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So Who's Got an Emergency Preparedness Kit?
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Anonymous
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My father went all into survival mode after 911 and did things like buy iodine tablets for everyone in case of nuclear exposure. I'm on the complete opposite end of that and have nothing more than a lot of extra bottled water sitting around. But after the snow storms this winter and now losing my power this weekend from that storm, I realize how dependent I am on things like electricity. Seems I lose my power when it's either 6 degrees or 106 degrees outside. As I did last winter, I thought I could just go stay in a hotel if things got bad. But in case that's not possible, I guess I should put together a few things for at least a few days of being stuck in the house.
After those multiple storms last winter, I bought a kerosene heater and two portable power packs that run things like little fans, computers, a radio, light, etc. (and that powerpack worked wonders running a small fan yesterday). Do you keep anything else on hand? If so, what? How much water? Extra medicines all in one place? A really good first aid kit? Do you have nonperishable foods that your kids will eat? Or are you like me and really have nothing around but some band aids, neosporin, and extra water? |
Anonymous
| We have supplies on hand but that's b/c my husband is the prepared one. He bought some big water containers and those are filled and he even has tablets to throw into them when the water is needed. We've got tons of candles, camping supplies, canned goods (the kids will starve since chicken nuggets and hot dogs do not come in an acceptable form) and god knows what else in his survival space. |
Anonymous
We did Go Bags and a rolling cooler filled with shelf-stable foods post 9/11. Last updated the bags shortly before DC was born. DC is now 5. 
Water in plastic jugs has a limited shelf life, as the plastic degrades/leeches over time. And since we generally don't drink bottled water, this is probably our biggest stumbling block. Although we don't currently have the cooler packed, our pantry has a decent selection of food that can be eaten as-is or cooked on the gas grill (or the gas stove, which can be lit w/o electricity). For sheltering in place (power outages and such) we are in pretty good shape. For evacuating the city in a hurry, we are not as organized as we could be. |
Anonymous
| Yes, we do. Made our kits based on www.ready.gov. They have useful checklists. I update them every two years or so. |
Anonymous
| We don't have one, but I often think about putting one together. And then I don't. But I do think it's a good idea. |
Anonymous
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I spent 15 years working in developing nations and the having an emergency kit has long been a value. I have a device that runs on car batteries and can be used to power small appliances, plenty of canned goods that get rotated out, a copies of all our important documents in a ziplock bag, a list of important numbers and have scanned them all onto a flash drive and copied them to DVD (and family members in different parts of the country also have the DVD which includes some pictures). I also have a large ziplock bag on the top shelf of the closet with a change of clothes for everyone, some cash, toiletries and books. We have at least a case of water that gets rotated periodically (we use rain barrels for our garden so we have more on hand than the recommended amount). I also have 5 gallons of gas in the shed.
I know it may sound a little overboard but you never know when you have to do a grab-n-go. I don't want to spend what little time I have searching for things or trying to decide what's important. The less you have to think the better. |
Anonymous
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A what? What for?
No definitly not. If I lived in the desert or was driving through the desert I would have a box of meal replacement bars and a few gallons of water in my trunk. |
Anonymous
| I plan on getting eaten when the zombie apocalypse comes. I don't run very fast, so why bother trying. |
Anonymous
| I have a hot air balloon ready to take me away to a special place in an undiscolsed location. |
Anonymous
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Since watching 2012 I have been converting my attic into an arc. When the tsunami comes it will just pop off the top of the house into the water.
I have it stocked with enough brownie mix to last a year and the collected works of the Spice Girls. I feel that the empowered feminism of those sassy ladies will provided the spirit we need to re-build the world post-apocalypse. |
Anonymous
ha ha. Pretty funny, esp. the spice girls bit. However, do you really have nothing? I don't either, but worry about it a little bit. |
Anonymous
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Wow, thanks DCUM, yet another way to make me feel like a bad parent. I can already see the argument unfolding someone is going to say:
It's irresponsible to not have an emergency preparedness kit. Living in the nation's capitol puts us at the highest threat of an attack. Blah, blah, blah. Someone else will say: If the world were going to change that dramatically I don't know if my anxiety would allow me to cope. I don't think I would want to live. Plus, my doctor won't give me a years supply worth of valium for the kit. And yet another person would say: Since our emergency preparedness kit is the best, our son, who goes to Landon BTW, will obviously rule the post-apocalypse world. It's why we made our choice to send him to Landon and not a Cathedral School, Landon prepares boys much better for when the aliens come. |
Anonymous
I really have nothing. Other than a litre and a half of tanqueray. For me the thing about living in the nation's capital is that if anything truly catastrophic happens we will probably die in the first blast. Anything else, we can always hit the CVS. |
Anonymous
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OP here. I thought very similarly to a lot of you. But after losing power last night, I think having some emergency supplies on hand would be very handy for just these fairly simple (although often extended) power outages.
You can go to CVS if they are open/have power. But what if they aren't? Even if they are, they may only be taking cash. Do you always keep enough cash on hand to buy what you need? I know I don't. I live off my check debit card for almost everything and never have more than about $40 on me in cash. And what if everyone else got to CVS first and there's nothing left that you need or want? God knows we face that every year with toilet paper and snow shovels in the winter. |
Anonymous
It has nothing to do with being a bad parent and this isn't a competitive thing. Having experienced emergency and uncertain conditions, I know that I can't depend on anyone to come resuce or provide for us. This was important to me before I had kids and now that I do, it's even more important. If nothing else, you should have digit copies of your important documents and photos. My father and maternal grandmother all had house fires and lost all their family photos. If the same thing happened to us, I wouldn't lament the loss of our couch but I certainly would mourn the loss of our family photos and movies. |