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.
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