Jerking the Trigger

Welcome to the Cheapskate Contrarian’s Guide to Prepping.

If you consume a lot of online media, you can get the idea that being prepared – to fight, to survive, to weather a natural disaster – is simply a matter of buying a new gadget. But, if you boil prepping down to Concepts, there are a lot of ways to prepare that are free or at least attainable with smart money. I aim to give you some ideas you can work on that you might not have thought of until now… or maybe just that you have been putting off.

Long Sleeves… Especially When It’s Hot

The cheapest (and maybe the best way) to prepare is to focus on the training aspects of preparedness instead of the material aspects. It may be a little strange to think of wearing long sleeves in the heat as training but I have come to believe it is a learned behaviour that takes some conditioning. Just try to get your kids to do it and you will see what I mean.

So, why am I even discussing sun protection in the context of preparedness? This is a Contrarian’s guide. It’s going to go a little off the beaten path. But there is a method to the madness and actual reasons to consider. One, you might not have gallons of sunblock packed into buckets in your isolated, mountaintop prepper cabin. Two, no one actually likes wearing sunscreen when they are working hard. Three, I am not a doctor, but there is at least some reason to be skeptical about that stuff. Finally, even if the S never hits the F, keeping your skin protected to some extent is important right now, whether you are putting in a garden, acquiring skills on the shooting range, or just on the water for a day.

Free

Starting to wear sleeves and caps doesn’t have to cost a thing. You probably already have stuff in your closet that works. I have used old dress shirts, especially if they are light in color. Cotton blends or synthetics work best for this versus just plain cotton.

Smart Money

If you want to go the cheapest route, thrift stores are full of old dress shirts. Just be a little cautious because some of them are thin enough to not provide much protection from the sun. The good news is, more modern sun protection options don’t have to cost a lot.

I have come to like hooded sun shirts quite a bit, especially when they are thin, light, and breathable. The best deals on them can often be found at closeout stores like Sierra or Ross. My favorites are also very affordable on Amazon. The sun shirts from Baleaf are frequently on sale and have some of the lightest fabric I have found on a shirt that is still UPF50 rated. I run in them, hike in them, train in them, fish in them, and work outside in them. They not only keep the sun off but wick well enough to keep me cool. I just buy the cheapest color I can tolerate, which is usually light grey. Check them out at Amazon.com.

Welcome to the Cheapskate Contrarian’s Guide to Prepping. This is a series that has existed in my idea notebook for years, but I am only just fleshing it out on JTT.

If you consume a lot of online media, you can get the idea that being prepared – to fight, to survive, to weather a natural disaster – is simply a matter of buying a new gadget. But, if you boil prepping down to Concepts, there are a lot of ways to prepare that are free or at least attainable with smart money. I aim to give you some ideas you can work on that you might not have thought of until now… or maybe just that you have been putting off.

Fitness

It is a little cliche but the first topic I want to tackle is fitness. You probably saw this one coming but I hope that future installments of this series really raise your eyebrows.

I think we all know intuitively that people with a well-rounded fitness level live longer. However, you may not realize just how little it has to cost you to improve your fitness. I’m blessed to have a squat rack, weights and cardio equipment, but you can have an awful lot of fun and success without them.

Free

Training for free doesn’t have to be limited to calisthenics, walking, and running… both those are all good choices.

• Find a rock to squat, press, and carry.
• Build a sandbag to use as an awkward weight implement.
• Fill a backpack with the aforementioned rock or sandbag and start rucking.
• Dig that old tire out of the barn, attach a large U-bolt, and a tow strap. Now you can put the aforementioned rock and/or sandbag on it and start dragging.
• Shoulder a log and carry it around.
• Dig that sledgehammer out of the shed so you can slam tires and swing it like a club to get those shoulders working.
• Borrow your kid’s jump rope.
• Go down in the basement and do some pullups on your floor joists.

Paying for fitness equipment just buys you convenience. If you are willing to work and have some creativity, you can do a lot without paying for anything. I have done and continue to do all of the above even though I have a ton of dedicated gym equipment because I like the variety. And, I think that variety is the key to having fun while you train.

Smart Money

If you do have a little money to spend, I also have some ideas that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Again, these are all things that I use myself.

Kettlebells – In my opinion, it is hard to beat the versatility of a kettlebell. You can get a lot of work done with a single kettlebell in the 12-20KG weight range. Is it strength training or cardio… yes.

Look for one that is single cast (not a welded handle), has smoothed casting seams, and has a powder coat finish (no paint, rubber, or chrome if you can help it). Local classifieds are full of them, Amazon even sells used/returned kettlebells cheap, which is where I got most of mine.

I have a stack of the Lifeline kettlebells that I have picked up used on Amazon.

Portable Folding Bench and Dumbbells – Like I said, I have squat rack and some other nice quipment out in my barn. I’ll share a secret with you though… sometimes its cold out there and I just want to lift in my house. That is where the smartest money I have ever spent on fitness equipment helps me out.

Years ago, I bought a portable adjustable weight bench. I already had a great flat bench that I use in my barn but I wanted something I could use inside and then store in a closet or under a bed when I wasn’t using it so I bought a Flybird folding bench. That was SMART money. I use that thing multiple times weekly and so does my wife.

Couple that bench with some dumbbells, preferably adjustable, and you have an incredibly versatile weight training setup for strength and hypertrophy. I have fixed and adjustable dumbbells, but given the progressive nature of weight training and the amount of space they take up, I think affordable adjustables are the smart money.

The Flybird weight bench I use is the darling of the internet and it is excellent. I can’t say enough good things about this dirt cheap bench. Adjustable dumbbells can be found at very affordable prices and almost any type will do as long as you are comfortable with weight increments. I like Powerblock because local classified ads seem to be full of them for pennies on the dollar and they are known to last forever. I have used their more affordable Elite EXP dumbbells for years.

You may not become a beast overnight but every bit of work capacity you build now is work capacity you’ll already have in the tank when the stuff hits the fan. Fitness doesn’t have to cost a dime but it is worth something.