So Who's Got an Emergency Preparedness Kit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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 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.

This train is never late on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Then I would go to a CVS and an ATM in Virginia, Virginia always seems better off in a disaster. Anyways, I might be able to raid my car ashtray and scrape together enough for a bag of cashews, i could sustain myself on cashews. I also have a fishing pole and fish the carp our of the pond in front of Sweetwater Tavern.

[Anonymous]

someone is cracking me up on this thread. is the person fishing in the pond the spice girls poster? You're funny, so if you get into a jam your family can share our kit. Until it runs out, then of course we'll have to eat you.

[Anonymous]

when we lived in earthquake country, we had a couple for the home, office and cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
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).

What is the power pack you're talking about? Where do you buy them? I would have killed for a fan Sunday.

We have plenty of bottled water and even a frozen gallon of water in the freezer to keep things cool in case of an outage. I did a big emergency preparedness thing after 9-11, but of course my DD grew out of the clothes we packed to grab and go and the canned goods got old, etc. and I've been lax in keeping things up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
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).

What is the power pack you're talking about? Where do you buy them? I would have killed for a fan Sunday.

We have plenty of bottled water and even a frozen gallon of water in the freezer to keep things cool in case of an outage. I did a big emergency preparedness thing after 9-11, but of course my DD grew out of the clothes we packed to grab and go and the canned goods got old, etc. and I've been lax in keeping things up.

This is what I bought and it's worked really well for us, even though on here it gets mixed reviews. If you search on Amazon for it, it's for sale for $69.

http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Powerpack-Jumpstarter-Built-Compressor/dp/B001CXZ2O8

[Anonymous]

I keep a bunch of 1 and 2 liter soda bottles filled with water in the freezer. If the power goes out I can use them in a cooler if need be. I rotate them out in the summer by grabbing one whenever we are going out in the car for a trip or to the pool-- the ice melts and you have cool water for the kids to drink.

If the power goes out in a heat wave or your a/c conks out you can always go to a hotel or someone else's house, unless you are all struck with the stomach flu, as happened to us. Or you are broke. In that case, it is really nice to have a few battery operated box fans. And, batteries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I keep a bunch of 1 and 2 liter soda bottles filled with water in the freezer. If the power goes out I can use them in a cooler if need be. I rotate them out in the summer by grabbing one whenever we are going out in the car for a trip or to the pool-- the ice melts and you have cool water for the kids to drink.

If the power goes out in a heat wave or your a/c conks out you can always go to a hotel or someone else's house, unless you are all struck with the stomach flu, as happened to us. Or you are broke. In that case, it is really nice to have a few battery operated box fans. And, batteries.

Or the hotels with power are all already booked like they've been this week -- no vacancies from Crystal City up through Baltimore.

[Anonymous]

[quote=
This is what I bought and it's worked really well for us, even though on here it gets mixed reviews. If you search on Amazon for it, it's for sale for $69.

http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Powerpack-Jumpstarter-Built-Compressor/dp/B001CXZ2O8

Thanks. I never heard of this before. One thing, the URL above is for a $119 model. The $69 one is at http://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-Xpower-Powerpack-Watt-Inverter/dp/B003LTP3NG/ref=pd_sbs_auto_4

I suppose it might be asking too much if it might run a small portable heater for a while in the winter, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[quote=
This is what I bought and it's worked really well for us, even though on here it gets mixed reviews. If you search on Amazon for it, it's for sale for $69.

http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Powerpack-Jumpstarter-Built-Compressor/dp/B001CXZ2O8

Thanks. I never heard of this before. One thing, the URL above is for a $119 model. The $69 one is at http://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-Xpower-Powerpack-Watt-Inverter/dp/B003LTP3NG/ref=pd_sbs_auto_4

I suppose it might be asking too much if it might run a small portable heater for a while in the winter, though.

I doubt it would run a heater. Check the watts on whatever heater you want to try. I got a $100 kerosene heater instead (and a carbon monoxide detector). I figured I could keep some heat in the house and my kids occupied with cartoons/DVDs on the computers or DVD players. I hadn't thought about the fan when I purchased those things last winter, but it came in really handy the past few days.

This powerpack can be recharged in the car, but it takes awhile, which is why I got two (or just to light some real lamps in different rooms). But I really HATED not being able to get out of my neighborhood for days during the snow storms last winter. This little combo of heat/power was the cheapest and quietest way I could think of to stay sane during a power outage. I'm in a townhouse so I'm sure the neighbors would not like a real generator going out back.

[Anonymous]

I do not have an emergency kit, but I agree that it's a good idea. DH has one at work mandated by his company, which is headquartered in NYC, and was hit by 9-11.

We do have those iodine pills in case of a nuclear power plant meltdown, and I always keep extra food, and empty water bottles around ready to be filled just in case.

I've been downloading my photos to my computer and putting my SD cards into my safe deposit box. They are tiny, and hold so many photos, so why not keep them instead of reusing them? I buy them on Amazon on sale for $5 or so. I do know some people who lost everything in a fire, and I don't want that to happen. I don't care about my furniture, but it would break my heart to lose my kids' baby photos.

Some day when I have a lot of time, I'll digitize all my old family photos too so they will be preserved for my children and grandchildren.

I guess I should make copies of important documents and put them in a ziplock, but I have not gotten around to it. Again, it's a good idea, but who knows when a major emergency will happen? 9-11 may come once in a lifetime.

Please, someone find an easy way to do this, and I'll do it.

[Anonymous]

DH signed us up with a company that backs up what's on our computer. This includes photos. So everything is somewhere on a server in another state. I think it's called Sugarsync.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not have an emergency kit, but I agree that it's a good idea. DH has one at work mandated by his company, which is headquartered in NYC, and was hit by 9-11.

We do have those iodine pills in case of a nuclear power plant meltdown, and I always keep extra food, and empty water bottles around ready to be filled just in case.

I've been downloading my photos to my computer and putting my SD cards into my safe deposit box. They are tiny, and hold so many photos, so why not keep them instead of reusing them? I buy them on Amazon on sale for $5 or so. I do know some people who lost everything in a fire, and I don't want that to happen. I don't care about my furniture, but it would break my heart to lose my kids' baby photos.

Some day when I have a lot of time, I'll digitize all my old family photos too so they will be preserved for my children and grandchildren.

I guess I should make copies of important documents and put them in a ziplock, but I have not gotten around to it. Again, it's a good idea, but who knows when a major emergency will happen? 9-11 may come once in a lifetime.

Please, someone find an easy way to do this, and I'll do it.

And which nuclear power plant do you live next to that is a meltdown threat?

Just when I thought I had seen it all on these boards....swine flu anyone? Oh, nevermind.

[Anonymous]

There are different levels of "emergency preparedness" depending on what threats you think are likely to occur.

In the DC area, I think the possibility of a "Grab and Go" widescale emergency is pretty slim. We don't have mudslides, earthquakes, and wildfires where you have a few minutes to get a few things and then leave.

You might have a housefire, so I guess if you care about your photos and stuff it makes sense to have copies of them stored and saved. I've never been that organized. Plus most of my photos I post on Facebook.

For all the other emergencies, I think everything is about convenience. Not that you couldn't go find a hotel or move in with someone or go out to Target and buy stuff then -- but why should you have to?

At the very least, every coffee drinker should have a way to make coffee if the power is out. A french press plus a way to boil water with no electricity. That would be number one item in my emergency preparedness kit!!

[Anonymous]

Because I live in Arlington, close to the seat of power, I figure I'm the first to get hit or the best protected. The roads will be so clogged, there's no point for an emergency exit out of the city. I'll just hunker down and eat the cheerios stuck to the kitchen floor.