Prepping In Secret.com

Hi Secret Preppers! Today we’re going to cover actual, sensible real world scenarios that you are likely to be faced with.

When you start prepping, it’s important to focus on the most likely scenarios rather than extreme events like nuclear war or zombie apocalypses. Practical preparedness begins with real-world, everyday risks that can affect us at any time.

YouTube will show all kinds of fantasies with middle age men cosplaying Rambo but it’s important to remember that the majority of situations will be far less dramatic than TEOTWAWKI!

Though preparing for a Nuclear War or some other major SHTF scenario may be the end goal for some, the Secret Prepper will be able to cover 80% of the likely scenarios with just 20% of the equipment, space and be able to do so without anyone knowing – perhaps even those that they share a house with!

Here’s an overview of the situations I consider most likely, especially from a UK perspective, where firearms, bug out locations and large-scale bunkers aren’t usually part of the equation.

This blog post is just a summary of events that I consider immediately feasible, we’ll cover them all in more depth in future posts.

1. Electricity Failure

Power outages are among the most common disruptions we could face, whether due to severe weather, infrastructure faults, or even cyber attacks. While short-term blackouts may only cause minor inconvenience, long-term outages could leave us without heating, communications, and more.

Maintaining backup lighting and alternative ways to stay informed is essential to keep both safety and awareness intact. In a blackout, having battery-powered or rechargeable lighting solutions and a reliable emergency radio can make a critical difference, especially in keeping up-to-date on any developing news or updates. I’m a particular fan of Short Wave (SW) as it allows the reception of broadcasts from outside the country. An interesting way of avoiding local propaganda (and perhaps getting to experience another country’s!).

In my experience, blackouts don’t last more than a couple of hours, but things would change VERY quickly in a multi day scenario with potentially the rule of law breaking down and common every day things we take for granted gone.

2. Fuel Shortages

Fuel shortages could arise from cyber attacks, geopolitical tensions, or civil unrest would severely affecting travel and supply chains. With supermarkets typically holding around three days’ worth of stock, supplies could run out quickly, especially in a panic-buying situation. Preparing now by reducing reliance on fuel-heavy activities, securing basic supplies, and considering alternative transport or fuel options can reduce this dependency. In the case of a major strike (from an industrial action perspective or otherwise!) many of the things we take for granted would fall apart with days if not hours.

3. Natural Gas Supply Disruptions

A disruption in the gas supply could leave us without heating or cooking options, especially in colder months. Whether due to technical issues or high prices, having alternatives—like portable stoves, backup heaters, and fuel stores—will allow us to manage without gas for an extended period. Remember even that despite a working gas supply, if the electricity supply is disrupted, many heating systems will not function. Redundancy in heating and cooking is essential!

4. Water Supply Issues

A disruption to the water supply could range from boil water orders, maintenance disruption to pump failures due to electricity cuts or cyber attacks. Hydration, cooking, and basic hygiene all rely on water, so it’s essential to have a reserve supply along with filtration and purification methods to ensure a safe and sufficient water source.

5. Food Supply Shortages

Any of the above scenarios—or other unforeseen issues—could disrupt our food supply. With supermarkets emptied quickly during a crisis, having a stockpile of non-perishable staples is critical. Unlike some preppers who rely on processed survival foods, I focus on practical, everyday ingredients. In future posts, I’ll share recipes and techniques using staples like rice, beans, and flour to help you cook from scratch – how many of these preppers with buckets and buckets of dried food can actually cook enjoyable meals from scratch?

I’ve also been experimenting with hydroponic growing and sprouting methods which is a way to get fresh food in a short period of time regardless of season.

6. Stay-at-Home Orders

Civil unrest, pandemics, or environmental hazards could force us to remain indoors. Preparing to shelter in place means ensuring you have enough food, water, and power, as well as ways to stay entertained and informed. Think about how you’d keep children engaged and handle minor first-aid needs without leaving the home.

7. Get-Home Scenarios

If you’re away from home when a crisis hits, how would you safely make the journey back? In certain cases, you might need to walk long distances, potentially taking a few days. This means having the fitness, skills, and supplies to manage a journey home on foot, if necessary, while keeping yourself safe. All topics we’ll explore on this blog and the accompanying YouTube channel.

8. Financial Disruptions

Financial disruptions, whether personal or on a broader scale, can leave you without access to cash or even affect your livelihood. For instance, a cyber attack could disable ATMs or disrupt payment systems. Preparing for financial resilience—such as keeping some cash on hand and having a small emergency fund—can help ease the impact. How could you cope without the ability to buy things? We’ve all been in a shop when card payments are down – what if this lasted a couple of days or longer?!

9.Automobile Failure

Having a well-prepped car can make all the difference when unexpected events strike on the road. From breakdowns to weather disruptions, car preps ensure you’re ready for whatever may come up while you’re driving, commuting, or even evacuating in a crisis. Here are some essentials to keep in your vehicle, especially with a focus on practical and discreet preparations for UK drivers.

10. Home/DIY Emergencies

In a home emergency, basic DIY skills can be invaluable, especially when help may be delayed or unavailable. From power outages to plumbing issues, knowing how to handle minor repairs and temporary fixes can keep your household running and avoid escalating problems.

Simple tasks like turning off the water main to stop a leak, re-setting a tripped breaker, or patching a damaged window can prevent small issues from becoming major disruptions.

Having basic tools and learning how to use them can provide peace of mind. In emergencies, being able to quickly adapt and make necessary repairs gives you greater independence and security, helping you weather unexpected situations especially if for whatever reason, help may not be available. We’ll cover in future posts simple maintenance tasks to build your self reliance arsenal.

11. Waste and Sanitation Collection Failure

This could be split into two separate sections but for now we’ll consider them together. The first is household waste – particular as government infrastructure collapses and council funding erodes, the possibility that councils will be unable to collect waste for long periods of time become more likely. This happened in Naples in around 2008 and was a major problem for residents not only from a convenience but also health perspective with some extremely serious illnesses and livestock deformities arising. Having a way to reduce your waste output (not using packaged foods), reduce the size of any packaging (compaction and storage) and also safely incinerate waste are serious considerations.

Secondly, what if the wastewater and sewage system experiences failure – would you know what to do.in the short term? (Grey water and buckets can be used to flush toilets for example) but this will soon backup. We’ll look at the options for managing human waste in emergency situations such as grid failure, flooding or storm damage.

And Finally…

There are as many possible scenarios as you can imagine but these are in my opinion the most likely and can be prepared for without drawing unnecessary attention. Future content will dive into each category, offering realistic, everyday strategies to help you be ready for whatever comes, without needing extreme equipment or storage.

Stay prepared Secret Preppers!