[ChemistCat]

TIP ONE: ONE WEEK OLD It's my suggestion to anyone with a vulnerable water supply that you save milk jugs, soda bottles, and so forth. Wash them well, fill them, and add a couple of drops of liquid chlorine bleach (not one of the fancy scented kinds) per half gallon. If you prefer to filter your water, you can always filter this normally after it has waited a week. Set up a system where you are rotating through these. Do not DRINK tap water directly out of the faucet--drink water at least ONE WEEK OLD. If the water is going to be sitting for substantially longer than one week, you will need to add 4 or 5 drops per half gallon. Use week old water for brushing teeth and microwaving water for tea, etc. Hard boiling will deal with biocontamination but since the water can be contaminated with other substances, I'd even use week old water for cooking pasta.

This gives time for any potential problem in the water to be detected and you'll know you're safe--without the expense and false security that comes from commercial bottled water and home filtration. The other bonus is that this will mean you have a week's supply of water if for some reason water is cut off--that's something that can happen for everyday reasons, after all--a good hard freeze that bursts your pipes....

A week's supply of water won't take up too much room and you can chill it easily for better taste. I suggest using normal gallon and 2 liter containers because the big 5 gallon containers are so large they discourage regular use. Pass this tip on to other lists you may be on.

TIP TWO: This is a reasonable time to stock up on food that does not require refrigeration or substantial preparation. Don't do what I did at first and buy #10 cans of Veg-all and ketchup from Sam's. You'll end up hunting for a charity that will take them, by and by. Buy canned foods your family already eats as a time of stress is NOT a good time to change the diet. www.waltonfeed.com is one excellent source for bulk food storage items--they've been around for a long, long time; I am going to shamelessly plug my friend Janis's website, www.justincasefoods.com, because she is as honest as they come and you can get many interesting "accessory" food items through her site, such as comfort foods, and she knows more about preparedness than I will ever know! Many of you will have other good resources you can put up here.

TIP THREE: I'm not going out to get a gas mask (even if I could find one) because I don't believe that this type of threat is particularly strong. Chemical weapons with few exceptions are dreadfully expensive OR have to be set off in relatively small areas like inside a train, so they are very unlikely to affect any of us. We have seen that anthrax doesn't spread from person to person. That substantially limits the damage it can do. If you work in a situation that you feel makes you vulnerable to attack that way, you probably ought to take precautions, but otherwise I think it is wiser to confine your attention to the kind of disease that does spread easily from person to person. A SERIOUS FLU SEASON IS PREDICTED THIS YEAR. I've had several emails now from people who say, "NO kidding, I will never say 'just the flu' again, I almost died..."

Contagious diseases are subject to soap and water and isolation. Period. Whether it's flu or smallpox or the common cold, its spread can be STOPPED COLD if we become wise in this matter. Flu IS NOT A JOKE--it has killed MORE PEOPLE than any other contagion caused illness including AIDS and malaria. Epidemics early in the 20th century decimated entire military units and killed children, the aged, and people in their prime of life and health. I don't want to bury my kids because (as Rush says) "you people" won't wash your hands and stay home when sick. Our nation and its economy need a minimal flu season this year!!! Take hygiene seriously!

Those are my three main tips right now. Minor ones: keep the gas tank full, think twice about eating at fast food places, and do your shopping online to avoid going to malls. Sorry, W, but I'm not hanging out in large groups of people right now. I can help my economy right here at my keyboard.

[pray4liberty]

Time for another shopping trip to B.J. Wholesale.

[browardchad]

More suggestions from a Floridian -- we go through the disaster drill every year, just about, and the weakest link is usually the electricity:

If you have a gas barbeque, buy an extra propane tank and keep your tanks full. (Don't store or use it in the house, however.)

Keep extra fresh batteries, flashlights and a portable radio easily accessible.

[CathyRyan]

Milk jugs are not good to save and use as water storage containers. Gallon jugs that water comes in from stores tend to degrade after awhile and spring leaks. I got trash cans and then lined them with food grade plastic liners. You can get food grade plastic barrels but remember to get a pump to get the water out.

Good hint if you are looking for a shower...get a NEW bug spray canister with the pump handle works great as a shower I have a black metal one that can be sat out in the sun so the water can be solar heated.

[KentuckyWoman]

Thanks for posting these!

I would add a few things to your list:
Candles or kerosene lamps (w/ oil)
Kerosene heaters and fuel (for those in chilly climates)
Dried beans and pasta
Powdered drinks (milk, instant teas, kool-aid, tang, etc.)
Ammunition (you never know...)

[CathyRyan]

You can also get plans to build a solar oven off the net. You can make one out of cardboard, glue, foil, and a piece of glass. It does not work on cloudy days or in winter except if near the equator, but for sunny summer days it works. I plain to build a plywood one for next summer.

[Southack]

Nice tips. Remember also that you will ALWAYS need a reliable way to start a fire even if you have no power and are rained on.

Basicly, keep calm. The odds are that nothing will destroy our entire system. Keep prepared. Consider Mazlo's hierarchy of needs: Food, water, shelter, clothes, fire, weapons. Keep in touch. A hand-cranked radio can make all the difference between you knowing what is going on versus letting your "cut off from the world" paranoia build upon itself in your isolation.

By the way, the tips on the bugout bag containing food, maps, and money were very good suggestions. I might add that a police or football whistle makes a good way to communicate over short to mid distances, even in crowds (heaven forbid).

[CathyRyan]

I just when to the vet and had all my pets checked and I got health records and certificates so if I have to do any fast moving they are good to go. My indoor cats are hard to chase down so I have started feeding them in their crates. If they want to eat they have to get in their crates. This way they are always ready and willing to get in their crates. Everytime I walk into the room where their crates are they run and jump in their crates hoping for food. WARNINGWith this method they have started to want me to get up at 4am to feed them and they can be tenacious.

[antidisestablishment]

Utah Girl posted a great thread on Emergency Preparedness .

[gnarledmaw]

Modern Survival magazine is the Phoenix that arose from the ashes of the American Survival Guide fiasco. Its an excellent online source for all kinds of related information. If you mash the link above then you can take a sample tour of this months issue, if you get a subscription then at the end of the year you get the whole year on cd sent to you.

If this isnt quite your bag you should visit Double Oughts link page and see if you cant find something to your liking there.

[white rose]

Fine suggestions, all of them, but you forgot the first requirement for surviving any emergency:

CHOCOLATE!

[RaceBannon]

Canned foods and bottled water. Flashlights and batteries.

[pray4liberty]

My suggestion is to get a book written by Ted Wright, "Wright's Complete Disaster Survival Manual" available through Amazon.

A few disgruntled customers posted nasty things on Amazon, but the book is still excellent and a bargain for $11.96.