Emergency preparedness

[engineergurl]

kind of only really half following this... the zombies threw me for a loop... my biggest concern is always about water... not fuel. We actually have an emergency kit "tuff" box at our house, and my husband thinks I'm crazy to have it, but any kind of disaster would probably have him at work, so I don't want to be up craps creek alone with the animals and thousands of miles away from anyone I know... I seriously have done a ton of research on this topic... and here is what I have stock piled...

paperwork-

copies of my medical records, as well as the animals. Included with the animal medical records, I have snapshots of each animal, and with mine a copy of my finger prints, and an expired picture ID... also included is copies of all the health, life, car and home insurance papers, power of attny, medical power of attny, and my will as well as in case of emergency contact information. This stuff is in a fireproof carry case, hidden in an odd location that is easy for me to get to, and my mother has been told where it is kept.

food-

I have minute rice, canned tunafish and chicken, velveeta shells and cheese (requires no milk), regular velveeta, just add water bread dough and stuff like that to last one week for two people, and a stash of MRE's just in case.

water-

I have a case of bottled water that we always keep in the house, and several 2 liter bottles filled with water for the animals, as well as iodine.

fuel-

stock pile of wood that we have for the fire place, and several smaller cans of propane for the colman stove, oh and a bag of dryer lint (a cheap solution but THE best way to get a fire going in the world!)

medical-

our med kit is probably more intense then most people and includes everything from advil, to splints, to iv's, I know this last one sounds pretty gross, but it also has a pack of always in there... they make GREAT bandages for gusher wounds (ie like the kind where a knife is sticking out of it or would require major stiches), also a month supply of all perscriptions, contact solution and extra pairs of contacts, hand sanitizer, antacids, pepto, activated charcoal, rubbing alcohol etc etc etc. oh AND I have seditives for all the animals in there too as well as a flea/tick/heart worm treatment for each.

random other stuff-

blankets, flashlight, batteries, glow sticks, three plastic bowls, canned cat food, and a few dog toys, waterless soap, a few samples of laundry detergent and then some clothes (old ones, that we don't wear anymore, but that we could if we have to)... and a few tools...a write-in-rain notebook and some pencils

Basiclly, should we ever have to evacuate we could do so in less then 30 min, we would just have to load up this box, and the camping gear box, the fireproof lock box, the dog food bin, and their cages, and then get the cat in a carrier and go. Should we be stranded here at the house, we could live with out any problem for at a minimum of a month where all I would have to forage for would be water...

so yeah, water is my only concern... and should any one try to loot the flat screen tv's at my house, I would probably shoot ya before I would sick the dog on ya, just cause I wouldn't want to have to shoot around her...

 

[WaterholeWally]

I certainly appreciate your detailed list. I should have a tuff box filled with all the things you mentioned. (instead of scattered about) What you did make me think about is putting my travel Brita water filter kit in the box. I started using nothing but filtered water over twenty years ago when I discovered how bad most water smells and tastes. The iodine and other absolute must have items are great tips.

Now I have a new project to work on...

Thank you.

 

[engineergurl]

just remember that the Brita filter doesn't really filter the water fully if you need to drink rain water... you have to make sure to boil it to kill any bad little buggies!!!

I certainly appreciate your detailed list. I should have a tuff box filled with all the things you mentioned. (instead of scattered about) What you did make me think about is putting my travel Brita water filter kit in the box. I started using nothing but filtered water over twenty years ago when I discovered how bad most water smells and tastes. The iodine and other absolute must have items are great tips.
Now I have a new project to work on...

Thank you.

 

[WaterholeWally]

Good point. I've been eyeing a low tech still for capturing boiled water. Of course, as a half-baked HVACR mechanic, I do own enough coiled tubing and non-leaded solders and brazing to make one without too much effort. I am still amazed at the garbage my filters collect with the wonderful public water.

This mornings brunch discussion was about your list. We are going to make-up a tuff box of stuff that needs occasional upgrading (food, wipes) and another with long term goodies. e.g. axe, tools, blankets. mosquito netting, boric acid, fishing gear. I still have some Civil Defense items from the sixties and Three-mile Island.

Again, thanks. I'm looking forward to getting this done. After finals, I'm gonna get serious about a good tri-fuel MG.

 

[Dleg]

Wow, engineergurl, you are SO IN the compound. (The post-zombie apocalypse comound). I will be detailing you to logistics.

People often wonder how I got in the compound myself. It's purely for my skills with explosives.

 

[engineergurl]

WOOT! Acceptance! I can even tell you what plants/bark/bugs are okay to eat if it comes down to it, but we won't go into that sort of survival mode unless absolutely needed...

Wow, engineergurl, you are SO IN the compound. (The post-zombie apocalypse comound). I will be detailing you to logistics.
People often wonder how I got in the compound myself. It's purely for my skills with explosives.

 

[Dleg]

^Yeah. I'd eat the dead first, but the problem with the zombie apocalypse is that the dead are already trying to eat YOU.

 

[WaterholeWally]

This latest ice storm in the North East is another reminder of how horrible it is to be down in the cold months. A number of people have died, and these same people are built for this weather. I was in New Hampshire the past January and I was amazed how fast they cleared the snow. You have to be completely self-reliant in an ice storm.

 

[mudpuppy]

For the most part I don't worry about major calamities like that--since I work for an electric utility I know I'll be out working if something major happens. The company will take care of me, or so I hope!

 

[Dleg]

The good news is that in an ice storm, the zombie threat is greatly reduced.

 

[rudy]

Wow! Very impressive. Engineergurl, you're going to win Survivor.

 

[WaterholeWally]

Unfortunately where I live the utility workers have families and houses of their own. Last major storm the paper had a picture of a bucket-truck with a tree on top crushing same.

 

[maryannette]

This is a different kind of emergency preparedness, but worth mentioning because there are a lot of people with younger kids here.

If you have anyone else's kid with you and the kid's parent is not easily accessible in case of emergency, get a written permission to have the kid treated if there is an accident.

We learned this lesson the hard way. It was years ago. We had our daughter's friend with us at the beach for a week. We knew the parents and they were fine with her going with us. The kid ended up breaking her arm and my husband ended up in the clinic with her waiting for hours until the parents could be notified and permission given to treat the minor. From then on, anytime we had other kids going anywhere with us overnight, we asked the parents for written permission to get emergency medical treatment. Never had to use it after that, but it is still a good idea.

 

[TXengrChickPE]

If you have anyone else's kid with you and the kid's parent is not easily accessible in case of emergency, get a written permission to have the kid treated if there is an accident.

Excellent point! My in-laws always have a signed medical release when they have our kids. So far, we've never had other people's kids with us for more than a couple of hours... but that will likely change as ours get older.

 

[csb]

We have some legal software that includes a super easy to print out Emergency Release Form that we send along with our kid.

And to go along with the original topic- we have water and some stuff put together. Not to the extent that engineergurl has, that's for sure. I always print the lists off and then never follow through. I will say that we have a ton of it already in one place ready to go, only we call it the camping boxes. I'm mostly nervous about paperwork stuff. In America you don't exist without paperwork.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

We have some legal software that includes a super easy to print out Emergency Release Form that we send along with our kid.
And to go along with the original topic- we have water and some stuff put together. Not to the extent that engineergurl has, that's for sure. I always print the lists off and then never follow through. I will say that we have a ton of it already in one place ready to go, only we call it the camping boxes. I'm mostly nervous about paperwork stuff. In America you don't exist without paperwork.

Papiere, Bitte!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

You'd've made a good Nazi, Dan.

 

[csb]

no joke!

 

[FLBuff PE]

I just read through this thread. EG's list is impressive, and got me thinking. We had a huge snowstorm here this past weekend. With the addition of mini-Buff, I think I should have a snow-bound kit. I will start assemblage soon. If anyone has ideas as to what to include, please let me know.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

You'd've made a good Nazi, Dan.

1. National Socialism is pretty much what we have now, and it is definitely what we are moving towards. Nazism had nothing to do with killing Jews (that was Hitler's own personal brand of crazy), but it had everything to do with nationalized infrastructure, welfare, and automobiles (Volkwagen...the people's car).

2. My last name is Wilhelm...good German name.