Prepping in Utah

Prepping in Utah

April 25, 2021

An Overview of Prepping in Utah

Utah is a high desert state with a widely changing climate and challenging terrain. It is also a state that has a strong population of preppers and like minded people preparing for the worst. Prepping in Utah is widely promoted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The state government promotes people having an Emergency Preparedness Plan, and there are many resources that make Utah a great place to weather the apocalypse, though its not without its challenges.

Utah State Laws on Prepping

The biggest laws prepping laws have to deal with specific activities, storage, safety, and zoning/building codes. There are laws on Fuel Storage, there are laws about livestock and where you can and cannot have chickens, and there are laws on what you can build and where on your property. When SHTF, its either going to be anarchy, or martial law. Either way, current laws can affect your bugging in by what you can do right now. To learn more and to see federal laws on prepping, see our article, Is it Illegal to Be a Prepper?

Utah Fuel Storage Laws

Utah Fuel Laws only allow you to store 25 gallons of liquid propane or butane, and only 15 gallons of gasoline, with only 5 gallons of that allowed in an attached garage. You are allowed up to 85 gallons of diesel, kerosene, or lamp oil, with only 25 gallons allowed indoors or in an attached garage. The legal authority comes from fire prevention related portions of the Utah State Code, the International Fire & Building Codes, the NFPA Standards and local city and county ordinances.

Utah Gun Laws

Utah has pretty lax gun laws. Utah allows open carry, and recently became a constitutional carry state as well. Utah follows the Castle Doctrine and also has a stand your ground law in place. This means that you don’t have to back down or retreat if you feel deadly force is justified according to the law.

Other Utah Prepping Laws

Rainwater Storage Laws

If you want to catch an store more than 100 gallons of water, you must register your collection rain barrels. It’s free to register them, but its another regulatory hoop to jump through.

Best Bug Out Areas in Utah

Its important to have a bug out plan. We have looked at the state of Utah, and are actually especially familiar with it having lived here for quite some time, and have identified a few good bug out locations. We recommend places that are high in resources, low in popularity, and are quick to be forgotten by the general public. You’re especially fortunate if you’re able to buy property in one of these, or a similar area. See our Bug Out Location Checklist to help with your planning, but see our list of suggestions to kickstart your bug out plan in Utah.

Boulder Mountains

The Boulder Mountains are in the middle of the state, so most anyone in the state could reach it with a single tank of gas. It’s also relatively remote, and not on or near any major freeways or roads. The area is covered in forests & meadows with numerous streams & lakes that draw fishing enthusiasts. There is also plentiful game, and the possibility to find affordable options.

Book Cliffs

The Book Cliffs are kind of a desert area, but there were several towns there, and attempts were made to settle the area. My great grandpa even had a homestead in the region. Game is plentiful, and the area is remote, but still has a good source of water. It’s a challenging area, but that’ll mean less people will think of it.

Wasatch Mountains

The Wasatch mountains are close to most of the population of Utah, but most people only really know the touristy locations. There are roads and trails off the beaten path. If you can find something like that, the Wasatch mountains are beautiful and full of resources.

National Forests

Utah has six national forests, plus small sections of two whose main portion is in Idaho (Caribou-Targhee and Sawtooth) – together totaling about 15% of the land in the state. National forests are rich in resources, and are less popular than state or national parks.

Uintah Mountains

The Uintah mountains are peppered with lakes and ponds, and are teaming with a wide variety of wild game. It has harsh winters and is very high in elevation, so its not for the faint of heart, but if you live nearby, its worth looking into.

Areas to Avoid When Bugging Out

  • Utah Lake
  • Provo Canyon
  • Park City
  • Areas along the Colorado River
  • Moab
  • National Parks

Good Prepping Groups In Utah

Preppers generally try to keep a low profile, but its good to have local allies when beginning your prepping journey in an area. Like minded individuals can help one another out and have each other’s back’s. Here are groups to consider getting involved with in Utah

Rentalshare Utah County

A Utah County Co-op with great rental deals on tools, kayaks, paddleboards, snowboards, snowshoes, and more. Check them out!

Utah CERT:

Many cities and towns in Utah have a Community Emergency Response Team. These organizations are full of volunteers who not only prep for emergencies, but also want to be able to help their community in times of trouble. Even if you don’t join an organization, these are the people you want to know in your community. There are more than 80 such teams in Utah. See CERT teams in Utah>

Food Storage Companies in Utah:

Utah has a ton of food storage companies, likely due to the high concentration and headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and its emphasis on emergency preparedness. Here is a list of food storage or prepping companies in Utah:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Ok, I put a church on the list, don’t freak out. You don’t have to convert to be involved in some of their activities, and the LDS church are experts in the field of prepping. They’ve been teaching their members to have a years supply of food, live without debt, and always be prepared for a rainy day. As the only religious organization that had a state issue an extermination order for it, then got pushed to a desert, survived all that, and then made that desert livable, and arguably the strongest economy in the US, its worth paying attention to. They have emergency preparedness groups, and offer a wide variety of classes for free, even if you aren’t a member.

Things to be Cautions Of

Weaknesses

Not a lot of water in Utah

Utah is a desert, and often suffers from drought situations. This is especially the case for people moving in from out of state, to the desert, and want to bring their green grass with them. I’ve got nothing against a nice lawn, but as population rises, water problems have been on the rise as well.

A growing population

Utah had the biggest population increase in terms of percentages in the 2020 census. Utah’s booming economy and beautiful natural features have caused a massive influx. That, and the fact that members of the church have taken the place of Catholics in terms of making babies, and Utah has larger family sizes than any other state.

High Land Prices

Utah’s land prices have been going up considerably the last few years. Utah has a lot of tech companies and there has been a large influx of people coming from California, who are used to higher land prices. A $150,000 home from 10 years ago is worth 2-3 times that now.

Threats

Earthquakes are a major threat in Utah. Utah sits on a few fault lines. Geologists say that Utah is due for a big earthquake very soon, so its good to build with that in mind.

The interstates and freeways are a potential threat. Utah has several major freeways that run through the state, both north to south, and east to west. Both government forces, aggressors, and just wanderers are likely to use these roadways, so these are worth avoiding.

Weather

Utah’s temperatures are extreme, with cold temperatures in winter due to its elevation, and very hot summers statewide (with the exception of mountain areas and high mountain valleys). Average January high temperatures range from around 30 °F (−1 °C) in some northern valleys to almost 55 °F (13 °C) in St. George.

Temperatures dropping below 0 °F (−18 °C) should be expected on occasion in most areas of the state most years, although some areas see it often (for example, the town of Randolph averages about fifty days per year with temperatures that low). In July, average highs range from about 85 to 100 °F (29 to 38 °C). However, the low humidity and high elevation typically leads to large temperature variations, leading to cool nights most summer days.

Strengths of Prepping in Utah

The Church Support

The church has a room of public resources ask around the world, but nowhere more concentrated than in Utah. The church has massive warehouses of food stores and emergency supplies. The church provides humanitarian aid and support world wide on a huge scale. That’s a great resource to have in your back yard.

The church also has an organizational structure as well, and work to make sure everyone is taken care of in their geographical area, and have emergency response plans at a neighborhood level. The church and its members are great neighbors to have while prepping in Utah.

Public Lands

66.5% of the state of Utah is public land, so it’s uninhabited. That means there is some room to expand or bug out in the case of an emergency. The whole state isn’t as full as other states. However, Utah is largely desert, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t resources in that 66.5%. Utah has a deer population of about 375,000, an elk population, small game, fish, and even some herds of bison.

See Prepping in another state

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