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I've had strep throat all week so it's been a great excuse to live in front of my laptop. I've started my lists and would like to post them for your expert reviews. First is my 'basement' storage list. As I've stated, I'll aim for 1 week first, then build to a month or two. I'll put my BOB list in the window after this.
(Oh! And I found out that we have a generator that a cousin gave to us when she moved. How cool is that?!)
GENERAL:
Candles
Mylar blankets
Sternos
Water proof matches
Diaper wipes
Canned goods
Can opener
Dish soap
Body soap
Batteries, D, C, AA, AAA
Flashlights
Lantern lights
Bleach
Fire lighting magnesium
Hand warmers
Light sticks
Multi tools
Pocket knife
Games, cards
Several eye droppers – one for bleach
FOOD:
Freeze dried food:
Fruit, Veggies, Meat, butter, cheese
Canned goods - mix of fruit, veggies, soups, beans, tomato,
Ham, chicken, corned beef
MREs – a least a few per -person
___ gallons of water per person per day.
Dried Beans, peas, lentils
Rice
Dog food and treats
Emergency ration bars
Pasta
Tuna/salmon packs/cans
Protein and energy bars
Coffee
Nondairy creamer
Evaporated milk
Sugar
Bisquick, pancake mix, cake & muffin mix
Maple syrup
Nuts
Hard candies
Candy
Peanut butter
Jelly
Crackers
Pudding and Jello
Mac & cheese
Au gratin potatoes
Dried onions
Dried vegetable seasoning
Common seasonings
Gatorade
Salt
Sugar
Honey
Parmesan/romano
Baking soda
Vinegar
Pickles
Chocolate, mostly dark
Veg and olive oil
Flax seed, ground
Balsamic vinegar
And here is the BOB list. I've combined both dried and canned food, since one can never be sure of a water supply. I assume that if we bug out, we'll be headed inland toward some type of shelter. We would HAVE to have a car as we live on an island, unless we headed to the local shelter.
BOB
(for 4 people and 1 dog)
GRAB PRESCRIPTIONS
Grap laptop and back up drive
2 Luggage w/wheels – 1 for food, 1 for supplies,
Perhaps a third for seasonal clothing
Maps of NY, NJ, PA, MD
First aid kit (antibiotic cream, bandages, aspirin, alcohol pads
cold remedies, cough drops, Immodium, Pepto, dulcolax
benedryl, eye drops, )
Water – as much as we can carry, or fit in car
2 cooking pots – small – w/covers
Multi tool
2 Tarps
Waterproof matches
Tinder
Fire lighter flint
Light sticks
Toilet Paper
Facial tissue packets
Flashlight – shake or crank
Lantern and batteries
4-6 tin cups
candles
Emergency radio - crank
4-6 emergency blankets, mylar
Water purification tablets
4 bowls and sets of eating utensils
550 parachute cord
Various size ziplock bags
Waterproof containers
Several strong garbage bags
Hand warmers
Kitchen bags for refuse, sanitation, etc.
Hand sanitzer
Cottonelle wipes
Wash cloths – 12, hand towels - 6
Hairbrush
Toothbrushes and paste
Sunscreen (70)
Underwear, change of clothes for season
Long sleeve shirts, scarves for season
Fem products
Body soap, 2-3 bars
Razor
deodorant
Playing cards, books, small games
A few photos
USB w/birth certificates, SS, etc. scans, personal info
photos, etc.
photocopies of documents
pad & pens
sewing kit
cash in small denominations (10,5,1)
Tupperware containers, small to medium
Food bars
High carb protein bars
Hand can opener
Dog food packets, treats, 2 bowls, leash, toy
Hard candy
Nuts – 2 cans mixed
Propel mix packets
Cocoa packets
can beans, soup, canned & dried fruit
chicken, corned beef hash, tuna, rice
Pasta – small and fast cooking
Peanut butter, jelly
Crackers
Cous cous boxes - 2
Pasta – small and fast cooking
Small bottle of olive oil
Oatmeal packets
6-12 MRE
Bullion cubes
Sugar, salt, pepper, condiment packets
seasonings
sternos? What to use to heat food?
Optional:
A bottle or two of seasonings
Extra candy!
Look into a chemical toilet for the house and a portable water filtration system for both the house and BoB. I would also ditch the luggage and go with good backpacks. If you have to ditch the car or it dies in you, you do not want to be lugging around suitcases on wheels. They are too difficult to move (it's a pain in the ass just getting them from parking lot into the airport terminal) and they tie up your hands. Assuming one or two of the four is kids, they may be old enough to have small backpacks to help carry a few items and their favorite stuffed animal or book. Apparently you don't own or believe in firearms, is that correct or not?
Let me throw this at you too. If your plan involves a vehicle, you need to consider two or three five gallon cans of gas with fuel stabilizer added. The fuel should keep for about a year. Depending on the situation and circumstances, you may be better off staying on the island. Also, I don't put much stock in plans that require exit via automobile. Unless you are way ahead of the curve, your car will get you off the island (which may or may not be where you want to be) only to find yourself trapped amongst the other tens of thousands of drivers trying to get somewhere via the roads and highways.
I don't count on evacuation. I'm going to be competing with several MILLION people trying to cross 3 bridges. Not feasible, in my opinion, unless we could get a very early start and beat them to it. If we had sufficient warning, we might go to the local hurricane shelter, or head to higher ground in New Jersey - if we can cross the bridges. My concern with the backpacks is that we are simply not strong enough to carry them - 2 elderly parents and I'm not particularly strong. My brother could probably carry his own, but not help with ours. No young children - we are middle aged. So, wheeled luggage made more sense to me if we can't use a vehicle.
In all probability, we would stay right here. If all services are out, we could build fires with local wood (urban-like, but not 'concrete jungle' environment). There are some fresh water sites nearby, and it rains regularly. If winter, we could also melt ice and snow.
Heating is worrisome for me, if something happens in winter. I have to look into some safe heating sources.
For those who haven't seen my other posts, I'm looking for at short-term survival. Big disasters would most likely kill us quickly, (and I don't want to survive a 'big one'). I'm thinking more in terms of bad storms, EQ and other events that could knock out services for several weeks or a few months.
The omega-3 oil in flax seed doesn't last long once ground (and when it is, you should keep it cold), but the teeth can't properly grind the whole seeds to release the oil. Ground flaxseed can be used as a replacement in baking items, however, I don't think you will be baking cookies if you are in the middle of a long-term power outage.
It is a minor thing, but I would scratch the flax seed.
Oh, and I've seen really cook backpacks on wheels - gives both options!
Not really. The frame is too "straight" to work well as a backpack. Besides, those wheels digging into your back get very uncomfortable very quickly.
Tried one once, on one trip. Promised myself never to do it again...
There are any number of good, purpose-made backpacks out there. If you get one truly intended for backpacking rather than dayhiking or schlepping books/computers around a campus somewhere, they have countoured and padded waist-belts that transfer most of the pack weight to your HIPS rather than your back and shoulders. In fact, because of my back injuries the shoulder straps on my external-frame backpacks are only there to keep the pack upright -- 90+ percent of the weight is on my hips.
Stay away from military surplus ALICE packs, though. The're quite sturdy but, because of the circumstances around their intended use (l-o-n-g story here), they're not nearly as effective with the weight-transfer thingy. Observe the news clips of U.S. soldiers and Marines carrying fully-loaded ALICE packs. That bent-forward posture is a dead giveaway that most of the pack's weight is on their shoulders and backs.
Last edited by Nighteyes; 03-27-2011 at 12:50 PM..
I see that you have listed bleach in there. Are you aware that it has a limited shelf life of about 3 months before it is no longer effective for disinfecting water? Better to get a box of "pool shock" which is a dry powder with a much longer shelf life. Pretty cheap, too!
I see that you have listed bleach in there. Are you aware that it has a limited shelf life of about 3 months before it is no longer effective for disinfecting water? Better to get a box of "pool shock" which is a dry powder with a much longer shelf life. Pretty cheap, too!
Thanks!
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