After watching the devastation caused by the Tsunami in Japan earlier this year, I decided to attempt to prepare my family (5 of us now) to survive independently for a short period of time away from our home.
While some (american's especially it seems) get geared up for the end of the world or when the 'Stuff Hits the Fan' (SHTF) my kit is geared for bridging over a period when the normal comforts of civilization would be temporarily interrupted.
Governments have produced pamphlets to get you started: Canada, CDC Zombie Preparedness
Calgary is fortunate that we don't have many large scale natural disasters we need to worry about (like Tsunami's, earthquakes or volcano's), events like what happened to Slave Lake show that our environment is not entirely risk free.
Potential hazards locally here include:
-Severe storms (including Tornado's like in Edmonton)
-Neighbourhood fires for those of us in new subdivisions where it seems that fire spreads easily house to house
-Winter weather (blizzards, ice storms)
-Power outages
-Flooding (?)
Any of these could put you and your family in a situation where you may need to move away from your home on short notice.
Fortunately these kits do not need to be expensive and often you already own the key pieces but just need to inventory and get them close together.
Key things to include:
-Food & water (obviously)
-copies of key documents (birth certificates, SIN, Passports etc.)
-Cash (small bills preferably)
-Medications
I've set up an automatic reminder in my calendar for every 26 weeks to remind me to rotate and update the objects in my kit.
The next thing I am getting together is a 'get home kit.' Seeing as I spend most of my time in an office downtown I am gathering all the stuff I will need to hoof it back home where the balance of my supplies are (nearly a 4-hr trek according to google maps).
Do you think being prepared like this is reasonable or fearmongering?
What, if anything, have you done to prepare for these types of situations?
What key items would you include in your kit?
__________________
"Teach a man to reason, and he'll think for a lifetime"
i would add non-gmo seeds to that, just in case you need to grow some of your own food if there is a prolonged issue. cool loving vegetables like lettuces, chards, peas, kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, radish, spinach, beets, carrots etc... would do really well in our climate, especially because many of them can be kept thru the winter if stored properly in a root cellar or cold room.
Defense in place is certainly one strategy. Depends on what the likely risks you think you will face. Wasn't much left to loot in Slave Lake or Tsunami ravaged Japan (I do have a siphon hose in my truck however).
I'm not an end of the world worrier but more of a what if I had to leave in 30 minutes and might not get back for a couple of days.
Alberta is covered in sour-gas wells (including some in the Calgary region) and rail-lines so the idea of being evacuated on short notice isn't entirely far-fetched.
Quote:
Originally Posted by moncton golden flames
i would add non-gmo seeds to that, just in case you need to grow some of your own food if there is a prolonged issue. cool loving vegetables like lettuces, chards, peas, kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, radish, spinach, beets, carrots etc... would do really well in our climate, especially because many of them can be kept thru the winter if stored properly in a root cellar or cold room.
(1) GMO isn't the issue - hybrids are. If you are looking for plants you can re-start from their seeds you want non-hybridized seeds (often called 'Heirloom').
(2) Part of this depends on what type of event you are preparing for. A 48 hour evacuation wont provide enough time to harvest a bunch of vegetables let alone require multiple seasons worth of plantings.
__________________
"Teach a man to reason, and he'll think for a lifetime"
~P^2
Last edited by firebug; 08-03-2011 at 09:09 PM.
Reason: added link
Location: Close enough to make a beer run during a TV timeout
Exp:
Since getting a travel trailer I have been keeping a lot of emergency provisions in there. That was the one thing that struck me with the Slave Lake disaster; a lot of people with RVs just went "camping" for a couple of weeks. While the beds in my trailer are not the most comfortable; it sure beats a cot in a school gym.
I make sure we have 4 days worth of non-perishable food and water, a couple of changes of clothes, and enough blankets etc.
The other thing I do for inside the house is make sure I keep my old camping water jug full; and change the water every 3 months to keep in fresh.
I am worried this post might reveal a little too much about my OCD nature, but it might give some other people ideas
My 72 hour kit consists of a mid sized rubbermaid container with:
A couple MRE's (want some more, but haven't got around to getting them)
baby forumla
a change of clothes for each family member
3 large bags of sunflower seeds
a dozen candles
a tarp
and 4 (I think) buddy burners (see video below)
2 large boxes of strike anywhere matches, and a small pack of waterproof ones
A 6-pack of cheap lighters
one small sewing kit
one medium first aid kit
Vaseline and a bag of cotton balls (mixed together make fantastic firestarters)
Several knives
1 (or 2) hand crank flashlights
A whole bunch of those tiny led flashlights that you get at trade shows etc
2 packs of AA batteries, and a phone charger that runs off them./
Also right beside it, in case I am able/in need to transport is my tent, my Pack & Play (playpen/crib) and 2 compact sleeping bags.
There are also physical copies of ID's and other useful documents (on USB), like converting and running a car on wood gas, building underground shelters etc.
My shed has a large number of cheap solar power lights that could be used to keep rechargeable batteries going if needed.
What I would like to add is a generator and/or a (better) AC/DC inverter and an old UPS to act as power storage/conditioner.
__________________
"Wake up, Luigi! The only time plumbers sleep on the job is when we're working by the hour."
Last edited by Rathji; 08-03-2011 at 04:31 PM.
The Following User Says Thank You to Rathji For This Useful Post:
I used to have a backpack ready to rock with survival crap in it. I put a US Military survival guide in there as well. The skills were probably useless without practice, but I figured it would be better than nothing.
I think if you're serious about this you should get a gun. I don't have one, but I think that would trump everything else in a SHTF scenario. In the States everybody has a gun so it kind of wipes out the advantage; however, in Canada if you had a gun it might give you a leg up.
The kit contains a pair of wool socks, a lift ticket, a condom, 3 bottles of beer, 3 bottles of Screech and an instruction card. The instruction card was designed to accomodate the lift ticket, which slips into a sleeve to hold it in place, and the “convelope” which houses the condom is affixed to the front of the sleeve. This card then slides into the box.
Planet X
Aliens
GWB II gets more "bright ideas"
NWO agendas...
Zombies
Anyway, great post. I have been planning to do something like this for a while. There has been a food shortage for a while now. Disasters do happen and can happen here.
Do you have your plan to where you will camp out and several routes to get there?
Having a weapon is a good idea. Knives, bow and arrows, pellet guns (the look of them might change someones mind and you don't need a permit... I think), nunchucks if your super cool.
Those buddy burners are a sweet idea. Great for the car in the winter as well.
I can see some of the water filtration stuff from Kilimanjaro on a shelf nearby . . . . but something looks like its missing and I think I forgot how to use it.
I live on four acres and a major elk transit route in the Spring and Summer . . . . so I figure I need a long gun and the food will come to me. And I have pure, sweet well water and plenty of it although I suppose I'd need some power to keep it lifting.
Already tried out the bear spray on myself accidentally a few months ago. Really effective stuff in confined quarters!!! I'd recommend it!!
In all seriousness, my biggest worry is a brush fire or something and a wind pushing it at me. We do have a hurry-up bug out plan for two dogs, four cats, two humans and old photo's. You'd miss the other stuff but it could be replaced.
Interestingly, we actually DID have to bug out on the tsunami when we were in Hawaii in March. We had about five hours warning though and still didn't think of taking a change of clothes in case we had to evacuate the island. Spent the night sleeping in a Cavalier on a hillside waiting for the lights below us to be obliterated at 3:30 a.m. . . . . . but that didn't happen.
The big tornado that wiped out Pine Lake flew right over my grandfather and grandmothers grave at nought feet and wiped out the campground where I'd spent many a childhood day. So poop can happen I suppose.
Cowperson
__________________
Dear Lord, help me to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. - Anonymous
Nobody has mentioned a small battery powered AM/FM radio yet, add that to the pile. AM/FM ain't sexy, but it ubiquitous and likely to be used to broadcast emergency information.
Since getting a travel trailer I have been keeping a lot of emergency provisions in there. That was the one thing that struck me with the Slave Lake disaster; a lot of people with RVs just went "camping" for a couple of weeks. While the beds in my trailer are not the most comfortable; it sure beats a cot in a school gym.
I make sure we have 4 days worth of non-perishable food and water, a couple of changes of clothes, and enough blankets etc.
The other thing I do for inside the house is make sure I keep my old camping water jug full; and change the water every 3 months to keep in fresh.
I picked up an LX470 (aka Toyota Land Cruiser) in the spring and keep it loaded with our camping stuff, 20L of water and a full tank of gas. This is more so we can head out offroading quickly after work on friday but would give me 600km range and all the provisions we need for 3 days on short notice. In the winter time I will keep it unloaded but keep most of the gear in the garage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
I used to have a backpack ready to rock with survival crap in it. I put a US Military survival guide in there as well. The skills were probably useless without practice, but I figured it would be better than nothing.
I have a copy of the SAS Survival Guide that I picked up while I was a Boy Scout Leader. Full of useful information, cheap and fits in a pocket.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
I think if you're serious about this you should get a gun. I don't have one, but I think that would trump everything else in a SHTF scenario. In the States everybody has a gun so it kind of wipes out the advantage; however, in Canada if you had a gun it might give you a leg up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by To Be Quite Honest
You can never be too prepared. Having a weapon is a good idea. Knives, bow and arrows, pellet guns (the look of them might change someones mind and you don't need a permit... I think), nunchucks if your super cool.
I really don't think a weapon will be all that useful in all but the most dire situations. And when the SHTF how effective are you really going to be with it? Maybe CC can give us an idea of what is likely to happen to some guy with a 12 gauge or a 30-ought-6 trying to protect his suburban home against a group who really wants him removed.
In those situations evasion would seem a strategy that would offer a greater life expectancy and if not evasion, compliance.
Anyway, great post. I have been planning to do something like this for a while. There has been a food shortage for a while now. Disasters do happen and can happen here.
Do you have your plan to where you will camp out and several routes to get there?
Keep a copy of these in your car:
Plus I have family in BC, Southern AB and Montana where I could rendezvous if need.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Young-Sneezy
what movie are we talking about again?
I come by some of this culturally (raised LDS) as well it seems to run in the family. My brother recently self-published a novel regarding the aftermath of an EMP attack on the United States. While I don't agree with him on a lot of things politically or philosophic it is a terrific summer read and worth picking up for your e-reader.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sclitheroe
Nobody has mentioned a small battery powered AM/FM radio yet, add that to the pile. AM/FM ain't sexy, but it ubiquitous and likely to be used to broadcast emergency information.
You could also consider something like this which wouldn't require batteries and would also charge a cell phone.
__________________
"Teach a man to reason, and he'll think for a lifetime"
Bug-out bag
<-----Check the Badge bitches. You want some Awesome, you come to me!
