[Michael Goldsberry]

First item: A shotgun.

[Maigret]

Seems like it would be a good idea to unearth some Y2K prep info.

[anonymoussierra]

http://www.areyouprepared.com

http://www.quakekare.com

http://www.ready.gov/make_a_kit.html

http://www.urbansurvivaltools.com

http://www.first-aid-product.com/pgSurvival.htm

thank you all

[DeeOhGee]

Towel. Never go anywhere without your towel.

[proudofthesouth]

Does anyone know where I can purchase some good tasting MRE's? Thank in advance.

[Professional Engineer]

After 911, there were a number of good threads on food and housefold preparedness posted by UtahGirl.

[Spktyr]

On radios - not only do you need an AM/FM radio that is crank/solar powered, you need a handheld CB radio and a handheld FRS/GMRS radio. New Orleans has proven (at least to me and many others) that communications is almost as critical as food.

[Travis McGee]

This is my own tip, and I plan to put this together in the next few weeks.

Use a small trailer as your emergency escape assistant. Keep in in your garage. Keep all of your camping and survival gear on it all of the time. This way, you will not have to scramble to assemble your survival gear, it will already be assembled in one place, ready to go.

Most critically, keep four or more 5 gallon jerry cans of gasoline on the trailer. These will give you 400 extra miles of evacuation range, before you need to stop for gasoline. This is super critical, because all of the gas stations within 400 miles of your home will be totally swamped with out of gas evacuees. If you have no extra gas, this is where you will be forced to stop and get into a line which may last for hours and hours, at best. At worst, the gas stations will be empty, and your vehicle may be trapped in a gridlock of out of gas cars. These gas stations will be insane bedlams. You may get carjacked, robbed etc while you are trapped, searching for gasoline.

If you have an extra 400 miles worth of gasoline in your trailer, you can refill on the side of the highway, and just keep on going until you are out of the emergency evacuation zone. You will be among the first to reach the unaffected areas, where their will be motel rooms at normal prices, supermarkets, etc.

And in a total national SHTF scenario, the extra fuel range will permit you to reach a safe haven, far from the chaos and violence of the zone of out of gas cars.

(Of course, you will need a plan to use the stored fuel in the cans on a regular basis, to keep it fresh.)

[shuckmaster]

Batteries and water seem to be the first things people wished they had. Food and ammo were close behind. Baby diapers and medicine were also quite frequently mentioned.

[shezza]

Excellent thread idea. So many people have asked about starting a BOB (bug-out-bag), but responses get lost in the five-thousand-post threads. Kudos to you for putting this info in one easily accessible place.

[shezza]

Crosslinking threads:

What's in your ready bag

[shezza]

Crosslinking threads:

Survival Preparedness

[pa_dweller]

American Red Cross preparedness suggestions

[ChocChipCookie]

I found this link on another bulletin board. I love the way it gets you organized to add a few things each week to your 'preparedness' kit.

www.avertdisasters.org/html/72_hour2.html

[Doomonyou]

Prepare a GOOD pack.

(Thats "Get Out Of Dodge" pack.)

[matt1234]

The best introductory book that I've seen is Crisis Preparedness Handbook by Jack A. Spigarelli. It has lots of lists and a great bibliography.

http://www.cross-current.com

[albee]

bump for later read

[albee]

bump for later read

[bad company]

Water, food, fire, shelter. In that order.

There are purifiers and purifying tablets. because of the importance of water it's hard to overdo it. Including the hot water heater in the basement, I have about 80 galons in reserve at my house. Even if 3/4 of it is destroyed I still have ten days of water.

http://www.minifarmhomestead.com/homestead/purifywater.htm

That's a good resource for SHTF water.

I have about two weeks of food stored with my emergency supplies. I've got canned foods, packaged foods and a few mres. I also keep extra stores on the shelf in the kitchen. I could empty a rubbermaid 25 gallon tote and with a sweep of the hand have another two weeks of food.

Cooking, purifying water, heat. You might survive without fire but it would be miserable. A medicine bottle filled with cotton balls that have been saturated with vaseline, a magnesium and flint, a swiss army knife and a pencil sharpener. (use a stick about the size of a pencil and make shavings) Small package, doesn't have to stay dry. Will make fire anywhere but underwater.

Shelter. Anything is better than nothing. I keep an army poncho in my hunting pack. I keep a heavy tarp in both trucks. Those and a little rope are light, easy to carry and keep. Right now I have a simple 3 man tent.

A shotgun is very important. I keep the mossberg 500. I could buy a more expensive model but the mossberg has served me so well I'm not going to change now.

A shotgun in .12 or .20 guage will take game of all sizes. It will also serve well as a defensive weapon.

Ammunition management is important though. Shotgun ammo is heavy. With my favorite shotgun I keep a 55 round bandoleer. I keep 15 slugs for deer and defense. I keep 20 rounds of #7 1/2 for smaller game from pheasant down to squirrel. I keep 20 rounds of #2 goose loads in 3" magnum. They will take duck and goose and will also double as a defensive round. The shot is about the same size as #4 buck and there is more of it. Second gun for me would be a reliable .22. Good ammo is light and inexpensive (4$ for 50 CCI velocitors at walmart)



I know I'm on track when I'm of a like mind with Travis McGee. I'm taking delivery of a pop up camper later this week. I'll be raising the suspension to make it more viable off road. The frame will be extended to add capacity. I'll be adding skid plates and nerf bars for added protection. I'm thinking about an auxillary fuel tank with an electric fuel pump that operates with the cigarette lighter and hose long enough to fuel the towing vehicle easily.

[Utah Girl]

Thanks for the ping. Here is my thread I started after 9/11. It will go right to post #88, which is the list of what I have in my standard 72 hour kit that I put together several years ago (way before 9/11.) It sits under a table in my living room (camoflauged by a tablecloth.) It's right by the front door, so I can grab it and go.

I have put a couple more items in it after seeing Katrina this last week. More cash, 2 more paperback books, and a very complicated needlework kit. I HATE being bored. Anyway, any questions or anything about the thread, let me know.
Emergency Preparedness (year's supply of food, 72 hour kit)