Big or Small? Your Prepper Abode

Big or Small? Your Prepper Abode

The prepper community is diverse, with each individual and family bringing a particular skill set to their preparations. Some are better hunters and foragers, while others are master seed savers with a seed library carefully stored alongside other survival tools. Similarly, some preppers have strategized around protecting a large land area and others for surviving in an urban jungle in their own adobe.

It should come as no surprise, then, that with such varied skills and plans, there is no single ideal prepper home. Rather, choosing the right place to live is largely tied to putting those skills to work. That’s why it’s important to keep your talents in mind when deciding between a large and small home.

The Large Home Advantage

Many preppers prefer to live in large homes, or at least on large properties. That’s because it’s easier to stockpile food in a larger home, and with more land you can plant a large vegetable garden and even raise small livestock to keep your family fed. Those with a strong handle on at-home engineering can also develop small alternative power systems using wind or water on large land plots, which is generally not possible when you live in a smaller home or in a city.

Another advantage to having a larger homestead is that you’re more likely to be close to other natural resources. Buying a home near vineyards and orchards, for example, can ensure that you have a backup food supply when disaster strikes – you’ll be able to forage, and wild animals are more likely to flock to the area for food.

The Middle Ground

Suburban areas may be among the hardest for prep, as they have a relatively high population density without the same level of infrastructure as a major city. This can be threatening for preppers because if your neighbors know you have valuable supplies on your property, a suburban home is among the hardest to protect. Living in the suburbs can leave you feeling vulnerable.

There is great wisdom, however, to the prepper motto, “Bloom where you’re planted.” Knowing how to survive where you live and honing your skills to the scale and nature of your life is a smart approach to the prepper lifestyle. Rather than committing your energy to planning an elaborate bug out or considering a radical move to the country, why not master the skills you need to survive here and now?

You never know when disaster will strike, so you and your family are vulnerable if you continue to regard the suburbs as just a stop over on the way to a real prepper homestead, small or large, rural or urban.

Tiny Home Tactics

Prepping in a trendy tiny home is a lot like prepping in a small urban apartment. That’s why tiny home dwellers or those considering scaling down can take their cues from experienced urban preppers, making the most of minimal space. But unlike apartment dwellers, many tiny homes are also portable. If things are going badly where you are, picking up and leaving for a more suitable environment is often an option.

The other key to prepping in a tiny home is making use of spaces others might easily waste. Have you built your drawers extra deep and stockpiled rations on top of the cabinets, as well as in them? Filling those small gaps can mean the difference between having enough food and going hungry.

Small crevices are also great for storing solar blankets, tarps, and even for securing valuables where only you’d think to find them. It’s also relatively easy to protect a tiny home, even if you have little defensive skills, compared to a suburban home or large property with many points of approach.

Ultimately, there is no perfect place to prep – but prepping is about making the most of a bad situation. That’s why it’s important to always consider how to protect yourself and your possessions where you are now, rather than focusing on where you want to go next.

Planning for the dream homestead is all well and good, but only if you’re equipped to survive the road there.