My oldest son is an easy going individual who is a firm believer that nothing is going to happen which would require preparations. He appears to lack the insight to see exactly what the future will hold concerning our personal liberties as well as our survival. He never has been able to get intricately involved in any sort of survival details and his level of preparedness is exceptionally low. Does that mean he is doomed when the balloon goes up and we need to rely upon our resources? Not necessarily, I would like to present the simplest preparedness program in existence.
The adult son in question resides in his own three story home with neighbors on each side of his house. He is not rich but gets along well on what he and his wife earn by working. He owns a car but it is never setup as a BOV so we may as well consider him as having no means of escaping his current environment. My goal is to establish an easy, simple and practical method to get him to prepare at least some what for any potential crisis. Here is what I have to offer.
He never was much to store up on a lot of extra food. He and his wife generally purchase enough pantry supplies to last them for approximately two weeks at the most. To start him out in the right direction I would suggest that he purchase at least 30 cans of pre-made canned foods which should not require water to be added. These quick foods could be stews, spaghettis in a can or something of a similar nature. Add to this another 30 cans of various types of vegetables and meats, such as peas, carrots, pork and beans, canned fish, canned fruit or any other types which appeal to the family. Lastly, include 30 gallons of water to this list of essentials. That concludes my suggested food supplies. It isn’t very elaborate and the problem of food fatigue may enter the picture but food in the stomach is of utmost importance and if one is hungry enough they will eat the food.
Now for providing light in an emergency we must understand that my son lives in a three story home and has two young children. Taking that into consideration, I suggest two hurricane lamps along with several battery operated flashlights. The lamps are fairly inexpensive items and can be purchased at any department store or Wal-Mart for less than $15 dollars. Add four gallons of lamp oil to that list along with batteries for the flashlights and you are ready for action. Keep in mind that batteries when used for the sole purpose of light do not last very long however they are warranted so that the family members can go from floor to floor safely as well as a means of seeing while outside the confines of the home. The lamp oil on the other hand will consume a mere ½ ounce per hour. Not bad at all.
Heating the home presents a bit of a dilemma since it is so large and occupies three floors. Granted the oil lamp will provide a small measure of heat but nowhere near what would be needed. The only alternative would be to stock up on plenty of warm clothing for each family member and lots of thick wool blankets. Open flame devices for heat are not acceptable due to fire safety reasons as well as for the carbon dioxide hazard presented.
For their sanitation needs they could obtain a five gallon plastic bucket similar to those found in cake decorating shops from bulk icing. These are generally free or at a small cost of one dollar or so. Toss in several boxes of garbage bags and enough toilet paper to handle the family’s usage. To freshen up the smell keep several bottles of dishwashing liquid nearby. For washing up after use include a bottle of waterless hand soap.
To account for minor health related issues you should include the more common over the counter items like pain killers, bandages and a small bottle of iodine. Add the kind of simple items which one would find in a first aid kit. Serious health issues which require prescription drugs should be dealt with accordingly.
No home is a fortress and security should be adequately addressed. Place a few 2×4’s in a convenient location along with some nails to secure them across the homes doors and windows. To use nail one of the boards into the floor near the base of the door. Next nail two others at 45 degrees angles across the middle section of the door or window. This naturally means keeping a few hand tools such as a hammer and screwdriver readily available. Be sure that you keep one exit clear for departure in dire emergencies.
As you can readily see these items do not involve any long term efforts to organize as they are short and to the point. For less than $150 dollars you can assemble these emergency supplies which will easily take care of several people without difficulty for at least one month. I have deliberately kept everything as simple as possible. In addition to the above suggestions try to keep a low profile and windows covered with heavy blankets at night.
Copyright @2011 Joseph Parish
http://www.survival-training.info
By Joseph Parish