Posted on 11/01/2012 10:46:33 AM PDT by Joseph Harrolds
Just how prepared should you be to ride out a disaster, man-made or otherwise? For purposes of this thread, we'll define the various levels of "prepping" as follows, mostly dependent on how long you can "ride it out" before needing to leave your home or receive aid from the authorities:
Level 0: Nothin'. Your emergency supplies consist of half a box of Cheerios and a cigarette lighter. In case of disaster, you'll be first in line for some government-issue MREs and a seat at a football stadium.
Level 1: While you don't keep things at home with disasters in mind, you at least could live on the supplies in your cupboard & refrigerator (assume the electricity is the first thing to go, though) for a few days to a week. If the tap water stops flowing you're in trouble, though.
Level 2: You've thought about prepping to the extent that you have actually bought a fair amount of supplies with just that in mind. You have enough food and stored water to last a month, and you have at least the level of supplies suggested by FEMA at http://www.ready.gov/basic-disaster-supplies-kit. You routinely keep a survival kit in your vehicle...just in case.
Level 3: Serious prepping. Forget being prepared for the sorts of disasters that have struck this country in the past, you're prepared for worse, more hypothetical ones; nuclear terrorism, bio-terrorism, hyper-inflation, etc. Instead of a savings account or CDs, you have gold and silver. You have enough food and supplies to last a year...at least.
Level 4: It's not just a hobby, it's a lifestyle. You're ready for the End Times, full-blown nuclear war, a zombie apocalypse, the complete collapse of society, etc. You have the supplies, land, and skills to make it on your own (or with the help of your friends/family/survival group) for the rest of your life. You either live on a survival retreat already or plan to go there when TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) strikes.
So the question is, which category do you most closely fit, and do you aspire to a higher (or lower) category?
I'm around level 2 myself, and would like to get to about 2.5 or so.
I’m probably a 1.5.
The next purchase will be a whole house generator on auto stand-by.
I am at 2 with the goal of getting to 2.5 or so. Eventually, I’d like to store food, water and medical supplies for 4 months or so.
I think that’s a financially prudent, life-style compatible, and psychologically healthy level at which to prep.
I guess I am somewhere between 2 and 3. I keep thinking I am going to stock up on long lasting food but have only got to the point of a few bags of rice and a few cans of spam.
I could make it about indefinitely in my rural location except for food. I guess I will add a few more food items each month.
I am at 2 with the goal of getting to 2.5 or so. Eventually, I’d like to store food, water and medical supplies for 4 months or so.
I think that’s a financially prudent, life-style compatible, and psychologically healthy level at which to prep.
I guess I am somewhere between 2 and 3. I keep thinking I am going to stock up on long lasting food but have only got to the point of a few bags of rice and a few cans of spam.
I could make it about indefinitely in my rural location except for food. I guess I will add a few more food items each month.
Check with Bill O'Reilly. His didn't work.
Seriously. Our lectric and Gas utility used to offer those, and they quit. I think too many of them failed. I have a small generator, but it's not hooked up. I've used it once, and it was most impractical. It has to reside outdoors with a cord coming in the house. In an emergency, I couldn't close the outddor door where the cable lcame in. Therefore, fumes from the generator flowed into the house. Not pleasant and very dangerous.
Maybe after Romney is President, he will publish outlines for all of us as to what we need. Mormons are experts on disaster prep. It is part of their faith. Seriously.
Thanks
I’m usually at 2.5, but during a prolonged period of unemployment my teenage son ate his way through most of my food supplies. I’m back working now but at a much reduced pay so it’s hard to restock. Generally, I have weapons I know how to use, have considered home security carefully, have worked out contingency plans, have escape routes and fallback positions established, know where I can go if things get bad here, have a go-bag for personal, car, and horse use, have stocks of medications, keep extra gas and firewood around, and am in good enough shape to get where I need to go on foot or ride hundreds of miles on horseback if necessary. I have a place to shelter a dozen miles from my house, and if the entire Eastern seaboard is ruined, I have a place in the countryside of the Midwest I can go to. Am hoping that before that happens I can sell this suburban house and move to a few acres in the Virginia Piedmont.
I’m a 3, which puts me into 4. People who are comfortable in staying alive a year, are part of whatever the new situation is after the confusion, and chaos, and dying off, had shaken out.
In order to find out, I plan to do a full practice later this year. It will last maybe four days or so to see where the weak spots are particularly with respect to generator usage, water supplies, and cooking.
Just to make it more realistic, I wonder if I should spring it on the family unexpectedly.
Bio-terrorism. The anthrax attacks. It happened here in the US.
Hyper-inflation.... has happened several times before the civil war. You know. That civil war that killed a noticable percentage of the US?
Perhaps you should read a little history about what things HAVE happened to the country, that maybe happened before you were born.
/johnny
It's more complicated than just acquiring a few foodstuffs each week.
They need to be protected just like any other generator.
My current one sits in my shed and I run a 220 capable line from the shed to my house. It’s only 2400 watts but it’s enough to run my sump pump, fridge and a cellphone charger.
The reason I want one of the big ones is so I can run it off propane like my heat and hot water. That way I avoid the gas lines like you are seeing now in NY and NJ.
I would build a shelter over it so that it would be protected from the elements. That’s probably why his failed.
If you are skilled enough to handle emergency wiring, why not feed your main power panel and keep the main off. Then you can selectively use anything in the house.
I did this during hurricane Ike and the 5 days without power on a 5.5kW generator. We did not run the A/C, Oven or stove. But then we could flip on the lights when we needed them, watch TV, use the ceiling fans, etc.
2.5 given that it’s hard to supply more than 6 months of water at home.
Those with 2nd location, out of town, consider how difficult it will be to get there, presuming no warning.
When I said “big box stores” I meant Costco and Sam’s Club. You can access their emergency stock food supply kits on-line.
Level 2+
I’d have to move to get to Level 3, but I’m working on it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.