Prepping for Disasters or Worse

[kittygrrl]

We haven't touched on food storage..i almost hate too as there are so many opinions..store at least the basics which you don't have to rotate as much but they have to be stored correctly to begin with...per person 1 year supply
rice 40 lbs
oats 30 lbs (plain steel cut, not the quick or the flavored!)
sugar/honey 20 lbs
salt at least 10 lbs
dried beans & lentils 40 lbs
dried milk 25 lbs
White Vinegar 1-2 Gallons
Crisco 2 Large Cans (good for at least 5 years maybe more)
freeze dried fruit #10 cans at least 2-3 cans
freeze dried peas, green beans, broccoli 2-3 cans)
Multi Vitamin(Not gummies!)
Keep in mind you will be making meals of from this supply so the more kinds and variety the better off you will be, so add ons little by little to this basic store.

Worthy add ons -
Peanut Butter
Jam/Jelly
Spices garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon(at least)
olive oil
instant coffee
pasta
flour
yeast
Pancake Mix
baking powder
baking Soda
dried eggs
canned fruit
Bob's Red Mill Coffee Cake(my weakness)
canned meat - tuna, salmon, chicken etc (you will need protein at least 50-170 grams of protein per day)off the top of my head this is a good list to start..it's a lot if you look at it as a whole but just start is the point!!

[GeorgiaMa'am]

Originally Posted by kittygrrl

We haven't touched on food storage..i almost hate too as there are so many opinions..store at least the basics which you don't have to rotate as much but they have to be stored correctly to begin with...
1 year supply

per PET!

I don't remember if anyone has mentioned this yet, but us pet owners also need to be storing food and water for our pets.

Plan to take your pets with you should you have to evacuate. They should not be left behind because you don't know for sure when you'll be able to return, or if it will remain safe for them to stay behind. You can't count on local shelters and government to set up holding areas for pets, because there simply aren't enough animal caretakers in any geographic area to care for the full number of pets that live within that area. We learned this after Hurricane Katrina.

FEMA learned many useful things after making people leave their pets behind during Hurricane Katrina evacuation, including that trying to provide safe kenneling for all rescued pets was impossible; after the kenneling was overflowing, volunteers tried to go out into the flooded areas and feed and water pets in place. Another useful thing they learned was that a large number of people (est. 100,000 - 200,000) would not evacuate if they had to leave their pets behind. Other people who did initially evacuate snuck back into the restricted areas and returned to their homes to live and care for their pets. Many pets, when finally rescued, were malnourished and starving. Many pets were never reunited with their owners. And of course, many pets did not survive.

The sheer number of pets, and people's behaviors regarding their pets, and the inadequate number of volunteers and resources, made the entire situation FUBAR. It interfered with the entire Hurricane Katrina operation.

Although FEMA no longer exists, their SOP was updated to stipulate that in a crisis situation, evacuating people should take their pets with them.

* * *

So us pet owners will have to plan to have food, water and supplies for pets: medications and supplements, shelter, garments, blankets, eating and drinking containers, first aid supplies. I plan to make a list so I don't forget anything, because I don't plan to buy duplicates of all these things and store them. Also, as I think of items I can add them to the list.

[Stone-Butch]

A couple of suggestions:

Rutland or SureStart fire cubes will light even if wet so you do get a fire.

Mylar blankets are super light to carry and tiny to pack but they do reflect and keep in the heat to your body and help especially if it rains and you have not constructed your lean-to or hut yet.

It is best to build a shelter with walls, a roof and a very small entry way. A lean-to is ok if you are sure it won't rain but it will help stop the wind in a dire emergency.