November 9, 2025 - What did you do this past week to prepare?
Posted by Anthropic--principle@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 73 comments
Please use this thread to discuss whatever preps you worked on this last week. Let us know what big or little projects you have been working on. Please don’t hesitate to comment. Others might get inspired to work on their preps by reading about yours.
NervousPatient1493@reddit
I planted swiss chard and kale. Mint growing on the side. I bought the grow lights, warming mat and domed seedling kit bit by bit over the last year or so. I also have 12 food grade 5 gallon buckets I got for free from a local restaurant. I'm zone 6b so picked 2 cold hearty plants to begin the indoor garden I want to create in a spare bedroom.
NervousPatient1493@reddit
Started preparing and eating dried beans.
Right now I have two pounds of white rice, a pound of red beans and a 28 ounce can of canned tomatoes with green chilies finishing on the stove.
It will last me a while...it's very affordable... I like the taste... and now I can add the dried red beans to my long term storage with confidence because I will eat and enjoy it when the time comes.
KJHagen@reddit
Don’t know if it counts, but we did some long neglected home repairs.
jermsman18@reddit
It counts. Keeping up on maintenance is a big prep. It's hard to get repairs done in an emergency.
jermsman18@reddit
Bought some Jase meds on sale to have as backstock for antibiotics and such. Realized with 4 girls in the house that UTI's are no joke and common place when hygiene suffers due to lack of resources. Thank you backwoods camping trip this year!
papasnork1@reddit
I ate some of the older times out my pantry(made a crock pot stew with some canned veggies in it mixed with fresh) and replaced them with new cans that were on sale.
Academic_1989@reddit
It's a good time to replace canned goods - pre-Thanksgiving sales in the US.
Key_Cheesecake9167@reddit
Bought a freeze dryer. Unfortunately didn't come with pump oil so waiting on that before I do up my first batch
OddUnderstanding6255@reddit
Cut firewood for 3 years out. Bought a hand crank radio, bought a holster that will accommodate my Glock 23 with Streamlight, bought a 4 pack of life straws and some additional paracord.
Beno169@reddit
Bought 6 vacant acres on a pond upstate!
Way more to do but, big start!
Specialist_Welder215@reddit
Good luck. Hope you’re able to take advantage and make something amazing. But knowing that it’s just there for you, a place of refuge, should give one great peace of mind.
My place in the countryside gives me peace just knowing it's there for me.
PrepperLady999@reddit
Congratulations!!!
milkshakeconspiracy@reddit
Huge step dude! Grats.
Specialist_Welder215@reddit
I worked on strengthening my online and electronic privacy, including protecting my data.
I usually think of prepping for various disaster scenarios, but prepping also involves a lot of online research, which you want to keep private.
Online scams, data breaches, data collection, fraudsters, and increasing government surveillance seem, at least to me, to make cybersecurity for preppers a priority.
R3miel7@reddit
Bought a pressure canner to start canning! Excited to start
CyclingDutchie@reddit
Made a 1300 dollar survival kit, for my brother and his family.
christybird2007@reddit
Could I get the details here pretty please 😃
CyclingDutchie@reddit
Sorry, dont have the time. The list i have, is in dutch. Dont have time to translate it. im helping a homeless youtuber.
Many-Health-1673@reddit
Worked on fitness Monday - Friday in the weight room.
Did a lot of functional fitness Saturday and Sunday hauling bags of corn and a deer feeder across a creek in chest waders.
Used my canoe to move a deer feeder from one spot across the creek in thick timber to a clear-cut 3/4 of a mile away up the same creek.
Dropped a good sized pecan tree and bucked up the wood. Got 2/3 of a rick out of one tree. Cleaned up the chainsaws and prepped them for firewood season.
Installed the north side wind block back on the chicken coop.
ResolutionMaterial81@reddit
Ordered 3 different types of sourdough starters.
Ordered another sourdough starter kit, 50 oz this time.
Snagged the deal on the undersink water filter kit.
Restocked health supplements, laundry items, soups, batteries & other items.
Cephelapod@reddit
Bought a chicken coop and a run after much procrastinating. Did a lot of research on the best SW/World Band radio to buy, pulled the trigger on a portable solar power station and backup battery.
robinhood_glitch1@reddit
-Ordered a 10.0 cu ft Frigidaire chest freezeron sale from Amazon for $360
-Hiked about 8 miles on a “roller coaster” section of the Appalachian trail
Soff10@reddit
Flushed half my water storage. Refilled. And treated it. Should be good for a few years.
PrepperLady999@reddit
Worked on getting my woodshed organized and ready for winter.
Bought a lot of diesel fuel for my tractor.
urban_tribesman@reddit
Did a 12 mile ruck for fitness; standard vehicle maintenance; working on a vehicle prep bag.
Queasy_Simple4637@reddit
What weight are you doing for that distance
urban_tribesman@reddit
35lbs dry
echelon1776@reddit
Been going to the gym. Bought another set of heavyweight merino base layers on sale because I can't handle the cold anymore. Met with my financial advisor and moved all my investments over to a more aggressive setup (trying to get into position to buy my first house next year). Tomorrow I need to take my snow shovel and brushes out of storage and put them in my car, and also update my car emergency bag.
joshak3@reddit
It was time to set clocks back, so that's my semiannual cue to check all the smoke detector batteries (as many people do), but it's also when I review the contents of my go-bag, including washing or cycling out all the clothes so they don't get musty. I've found that doing that twice a year is just right.
I also wrapped the trunk of my apple tree with white plastic to prevent sun scald in winter.
tinyglowingbeams@reddit
What do you use/where do you get white plastic? I’ve been chalk painting my weeping cherry, but it fades quickly.
SmoresCoven@reddit
our hardware store carries dehydrated lime which when mixed with water paints on and stays better
joshak3@reddit
The hardware store and Home Depot didn't carry it, but then I found some at a garden and seed store. It came as a pack of four strips, each two feet long and about three inches wide, of semirigid vinyl already "curled" so it wants to stay wrapped around a trunk. The brand I bought is called Eaton Brothers spiral tree guards.
AvgAll-AmericanGirl@reddit
Thanks for the reminder on the smoke detector batteries. I need to do that today.
HappyLife1307@reddit
Bought a new pot for canning
funkyspikes@reddit
My local state wildlife agency spawns Kokanee Salmon and immediately gives away the milked fish to anyone with a valid fishing license.
It’s always variable how many people show up to a spawning event, but Thursday I scored big and was given about 75 fish. Total haul:
15 Pints canned salmon.
9 Quarts + 4 Pints Nordic Salmon Soup.
7 Quarts + 1 Pint salmon chowder.
10 Lbs filleted and skinless chunks.
2 packages of filleted salmon
The_Dinky_Earnshaw@reddit
bout how much meat from each one?
funkyspikes@reddit
Maybe 3/4lb each fish?
sabotthehawk@reddit
Got new filters for water purifier.
Changed battery in smoke/co alarms
Check fire extinguishers.
Take videos of property and items with descriptions of larger items for insurance for recovery purposes.
milkshakeconspiracy@reddit
Fixed my diesel heater.
Excavating the road to be wider and easier to drive on in winter.
New layer of gravel.
Stocked up on all fuel types. Propane, diesel, and gas.
Starting on my new portable power station project to augment the existing battery bank.
bobsmith14y@reddit
Emptied and refilled water tanks. Hose system ruptured, so I got to replace it with something better. Rather it fail now than later during a SHTF event.
ST-2x@reddit
With cold weather coming in, went to connect the solar generator to the furnace (I have a transfer switch in the furnace) and found the batteries very low. Something had chewed thru a few of the solar panel wires, repaired them, and placed mouse bait in a professional outdoor container near where the wires were chewed up. Put winter tires on a car, and snow brushes in all the cars. Went to the dr and got medication for what was rapidly becoming a serious emergent health concern. Jase medical doesn’t sell the meds I needed, doing way better. My advice is to double check the condition of your preps, and do what you can to maintain your health.
Pbandsadness@reddit
If that's the same as rat poison (or similar), be careful. I've had a dog killed by rat poison before. It's a horrible, horrible death.
The_Dinky_Earnshaw@reddit
Finally ran down on water and replenished 120g.
I know, I know... plastic jugs are frowned upon. All goes well, if needed at all, good for washing up at least.
All goes to hell? Nobody gonna care where water comes from if they're thirsty enough!
I prepped over a few months time last year tracking down milk crate dimension storage crates. Only used 3/4 of them this year. I had somewhere around 180g for last winter.
I try to be an optimist, winter means water main breaks.
Anything else happens when it happens.
hsh1976@reddit
I'm still getting peppers out of the garden but it's supposed to get down in 20s overnight so I'm guessing that's coming to an end. I hope my three broccoli plants I planted in August will survive this cold snap.
With the time change, I changed the batteries in the smoke detectors.
Mowing season has come to an end too, so I got that stuff cleaned up and put away.
Cleaned out and inspected the furnace and changed the filter. Also vacuumed out the two ventless wall heaters that are in the house.
joshak3@reddit
You might already know this, but covering the annuals with a clear tarp, like a mini greenhouse, could help them survive longer. I did that for a late-producing tomato plant at our first frost, and it's still producing tomatoes three cold weeks later. The tarp has to be raised so it's not in contact with the plant, so I stacked milk crates.
pomegranate7777@reddit
Inventoried my winter supplies in my car. Made sure everything was handy.
Hot-Profession4091@reddit
Last week I “tested” some of our preps. Furnace went out so I had to heat with the fireplace. It kept up with overnight temps in the 30’s, but had a pretty big impact on my sleep schedule. Would’ve been less of a problem if everyone else around me was also experiencing an emergency. A heat exchanger grate would be a nice upgrade though.
The box of spare furnace parts came in handy. It has been replenished and I will be purchasing a menometer for testing the inducer & pressure switch, even though it’s likely I’ll never actually need it. It’s a specialty tool, but nothing else will do the job if you need it.
FireZoneBlitz@reddit
Updated my emergency car bag to be geared more toward winter. Took out warm weather gear and replaced it with a watch cap and gloves. Also added a spare coat and blanket to my trunk.
churnopol@reddit
Cases of instant ramen were on sale so I grabbed two cases of beef and two chicken.
Freeze dried eggs are discounted rn. I’m always on the lookout for freeze dried egg deals. If it’s <$10 a dozen, I’m scooping them up.
18 pack of anchovies in jars. I prefer anchovies in these small jars. They make good vessels for candle making.
phillyrat@reddit
• picked up another 100w portable folding solar panel, with a 50% discount code
• ordered a hogue grip for my 9mm handgun, to get a tighter, stickier grip.
• ordered some medical scissors for first aid kits
• purchased some additional paper targets for the indoor range
• started planning for setting up a mini EDC pouch (not sewing a pouch, but outfitting it with some micro tools)
crayyarccray@reddit
Prepper deals? Grabbed the scissors but don't have a use for the solar panel at the moment.
CassieL24@reddit
Where is this prepper deals?
Stutztown@reddit
Just look up the prepper deals subreddit. I also got 2 of the solar panels, they were super cheap earlier in the week
phillyrat@reddit
Haha, exactly!
sendnottoknow@reddit
Talked to my spouse about shared values and priorities
Identified meet up places for different scenarios if our family is separate and communication is down
Researched additional water options
Identified target items to add to supplies
Reviewed financial accounts and made sure my spouse was joint or authorized user and beneficiaries were named when relevant
bioglaze@reddit
Systainer@reddit
Purchased a second Jackery 1000 plus and expansion battery.
Purchased some food for storage.
Refined my get home bag. Always fun.
Worked on my fitness.
Shituation75@reddit
Just checked that my car already is a faraday cage, if there is not metal frame touched. So will put a laptop, mobile, etc. inside.
AvgAll-AmericanGirl@reddit
Picked up some quick dam water activated flood bags.
Bought a new pair of base layer leggings to wear underneath my clothes this winter.
Finally found and Got an appointment scheduled with a new to me medical provider; my previous one retired over a year ago and I am overdue for a wellness check.
Emptied some out of date items from my pantry to make room for new items.
Cleared out some clutter / empty boxes.
My to do list: clean the gutters, sell and or donate outgrown clothing, modify my holiday travel plans as I will probably need to drive since flying is a mess.
DWCawfee@reddit
Im new here, just starting off and all that but i got 2 cases of MREs on the shelf
factory-worker@reddit
Nice
DWCawfee@reddit
Thank you
Different-Ad-691@reddit
Refilled two propane tanks, and bought a propane heater.
factory-worker@reddit
Thank you Hank.
factory-worker@reddit
Bought a moka pot. In case the lights go out.
WrennyHF@reddit
We're building a greenhouse. Temps here are supposed to drop really low tomorrow so I'm getting it sealed up tight with extra greenhouse tape. Growing a big garden has been great for us this year, for food of course, but also our mental health and exercise. Hoping that we can continue some of this hobby through the winter since food prices are continuing to climb.
artisanrox@reddit
Recharged my solar generators as I actually had to rely on them for a drum roll short power outage
Also i'm going through a box of evaporated milk that I bought a while ago to actually use it and then replace it. (i might replace it with a stockpile of Parmalat as I don't really like the taste of evap milk).
"Store it but USE it too" on the prepper forums I read was really invaluable advice!
Chickaduck@reddit
Bought some accessories for my water storage. I had three primo water jugs, but no good system to use them. I brought a small storage rack, a pump that attaches to the jug, and replacement caps if I refill them.
Routine_Awareness413@reddit
I forwarded an advertisement for a camping toilet to my wife. She responded by stating that we should have a plan for buying stuff and storing it.
So I sent her an updated version of our 2023 emergency plan and asked her to provide feedback and contributions. The plan is now 22 pages long. Mostly risk assessments and data that could be useful when printed.
Prestigious-Fig-5513@reddit
Figured out radio comms. Bought a pair of inexpensive baofengs and learned about legal transmit power and frequencies. Next will test for range in a couple different environments.
Got a small solar generator/panel. 296wh/65w. Should be enough to do some device recharging, or run a laptop/small fan for a few hours.
Impressive-Algae-382@reddit
Working on my physical fitness. I started with a personal trainer this past week (my school assigns them for free to grad students). I have a pretty strong base but there’s always room for improvement. Being able to run, climb, and carry is always an advantage.
Cute-Consequence-184@reddit
Bringing in woodv for the wood stove in the basement.
Get the propane heater ready to be lit.
Washing and scrubbing winter boots
Getting winter clothes from storage and putting most of the summer clothing away.
Putting up another cold frame and putting few things in a small greenhouse.
Taking tomato cuttings to grow inside
ViperSteele@reddit
Working on health! Trying to exercise more and get stronger.