Well, One of My Blogs…

One of my goals for this holiday season was to revamp my emergency preparedness situation.  I’ve had some sort of grab-and-go backpack for several years, but I didn’t have a system to update the contents, and I didn’t have any house-emergency storage.  So, over the past week I’ve been updating, stockpiling, and reading crazy stuff on the internet.

It is really fun.

First order of business was to inventory my backpack.  I had not even opened it in several years, and cleaned out a couple of medications  (Advil, Pepto-Bismol) that had actually expired in 2008.  (Related note, how does one dispose of expired meds?)

Step two was to start reading up on what else I should include.  I read about a million “Be Prepared!” sites from places like the Red Cross and FEMA, and then I ventured gradually into survivalist territory.  In fact, I spend most of last night reading a Mormon manual on preparation and survival that also included tips and tricks for surviving a nuclear explosion.  Luckily, I did not have nightmares.

One of the fanciest things I’ve learned is that my ready-to-go backpack has a fancy name:  The Bug Out Bag.  There are all kinds of survival websites devoted to the contents of the Bag, and I feel fancy pants that I’ve had some version of one for at least five years.

Anywho, back to the prep.

Reading the survivalist recommendations are a bit intimidating, and also a bit unrealistic.  Urban/suburban Northern Californian that I am, I am likely not going to find myself needing to build a snow shelter.  Nor do I plan to learn to use and include a handgun or shotgun.  So, my prep is tailored to my situation.

I have three separate emergency stockpiles.

1.  The “bug out bag,” aka: the backpack that I can grab and run with.

2. Main emergency kit, stored in bins so that I can either use them at home, or easily throw them in the car and go.

3.  A small car kit, with minimal supplies.

 

Each kit is based on what are realistically the most likely emergencies I could prepare for.  While many of the survival websites and the Mormon guide are basically preparing for the end of the world as we know it, I’m starting a bit smaller.

Realistically, situations that are likely to require an emergency kit around here are a house fire or a really terrible earthquake that would take this area out, Katrina-style.

My prediction is that in most emergency situations, I’d be able to load up my car with my backpack and house bins and get to somewhere else.

The backpack is the primary emergency kit.  It has food, water, a first aid kit, pet supplies, toiletries, etc.  It has the main first aid kit, so it is set up to be combined with the house/car supplies.

The house supplies are in three bins.  The original plan was one giant bin, and then I realized (after purchasing said bin) that that was ridiculous, because the filled bin was far too heavy for me to move.  Instead, I settled on three regular sized storage bins which will be stored in the garage and fit quickly and easily into the car.  The house bins contain the minimum to keep me (plus two dogs and a cat) fed for three days.

Bin number one contains water.  I have six gallons in there now, and may be able to squeeze a few more in and still make it lift-able.  We’ll see.

Bin number two contains food.  In there is a small camp stove, canned foods, packaged foods, etc.  I’m still working on the food accessories– a small cooking pot, a bowl, etc.

Bin number three contains supplies, and is still the most in-progress.  So far there is a change of clothes, candles, dog and cat food, additional first aid supplies, etc.  I have a rarely used sleeping bag that I’m pretty sure it will fit in there, too.

The car bag is the smallest, and is almost preparation for inconvenience rather than emergency.  There is water, food, utensils, a sweatshirt and hat, sunscreen, shoes, and a mini rain-poncho.  I also have a blanket with a waterproof backing.  Already in the car I have a crank flashlight/radio.  The car bag is more for an event like:  “Oh, the road is closed and I am really hungry and kinda cold.  I need a snack and a sweatshirt while I take this hour-long rural detour.”  Or: “Wow!  The weather is amazing!  Let’s go to the beach!  I have a blanket and sunscreen in the car!”  We don’t have snow here, and when I travel to the snow, I already am in the habit of throwing in extra emergency stuff, just in case.

There are still several more odds and ends I am assembling, plus I need to make copies of important documents for the main backpack, and gather a supply of cash (including a roll of quarters, the websites say!).

Once these preliminary supplies are complete, and now that I’ve whet my appetite on bigger and badder survival stuff, I have my eye on some food-grade five gallon bins to fill with rice and beans and tuck away in a currently unused storage corner…

 

But in the meantime, I’ll post the full contents of each of my kits once they’re finished!