8 Prepper Projects To Build Before It’s Too Late

There are many more things that you can do to help yourself to be more self-sufficient if a crisis was ever to hit. Because you don’t know how long the problem will last, it’s a good idea to be as self-sufficient as possible.

You’ve probably already stocked up on emergency food supplies and prepared other stores such as water, hygiene products, medications, torch, batteries, first aid kit, tarps, and ropes, etc.

And you’ve got vegetables and fruit trees growing with a few chickens to help sustain you. You’ve also packed your bug-out bag, just in case.

However, try building some of the following ideas and others, while you still have time.

Build A Greenhouse

In addition to your garden, you can build a greenhouse that will give you the ideal opportunity to germinate your seeds early.

Being able to use a greenhouse allows you a longer growing season which in turn will give greater yields in your garden.

Related: Couple Builds Greenhouse Around Home to Stay Warm and Grow Food All Year Long

Building a greenhouse does not need to be an expensive project. Greenhouses can be made easily and cheaply using repurposed materials.

Many different items can be used, including old window frames, PVC pipes, plastic sheeting, bubble wrap, plastic bottles, or CD cases etc.

Build A Composting Toilet

Composting toilets do not use any water and can easily be built by someone with some carpentry skills.

The beauty of this kind of toilet is that it can save you from having to flush gallons of precious water down the drain, and the completed compost can be used as a fertilizer.

It’s a good way to dispose of human waste, especially if you live in a rural area with no sewage system. For those of you who have a septic tank, using this type of toilet will do away with the need for the tank to be emptied, which might not be an option during a crisis.

The compost from this toilet can be added to your regular compost heap or composted separately. To make this compost safe for use, it needs to undergo hot composting to kill any pathogens that might be in it.

Some people recommend ‘cooking’ the compost for a year and only using it around fruit trees and berry bushes, just to be on the safe side.

Build A Medicinal Herbs Garden

Even though you may have a supply of medications, these may run out if there is a prolonged crisis.

Better to build a medicinal herbs garden so you can be prepared for the worst scenario. In fact for some people, herbs are their primary go-to remedy when they are unwell.

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Herbs are very easy to grow and will give remedies for all ailments. Having a medicinal herbs garden gives you your very own medicine chest on hand that will also promote good health.

Build A Bottle-Drip Irrigation System

This method of irrigating your vegetables is very easy to make. It’s a water-efficient way to water your garden that will also encourage deep root growth for strong plants.

BPA-free plastic bottles are preferred so that no harmful contaminants are leached into the soil.

If holes are made in the bottom of the bottle, the cap can be used to regulate the flow of water. The looser the cap is screwed, the more water is released.

Build Your Own Cooking Equipment

During a SHTF event, you may experience power outages and other fuels such as gas, etc. may not be available. In this case, it’s always better to be prepared by building your own device that will see you through the hard times.

Related: 7 DIY Stoves You Can Build When SHTF

Although the ones below are wood stove designs, there are also many homemade solar stoves that can be made.

There are so many different stove/oven designs that are easy to build and use firewood as fuel.

The simplest uses flat stones with repurposed grilling from an old cooker on top to balance the pots and pans. Others repurpose tin cans, oil barrels and old propane tanks, to mention but a few.

Rocket stoves made from bricks or cinder blocks etc. are very popular because they use less wood than other stoves which could help to safeguard your firewood pile.

Build A Beehive

Building a beehive isn’t difficult for a handy person with the right tools. There are different designs to choose from with the Langstroth hive being common in North America.

If you’re new to this, some research will be necessary to learn about making the hive and beekeeping.

Honey is a valuable addition to help in a number of ways. Obviously, it can be used as a sweetener, but it can also be used for medicinal purposes, having lots of medicinal properties.

It can be used to make alcoholic drinks and used as a preservative. Honey has a unique PH balance and sugar level that makes it impossible for bacteria to live in it. Anything preserved in honey will not spoil.

Build A Smokehouse

Building a smokehouse will give you another preservation method in addition to other methods you may be using.

A smokehouse can be used if you slaughter one of your larger livestock or are fortunate enough to have caught a lot of fish and need to preserve them for future use.

Smokehouses are simple to build for an average handy person. It can be constructed of wood and/or cement blocks and can be as small as an outhouse.

The smoke can be created by burning charcoal (which you can make yourself), wood chips, or sawdust. Smoked meats, fish and fowl taste really delicious.

However, even more flavor can be added by marinating the meat or rubbing a sauce or spice mix into the meat before smoking.

Build A Water Filtration And Purification System

So you probably already have a rainwater catchment system in place, but this can be developed further by setting up a filtration and purification system. This will allow you to use the rainwater and any nearby river or lake water if you should run low on your long-term water storage.

Anyone can make a simple water filter as it requires very little skill, even a child could make one. The materials used include large plastic bottles, cloth, activated charcoal, sand, gravel, small rocks and rubber bands.

This device will filter out any debris present in the water, but will not make it safe for drinking. To purify the water, various methods can be used such as boiling, bleaching, using commercial water purifying tablets, or utilizing solar purification.

In these uncertain times, it’s wise to be as prepared as possible. The above projects can help to sustain you, your family and your friends through rough times and crises alike.

Not only are they helpful for self-reliance, but they are also more natural and helpful for the environment. The more self-sufficient you become, the better your chances of survival will be. Try to add these projects and others to your to-do list while you still have time.

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