u/escapingspirals

Long time lurker, first time poster. Just listened to this episode and it was a good starting point for those who don’t know where to begin. Covers the different kinds of prepping, what to have in a bug out bag, and how to prep if you live in a small apartment.

They mentioned the bug out bag should have 3 days of food and water for everyone in your family (including pets). Not sure how I’m going to accomplish that AND be able to carry it. Looks like I need to start working out more. It talks about that, too, as well as the psychological prepping you should do.

If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find the episode elsewhere. It was called “Prepping for Doomsday (or Tuesday)” from Today Explained/Vox.

I am not affiliated with the show - just sitting on a plane at the moment and listening through my list of downloaded shows.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/today-explained/id1346207297?i=1000768246174

I used to live in Virginia, USA where copperheads were a big problem. I was scared anytime I went in my garden. Thankfully a neighborhood outdoor cat kept rodents low (although I’m not willing to have an outdoor cat myself).

Now I’ve moved to Europe and my new house (that I’m moving into in a month) is set between a river with floodplains surrounding it on one side and farming fields on the other side. From what I understand, this is like key European Viper territory. The yard has a pond already. I desperately want to have a cottage-style English garden but I’m terrified. Has anyone successfully kept vipers out of their yard while living in such an environment? Additionally problematic is that there are young kids (ages 2, 3.5, and 5) and elderly dogs (9 and 12) in the picture. I’ve seen some cats wander through the yard, although since I don’t live there yet I am unsure of how frequently they visit the area.

Note, I completely understand the value the wildlife brings and I generally handle it all well. I want birds. I want lizards. I want frogs. I’ve even become tolerant of small garden snakes (while in the past I would have had a legit heart attack seeing one) but my issue right now is with the venomous viper.

Thanks in advance.

Podcast episode for beginners