Basic Survival Planning for Women

This is the Banner for Basic Survival Planning for Women The title is at the top in bold black. There are six drawn pictures to represent the six topics. The picture on the top left is of a squirrel sitting on top of a large basket filled with nuts. There are different jars, bags, and loose nuts lying around the basket. The squirrel is wearing a hat with a pink ribbon. Her travel bag and sunglasses are among the nuts and jars. The picture at the top center is a mama squirrel hearing a hat with a red ribbon, a lace necklace, combat boots, and carrying a leather bag. There are four young squirrels of different ages around the mama. Each young squirrel is dressed differently. The picture at the top right is a female squirrel in a super hero mask and cape. She has long, blond hair. She is standing on a large, wooden table with office equipment on it. The squirrel is holding a clipboard with a check off list and a pencil. The picture to the bottom left is a female squirrel with long braids in a Karate uniform. She is at ready to defend. There is a huge, gorilla with a brown beanie hat and holding a chain coming at the squirrel. The picture at the bottom center is a female squirrel wearing a black and white moomoo dress and a red scarf. Around the squirrel is a group of medicine bottles, a water bottle, a plate of fresh fruits, a fruity health drink, a shampoo bottle and a large cup of coffee. The picture at the bottom right is a female squirrel in jean overalls, and purple sunglasses. She has tools, a tool box, folded laundry, and a Swiss Army Knife. The background is white with a thin, line border that goes from red on the left to pink in the center to purple on the right.

Today we have Basic Survival Planning for Women. This is a difficult subject because, on one hand, you’re being told to learn everything as if it’s a gender-neutral approach. But on the other hand, you do have special considerations to make as a woman preparing for survival events.

When it comes to self-defense and survival, people think of all kinds of things from ninjas to wrestling a bear but it is really much more simple than that. Self-defense is being able to defend yourself when you are in a dangerous situation no matter what it is. A basic rule of self-defense of any kind is “use what is at hand”.

Please note, this is general in formation. It is for information, education, and entertainment only. Whether it is gardening, farming, animal care, survival, emergency, self-sufficient lifestyle, DIY projects, or herbal preparations this is for info-sharing only. It is not meant to replace urgent medical care. As we have said, we are not doctors, vets, or professionals of any kind. This info is not meant for medical diagnosis or as treatment advice. We do not guarantee any results that we have gotten for any of the projects that we share with you. We share info that has worked for us. For more info, please see the Out Standing in the Field disclaimer page.

Please note, this talk may contain affiliate links. If you use one of these links and make a purchase through it, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This is the Table of Contents for Basic Survival Planning for Women. The title is at the top in bold black. There is a list of six topics. There are six drawn pictures to represent the six topics. The picture on the top left is of a squirrel sitting on top of a large basket filled with nuts. There are different jars, bags, and loose nuts lying around the basket. The squirrel is wearing a hat with a pink ribbon. Her travel bag and sunglasses are among the nuts and jars. The picture at the top center is a mama squirrel hearing a hat with a red ribbon, a lace necklace, combat boots, and carrying a leather bag. There are four young squirrels of different ages around the mama. Each young squirrel is dressed differently. The picture at the top right is a female squirrel in a super hero mask and cape. She has long, blond hair. She is standing on a large, wooden table with office equipment on it. The squirrel is holding a clipboard with a check off list and a pencil. The picture to the bottom left is a female squirrel with long braids in a Karate uniform. She is at ready to defend. There is a huge, gorilla with a brown beanie hat and holding a chain coming at the squirrel. The picture at the bottom center is a female squirrel wearing a black and white moomoo dress and a red scarf. Around the squirrel is a group of medicine bottles, a water bottle, a plate of fresh fruits, a fruity health drink, a shampoo bottle and a large cup of coffee. The picture at the bottom right is a female squirrel in jean overalls, and purple sunglasses. She has tools, a tool box, folded laundry, and a Swiss Army Knife. The background is white with a thin, line border that goes from red on the left to pink in the center to purple on the right.

Generally when one thinks about survival and prepping it is usually some sort of male figure living out in the middle of nowhere who is being interviewed about conspiracy theories and other nonsense.

The truth is, survival prepping has taken a mainstream role in today’s world, in part because of the shock people felt when a pandemic affected people’s livelihoods and their ability to secure necessities and comfort items on demand.

You don’t have to be a burly lumberjack living in a bunker in the woods to start a survival-prepping journey. In fact, many women assume the role of head of household, whether they are single or married, parents or not.

You may have the sole responsibility to maintain your budget, purchase all of the goods that your family needs, manage your finances, and ensure the overall health of everyone through normal times as well as emergencies.

You may be good in a crisis situation, or you may be someone who typically waits for government officials and agencies to step up and rescue you. But as we have seen in the past, whether it’s a blizzard that knocks out the grid or a virus that shuts down businesses, you have to be in full control over your safety and survival.

As a woman, you may have certain obstacles and needs that are different from what a man would face in a survival situation. You want to make sure that you are aware of these challenges and ready to meet them head-on, whether you are living alone or with others.

This is the section header for Empowering Yourself with Survival Preparations. The title is in bold black. There is a drawn picture of squirrel sitting on top of a large basket filled with nuts. There are different jars, bags, and loose nuts lying around the basket. The squirrel is wearing a hat with a pink ribbon. Her travel bag and sunglasses are among the nuts and jars. The background is white with a thin, line border that goes from red on the left to pink in the center to purple on the right.

The first step in Basic Survival Planning for Women is planning and preparing.

A. Empowering Yourself with Survival Preparations

When you start learning about survival prepping, you will notice an emphasis on peace of mind in addition to supplies. Being prepared for a wide range of disasters, both personal and those that affect others, is something that will serve you well.

Most of the information out there is written for men, honestly. Or they don’t take women’s unique needs into consideration. Even if you look up information about wilderness survival for women, you will often find ridiculous blogs about glamping and relaxing getaways.

Even the survival gear being marketed is often pink for women not camouflaged as it should be to allow you to remain undetected in the event that you’re bugging out away from danger. Yes, like a big, pink tactical vest won’t paint a huge pink bullseye on you.

You are going to have to be honest about the specific needs you have as a female (which can include other women in your life like an elderly mother, daughters, etc.). Of course, many needs are identical across the board.

We all need food, water, and shelter, but even there, you might find differences such as the nutritional needs of a woman versus a man based on sheer size and weight. By learning how to prepare for everything, whether it requires a tweak for you as a woman or not, you will feel empowered knowing that you are ready for whatever life throws at you.

This is the section header for Unique Vulnerabilities Women Face for Survival. The title is in bold black. There is a drawn picture of a mama squirrel hearing a hat with a red ribbon, a lace necklace, combat boots, and carrying a leather bag. There are four young squirrels of different ages around the mama. Each young squirrel is dressed differently. The background is white with a thin, line border that goes from red on the left to pink in the center to purple on the right.

The second part of Basic Survival Planning for Women is understanding the unique issues that women face.

B. Unique Vulnerabilities Women Face for Survival

Some people like to overlook gender when it comes to survival preparations, but you can’t ignore the fact that women have specific needs that men may not. This may not be fair, but it is a fact that many women have to deal with.

For example, when talking about personal survival situations, you will hear some women say they felt stuck in a domestic violence situation because they were scared to leave, or he controlled the money.

Yes, domestic violence is a survival situation.

You have to ensure that in any situation, you have the physical and financial strength to survive on your own. Survival plans need to be strategic to account for any vulnerabilities you may face.

Just as you would plan for a domestic violence situation, you need to prepare for a survival event where you have a hidden stash of cash, copies of your identification cards and important papers, and a burner phone in case yours is lost or taken from you.

This should be part of your bug-out bag, along with essential food, water, shelter, and first aid supplies. You can keep one at home, one at work, and one in your car should you need to leave suddenly.

If you are in a situation where you are not fully in control of your finances, or you are not making as much compared to others in your workplace or industry, start fighting to gain control, pay off debt, and get your credit in order.

You want to have an emergency fund set aside that could sustain you (and your children or family, if applicable) for at least three to six months if a disaster unfolds. Make sure you own your homestead and protect your income as much as possible.

Physical strength is another area where women may not have equal footing to men. This, of course, can vary. But in general, you may not have the same muscle mass and strength as a man, and in a survival situation, this can put you at risk.

You might have the upper hand in agility and speed, or endurance, but work on achieving some physical goals to tone your muscles and gain strength that will help you if you have to rely on yourself for things like lifting heavy logs, pulling someone up from a lower position when hiking, and so on.

This is the section header for Budget Guidelines for Women Preppers. The title is in bold black. There is a drawn picture of a female squirrel in a super hero mask and cape. She has long, blond hair. She is standing on a large, wooden table with office equipment on it. The squirrel is holding a clipboard with a check off list and a pencil. The background is white with a thin, line border that goes from red on the left to pink in the center to purple on the right.

Another step in Basic Survival Planning for Women is consistent budgeting.

C. Survival Budget Guidelines for Women

When setting your budget for survival prepping, you may have one or more incomes, depending on if anyone else is contributing to the household. Figure out what you need for day-to-day expenses and then determine what you want to do with what money is left over.

Part of the funds will need to go towards your emergency fund. The rest can go towards prepper supplies. You want to have liquid money available to you in an emergency, not something that is going to take a long time to unload.

Start with your initial essential needs. Consider the supplies you need as an adult, plus those of your children and pets. Water is most important, and you want long-term storage containers for this purpose.

You also want to have a 30 to 60-day food storage supply in the beginning. Whenever you are shopping for groceries, you can find good deals on canned goods and staples like beans, rice, and pasta.

You also want a beginner first aid kit that you can start supplementing with other items. Next, you will want to consider your shelter needs. This can include a tarp, but most often will need to be a tent that you and your loved ones can easily set up in case you have to bug out.

After your essentials are met, you need to start looking at a risk-based assessment of what you will need for survival purposes. For example, if you are a woman living in a northern state that experiences cold winters, you will want to prepare items for warmth and power outages.

Investing in solar gadgets can help with this, but you may also want to get a generator that you can use until the power is back on. If you are living in the south in Tornado Alley or a hurricane zone, you’ll want to have a safe room that you can go to in order to survive high winds and possible flooding.

For all of this gear, your budget will have to determine when you can write these purchases and what kind of purchases you can make.

For example, you may not have enough money to purchase a whole-house generator, but you’ll be able to get a smaller option that may be enough to keep the refrigerator running.

You might have to shop for things like survival foods on a budget, where you are buying in bulk and purchasing items whenever they are on sale, giving you deals like buy one get one free.

You do not want to skimp on durability and quality whenever you are investing in your survival supplies. It is better for you to wait a shorter period of time to buy a durable bug-out bag than to purchase a cheap one that is going to rip and ultimately be unusable.

If you find that you do not have a lot of money left over to start your survival prepper journey, you may want to add an additional income stream by finding gigs online that will supplement what you are currently earning and allow you to allocate more towards this purpose.

If you are planning to start a family, or you already have little ones, you may need to purchase baby and children’s supplies that will sustain you now and in the future as they grow up.

This is the section header for Self Defense and Security for Females in Survival Events. The title is in bold black. There is a drawn picture of a female squirrel with long braids in a Karate uniform. She is at ready to defend. There is a huge, gorilla with a brown beanie hat and holding a chain coming at the squirrel. The background is white with a thin, line border that goes from red on the left to pink in the center to purple on the right.

The next step in Basic Survival Planning for Women is self-defense and security for your home, you, and your family.

D. Self-Defense and Security for Females in Survival Events

It is an unfortunate fact that in a survival situation, whether it is a war or simple chaos, women are often targeted and attacked because they are seen as vulnerable targets.

This is an area where women have a definite disadvantage if it comes down to physical self-defense, so you need to make sure that you have other ways to defend yourself and your loved ones.

1. Home

You always want to start by ramping up your security first. This is going to deter any intruders and allow you to keep safe in terms of your life as well as the supplies that you have worked to accumulate.

Home invasions are not something that you only see in survival events. In fact, they take place every day across the nation, and if you are a single woman living at home or even a family that is targeted by these criminals, it can be a very scary situation.

Sometimes, a simple home security system can deter people from targeting your home. But that doesn’t always work. Having security in place that will prevent people from being able to kick down your doors is another place to start.

There are various locks and additional measures you can take to fortify all of the entry points, including doors and windows. You also want to have a safe room in your house that you can lock from the inside and wait out any type of intrusion.

There are windows you can purchase for your home that are harder to break, and doors that are more difficult to kick in. It’s also helpful if you have a camera system so that you can see who is on your property at all times, and where and what they are doing.

2. Travel

Unfortunately, you are not always in your home when these things happen. Sometimes, you have to defend yourself in a survival event when you are outside and traveling from one place to the next.

You want to make sure that you have safety measures in your car, and not just at home. If your car breaks down, it is important that you stay in the vehicle until someone you trust is there to help, unless you can handle any type of minor repairs on your own.

3. Self-Defense Tools

In addition to your security, you then have to think about what would happen if someone does breach your threshold and end up in your house as a threat. Everyone has different personal preferences about self-defense gadgets.

There are non-lethal methods that you can use. However, some of these, such as a stun gun, can force you to get closer to your potential attacker than you might be comfortable with.

You can also get something like pepper spray, and while this can give you a brief window to escape, it may not be a long-term solution if you are being targeted by someone.

You may also want to have a tactical pen with you at all times. It looks like a regular pen, but it can double as a self-defense weapon if you need it in an emergency situation.

A staff or baton can be a good non-lethal self-defense tool. The baton is a compact, heavy, metal stick, most of which will extend to be longer for a better reach. This will keep you a bit further away from an attacker. A staff is basically a long stick that can be used for defense. There are training classes to teach you how to properly use both of these tools.

4. Self-Defense Classes

One thing you need to do as a female, who may be in a situation where you are forced into hand-to-hand combat with a stronger person, is to learn self-defense techniques that can target your attacker.

There are basic self-defense classes that you can attend where you can learn things like getting out of a chokehold or how to apply a wrist lock. Of course, there are martial arts classes if you want more advanced training. Make sure to do your research, there are many different styles of Martial Arts and each uses different forms and a slightly different use of the body. Be sure you know what you will be required to be able to do physically before you jump into the first Martial Arts class you come across. Yes, you can build up and improve your physical condition, and you should, but some Martial Arts forms require specialized abilities that you can not just pick up in a week.

You can also take classes to learn how to use lethal self-defense weapons, such as a firearm or knife fighting. These are good to know if the worst should happen but you hope you will not ever have to use them. This is one of those things that each woman will have to decide just how far is she willing to go and make her peace with it.

It is important to get trained in self-defense measures so that you feel empowered and resilient in the face of a true attack. You never want the other person to see that you are scared and unsure about being able to protect yourself.

5. Think About What Information You Give Out

There are also some practical things to think about, like the things that you say to people or info about yourself that you give out without thinking about it.

Some of the things you need to learn about security and self-defense are more strategic. For example, if someone comes to the door and asks if your husband is home, you never want to say that you don’t have a husband or that he is not home.

Likewise, you do not want to post all over social media about where you live and the fact that you are alone or a single mom with kids. When you do this, you put a target on your back for people who are looking for an opportunity like this.

This is the section header for Specific Survival Nutritional and Medical Needs for Women. The title is in bold black. There is a drawn picture of a female squirrel wearing a black and white moomoo dress and a red scarf. Around the squirrel is a group of medicine bottles, a water bottle, a plate of fresh fruits, a fruity health drink, a shampoo bottle and a large cup of coffee. The background is white with a thin, line border that goes from red on the left to pink in the center to purple on the right.

Another step in Basic Survival Planning for Women in assessing the specific nutrition and medical needs of women.

E. Specific Survival Nutritional and Medical Needs for Women

As a female, your biological needs are going to be very different from that of a male. That means when it comes to nutrition, health, and medical situations, you have to prepare for yourself as well as others in your family.

1. Nutrition

First, let’s consider the nutritional differences. You may need to have more iron in your diet if you are still having a monthly cycle. In a survival situation, there may not be as many iron-rich foods as you are used to having, so you may want to have supplements on hand to help prevent symptoms from this.

Another thing women need to stock as supplements is calcium. Because osteoporosis affects more women as they age, you will want to keep your bones healthy for a survival situation where a fracture, and lack of medical care, could be very debilitating.

2. Medical Issues that May Occur

There are other medical needs that you may have. For example, stocking up for monthly cycles could affect you and your daughters. You will need supplies that can be washed and reused. You may want to have additional pain relief medications for this purpose.

If you are of the age and want to have children or you may be in a pregnancy when a survival event occurs. In this case, you will need additional supplements like prenatal supplements or folic acid. You may need additional supplies for the delivery of a child if you do not have access to a hospital environment or even a doctor.

Women also have additional needs as they age into menopause. Your hormones will be fluctuating, and you may need some sort of herbal assistance to prevent some of the symptoms you experience with this.

There are other health issues that women can suffer from that men don’t have to worry about. These can include PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) or endometriosis. There are even things that are capable of affecting both genders but are more common in women, such as UTIs.

You want to make sure that you have medications on hand and any type of relief that you need for any specific health issue you may have currently or suffer from in the future since preventative preparations are important for survival.

This is the section header for Skills Women Need to Learn for Survival Situations. The title is in bold black. There is a drawn picture of a female squirrel in jean overalls, and purple sunglasses. She has tools, a tool box, folded laundry, and a Swiss Army Knife. The background is white with a thin, line border that goes from red on the left to pink in the center to purple on the right.

The last part of Basic Survival Planning for Women is the skills a woman will need to learn.

F. Skills Women Need to Learn for Survival Situations

When you’re considering survival events, the entire goal of you preparing in advance is to not have to rely on a government or agency to rescue you. Likewise, you don’t want to have to turn to any other person to bail you out of a precarious situation.

Whether you are a man or a woman, you need to have certain survival skills based on what you may or may not have access to. Sometimes, women forget that they need more than typical homemaking skills, and men forget to train for anything other than typical masculine skills.

You can not assign a gender to survival skills. Everyone needs to understand how to do all of these things because you never know whether you will be on your own and have to fend for yourself.

Do not let anyone, even if you are in a marriage, tell you that you only need to know how to cook, sew, and garden. While these are all wonderful survival skills that will come in handy in any event, you also need to know how to build a shelter, repair your home or car, and hunt or fish for food.

Many women in today’s world do not know how to change a tire or change the oil in their car. Just because these were traditional tasks men passed down to their sons, it does not mean that as a woman you can not learn how to do this. You should be prepared for a survival situation where you might be stranded on the side of the road and not have to rely on a stranger to stop and assist you.

You can not count on people to be fair. Nothing is going to be fair in a chaotic environment where people are focused on their own survival. People will steal, attack, and take advantage of others regardless of who they are.

As a woman, you want to do as much as possible early on to ensure you are not assuming anyone else will be kind or help you in an emergency. You want to rely on youself, and you alone. This is especially important if you have others depending on you like children, pets, an elderly family member, or a handicapped person. You are not only planning, prepping, and training for yourself but for them as well.

Make a plan to gain knowledge, secure supplies and practice what you’re learning so that when the world is crumbling around you, there won’t be a shred of doubt that you have got what it takes to weather any storm all by yourself.

This is a section divider for Basic Survival Planning for Women. There is a single, thin, line that goes from red on the left to pink in the center to purple on the right. The background is white with a thin, line border that goes from red on the left to pink in the center to purple on the right.

Basic Survival Planning for Women is by no means everything a woman needs to know. Every situation will be different and every woman will have different needs and abilities. This truth is doubled if you have children, elderly, or even pets relying on you. But with some planning, prepping, and training you will know what to do when the time comes. Please do think things over and come up with a plan for yourself, then act on it. Knowing that you have the knowledge and skills to protect yourself and your dependents will give you the calm that you will need when a bad situation comes along.

We have put together a three-page Basic Self- Defense Gear Checklist to help you on this journey. This is a general checklist and tips that you may need to tweak to fit your exact needs. Keep in mind every situation will be different so the needs may be a bit different as well. Feel free to download the PDF, print it out, and use these pages for yourself.