I have been struck by a couple of news stories about the grace with which the Japanese people are handling this crisis. I saw one story which showed men harvesting bamboo and slicing it into chopsticks while the woman made and delivered rice to the overwhelmed shelters. Many are sharing their own limited resources in spite of the reality of going without themselves. This made me wonder just how prepared I am to help in the event of a crisis. The answer is that it depends.
I have a good supply of boots, coats, hats and gloves in a variety of sizes. I never turn down a good deal on a down or wool jacket. I keep a lot of baby supplies around. I also have extra seeds and a few hand tools I could pass on.
I have a lot of food but not much of it would make good emergency rations. A bag of wheat is not what would be the most help to someone in need. I’ve been thinking that a good activity for a church group, scout troup or 4-H club would be to put together a few emergency bags. These could be handed out to people affected by house fires or an economic emergency as well as larger scale problems.
I have also been thinking about grab-and-go bags. I’ll bet that almost no one in the US has one in a handy spot in spite of the fact that we are all vulnerable to house fires if nothing worse. If I was forced into a shelter I would want several things like toiletries, a change of socks and underwear, and some small bags of raisins, nuts and some hard candies. I would want a small water filter, a set of dishes and a flashlight as well a pen and some note paper. I know I would want a deck of cards and a good book. I would certainly want any medications and copies of my most important papers like insurance numbers and copies of deeds. I keep one bag in my car and a second bag in my house. I keep all of my medications in a box right by the kitchen door. My bag is pretty well-stocked although not perfect.
This is a mighty scary time. I would urge you to limit the time you spend on-line or watching the news. It can be toxic to your mental health and prevent you from accomplishing what you need to do to work on your own resiliency. I’m heading out this morning to help friends who have had a basement flood and need many hands to assist in the clean-up. This is resiliency. It’s about relationships as much as it is about acquisition. It’s about breaking a sweat more than it is about the intellectual exercise of predicting collapse. It’s about living a life that works for you. That will look different for each of us. Peace. Kathy
March 16, 2011 at 9:31 am
As hubby travels, he tosses all the hotel shampoo, soap and lotion into his bag. We have these ready to add to a bag to give out in emergencies.
The news is indeed bad, but I feel that we need to completely understand all that is going on, bedies, I’m a news “junkie” and can’t help watching. lol
—I hope youll forgive this, I rarely do this kind of promoting and if it offends, please delete, but tomorrow and Thursday, my radio show will be talking about medicinal plants and the next night the truth about nuclear and dispelling some of the myths going around and we will have a doctor on as a guest to help. I just feel that this is important info that needs to get out. 8 eastern time.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/shtfm/2011/03/17/emergency-preparedness-food-home-with-hp
March 16, 2011 at 10:37 am
Re:your comment on important documents – I have read that it is prudent to scan this information, as well as prescriptions, even cherished photos, into a computer and then downloaded onto a thumb drive. This can be stored in your bug out bag, or even in your purse. If you are dealing with a localized disaster and can get to safe ground, it is simply a matter of plugging the thumb drive into a USB port and you will have what you need.
March 17, 2011 at 1:22 am
I was thinking with the documents, DH is very uncomfortable with the idea of copies of important stuff lying around the house, so I was thinking more low tech and was going to fold them and then sew them under a patch on the blanket that’s going in the grab bags. No one would ever know they’re there! I think you’re spot on with the news watching, it’s important to watch/listen to some non sensational news to stay informed, constantly watching trauma is defo not good for you.
March 17, 2011 at 6:39 am
A friend of mine is a nuclear engineer. His job involves a lot of travel to all the nuclear facilities in the world. He said if you want real information do NOT listen to the media in any form or pass the information along that you hear – chances are good it is about 95% wrong! There is a nuclear website that has accurate, scientific information. It is http://www.nei.org. I have not been much of a news junkie since 9-11. The three days following that tragedy found me not sleeping and crying a LOT! I try to listen to the national K-LOVE radio – they broadcast news, but try to keep it to the heroic and positive, uplifting stories of survival. It is not putting my head in the sand, but the news and media put their own ratings spin on things, and I just don’t believe anything they say anymore!
March 17, 2011 at 9:29 am
The manager of our LDS cannery emailed this morning with news that the church now requires non-members (like me) to have a church member with them when they visit the cannery. I understand and respect their decision; it’s their storehouse and their volunteers. I just can’t avoid the uneasy sense of triage — however benign and organizationally compelling — already emerging as shortages loom.
March 17, 2011 at 6:36 pm
I have a Facebook friend in Japan. He says he’s “as far away from the disaster as you can get without a 757.” A few days ago, he assured me that life was quite normal for most of the country. However, today he posted that the stores are out of toilet paper and rice. The stores are also putting a limit of 2 per family on diapers, tp and feminine products. I bet the Japanese “preppers” are glad they’ve got those bags of rice and tons of toilet paper squirrel away now!
March 19, 2011 at 10:00 pm
May I ask where folks are keeping their BOBs? I’ve barely started getting ours together, but we are a family of 5 with 2 adults and 3 near teens. With their regular packs (which have small emergency kits at the bottom with minimal survival gear to help them if they found themselves separated in a family hike or camping trip) that are used for books, overnights etc. – constant dumping & repacking. And all their sports & other gear seems to make all the other space at a super premium.
Putting them into the back of the van wouldn’t allow for things like groceries. Though I suspect I’d be able to remove the van’s emergency bag.
I know I need to make it a priority but at the same time there are practical considerations.
We do have a “grab & go bag” that we take most everywhere. I read about it in one of the pantry cookbooks and it just made so much sense, though it’s nothing like a BOB. It’s a very small back pack (I used one of the boy’s packs sized from when they were 5). In it is a truck load of long shelf life well balanced snacks: raisins, fruit cups, crackers, nuts, etc. Along with a stash of small bill money, some plastic bags, gum, etc. The goal is to have some food & such in an unexpected car situation but also to prevent budget busters of tempting drive throughs, etc. We grab it on our way out the door and we have a rule that no one leaves without their kleen kanteen of water (27 oz). 2 each if we’re headed to an athletic practice.
March 19, 2011 at 10:11 pm
I keep a very well stocked kit in the back of my van and our other packs in the mudroom. I have to confess, I terrible about the mudroom bags and pretty good about the car kits.