Photo by Kecko

This is Part 5C of my self-reliance series.  I hope that you’ve enjoyed the other parts.  If you haven’t read them, you can do so by clicking on the following links:

Self-Reliance Series #1: A Personal Survival Kit (PSK)

Self-Reliance Series #2: An Office Survival Kit

Self-Reliance Series #3: An Automobile Survival Kit

Self-Reliance Series #4: My Every Day Carry (EDC)

Self-Reliance Series #5A: Prepping Your Home for an Emergency: Shelter, Water, and Fire

Self-Reliance Series #5B: Prepping Your Home for an Emergency: Food, Hygiene, Health, and Protection

All of the kits that I’ve described in the previous posts are great for when you’re away from your house.  But what if you’re home when disaster strikes?  I’ll let you in on some of the preparations that I’ve made in the event of an emergency.

I’m no Burt Gummer, but I have taken some steps to insure that my family will make it through an emergency.  This covers a shelter-in-place scenario, and does not cover bugging out.  I’ve broken Part 5 down into three sections because of the length.  Part 5C covers Communications, Lighting, and Tools.

Communications - so the lights have gone off.  Do you have a battery-powered radio?  Good.  When was the last time you checked the batteries?  How about extra cellphone batteries?  I haven’t tried Ham radio yet, but it’s a viable option for keeping in touch with the world.  If your family is separated during the emergency, do you have a predetermined rendezvous location?  I would practice beforehand to make sure everyone knows the drill.  If all lines of communication are down in your area, perhaps a relative in a distant region could be a central point of contact for separated family members.  Here’s a radio that has AM/FM and shortwave:

Lighting - there are some basic items that you should have at your disposal.  Make sure you have a flashlight (I have many.  Too many.  Candlepower Forums is addictive), and plenty of fresh batteries.  While kerosene lanterns work well, a battery-powered lantern is safer when small kids are underfoot:

We also use candles, but again, we’re careful about the flame.  If you’re not used to being around fire, you may have a mishap.  I’ve even known people who have hooked up Christmas lights to a car battery.  Just make sure that you have a plan, and know where your lanterns are before the lights go out.  You don’t want to be stumbling around in the dark.

Tools - one of the first tools that I bought when I moved into my house was a chainsaw.  Unfortunately, it was an electric chainsaw.  It wasn’t much use when the power was out.  I’ve replaced it with a gas-powered model, so now I can tackle any fallen trees if a hurricane hits and the power goes out:

I also have axes and hatchets, along with hand saws.  Shovels are good to have, as are hammers and screwguns.  Again, make sure the batteries are charged before the lights go out.  The one item that makes power loss a moot point is a generator.  I haven’t invested in one of these yet, but I’m warming on the idea.  Also, if you have natural gas heating, know where the shutoff is, and have a wrench that fits the shutoff valve.  If you live in a cold climate, make sure that you have snow shovels and ice melt.  If you shelter in the basement, you might consider having a jack, in case the upper floor caves in, and you can’t get out.  And don’t forget the fire extinguishers!

So what have I missed?  What things do you do differently?

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