Earthquakes, serious storms and fires are just a few of the reasons people are driven to make preparations against hard times. Hedging against getting snowed in, a regional flood or even unemployment can also be motivations. So what are some sensible ways to prepare yourself? Here are some ideas to consider.
Food and Food Preparation
Canned goods can last beyond their expiry date, dependent on keeping them in a consistently cool place. Commercially bottled foods such as peanut butter, pasta sauces, jam and jellies, etc., can also last a couple of years on a shelf. Boxed foods do need to be used up, so use and replace those products.
Food is only half the battle, however. It won’t do you much good if you don’t have a way to cook it. Both butane cookers and solar powered ovens and cooktops are available in a variety of configurations. Even a charcoal grill or backyard fire pit could be used, but you should check local laws about how you are allowed to store fuel such as butane canisters, charcoal or firewood.
Power
Consider how you will keep your lights on or power essential equipment such as an oxygen concentrator or a freezer full of food. A good generator can power much of your home in short-term situations. If you need a 24 hour electrician Austin, Texas has a few really great ones that can assess your needs and help install a reliable gas emergency generator. You could also store a couple packages of batteries and some candles and matches, if you feel safe doing so.
Water
Water is an essential element of life. Humans can go for a while without sleep or even food, but water is second only to oxygen when it comes to sustaining life, so having some water on hand could prove life-saving. Store what you can, where you can, such as a few cases of water bottles under the beds or so on. You may want to obtain some water purification tablets or filtering devices as well.
Sanitation and Hygiene
This is one area that could cause a lot of distress, so look into a portable latrine and the chemicals needed to prevent odor and bacterial spread. Keep an extra bottle of bleach and some anti-bacterial cleaners and hand–sanitizers in your supplies. You may want to buy a package or two of biodegradable toilet paper for such an event.
This information is given to motivate you to consider whether you could do a little bit here and there so that you could be self-sufficient for a few weeks if needed until a disaster of some type is resolved and normality resumes.
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