When the summer months approach, prepper concerns turn to heat, hurricanes, and other warm weather challenges.
With hurricane season knocking on the door in May and lasting through November, prepping takes on a whole new meaning. So, from hurricanes and flooding to heatstroke and dehydration, summer brings the need for planned preparedness.
Adjusting Your Prepper Plan For Summer
Regardless of the situation, remember that prepping is an ongoing journey. As the season changes from Spring to Summer, so does your strategy to be prepared and ready.
Depending on your location, summer can be an intense timeframe with both predicted and unpredicted natural disasters. While a hurricane is typically predicted 10 to 14 days prior, a tornado or sandstorm can pop up out of nowhere with mere minutes or seconds to run for cover. That’s why it’s important to review your prepper plan and adjust it for the challenging summer months.
As always, when creating or updating a prepper plan, take a few moments to evaluate the potential disaster scenarios that could occur in the summer.
Consider these summer events:
:: Hurricanes
:: Tornados
:: Hailstorms
:: Flooding
:: Wildfires
:: Sandstorms
:: Excessive heat and humidity
:: Sun exposure
These natural disasters bring on a whole new set of challenges for preppers whether it means keeping hydrated, dry, and safe from the elements or facing potential long-term power losses and imminent bugout evacuations. Summer prepper strategies will involve some thoughtful season-specific planning.
Updating Your Bugout Bag For Summer
At the start of every new season, it’s a good idea to unpack your bugout bag and review your essential prepper gear. With the hot, wet (or dry) weather approaching, you can remove winter or spring gear. Instead, load up on summer-related necessities.
Concentrate on bugout essentials that will help with heat, sun, cooling, dehydration, rain, and power loss such as:
:: Extra bottled water
:: Rehydrating beverages like electrolyte replacements
:: Heavy duty SPF sunblock
:: Sunburn relief creams and aloe vera
:: Insect repellent
:: Allergy medicine and hydrocortisone cream
:: Umbrellas (to block out rain and sun)
:: Wide-brimmed hats
:: Raincoats and ponchos
:: Waterproof boots
:: Battery-operated fans, flashlights, and lights
:: Waterproof tarps
:: Generator
:: Extra batteries
Items like back-up generators, crank radios, and battery-operated flashlights should be considered as important essentials for all seasons but prepping for summer is a good time to check that all are in good working order. Tarps that are essential to building shelter in bugout situations may become indispensable when faced the challenge of heavy rain. The summer is a great time to invest in solar-powered equipment as summer provides ample sunlight, providing outstanding energy sustainably.
Prepping Your Home For a Summer Bug-In
Summer weather brings heat, heavy rain, winds, and flooding. But there are ways to prepare.
Before a wind event begins, be sure to remove small objects from around your property so you don’t create unnecessary projectiles. Secure larger objects as well. Trim any tree branches that overhang your house. Remove leaves from gutters. If necessary, install storm shutters or nail pieces of plywood to the outside window frames to protect your windows from shattering.
Place vehicles inside the garage if possible. And speaking of vehicles, be sure all vehicles are filled with gas and have a bugout bag or emergency kit in the trunk just in case you need to evacuate.
Fill containers with drinking water to further strengthen your already prepped water supply. In case the main water supply gets cut off, fill up your sinks and bathtubs with water for washing and help run the toilet.
With heavy wind comes unexpected power outages. So having a back-up generator or a portable battery charger can allow you to keep your mobile devices charged, the refrigerator cooling food, and running fans or air conditioning units. Temporary power losses are typically manageable until they become a long-term power outage.
Continually monitor the weather by listening to the radio, television, or weather app. Heed warnings, especially from local authorities. Keep your prepper essentials in a place you can easily access. Have raincoats, umbrellas, and waterproof boots within reach. And always be ready to evacuate. If emergency authorities order you to leave or if your home gets damaged, you may need to go to a local shelter. Staying home to protect your property is not worth risking your safety.
Preparing to Bug Out in Summer
While bugging in is a much more comfortable scenario, there may come a summer event that forces you out the door, faced with an unexpected trek to safety. Prepping your car ahead of time is critical to bugging out so always keep your vehicle’s gas tank filled during summer months. Ensure that your automobile has been serviced. In addition to a fully stocked bugout bag, keep an emergency kit in your car year-round.
Bugging out with your vehicle is only one scenario. If roads are blocked, traffic congested, or flooded, you may need to exhort to bugging out on foot.
Prepping for a summer bugout:
:: Get familiar with the potential evacuation shelters in your area
:: Map out possible evacuation routes by car and on foot
:: Have your updated bugout bag ready to go for summer
:: Be sure you have your essential documents in a waterproof bag or container
:: Download weather and emergency apps on your mobile devices
:: Practice building a temporary shelter
:: Learn to build a fire
:: Take a class on foraging
:: Improve your physical fitness to walk in the heat
:: Invest in a water filtration system to ensure proper hydration
Stay Hydrated, Cool, and Healthy
And speaking of hydration, during summer months, it’s vital to remain hydrated and cool to lessen the risks of heat-related illnesses. Bugging in at home allows you to stock up on water and rehydration drinks like those that provide electrolyte replacement.
For bugging out, invest in water filtration and purification options to remove contaminants from outdoor water sources and provide clean drinking water. Remember, you’ll also need water for cooking, personal hygiene, and laundry.
If you’re lucky enough to be bugging in at home and still have power, you can rely on air conditioners and fans to stay cool. However, if you’re bugging out, your only means to stay cool may be to duck under a tree branch or take a dip in a lake or river. And while an umbrella is for rain, you can also use an umbrella to block out direct sunlight.
Consider Food Safety Precautions in Summer
If you’re carrying a food supply when bugging out in summer or experiencing a power loss at home, food spoilage is a concern. One suggestion is always having ice packs, dry ice, and bagged ice on hand to help keep foods cold in a cooler. Consider purchasing a heavy-duty cooler like a Yeti, that claims to keep food cool for up to 10 days.
Canned food is always a good option no matter what the season, especially with the large variety of canned meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits available. During the summer months, you can rely on home-grown vegetables and herbs from your garden in addition to foraging berries and foods in the wild. Take a foraging class or refer to a foraging app so you know which wild plants are edible and those that are toxic.
Preparing For Summer First Aid
Preppers are always looking to gain and improve skills, and first aid is top of the list for survival training. In addition to items for treating dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke … you want to pack a summer-related first aid kit that includes supplies to treat sunburn, insect bites and stings, allergies, heat cramps, poison ivy, cuts, scrapes, and sprains.
It’s also a good idea to take first aid training whether in person, online, from books, or watching first aid tutorials. Learning to recognize heat-related illnesses could make the difference between life and death. When exposed to excessive heat, the body typically cools itself by sweating but occasionally, a person’s body temperature could rise rapidly and develop heat exhaustion that quickly escalates to heatstroke. When emergency 911 services are not readily accessible during a summer natural disaster, you may have to rely on yourself to treat the patient. Get some training in time for the summer season.
Prepper Apps, Weather Apps, and Technology for Summer Prepping
Preppers know the importance of technology and apps. Your cell phone is an important tool and apps may be essential to your survival efforts.
Here are some apps to consider for summer:
:: Weather apps provide real time alerts so you can monitor weather conditions and plan accordingly.
:: Local radio and television station apps provide the latest breaking news in your community.
:: GPS apps provide mapping tools so you can plan real-time safe evacuation routes.
:: FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) App provides immediate steps to take when a disaster occurs.
:: Local emergency apps like police scanner apps provide breaking news, public safety concerns, and other emergencies happening around your vicinity.
:: First aid apps like American Red Cross, offer expert advice and step-by-step instructions to handle basic and serious first aid.
Prepping for Summer Is Vital
I can’t stress enough the importance of seasonal prepping, especially for summer. You want to start prepping well in advance of the summer season with the risks of potential hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, wildfires, dust storms and power loss. For example, critical supplies may become scarce in the days leading up to a hurricane, so you’ll want to ensure you’re fully stocked and that your home is well-prepared to weather the storm.
Heed the importance of preparing for hydration, heat, food, safety, power loss, and first aid. A smart prepper like yourself wants to take the necessary steps to be ready for anything.
