Due to various survival TV shows and fiction movies, most Americans think that prepping is about having a bunker, a ton of food and water and a fully stocked armory. While these are undoubtedly good things to have, a realistic survival plan needs much more. After interacting with a lot of people over the years, I think it’s best to share the most neglected preps that most people fail to consider.

Whether you’re new to prepping or an “old-timer”, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype and disregard crucial preparation. The neglected preps listed in this article will help you figure out what you are missing and I’ve also provided a fix for each.

Top 10 Neglected Preps

1. Developing a Survival Plan

When people start their prepping journey, they begin with multiple things at once. They buy food, stockpile gear and what not. However, a survival plan should be the first step if you decided to start on the path of emergency preparedness. IT will help you figure out your actual needs and set up priorities, but it will also help you identify your vulnerabilities. You will figure out the steps needed to achieve the desired results and you will turn all your thoughts into action. If you plan things properly, you will have a solid basis to build upon and you will figure out where you need to allocate time, effort and most importantly, money.

Why is this neglected?

To put it shortly, most people lack the time to build a survival plan and the rest have no idea where to start. They fail to see the benefits of building a survival plan and how planning helps you achieve the desired results without wasting time and money.

How to fix it:

I always tell people they should start with a simple plan and build up from there. If you have a one-page plan, it’s still better than nothing. Identify the SHTF scenarios you should be prepping for and figure out how to expand it. Another thing worth mentioning is that you should test your survival plan. Otherwise, it’s like having no plan at all. You can simulate SHTF conditions in your own environment. As a quick example, try living a week without electricity and see how you’re doing. Note all the good and bad parts in a notebook and learn from those experiences.

Suggested article: Prepper’s Threat Analysis – Establishing Prepping Priorities

2. Medical and health supplies

No matter how you look at things we have to be realistic and understand that hospital and doctors will be overwhelmed during a disaster. Even worse, medical aid may not be available at all. Imagine getting injured during such a crisis and having to make a dangerous journey to the nearest medical facility. Even more, imagine getting there and discovering they are experiencing a serious shortage of essential drugs.

Why is this neglected?

The reality is that many people don’t realize important medication like powerful antibiotics are in short supply even during good times. All the drugs used to fight infections, but also painkiller and sedatives can be affected by shortages even when there isn’t a full-scale disaster.

How to fix it:

The smart thing to do is stockpile your own supply of medicine. You should start with maintenance medications that you or your family members need. Adding an emergency supply of broad-spectrum antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin and Amoxicillin will save you a lot of trouble. Talk with your doctor and explain that you want to be protected in case of a crisis and request a 90-day prescription for all your maintenance pills.

3. Staying in shape

While people focus on stockpiling stuff and training to use various firearms, they forget that a survival situation may test all your physical strength and endurance.  You may be forced to walk long distances while carrying a heavy load or fight off attackers. Even more, you might have to carry an injured person through rough terrain. All these activities will test your physical fitness, strength and stamina.

Why is this neglected?

It’s no secret that most Americans live a sedentary life and nowadays most people are doing jobs that aren’t physically demanding.  And to make things worse, we have all become dependent on all sorts of electrical gadgets that are numbing our survival instincts.

How to fix it:

For some people, this may be hard to do and the thought of embarking on fitness program makes them sick. However, changing your lifestyle by becoming more active will provide you with huge benefits. I recommend getting a medical checkup to see what training is recommended for you. Break bad habits and start walking more. Focus on building endurance and stamina, but don’t forget about strength and flexibility.

4. Lifesaving knowledge and skills

Learning about basic-life saving skills is one of the best things you could do. It weighs nothing and it will always travel with you. Learn how to control bleeding, how to perform CPR, how to treat a burn and how to bandage a wound. There are always accidents happening when SHTF and you need to know how to deal with them.

Why is this neglected?

This is one of the most neglected preps and most people believe that emergency medical services will be just a phone away during a disaster. They are focusing mostly on getting first aid supplies and gear, but they do not bother learning how to use them.

How to fix it:

There are all sorts of classes available online and in communities across the country offered by the American Red Cross.  You should convince your family to attend classes together and make it a family experience. There are all sorts of health and safety classes available and you should pick what works for you.

5. Realistic security and self-defense actions

In most SHTF scenarios, one of the priority will become your security and safe-defense. No amount of supplies or gear will make a difference if you die or get seriously injured. During a large-scale disaster, the police may be unavailable and you may be forced to protect your family and belongings. You will be on your own until things turn back to normal.

Why is this neglected?

First of all, most people underestimate the level of violence that can develop and they forget that civil unrest and looting has a long history in our country. They expect the police to quickly take control and reestablish order. As we preppers know, this is wishful thinking at best.

How to fix it:

You need to understand that during a disaster you and only you are responsible for the safety of your family. You should make a realistic security assessment of your home and identify all deficiencies before any crisis occurs. There are multiple levels of security and you should start by securing your entrance points (doors and windows), setting up a perimeter around your property and learning how to put distance between you and potential threats if someone manages to overcome your security measures.

6. Sanitation Hygiene

This is an important people and it’s another one of the most common neglected preps. People just don’t bother about things like disposing of human waste and staying clean for long periods of time. The reality is that poor sanitation and hygiene can be as dangerous as lacking food and water. Your water supplies may be contaminated after a disaster and sewers will be overwhelmed by debris and overflow.

Why is this neglected?

People fail to realize that sanitation is a real survival priority until the water stop flowing and toilets stop flushing.  Once the garbage starts to accumulate on the sidewalk, they understand that things may not be going back to normal soon.

How to fix it:

You will need to plan for getting rid of human waste and staying clean with little or no water. You will have to store essential supplies like toilet paper and towels, disposable plates and utensils, but also supplies to disinfect water.

Suggested article: Survival Sanitation And How To Deal With It

7. Staying organized

This is one of the neglected preps that gives me a lot of trouble and I have to deal with congestion and clutter a lot. This can be particularly stressful for new preppers and some of them realize that when SHTF, they will have a hard time finding what they desperately need. No matter how we look at things, getting organized requires time and effort. And after all that, it also requires periodic maintenance.

Why is this neglected?

Once again, the lack of time is the main culprit here. Since people are busy and have other priorities besides prepping, organizing their supplies and gear ends up on the last place on their “to do” list. Some don’t know how to do it while others ignore the maintenance steps completely.

How to fix it:

Take some time and make this a priority otherwise you won’t be able to keep your preps under control. Getting organized will help you get rid of stress and will make things seem less harder to achieve. Separate your supplies into long-term and short-term. Maintain an inventory of what you have and what you need. Rotate all your perishable supplies and keep similar things grouped together.

8. Multipurpose supplies

I said it many times before, your mind is your best survival tool. However, you can give him a lot of help if you provide multi-purpose supplies it can work with. Some of the familiar household products have great flexibility and multiple uses during a crisis. We all know that baking soda can be used for various hygiene purposes and honey can be used to treat wounds, but also to preserve meat.

Why is this neglected?

We cannot say that these are neglected preps entirely, but we can say that even though some products are used to their potential use, many people fail to realize they have beneficial uses in a crisis.

How to fix it:

Think outside of the box and become familiar with the multipurpose products and all their uses. Keep a generous inventory of all the products you identify as multi-use and rotate them as you would do with all your other supplies. Here are some examples of multi-purpose products: baking soda, honey, white vinegar, salt, hydrogen peroxide, olive oil, petroleum jelly, baby oil.

9. Spare parts, tools and other stuff

All the tools you have or the equipment you are using can break down when you least expect it. Even small parts like a loose bolt or a broken spring can disable an important piece of gear. Think about if your power generator breaks down in the middle of a storm. What will you do if you don’t have spare parts or the proper tool to fix it?

Related article: How To Build A Disaster Tool Kit – Tools For After It Hits The Fan

Why is this neglected?

First of all, people don’t have the knowledge to perform repairs, including the basic ones. And second, they don’t bother learning or keeping reference materials since they consider it’s all too complicated.

How to fix it:

To avoid all of this to appear on your neglected preps list, you should invest a little time in figuring out what you will use the most during a crisis. Make a list of the most commonly used parts, tools and reference materials. Keep at least two of the most common components and parts and store them in a secure location. Organize a comprehensive library of books and manual that will help you build, repair or maintain your equipment.

10. Keeping family and friends together

Organizing a survival group or keeping your family and close friends informed about your prepping plans is another mistake and one of the commonly neglected preps. This is all because some preppers have lone wolf mentality. They think they will survive on their own without needing anyone’s help or people interfering with their plans. While this may be true if you are an expert survivalist, the common folks will require help to get by. We are social creatures after all and we do not function well in isolation.

Why is this neglected?

There is a common trend to call preppers crazy or paranoids because people don’t understand this lifestyle. A lot of Americans are living in denial and they can’t imagine a disaster hitting close to home. They assume it will never happen to them and they get threatened by people having a different opinion.

How to fix it:

Your family and close friends should be informed about your prepping lifestyle.  Calmly talk to them and explain why you are doing this without being zealous or trying to impose your beliefs. Most people will understand and they will even want to give a helping hand or learn more. Others will avoid the subject altogether and will go by with their daily lives. You can’t save everyone and only you can decide what to do if those living in denial will request your help when SHTF.

Conclusion on neglected preps

These are the most neglected preps I’ve encounter over the years and I’m not ashamed to admit that some of these are all too familiar for me. I’ve learned from my mistakes and I try to keep things under control and well organized. Please check the above list and figure out if those neglected preps may be something you are missing. It will help you save a lot of time and effort if you are preparedness like-minded.

Other Useful Resources:

Find Out What’s the Closest Nuclear Bunker to Your Home

Learn how to Safeguard your Home against Looters

A DIY Project to Generate Clean Water Anywhere

The vital self-sufficiency lessons our great grand-fathers left us

The Best EMP survival and preparedness guide available for the general public

Knowledge to survive any medical crisis situation

A Green Beret’s guide to combat and shooting