What do you keep for Emergency Supplies?

[M Hayden]

We’ve built a kit that lives in a couple of plastic storage containers and can be loaded into a car in ~10 mins. Tents, cots, sleeping bags/liners cooking gear (including fuel and various lighters), enough food for a week +, water for at least a week, purifiers and the like, tools, clothing, and more. During the recent fires, we were on alert to have to leave quickly, so we loaded up the cars and fueled them, adding stuff to be able to carry pets, bicycles, and instruments as well.

We realized that with a half hour’s notice or a little less, we can be ready. It was weird to think that we could do so, but a bit reassuring as well.

If we can stay on the property (e.g. post earthquake) as well, we can - we have two small outbuildings which an earthquake will jostle but not significantly damage, and external access to plumbing if we need to temp-rig something.

And we’re thankful for the Honda generator I found - it had been thrown out!! Someone decided to chuck it rather than fix it. A couple of hours’ tinkering and a replacement carburetor and it works fine now.....although it needs the Furman inverter bought for the PA to provide truly clean power. We tested it during the pre-fire summer with one of the outbuildings, and it powered everything we needed.

Let’s hope that we never need to use the disaster planning...

[flaggerphil]

We keep non perishables as others have listed especially since we live in Florida and are visited by hurricanes from time to time. We also keep a good supply of bottled water on hand for the same reason. I don't keep a bug out bag because, it it's an emergency that keeps us from using a car to leave, I simply can't bug out because of health reasons. However, we do have personal protection tools.

[Bug Guy]

Originally Posted by stokes1971

Cant believe it took 11 responses before someone mentioned a REAL essential.The rest of you guys are ill prepared

For me it's single malt Scotch. A nice 15 year Dalwhinnie or 12 year Balvenie will do.

[Bug Guy]

I admit that, living in the Pacific Northwest, far away from hurricanes, tornadoes, and (mostly) earthquakes, I have been somewhat lax in putting together a comprehensive bug out system. I am in the process of figuring it out. I do have a couple of advantages going in, though. Having been a wilderness backpacker in the past, I have reasonably lightweight tents, sleeping bags and backpacks, as well as backpacking stoves and a portable water purification system with a spare filter. Freeze-dried foods are also part of the kit.

An additional component I am trying to figure out is how to keep up communication if a particular "disaster" takes out cellular towers. I am an amateur (ham) radio operator and am working on a portable communication setup that will work on battery power as well as electricity (if at a shelter), and will allow communication with folks outside our area.

Oh, and as mentioned before, gotta include a bottle or two of some good single malt Scotch--and an acoustic guitar!

[Big-E]

Nowadays, fortunately, we don't have many power outages (and if we do they only usually last an hour or two). We live at the top of a valley and natural disasters (usually flooding in our area) don't occur that often and when they do, seem to pass us by. Always have a stock of rice, pasta, tinned corned beef and soups in the pantry, oh, and a workshop fridge full of cider! The boiler/furnace died last week so the rarely needed portable electric heaters have been a boon. Up to 2016, we lived in the far northwest highlands in Scotland for 13 years. 100mph winds and long lasting power cuts were the norm in winter as well as getting cut off due to snow and land slides. Sleeping bags, a shovel, boots,stove and water were always carried in the car.

[rsay777]

Canned goods, bottled water, first aid kit, Lifestraw (water filter). USB charger for use in the car to charge cell phones. Solar/hand crank radio. I remember when we had a landline and the phone would still work during power outages.

[Mr. Jelly]

We really don't do allot. We have battery lights here and there for power outages. Short term. We usually have food on hand for at least several days. After that we would need to be creative but still would have enough food on hand in our pantry and the freezer to survive for at least a weak. In these parts, the mid-west, most people have enough food on hand to last months. If you are being realistic. I do hold cash most of the time. My guitar mad money. We do have a grocery store etc. within walking distance. In the winter any prolonged power outage would mean we would need to find heat. I'd hate to start my fireplace up but we could.

[The Watchman]

Here's the FEMA suggested list: https://www.emergencykits.com/fema-e...ply-checklist/

We live in Tornado Alley. The suggestion here has always been to be prepared (with food & water) for being on your own for three days. I added a solar phone charger since the pandemic. I tried to find a good hand-crank radio, but the ones I tried didn't work for more than a few minutes no matter how long you cranked.

Everyone makes fun of SPAM (I like it), but people instinctively know its something to have in an emergency. It was one of the first things, along with toilet paper, that disappeared off the grocery shelves. Peanut butter, canned tuna, and cooking oil. Propane for the grill or fuel for the campstove.

[CarolD]

Starbucks Via instant coffee packets because coffee is life

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

What do you keep for emergency supplies at home? Thinking of bad weather, power outages, etc.

I keep extra canned goods like beans, potatoes, tuna, chicken because they last a few years, are inexpensive, and have some nutrients. Extra batteries, candles, flashlights, rope, duct tape, work gloves, etc.

What about you? I know some of you have generators - what kind of fuel?

Living where we do and being 28 miles from the nearest marginal grocery store and 47 miles from our preferred grocery we normally keep a good supply of food staples on hand for anything from 2 weeks to 2 months ...

As far as weather about the only issue is when the canyon slides But we have in this portion of the state arguably the most resources per mile of roads , for quick efficient snow and even avalanche removal. Even a slide is normally handled within a day or two at the most .

Power outage is a recurring factor usually only for hours at a time but occasionally longer..
We just installed a Kolher 14 kw propane automatic back up generator for our barn/arena complex (which is 1/2 mile from the house ) because keeping the heated, automatic waters functioning , for the horses is critical .

For the house have a wheeled portable 12k ( combi gas/propane ) manual back up BUT are considering an automatic whole house Kolher 20kw propane generator

[marty bradbury]

Originally Posted by Bug Guy

I admit that, living in the Pacific Northwest, far away from hurricanes, tornadoes, and (mostly) earthquakes, I have been somewhat lax in putting together a comprehensive bug out system. I am in the process of figuring it out. I do have a couple of advantages going in, though. Having been a wilderness backpacker in the past, I have reasonably lightweight tents, sleeping bags and backpacks, as well as backpacking stoves and a portable water purification system with a spare filter. Freeze-dried foods are also part of the kit.

An additional component I am trying to figure out is how to keep up communication if a particular "disaster" takes out cellular towers. I am an amateur (ham) radio operator and am working on a portable communication setup that will work on battery power as well as electricity (if at a shelter), and will allow communication with folks outside our area.

Oh, and as mentioned before, gotta include a bottle or two of some good single malt Scotch--and an acoustic guitar!

Hello Big Guy (neighbor), I have been thinking about ham-radio for a while. Always been interested in having one. must check it out.

[Mbroady]

All the above and this year we put in a back up generator, which takes both Gasoline and propane. Got a number of propane tanks stored away. This year we are putting in a hand pump as a well back up. Until then we got about 40 gallons of water stashed away.

[M Hayden]

Originally Posted by Mbroady

All the above and this year we put in a back up generator, which takes both Gasoline and propane. Got a number of propane tanks stored away. This year we are putting in a hand pump as a well back up. Until then we got about 40 gallons of water stashed away.

Generators provide a good sense of security, as long as you remember to do basic maintenance and check that they’re working.

We’re also putting up solar that’ll be switchable off-grid in an emergency.

[MakingMusic]

I live right on the gulf of mexico and have to plan for hurricanes disrupting life. So, always keep a supply of water, wine, canned soup, tuna, cell phone charger and an extra set of guitar strings.

[CodeBlueEMT]

We're good for a few weeks with generators, fuel, food and water.

My security system during such times is a Standard Manufacturing DP-12.

Go big or stay at home.