Be Prepared Like a Good Boyscout [Part 1: Hunker Down]

It is good to be prepared for a natural disaster, especially if you live in an area that is susceptible to earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, etc. In this blog I will explore being prepared to hunker down, or stay at home for an emergency situation [as opposed to an evacuation emergency kit/plan].

In my opinion, it is good to be prepared to survive for at least 2 weeks without access to the social services we are accustomed to [grocery/convenience stores, emergency medical care, electric/gas power, access to gasoline, etc].

The American Red Cross has a great, thorough variety of emergency kit lists specific to many different kinds of natural and other disasters. Please check these out and find the one that is most specific to your area.

Here are some personal notes I have:

-Always keep your car filled with at least 1/2 tank of gas, so you will be able to travel a couple hundred miles if necessary at a moment's notice.

- If you have a pet, be sure to check out the Pet Safety page. 

-Try to keep your phone battery charged. [I am the worst at this.]

-If you own a gun and know how to use it well, stock up on some ammo. You never know when/who you will need to protect.

-Have a hard-copy of phone numbers/addresses for friends and family.

-Keep playing cards, a journal and a writing utensil in your kit. The playing cards are for entertainment. The journal is for record keeping, you never know.

-If you have a lovely woman to include in your safety kit, make sure you have whatever feminine hygiene product(s) she uses in your kit. Murphy's law.

-Food. Christian and I keep chia seed, peanut butter and dried fruit. It's relatively cheap, has a long shelf life, it's pretty sustainable and we actually eat those things on a regular basis. A good rule of thumb is to eat what you store and store what you eat. You don't want to introduce uncommon foods into your diet during a time of crisis, give your body what it is expecting. Also, when the food's expiration date is approaching, just rotate it into your cupboard and add it to your grocery list. And remember, enough for you to survive on for at least 2 weeks. Don't forget to store some pet food if you have pets.

-Two-weeks worth of any prescription medication you take. Especially those medications that are life-sustaining. I don't know how it works as far as getting extra medication prescribed, but there must be a way to do it.

Anyways, I know many people think I am a conspiracy nut [you really won't get much argument from me on this one], but natural disasters do happen and I hope that my loved ones are prepared for them. For those of you in CA, please prepare for an earthquake, it is a reality.

I know that preparing for an emergency can seem overwhelming, but start small. When I was first building our emergency kit up [and I still am], I would look at our budget for the week and calculate what I could afford. If it was just a BIC lighter, then it was just a BIC lighter. Eventually you will get there. You really should start with food and water, though. Those are the most important. It's better to have an incomplete emergency kit, than nothing at all.