Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Just In Case

Earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes - oh my.
As hurricane season is fast coming upon is down here on the Gulf - one should always be prepared.
Many people have canned foods, batteries, bottled water and candles set aside - but there is a better way.
Above is a hand-cranked flashlight, radio and cell phone charger.
In the case of an emergency access to information and lighting are two basic but required luxuries.
Sure, you could go solar - but this little tool is cheaper, more portable and more reliable.
Also - gather all the solar lawn lights you can find.
The light given off will not light an entire home but you will be able to see better in environments with no source of electricity.

Don't forget the funk.
Rotting food, spilled sewage and dead animals (or humans) stink.
This HEPA mask is better than those ineffective little paper masks given out by the Red Cross after a disaster.
Just don't forget to load up on filters.
Why a pry-bar?
Just in case you need to create a way out of or in to a building.
Jars of peanut butter and cans of tuna do come in handy (just don't forget to pack a can opener) but these MREs are loaded with calories (mostly carbs) and many can last up to ten years if frozen.
Staying healthy is the best tool for survival.
A bottle of multivitamins can supplement many deficiencies in ones diet.
Water is your most important requirement but bottled water "spoils".
If kept for too long, the chemicals from the plastic bottles leach into the water.
A filtration system works to turn rain water into potable water.
Keep all of these things (having two kits in different areas of the home is a better practice) in a five gallon bucket.
The bucket can also be used as a means to catch rainwater.

Yeah, there are more necessities but those listed above and below are the ones people forget.
Keeping current on tetanus shots will reduce the chance of getting tinnitus from a stray nail or dirty board...
Being in good health will lower the need for medications...
Knowing ones neighbors will broaden your pool of resources...
While there is no fool proof system for survival, it's just better if you increase your odds.

6 comments:

FreeMan said...

You forgot a gun!

I like the list as I have that hand operated all in one myself here in LA. Besides the MRE's I have just about everything else. I have one in my car and one in my house.

Also don't forget to throw in some Skittles as sometimes you need a sugar rush and if ish is bad then sometimes you need a treat.

uglyblackjohn said...

Some MREs come with candy.
A gun?
Yep, a must have but a lot of people would end up shooting the wrong person and causing more problems.

brohammas said...

FreeMan beet me to it.
My parents retired to northern Idaho. We get up there and the place is chalk full of crazies, not the neo-nazis we usually associate with the place, but fod storage folks. They are absolutely convinced an AK is the most important thing to include in your storage.

CareyCarey said...

I just happen to have one of those hand cranked thangs. Mine has a light and a radio.

We get tornado like weather and trees fall on power lines, so candles are a must.

Having said that, this post reminded me of a time I had to travel to Kansis City, MO, to work on their power lines. I was there for 2 weeks. The money was good (around $1200 a day) but what I remember most was the people that was not prepared for that type of emergency. Many folks had no candles, little money, and no idea that they could be without power and lights for that long of a period.

Reggie said...

Brother you know I'm down here in Charleston, South Carolina.....I'd already thought of much of what you have here, but where can a brother get some of those MREs?!?

My son is Army National Guard and he says that some of them are quite good, but then again he'd eat just about anything.

It's almost that time though, you're right. Come June I plan on being ready too, we're about due. I think that the last major hurricane to hit Charleston was Hugo and that's been a long long time ago.

I don't want to tempt fate....but I've already paid my flood insurance for this year, what about you?!?

uglyblackjohn said...

@ Carey - I think people just get too dependent on the system and few know how to function without it.

@ Reg - You can get them from sites on the Internet.
Flooding isn't a problem this far inland - Wind Strom is our major concern.