Having grown up Mormon, you could say preparedness is in my DNA. We were always taught to have a 2 years’ supply of basic necessities. And having grandparents who lived through the Depression, I saw people who always had extra stashed away, never wasted anything.
And then at times over the last 3 years, we saw how supply chain issues made some things tough to get… toilet paper, baby formula, etc.
Some people don’t give a lot of thought to being prepared for a rainy day, which is always shocking to me. Even a random wind storm can take down power in a nice little suburb for several days, making it impossible to pump gas, run water, keep the refrigerator going, use credit cards, etc.
Sniffing the wind and making reasonable preparations does not make one a dooms day nut. I don’t like living in fear, nor do I want my creative energy to be used to inadvertently give life to unpleasant visions.
I find that if I take inspired action I feel relaxed and can just go about the business of enjoying life. If I don’t take the actions I feel called to, then general anxiety and nagging thoughts compound to sap my bandwidth.
Basic Prep
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are the basics of what I have put together for myself and my family. Feel free to take from this what speaks to you, and to do more where you are called…
Food:
- My Patriot Supply
- Thrive Life
- Legacy Food Storage
- Indoor Hydroponic Tower Garden
- Buy seeds
- Grow sprouts in a mason jar
- Plant a garden, a pot on a patio, anything
- Wild forage – learn what weeds/plants in your yard are edible and medicinal
- Buy a food dehydrator and a Food Saver vacuum sealer
- Learn to can and properly freeze food
- Bulk nuts and seeds, can keep in freezer, then can be soaked for max nutrition
- Bulk grains, lentils, beans – these can also be sprouted
Water:
- 55 gallon storage tanks – 1 gallon per person per day
- Hydrogen peroxide and/or Clorox to purify
- Water distiller to make your own clean distilled water
- Rain catchment barrels
- Filtration (whole house filters, Berkeys, backpacking filters like LifeStraw, REI’s Platypus)
- Purification tablets
- Ways to boil water if the power is down
Power:
- Backup generators
- Extra gasoline with STA BIL fuel stabilizer for up to 2 years shelf life
- Solar generators – up to 1500 watt
- Solar panels
- Battery banks to store the solar or AC energy
- Firewood, axes, saws
- Matches, lighters, flint & steel, lens
- Propane – for BBQ or Mr. Heater Buddy Series
- Jet boil stove – used for backpacking
- EMF protection, enhanced life force and harmony – FLFE
Light:
- Solar camping lanterns
- Candles
- Batteries – including deep cycle marine batteries, lithium ion batteries, D, C, AA, AAA, rechargeable
- Flashlights
- Headlamps
- Power source to jump start your cars – always keep in car
- Inverters, clamps, etc
Heat:
- Electric devices, blankets
- Propane
- Natural gas
- Firewood
- Chaffing dish gel / candles
- Lots of extra blankets and sleeping bags
- Warm clothes that can be layered
- Head coverings, neck warmers, thermals
- Thick socks
- Rain gear
Car:
- NEVER let your tank get below 50% capacity – gas up when your tank is half full
- Device to jump start your battery
- Compressor to pump up a flat tire
- Basic tool set, including a shovel, tarp and paracord / rope
- Emergency blankets, bivvy sacks
- Water
- Snacks, maybe a couple meals and a way to cook them (camp stove, etc)
- First aid kit, including cayenne pepper (good for bleeding, heart problems)
- Flares, lanterns in case you get stuck by the side of the road in the dark
- Comfortable shoes you could walk a few miles in
- Towels, rags
- Simple toiletries like toothbrush and toilet paper and wipes
- Maps
- Garmin satellite device
- Ways to keep your cell phone and other devices charged
- Toilet paper
- Wipes
- Trash bags
- Gloves – work gloves and for warmth
Communication:
- Garmin GPS satellite device
- Ham radio / amateur radio, at least VHF and UHF bands – need a technician license
- Walkie talkies / CB radios
- Starlink as a WIFI backup service if my Spectrum internet goes down
Health/Medical:
- Robust first aid kit
- Extra back up prescription medications and supplements
- Home nebulizer for respiratory treatments
- Keep food grade hydrogen peroxide on hand
- Herbs and essential oils (lavender, oregano, myrrh, frankincense)
- Cayenne pepper
- Castor oil
- Learn about medicinal herbs and plant them around you
- Easy access to important phone numbers and emergency contacts
- Learn basic CPR and First Aid from trained professionals
- Become a Wilderness First Responder so you know the basics if advanced life support is more than an hour away
- Compost toilet / bucket toilet / Clorox / thick trash bags – in an extended crisis, people die of improper sanitation before other things. What will you do if you can’t flush refuse and the garbage collector doesn’t come for a few weeks?
- Poo Powder 😉
Be useful… in situations where ‘normal’ life is disrupted, what useful skills or resources do you have that would be valuable to trade with others? Build community… try to have good relationships with your neighbors. In a tight spot, these people can be your lifeline.