Chit Chat

NWR: How prepared are you?

I'm posting this here bc TK really does run the gamut on all sorts of demographics. People of all walks of life and different experiences post here so here goes:

Just how "prepared" are most people for emergencies? I'm not by any means in an Ebola panic or anything but I did marry a pretty damn prepared guy. Not National-Geo-is-coming-over-to-put-us-on-their-"Doomsday Preppers'-show-or-anything level prepared, but yea, in the face of many types of emergencies, we're covered to a fair degree.

Some days I feel a little crazy for being that way. Then things happen like Super Storm Sandy, massive unexpected 100-year floods, power outages, out of control wildfires, riots in American cities, etc., and I feel like it makes good sense.

Are we in a minority or are more and more everyday people becoming more prepared for emergencies than at other times in the past?
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Re: NWR: How prepared are you?

  • Honestly, we are pretty unprepared. I'm more prepared at work because they gave us all emergency kits years ago, so I keep it in my bottom drawer. I think FI and I should have a talk about better preparing ourselves. 
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  • Natural disaster-wise, we are fairly prepared. The pantry is stocked with a lot of non-perishable foods, we keep several cases of bottled water around, lots of batteries and candles, matches (several types including waterproof), sterno/camp stove, a stockpile of blankets, several first aid kits and other medial supplies, and we have a power inverter if we need to charge small devices. We're lucky that our neighborhood is not in danger of flooding, but we have lost power for a week+ on a few occasions in the last few years due to fallen trees. Our place seems to be the go-to if anyone needs to eat when there's no power since everyone knows we always have food.

    DH was a boy scout and I just really like being prepared. Works out well for us!
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  • I'm pretty unprepared at the moment, which is embarrassing because I just had to do a project about Disaster Preparedness.  I have things like food,flashlights,water, and basic medical supplies, but they're not organized very well and there's a lot missing.  However, I've had a lot of real life experience and I know exactly what is and isn't useful in a bug-out bag.  I can't wait until I'm done with licensing and can write out prescriptions, because then my bag is going to be super legit with antibiotics, painkillers, and IVs.  It frustrates me sometimes that I can't just go out and buy them, but I understand why.  

    On a semi-related side note: the show Doomsday Preppers is crazy.  Did you see the one guy with the souped up anarchy RV?  He hid canisters of supplies every 50 miles apart across the entire country.  Insane.  


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  • We are unprepared. We could probably stretch our food for 3 week from our pantry, but I don't know if it would be sufficient. Other than that we have one box of band aids, a bottle of aspirin, two flashlights, and bottled water in my trunk. 

    We do have a ton of blankets, and a mini grill that can be run on propane or with coals. 
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  • FI works for an energy supplier in the area, so often times when there are storms, he has been called in for work.

    Because this would leave me alone at the house without power in most cases, he went out and bought a generator that could power the whole house (with a remote control). He and my dad built a little shed for it so it wouldn't get buried in snow, and then he bought a big gas can for it. He also set up a switch on the breaker so that the generator won't power out to the line, but only the house. And then he wrote out how to use it and stuck it on the wall next to the breaker box.

    We have flashlights everywhere, and he got bored one night and impulse-shopped on Amazon and got some of those emergency nightlight things so that I wouldn't find myself bumping into stuff.

    I don't do prep-shopping on a scale for situations that would go on longer than a week, unless I happen to buy something in bulk from Costco. My mom, however, stocks up on stuff all the time.

    It would be easy to go between my house (during the winter) and my parents' house even when the road is unsuited to travel because of the snowmobile trails. So if I really needed supplies and I was stuck at home by myself, I could very simply get on my sled and ride over there for what we need. We even have a little trailer for the sled.

    Luckily, nothing has gone down requiring any of this shit. I am not looking forward to a repeat of 2008's ice storm though. Blech.
    --

    I'm the fuck
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  • edited June 2015
  • We own at least one flashlight. Batteries to make it work are another story.
  • We don't really have food, because a) we don't have much storage and b) We don't really eat much canned food to begin with. But we live in Manhattan, we can walk to a store quickly to buy stuff (or pillage if the zombie apocalypse comes). We are outside the flood zones, so the hours after Sandy passed, we went out and all the shops and restaurants were open. We were lucky.

    We do have have a terrorism plan though-if the subways are out, if phones aren't working, where we will meet and how to get in contact with each other. 
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  • I lived in the islands for 15 years.  We lost our power on a regular basis, we would run out of random stuff on a regular basis.  Then add the occasional hurricane.   Because of living there I have took what I learned and try to be fairly prepared.  

    I store water, have extra batteries and candles around, some canned food, first aid kits, etc.   We have gas stove so that helps, but we also have a gas grill with a side-burner to cook off any freezer stuff. 








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  • We would be alright for a few days, a little extra food, usually some bottled water and we have a wood stove in the garage with tonnes of wood so we would be alright just uncomfortable.  

    On a totally never going to happen note we do have a zombie plan involving the attic and making sure we have the hunting guns with us.
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  • We are very unprepared. I drive an Xterra that actually came with a First Aid kit so I feel pretty cool about that... but otherwise we're doomed lol Our fridge is full of leftovers and beer, and we may have two cans of peas in the pantry, and some boxes of hamburger helper. 

    We do have guns so... zombie apocalypse anyone?
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  • I'd say we are semi-prepared for a short term emergency. We always keep a chunk of cash stashed, there's maybe a week of non-perishables/bottled water, and we have a purifier. Lots of candles/matches and flashlights, a crank radio, misc. camping supplies. He recently bought gloves & face masks (b/c, of all things, he now has to change the kitty litter since i'm knocked up). Should there be a zombie apocalypse, we also have a handful of guns and plenty of ammo, as well ;)
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  • Honestly, I get pretty eyeroll-y with the paranoia and the kind of thinking that leads people to make elaborate preparations for an unnamed disaster. I had a roommate once whose parents had a legit "Rapture Shelter" and we couldn't even hear them mention it without desperately trying not to laugh.

    If you live in an area that's prone to natural disasters/political unrest, what have you, then of course it's a prudent thing to do, but otherwise...

    We don't really get hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, anything like that, so the only thing we're prepared for is a winter power outage. But we live in a very cold climate, so not having the stuff to stay warm is lunacy. I admit my pantry kinda looks like we're in full Doomsday mode, but that's just because the grocery store is my happy place, haha.

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  • We're not super prepared. I've got candles and flashlights, we have some food. We also now have a generator for power outages. We have well water, and there is usually bottled water in the house.

    Not worried about Ebola. I'll wait for the next panic.
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  • We're fairly prepared. We both have bug out bags in the trunk of our cars (actually, they need to be updated soon) and we usually have a stockpile of stuff in case of huge blizzard (most likely natural disaster in MN).

    I actually feel like we're not very prepared, because we both have intentions of doing much more. We need to update the cans and eat the ones that are getting close to expiring. I have a whole list of stuff I want to get. Perhaps some of the stuff that wouldn't expire should go on our registry.
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  • Right now, we are absolutely not prepared. We have really shitty bandaids and maybe ten cans of tomatoes. I've got neosporin ointment stuff. Other than that we're pretty well screwed.
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  • Right now, we are absolutely not prepared. We have really shitty bandaids and maybe ten cans of tomatoes. I've got neosporin ointment stuff. Other than that we're pretty well screwed.
    Lol, I don't even think we have Tylenol or anything, so I feel your pain. There's a 2L Brita water pitcher in the fridge if anyone remembered to fill it...

    But we do have about fifty blankets so we'll stay warm/build a sweet blanket fort if the power goes out.

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  • We are pretty prepared except water wise. If there was a water emergency we'd be screwed. I don't like bottled water  and I think it's a waste, of money and resources - so we never have it around. Otherwise we're good. Firewood, candles, non-perishables, typically gas cans are full in the garage. Heck we's got a few bows and arrows if it goes all apocalyptic - which if it does, just kill me know bc I'm going to be way whiney and annoying.
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

  • My DH sort of got on this kick several years ago. He's always been a pragmatist by nature but something kind of clicked and he started really getting in to it all. I think it was Denver's hosting of the 2008 DNC to be exact. Denver is usually a VERY docile, chill place but for a couple of months there were military and SWAT drills going on in the city (snipers on rooftops, blacked out tac helicopters with snipers hanging out the sides and anarchists groups threatening to riot). I guess that's what started the whole thing.

    Then summer after summer our wildfires have gotten increasingly worse. They've even effected cities like Colorado Springs and Ft. Collins. The icing on the cake was the mega flood in 2013. My aunt and uncle lost their entire basement then looters stole what was salvagable during their cleanup effort living WAAAAY out of the flood zone. Mountains, water and gravity can be an awful combo.

    He worries about a certain degree of civil unrest. If it can happen in St. Louis, it can happen in any city or town.

    I used to get super eye-rolly. We'd argue over the amount of money he was spending at the Army surplus store, online, on ammo, at REI, etc. But the more stuff that goes down the more I've eased up on his preparedness and think he was right to a large extent. I don't actively worry the way he does. I see no point and if he ever says the words "Rapture Shelter" to me it's probably time for an intervention. 

    I've seen a lot of episodes of "Doomsday Preppers" but it generally frustrates me. Having a killer home garden is great but for every one area of preparedness someone has covered on that show they've neglected so many more. Or they have too much time/money and not enough sense. Some episodes are just funny like the one where the guy couldn't get a date and Nat Geo found him some unsuspecting lady to go on a blind date and he took her to his emergency silo....... Good times :-)
  • We do have a decent first aid kit and I carry emergency roadside supplies in my car becuase my dad made me when I got my first car and it became habit. FI doesn't so much as have jumper cables.
  • amelisha said:
    Right now, we are absolutely not prepared. We have really shitty bandaids and maybe ten cans of tomatoes. I've got neosporin ointment stuff. Other than that we're pretty well screwed.
    Lol, I don't even think we have Tylenol or anything, so I feel your pain. There's a 2L Brita water pitcher in the fridge if anyone remembered to fill it...

    But we do have about fifty blankets so we'll stay warm/build a sweet blanket fort if the power goes out.
    Yeah... I've got enough blankets for us, maybe. I think the only medicine is some Aleve in my mom's purse.

    Disaster preparedness is not top of my mind right now. I can't handle another disaster hahahaha
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  • Nope. We have one case of water in the basement and normal pantry foods. My street is somehow the first circuit to get fixed during every outage so when other parts are out for days, we've never lost power longer than 3 hours.

    When it comes to super hardcore, end of the world shit (like the Preppers show) my philosophy is why would you want to be alive? Honestly, if some "I am Legend"/ "Zombieland" shit is happening I don't want to be around for it.

                                                                     

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  • jenna8984 said:

    Nope. We have one case of water in the basement and normal pantry foods. My street is somehow the first circuit to get fixed during every outage so when other parts are out for days, we've never lost power longer than 3 hours.

    When it comes to super hardcore, end of the world shit (like the Preppers show) my philosophy is why would you want to be alive? Honestly, if some "I am Legend"/ "Zombieland" shit is happening I don't want to be around for it.

    EXACTLY. I'd be the one trailing behind my fiance like "Ugh, my feet hurt. I'm hungry. Is there any coffee? I want a bubble bath. How many calories are in this can of chickpeas, do you think?" The first zombie we saw would eat me just to shut me up.

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  • We are completely unprepared. I'm pretty sure we don't even have band-aids. But, we also live in an area with absolutely ZERO natural disasters, and we don't get snow in the winter. We do have a pretty good stash of alcohol though. I feel like that should count for something.
  • I admit that I am unprepared. We have lots of food, but not too many medical supplies. FI and I also tend to panic very easily, particularly him.


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  • One of my favourite books is "The Stand" by Stephen King, but every time I read it I am reminded that I would never make it in a similar situation. Even if I were immune to the pandemic, I'd just end up hiding in my apartment crying and waiting for someone to save me. I'm a capable person and I have lots of acceptable survival skills and stuff, but I'm a total coward.

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  • I keep meaning to put together an actual emergency kit. I try to have one flashlight (most are mini ones) in each room of the house and I've got some large bottles of water, but nothing comprehensive. I really need to get on that, considering I live on the west coast...

    Fun fact: There was a province-wide earthquake drill today. In my office, somebody ran around the floor yelling "Earthquake! Earthquake!" Totally lifelike. 
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  • edited October 2014

    We are probably in a decent situation for whatever may arise. I went through a prepper phase a few years ago, so we got a lot of stuff at that time. It also was during a phase where DH and I enjoyed camping & hiking often, so we bought a lot of camping equipment that doubles for both. Most of our camping stuff is lightweight because we have a couple multi-day hiking trips we plan to do that would require carrying all our gear.

    But, we do have bug-out-bags put together in a closet by our front door. And we have small fanny packs in our cars with multi-tool, water, food, duct tape, flashlight, matches, and basic first aid supplies. Several of these items have come in handy on multiple occassions. We both have seatbelt cutters/windshield breakers on our keychains. We live in an area that is relatively immune to natural disaster, except for maybe wildfire or drought. Our biggest prep is probably water supply, since that is usually most critical item. We have 20 gallons of water stashed in our apartment, plus we usually have a case or two of bottled water on hand. And we have water filters and purifying tablets if needed. We do have some emergency food bars, but would mostly rely on what is in our pantry, which could last at least a few weeks. We have emergency radio with crank & solar power, which we could plug our phones/tablets into. We have a decent first aid supply, but nothing extreme. We have flashlights and candles in multiple locations of the house.

    You can actually buy veterinary antibiotics without prescription. We have some fish antibiotic pills, which actually are same formulary numbers and same manufacturer as human grade. If you look up the numbers on the pill, they show as human grade meds. And they did come in handy a couple years ago when DH didn't have insurance, had a severely infected tooth, and couldn't afford to get it treated right away. It knocked out the infection for a couple months until he could pay for the root canal & crown he needed. So, we do have a small stock of those.

    DH's prepping plan primarily consists of defense (weapons & ammo). He's more worried about civil unrest and riots than any other disasters.

    So, I think we would be okay in most situations, but I don't think we are over-the-top preppers or anything like that. But, we could hold up in our home for a month or so and we have items we could take quickly if we needed to leave.

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