STEP 2: WATER - the most basic of basics

With spring flooding well under way it's worth taking a look at water. We take it for granted, we turn on the faucet and there it is; a clean, hot, cold, safe, endless supply... or maybe not.
3 days without fresh water - that's how long you'll survive.
Think about these things if you think I'm being 'extreme':

• How many power outages have you lived through in you life? Outages that lasted more than let's say arbitrarily, half an hour?
  
• How many boil water notices have you had to deal with?
  
• Water rationing? Unheard of in the Northeast, this is a fact of life in the Pacific southwest.
• Ever been stuck in traffic for half an hour or more?

Heard enough? -
QUICK ADVICE: Buy a reusable water bottle and two cases of water per family member. Costs less than $10 per person, cheapest insurance you'll ever get.

See below for further steps.

NEEDS -

Bare minimum for survival is 2 quarts per person per day. This would not be a pleasant survival. At least a gallon for drinking is more in line with actual consumption and needs. Plan on another gallon for cleaning, cooking etc. A reasonable initial goal is 1 weeks supply. From there you can work your way up to whatever amount is comfortable for you.

There are numerous ways you can store water ranging from cattle tanks all the way down to aseptic 'juice box' size. Let's look at the options:

WATER BARRELS & BULK TANKS: can store lots of water directly from your faucet, reusable, barrels can be purchased cheaply from your local pepsi (or coke) bottler, or if you don't want to deal with the hassle you can buy brand-spankin-new ones from places like emergency essentials (beprepared.com). Drawbacks - impossible to move once filled, water needs to be changed a couple times a year. Will require additional supplies to use efficiently (see below).Pricy if purchased new ($50-$85+ shipping depending on source) Used ones can be found for as little as $10.
I've also seen a giant vinyl bag insert that fits in a bathtub and holds water as well. Great idea - here's a link:
http://www.americansurvivalstore.com/Water-Storage-Purification_c_27.html

BOXED WATER KITS: Another bulk storage option. Comes with several cardboard boxes and mylar bags you fill yourself. Not widely available, expensive compared to other options but slightly less expensive than 5 gallon jugs.

5 GALLON JUGS: Still stores lots of tap water but far more portable, easy to locate (walmart carries them in the camping section). Easier to tuck out of sight. Cost about $10 each. Drawbacks - still fairly heavy (about 50 pounds when full), water needs to be changed a couple times a year.

1 and 2.5 GALLON JUGS: Very portable, widely available, inexpensive to pick up one or two here and there. Jugs can be refilled. Unopened jugs can be stored for years. Average price is about 75 cents per gallon but can be found for as little as 50 cents/gallon.

SINGLE SERVE BOTTLES: Sizes range from 8 oz aqua pods to 32 oz. Portable, good serving size, don't take up much space. Easy to toss a few in your car, desk, backpack. Unopened bottles can be stored for years. Average price is $5 per case for 16 oz bottles, sales can be found for $3 or 4 per case.

ASEPTIC PACKAGING: Sizes range from 4-8 ounces. Handy for emergency packs, car kits, desk, purse, etc. Small size makes them easy to carry. Sturdy packaging. Unopened water stays good at least 5 years. Drawbacks: very costly compared to larger packages, not readily available

PERSONAL WATER BOTTLES, FILTER STRAWS & CAMELBAKS :
Water bottles can be purchased cheaply, camelbaks and filter straws are most portable. Drawbacks - if you haven't already filled them you need to find water. Camelbaks are expensive, need parts occasionally, and have to be kept clean.

My suggestion is to store a variety of sizes. A good per person goal would be (IMHO) two cases of bottled water, 2-5 gallon jugs, 10 gallons mixture of 1 and 2.5 gallon jugs, and 2 quarts to 1 gallon of Aseptic (this would be spread throughout emergency bags, car, etc). Ideally you would also have at least 30 gallons in a bulk barrel per person.

ADD ONS

If you choose to store water in bulk you will want to consider purchasing the following:

• Bung wrench/bucket opener - necessary to get into the barrels these run just under $10 each.
• Siphon hose - convenient way to get water out of barrels, can be connected to a hose so water can be drawn over a distance. $10-15
• Siphon hose adapter - so you can attach a hose to the siphon. Under $5
• Drinking water safe hose - better for water your going to be drinking, made out of food safe material - $15-$30 depending on length.
• Purifier - prices vary, under $10 per package
• steel buckets - for collecting surface water from streams, rainwater, etc.
  

PURIFICATION

There are several options for purifying water. I'm not going to go into alot of detail here about how to purify water. I'll just list the options I know of.

• Purifier tablets
• filters
• bleach
• iodine
• solar still

So there it is, tons of information about your most basic survival tool.

Fear mongering and Food Crisis

So I've been up since 3AM. Just couldn't get back to sleep. My mind is spinning with a thousand thoughts. As the mother of 4 I'm very concerned about the economic instability. It seems as though there might be some slight relief but honestly, I'm just not sure. When I look at my children I worry about how quickly the world can change.
American's live life teetering on the edge of a cliff that we cannot even see. Those of you in the preparedness community know this, my family and friends don't for the most part. So here it is - in the event of a catastrophic event that shut down the food delivery system it would be less than 3 DAYS before store shelves were emptied. 3 days... think about that for a minute. If you think you could turn to_____ (fill in the blank: gov't, churches, neighbors, family, etc.) guess again because that's where everyone else is headed.
What ticks me off about all this is that there seems to be very little sane middle ground in this discussion. On the one hand you have the average American who is completely unaware and doesn't WANT to know. As long as they can have their Big Mac's and Coke they figure anyone who thinks about this stuff is crazy. On the other hand you have people trying to exploit their knowledge for their own gain, or theorizing about vast government conspiracies. Whether true or not - that kind of fear mongering muddies the waters and scares off people who just write off preparedness people as crazy.
I've begun connecting with people who seem to be in the middle of the two extremes. (Though I know people on both extremes as well). PRUDENCE is my word of the day. Use prudence in all matters, research from all angles, don't take ANYTHING at face value.
What are some simple, not extreme, but extremely prudent things you can do?

1. Grow your own... something - I have the black thumb of death but even I can't kill lettuce or rhubarb. I live in the Northeast where summers are short and gardening can be tricky. I'll still at least try to grow something, even if it's just a plant pot on the window sill with some chives in it.
2. Buy an extra... something - tube of toothpaste, can of soup, bag of sugar. Don't worry about having some big elaborate plan. Don't think you've got to have a 'years supply' - just worry about an extra day or two.
3. Assess your skills and knowledge - As I've said before, I'm not Fannie Farmer and I'm not Martha but I have some basic gardening and handcraft skills. I'm more of an armchair quarterback but even I have some skills. I can sew, bake bread, etc. My husband is a handy man, carpenter, etc. Everyone has something their good at.
4. Question... something -particularly something you've always taken for granted, even my statements here. Don't believe what I'm saying, go read it for yourself and make your own decisions.
5. Turn off the TV - or at least do something else while it's on. You won't find truth on the tube. Nor will you easily find it on the net. You don't have to have a degree or proof of anything to write or report about it - just because it's posted, printed, published, or broadcast doesn't mean it's true.
6. Don't be the deer in headlights standing there waiting for catastrophe to reach you. Get your stupid butt out of the way!
   

Monday morning musings

Now that I've gotten all of the big boys off to work and school I'm sitting here thinking of the small steps we've already taken that we now take for granted. Just our morning routine reminds me that:
we are baking our own bread
raising our own laying hens for breakfast eggs
both older boys can cook their own breakfast
'baby girl' can make packaged oatmeal or a bowl of cereal. At the age of 5 1/2 she can operate the microwave just enough to be able to heat the oatmeal.
dh works a half day today so he will eat when he gets home - no fast food
'baby girl' spent the morning drawing pictures of the family; she also surprised me by putting a fresh diaper on her little brother... correctly! It's not loose or crooked or anything, and he sat there and let her do it! How funny! Now she's begging, not for a video game or tv but to PLEASE go outside. I love that.

None of these are huge, earth shatteringly impressive things, but put together they indicate a shift in our thinking. We look at every action with the question "Why?"

Some people question how much my 5 year old can do. Is it safe? Well, when she operates the microwave we are right with her. She has a plastic lettuce knife that she uses when we make salad but she's learning how to carry sharp knives as well. I'm not overly protective of my children. I expect them to learn by doing and I accept the occasional injury as part of the process. None have had to have stitches, only one has had a cast and that was sports related. Yes, that's partially luck but it's also a reflection of the fact that they've been raised to respect blades not fear them; fire is a tool not a toy, same with guns. Kids are naturally curious so we try to mitigate the everyday dangers with KNOWLEDGE.

We don't even think of stopping at a fast food restaurant for breakfast every day, occasionally yes, but not every day. The big boys have been on a bit of a doughnut binge lately but the store-bought ones are pricey. My middle son asked me if we could make chocolate frosted doughnuts at home... I'm sure we can, just not sure I WANT to. How many teenagers do you know who would even think of home made alternatives to convenience foods?

Both of my teens take turns cooking dinner at least once a week. My eldest son (15) can cook as well as I could as a newlywed. The younger one (14) has learned some basic dishes like pasta, sloppy joes, etc. They've both been able to make simple things like ramen and mac & cheese since they were 9 and 10. The eldest packs two water bottles for school every day during the warmer months. Sodas and energy drinks are treats for him, not part of his morning routine. He takes iced tea, water, kool aid, lemonade... whatevers around. Yes I hope someday he will just be thrilled with water, but I'm not holding my breath as I haven't made it that far myself yet!

I appreciate my families flexibility and open mindedness. They've tried lots of new things over the past few years. Most have been successful, some (just a handful) have not. DH doesn't mind trading soda for iced tea but draws the line at home-made sweet tea. I'm going to try again this spring with my grandmothers sun tea recipe which is sweeter and not as strong (astringent) as traditional sweet tea. Green salads are popular, chunks of celery are not. In the 'what they don't see won't kill them' category: I'm becoming an expert at finely chopping veggies that might offend the sensebilities of most children. I can work a whole lot of celery and carrots into a cheeseburger soup or a meatloaf!

It's not easy being different. The extended family thinks we're crazy. Our kids friends think we're weird. In the end I don't base my choices on those things. I need to put my head on the pillow each night knowing that I've prepared my children to live in the world - whatever may come and that I've given them the best choices, the best example I possibly can.

Turning down the lamps

One by one they've all gone to bed. Even the dog is snoring at my feet. The only sound in the house is a rhythmic thump thump from the dryer (not quite clothesline weather yet). The thought that comes to mind is of a family winding down and slowly dimming the lights for the evening. My hearing is oddly attuned to minute sounds at this hour. Perhaps it's the mother in me but I hear the hum of the lightbulb, the gurgle of the fish tank, the furnace in the basement is audible to me at this hour, even my own keystrokes as I write here. One thing I truly enjoy about our semi-frequent power outages is the total lack of noise. I relish those moments because they remind me that there is still so much more 'clutter' that I can remove from my life. In a few weeks the sound of the dryer will be replaced by the wind rustling outside my window, the furnace will fall silent for the summer and even the lightbulbs won't be as much of a nuisance as the sun will stay with us til nearly bedtime for a few fleeting months.
Tonight my thoughts turn to plans for the coming months: Flowers and bushes to plant, seeds to start, chicks to raise, even the possibility of finally getting our pig enclosure built after so many years of talking and planning. I've been reading up on canning today and I envision shelves of freshly canned home made goods. For some reason my mind kicks into high gear around 10PM when my body is done for the day.
As I turn down the last 'lamp' (i.e. this computer) tonite I look back on the day, the weekend and the week. I reflect on the successes (not failures). I thank God that my family has come through yet another week intact, healthy, safe; and I pray that He will show us the same graciousness in the coming week.

STEP 1: Getting right with God

I know most peoples idea of being prepared is about what you have supplied and learned over the years, but the first thing that comes to mind for me is God. I'm not here to debate religon. I'm just saying that in a crisis many people turn to faith. When you think you are in a life threatening situation your first concern shouldn't need to be "Have I made my peace with God". Take a few minutes now and follow your heart. The Bible says that the only way to God is through Jesus. Do you believe in Him? Do you know that he died for you? Do you accept the free gift that he's already given to you? Or will you leave it unopened? I'm not a great evangelist, nor is that the direction I'm headed in with this blog. I can recommend some though if you're interested in learning more.

"God be with you till we meet again"

Rolling with the punches

I woke this morning to a fresh snow and a toddler with a 102 fever. We don't generally skip church but DH is off at guards and I can't take a sick child into a group of other kids and pass around the germs now can I? So here I sit wondering what to do with my extra two hours this morning. I'm trying to pull all my thoughts together into one cohesive post but my mind is wandering amongst several topics - dealing with bumps in the road, being prepared for the bumps, literal bumps (frost heaves due to mud season), and the fact that I still need to bake bread and get chores done today (among others). So how does this all come together? I'm not completely sure but if I come up with an answer I'll be sure to update.

Picking up the pieces

Yes - it's been a year (more than that). I've had to work through a major depression and it was devastating. I was like a zombie for several months then realized I HAD to do something and no one else could do it for me. We've stayed on track but haven't progressed as much as I had hoped we would.
I would be discouraged were it not for the knowledge that getting treatment for my depression has (and will continue to have) a lasting and profound effect on my life. I wasn't able to even get up from my desk, couldn't pull together a coherent thought, couldn't complete a project or even deal with the daily in's and out's of being a mother of 4. Now I'm beginning to be active again, I'm reading constantly, setting goals, working on projects... basically I'm living again.