2020 sure has been a treat.  Global pandemic, riots, natural disasters are just a few of the things we’ve seen so far and it’s not even August yet!   Luckily, the stores are mostly back in stock of essential goods, but if there’s another forced lock down of the country, don’t be surprised to see bare shelves once again.  While everything is teetering on being kind of, sort of normal – take advantage of the time you have and consider stocking up on these 2nd wave preps in case the virus comes back with a vengeance this fall.

2nd wave preps to GET NOW

Long term shelf stable foods

As with any other disaster or emergency, the ability to have a well stocked pantry is vital for a situation that you will have to ‘bug in’ and stay at home for extended periods of time.   While you can stock on freeze dried long term prepper foods, like Wise or Mountain house, simple staples like rice, beans, canned foods and flour will probably suit you just fine.  Pro tip – if you’re into baking, stock up on YEAST now.  It was nearly impossible to find during the first lockdowns.

2nd Wave Preps: Sanitation

Another series of items that were very hard to come by during the first wave lockdowns of COVID19 were sanitation items – namely lysol, and disinfecting wipes.   If you see either of these in the store, grab a few because they are a rare sight.  Alternatively, simple antibacterial soap should be easy to obtain, and personal size bottles of hand sanitizer are now widely available.  I buy half gallon jugs of hand sanitizer (basically 80% alcohol) and these could be mixed with water and a cleaning rag to create your own sanitizing ‘wipes’ at home.  And of course, make sure you have enough toilet paper to last a while.

2nd Wave preps:  Immune boosters

One of the things that bugs me about this pandemic – we’re told to social distance, wear masks, not attend gatherings, wash our hands… but very little thought is given to actually making our immune systems more resilient.  The unfortunate truth of COVID19 is that it ravages those who are immuno-compromised or have co morbid conditions.  So, to the best of your ability:

• Exercise and get in better physical shape – lift heavy weights, do cardio.  Repeat.
• Eat as healthy of a diet as you can afford, with plenty of nutrient dense vegetables and organic pasture raised meats (if you’re a meat eater)
• Get out in the SUN at least 30 minutes a day and get your skin exposed – this helps you create vitamin D through sun exposure.
• Get adequate sleep.

In addition to these, you may want to look into some important supplements – including multi vitamins.

• Fish oil (omega 3s)
• Vitamin D
• B Complex Vitamins
• Vitamin C
• Zinc – this has been shown to ward off Coronavirus with high levels of intake.
• Vitamin supplements such as Emergen-C – these are great to keep in a bag for on the go use.

2nd wave preps: Entertainment

If the US sees a second lockdown, there’s no telling for how long things might be shut in for.  So, in order to prevent Cabin fever (a la Muppet Treasure Island) it’s a great idea to stock up on board games, video games, cards, movies, books and other items that will help your family to pass the time at home.

• While Kindles and other e-readers are great, I prefer physical books – they work even when the power is out, and there’s something nice about having a physical real copy of a book.  Plus, they are a great way to get doze off into a great sleep.
• Video games – choose either games that multiple people can play, or in depth RPG games that have endless hours of adventures to go on!
• Board games tend to be more fun with family than merely playing Mario Kart – try some longer lasting games like Settlers of Catan, or Axis and Allies!

2020 has proven to be a crazy year – and who knows what will occur for the last two months of the year. But be sure to make sure you have the 2nd wave preps you need to ride out the proverbial storm, along with any real winter storms that might come our way!

Stay safe –

Caleb