, you can open the pkg and vacuum seal in smaller portions for individual servings. Just add a card with how much water to add and they will keep even longer when vacuum sealed.
I appreciate the reminder to maintain the car! Yes, I should look into tires now, before I need them!
I have also been planting native food bearing bushes for a while, such as serviceberry and Josta berry (ok, that is a gooseberry/current hybrid, but it produces a lot of fruit!) Did you know that you can plant those hazelnuts/filberts that come in the shell in those packets of whole nuts they sell around Christmas? Get like 10 of them, and plant them. In S.E. Michigan, they grow really well, as does Elderberry. You can plant cuttings into moist soil and it will root pretty easily. Elderberry is potently effective for curing what ails you. If you have property, plant, plant, plant!
Good luck and common sense, and we can get through this! I just wish I had a prepper community nearby that we can support one another in person. Many hands make light work!
Godspeed everyone!
You left out barterable local skills, making friends, developing situational awareness, physical fitness, hard copy literature, and iodine.
Good, helpful article. I’ve downloaded some of the apps listed.
You made a comment that people say you can’t eat gold but those same people recommend buying lots of ammo. Well ya can’t eat lead either. While I have both ammo and PM’s ( I prefer silver ) they each have a place. I think things like toothpaste,toothbrush,razors,soap,spices ECT should be added
Timely article for people new to prepping or the totally unprepared.
In the medicine section I would ad Potassium Iodide (aka Nuke Meds). The nice thing about Potassium Iodide(KI) is has a pretty long shelf life for being medicine. You don’t take it until the world has gone totally sideways and everybody is dropping nukes.
Prepping for War is foolish. You are listening to the news and other sources that are all about making headlines. They are not telling you the truth. Yes there are wars going on, ( many more than the media is covering, though most are small ones.) The Iran and Israel conflict is no more troubling to the US population( as far as a ” war” goes, than the Russia/ Ukraine one is.
WW3 is basically an impossibility due to Globalism. Due to
the specialization of national exports, manufacturing and shipping, everything is so interdependent that war would cause a global economic collapse and the immediate end of the War, ( even before it could really get started).
Prepping for Terrorist attacks and Civil unrest is the thing, we need to be watching out for.
As Pres Trump had mentioned, we have secret military tech that is so advanced that the world would be shocked if they knew about it. It is way beyond anything they have.
The ” new tech” that the Military is seen using is using today, is about 50 years old tech. The really “new tech” is a closely guarded secret.
The real threat is always Lone Wolf attacks and Small Terrorist Cells and bad actors fomenting and causing Civil Unrest. Especially the Ice riots/ illegal alien infiltration and sleeper cells in this country.
These are much harder to identify, predict and track (and even harder to stop), without putting innocent civilians at risk. They are also harder to keep yourself safe from their actions.
I admire you dedication to prepping. However part of being a good Prepper is identifying real threats by understanding the underlying conditions that would cause such threats to exist and not to be swayed by Media propaganda.
You’ve heard of EMP? Well, China and Russia BOTH have satellites carrying EMP bombs in geosynchronous orbit over the US. If either country sets one off, your days of electric power are OVER, for years and possibly forever. What if Israel decides to nuke Iran? Their buddies, China and Russia, may decide to take out our electric grid as a “preemptive measure” to keep us from getting involved–and we can no longer protect our country with a military that runs on electricity. We then must learn to create a society from the 1700’s from scratch. Hope you know how to push a plow and plant a garden without electricity!
Hi, Mic 03.
I would agree with you that the interdependence involved in global commerce (and in other activity) would preclude world war, if all national leaders had consciences. But based on the numerous actions many of them have taken that undermine their own people and economies, these “leaders” seem to me more than capable of instigating a world war.
“The Iran and Israel conflict is no more troubling to the US population( as far as a ” war” goes, than the Russia/ Ukraine one is.”
…You must not have been around when OPEC embargoed the shipment of oil to the United States… If the rest of the Mideast decides to help out its “Muslim brother,” we’re setting ourselves up for the exact same thing, regardless if we enter “WW3” or not… FUN FACT: It was NOT FUN!
The rest of the Middle East will not go to war for Iran. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Kuwait hate and fear Iran, and admire Israel. They would love for Israel to take out Iran. Iran no longer has proxies to help it. Hezbollah announced that it would not get involved, having been decimated by Israel. Hamas has also been decimated by Israel, as have been thr Houthis. Israel destroyed Syria’s military capabilities in December.
Israel has shown how powerful and ingenious it is. Who would dare to go to war against it? Russia hates terrorists as much as anybody else. It may appear to side with them to advance its own interests, but this is not such a time.
What ground invasion could there be? We don’t need to worry about that at all.
I hope we let Israel use our bunker-busting bombs and bring the era of Iranian terror to an end.
Drill baby, DRILL! I hope that Trump decides to radically start that up and gain us energy independence again! He needs to put Vance on that, and enhance our great lakes pipeline that Gov. Hitler -er-whitmer has been trying to shut down, so that she can’t!
I don’t think Daisy is being swayed by anything but concern for all of us. It was a thoughtful and well written article that was full of excellent suggestions. Your negativity is not helping anyone. Take a chill pill.
In what way was what I said negative? The US is not in danger. That’s a good thing. Israel has the situation under control, also good. The Islamic Republic will fall, ending a dark, repressive, violent half century in its history. I hope a more moderate, humane government will follow. Maybe Reza Pahlavi.
What is happening is all for the best. Even Macron, Starmer, and Germany have expressed support for Israel, recognition that Israel must defend itself, and that Iran may not be allowed to have the atomic bomb, and that Israelis are doing the dirty work which benefits the entire civilized world.
I first want to say that if this was any other president I would believe 100% we were headed for a proxy war. Our economy is on the skids, traditionally that is when we ramp up the war machine and pump money into the military industrial complex. I don’t know if Trump and his rag tag band of a cabinet even know that bit of “traditional ” wisdom, or if they will go that way. I really don’t understand this administration. The things they find important I can’t comprehend, and the allies they choose are befuddling to me as well. That being said, we are continuing with our plans. Before the TACO tariffs we picked up the things we needed for the next year in health and hygiene along with otc medicine. We always keep a 6-12 food supply with some long term backups. It is summer up here in the north so construction season. We have planed for several years that this year is roof replacement. We are going with metal. Hopefully the next time the house needs a roof I will be dead (I’m not dying, but I also don’t plan on living another 50 years, lol) We are also finishing up several “infrastructure ” projects like field tile drainage and more ground cover that won’t need mowed. We are ramping up food production not particularly because of war, just because it is that time of the year. As always we are continuing our local relationships, farmers, trades people and the like. No matter what happens i firmly believe in supporting local economies. The only change I am really making is paring down the extras in the budget to beef up the emergency fund. Otherwise out here in the rural north we are sitting tight and holding course. I have years worth of projects and the materials for them so I am slowly puttering along. After preparing for all other sorts of emergencies we are in a good place. I feel like if you were prepared for all the other crazy possibilities, you are probably prepared for this too.
I recently bought a stainless steel collapsible rocket type stove. It works on almost anything that burns.
Don’t forget your car batteries. If you can’t drive or even if you can…a folding solar panel (or 2) is affordable and pretty versitile for charging. They come with all sorts of connectors. Once the gas generator runs out, we can use our vehicle and/or camper batteries like one of those fancy generators that also charge from solar. Also good for a small inverter. Well, you get the idea.
I have 3 pressure cookers. House, boat, and camper. The old fashioned kind. They are good for pressure cooking to save fuel, popcorn, or for a regular soup type pot/dutch oven. If I can only have one pan, that’s it.
Buy one-get one soup cans. Dump a can over noodles or rice…maybe add a can of veggies and you have a meal for at least 2. Lots of variety and in tough times it’s a tummy filler. Tailor to your needs- like low salt, though when you are looking at starvation, beggars can’t be choosers!
Electricity might be dear…we live in hurricane alley. food sealers and all those electric appliances some mention probably won’t be an option.
We lived off the grid 6-9 months/year for 22 years. 12v and propane. If there’s no propane, the rocket stove is a great one pot wonder… If you like coffee, get a percolator. Any pot will heat tea water. Lay in a supply of coffee filters. You might need to pre- filter water before you sanitize.
If I have a power souce, making bread in the bread machine beats heating an oven. Otherwise it’s good to make on the rocket stove. I trade my bread for eggs now.
I have friends who use ammo as a currency. He has paid for haircuts with .380 ammo for years. You need a LOT, though.
Ammo is an appreciating asset. It’s affordable for anyone to purchase. I suggest people stockpile gold, silver, and lead as they can. Lead is the most versatile.
Prepping is the same for the average person no matter the issue coming. There is no way the average person is going to be involved in fighting war. We will be protecting ourselves or maybe hunting.
I spent my career working on the streets of a high crime city. Maybe you know how many times you have been shot at. I don’t. I’m female in case you wondered.
Life is good
One second After is a Book that’s gets it Ideas from
War Games
The Foreword written by
Turd in Line
Newt Gingrich
Read is as a Good Book
Then study it as a well written loss of THINGS -PEOPLE – And
Like GONE WITH THE WIND
The history of a way of life is well thought out in the Book
PSALM 91
READ IT STUDY IT
PRAY THE WORDS OUT LOUD
SEEK YOUR GUARDIAN ANGELS
GODS Promise to YOU
No mention of the 2nd Amendment militia by gun experts or our GODvernment. Only that you own a gun and ammo too.
Did you know the 2nd Amendment is not really about that? It’s about arming the people to CREATE a well-regulated militia. No politician or gun expert will mention this. Why?
Had we had a militia and passed it on to each generation where we live that would also have a certain cohesiveness about it, think how prepared we would be?
They managed to keep us divided and quiet about it for the most part. Not even Trump mentions this. Only GODvernment agencies like the National Guard or the Army or the police, NONE which are qualify as the 2nd Amendment militia.
The people you put in are for BIG GODvernment and are almost never for “we the people” and that is why they never remind you or mention this.
I think those of us in the USA are at a greater risk of being caught up in a localized attack than a kinetic war against another nation.
There have been several articles online recently talking about following the money regarding the finaces of many of the demonstrations the last few years. Yes, many of the left-wing political organizations are involved, but for what it’s worth, they can protest all they want, it’s America. Know where they are and stay far away unless you’re a participant. In that case, be doubly sure you can leave or help someone injured.
My concern is the evidence that many of these protest organizations are ultimately funded by China. That means China is bankrolling their own color revolutions in the USA. That changes many things.
IMO, it is very prudent to avoid large crowds and know all the exits in your grocery store, hardware store, church, etc. Add a few more things to your EDC and your vehicle kit. Review the last (12) stories you read about protest violence and think what you would have done, in detail, to get out and away. We have to learn from these events or we will be stuck in one ourselves someday. I also think this heightened risk will be with us for a number of years.
When you sign up for alerts on your phone or any other app, you let them track you. They tracked people thru covid and protests and etc. I thought there was enough articles out there that suggest that they track us thru our phones (that is why I do not use a cell phone except for emergencies since no landline option is where I live). I have also read articles that say they can still track you even if you put it on airplane mode, the only way to stop it is to remove the battery when you are not using it.
Or keep it in a faraday bag.
LMFAO – ‘outrageous’ property taxes. The “cause” was a truly lost cause. Sad to say Johnson should have been much, much more of a hard ass (after all, Sherman did his job). Of course the “lost cause” is still being fought today. Perhaps that geographic area can be the suckers in our sad, small presidementia’s fantasy.
And I need to ask – how rich are the readers/poster of this website doing? I’m ready for 20% inflation, are you?
I truly don’t understand being happy about the struggles and misfortunes of others.
I can only answer your questions for myself.
No, I’m NOT ready for 20% inflation. I’m not rich. I dread an even more difficult time financially because I’m trying to get back on my feet, literally and figuratively.
I’ve known you personally to be a very kind person and that is at odds with your venomous comments. I truly don’t understand the satisfaction you take in ridiculing anyone who disagrees with you.
Money doesn’t buy happiness or kindness, apparently.
Daisy: I appreciate you taking the time to respond to Selena’s comment. Frankly, I did not understand one word. BUT, I did recognize the hostility. M
So, where is this inflation everyone keeps talking about? CPI and PPI remain low. Wages are going up. There is a huge laundry list of companies who are reshoring jobs, manufacturing to the US. First time unemployment claims fell to 245k, near historic lows. And where the claims appear to be concentrated is the DC tri-state region. All those useless USAID and other useless government programs that DOGE has cut.
Texas Instruments Unveils Largest Foundational Chip Manufacturing Investment In U.S. History
$60 billion investment to expand semiconductor manufacturing across seven fabs in the U.S. The reshoring initiative spans three mega-sites in Texas (Sherman and Richardson) and Utah (Lehi), and is expected to support over 60,000 U.S. jobs.
USB financial analysts Steven Fisher, Amit Mehrotra, and others noted that all this onshoring will translate into construction growth tailwinds for the US economy next year.
I believe I’m as well prepped as I can be. I may move more things from my property to where I’m living now. I didn’t buy those food buckets as so many have done. Instead I’ve made myown quick and easy meals. My canning included many heat, or open, to eat meals. Also I have many heavy commercial made chili beans, cooked diced chicken, and beef stew in strong, heavy, metalic yet softer and flexible bags. Far thicker than my Mylar bags are. They were given out through a local community pantry. I’ve save a lot of those and experimented with heating, under a car windshield, in the pack in hot water, lain on a hot Rock in hot sunshine. All were satisfactory.
I have cooking methods available for many situations. I have canned and dried foods. Many are ready to eat and some require assembling a recepie or adding water to use.
I spent money investing in a “wild” foraging edibles or medicinals area and a lot of perennials to meet long term needs. My young orchard is pretty much out of sight and began limited blooming last year or this year. So still small amounts from any one type of fruit. I also have more apple trees to set out and more of several kinds of berries and grapes to plant. I picked them up cheap in seasonal nursery closeouts. I’ve also added more perennial pollinator attracting flowers.
For several years I’ve saved heirloom seeds from the best plants or earliest bearing ones. I can harvest dwarf corns in 6 to 7 weeks from seed and tomatoes in about 5 weeks from transplanting. I’m also trying a new corn developed in Japan. It only grows about 4 ft tall. The plants are beautifully colored in stripes. The corn is more for drying to grind meal but it can also be eaten, young mature, roasted in the husk.
I’ve also worked on getting sweet from fresh corn cobs. Boil them broken up in water for an hour or more. Strain out all bits of corn and boil the infused water until it’s getting syrupy. That syrup can be hot sealed and used like corn syrup in canning fruit or making jelly. I’ll also be experimenting with the stems of grains I grow for my chickens. Sources of sugar will be handy for preserving food or making alcohol to make my herbal infusions and flavorings.
I’m saving, drying, and powdering all my citrus peels in separate jars. I use those often as flavorings but also in vinegar they are great grease cutting cleaners. I hope to gather drying material and seeds for wild teas native to my area. I have many growing on my property but they don’t transplant well. So seed will be a must to start them here. I’ve been gathering wildflower seeds to start here. That’s mostly for my pleasure.
This place certainly has taken some work building the soil. There is not 1 dandelion here. Clay and rocks is what I’m growing in. High mountain desert isn’t the greatest but any place can be made better.
I recently bought a small windmill to supliment my solar power. I aim to be able to disengage from commercial power or ready to replace it, if it is stopped.
Both of us have dates for cataract surgeries soon. His is getting urgent. Mine could have waited a while longer but it is bothering me a bit so I want to get it over with, now! lol. It’s a good thing to get those things out of the way if you can.