Nice bamboo floors, I got the same :)

I don't know more than basic first aid, so even trauma bandages would be out of my league, though I do notice they are becoming popular to have. I think if things get worse than a light windstorm, people will be up the creek really bad. As it is on any given day, there is a 6hr wait at the local Emergency room, and that hospital is rated "Excellent". I do buy some first aid stuff I dont know how to use though as well, in hopes somebody else will.

Imagine loss of electricity and no fuel deliveries for a week. Shortage of medical supplies and lack of Doctors (they have families at home too ya know). Now I think people will start to realize the absolute VALUE of preparing in any form or fashion. The more the better.

With a baby on the way, I would buy 3x what food you need. First make sure it likes that flavor though :) Dont ask how I came to this sorry realization.

I think it was TN or KY that had real real bad ice storms 2 years ago. People died on Obama's watch and he did nothing to help. (rant to those about Bush vs Katrina). But it was a good lesson learner for those states without quakes and hurricanes. Never such a thing as too prepared I reckon.

I was just sharing the contents of my bag.

I also have long-term food storage, additional medical equipment (and textbooks), and what I consider to be important preparedness items. In addition because of my job I have a lot of military equipment, a good network of like minded thinkers and access to additional training, etc.

For baby stuff stored at home I do have some traditional diapers and a lot of formula, it should be enough to get her by if my wife is suddenly unable to breastfeed.

Prepared enough for short periods off the grid.

My ex-husband is probably still working through his cache of white rice
he stored for two years before Y2K.

Even the homesteading magazine I subscribed to for years went silly with Y2K paranoia.
They have a treasure trove of good info. though.

past issues - Countryside - homesteading - self-reliance - food production - gardening - cooking - preservation

backwoods home?

No. For years we were looking for land to buy & homestead.
We decided to stay in our small town of 1100. We had a large double lot
where we built numerous gardens. Apple trees, a raspberry patch, asparagus beds, etc.
A few goats & some chickens would have been nice.

Slims must've been an Eagle Scout. Actually, I impressed my Slims list.
......Very concise and well planned. Thanks! One needs to at least be aware and way the risks, IMHO.

For a while, I've been of the opinion that anyone who graduates high school in the US should be required to have CPR and First Aid I certification. I plan to get First Aid 2 certification from Red Cross as soon as I can just for the sake of being able to help if something bad happens, look into it if you can afford it because it can save lives.
I'd rather go with the liner since I don't clean the tub daily and there are rust stains. No water heater, and while I could get fresh water about half a mile away, I would rather keep that a last resort.
The lesson from every natural disaster is that the best plan is to be prepared on your own regardless of whether there are public services available. Neither Bush nor Obama could have dealt with the full scale of flooding from either disaster. One lesson from Katrina is that if police services are interrupted, you may have to fend for yourself (re: murders of minorities by white vigilantes in New Orleans by white "vigilantes.")

Rust stains won't hurt you, but by all means do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

Assuming you are left with the means to fend for yourself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/08/na...cnd-storm.html
Defenseless On the Bayou - Reason Magazine

------------------------------------

Here in NC, fending for yourself apparently means having the foresight to stockpile necessities and never leaving your home as it is illegal to carry or transport an otherwise legally owned "dangerous weapon" off of your property during a declared state of emergency.

"And" as in they're only part of the problem. Every few weeks I grab a Magic Eraser and scrub until it's mirror smooth, but I'd rather spend a few bucks on a liner that I know is drinking water safe than suck up dissolved soap scum and other residue.
I'm fortunate to be a big white guy, and the worst case if someone tried to confiscate my legally owned guns would be surrendering the bolt action .22 that they have the 4473 for (I "sold" the shotguns ;))

I have 2 fire extinguishers in the house, and a small kit in my car that holds socks, underwear, and toiletries in case I have to spend the night somewhere, unplanned.

I really think I should have some kind of emergency kit anyway, but I don't.

I get snowed in annually, usually for a couple of days at a pop. We have enough gasoline, food, etc. to go for two weeks with no problem. Longer than that wouldn't be a problem, though it would become less comfortable.

We had forest fires within 1 mile last week and were on a 1hr evacuation notice. Puppies, pictures, and papers are always ready to go. Everything else is insured.

Liftrocks:

You don't have to to off the deep end the way some of us do in order to greatly increase your level of preparedness for the 'disasters' most likely to effect you:

Car accident
Broken down vehicle
all day traffic jam/forced to stay somewhere outside a hotel
storms/flooding/etc. kills power and food availability for a few days.


If you want to be more prepared start with securing a water source and making sure you have about a weeks worth of food at home (that you don't need electricity to cook).

Next would be to make sure you can handle basic car-stuff since we typically spend a lot of time in them and shit happens. You should be able to fit a lot of stuff in your cars utility area without impacting trunk/passenger space: items to change a tire, first aid equipment, space blankets (important if you get stuck out in the cold and if there is an accident since most casualties get cold fast), some extra water, extra food, a few extra dollars, water purification drops a fire source and a knife (folding is ok).

That will get you through almost everything that is likely (or unlikely) to happen. Imagine what you would do if you were stuck in the office or on the highway for four days because of some natural disaster. It would be very nice to be able to build a fire, stay warm, provide basic medical care and drink clean water. Food would be nice too but it not as essential, at least not for a week or so.

Yeah, there are very few places where there's no chance a severe storm could knock out power for several days, and incidents like the 2003 Northeast Blackout could hit just about anywhere. I'd say you should have supplies for a minimum of three days without power, ideally a week.

Bumping this thread.

With the recent events in Japan, I figured this type of stuff is pertinent. We take instant-potable water and food for granted, not to mention good plumbing to dispose of our waste.

I've built a 'go-bag' for my trunk, some medical supplies for a car accident, some food, water, fire starting equipment and 3x thermal blankets. I've left out ammunition and a firearm as Maryland prohibits having a gun in your car.

Slims had an excellent post that I was going to consult for ideas. Anyway, I'd like to keep this discussion alive, as it may become more pertinent as the world changes (changing sea levels, shifting weather patterns).

I'll post more relevant-to-the-discussion pictures/list/discussion when I get home.

Until then, perhaps I should post my work crap, since it's a little similar.

I left out the weapons, commo and a lot of redundant medical / admin gear.

This isn't the kit that I'd assemble myself, just what I was given to work with.

Worn / Carried:

...Stuff...

In the truck:

...Things...

^^ What's that balck round thing with red stripe? A helmet?

We would be poorly prepared to any disaster. There's nothing much but small sticking plasters at home. Fire extinguishers of course in the house and garage. We used to have first-aid kit bag for cars at least in the other car. We really need to update them.

I really hate reading this thread, as it reminds me how woefully unprepared I am for any kind of emergency. I have less than a few days worth of food in my house and a meager first aid kit that we scraped together for our move.

I want to change, in a big way.

I want Remy's setup with Ring's orchard (along with a massive garden), a dash of Slims/Plan's bags, a metric crapton of training (first aid/weapons/survival/repair), and some place I could actually store everything.

Cinn and I want land of our own. Land to plan fruit bearing trees, raise livestock for by products/food, a basement to store food/supplies/ect, a workshop stocked with tools needed for sustainability (ability to fix small engines, work metal, work with wood, skin/butcher animals, build armor ;) ), and small arsenal of firearms/armor (both melee and modern)/live steel.

I want all of this, but I have to start small. Build a first aid kit. Get camping gear. Build a BOB bag.

Let's hope that raise I was promised comes through soon.

*****

Right now, if shit hits the fan in a large scale way (zombie war/aliens/ect) and a breakdown of society stars, I'm going to go find Plan and be an added burden to his bug-out plan. Hopefully he will take pity on my lack of supplies/training and bring me/cinn along.

That counts as a plan, right?

Yeah, I've been working on the same thing. I've got a Rubbermaid tub for the back of my station wagon that's going to be a hybrid of a camping/emergency kit, because 1) I'd want all of my backpacking gear accessible in an earthquake (comprehensive first aid kit, small cookstove, water filter, camping food), and 2) in case that 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake really happens, I don't want that shit stuck in my house. I'd never be able to get to it. I have more faith in my Volvo.