We’re all concerned, at some level, about what other people think of us, some of us more than others. After all, we live in a society where we base our actions on the feedback we get from those around us. I could just go ahead and tell you you shouldn’t give a rat’s a** about what anyone thinks of you but I won’t. Not today at least.

The premise of this article is that you’re hesitant about starting to prepare and that you’d want to do stuff that won’t make you look like you’re wearing a tin foil hat.

The following is a list of preps and skills that will definitely not raise any eyebrows when you start doing them.

I can assure you that after a while (maybe a few months), you’ll see your progress and feel so much safer. It won’t be long before you’re actually gonna start doing more advanced things.

Caveat: If you’re an advanced prepper, please don’t complain in the comments section that “stockpiling more food than usual” is bad advice. What I’m trying to do here is to get people through the door.

I’m sure that once they take the first step, they’re going to do things the right way, but it’s important to get them ready for smaller scale SHTF events first (rather than see them quit).

OK, here we go!

Always Have More Food and Water Than Usual

If you’re uncomfortable having a food stockpile to last you 6 months or one year, but you can’t stand the fact that you only have enough for a couple of days, there’s a way around this.

You just need to buy more of the food and water you’re already eating and drinking. Not for the long term, you’ll be consuming it as you need it, but no one will find it weird that you have so much.

You can get rice and beans but you don’t necessarily have to store them for the long term. You just need to buy a couple of weeks worth of food. Stuff that you’ll be eating in the near future, anyway.

You should always stockpile the foods you and your family eat on a regular basis, but here’s a quick list to get you started:

sugar and salt

beans, rice, pasta

canned fruits and veggies

cereals (such as oats)

canned fish (such as tuna)

Everyone eats these so you don’t have to worry about them, like if you had MREs or spam, for example.

Stockpile On These Innocent-Looking Survival Items

Some of the stuff you might need during and post-SHTF will not make you look crazy for having it ahead of time. In fact, you can keep some of these items in plain sight and no one will care. Here’s the full list:

extra/old clothes

basic medication (that you can use past the expiration date anyway)

books and board games (for entertainment)

blankets

flashlights and extra batteries

AM/FM portable radio

solar calculators

personal hygiene products (floss, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, etc.)

non-scented bleach

kitchen knives

tools to sharpen those knives

Paracord

tools to fix things around the house

gardening tools

extra reading glasses

plastic eating utensils (plates, forks, spoons, knives, glasses)

bandannas

universal USB solar charger

backpack

small mirrors (for signaling purposes)

cigarettes, cigars

alcohol

hand sanitizer

sunscreen

extra set of keys

condoms

toilet paper

feminine hygiene products

Get Pepper Spray

If you’re a lady, no one is ever going to question your decision. It’s a bad world out there and you need to protect yourself.

Get A Stun Gun

Stun guns are perfect for a lady’s purse. No one will ever see that you have one on you and, even if they do, you can just tell them you walk alone at night occasionally and you need it. They’re not gonna care.

Take Self-Defense Lessons

Lots of folks are taking self defense lessons or learning some martial arts. If you’re worried that you’re too old for this, you can just tell others that you’re doing it for fun.

Get Into Shape

Things like walking, stretching, yoga, running, and hiking are normal. Start doing one or more of these on a regular basis to improve your stamina, flexibility, and strength.

Know Your Escape Routes

When something happens, you at least need to know how you’re going to get out if the front door is inaccessible or compromised.

Identify all the windows through which you can escape and make sure the routes are always clear. You don’t want your path to be blocked by your car. Do the same for all of the routes out of your town or city.

If you’re too embarrassed to actually do the drills and test your escape routes, at least visualize yourself doing it to prevent potential problems.

Install Hidden Compartments Around The House

Fake air vents, secrets compartments underneath your living room table, you name it. You’ve got lots of options out there, lots of companies are providing this service.

Sure, there’s a small risk someone will discover them at some point, but that risk is nothing compared to the one you’re facing by not preparing yourself.

The beauty of these hidden places is that you can store some of the survival items that are not covered by this article, such as a survival knife, a gun, and so on.

Get a 4X4

Something like a Ford F250 is going to make a fantastic bug-out vehicle for when the time comes. Sure, this might raise some eyebrows but for the wrong reasons. No one will ever suspect you’re prepping.

Strengthen Your Doors And Windows

They will look exactly the same only they’re gonna be a heck of a lot tougher to break.

Start a Garden

No one is ever going to say anything about this, trust me. Having a garden is a fantastic hobby for when you get home from work and on the weekends. Plus, depending on its size, it will give you quite the workout.

Become a Canning Master

People have practice home canning for hundreds of years and many are still doing it. If you really want to do a good job, you’re gonna need a pressure canner and, of course, lots of fresh food from your garden.

When people see you’re so passionate about canning, they’ll just accept the fact that you have so much food stashed away.

Get a Survival Prepper Retreat

Who would have thought that having a bug out location is perfectly acceptable by non-preppers? Well, it is, as long as it’s not some weird bunker or earthbag dome.

If you live in the city or the burbs, having a place to go and relax during weekends is perfectly normal. No one else needs to know that your weekend getaway location is your BOL.

The really neat thing about this second home is that, since less people will visit, you can better prepare it for when chaos rules your country.

Make The Most of Your Attic

When was the last time someone outside your household went into your attic? Probably years ago, when your neighbor helped you move that old couch up there.

The attic is a fantastic place to store some of your preps without attracting too much attention… except for food. When temperatures rise during the summer, it will spoil.

Go Off Grid

No one is ever going to blame you for trying to cut your monthly expenses. There are lots of ways to go off-grid, including: