I'm interested in disaster preparedness, self-sufficiency, and urban homesteading. All of these interests are often grouped together and referred to as "doomsday prepping." But most... Read more
The world is pretty rough for some of us with natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes, and the incoming zombie apocalypse. Strike that last one. It’s worrisome in certain areas (and we know that even U.S. citizens don’t always get the help they need in their own country), and it never hurts to be prepared. But you don’t have to get all paranoid survivalist about it. Just a few extra supplies on hand can give you a little peace of mind.
I scoured the CDC website to see what they recommend for emergency supplies to have on hand. Here are the most important…
Having a comprehensive first aid kit on hand can cover most, if not all, of the medications and health supplies you could need in case of an emergency. Plus, having it in a portable case means you can grab it and go.
Make sure it has hydrogen peroxide, antibiotic ointment, alcohol swabs, OTC pain killers, diarrhea medicine, eye drops, and current versions and dosages of your prescription medications. For injuries, you’ll want bandages, Ace bandages, rolled gauze, cotton swabs, an adhesive tape roll, and feminine hygiene supplies.
If you wear glasses or contacts, you probably have had that thought: what if The Walking Dead was real and I was caught outside with broken or missing glasses. I’m ultra blind so I’d be screwed. So when you next get a new pair of glasses for fashion or prescription reasons, toss that old pair into your kit so you can have a backup pair just in case.
The CDC recommends keeping 72 hours worth (or more) of food and water for emergency purposes.
Think about foods that are non-perishable and don’t require refrigeration like protein bars, granola bars, canned foods (with a can opener), dried fruit, and nuts. Water purification tablets are useful, too. Don’t forget baby food or pet food, too, if applicable to you.
Unlike losing your glasses to a zombie apocalypse, it’s actually far more likely that you might be called upon to move debris or similar labor. Work gloves will save your ass. I mean your hands.
Thanks to Neatorama for featuring this fascinating-yet-super-helpful video on how to use butter and toilet paper to make a candle. Perfect for emergencies like power outages or unexpected romantic interludes.
If disaster strikes tonight, if Godzilla comes down your street, crushing the pavement, ripping up water lines and making travel difficult, will you be prepared? Part of running a household means making contingency plans. How will you stay safe and healthy in case of natural disaster, monster infestation, disease outbreak, service interruption, alien invasion, civil unrest, or war?
One of these bad boys folds down, protects from the weather, and is super warm. Plus, it’s great for picnics, sporting events, and camping in the meantime.
Even if you’re just helping out in a crisis situation, you need to look out for your skin with some high SPF, waterproof sunscreen. Actually all the time. Are you wearing some now? Is there a sliver of light coming into your window? Put on sunscreen stat.
There are no-brainer needs when it comes to a power outage: flashlights. Candles. But if you prep these five items you won't bemoan your lack of Internets the next time your power drops.
A flash flood warning compelled me to abandon my Boulder home late in the evening. I returned home four days later to find that the Colorado floodwaters had missed my home by a matter of fourteen inches. In the in-between time, I was grateful for my disaster planning and also learned how to be more prepared in the future.
When my boyfriend has to travel unexpectedly, he doesn't always have the luxury of stopping to buy a toothbrush and a change of clothes -- and who wants to own six toothbrushes anyway? I hated the thought of him sitting in a hotel room with none of the comforts of home, so I created his emergency away-from-home kit! Here are some tips to prepare yourself or your other half for unexpected trips.
Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.
Comments on Your just-in-case emergency supplies list (without getting too post-apocalyptic about it)
We live in an area where natural disasters are very rare (but of course not impossible). The most likely (though still very unlikely) scenario is a bad localized storm where we’d be without power for a few days or more and would have to stay at a hotel or with family in a nearby town. My husband and I figure we could make do for ourselves but we have an emergency kit for our cat – we keep collapsible dishes, a collar with an ID & rabies tag, and copies of her medical records in an old carrier and we always have at least two weeks of food in the house.
You don’t have to read the whole blog – and I don’t recommend it unless you have a LOT of time and a very strong constitution, as it’s about the aftermath of the hurricane in New Orleans – but the projects are fantastic. I’m old hat at both sheltering in place and having to bug out, and this gave me a lot of ideas I hadn’t considered.
Also, if you have pets, MAKE SURE you have a plan for them. Don’t leave them behind if you have to bug out. For us, we’ve had drills where we snag the dog and cat, the cat carrier, the essential tools and items for both. I keep their food in cleaned cat litter buckets with hinged lids, and taped to the underside of the lids are ziplock bags with essential info for each animal. When either of them goes to the vet, the itemized receipt goes in the bag so their records are up to date. I have drilled getting their crap together and staged by the door to ensure we can locate and place everything in a very short period of time.
I know thinking about this might seem like paranoia, but it might mean the difference between getting out safely and getting out with nothing but the clothes on your back. The former will make life a lot more comfortable, particularly if you cannot get back home for an extended period of time.
(Other thing to consider – a “get home” bag, to get you from work back to your house if, for some reason, you cannot gain access to transportation home. Mine has gloves, a hoodie, extra shoes and socks, a headlamp, some food, a water bottle with a Berkey filter in it, and a few other essentials.)
One thing a prepper taught me is that mental comfort can be just as necessary as physical comfort.
Yes, pack protein bars. If you’re starving, you’ll eat them. But don’t pack the crappy ones that you bought and hated but can’t convince yourself to throw out; pack stuff you LIKE.
If having a small stuffed animal or a pretty blanket helps you keep calm, pack it. Give major side-eye to anyone who mocks your teddy bear.
If you’re stuck without power, you’re going to get bored. Fast. Pack a deck of cards or a ball. Jacks. Pick up sticks. A book. Something to at least attempt to entertain you.
All of this stuff will add weight to a bug-out bag, so be careful about how much comfort stuff you pack, but don’t try to convince yourself that in a highly stressful and scary situation, you’ll be just fine coping without your usual coping mechanisms.
I cannot agree more about the mental comfort side. Being in the midst of a long natural disaster (not just a few days, but weeks to months), you can get so stressed out from the change in routine that you put your health at risk. a book and a deck of cards can do wonders (also, paper and a couple of pens). There’s options for things like a powerless, hand-crank emergency handheld radio, too.
Also, if you stock water for emergencies, remember to change it out every year to discourage possible parasite growth. We use ours to water the plants in the summer, and refill our jugs for the next year at that time.
Ziploc bags are your friends! I had to walk out through flood waters and in the rain. Even though I had spare clothes with me, everything in my backpack was damp from the rain. 🙁
We did put our car’s key fobs in a couple of ziplocs so they were dry (although the cars were flooded, so it didn’t matter. C’est la vie!)
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Are there liberal doomsday prepping resources?
We live in an area where natural disasters are very rare (but of course not impossible). The most likely (though still very unlikely) scenario is a bad localized storm where we’d be without power for a few days or more and would have to stay at a hotel or with family in a nearby town. My husband and I figure we could make do for ourselves but we have an emergency kit for our cat – we keep collapsible dishes, a collar with an ID & rabies tag, and copies of her medical records in an old carrier and we always have at least two weeks of food in the house.
Ooh, yes, thank you for calling out emergency supplies for your pets! So many lists forget this step.
Your list is a good start! If I may, I’d like to augment it. 🙂
If you live in an area prone to natural disasters, or you move into such an area, a FANTASTIC website to peruse is Listening to Katrina: http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/howto.html
You don’t have to read the whole blog – and I don’t recommend it unless you have a LOT of time and a very strong constitution, as it’s about the aftermath of the hurricane in New Orleans – but the projects are fantastic. I’m old hat at both sheltering in place and having to bug out, and this gave me a lot of ideas I hadn’t considered.
Also, if you have pets, MAKE SURE you have a plan for them. Don’t leave them behind if you have to bug out. For us, we’ve had drills where we snag the dog and cat, the cat carrier, the essential tools and items for both. I keep their food in cleaned cat litter buckets with hinged lids, and taped to the underside of the lids are ziplock bags with essential info for each animal. When either of them goes to the vet, the itemized receipt goes in the bag so their records are up to date. I have drilled getting their crap together and staged by the door to ensure we can locate and place everything in a very short period of time.
I know thinking about this might seem like paranoia, but it might mean the difference between getting out safely and getting out with nothing but the clothes on your back. The former will make life a lot more comfortable, particularly if you cannot get back home for an extended period of time.
(Other thing to consider – a “get home” bag, to get you from work back to your house if, for some reason, you cannot gain access to transportation home. Mine has gloves, a hoodie, extra shoes and socks, a headlamp, some food, a water bottle with a Berkey filter in it, and a few other essentials.)
One thing a prepper taught me is that mental comfort can be just as necessary as physical comfort.
Yes, pack protein bars. If you’re starving, you’ll eat them. But don’t pack the crappy ones that you bought and hated but can’t convince yourself to throw out; pack stuff you LIKE.
If having a small stuffed animal or a pretty blanket helps you keep calm, pack it. Give major side-eye to anyone who mocks your teddy bear.
If you’re stuck without power, you’re going to get bored. Fast. Pack a deck of cards or a ball. Jacks. Pick up sticks. A book. Something to at least attempt to entertain you.
All of this stuff will add weight to a bug-out bag, so be careful about how much comfort stuff you pack, but don’t try to convince yourself that in a highly stressful and scary situation, you’ll be just fine coping without your usual coping mechanisms.
I cannot agree more about the mental comfort side. Being in the midst of a long natural disaster (not just a few days, but weeks to months), you can get so stressed out from the change in routine that you put your health at risk. a book and a deck of cards can do wonders (also, paper and a couple of pens). There’s options for things like a powerless, hand-crank emergency handheld radio, too.
Also, if you stock water for emergencies, remember to change it out every year to discourage possible parasite growth. We use ours to water the plants in the summer, and refill our jugs for the next year at that time.
Ziploc bags are your friends! I had to walk out through flood waters and in the rain. Even though I had spare clothes with me, everything in my backpack was damp from the rain. 🙁
We did put our car’s key fobs in a couple of ziplocs so they were dry (although the cars were flooded, so it didn’t matter. C’est la vie!)