Why Plan for an Emergency
In modern life almost anything can happen. Depending on what part of the country or world you live in there are a variety of natural disasters, each of these disasters call for different supplies to have on hand. Here in North Carolina we recently had what is believed to be a terrorist attack on our power grid. The electrical grid attack occurred on Saturday 3Dec22 when 2 power substations were repeatedly shot with some kind of firearm. I don't know what kind was used or how many shots were fired. I do know that the power outage was devastating for the county. In a world with growing unrest and natural disasters it really is essential to plan for an emergency. I'm not making an all inclusive list of items or plans for every situation. With at least the small list of basic items I believe you will have a good foundation to build the rest of your emergency planning for yourself, your family, and your home.
Preparedness 101
The very basics of emergency preparedness 101 are a small list.
1. Shelter
2. Water
3. Food
If you have at least these items prepared in advance of an emergency they will at least buy you time to be rescued or to acquire the other things you'll need. A good emergency response kit will include at the very least the items listed above, however I definitely think you should include more. With pre disaster planning we can mitigate how many lives are lost in horrible situations. If more people had planned ahead like this before the electrical grid attack life would have been far less dangerous for them.
Emergency Response Kit
Any good kit used to plan ahead like this will include a few more items beyond just the basics I listed above. But they are the foundation the kit can build on. For me in my area this is the emergency response kit I have been building, but it will most likely grow over the next few months.
1. 2 tents, (one 2 person tent and one 4 person tent)
4. First aid kit.
7. 5 lighters.
9. 5 steel canteens.
10. 5 emergency whistles.
11. Assorted clothing.
This is just the overall list of items. I broke these items down into go bags. For each backpack I packed enough of these items for each member of my family. The only exceptions are the tents which at attached to my bag, and the weather radio in my bag. I do intent to buy more of the radios though so there will be one in each bag. On top of these items as stated there are at least 2 pairs of socks, sturdy hiking boots, light gloves, a shirt, and pair of pants. As a special note these forever flashlights don't need batteries. They are designed so that you shake the flashlight and that passes a magnet between a wire coil which generates the charge needed to power the led blub. They are lightweight and float as well.
Obviously many of these items would not have been needed in the recent electrical grid attack. However, the weather radio, and water would have helped a great deal. But to be honest this water and food is really only of greatest use in a survival situation because there are far better options for home emergencies. For example Blue Can 50 Year Shelf Life Water and emergency food kits from My Patriot Supply which have a far longer shelf life than the Datrex options. And the food kits from My Patriot Supply will be more enjoyable to eat since they are real food similar to what we already eat. Though I think the Datrex bars do taste good, they are not a meal. There are however less expensive ways to prepare in advance of a disaster.
Boiling Water Canner/Water Bath Canning
It is important to note that there is a difference between water bath canning and pressure canning. I am just learning about all these things so I don't currently remember exactly what the difference is, but for the purposes of this topic I believe that using a boiling water canner like this will be the best option. The jars used for this purpose are readily available at many stores including Walmart, Tractor Supply, or Amazon. And you should probably look for a cookbook or read plenty of blogs about canning to discover the best way to can different foods. The good news though is that you are able to can tap water. With a much smaller investment for each batch of water you need you can actually have emergency water that has a shelf life of 10 or 20 years. Though you will need to store the water in an area that does not get sunlight to prevent microbial growth.
After you have built this very basic emergency response kit you should consult the Red Cross, ready.gov, or your local emergency management office to find any specific items they recommend for your area. And if you have the room in the backpacks or duffle bags you are using you can add any other items you feel are needed or just some comfort items that will ease the psychological toll of the emergency. If you have any suggestions please feel free to comment or join one of the forum conversations to help others be prepared.
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