I don’t watch a lot of news. It is too depressing and this time of year I’m way too busy. But even as someone who doesn’t watch the news I know about the newest flu scare as well as the economic woes our country is facing. As I was out planting beans in the garden I was mulling over thoughts as to the plight of my family and of my loved ones if there was ever a reason that we could not or should not go into town.
Sweet Girl and I are also in the middle of ‘The Long Winter’ by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which as you know will give anyone pause to think about their personal preparedness.
I know that in this modern age it is hard to imagine having to rely totally on what is in our homes for survival. But if we had to…could we? Can the modern family be really prepared to sustain themselves with no outside help…at least for a while?
As a wife and mom what is my personal responsibility to my family in the case of an emergency? Could I feed my children in the case of an earthquake, flood, epidemic, or unforeseen tragedy?
After some serious thought and many rows of beans later I came to the conclusion after doing a mental inventory of my pantry, that yes I could feed my family if I could not run to the local market…in fact I believe that I could feed them for at least a couple of months….but there are some catches!
What I would do if the power was out for a long time and I could not grind the wheat? I have wondered about this. I have tinkered with the idea of buying an inexpensive hand grinder but haven’t gotten around to it.
If the power goes out we are also without water. I have enough stored for a short time, maybe a week at most. I need to to something about this….
I could feed my kids but what about my animals? I usually buy hay and grain every couple of weeks in the winter for the big animals. We don’t have much hay storage so I would be in a world of hurt if I could not go into town to buy for them. I also only keep a couple of weeks chicken feed around (mice, bleck!)….another thing to consider!
We heat with wood mainly and cook with propane, but bake with electricity. Could I learn to bake bread with my wood stove like ma did that long winter? Another thing to at least do a little research on…
We have oil lamps, but I need more oil, I have candles, but no matches…
The one place that I feel totally prepared is in the garden department, the seeds I bought this year have for the most part a 2 to 3 year shelf life. I also grow mostly open pollinated so I could do more seed saving than I do. Being in the Pacific Northwest I could pretty much garden year around with a little protection…at least we could have lots of greens and root veggies all winter.
Then again could I garden without water?
Do I have first aid supplies? Enough for anything but the big major omgoodness we have go to the hospital situations? I will have to check on this.
What about personal hygiene supplies…I have too many men in my family to go for months with the deodorant and soap all gone, ughhh! Toilet paper, I would hate to run out of that!!!
OK…here are my conclusions
- I need to check to make sure my pantry supplies are adequate for 6 months
- I need to store more water as well as catch more water into rain barrels (which I have and have not set up yet…bad me!)
- I need to learn to bake with my wood stove, or at least have some idea of how to.
- I need to buy a hand-grinder
- I need to find more storage area for hay and feed for the animals
- I need to check first-aid supplies and also should take a class to brush up on basic first-aid…its been two years
- We need an emergency plan since we have kids from 23 to 2…we need to devise a plan of where to meet and how to get a hold of one another.
I am a very optimistic person by nature. I am not scared by the new flu or the economy. But I am also prudent enough to realize that unforeseen things can and do happen and I for one am going to do my best to be ready to take care of my family just in case….
I am also going to get my flu shot next fall!!!
Just for fun here are my pantry must haves…the bare minimum of items I would need just in case!
- Wheat for grinding
- Oats
- Barley
- Rice
- Salt
- Honey
- Oil for cooking and baking (vegetable and olive)
- Canned Tomatoes
- Whole Wheat Pasta…I need to learn to make this!
- Dried Beans of all kinds
- Home Canned Fruit
- Home Canned Jams and Jellies…ok not a need but a very big want, yum!!!
- Peanut Butter, crunchy…of course
- Baking Powder/Soda
- Yeast…which I actually keep in my freezer but could keep in my pantry if I had to
- Seeds…actually kept in the garage but I had to include them!
What are the things that you consider your necessities to have on hand at all times?
What about a generator? Do you have one? Then there are those that store fuel, or stockpile guns and ammo, what about having prescription medicine for an extended period of time? Oh the list could get very long!!!
Are you prepared for the unforeseen?
Well, my pantry needs some help, and I have very little water saved (although I have two running creeks here) but I do have an enormous generator! We live waaaay out, at the end of the power lines. So if the power is out for an extended period of time, we’ll be the last place they work on!
Matches, seasoned firewood, lantern mantles, canning jars and lids, and things you may not need or use but could use for barter. Also if you’re going the generator route you need to store fuel.
The list could go on and on…Great post.
Great plan. We have a a few things ready, although I need to stock up on a few things like lamp oil, grain, etc. We have a few days sans eletric each summer from storms and this is another good reason to be prepared. We need to get a generator so we can keep the businesses running when we’re sans power.
Our rain barrels are our water backup, we have a great backpacking filter to use if we want to drink it. Many of our backpacking supplies would come in handy in case of an emergency.
Instead of yeast you could keep a sourdough starter in the fridge.
You won’t catch me getting a flu shot though, you’re best bets are to keep some hot pepper, garlic & chicken stock around. Didn’t you hear about the flu vaccine in Europe that was actually contaminated with the bird flu? If you’re healthy there’s no need for the shot. I do keep a dose of antibiotic on hand just in case.
Since I live on a river, though tidally influenced, I can collect water to run through a big berkey, but just the thought is a bit gross. Pantry does have some holes, but we could survive. My huge hole is in the first aid department. Terrible.
Thanks for a great post.
Howdy all!
I am Albert and I am no Survivalist guru.
What I am though is a master at making due with what I have. And I have made it a life long practice of never, ever panicking.
You have done all the right things. The most essential being: taking stock of your situation.
When you have given serious thought and inventoried your capabilities, you have also made a plan for acknowledging the holes in your defense. Now at least you know what they are so you can take action and fix them.
You have your “problem areas” so now you can do something about it.
Not enough chicken feed for a couple of months?
Why? Rodents
What to do? Rodent proof enclosures.
How to resolve? Try to find those plastic barrels with the screw down lids second hand. Mine are from a pickle factory.
That’s just an example. Pick a problem and dissect it so you can be sure you don’t cause more problems later.
BTW Great blog! I’ll be by often!
Regards,
Albert
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles.
The Range Reviews: Tactical.
a good supply of sewing supplies and duct tape.
Extra sugar and coffee…
Great post.
K
I haven’t yet felt compelled to prepare for the flu emergency, but I am quietly building my resources just the same….whenever “Whatever It Turns Out To Be” hits, it is my responsibility to be ready to feed and protect my family.
One thing you didn’t mention is cash. I know it is silly, it is basic….but in every day 21st century life, I usually have no physical money in hand. Hell, MONTHS can go by without me touching actual money.
I do keep about $400 in cash in the bottom drawer of my jewellery box, though. Not sure why I do this, but I knw it makes me feel safer….
Filled in a hole in our “first aid department” this past week just by getting my daughter’s asthma meds updated. A one-month supply, at the very least, to have on hand in case of epidemic flu. The pediatrician was encouraging, though she was also encouraged that it’s been 3 years since the kiddo’s actually NEEDED any asthma meds. (IE: this illustrates that she may well have outgrown her asthma with the onset of Adolescence, which would be awesome.)
With currently dealing fighting a nasty bout of bronchitis, I’m thinking about things I need to stock up on, just in case: more astragulus root, more yerba santa, more dried chickweed (could grow this, this year!), more cayenne pepper. Just stashed more ginger-root in the freezer. Need more echinacea (sp?) tincture.
Some definite good points brought up here. Thanks for posting this.
[...] http://notdabblinginnormal.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/preparedness-what-is-my-responsibility/I need to buy a hand-grinder; I need to find more storage area for hay and feed for the animals; I need to check first-aid supplies and also should take a class to brush up on basic first-aid…its been two years; We need an emergency … [...]
We decided not to get a generator, but rather to get as many non-electric backups as possible. Generators are $5000 – how many hand-operated appliances could you get for that? A couple of our strategies:
* installing a hand pump on the well this summer (
* A grain mill / meat grinder / veggie slicer / oatmeal maker that can run on electricity or by hand
* Learning to make flatbreads that can be made on stovetop – try 1/2 cornmeal + 1/2 yogurt and a pinch of baking powder and salt, cooked like pancakes!
I’m so happy I found this blog! What a fun thing to read.
I actually am a contractor with FEMA at a fire/disaster library. Working here….well, let’s just say it changes the way you look at things. A lot.
My husband and I bought a generator during an outage last winter and are very glad we did, though we haven’t needed it since. The well pump and the boiler will be fine on the generator. We also installed a propane firelog set we got at a 1/4 the price because he works at a propane company, so ‘score.’
Garden has been expanded 4x this year and we’re gearing up for canning our fool hearts out to put some food away.
Yes, definitely matches, cash, meds, also pet needs if you feel it is necessary. Batteries, flashlights, candles. A FIRE EXTINGUISHER.
If you are putting together a ‘go’ bag or box (in case you need to evacuate) that is a whole ‘nuther thing, though.
Great post! I read the Long Winter several years ago with my daughter. I did get me pondering the same things. We made the “button lamp” described – but just for fun.
My husband doesn’t like the sound electricity makes in the walls and fixtures (yes, he can hear/sense it!) so we began getting hand powered stuff years ago.
My mom got a coffe grinder in ’69 as a gift. My husband spotted it while helping her move and asked her if she used it. She thought it was just decoration. (She used to stash extra coins in the drawer when I was a kid) My kids think it is fun to pass it around the table and take turns grinding while we pay cards. You’d think they were small but they are 17 and 12 and still think it’s fun. Shh..don’t tell them otherwise!
We live in Northern Michigan and the power goes out often in the winter and twice a month or so in the summer. Never more than a day, though. We got used to moving food stuff out to a snow bank or cooler and lighting the oil lamps. We did finally get a generator. (scored it from a family member moving with no room for it!) But haven’t used it once – yet. We are ok without electricity for a day but when the power does go out for longer we’ll use the generator.
We’re good for first aid for at least a year but you’re comments on animal food got me thinking. Our chickens wouldn’t have food for long. I’ve got a friend who owns several restaurants and will call her today for pickle buckets! Thanks for the idea!!
I look forward to reading more!