What Is The Best Time Of Year To Start Prepping?
Kevin Felts 01.15.19
For the sake of discussion let’s say someone has been on the fence about prepping. They are not sure when or where to start, or even what to do. If someone is on the fence, late winter and early spring is probably the absolute best time to get into prepping.
Why is late winter / early spring the best time of year? Let’s take a few minutes and talk about it.
The first thing is money. Hopefully everyone reading this paid enough in taxes over the year so they will get a tax return. The extra money may provide certain flexibility when making purchases. Some people will take their tax return and spend the money on a TV, or a down payment on a car… etc.
How about taking some of that tax return and investing it into preps? Maybe build a backyard chicken house (be sure to check local regulations first), and get some laying hens. Four or five good hens should keep a family of three or four with fresh eggs. Or maybe plant a garden and fruit trees?
Gardening
If there is room in the yard, maybe plant some fruit trees, such as pear and fig. With care, hopefully the fruit trees will be bearing fruit for years to come. When the trees produce enough pears and figs, use them to make jelly. A lot of stores only have fruit trees in stock a couple of months out of the year. If someone misses out, then they have to special order the trees.
Local farm supply stores, and even big box outlet stores start getting seeds in stock around the middle to end of January. For anyone who wants to stockpile seeds for a survival garden, or start a garden, this is the time to buy the seeds.
After the chance of frost has passed, the seeds can be used to plant a garden. Rather than planting flowers in a flower bed, consider planting spinach, squash, beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers…. etc.
By starting in late winter and early spring, it should be possible for someone to have an homestead established before summer. When fall arrives, harvest the seeds and save them for next year.
Fishing
Late winter / early spring is when the big box outlet stores start getting their fishing gear in stock. This provides the opportunity to shop for various types of fishing supplies.
Depending on state regulations, some parks do not require a fishing license when fishing from the bank while inside a state park. For example, numerous state parks here in Texas (Martin Dies State Park for example) do not require a fishing license when fishing from the bank.
As the weather warms up, the family could enjoy a nice day at the park fishing. The family gets to spend quality time together, while practicing survival skills, such as fishing.
Final Thoughts
Depending on location, once summer arrives with its brutal heat it may become difficult to get the family outside. Spring with its mild and cool weather provides an excellent opportunity for the family to start prepping.
Whether it is fishing, gardening, planting a fruit tree, building a chicken house… etc, chances are the best time to do all of that is spring. This could also set the pace for the rest of the year. Once the garden has been planted, the next steps would be the harvest and then storing the food.
So get off the fence and get to prepping.
