There is so much information on prepping available on the internet. In conjunction with our prepping challenge, I will do a few articles on my take on prepping. As I read stories about prepping, I often think some folks are a bit extreme and I know there are some who think what we do is a bit extreme. It’s all about finding your own balance . . determining what possible scenario you feel is realistic and something you might want to be prepared for . . just in case.
Some people have the idea that all preppers believe the world and our way of life, as we know it, will end or be severely damaged soon and, as preppers, we’re prepared to live underground, totally self-sufficient and without the help of anyone else. There may be folks who are of that mindset but I am not.
My feeling, at least in the recent past, as been this: If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. That is true in so many areas of our lives. Any time we see a problem, we should immediately begin to think along the terms of solutions or ways to improve the situation so that the problem doesn’t happen again.
Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath of that storm is when I really ramped up my preparation efforts. People can make excuses for why folks did not leave (either they didn’t have enough $$ for gas to get out of town, or they had nowhere to go, etc.) New Orleans, or at least the lower areas of New Orleans. Throughout this series of posts, I will bring up New Orleans because (1) I believe that was about as bad as it gets as far as an example of the government (on all levels) letting the folks down, and (2) I’m from Louisiana so I was watching the news non-stop when it occurred.
This may ruffle some feathers but I truly am not without compassion and I do care about the poor but folks, we are evolving into a society who not only expects that someone else is going to take care of us but too many are so unprepared to take care of their own needs, that when a situation arises that they are on their own . . they simply cannot . . absolutely cannot . . take care of themselves. I do not ever want to be in that position.
We live where we live and we accept the risks that go along with living in that area. Yes, your family may be there, or your job may be there. You have choices:
- Move
- Find a way to be prepared
- Sit and do nothing
I will add that there’s hardly an area of this country that doesn’t have some risk so moving away from a risk is probably not something I would recommend. Of course, sitting and doing nothing is definitely not what I would recommend so my suggestion for everyone, everywhere is . . find a way to be prepared for whatever you feel could happen.
If you live on the Gulf Coast, chances are, at some point, you’re going to be affected by a hurricane. If you live in tornado alley, chances are, sooner or later, you’re going to be affected by a tornado. To say “I live where this or that happens, and I don’t know how to prepare for it” . . is nothing more an being unprepared! Stop making excuses . . and believe me, I’ve heard them all and they consist of things such as:
- I don’t have the money
- My husband isn’t interested in helping
- My family won’t eat the foods that are easily stockpiled
- We know we should do more but just haven’t
Excuses, and they are only excuses, are infinite. Stop making excuses! Think about what you’re saying . . even if you’re only saying it to yourself. Is it an excuse? Can you do more?
There are so many warnings and it’s so rare, thankfully, that the predictions actually happen. How many tornado warnings do we get and there are no tornadoes? I’m not complaining! When a hurricane is headed your way, the being with the “cone of uncertainty” showing the possible areas of landfall. As the storm gets closer, the targeted area narrows. By the time one knows with fair certainty that a hurricane is headed directly toward them, the store shelves are empty, the gas stations are closed and boarded up and the highways are at a standstill with folks evacuating. Be prepared! Take the steps ahead of time to protect yourself and your family.
The bottom line for me is this: If/when something happens, do I want to be the one who leaves my home and stands in line waiting for FEMA or the Red Cross to come by with food and water, or do I want to start opening jars of home canned yummy food and continue on as best I can? Do I want to fire up the rocket stove and cook? Do I want to get out the rub board and wash clothes? Not really but I surely don’t want to wear stinky clothes!
There are different types of events/disasters for which I would prepare differently and we’ll discuss the ones I can think of as we go along. If you live where tornadoes hit, yes, your home and all your preparations could get blown away but hopefully, most of us are preparing for multiple risks so making the decision that you’re not going to store food, water, etc. because you could lose it all in a tornado makes no sense to me.
I see prepping not only as a way to be prepared for disasters but as a way to save time and money. Here are a few examples:
- I rarely buy food, especially canned or dried type foods, unless they’re on sale. For the past few years, around Thanksgiving, Wal-Mart has had name brand canned green beans, corn and peas on sale . . 4 cans for $2. That’s 50¢ per can. The rest of the year, those cans are near $1 (or more . . I never buy them so I never pay attention). We will buy about 150 cans of green beans, and 75 cans of corn. That’s $112.50 but if you figure I would be buying those cans for 89¢ (or more) if I ran in and bought a can today, I’ve saved $87.75. Not only have I saved $$ on the initial purchase but I never have to add green beans or corn to my grocery list and I have plenty in the pantry so I don’t have to run to the store just for a can of green beans. Those quantities may sound like a huge amount but we eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at home almost every single day. One can of green beans per week means we use 52 cans per year and we could easily eat 2 cans of green beans per week. If, next year the cans are on sale, and I have 50 cans in my pantry, I’ll only buy 100 cans . . or less.
- When meat is on sale, I will buy extra, and if it’s something that works to be canned, I’ll cook it up and can it. An example is the Mexican Haystacks I made and canned last week. We had some for dinner on Tuesday night and Vince has asked twice when we can have it again. Do you know how easy it is to open a jar, heat it up, cook some rice, add a side and we have dinner . . on the table in the amount of time it takes the rice to cook, with no prep and very little clean up.
- Having a well stocked pantry means if I see a recipe on the internet and it looks like something we would love, chances are I have the ingredients here to make it. Some of you live closer to grocery stores than others of us. It’s probably more than 30 miles round trip for me to get to a grocery store.
You don’t have to believe the world is going to end tomorrow to be a successful and effective prepper.
One last thing about being prepared: If you have children at home, especially young children, when mom and dad panic, the kids panic. If, almost whatever happens and you’re calm and reassuring, that will be portrayed to your children. If the power is out and you know it’s going to be out for a week, and you can treat the whole situation like an “adventure”, your family is going to be a lot less stressed.
Once when we had an ice storm in Louisiana, Chad was probably 7 or 8, and we had no power for a week. I was living in an all electric house and it was cold so we went to mom and dad’s. Even though the temps didn’t stay below freezing lone, there was massive power line damage and some folks were without power for more than a week.
Quite a few in mom and dad’s neighborhood got together and grilled or smoked meat from their freezers. One lady knew how to make a solar oven using aluminum foil and we had brownies. Dad kept a fire going in the fireplace so we stayed warm. There were few, if any, restaurants of any kind open but because mom had food and dad had ways to cook it, we never went hungry. Chad and another kid were playing one evening, ran into each other and Chad had a big goose egg on his head. A doctor lived a few doors down so we had him examining Chad that night, using the car headlights to check him out. Several years later, Chad was thinking back on some fun times and said “Remember how much fun we had during the ice storm?” I hadn’t exactly remembered it as being “fun”, but for him it had been fun!
If you’re on the fence about prepping, here are two books you might find interesting. The first, I read several years ago and though it’s a fiction book, I can see it happening. One Second After . . I could not put it down. I still think about it. It shaped a whole lot of my “wants, needs and desires” when we were looking for a place here. I’m currently reading World Made by Hand. I am not finished yet but I’m liking it a lot. I can see this happening too. There is a sequel, The Witch of Hebron, which I will read also.
We do not know what the future holds. We do not know what tomorrow holds. The best any of us can do is be as ready as we can be for whatever might come our way.
Linda Mincher says
I look forward to your prepping posts. I grew up in Southern California and when my daughter was about 6 months old there was a huge earthquake near my parents’ house – the epicenter was about 1/4 mile away. They were without power, the highway was buckled, so not usable, and their mobile home was a disaster. Fortunately because they lived so far from town they kept plenty of food and water on and and were able to get through the hardest part of the ordeal. Since then I’ve always made sure we have at least a month’s worth of food and water available (along with other necessities). Here the big thing might be an ice storm or snow. We have plenty of wood and a woodstove for heat and cooking (we’re all electric).
I also like to be prepared in case of illness. There have been times I’ve woken up on the day I planned on grocery shopping and have been sick. It’s nice to know that I can postpone that trip until I feel better because we have plenty to eat in the house.
One thing I also mention to people when we discuss preparation for emergencies is to not forget the pets. I have about a month’s worth of dog and cat food available as well. Fido and Fluffy don’t understand that you can’t get to the store to get their kibble!
Thank you for all the great information you share!
Terri in BC says
Thanks for launching this series, Judy. I live on the West Coast north of Seattle, and we are always hearing that we need to be prepared for the “big one” – an earthquake of 8.0 or more. I have some work done, but not near enough so I will be following with interest!
Toni Wood says
We started getting into prepping after my hubby retired in ’98. Uncle Sam will not pay to ship anything in glass jars so my stockpiling started at that point. An ice storm that Christmas really sealed the deal. Our biggest concern is tornadoes and ice storms. We are fairly well prepared for both. Look forward to see where I need to add extras.
Sherrill says
Yes, I also feel compassion for the poor and elderly but many ARE just sitting & waiting for their provisions. And I’m afraid the generation coming along now are going to be even worse! But when those cans of food are 3 or 4 for a $1, I stock up big time (making multiple trips if there’s a limit) not only for myself but also to donate to local pantries and such who provide to those in need.
Diana from SC says
Just would like your thoughts on expiration dates on cans? Yes, I grew up eating whatever was put in front of me…..not wasted. Shelled many bushels of beans and peas. My folks purchased a cow and did their own cutting and wrapping. So much food is wasted now…..better stop but could go on and on. Thanks for sharing this postings.
liz says
Good idea to host a series on this topic.
I’ve gotten more involved in getting prepared and I made it easier on myself by thinking in terms of time, needs and situation. Time – it’s easier if you think in terms of 72 hours, then a week, then several weeks, a month, etc. Needs? Food and water are obvious, but as the time frame gets longer, you have to start thinking about heat, light, cooking, long term water needs, medical, and even entertainment. Situation? The obvious events that would get me out of my house would be fire and a direct storm hit. Otherwise, I would stay put since traveling at a critical time may not be smart.
And now that I mentioned these things, it would be good for me to revisit my progress. I think I could deal with most situations for 6 months for most needs so it’s time to look at the longer term needs and I am looking at solar ovens and panels. One important thing to remember and Judy highlights is “store what you use and use what you store”. Don’t wait for an emergency to discover that you really don’t like eating those MREs.
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liz says
An update – there is a huge grass fire just north of me, winds are sse, so I’m not in danger. However, there is always a chance that somehing will happen to the south of me. So, important thing for me to recheck are my “GO BAG” and offsite backups of info, etc.
Toni Wood says
I took an earthquake awareness class many years ago and learned so much. A few ideas: keep a pair of sturdy shoes under the bed so you are not looking for shoes with broken window glass everywhere. Have a crowbar near the door of your storage area. You might not be able to open the door if the house has shifted. Keep whistles for everyone in your household in the emergency tub so you can locate each other. Have a new pair of nail clippers in with your emergency supplies. Nothing more miserable than nails broken from digging yourself out.
JudyL says
That’s one thing we always do – keep sturdy shows nearby. When there’s a tornado, you don’t want to be walking across broken glass or boards with nails in them. Even here, if I had to make a quick getaway during the night, I might have to hide out in the woods and I surely don’t want to be walking across stickers and cactus with flip flops on.
Great idea about the whistles!
Barbara says
I have a small gizmo that has flashlight, red flashing light and a whistle on the end in case they have to dig me out after a tornado.
I had not thought about sturdy shoes near the bed.
Even if I don’t get hit, if a tornado hits anywhere in the area we could be without power for a long time so I’m always looking for ways to improve.
sharon says
this is a good message for me. I tend to think more of staples to use here – not of having to leave
Anne Simonot says
Oh those are both fantastic books! I still need to find a library copy of Witch of Hebron. Have you ever read Alas, Babylon, by Pat Frank? A classic and one of my all-time favourites in this genre.
JudyL says
Have not read it but just added it to my Kindle. Thanks for the recommendation.
Ruth says
I live in hurricane country, but many many miles from the shore. Hurricanes affect us with high winds, flooding, etc, not with ocean damage. During Sandy, we had an old pine tree land on our house, but fortunately, just a bit of house damage and no danger to us. We had a few large old trees taken down so that this doesn’t happen again.
Our biggest problem here is loss of power. We were very lucky during Sandy because we lost power for only a day and a half, but folks in the next town over, lost power for 3 weeks.
So what do we know about survival? If at all possible, have a gas stove. You may not be able to use the oven, but you can easily cook on it using a kitchen match to light the gas. Candles, flashlights, hand-cranked radio are all good supplies. Plenty of bottled water. Always have non-fat dry milk, flour, canned goods, etc.
After reading your post, we are now having serious discussions on preparedness, and elder DD, who lives in the Bronx, is also now thinking of food storage.
This is a very important topic, and I’m so glad you brought it up. Urban people like us also need to be prepared.
Susan says
There are so many things that can happen to a family these days, on top of all the weather concerns. My food storage has helped in times when money was hard to come by. It makes life much more hopeful if you can at least feed your family.
As for what to store, store what you eat. If your family won’t eat it, why store it? Make your own list of essentials! I have found since buying certain things, like Thrive foods, there are a million ways to use them, and I use them every day, don’t just save them for an emergency! Quinoa has become a staple in my cabinet, as well as many other things I use constantly, but had never used until the last 2-3 years.
One thing I try to do is tithe my grocery budget. That is, if I have $100 to spend on food, I try to spend $10 on items to store. It’s daunting to think of how much money it would cost to store even 3 months’ food, but if you take it in little bites, it isn’t long before you reach goal 1 and head for the next one.
Dottie N. says
Great ideas, Judy – My grandparents and parents were those who were always prepared and a lot of that has trickled down to me. When things were on sale, by extra if you can afford it, make up meals ahead of time so when you don’t have time, a nutritious meal is right at hand in your freezer or in the jars you’ve put up (spaghetti sauce, etc.).
We always seemed to “make do” or do without. Eating out for us was a treat, not a daily occurrence and for the most part, what we have at home is BETTER than what we can get eating out so why spend money you don’t need to spend.
I could probably go on and on and on, but, getting and staying prepared is a wonderful subject and I’m glad you brought it up.
Helen Koenig1 says
Why prep – Wow! So many possible answers to this!
First of all, I used to live on a farm – and that was just the way it was – you canned or put up all the foods by late summer that you expected to use in the coming winter or until the next time you had a large surplus on hand. You had wood chopped and set in a wood rick (I think it is called) – for us – 6-8 cords of wood for winter – but wood chopping was done either a year in advance or no later than the February before – so that the sap would have time to drain out of the logs. You also made sure that you had hay and straw enough for your livestock – and hopefully enough grain set by as well. There were other things – but this was just the way it was.because you could be easily caught by blizzards, major snow drifts, ice storms that would wipe out your power, flooding – and you had best be prepared – or be sorry!
I moved back into a small town – but carried a lot of that with me. Then there were OTHER reasons as well – living on a garden/farm economy because I was looking for a job and later when I went back to school and started work on my degree – and always when raising my kids and half the neighborhood as well.
I moved to MA and stayed with my son while my house was being remodeled – and – yup! Tornadoes – with major trees blocking exits any and all ways out – tornadoes had touched down on both sides of the house – but not the house itself. NO power for a long time. NO anything! And only what supplies I had ordered in and recieved while I was there (son didn’t believe in food prepping like I do). DEFINITELY NO HEAT! You know it’s bad when you can finally get out – and go to work just so you can get warm because the power is still out at home!
Power eventually came back on and I eventually was able to move back home with most remodeling done (still some to do several years later!)
NEXT time I was glad I had foods put aside – after I moved back and later when I was laid off from work – absolutely NO MONEY to buy food – depend solely on what I have. I ate solely from the freezer, dehydrated, bought in freeze dried foods – and still did quite well.
Currently I’m getting low on what I have – getting ready to put foods by again and also to stock up on what I don’t raise and do want. I also want to make sure I have HEAT alternative set aside – which is NOT easy since this is a very old house set into apartments and the chimney is totally shot! Cooking I can do – whether in a cast iron skillet or cast iron dutch oven or a grill – ALL OUTSIDE to cut down on carbon monoxide fumes indoors. I DO have quilts – but my most uncomfortable times have been the times without heat and no way to get it! Solar power is NOT the answer here – both because of the way the sun faces and because of the tremendous shading from neighbour trees and buildings. Not sure what the answer here is. But I like WARM! Drat it anyway!
Norece says
We came across a Walmart that was moving and we bought jeans for $6 a pair. Not our usual brand, but nice to have on hand.
A friend who worked at a cannery told us that most canned food has more than one label. He canned for Green Giant and Albertson’s store brand, same veggies, different labels.
I am looking forward to reading about everyone’s successes and improving our preps.
I will make sure that on May 11th, my frig is stocked, there is gas in the cars, the laundry is done and the computers and phones are fully charged all in anticipation for our first challenge! I am going to keep a journal to write down information that I think will be useful, new products, ways to preserve food, etc…
We bought a Saratoga Jack thermal cooker and we use it 3-4 times a month, just takes a little planning ahead. Uses no electricity, cooks and keeps your food warm all day
Thanks Judy.
Dar in MO says
How does this work if there is no electricity used?
Megan says
I will read your posts on this topic with interest Judy. I do giggle, however, at the thought of your buying up big when canned vegetables are on special and saving $87.75 – but then you might spend more than that in a single shopping trip to The Loopy Ewe website! LOL
Hannah Henley says
Interesting topic! Another series of books that you might be interested in reading are the Foxfire Books. These were written in the 60s and 70s by University of Georgia interviewing old timers in the mountains about survival skills, medicine and just about how to do anything without much contact from the outside world. They have been reissued by the Foxfire Foundation.
Vicky says
Just ordered World Made By Hand – for my Kindle. 🙂 Just realized my Kindle will be useless with no power for an extended period. Anyway, thanks for the recommendation. I’ve read One Second After a couple of times, as you know, and have recommended it to a lot of folks. Sure is an eye-opener!
Vicky says
Medicines! I remember that so well from One Second After. Even aspirin can be a life-saver. As long as it’s kept in a cool dark place, most meds will keep for a very long time. And I also read somewhere about the water in the hot water tank. I never even thought of that.