Protecting your stockpile

• Don't advertise. The best defense is nobody knowing you have a stockpile. Break down boxes before they go to the curb, and keep the garage door closed.
• Look like everyone else. In a long outage, a house glowing with lights and smelling of cooking draws attention. Use blackout curtains and cook out of sight.
• Spread it out. Keep supplies in more than one spot so one break-in or flood doesn't take everything.
• Know your neighbors. A few trusted families watching each other's backs is worth more than any gadget.

Most break-ins come through the front door. Make it slow and noisy to get in.

• A door reinforcement kit and 3-inch screws in your strike plate and hinges.
• A security bar for sliding doors, and security film on ground-floor glass.
• Motion lights on every side of the house, and battery cameras that work without Wi-Fi.
• Pick one safe room with a solid door, a phone and a light.

Many preppers own a firearm for home defense. If you choose to, owning it is the easy part. Knowing how to use it safely, under stress, is what counts.

The four safety rules

1. Treat every gun as if it's loaded.
2. Never point it at anything you aren't willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and you've decided to shoot.
4. Know your target and what's behind it.

A good first handgun

For most people, a Glock 19 (9mm) is the classic starting point: reliable, simple, easy to find parts and holsters for, and 9mm ammo is the most common and affordable. Other good choices are similar compact 9mm pistols like the Smith & Wesson M&P or Sig P365.

Before you buy, rent a few at a range. The best gun is the one that fits your hand and that you'll actually practice with.

Get proficient

• Take a class. A basic pistol class, then a defensive one. Many ranges offer women's classes too.
• Practice monthly at the range. Even 50 rounds a month builds real skill.
• Dry-fire at home with snap caps (dummy rounds) and the gun double-checked unloaded, with no live ammo in the room. Ten minutes a few times a week makes a big difference, for free.
• Practice what matters: drawing from your holster, reloading, and clearing a jam.
• Know your state's laws on carrying, storage, transport and self-defense before you need them.

Storage, especially with kids

Keep firearms locked unless they're on you or under your direct control. A quick-access safe by the bed gives you speed and keeps kids out. Teach kids: if you see a gun, don't touch it, leave the room, and tell an adult.

• Amazon doesn't sell guns or ammo. Buy from a local gun shop, a big-box sporting goods store, or an online ammo retailer that ships to your state.
• Stock practice ammo (cheaper full metal jacket) and defensive ammo (hollow points). Test your defensive ammo in your gun first.
• Ammo stored cool and dry lasts decades. Steel ammo cans with a desiccant pack keep out moisture.
• Buy a box or two every trip, and you'll have a good supply without a big bill.

• Pepper spray or pepper gel. Gel has less blowback, so it's better indoors.
• A big dog's bark stops most people from trying your door.
• Lights, alarms and cameras make your house the hard one to pick.
• A plan everyone in the house knows: where to go, who calls 911, and where to meet.