Are my fellow NJ'ers Prepared for Emergencies? (house, buying)

[tripod]

In particular I mean like having supplies on hand like food, water, medicine, which is imo something everyone should be doing. I try to store food that I actually use so I don't wind up having to throw away stuff. I'm trying to keep it simply and here's what I have on hand after reading on Ready.gov - Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed. + Welcome to preparedsociety.org and using my own common sense.


20 gallons of water per person in household

powdered milk
Cereals
cans of tuna
packets of mayo in box
crakers to substitute as bread
chunky soups
chef-boy-r-d cans
kraft mac+cheese microwave single servs
canned fruit
peanut butter

Tums + peptol bismol
cough syrup + cough drops
aspirin/tylenol

toilet paper
paper towels
wet towlets
plastic utensils + paper plates/bowls



Well that's a partial list and I'm not a survivalist or doomsday scenarialist but it's common sense that in any type of emergency those items tend to fly off the shelfs in no time AND if you're buying things you already use there's very little waste and for example only a couple items I have like the powdered
milk MIGHT get thrown out after it expires in a couple yrs.


The way I look at it is if everyone could hold their own for at least a week or even a few weeks following any type of crises, whether man made or natural, it would take that much pressure off of local and/or federal entities trying to provide perhaps what might be basic necessities to households that could've and should've had the foresight to do for themselves. Not trying to start a debate or lecture anyone here but was just working on buying a few things this weekend and happened to be thinking about it.

[TracySam]

We recently had another thread on the content of our "survival bunkers."

The only thing I'd suggest off the top of my head, is that you chose to keep some foods that aren't particularly nutritious (mac & cheez) and you seem to rely on having electricity (microwave food).
You may want to add more stuff that doesn't have to be cooked, or that can be cooked by just adding hot water (even if your stove doesn't work, you can always boil water in your barbaque grill).
I have a bunch of freeze-dried meals that last like 25 years. Mountain House even had some of their meals mentioned on a Food Network show, and people said they were pretty tasty. Here's their site:Mountain House: Meals and Pre-Made Kits for Emergency Preparedness, Long Term Storage and Disaster Survival.

I always chuckle at seeing powdered milk on these lists. Does anyone actually drink it? Maybe only after some apocalyptic event.

I have lots of canned soups, canned veges, canned tomato paste and sauce, and canned meals (like those big cans of Dinty Moore beef stew). Lots of dried pasta, since it lasts long, and I'll eat it anyway and replace it with newer packages. Crackers and cereal go stale, so I rotate them out pretty often. Lots of granola bars (still fine even after their expiration dates) and energy bars.

In addition to the OTC medicines you mention, make sure you have antiseptic (like alcohol or peroxide) and neosporin, band-aids, and bigger bandages. In the even of a big catastrophe, we can easily get cuts and scrapes, and we may not be able to get medical care if these get infected.

Also, have toothpaste and spare toothbrushes, lots of antibacterial gel, and the all important can opener for all those canned goods.

I'm not a big survivalist either (though I do LOVE survival products), but I have always kept several days of food on hand. I've always been annoyed by the people who flock to the grocery stores as soon as the news says it's going to snow. And now with my "bunker" full of food and supplies, you could probably lock me in my house for a few months and I'd be fine.

[JG183]

if something that catastrophic happens (where you'd need all that stuff), I don't think I'd want to live for long

[deb8997]

i second that jg 183.i think the biggest thing i would have on hand is my gun..

[TracySam]

Oh, my gun would be on my list too (to keep people out of my food bunker).

If something that catastrophic happens, you don't know if it's a situation in which you'd rather not live (even after a nuclear disaster, you have little chance of radiation related problems depending on your location).

I just figure, that as long as I do survive, I'd rather not have to starve or rely on some government relief effort.

[The Michigan Man]

Originally Posted by JG183

if something that catastrophic happens (where you'd need all that stuff), I don't think I'd want to live for long

So if you were without power for a month or two, you'd want to die? Sweet life.

[JG183]

Originally Posted by The Michigan Man

So if you were without power for a month or two, you'd want to die? Sweet life.

unless I'm living in Zimbabwe, I can't imagine anything happening in NJ which would cause a loss of power for more than 3 days

[twista6002]

I've got my shotgun cocked and my bomb shelter filled with canned foods because apparently there's going to be another Bolshavek revolution

[RobRiguez]

I have a hidey hole I keep cash in. I try to keep as much in the bank as I can (debit cards are accepted everywhere.) At any time we can live off whats in the cabinets/pantry for at least 2 weeks. Surviving does not mean good food, it means eating to stay alive. Water might be an issue but there are enough fresh water streams around I'll find it somewhere worst comes to worst. Anything so major it would last longer than 2 weeks we either move to where there is no problem or if the entire country is FUBARED I have enough weapons and ammo on hand to hunt for at least a year. By the end of the first year im sure I will have aquired more by any means necessary.

[angerinthenation]

Is there something about to go down that you know about that I don't know about? I would like to know to be safe too.