How Prepared Are You?
 

I've been noticing the new government-sponsored emergency preparedness commercials on TV. They are encouraging people to "get a kit, make a plan, be informed". I think this is an awesome idea and one that makes perfect sense, though I only know of a few people who have actually gone to the trouble of assembling a kit/plan, etc.

So do you have a emergency kit? Why or why not? Whats in your bug-out bag and how did you tailor it to suit your needs (city vs. rural location, live solo vs. with a family)?

I am adequately prepared. Our plans include holing up or going rural, depending on the disaster. We have a group of people, family and non-family. However, our plan allows each small group to live alone until we can muster. It all depends on the event. Since we live in a natural disaster magnet, that is a bug-out event. Civil insurrection is a hole-up event, at least until travel is logistically possible. Pandemic, bug-out.

Sorry, I won't be more specific. I view this thread as a golden opportunity for the Kumbaya crowd to mock... because this is all a gigantic waste of time. That 800 lb. gorilla in the room isn't really there.

I am preparing everyday for that 800lb gorilla that isn't in my room.

Not prepared. Not at all. Haven't even seen the commercials in doing this, "preparation thingy".

Cromps has a rape kit in the back of his car though, I should get me one of those.

Cimarron, you seem to know something about being prepared for disaster. Can you direct me to a site that has info about what is needed in case of disaster? Perhaps a list of essential supplies? Thanks.

Useful links:

EDCForums.com

ZombieSquad

I'm prepared, but I'd like to be more so. My fiance and I were recently discussing this, in light of the recent earthquakes elsewhere in the world and the fact that we live in an area where a massive earthquake is entirely possible, and have decided to better ensure that we are prepared. For example, we have all of the things on the ready.gov list within our house, but I'd like to duplicate what we have and put it together into a kit, so that it's 1) ready to go, 2) easy to find, and 3) there are possible duplicates of things like flashlights and first aid kits. I'd like to invest in a better first aid kit, but there is someone I must consult before I do that.

For some light reading, may I suggest the SAS Survival Guide?

You can google "Bug out bag contents". The rest is obvious:

number of people * 1 day's food and water * number of days you want to plan for.
first aid / safety masks
light sources and chargers
cooking sources and processes
security items and processes
communication items and processes
important documents (including cash and barter items)

Then answer these questions:
Where are you meeting?
Where are you going?
What's plan b?
What's plan c?

Again, this is all a waste of time. 10 minutes after any trouble, the government is going to drop rainbows and butterflies on your ass from a Blackhawk. :thumbsup:

The way I see it, the fact that you can die at any moment never changes. Regardless of how prepared you believe yourself to be. I've probably read too many books on the pointlessness of risk aversion but I prefer not to kid myself.

I am somewhat prepared. Let me explain. I live in an area where there are no natural disasters, not even flooding. So my prepared bag of tricks is more for the nuclear variety. Or civil unrest/rioting. And each of those types of worse case scenarios has separate reactions based on the particular situation. Like if it was a nuke, how far away it was. If I need to stay home or get away. So I don't have much in the way of a bag of supplies, because most situations would require too many different things (I'd actually like to buy a hazmat suit, but can't afford it.) So most of my preparedness comes from knowledge.

Do you have a fire extinguisher in your house?

---------- Post added at 06:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:04 PM ----------

What are you going to drink when the water doesn't flow anymore?

Well, I don't have a bug-out bag explicitly. I do go camping quite frequently. I almost always have a weeks worth of camping supplies just lying around. I also store it packed the way I would carry it on a through hike. There is enough in there for the wife and I so if we ever needed to go, we could by just grabbing that bag. I do keep excess water purification in there, and a belt loop minimalist survival pack (again for camping).

I'm pretty sure if we got stuck in the house I could come up with a month's worth of water easy, out of the house not less than 3 weeks' worth. We also keep plenty of canned goods around, and If we eat the frozen stuff first, that will last us even longer. By that time I'm out of supplies we could have a decent shelter together somewhere else, if we needed to.

I probably do but I'll have you know that I wear my seatbelt while driving, I wash my hands before eating and I'm currently working my way through one of those condom variety packs. Good common sense is exactly that. My point is that you can attempt to have every contingency covered but it's all just an exercise in futility considering the fact that your ass is never totally covered and we lack enough imagination to seriously consider the worst that can happen.

I saw this, so I'm like Rambo-in-waiting (I don't think this is sarcasm, but my own brand of dry humour to a serious/ridiculous coin-flip of a scenario).

Also, a semi-semblance of the discussion here, as brought to you, condensed, by two responders on the History Channel forums.

I don't know whether or not I'll be prepared for, what was the hypothetical again? As I see it, for different situations, calls different methods of preparation; having a fallout shelter when the main natural disaster impediment to your continued life is between an active volcano on your island or a tidal wave threatening to destroy your bamboo home with each passing succession makes it of little use to anyone in that certain situation. However, I don't see myself cooped up in my home waiting for a storm or nuclear holocaust outside to die down, hoping to sustain my nourishment by eating a day's ration worth of kool-aid and pop-tarts to tide me.

Most of what's necessary for me to survive, is both living, and "contained" outside of my abode. Just like the other 50% of the "civilized" world lives and breathes each day, by gathering today's food today (and in some cultures, the season's harvest during the beginning of the right quarter of the calendar). I doubt anybody in Finland, Paraguay, or South Korea is contemplating their imminent destruction and planning accordingly to prevent it, so why should I be any different? Would it even matter, taking into account the recent examples of widespread and total destruction seen in Brasil, Haiti, Chile, and in Southeast Asia?

Being paranoid about a fateful tomorrow makes for an unhealthy mindset of today's me.

IMO, unexpected difficulties are a part of life. I have health insurance. I keep a first aid kit, shovel and a set of jumper cables in my truck. More often than not, I have a leatherman multi-tool on me. I don't leave the house every day expecting to need these things, but I keep them handy because I have been in situations where not having them could have seriously ruined my day.

Because "it's better to have and not need, than need and not have" I keep some camping gear, baby wipes, dehydrated backpacking meals and a couple cases of bottle water in the basement. I'm not going to survive a nuclear holocaust but I will be able to handle a couple of days of no running water/electricity.

I keep a bug-out bag ready to go for pretty much the same reasons. It's like a portable "second chance". My BOB is nothing special or Rambo-esque. It's really just a collection of the basic stuff you need to spend a couple of nights in the woods, and a fairly extensive first aid kit, duct tape and a set of various tools. I throw it in the back seat whenever I'm leaving town or don't know where the day will take me. It has come in handy when I've been unexpectedly stuck in the woods overnight or have had to apply a pressure dressing after some idiot dumped his motorcycle on a backwoods road. To me, being prepared to take care of yourself and help out your neighbor is just part of being a responsible person.

Tak (yes), I wholeheartedly agree.

Namely because I've twice nearly been killed. The first when crossing the road that left me in a coma I wasn't expected to come out of and the second instance, when an ex-partner tried to kill me by strangulation.

In both instances, fat lot of use an emergency kit would've been.

But then, I do have an accessible emergency kit stashed away and I really feel for my 'neighbors' down south. Thankfully, neither my godson and his sister who live in and around Christchurch, were home the weekend of the 7.1 quake only 2wks ago.

Not prepared at all. No use in worrying about what may or may not happen in the near future.

I dont have a fire extinguisher in my house (just an an aside)

I dont have a kit of survival stuff... if there is a nuclear war there wont be much to survive for... natural disasters, I guess I'd just wait for the aid to arrive... civil unrest, I'd probably be one of the rioters.

That said, I do own a torch

:rolleyes:

gorilla?. wow..

---------- Post added at 05:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:33 PM ----------



with you on that.

live 1 day as it comes

---------- Post added at 05:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:34 PM ----------



thanks for the links.

i'm sure they will be handy eventually

After living in Northern CA. and enduring a fire, 2 huge Earthquakes and a terrible flood:

I ALWAYS have candles, batteries & flashlight, canned food, water...etc.

However: I was ready to move to Ohio ASAP!

After we got to Ohio, the land of rain and snow - I realized that there is nothing you can do to prepare for a blizzard in Ohio & our place doesn't have a fireplace. When we were without power last winter, I was glad I had friends with fireplaces and a job where there was still heat.

Anyone who says " ignore the need to be prepared" is a total idiot IMO.
Having your head in the sand is closer to putting it elsewhere & while there just kiss your butt good bye. We won't miss ya.

I am very prepared by most peoples standards.

I live in a hurricane zone. One just missed me last Thursday. I'm prepared to go it solo here or bugged out. I have everything from canned meat, other foods, MRE's etc... A serious medical bag complete with sutures. I keep several hundred gallons of fresh potable water on hand. I can have my truck loaded with enough gear to live pretty well for 30-40 days in under 30mins. If I'm able to stay in my house, not likely since I'm beach front, I could make it on my own for several months. Unless all the fish on the gulf die off, then I might have to get inventive. Soylent Green is still people, right?

Well in truth, Soylent Green is Anyone who makes under 40K a year or is an immigrant in the USA without papers.

:paranoid:

Well hell, then I could make it years no problem.

Hehehe...then you're lucky you have papers and make a lot of ching.

Can I borrow 30-40K to make it through the next year? :) I've been good and stopped buying shoes!

I would rate my preparedness at a 3 out of 10 right now. It is way more than other people have (I have a gas mask in my garage) and gallons of clean water in my fridge. I also have camping gear and a plan on where to go in various scenarios. I do have cold weather gear, and have camped in hot weather plenty of times.

The issue is, that I and many other people only buy food from the store. I can pick berries and have about 1 weeks worth of canned food. But, I worry about my food supply if a major virus outbreak happens and shipping stops. I also don't have a gun yet. So, I worry about security and defending my home if I had to stay here while hungry, desperate people with guns are looking for food and supplies. I don't have any fishing gear either. I should also buy a survival book to read if $#!^ hits the fan.

The only real damage any natural disaster would do to my neighborhood would be knocking out the power. If society collapsed completely and I didn't go with it, I live close to fresh water sources and could survive for the rest of my life hunting and gathering around here. I'd definitely be one of the first to raid the local pharmacy for needs and future barter supplies, but I don't see the need to prepare inadequately for something that's not going to happen

Kinda.

I've got serious water filters, along with extra water in the garage and under the house, enough for about a week and a half. I've got canned food as well as a cellar (which is way too much fun) which is slowly filling with root vegetables and homemade canned foods. While I don't have the cellar specifically for an emergency, it would work well in a pinch assuming it doesn't cave in or fill with water or lava (would it be magma if it's in a basement?). The backyard has super-rich soil and a sizable garden, though it alone couldn't sustain me long-term.

I don't have any guns or traditional weapons. I don't have a car that can run on biodiesel or vegetable oils. I have hiking boots, but they're not of the quality to last for years wandering the wilderness. I have seasonal allergies which can get fairly serious when I'm not on some kind of basic medication.

I have a 2 or 3 D cell Maglight on each wall in every room of the house, they sell mounts on amazon for them. In the kitchen and laundry room there are also two large fire extinguishers next to the lights. Each is taped with reflective and glow tape.

It is set up like a Naval ship or an aircraft. I just have that training ingrained in me, but you bet when we need a flashlight, we got one. And if there is a fire, there is no excuse to not try to put it out. I also have a SureFire in a few nooks with a glocks next to them.

I have one 3day molle pack with all first aid equip, About 25-30 lbs of stuff. With flashlight and knife attached to the bag.

One more 3day pack with copies of documents, thumbdrives and DVDR duplicates of all important documents and passport scans etc... all encrypted. Basic clothes.
(In Socal we ran outside from an earthquake at 5am, almost naked. The neighbors were also scantily clad so we just laughed, but if the house did collapse, we'd be wearing that all day, all week etc)

Last 3day bug out bag is almost empty but ready to take food, water and other anti-zomie stuff. Thick gloves, goggles, knee pads and a E-tool shovel. God forbid I have to do any digging or rescuing anybody.


On top of that we have 3 mo supply of food. Mountainhouse freeze dried cans of food and 3 Cases of MREs. The freeze dried food lasts 35yrs. The MREs 5min, 10max. Can be used for Camping too.

At least 10 stacks of bottled water on hand at all times, rotated. And min 50 Gal of tap water stored in the garage in containers, rotated. Gets used up fast on a daily basis anyways.

5 5gal Gas Jerry cans, 1 always filled, rotated with gas stabilizer. Usually use it for the lawnmower anyways. Car always needs gas so extra is never an issue.

Most mormons or other neighbors I have, also prepare. We are in a Hurricane area so its never a bad idea. There are those though who have no more than 1 days supply of food or water in their house. Good luck when the semi-trucks dont roll for a few days. Many grow and can their own stuff, I am not that advanced or inclined. I just want insurance.



Some people think I am over the top. However, many of my friends are in Gov and work in FEMA type agencies, and they know a lot about disasters and even man made events that can cause havoc in medical or food supply systems within days. They DO know something I don't and I am just playing copy-cat.

Washroom
http://photos.imageevent.com/remy149...ep10%20005.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/remy149...ep10%20007.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/remy149...ep10%20010.jpg

I'm sure I'll be better prepared on Dec 20, 2012... I probably should start building stuff pretty soon.

Yeah ASU, if you have just yourself to worry about, dont freak out. But once you have kids who will go hungry because you spent your paycheck on beer and cigs, instead of food. Then things get bad pretty fast.

Our civilized society will degrade as fast as any other civilization has if there is no food.
Albeit, most around me are pretty plump and can go quite a while on nothing if they had to, but when you realize how empty a supermarket is after 1 day of shopping, and then imagine if it wasn't restocked that night, things get bad fast.

If there is one thing people should spend money on, instead of plasma TVs, Cars, baseball tickets..... its things that keep you alive. Sadly most think the government will take care of their every need as if its a god given right. What is also certain is that a huge earthquake WILL hit CA and a CAT-5+ Hurricane WILL make landfall again. Its just a matter of time. I am not a gambling man, but I am sure I will win that bet.

I live out of a 3 cu ft plastic box.

I'm ready.

I don't really have a bag, no real canned food or water. Reading through this thread has made me realize I don't have a fire extinguisher, which is really dumb. I should have that even if I don't prepare for anything.

I would like to slowly build up stuff like this, but I don't know where I'd really store it.

I do have a long gun and a handgun, with about 50 rounds for the handgun. I'd have some for the rifle but my girlfriend won't let me keep them in the house.

If worse comes to worse, I'll just rob people like will if I have to bug out.

Ouch.

Here is my emergency bag as it sits now....

Edited because I don't want to leave this stuff up for too long.

Considering the only big thing I have to worry about short of the collapse of society is extended utility outages (fortunately I live on top of a hill 270' above sea level and in a non seismic zone so flooding and earthquakes aren't a problem,) I've thought about getting one of these WaterBOB: emergency drinking water storage to store water just in case. If the water isn't back on by the time the 3 of us use up 100 gallons of water, we're idiots and should have evacuated earlier.

It looks neat, but you will have almost as much luck just sealing the drain and filling up the bathtub.

You can also get a large quantity of water out of a hot water heater.

Do you have access to any natural water sources? If so a few extra containers and some water purification drops (8 drops bleach/gallon of water will work in a pinch) would ensure you won't ever run out.

One of the things I would really like (but cannot afford) is a backup hand-pump for my well. It would be a convenient source of clean drinking water but is not absolutely necessary for me in North Carolina as streams are nearby.


On another note: If you are interested in food storage you can purchase 5 gallon buckets full of grains, spaghetti, beans, etc. all nitrogen packed and sealed for long term storage. They all run about 40 dollars per bucket which is actually a very reasonable price.

Slims: Why the two different chest seals?

-----

FWIW, I went with the Bolin Chest Seal

Mostly because it is what I have rotated out of my kit. One has a valve, the other is solid. I have two because a bullet is likely to leave two holes.

Well played.

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.