With winter fast approaching, your to do list is likely as long as mine. Sometimes it seems like it grows faster than you can keep up with, no matter how much effort you put into scratching things off. So how do you set priorities?
When deciding on your priorities, there are really two sets of criteria to help decide.
The first set consists of dividing the list into 3 categories which are:
- Must Do
- Should Do
- Would Be Nice To Do
The second set should be familiar to all preppers and consists of the basic rules of 3:
- 3 minutes without air
- 3 hours without shelter
- 3 days without water
- 3 weeks without food
The first thing to do is classify your projects in priority of the second list. Obviously, as typical winter preparations don’t really concern your air supply, we can move directly onto item 2; shelter.
Shelter is paramount for Canadian winters. Without shelter, which by the way includes heat, your survival is all but guaranteed to fail. Making sure your home is in good condition and that you have the means to heat it should be a top priority. Keeping that in mind, you can now place any projects related to shelter (being either the structure itself or heating that structure) can now be placed on the to do list keeping the first list in mind. In case you haven’t guessed, that means the “must do” column. Any structural repairs such as fixing a leaky roof or repairing outside stairways need to go in this category. Also, heat should be a must do. For some, that would mean gathering sufficient fire wood, for others it could mean securing an income to pay electric or heating oil bills. Don’t forget to inspect and service your heating system no matter what fuel it uses.
The next rule of three item we must look at is water. As we all know water freezes quickly when exposed to the temperatures most Canadians face in winter. Optimally, we should take whatever measures are required to prevent pipes from freezing. Whatever that means for your particular situation is what you should be looking at.
Food, although last on the list is just as important as anything else. Taking an inventory of your food storage and filling any gaps should be high up on your “must do” list. If you rely heavily on your own food production or foraging, time is limited for harvesting and preserving those foods should be a priority.
You may have noticed that so far we have discussed primary sources for the second list considerations. However, preppers being what they are, secondary sources also need to go somewhere on the list. Some of us may place secondary systems on the must do list, while others may go down to the should do section. Never, and I do mean never, should we place secondary resources on the “would be nice” list. That just isn’t what being prepared is all about. A secondary resource can very quickly become a saving grace during an emergency. Relegating them to a would be nice status means that we are more likely not to get them in place…a mistake that could be very costly.
Be a little dynamic when going through your list. If weather doesn’t make it easy to gather and pile firewood, take some indoor time to inventory your food storage or can up that last little bit of garden produce. Heck, if you have food storage holes, a rainy day is a great time to head to the grocery store and take advantage of sales to fill them. Conversely, a nice sunny day would be better for patching the roof, while produce holds in the fridge another day before being preserved.
Perhaps you were hoping to break ground on a new garden plot for next spring. That’s always a great idea, but given that this task could also be completed in early spring, it belongs squarely in the “would be nice” category. Of course, if you have gone through the musts and shoulds, then go for it. Getting ahead of things only makes the next list you make all that much shorter.