lets discuss preps for disasters

   / lets discuss preps for disasters #151  
Both of my sons-in-law say that if there is a disaster they will go stay with my 90-year old mother. She WILL survive! There are skills and attitudes that the old folks have that we younger ones do not possess.

During the ice storm of 2009 when all were without power for seven to twenty days I learned a lot. First if the outage/disaster/revolution happens in cold weather the best thing you can have to keep the youngsters alive and warm is a bunch of quilts. Blankets are fine but nothing beats a quilt. House can be dark with no generator running and the people inside will be warm in their beds. Second, we keep several cases of bottled water stored in the garage. Third, gasoline and kerosene are precious. Keep your cans full. Fourth, keep your pantry stocked with canned goods and staples.

You will survive.

We went through the same ice storm, and I can honestly say that experiencing a "disaster" in a rural area vs. a city/suburban area would be vastly different.

In the ice storm event, travel was difficult/impossible via vehicle, unless you were carrying a chainsaw and a lot for fuel for the first few days. Of course, the weather improved after just a few days, but still...

I can't improve on what has been offered in terms of advice on prepping, other than offer my own comments. I found one of the biggest issues to be boredom. In the case where weather is unsuitable to be outside, there is a great need for some form of entertainment among the occupants of a dwelling. I think someone has already mentioned books and board games, and I would second that notion.

One other thing I would mention, that I feel goes along with this thread, and I haven't seen yet (I apologize if I have overlooked it) - personal health/physical fitness. Having food and tools is essential, but in a true disaster, the physical toll on your body will likely be greater than normal. Now I'm not saying everyone should try to be a lean, mean, survival machine - after all, a little extra body fat might come in handy! But in general, engaging in routine cardio, aerobics, weight training, etc. and trying to shed the extra pounds will not only make you feel better in day-to-day life, but be handy in difficult times. (I say all of the preceding as a former fat-boy that couldn't run across the living room without taking a break on the ottoman). I am by no means an outstanding physical specimen now, but am much better than I used to be.

Similarly, in this day and age, many disasters (hurricanes, snow storms, etc.) are not surprises, while others (earthquakes, tornadoes) can come from nowhere. It can't hurt to pay attention to the 7-10 day forecast and as forewarned as possible for changes in the weather, so one can make some last-minute preparations for particular disasters.

Good luck and take care.
 
   / lets discuss preps for disasters #152  
Both of my sons-in-law say that if there is a disaster they will go stay with my 90-year old mother. She WILL survive! There are skills and attitudes that the old folks have that we younger ones do not possess.

During the ice storm of 2009 when all were without power for seven to twenty days I learned a lot. First if the outage/disaster/revolution happens in cold weather the best thing you can have to keep the youngsters alive and warm is a bunch of quilts. Blankets are fine but nothing beats a quilt. House can be dark with no generator running and the people inside will be warm in their beds. Second, we keep several cases of bottled water stored in the garage. Third, gasoline and kerosene are precious. Keep your cans full. Fourth, keep your pantry stocked with canned goods and staples.

You will survive.

We went through the same ice storm, and I can honestly say that experiencing a "disaster" in a rural area vs. a city/suburban area would be vastly different.

In the ice storm event, travel was difficult/impossible via vehicle, unless you were carrying a chainsaw and a lot for fuel for the first few days. Of course, the weather improved after just a few days, but still...

I can't improve on what has been offered in terms of advice on prepping, other than offer my own comments. I found one of the biggest issues to be boredom. In the case where weather is unsuitable to be outside, there is a great need for some form of entertainment among the occupants of a dwelling. I think someone has already mentioned books and board games, and I would second that notion.

One other thing I would mention, that I feel goes along with this thread, and I haven't seen yet (I apologize if I have overlooked it) - personal health/physical fitness. Having food and tools is essential, but in a true disaster, the physical toll on your body will likely be greater than normal. Now I'm not saying everyone should try to be a lean, mean, survival machine - after all, a little extra body fat might come in handy! But in general, engaging in routine cardio, aerobics, weight training, etc. and trying to shed the extra pounds will not only make you feel better in day-to-day life, but be handy in difficult times. (I say all of the preceding as a former fat-boy that couldn't run across the living room without taking a break on the ottoman). I am by no means an outstanding physical specimen now, but am much better than I used to be.

Similarly, in this day and age, many disasters (hurricanes, snow storms, etc.) are not surprises, while others (earthquakes, tornadoes) can come from nowhere. It can't hurt to pay attention to the 7-10 day forecast and as forewarned as possible for changes in the weather, so one can make some last-minute preparations for particular disasters.

Good luck and take care.
 
   / lets discuss preps for disasters #153  
What is everyone storing water in for drinking? The plastic used in your normal, everyday 12 oz water bottles from the store has been proven to leach toxins into the water over a period of time. It's especially bad if they are stored in a warm area. I've heard that they can be dangerous to drink after just six months.

As of right now, we are still relying on that bottled water, but have been looking into some sort of glass containers for long term. Also the one gallon plastic containers at the store might be OK, neither of us have looked into those.
 
   / lets discuss preps for disasters #154  
What is everyone storing water in for drinking? The plastic used in your normal, everyday 12 oz water bottles from the store has been proven to leach toxins into the water over a period of time. It's especially bad if they are stored in a warm area. I've heard that they can be dangerous to drink after just six months.

As of right now, we are still relying on that bottled water, but have been looking into some sort of glass containers for long term. Also the one gallon plastic containers at the store might be OK, neither of us have looked into those.

Eh? If your referring to BPA, there are products on the market now that are free of that. Other stuff in plastic? Unsafe? Debatable.
 
   / lets discuss preps for disasters #155  
In addition to the approximately 2300 gallons in the storage tank, we also have a couple 275 gallon totes and about 20 of the gallon jugs from Arozona Iced Tea, which are a very thick plastic jug. I don't really enjoy the tea but love the jug.
 
   / lets discuss preps for disasters #158  
As for radios working after the CME or EMP, yes the vhf repeaters will likely be fried but simplex 2 meters can easily work for 50 miles with proper location and antennas. Also 80 meters with an NVIS antenna is your typical 200 300 mile solution. Try to keep the antennas around 10 foot high or so. Even lower can work but become a nuisance for people accidentally running into them. I have a nice little backup 12 volt radio the FT 450 . the power can easily be adjusted from 5 to 100 watts. And the display can be dimmed or even turned completly off to conserve power. A simple compact all mode hf thru 6 meter rig, yet full featured.
 
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   / lets discuss preps for disasters #159  
What is everyone storing water in for drinking? The plastic used in your normal, everyday 12 oz water bottles from the store has been proven to leach toxins into the water over a period of time. It's especially bad if they are stored in a warm area. I've heard that they can be dangerous to drink after just six months.

As of right now, we are still relying on that bottled water, but have been looking into some sort of glass containers for long term. Also the one gallon plastic containers at the store might be OK, neither of us have looked into those.

Since we have a well, and a way to get water out of it in a power outage, and several cases of water and pop in the basement where its nice and cool, we haven't done anything special. I've heard that 2 liter pop bottles filled with clean water and a couple drops of unscented bleach will keep for a year. So if you have concerns about plastic and leaching, just rotate out the water every 6 months and refill the containers. :thumbsup:
 
   / lets discuss preps for disasters #160  
A distiller is the best way to have pure drinking water. Also a basement isn't just for tornados. They can be a life saver in a power outage during extreme heat and cold.
 

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