As 2025 draws to a close, now is a great time for us to assess our situation, make any necessary changes to our plans, and to do all those things we only need to do occasionally, but are so easy to forget.
End-of-Year Assessment
End-of-Year Assessment
How prepared are you and your family for any future chaos? With multiple shooting wars and trade wars going on around the world, AI Jobs losses, the possibility of a looming recession,and ongoing political and social unrest, 2026 is certain to be unpredictable.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you assess your current state of preparedness:
▢ Check your food storage. Make sure your rotation plan is working and you don't have any problems with food going bad. Make sure all canned foods are not swelling or leaking. Check dry foods for signs of mold or infestation. Restock any food storage that you're running low on. Augason Farms (Amazon link) is where I buy powdered butter, eggs, cheese, and milk for my Survival Pantry.
▢ Check all medications and first aid supplies, and replace any supplies that you have used up during the year. Many medicines are safe to use past their expiration date, but some do grow less effective over time, and a few can become toxic. Do your research, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, and use your best judgment. Click here for first aid supplies from Refuge Medical, and automatically receive 10% OFF at checkout!
▢ Check all batteries to make sure they are okay. Check all stored batteries to make sure none are starting to corrode or leak. Also check all batteries currently "in use" to make sure they are still working. It is especially important to check the batteries in gear that you don't frequently use, such as in flashlights, headlamps, or radios sitting in your bug-out bag, a toolbox, or the glove compartment of your car. I personally have lost more than one seldom-used flashlight over the years due to the battery going dead and corroding for weeks or months before I realized it. Learn from my mistakes!
Note: Battery testers are relatively cheap - the one I use (Amazon link) is available on Amazon for less than $7 currently.
▢ Change the batteries in your smoke/fire alarms if you haven't changed them recently (many folks change them with the twice yearly time changes). Better to "waste" a good battery by changing it too soon, then for it to be dead when you really need it.
▢ Do any needed vehicle repairs or overdue maintenance. Inspect your vehicles and tractors. Are there any repairs that need to be made? Is it time for an oil change? How do the tires look? Are all the headlights, taillights, and turn signals working? Is your battery getting old? Be sure to inspect the brakes.
▢ Rotate any gasoline storage you may have. If you have gasoline storage (please do so legally and safely), remember to keep it rotated. Gasoline slowly starts to go flat (lose energy) after about six months or so. STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer (Amazon link) may help gasoline last up to two years, but remembering to rotate your stored fuel is probably the easiest and best way.
▢ Do a home safety inspection. Check for fire hazards, tripping hazards, poisonous or toxic materials that aren't stored properly, overloaded outlets, frayed electrical cords, expired fire extinguishers, non-functioning smoke detectors, and so forth.
▢ Make sure you are addressing the needs of any family or group members with special needs. There are a lot of folks with special needs, such as the mentally or physically handicapped, the elderly, the disabled, people with chronic illnesses, pregnant women, babies and very young children, just to name a few. In fact, most families are likely to have one or more people with special needs of some sort. Make sure you are addressing those needs!
▢ Review your bug-out plans and location. Is your bug-out location still available? Is it still a safe location? Does it require any work, repairs, or maintenance? Do you need to make any improvements? Do you need to restock it with food, water, or other supplies? Has your bug-out route changed due to road work, construction, or other circumstances? Do you have an alternative bug-out location? Do you even have a bug-out location? Work on these things now.
▢ Re-think your EDC. How has the gear you carry everyday worked out for you? Are you carrying unneeded gear? What gear are you actually using? Have you needed something you didn't have? Now is a great time to make any needed changes to your EDC.
▢ Review your finances. The end of the year is a great time to review your finances, especially in light of any changes in your circumstances over the past year (raises, promotions, new job, job loss, births and deaths in the family, etc.). Have your insurance needs changed? How goes the retirement savings? It is also a good time to reconsider your monthly budget and make any needed adjustments. Live within your means in 2026! Start an emergency fund if you don't yet have one. Add to it if you can.
▢ Is it time for any medical exams, for you are your family members? I've learned the hard way the importance of regular medical check-ups. The key to healing any disease or chronic health condition is early detection. I strongly urge everyone to get regular physical, dental, and eye check-ups.
- Do you have a Disaster Preparedness Plan?
- Is it written? Or do you keep it "in your head?"
- Are you and your spouse in agreement on your preparedness plans?
- If it involves other family members or friends, have you discussed it with them?
- Have your circumstances changed? Have you modified your plans to fit your new circumstances? Things to consider include births, deaths, marriages, divorces, long-term illnesses or disabilities, moves, and job changes within both your household and extended family or tribe..
- Do you have a Family Communications Plan? (article link)
- Do you have a fully stocked first aid kit at home? In your vehicle? (Refuge Medical link for 10% off)
- Have you taken a first aid course recently (not when you were in the scouts 30 years ago)?
- Do you have a fire extinguisher in your home? (Amazon link)
- How is your emergency fund holding up? Do you need to expand it? Do you even have one?
- How are your vehicles holding up? Are they "bug out" ready? Do they need new tires, brake jobs, or other maintenance?
- Have you planned for your pets and any livestock in an emergency?
End-of-Year To-Do List
▢ Check and change your water storage. Also, check to make sure your water storage containers don't have any slow leaks. I had trouble with this in the past, as ALL of my Ozark Trail 6-gallon water jugs developed slow leaks. Do you need more water storage? I now use the 7-gallon Aqua-Tainers by Reliance (available on Amazon) for most of my water storage and have never had a problem with them.
▢ Check and change your water storage. Also, check to make sure your water storage containers don't have any slow leaks. I had trouble with this in the past, as ALL of my Ozark Trail 6-gallon water jugs developed slow leaks. Do you need more water storage? I now use the 7-gallon Aqua-Tainers by Reliance (available on Amazon) for most of my water storage and have never had a problem with them.
▢ Check your food storage. Make sure your rotation plan is working and you don't have any problems with food going bad. Make sure all canned foods are not swelling or leaking. Check dry foods for signs of mold or infestation. Restock any food storage that you're running low on. Augason Farms (Amazon link) is where I buy powdered butter, eggs, cheese, and milk for my Survival Pantry.
▢ Check all medications and first aid supplies, and replace any supplies that you have used up during the year. Many medicines are safe to use past their expiration date, but some do grow less effective over time, and a few can become toxic. Do your research, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, and use your best judgment. Click here for first aid supplies from Refuge Medical, and automatically receive 10% OFF at checkout!
▢ Check all batteries to make sure they are okay. Check all stored batteries to make sure none are starting to corrode or leak. Also check all batteries currently "in use" to make sure they are still working. It is especially important to check the batteries in gear that you don't frequently use, such as in flashlights, headlamps, or radios sitting in your bug-out bag, a toolbox, or the glove compartment of your car. I personally have lost more than one seldom-used flashlight over the years due to the battery going dead and corroding for weeks or months before I realized it. Learn from my mistakes!
Note: Battery testers are relatively cheap - the one I use (Amazon link) is available on Amazon for less than $7 currently.
▢ Change the batteries in your smoke/fire alarms if you haven't changed them recently (many folks change them with the twice yearly time changes). Better to "waste" a good battery by changing it too soon, then for it to be dead when you really need it.
▢ Do any needed vehicle repairs or overdue maintenance. Inspect your vehicles and tractors. Are there any repairs that need to be made? Is it time for an oil change? How do the tires look? Are all the headlights, taillights, and turn signals working? Is your battery getting old? Be sure to inspect the brakes.
▢ Rotate any gasoline storage you may have. If you have gasoline storage (please do so legally and safely), remember to keep it rotated. Gasoline slowly starts to go flat (lose energy) after about six months or so. STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer (Amazon link) may help gasoline last up to two years, but remembering to rotate your stored fuel is probably the easiest and best way.
▢ Do a home safety inspection. Check for fire hazards, tripping hazards, poisonous or toxic materials that aren't stored properly, overloaded outlets, frayed electrical cords, expired fire extinguishers, non-functioning smoke detectors, and so forth.
▢ Review your emergency and preparedness plans with **everyone** in your family or group. Make sure everyone is on the same page and knows what to do, and when.
▢ Update your contact lists. People change jobs, move to new addresses, and get new phone numbers. Email addresses can change often. Now is the time to update your contact lists and communications plan. You do have a family communications plan, don't you?
▢ Make sure you are addressing the needs of any family or group members with special needs. There are a lot of folks with special needs, such as the mentally or physically handicapped, the elderly, the disabled, people with chronic illnesses, pregnant women, babies and very young children, just to name a few. In fact, most families are likely to have one or more people with special needs of some sort. Make sure you are addressing those needs!
▢ Review your bug-out plans and location. Is your bug-out location still available? Is it still a safe location? Does it require any work, repairs, or maintenance? Do you need to make any improvements? Do you need to restock it with food, water, or other supplies? Has your bug-out route changed due to road work, construction, or other circumstances? Do you have an alternative bug-out location? Do you even have a bug-out location? Work on these things now.
▢ Re-think your EDC. How has the gear you carry everyday worked out for you? Are you carrying unneeded gear? What gear are you actually using? Have you needed something you didn't have? Now is a great time to make any needed changes to your EDC.
▢ Review your finances. The end of the year is a great time to review your finances, especially in light of any changes in your circumstances over the past year (raises, promotions, new job, job loss, births and deaths in the family, etc.). Have your insurance needs changed? How goes the retirement savings? It is also a good time to reconsider your monthly budget and make any needed adjustments. Live within your means in 2026! Start an emergency fund if you don't yet have one. Add to it if you can.
▢ Do a personal self-assessment. How have you changed during the past year? How have your concerns changed? How have your needs changed? Are you addressing any new concerns in your planning? Is your health and fitness better, worse, or the same as a year ago? Have you gained weight, or lost fitness? What skills do you need to learn? Did you meet your goals this year? Do you need to set new goals for next year?
▢ Is it time for any medical exams, for you are your family members? I've learned the hard way the importance of regular medical check-ups. The key to healing any disease or chronic health condition is early detection. I strongly urge everyone to get regular physical, dental, and eye check-ups.
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Augason Farms Long Term Foods (the brand I buy for powdered butter, milk, cheese, eggs, etc.)
