Could you survive?
06-04-2010, 03:15 PM
#41
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Somewhere in Time
Posts: 2,697
Originally Posted by pittsburgpam
I have been thinking lately about emergency preparedness and survival. I live in California so an earthquake is a distinct possibility and I've been through a few of them. I live alone and if I'm cut off from power, water and other services, what would I do?
I'm searching the internet and looking at survival lists, air-tight food storage, water storage, what foods to get, etc., and I ordered a couple of books at Amazon to learn basic survival techniques.
One of the most basic things is a 3 day survival kit in a backpack that you can grab and go, at home and in the car. I think I'll order a couple of the already put together kits.
I'm searching the internet and looking at survival lists, air-tight food storage, water storage, what foods to get, etc., and I ordered a couple of books at Amazon to learn basic survival techniques.
One of the most basic things is a 3 day survival kit in a backpack that you can grab and go, at home and in the car. I think I'll order a couple of the already put together kits.
I have been gathering information on emergency preparedness for several years. After much planning, I am finally moving to my homestead where I will practice the emergency skills I have been gathering. My land is paid for, my cottage will be a pay as you go indeveavor. I I don't have pretty walls, that is okay with me and Onyx, Macha, and Kali would never complain. I am giving myself five year to finish the cottage and office/workshop. I became tired of being in debt. My new creed is, if I cannot pay for it, I do not need it until I can. Between my treadle and handcrank, if the power goes off, I can still quilt and sew. I have never liked depending on others to take care of me.
We had an ice storm last year and lived without power for a week. My mother (83) was surprised how resourceful I was and how useful some of the things I had purchased came in handy.
The main thing is to have a plan for emergencies and do not panic. Have any medicines you take in reserve and rotate them monthly so they do not expire. We often experience "boil water alerts" so you always want to have backup water in rotation as well. If you have an electric hot water heater, take a good hot shower before the water cools down -- it may be days before you can get another. If you have camping gear, it really comes in handy.
06-04-2010, 03:59 PM
#42
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: washington
Posts: 1,150
Originally Posted by mytwopals
Here's my survival trick. Find a friend that is paranoid about needing to stock up on survival gear. Then on that one-in-a-million chance the gear is needed, go stay with them. By the way, honey never goes bad and lasts forever. So, you'll always be able to satify that sweet tooth. If it starts to crystalize and get hard, just heat it up and it'll go back to normal again.
Oh, and I am not out of shape........round is a shape. :oops:
Oh, and I am not out of shape........round is a shape. :oops:
06-04-2010, 04:10 PM
#43
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: new hampshire
Posts: 1,550
our first winter in NH we had a terrible ice storm. the small dirt road we live on was totally blocked by all the fallen trees. It was more than a week before we could leave the road. We had installed a generator 1 month previous. other residents were not prepared. so we offered hot showers and all our barbecues were blazing for pot lock suppers. It was 22 days before our electricity was rehooked and 6 new telephone poles were replaced. We are all prepared and in the fall we all stock up from tp to gas for the generators. An open invitation is extended to the elderly, and we list what we can share on our site.
thank you for making us all aware Through all that I must admit that our scenery was spectacular..just like a sparkling fairyland.
thank you for making us all aware Through all that I must admit that our scenery was spectacular..just like a sparkling fairyland.
06-04-2010, 04:16 PM
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 3,683
Being in a state where the winters are unpredictable, we usually have the basics. Many times we have been thru power outages with no heat in 10 degree weather. Having supplies and remembering where they are is key in that situation. And keeping a clear head helps the stress. We keep camping supplies even though we don't camp. They come in handy in an emergency. I hope no one in this group needs to use emergency supplies...ever!
06-04-2010, 05:50 PM
#45
Power Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: East Oklahoma - pining for Massachusetts
Posts: 10,477
When I was living in Massachusetts, I used to think it would be good to have something with warm clothes and some food for big snowstorms. I wondered about getting stuck someplace and freezing. Scary.
06-04-2010, 05:58 PM
#46
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Oxford MA
Posts: 943
Originally Posted by ctack2
Here is what I have:
Emergency Cooler Kit
Choose a cooler as storage as this seems to work well. You want to fill it with nonperishable items as well as supplies like flashlights and batteries. The idea here is you just grab it and go. Make sure you choose non-perishables you LIKE. There would be nothing worse than being stuck inside during a huge storm, no electricity, and nothing to eat but Vienna Sausages. That is unless you like Vienna Sausages. Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking, and little or no water.
Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
Energy or Snack Bars
Staples (salt, sugar, pepper, spices, etc.)
Canned Juices
High energy foods (nuts and dried fruits)
Cereal
Paper plates, Utensils and Cups
Matches
Comfort/stress foods (cookies, snack cakes etc)
First Aid Kit
TONS of bottled water (1 gallon per person X 4 days) Vitamins
Hand operated can opener
Candles
Couple Blankets (one per person)
Pet food and water
Radio - battery or crank operated - with batteries that fit Change of clothes
Battery operated or Wind up Clock
Food for infants
Flashlights X 2 with batteries that fit both
Carol B
Emergency Cooler Kit
Choose a cooler as storage as this seems to work well. You want to fill it with nonperishable items as well as supplies like flashlights and batteries. The idea here is you just grab it and go. Make sure you choose non-perishables you LIKE. There would be nothing worse than being stuck inside during a huge storm, no electricity, and nothing to eat but Vienna Sausages. That is unless you like Vienna Sausages. Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking, and little or no water.
Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
Energy or Snack Bars
Staples (salt, sugar, pepper, spices, etc.)
Canned Juices
High energy foods (nuts and dried fruits)
Cereal
Paper plates, Utensils and Cups
Matches
Comfort/stress foods (cookies, snack cakes etc)
First Aid Kit
TONS of bottled water (1 gallon per person X 4 days) Vitamins
Hand operated can opener
Candles
Couple Blankets (one per person)
Pet food and water
Radio - battery or crank operated - with batteries that fit Change of clothes
Battery operated or Wind up Clock
Food for infants
Flashlights X 2 with batteries that fit both
Carol B
great list... i lived in florida for several years & my next door neighbor worked for the county....
one of their suggestions was to fill the bathtubs in the house prior to the height of a hurricane, because we were far enough inland that the initial surge was not the problem, it was everything that could get into the drinking water. so if you didn't have to evacuate, you'd have potable water.
06-04-2010, 06:08 PM
#47
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 4,879
We consider ourselves "Preppers". Some would say "Hoarders" or "Survivalists". We are neither. We make sure that we have the following:
-72 hour kits for each member of the family. All packed in individual backpacks in the closet by the front door
-Two weeks worth of drinking water on hand rotated to keep fresh
-Cash on hand
-Emergency credit card stored off location
-We have emergency routes and defined meeting locations communicated to the family
-Hand crank batteries and flashlights
-We keep one month of food storage. We used to have a year's worth but it came in handy when I lost my job.
We try to keep our gas tanks full and we keep blankets, candles and water in our vehicles.
You never know what your emergency might be. It could be national or as simple as getting stuck for several hours due to a blizzard or other weather issue. The one thing that I have always in the living room is a quilt or embroidery project in the living room that I can grab as I run out the door. LOL!
-72 hour kits for each member of the family. All packed in individual backpacks in the closet by the front door
-Two weeks worth of drinking water on hand rotated to keep fresh
-Cash on hand
-Emergency credit card stored off location
-We have emergency routes and defined meeting locations communicated to the family
-Hand crank batteries and flashlights
-We keep one month of food storage. We used to have a year's worth but it came in handy when I lost my job.
We try to keep our gas tanks full and we keep blankets, candles and water in our vehicles.
You never know what your emergency might be. It could be national or as simple as getting stuck for several hours due to a blizzard or other weather issue. The one thing that I have always in the living room is a quilt or embroidery project in the living room that I can grab as I run out the door. LOL!
06-04-2010, 06:20 PM
#48
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Alberta
Posts: 308
Originally Posted by pittsburgpam
I have been thinking lately about emergency preparedness and survival. I live in California so an earthquake is a distinct possibility and I've been through a few of them. I live alone and if I'm cut off from power, water and other services, what would I do?
I'm searching the internet and looking at survival lists, air-tight food storage, water storage, what foods to get, etc., and I ordered a couple of books at Amazon to learn basic survival techniques.
One of the most basic things is a 3 day survival kit in a backpack that you can grab and go, at home and in the car. I think I'll order a couple of the already put together kits.
I'm searching the internet and looking at survival lists, air-tight food storage, water storage, what foods to get, etc., and I ordered a couple of books at Amazon to learn basic survival techniques.
One of the most basic things is a 3 day survival kit in a backpack that you can grab and go, at home and in the car. I think I'll order a couple of the already put together kits.
I have a ton of info on this sort of thing.
06-04-2010, 06:45 PM
#49
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: High Entropy Zone
Posts: 1,247
We were part of the Y2K energy grid upgrade (my husband was part of Austin's energy council). My neighbor took care of Dell International's computer software Y2K compliance issues. I never worried about the electricity, my computer software or any of that sort of stuff. I always laugh at my students, hold up a slide rule and tell them I was Y2K compliant, never need to worry about a battery and can use the edge for a line of best fit. Never get a whine from anyone when their calculator runs out of batteries. I have a couple extra slide rules just in case (no I am not THAT old).
I do keep my supplies handy and they are rotated out and never wasted. I believe that we are responsible for ourselves and I wouldn't want to wait for any emergency response team.
I do keep my supplies handy and they are rotated out and never wasted. I believe that we are responsible for ourselves and I wouldn't want to wait for any emergency response team.
06-04-2010, 07:43 PM
#50
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Merced, CA
Posts: 4,188
Flylady.com has a list of emergency items.
And it seems to cover nearly everything needed for
a week or so.
Plus, always have at least a half tank of gas in your car.
Keep the car running and have or do small repairs so that
in an emergency, you could grab supplies, kids and critters,
then leave fast.
And it seems to cover nearly everything needed for
a week or so.
Plus, always have at least a half tank of gas in your car.
Keep the car running and have or do small repairs so that
in an emergency, you could grab supplies, kids and critters,
then leave fast.
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