Pinesol13
Flush
I've been going down the emergency preparedness rabbit hole a bit recently. I live about an hour away from Buffalo, and they had that terrible snowstorm a few weeks ago, where almost 40 people died. About half where in unheated homes, the rest were either stranded in their cars or experienced a medical emergency and responders could not get to them.
It really got me thinking about what I would do in that situation, which then got me thinking about what I would do in other situations. I'm not going full blown doomsday and burying a shipping container in my backyard stocked with 2 years worth of canned goods. But I do want to be more prepared for events that are likely to happen. I've broken it down into three categories:
1. Being stranded in my car for 24+ hours, most like in cold conditions
2. Having 1 minute to leave my house due to emergency (most likely a fire)
3. Being stuck in the house without power/running water
I put together a car kit. Just a medium sized storage bin that has flares, compact shovel, jumper cables and a battery pack that can jump my car, tools, spare clothes, gloves, hat, a tarp, a heavy blanket, mylar "space" blankets, flashlights, duct tape, pen and paper, basic first aid kit, hand warmers, candles, lighter, tie down straps and bungee cables, bottled water and food. In the Spring I'll switch out the winter gear for summer related items.
For having to leave the house in an emergency, I put together a "go bag". I used an old backpack I had laying around. Includes a lot of the same stuff as the car kit, also have photo copies of all my important documents like ID, credit cards, SS card, insurance card, home owners insurance, birth certificate, marriage certificate, copy of family/friends phone numbers, etc... also have all these files on a usb in the backpack. I keep it in a closet near the door, so it's easy to grab on the way out. The originals of all the documents are in a binder in the same closet, everythings in water resistant plastic film.
Another thing I considered was what if a fire broke out at night while we are sleep, and we have to get out of the bedroom but can't get down the stairs. I made a mini go bag that I keep in my nightstand with just the basics, also keep a spare pair of shoes in the bedroom. Bought a collapsible ladder that we can use to escape out the window. We have a dog, so I also keep a harness and extra leash in the bedroom.
For being stuck in the house, I'm planning for 3-7 days. This one is more of a long term goal, I'll slowly be adding things to store in the house. Everytime I go to the supermarket, I'll grab a gallon of water, or a few food items. Next time I buy dog food, I'll buy two large bags and put one in the basement. When the first bag runs out, I'll buy another bag and rotate. This way I'll always a good supply. The same concept will be applied to other things, like toilet paper and some food items. Going to do the same thing with propane tanks and gasoline. Long term I plan to buy a generator
So, I figured I'd share, as I'm sure there are others here who are into prepping and can provide more discussion and insight/advice.
It really got me thinking about what I would do in that situation, which then got me thinking about what I would do in other situations. I'm not going full blown doomsday and burying a shipping container in my backyard stocked with 2 years worth of canned goods. But I do want to be more prepared for events that are likely to happen. I've broken it down into three categories:
1. Being stranded in my car for 24+ hours, most like in cold conditions
2. Having 1 minute to leave my house due to emergency (most likely a fire)
3. Being stuck in the house without power/running water
I put together a car kit. Just a medium sized storage bin that has flares, compact shovel, jumper cables and a battery pack that can jump my car, tools, spare clothes, gloves, hat, a tarp, a heavy blanket, mylar "space" blankets, flashlights, duct tape, pen and paper, basic first aid kit, hand warmers, candles, lighter, tie down straps and bungee cables, bottled water and food. In the Spring I'll switch out the winter gear for summer related items.
For having to leave the house in an emergency, I put together a "go bag". I used an old backpack I had laying around. Includes a lot of the same stuff as the car kit, also have photo copies of all my important documents like ID, credit cards, SS card, insurance card, home owners insurance, birth certificate, marriage certificate, copy of family/friends phone numbers, etc... also have all these files on a usb in the backpack. I keep it in a closet near the door, so it's easy to grab on the way out. The originals of all the documents are in a binder in the same closet, everythings in water resistant plastic film.
Another thing I considered was what if a fire broke out at night while we are sleep, and we have to get out of the bedroom but can't get down the stairs. I made a mini go bag that I keep in my nightstand with just the basics, also keep a spare pair of shoes in the bedroom. Bought a collapsible ladder that we can use to escape out the window. We have a dog, so I also keep a harness and extra leash in the bedroom.
For being stuck in the house, I'm planning for 3-7 days. This one is more of a long term goal, I'll slowly be adding things to store in the house. Everytime I go to the supermarket, I'll grab a gallon of water, or a few food items. Next time I buy dog food, I'll buy two large bags and put one in the basement. When the first bag runs out, I'll buy another bag and rotate. This way I'll always a good supply. The same concept will be applied to other things, like toilet paper and some food items. Going to do the same thing with propane tanks and gasoline. Long term I plan to buy a generator
So, I figured I'd share, as I'm sure there are others here who are into prepping and can provide more discussion and insight/advice.