Photo by Editor B

This is Part 5B 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

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 5B covers Food, Hygiene, Health, and Protection.

Food - because you wouldn’t want to eat your dog, I recommend storing enough food to sustain you through an emergency.  Skip the perishable items and frozen foods; we want the stuff with a long shelf life.  Canned goods are easy to keep, just be sure to rotate them.  Honey never goes bad.  Other items that make the list are packages of tuna, which keep for a few years; nuts, which are calorie-dense and a source of good fat; jerky, which is probably loaded with sodium.  Canning is another option to preserve perishable foods.  If you can stomach it, pemmican lasts a long time.  If you still have one lying around from Christmas, a fruitcake is an option, although as a last resort.  We also have boxes of pasta, which is not a good option when water is being rationed.  Try to stick with foods that don’t require water for cooking, or cooking at all for that matter.  If you have frozen meat that’s going to rot, perhaps throw a barbecue for the neighbors.  Better yet, keep that freezer packed tight; freeze water in empty soda bottles, which will keep the temperature down in the freezer.  Only open the door when absolutely necessary.

I live in the suburbs, so hunting and trapping are out for me.  If I really had to, I could shoot a couple of squirrels or rabbits.  Whatever floats your boat.  It would be a last resort for us.

Another option with a good shelf life are MREs.  This stands for Meals Ready to Eat, and there are many varieties available:

You could also try the Mountain House brand that’s made for camping.

Hygiene - when calculating your water requirement, don’t forget to factor in hygiene.  Keeping clean helps prevent the spread of disease.  Stock up on cleaning supplies, bleach, toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, soap, toothpaste, etc.  If the septic system is inoperable, make sure you have enough garbage bags to get rid of human waste.  Or be sure your “latrine” is far away from any food preparation.  In other words, don’t crap where you eat.  Make sure that you have a shovel, and cover up any “deposits” that you make in the ground.  Or, you could try the Luggable Loo:

Health - this is where I’m lacking.  I can stop a nosebleed, and do know CPR.  But that’s about it.  I have no medical training, like most people.  But I do keep enough band-aids, gauze, iodine, rubbing alcohol, aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, Neosporin, and duct tape to give it a good shot.  Don’t neglect this area in your preparations.  Maybe pick up a book like this one:

Protection - this is probably the most controversial subject.  While I wouldn’t worry about a zombie attack, I would be concerned about your neighbors.  Do you let your neighbors know that you’re prepped, knowing that your supplies will be raided during an emergency?  I’ve kept my mouth shut.  Call it a sin of omission.  There have been enough warnings in the past, be it 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, that people have had ample time to get their act together.  A starving person is a desperate person.  Take precautions so that your loved ones have enough food and water to make it through the emergency.  A baseball bat by the door is a good deterrent.  So is a shotgun.  Your choice.  Cold Steel makes a bat called the Brooklyn Crusher.  I think that says it all.

Next: Part 5C, which covers Communications, Lighting, and Tools.

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