8 Tasks to Help you Prep for Winter

Fall is the perfect time of year to get your yard, vehicles, house, and preps ready for winter. Here are eight tasks you can do to get ready for the change in seasons.

Clean Up Your Gardens

Harvest all remaining vegetables. Pull up all plants and add to your compost pile. Add compost/mulch to your garden beds. Prune all fruit trees and bushes. Plant garlic if desired. Bring in potted plants for the winter. Plant decorative bulbs.

Rotate/Winterize Your 72 Hour Kits

Rotate food and water as necessary. Check/rotate matches and other fuel supplies. Swap out seasonal clothing and shoes. Update kids’ clothes to correct sizes. Rotate baby supplies (diapers in correct size, formula expiration dates, etc.). Check batteries for flashlights and radios. Check medicine expiration dates and supply levels. Update pictures and medical information for each family member. Update emergency contact information. Click here for more on building 72 Hour Kits. Click here for some pre-made kit options.

Rotate Your Water

Whether you have treated your stored water or not, it’s always a good idea to at least CHECK your water every six months. Fall is a good time to pull out each container and rotate if necessary. Click here for more tips on water rotation. Click here for some storage containers that help reduce the need for frequent rotation.

Add Winter Gear to Your Car Kits

Make sure to add extra clothes, good winter boots, warm blankets, simple heaters, tire chains, etc. to your emergency car kit. Swap out food items that need to be rotated. Click here for more resources on car kits.

Clean Out Your Pantry and Freezer

Go through your pantry and freezer and throw away expired foods. Update your three month supply inventory list and replenish to be fully-stocked with all of your chosen meals.

Give Your Furnace a Tune-Up

Vacuum any dust from around your furnace. Wipe off any dust on the blower fan. Change your furnace filter now and once a month during the winter. Light your pilot light if necessary. Consider getting a carbon monoxide detector if you don’t already have one.

Winterize Your Sprinkler Systems

If you live in an area where the ground freezes below the levels of your sprinklers, you’ll want to make sure to get all of the water out of your system to avoid frozen/cracked pipes. Click here for some helpful tips.

Swap Out Seasonal/Outgrown Clothing

Go through your children’s clothes and remove anything that doesn’t fit any more. If you store seasonal clothes elsewhere, bring in the winter clothes and box up the summer items.

Happy Prepping!