52 Weeks to Preparedness: Week 1, Short Term Emergency Food Supply (List 1)

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Create a preparedness foundation that you and your family can rely on when unexpected situations present themselves.

52 Weeks to Preparedness

Week 1 of 52: Short Term Emergency Food Supply (List 1)


FEMA suggests that each family have a 2 week supply of food and water for their home. Starting a food supply does not have to be a budget breaker. By slowly accumulating emergency supplies, you will not feel the financial “burn” compared to having to pay for everything up front. Therefore, keeping in mind what type of emergencies that you are planning for, if there are any family members with medical needs, how long you want your food supply to last, and so on, will help you make the best choice for your family.

Taking time to read the nutritional information on the back of the food source and knowing other considerations, will help a person make the best choices for their needs. If a person needs to use their stashed food supply, having foods high in vitamins, nutrients, and proteins will provide their body with what it needs for needed energy and mental clarity.

Preps to buy:

• 1 gallon of water per day for each family member (But enough for 2 weeks and remember that having more water stored up is better than being short on your supply)
• 2 jars of peanut butter
• 2 cans of juice per family member
• 2 cans of meat per family member
• 2 cans of soup or stew for each family member
• 3 non perishable items such as saltine crackers, graham crackers, etc.
• 1 hand operated can opener
• Permanent marker
• Additional supplies for infants or elderly – 2 weeks worth (diapers, wipes, children’s medication, formula, protein/calorie drinks, prescription medications, extra pair of glasses)

For those who have pets:
1 large container of dry food – This amount should last 2 weeks or longer

Action Items:

• Date perishable goods with a marker
• If possible, set aside $20 to use for emergencies
• Make a disaster plan and decide what types of disasters you are planning for (weather related, natural disasters, economic or personal disasters)
• Decide upon an out-of-area contact who can coordinate information with friends and family members.
• Once the out-of-area contact has been decided, email or call the newly designated emergency contact and provide phone numbers and names of family members for them to call

The content of this post was provided by Tess Pennington at
http://readynutrition.com/

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The First 60 Items to Disappear after a Disaster

The First 60 Items to Disappear After a Disaster

Whatever the type of disaster, whether it be a hurricane, earthquake, tsunami or economic collapse, those who have lived through catastrophic events know that certain items become scarce real quick leading up to and following a major disaster. Below is a list of the first 60 items that typically vanish first (in no particular order of importance). Is there anything on this list that's missing in your preps?

#1. Generators
#2. Water Filters/Purifiers (Shipping delays increasing.)
#3. Canned Foods - Fruits, Veggies, Soups, Tuna, etc.
#4. Seasoned Firewood
#5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
#6. Coleman Fuel
#7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots
#8. Hand-Can openers (Life savers!)
#9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugars
#10. Rice - Beans - Wheat (White rice - 50# bag. Sam's Club, stock depleted often.)
#11. Vegetable oil (for cooking) (Without it food burns/must be boiled, etc.)
#12. Charcoal & Lighter fluid (Will become scarce suddenly.)
#13. Water containers
#14. Mini Heater head (Without this item, propane won't heat a room.)
#15. Coffee/Tea
#16. Propane Cylinders
#17. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
#18. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula/ointments/wipes, etc
#19. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
#20. Vitamins
#21. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
#22. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products
#23. Thermal underwear (Tops and bottoms)
#24. Bow saws, axes and hatchets & Wedges (also, honing oil)
#25. Aluminum foil Reg. & Hvy. Duty (Great Cooking & Barter item)
#26. Gasoline containers (Plastic or Metal)
#27. Garbage bags (Impossible to have too many.)
#28. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, paper towels, paper plates
#29. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake liquid every 3 to 4 months.)
#30. Garden seeds (Non-hybrid) (A MUST)
#31. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
#32. Cold Weather/Rain Gear, rubberized boots, etc.
#33. First aid kits
#34. Batteries (all sizes... buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
#35. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
#36. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc.)
#37. Flour, yeast & salt
#38. Matches ("Strike Anywhere" preferred. Boxed, wooden matches will go first.)
#39. Writing paper/pads/pencils/solar calculators
#40. Insulated ice chests
#41. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
#42. Flashlights/LIGIITSTICKS & torches
#43. Garbage cans (Plastic - great for storage, water transporting - if with wheels)
#44. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
#45. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
#46. Fishing supplies/tools
#47. Insect repellent
#48. Duct tape
#49. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
#50. Candles
#51. Laundry detergent
#52. Backpacks & Duffle bags
#53. Garden tools & supplies
#54. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
#55. Portable Toilets (Increasing in price every two months.)
#56. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
#57. Canning supplies (Jars/lids/wax)
#58. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
#59. Bicycles... Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc.
#60. Sleeping bags & blankets/pillows/mats

52 weeks to Preparedness

Welcome to week 2 of our 52 Weeks to Preparedness series, which focuses on finding cost-effective ways to get you prepared for disasters.
This week we are going to focus on investing in basic hardware items. In later weeks, we will add additional hardware items to the list, but this week we are going to focus on laying a foundation.
A good rule of thumb when planning for emergencies is that a person is only as good as their tools. Good, quality tools are a sound investment and can last a lifetime if they are properly cared for. When purchasing hardware items such as the ones provided in the list below, take take to read online product and customer reviews before you make an investment. Also, avoid these 8 Rookie mistakes often made by preppers.

Preps to buy for Week 2:

• 32-gallon garbage can or- a sturdy storage box to hold disaster supplies
• Flashlight with alkaline-batteries or a hand-crank flashlight for each member of household that is over the age of 6. (Don’t forget extra batteries for the flashlights). Flashlights should also be purchased for each car, as well.
• Batteries in multiple-sizes.
• Heavy rope
• Duct tape
• Bic lighter and matches- to be stored in a waterproof container
• Multi-tool
• For furry friends, purchase a leash, or pet carrier and an extra set of I.D. tags.

Action Items:

1. Involve your children in your family preparedness efforts. Educate them on the different types of disasters and on your family’s disaster plans. Check out websites like Ready Kids for methods to teach your children about what to do in an emergency.
2. You should ask your child’s school and/or day care about what their disaster plans are. Here are a few questions that I asked our school:

• How will you communicate with a child’s family during a crisis?
• Do you store adequate food, water, and supplies for a disaster?
• Are you prepared for a shelter-in-place situation?
• If you have to evacuate, where do you go?

3. Find up-to-date pictures of each family member in case one of them gets separated from you during a disaster event, put the pictures in a waterproof or Ziploc bag, and place it in your emergency kit.
4. Prepare a personal information card for each family member.
5. As a family, discuss your emergency meeting places, contacts, and plans. Give your children the opportunity to express their feelings and to ask questions so they fully understand the disaster plan.
6. For family members who have special needs, ensure that those needs are accounted for in your emergency plan.

  Author: Tess Pennington
Web Site: http://www.ReadyNutrition.com/

77 Items Sold Out Before You'll Get There

1. WATER
2. batteries
3. flashlights
4. ice
5. candles
6. matches
7. toilet paper
8. paper plates & paper towels
9. heavy duty aluminum foil
10. water filters
11. flour
12. sugar
13. milk
14. powdered milk
15. Gatorade
16. canned soup
17. soup mixes
18. bouillon cubes
19. hand-held can openers
20. dry cereal
21. diapers
22. wet wipes
23. baby food
24. baby formula
25. sanitary napkins & tampons
26. bath soap
27. laundry detergent
28. waterless hand sanitizer
29. disinfectant
30. bleach
31. trash bags
32. re-sealable plastic bags
33. toothpaste
34. toothbrushes
35. shampoo & conditioner
36. shaving equipment
37. lanterns
38. lantern fuel
39. lantern wicks or mantles
40. butane igniter
41. charcoal grills
42. charcoal
43. camp stoves
44. propane for camp stoves
45. pocket knife
46. army knife
47. vitamin supplements
48. antacids
49. antibiotics
50. rubbing alcohol
51. hydrogen peroxide
52. laxative and diarrhea remedies
53. antihistamine
54. epsom salts
55. bandages
56. sterile gauze pads
57. first-aid tape
58. portable toilets
59. 5-gallon plastic buckets
60. gas-driven generators
61. gasoline storage containers
62. duct tape
63. chain-saws
64. cast iron dutch oven
65. cast iron frying pan
66. bug spray
67. mouse traps
68. mouse bait (d-con)
69. thermal underwear
70. insulated coveralls
71. heavy work gloves
72. boots / rain gear
73. band saws
74. axes
75. solar panels
76. hand-crank radios
77. canvas and nylon tarps