Category Archives: Other Contributers

Sarah’s View: Rules vs Principles

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Seattle recently passed a bag law, well actually a bag ban. This rule PROHIBITS stores from providing customers with single-use plastic bags. In addition, it REQUIRES stores to charge a minimum of $0.05 for paper bags (stores can’t choose to absorb the cost, they MUST pass it along). However, it wasn’t until I walked by The Gap Store today that I realized they would no longer be allowed to provide their signature (plastic) drawstring bags. It hadn’t occurred to me that the ban included clothing and retail stores. Yes, I know the law states retailers, but in the news we only heard about it affecting grocery stores. Now, suddenly, I find myself irritated and frustrated with the city and unlikely to do much shopping downtown.

I can understand and appreciate the motivation behind the law. But, what if the city had simply asked each retailer to put up a sign that said “We, along with the City of Seattle, support reducing waste. Please think about combining purchases into one bag or reusing the one we provide you. Here are some ideas: . . .”? Seattleites are already very good when it comes to recycling and reducing waste.

But, what about the tourists? Instead of leaving frustrated and without purchasing anything (because they don’t have a ‘reusable bag’ with them and, without a bag it’s difficult to get it back to their hotel), they would leave the store thinking “huh, what a great idea”.

I think something positive, that encourages individuals to act on a principle (in this case reducing waste), would go far in influencing their long-term behavior.

Rules vs Principles

The problem I see with rules is they must cover every detail. We’ve all experienced that feeling of being told something is not allowed, and suddenly that is all we want to do. A rule can be broken. A principle doesn’t break. A principle offers flexibility and choice; it provides the opportunity for a society to govern itself from a position of what works for them, at that time, in that situation.

When a rule is broken the perpetrator must be punished. But if the group operates by principles, there is room for consensus, for understanding, for situational consequences.

What on earth does this have to do with prepping?

In a collapse the law of the land will change. While some groups will try to continue to live by the rules of the pre-collapse society, I believe those that adapt and learn to live by principles will be much more successful. When forming a post-collapse community, principles such as Safety, Respect, and Autonomy will be more useful than trying to get a group to agree on a list of rules. For example, perhaps an individual wants to ban the wearing of orange clothing because it’s too bright and attracts attention. Instead of making a rule banning orange, the principle of Safety could come into play: there may be times when orange should not be worn (moving through an area at night) but there may be times when orange promotes safety (hunting in a group) .

Not only that, but by living within a system that promotes consequences for behavior as it relates to each situation, I honestly feel like people would be more likely to think through what they are doing. Instead of trying to break a rule to get what they want, they could collaborate with friends and neighbors to obtain it in a manner consistent with the group goals. Instead of “this rule is stupid for this situation, I’ll break it and see if anyone notices”, we would have, “I would like to get this done, I wonder what is the best way to make it happen”.

It’s unlikely we could ever live exclusively by principles, but consider starting with that goal; then adding rules only when absolutely necessary.

(Friday: What We Did This Week To Prep)

Momma Bear’s July Preps

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The end of June brought northern Virginia and lower Maryland a serious, and very sudden, storm that resulted in more than a week without power to over a million homes. While we were not personally without power, there were food and ice shortages at some neighborhood stores as supply chains were rerouted or disrupted. It was a great opportunity to talk to our family about heat related illnesses and to review what we would have done for more than a week without A/C in 100+ degree weather. While we have a fireplace to stay warm during cold weather power outages, staying cool in the summer is much harder without power. We are now considering getting a generator, in part, to run a small window A/C unit. We’re also considering some solar battery chargers to power electronic devices. The least expensive option, which we will probably do first, is to get an inverter for our automobile outlets so that we could charge our cell phones and laptops. I think we are going to plan a “power outage drill” weekend in the fall. It will be an opportunity to see if our planning is really living up to our needs.

The biggest weakness we found in our preparations was that simple drinking water is not always enough when the emergency/disaster is during a heat wave. In a long-term, high heat situation–especially during strenuous activity–a Gatorade-type drink is recommended to replace the electrolytes that are lost. So we have added that to our LTS list (diluting it to half strength which is a better ratio for the body, and helps avoid stomach aches and cramping). You can make your own electrolyte oral rehydration solution. Into a quart/liter of water add: 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon table salt and 1/4 teaspoon potassium chloride (bought as salt substitute, e.g. Morton Salt Substitute or Nu-salt) (note: if you don’t have access to potassium chloride double the amount of table salt to 1 teaspoon). Overall though our home is pretty well prepared for a week or more without power. We continue to stock up on alternative cooking fuels (charcoal, propane, butane, and sterno), as well as foods that require minimal cooking, and comfort foods.

After six years out of the country, we have recently purchased fishing gear and licenses (still searching for the perfect boat though). Although none of us are overly experienced fishermen we have begun/resumed fishing — though at this point it’s catch and release. Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, the types of fish we have here are quite a bit different from what we are used to so it’s all about practice. Bass and catfish are the most common and they require larger hooks and stronger line than what we use for trout back home. We are fortunate to live near a number of lakes, and the Potomac River, so there is ample opportunity to practice.

My tomatoes are also growing like gangbusters; I picked one yesterday that is over a pound. This past weekend I canned my first batch of ketchup. It is a little on the gourmet side for flavor (meaning the grownups like it but the kids don’t). Next up for canning is fire roasted tomato salsa. My husband, who is quite the city boy, has been blown away by the idea that we are storing food that we actually grew ourselves, and from which I have harvested seeds for next year’s garden. Like Sarah, I have kept a garden journal to keep track of what is and isn’t working. We are already looking forward to next year to try a few different vegetables and probably more containers since our sunny spots are not necessarily gardenable otherwise. We are working as best we can with what we have.

How is your summer going? What are you canning or storing?

(Monday: Building In Redundancies In Case You Aren’t Available)

Momma Bear: Women’s Maladies

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Sometimes being a woman is really the pits. I imagine it will be even worse in a post-SHTF society where our modern, quick-fix, take a pill for it remedies are no longer available. I’m talking about those dreaded conditions that are almost exclusively “women’s ailments”: yeast infections, vaginosis, vulvitis, UTIs, hemorrhoids, leaky bladders, migraines and menopause. Bleck! So what is the best way to prep for these lovely maladies? Like other areas of preparedness, we need to tackle this with a multi-step approach.

Knowledge: Know your body. You need to be able to recognize the warning signs of an impending ailment so that you can attempt to prevent a full-blown illness. Know your genetic predispositions and history. Ask your mother, grandmothers, and aunts about what female health conditions run in your family. Heredity is a funny thing and frequently cannot be avoided. While you may maintain a painstakingly rigorous “healthy lifestyle,” sometimes nature still throws that heredity-curveball at you. You might be young enough that many of these have not yet happened to you, but at least study up and be prepared to recognize and treat them if they occur (to you or others). In my family we get three main conditions: hemorrhoids, leaky bladders, and menstrual migraines. The first two can normally be treated by surgery and the last can be controlled by using birth control pills and prescription meds. But what will we do without access to routine medical care and medications?

Prepare: If there are medications you can get that you might need someday, GET THEM and stock up. You might never have had a yeast infection in your life, but if you live someplace hot and humid and suddenly your life has no A/C, infrequent baths and changes of clothing (because you are washing everything by hand!), you might have a serious run in with a yeast infection. Stock up on any OTC meds that you can. The other way to prepare is to not put off those elective surgeries (this seems to have been mentioned in plenty of other articles). These days both leaky bladders and hemorrhoids can be treated with surgery, but they are not ones that most of us would rush right out to get. I think you will find that surgery is preferred over living with the problem in a post-SHTF world. Last, maybe cleanliness IS next to godliness. Keeping clean and dry will prevent some of these conditions from starting in the first place. The military has been doing this for years…with feet. Every time they stop, they change their socks because it prevents a plethora of foot ailments. I say every time you sweat too much, change those undies. If you can’t stay cool, at least stay dry.

Take your knowledge a step further: None of these ailments are new. How did they treat these ailments in the past? Or how do they treat them now in third world countries? Look for “old school” remedies. Read up, research, ask someone very old who grew up in a rural environment what they did. For instance, yogurt is a common treatment for yeast infections (and I am not talking about eating it). And here I mean all natural, home-made, BASIC yogurt, not the flavored variety they carry in the grocery stores today. Culturing your own yogurt at home is actually pretty easy to do, but few Americans do it. Drinking cranberry juice works well for treating UTIs. There are “alternative” treatments for a number of ailments, but most of us have grown up in a society where these remedies have become obsolete due to our easy access to medications.

It will take time to research and practice these remedies before the SHTF. But it’s better to practice it now when you don’t need the remedy desperately.  Like other types of medical care, it is best to study up long before the SHTF!

(Friday: What We Did This Week To Prep)

Sarah’s View: Happy 4th of July

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Interesting Factoid: The colonies voted in support of independence on July 2nd, John Adams thought that that day would become the national holiday. Instead we celebrate July 4th, when the final wording of the document was approved. The document itself wasn’t signed until August 2nd.

So much has changed since those fateful days in 1776. Our world is faster and smaller. There is very little that can’t be understood, or at least explored, with a mouse and a modem. Funny, even the word mouse to one of the Founding Fathers would have a very different meaning. I doubt they would recognize much of “America” today. We are, in many ways, an isolationist, thoughtless, and polarized society.

Jefferson participated in an annual pea contest – the neighborhood farmer who produced the first pea of the season won! He hosted regular dinners for his neighbors; today we barely know our neighbors well enough to nod and smile as they drive by. Adams grew his own food and celebrated the manure on his farm as being better than that which he found in London. Most modern Americans rely on the grocery store for their food and, if they grow anything pour petroleum fertilizers on top to “help” them grow. Adams and Jefferson are also remembered for their correspondence. Not only did they write “real” letters, but they explored ideas; they conversed in person and in writing about everything – politics, history, books, gardening, philosophy, and more. Quite often they disagreed, however, they were part of a generation who understood civil discourse. Today we frequently have arguments, if we converse at all. There is very little true conversation going on in our country today. Everything now becomes a dichotomy; you either agree with me or you’re against me, there is no middle ground in which to explore alternative ideas.

As I look back over the last 10 months of blogging, and 20 months of prepping, I like to think that what Trace and I are doing is bringing a bit of the Founding Fathers’ ideals back into our world. I’m not talking about politics. I’m talking about understanding and appreciating where our food comes from, and the amount of energy it takes to grow one tomato plant. I’m talking about the ability to converse with, and even appreciate, people who disagree with us. I’m talking about the value of slowing our world down just a bit and being conscious of life, of our world, and of our impact on it.

As we celebrate a milestone in the lives of our Founding Fathers, find a moment to take stock, appreciate the good, and recognize what can be improved. And, if you’re lucky, see if there’s anything ripe in the garden that you can have with dinner.

Have a safe and happy 4th!

(Friday: What We Did This Week To Prep)

Momma Bear’s June Preps

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My June preps have kept me busy with my beginner’s garden. My family has been wonderful taking turns watering and weeding! My tomatoes got over their initial aphid romance — no more picking off bugs by hand; now I just go out to talk to them, tie them to the stakes as they continue to grow skyward, and sucker them off as they blossom. The first tomatoes (the two determinant plants) were almost ready to harvest when the squirrels started eating them. I am now covering them, and the blueberry bush, with ‘bird netting’ and hoping that will be sufficient to keep away the squirrels. We also had our first harvest of FIVE blueberries! We did not actually anticipate any fruit from the blueberry or blackberry bushes this first year, but they seem to be doing well since they are putting off a few handfuls of berries. Quite a pleasant surprise to be eating berries this year!

This month we have been doing some research and are thinking about buying a used boat. Although we live close to the interstate, and not too far from Washington D.C.–imagine the gridlock in an emergency–we are also only a walk from the Potomac River (and exactly 10 miles from our marina located on a secure military installation). We have been boating with various friends, learning, and considering the many different types of boats available. A boat would serve as both a recreational and bug out vehicle. There are many great deals out there on used boats due to the poor economy, but we are taking our time before we find just the right one. Has anyone else opted for a boat as a bug out vehicle/home?

Lastly this month, I have hit a turning point on the food storage program. While I have a big storage room in my basement, my food storage has reached a size that requires me to start reducing my other “stuff” to keep meeting my food storage goals. This is both a happy and sad occasion since it means I will be downsizing in some ways, while still building my food security. At the same time, I do not want to become a hoarder that can’t stop keeping/saving things (food included). The other difficulty with food storage, for us, is that we try to eat fresh rather than canned/packaged foods; so every item I store is not necessarily part of my household food rotation. How do YOU decide exactly what foods to store? Has anyone else had to make space compromises to continue storing food? At what point do we ever have enough food stored? When is one area of “prepping” ever complete or enough? I am sure these are all issues we share in common. I would love to hear some feedback about it.

What did you do?

 

Sarah’s View: Raising Children in a Collapse World

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Momma Bear’s post about birth control got me thinking: “What would it be like to be raising young children in a collapsed world? What would that look like? How would it be different from what we do today?”

I should start by saying that I don’t have any children of my own. However, that doesn’t mean that I won’t someday or that my friends or step-kids won’t. It’s important to consider the ramifications of having a child, both in our society as it is now, and how it would be in a potential disaster or complete collapse.

The challenges of having an infant or toddler in a post-collapse world would be huge for today’s ‘modern’ parents. It becomes incredibly difficult – if not impossible – to easily bug-out, especially if you’re going any distance on foot. An infant (child under 12 months old) can be carried, but if you are carrying that child you are then limited in what else you can take with you, i.e. BOBs, additional water, food, etc. Now, what if that child is a toddler? Anyone who’s spent any time with a child this age knows that they don’t always (ever) want to be carried. You now have a toddler fighting being carried and/or walking (toddling) beside you. Neither of these scenarios allow you to walk with any speed and could potentially draw unwanted attention.

If you can instead bug-in this removes some of the mobility issues that accompany infants and toddlers. However, now there’s the surviving day-to-day. Are you hunting and/or scavenging for food? A crying child doesn’t do much to lure game to you, or help you remain unseen. What is your child willing or able to eat? If your child isn’t used to eating anything but jarred baby food, suddenly switching to a hunter/gatherer diet, or even an MRE diet, will not go smoothly.

The things to think about with young children don’t differ greatly from the things we need for ourselves.

Food – The best thing you can do for an infant is breastfeed. I know this is not possible for some, but it is the easiest and cheapest way to feed a baby. If you can’t breastfeed, make sure you have in your preps enough formula or other supplemental milk to last your baby through six months of age. For toddlers, start encouraging them to try the food you eat (and store). If you need to, overcook it a bit and squish it up.

Water – Young children are especially susceptible to dehydration caused by overheating or diarrhea from dysentery, therefore sanitary water is key. Unlike adults a child will appear just fine, until they’re not, and then deteriorates very quickly.

Security (Safety), Shelter – Infants and toddlers love to explore so keeping them safe, even today, can be a challenge. In a collapse, when every able adult will need to be working, minding the babies is not something that a mom or dad can be spared to do. For infants I recommend checking out the various slings available for carrying babies – they are simple, come in many shapes and sizes, and are tremendously versatile. This option allows the child to be carried while leaving both hands free for working. What is your group’s plan for caring for toddlers? It’s great if there are older children around, or maybe a “grandma”, who can play with and watch over them. Keeping young children safe truly is the ‘village’ raising the child.

I believe that much of our “preps” for living with young children can be taken from human history and can be applied now and not just in a collapse situation. For thousands of years infants and toddlers were raised in tribes where they are no daycares, formula, or Purell. Instead there were grandmas, slings, and water. Prepping with and for infants and toddlers doesn’t need to be difficult; but thinking and planning for it now is key.

(Friday: Momma Bear’s June Preps)

Momma Bear: Birth Control

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We have grown up in a world where birth control is readily available. Now that I am in my 40’s, my tubes are tied so you might think I wouldn’t consider it a high priority. But birth control should be a knowledge priority for every prepper. While I personally no longer need to remember how to practice natural family planning, I am the mother of children who will likely marry and have their own children. It is our job as preppers to be teachers and impart as much knowledge and as many skills as possible to the next generations in a post-SHTF world, birth control knowledge included.

For those of you who currently use birth control but are done having children, I encourage you to look at a surgical procedure NOW to prevent unexpected conception. This is the same prepper approach of making sure we are all up to date on our medical and dental needs in case the SHTF (don’t put off the elective stuff!). For men, a vasectomy is a simple outpatient procedure with low risk of complications. For women, the tubal ligation is more involved and carries a higher risk of complications, but it is still considered a safe outpatient procedure. And both are considered routine elective surgeries covered by almost every health insurance plan. Should you choose not to go with the sterilization route, you can look at non-medication birth control like diaphragms/cervical caps. Although these will not last forever, they may be a more practical option than storing a case of condoms. One thing I would suggest to anyone who uses an “internal” form of birth control (such as an IUD or implant of meds), consider the potential risk of not being able to have them removed post-SHTF.

For knowledge and teaching purposes, we should all familiarize ourselves with the concept of natural family planning.  And by this I do NOT mean the old school rhythm method or anything like that. I know we have all had the classes in school about reproduction, but how many of us know the intricate details well enough to teach them? I feel that the best resources for learning to avoid pregnancies are the same ones that you study for trying to get pregnant: books about infertility. There are many more resources for infertility than there are for natural family planning. Infertility books focus, in minute detail, on the signs and symptoms of the fertility cycle. Basically, by studying how to get pregnant you can also learn how to avoid pregnancy–you are studying with a “WHAT NOT TO DO” approach; essentially learning when to avoid sexual activity. This is not 100% fail safe because women do not all have the same biology. But it is the best possibility we have of avoiding pregnancy without modern medicine.

There may be natural birth control products that you want to study and read up about. There are even a number of semi-useful ideas that evolved into modern-day birth control (bolstered by medications and chemicals). For instance, for centuries women made their own contraceptive sponges that they soaked in some liquid with sperm killing properties. This is an early predecessor to the Today brand contraceptive sponges. There are useful ideas out there, but you will need to weed out the old wives tales from the practical knowledge.

Why do I feel birth control is so important? Why do I think we all need to intimately understand natural family planning? Quite simply, pregnancy without medical care (i.e. a post-SHTF society) will mean an increased death-rate for women and newborns. My first child was over ten pounds and I had to have a complicated and risky C-Section (excessively large babies and twins run in our family.) In a post-SHTF world, that is a risk we would all want to avoid for our children. Remember that this topic is important and make sure you’re prepared with the knowledge to get it right when it is your turn to teach.

(Friday: What We Did This Week To Prep)

Sarah’s View: Gardening Journal

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“No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden…But though an old man, I am but a young gardener.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

There’s a podcast I listen to on a regular basis that I highly recommend – The Thomas Jefferson Hour – and it was the inspiration for this month’s post. As you may or may not know, Thomas Jefferson was quite the gardener. Not only did he spend a significant amount of time gardening, but he also kept an exquisitely detailed gardening journal.

I was talking to Trace about the concept of a gardening journal and he asked if I would like to do one for our garden. I had thought about it keeping one, but hadn’t worked up the motivation to actually get started. With Trace’s encouragement I found a blank sketch book (it doesn’t really matter what you use) and started making notes. Since I just started it this weekend I’ve had to look back over the last couple of months’ blog posts to make sure I got my dates right for what we planted and when. I included the date we planted the seeds and placed them in the indoor grow box, the date we moved them out to the greenhouse, the date I transplanted and separated the seedlings and, finally, the date I transplanted the seedlings into the ground.

Besides simply recording the important dates, I’ve tried to make a few simple observations as to how certain plants are doing or why I chose to transplant some on one day and others at a later time. I also put the receipts from our seed orders in there, as well as the sketch I did of the layout for the garden.

I would encourage anyone with a garden (large or small) to keep some sort of record. At the very least, keep track of what you planted and when and what was successful. If nothing else, this may help you decide what to plant (or not plant) next year. It doesn’t need to be complicated, while there are “official” garden journals available, it can be as simple as a piece of paper.

I hope to make notes and observations in my gardening journal as the season continues. While it would be beneficial to make notes daily, both on the plants themselves as well as on the weather, and animal or pest activity, I’m not sure I have the discipline. My goal, therefore, will be to observe and write weekly. Then, next winter as Trace and I sit down to plan the 2013 garden, hopefully the 2012 gardening journal will provide us with hints as to what we might do to improve our garden, or at least, what we should avoid doing.

“A garden is half-made when it is well planned. The best gardener is the one who does the most gardening by the winter fire.” ~ Liberty Hyde Bailey, Cofounder of the American Society For Horticultural Science

(Friday: What We Did This Week To Prep)

Momma Bear’s May Preps

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May’s preps might have been a little obsessive. I am one of those people that likes to learn something new–and master it–before moving on to the next thing. May’s preps (in addition to making the usual stockpile purchases) have been almost exclusively focused on gardening, tomatoes mostly, and on my new food dehydrator.

I have decided that gardening is about one-half learned and about one-half luck and mother nature, and I am severely behind the learning curve. I’ve also discovered that rodents have teeth sharp enough to cut through chicken wire to get into my delicate young blueberry bush. Luckily I caught it early on and have since replaced the caging with a thick grade of plastic fencing. On a positive note, we have already harvested the first of our cilantro and lettuce and replanted more.

The other steep learning curve has been with the tomatoes. The seedlings did not survive the cats, so we went to the hardware store and randomly picked six tomato plants and started them in buckets. Random is bad. A few weeks into the project I finally decided to look up the varieties we had purchased and I discovered that four of the six plants would grow up to ten feet tall and produce tomatoes between one and two pounds. Oops. Thus they will require tall, sturdy stakes and some extreme caging structures. So we built ridiculously tall tomato cage/planters (and probably spent too much money). The second thing, about the tomato plants, is that they are really sensitive and tricky; they are susceptible to too much sun or water and are prone to bugs. Every couple of days I am out there hand picking off bugs, spritzing neem oil, and suckering off (trimming unwanted new shoots). I would sincerely appreciate any advice/suggestions as my ultra-urban gardening neighbors only grow flowers!

My second obsession of the month is my new food dehydrator. After packing up our first few months of food stores (beans, pasta, rice, etc.) we decided to try another approach to food storage. Our food stores weigh a lot and would be difficult to lug if we were bugging out. Plus if we are in a longer term bug-in, say in a power outage situation (snowmagedon anyone?), beans take significant time to soak and cook. This would dwindle our fuel supply quickly. So what if we had homemade, family-sized dehydrated meals stored? Like a backpacker’s meal, only family sized and not store-bought. They would take up less space, require less preparation time and be more transportable (if needed). Also, my family just plain does not like beans and I have to find more creative quick and easy ways to use them beyond simple beans and rice. I have found about 15 dehydrated meal recipes, and have started dehydrating some of the ingredients to make meals. The idea is that I will prepare, then vacuum seal these meals in mason jars (short-term), and my family will try them over the next several months to see which they like best and which need adjustments. Ultimately, we will put the “approved recipes” into mylar bags with oxy absorbers for longer term, portable family meal storage. You can see the jars in the photo, each card has the directions on the back and a rating of quick, medium or long for cooking time.

You can pretty much dehydrate ANYthing and it will take up much less room in your cabinets, whether stored in mason jars or mylar. I am currently dehydrating cooked beans (the canned kind or cooked dried ones and then drying again in the dehydrator).These can be left as beans or ground into powder and added to the meals to sneak in the protein (the same with carrots which my family doesn’t really like either). They come out crunchier than the original, but are lighter and take less time to cook. I also dehydrate rice every time we have any left over from a meal. You can even dehydrate chicken breasts and lean ground beef, though we have not started this yet. I will say that the downside to the dehydrator is that it makes for some intensely smelly days here at home depending on what is drying. It also requires some prep work and occasionally some minor blanching/cooking of the food prior to dehydrating (potatoes especially or they turn black). But so far I am really enjoying the results and look forward to sampling the recipes.

What did you do to prep this month?

City Cousin: My Plan

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WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW

Using my template (see my last post, Making A Plan) this is what I did, and am doing, to be prepared. I’m specifically focusing on the very real earthquake peril here in Seattle.

Prepare Short Term (72 hours) Medium Term (Six Months) Long Term (over Six Months)
Who Me.  (Single man, no dependents)

Done

 Putting the “prepared bug” into friends and coworkers.

Ongoing – but I am surprised how open people are to it!

 Compile a list of resources in my neighborhood then circulate to my neighbors.

To Do
What Peril:  Earthquake – at home

Done

 Earthquake – for additional 7 days and being mobile if needed.

Done

 Review what I’ve prepared, have things changed?

Ongoing
Where Prepared home.

Done

 Preparing home for additional 7 days.

Done

 Storing additional provisions at friends’ place in case home is unavailable.

Ongoing
When Goal was establish years ago.

Done

 Items I need to replace and or secure:

  • Replace sleeping bag
  • Replace camp stove
  • Water purification system

Ongoing

 Annually, on April 1st, I inspect my provisions and make sure everything is current, rotated, or if anything new needs to be done or secured.

Ongoing
How Research needs:

  • Set goals with start and end dates within financial constraints
  • Secure what is needed.
  • Figure out appropriate storage.

Done

 If things were not done you can set up start and end dates in your “when” columns.

This has been an ongoing process including choosing where to live. My apartment building is a wood frame building that meets or exceeds earthquake building codes and having been in it during the 2001 Nisqually quake, I am reassured that this building will be standing after another earthquake. This does not address preparing your home itself for an earthquake (i.e. securing bookcases to walls, etc.). This was just used for basic resources (food, water, medical supplies, etc.) needed if those resources are not available after a major earthquake or other disaster. My goal is to be prepared after the incident until help arrives or I can safely leave the area.

After securing your supplies, in a small home where do you store them? Creativity is the key. Since I also want to make sure things are mobile, I have put my supplies in a backpack and fanny packs that can be Bug Out Bags, if necessary. A backpack fits nicely in the back of my closet.  Fanny packs can be hung over the coat rail in the closet. I have a large cooler, on wheels, that I can put food and water in if I need to leave my building; this fits under my hanging coats. Remember to keep together where they are readily available. You don’t want to bury things and have to dig them out if you are in a hurry. I feel better knowing that I am prepared even if it is just with basic needs.

Commercial emergency packs are available. That may provide an easier way to get started for you. I put my own kits together, but looked at what these sites had in theirs. Two good sites are: BePrepared.com and EssentialPack.com.

Prepping in an ongoing process. As circumstances change, what you need to do to face unexpected challenges ahead may change as well.  Once you know the road you are taking, having the mindset and a method for preparing will give you a peace of mind. And I have a simple challenge for you if you think you’re all prepared: Go a week without going to a store or gas station and see how you do. You’ll find out what you missed and it’s a chance to use and replace items you have store. In any case, enjoy the journey.

The City Cousin’s Bio
I come by prepping by growing up watching the example my father set; he was always prepared for whatever situation would arise. Now, as a single man living and working in Seattle, I have opted to live near downtown in a small apartment. For me this is a comfortable space; trying to be “green” it has reduced my use of resources from electricity to gas for my truck. With limited space, I have reviewed what I can reasonably be prepared for in my urban environment.

(Friday: What We Did This Week To Prep)