With over one thousand two hundred users on this site and more joining every day we have preppers with a wide range of knowledge. I thought I might be of some assistance to those beginning prepping. I will post some useful, good to know, tips that can be very helpful to have at your disposal in times of need. Don't be afraid to ask questions, that's how we learn - from each other. I would encourage seasoned preppers to contribute what they can here too.
The basics of surviving a disaster regardless of its severity are shelter, water, food and security. I will add some tips that might be of help in these areas. It is always good to keep the rule of three at the back of your mind: you can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, three days without water and three weeks without food.
Let's look at potable water. The average adult male requires 3L of water per day, for a female slightly over 2L. Exercise will increase this amount. In a disaster or SHTF situation the municipal water supply may be compromised or cease to operate entirely. You will need water, not just to drink but for preparing food, washing etc. There are many sources from which safe drinking water can be obtained or prepared. For those living in a home there is one source that is often overlooked, the hot water tank.
Hot water tanks typically contain 40 or 60 imperial gallons (184L to 276L). Depending on the size of your tank that is 36 to 55 days worth of drinking water for a man and a woman. Did you know that you already had a month's worth of drinking water stored?
Bug out shelter. Everyone needs some sort of shelter. especially in winter. A lot of preppers want to take a tent if they are bugging out to the wilderness. but the weight/durability of a tent makes it a less admired option. one technique i use when training is rubbish bags. you can build a simple lean to and use rubbish bags as the roof. you may ask "what about insulation? rubbish bags wont hold much heat!" well then you can fill your bags with pine needles or leaves. it will keep ALOT of water off of you during the night. one thing to remember is if you are using multiple bags remember to lay them out in a roof tile pattern, its like that for a reason. another advantage of rubbish bags is you could carry hundreds even thousands in place of a tent. they can also be used for water, bedding, food storage, raincoat and if necessary even socks!
Cigarettes are just like HedgeHogs, perfectly harmless until you put them in your mouth and light them on fire.