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[C.Ann]

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[corndog]

Wait, what are we supposed to be panicking about?

 

[C.Ann]

I can still hear my mother screeching in my ear, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!!"

 

[aprilgail2]

Wait, what are we supposed to be panicking about?

 

[Stacerita]

I've clearly stated my feelings about this "pandemic" on the other thread - and I'm always "prepared" with extra food and things - mainly due to weather events - but other people aren't and are now feeling the need to do this..

Some people don't know "what" to buy - how "much" to buy - or "how" to store it if they're living in tight quarters - and since many feel the need to tackle this right now I figured I might as well give them a hand..

So - let's help them out with this thread.. I'll start off with a few suggestions and others can add on as they think of them - okay?

If you can get a "crank" LED flashlight, by all means get one! My son-in-law got me one for here at the lake (in case I ever ran short of batteries) and the one I have is awesome!! It lasts quite awhile with a few cranks, and the light is very bright! (Mine has 3 settings on it..)
For food storage, think "totes".. They come in every shape and size imaginable - including under-the-bed styles.. They can also be stacked neatly in the corner of a room if need be (I have some very pretty purple ones) and they don't look "messy" at all..

Places to store might include top shelves of closets; garages; basements; corner of the kids room; corner of the master bedroom; under all beds; etc..

If you are buying canned goods, don't forget to get at least two old-fashioned, hand-held can openers!! If the power goes out for some reason, you won't be able to open the cans otherwise..

Try to buy as many compact, non-perishable items as possible - and preferably things that don't have to be cooked..
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I'll add more as I think of them..

Next?

Ive never heard of one of those before. I'm gonna have to check them out.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm pretty sure that my son-in-law got my flashlight at Home Depot..

Also, when we lost our power for several days in December, DD's FIL had this "head band" flashlight - almost like the coal miners used to wear, but smaller.. It was pretty neat - threw off enough light that he could sit there and read, play solitaire, etc.. I believe that was battery operated though.. I might check into one of those - it's so boring when the power is off - and I love to read!

 

[CathrynRose]

I went grocery shopping tonight, hungry. Big mistake!

I stock piled alright... lots of sweets. I have candy, cookies, ice cream, donuts... I'm all set for any pandemic. IN fact, with what I have, I look forward to it.

 

[corndog]

One neighbor has a generator; another has cows.

 

[C.Ann]

Wait, what are we supposed to be panicking about?

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This is certainly going well! Excellent suggestions!

 

[C.Ann]

Ive never heard of one of those before. I'm gonna have to check them out.

Thanks for the tips.

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Just remember it's a "crank" flashlight.. I know several people who got the ones that you "shake" and they weren't all that pleased with them..

 

[minnie56]

Why are we stockpiling?
Will there be a food shortage?

 

[dismom24]

We live in the country and always try to be prepared for a few homebound days - the last storm our street had trees down at both exits and no power for 4 days. I tend to keep can food, cereal, popcorn, etc. We also have a battery opeated TV, which keeps us conected. Glow sticks are great for kids and to light up the hallway like a runway at night.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

To go along with the flashlight a good battery powered weather radio. All the TV weather channels won't do any good if the storm knocks the power out.

I also like to be sure the propane is full on our BBQ grill so at least I can cook the meat from the freezer as it thaws.

Early in storm season I fill some plastic milk cartons with water and put in the freezer. If the power is not off for too long they help everything stay cold. If not we have a little extra drinking water.

 

[Piecey]

I could eat off of the food I buy in sales for months. Months upon months upon months.

You could eat our stockpile of Salsa for 3 weeks straight probably. We've got like 14 different types... for whichever mood we're in!

 

[C.Ann]

Why are we stockpiling?
Will there be a food shortage?

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LOL.. Another one.. Let's see if I can "try" to explain this.. Some people are afraid that with this swine flu (if it becomes widespread) there will be areas that will be quarantined - or it will be in such large clusters, that in order to avoid catching it themselves (and bringing it home to their families) they would prefer to have an extra supply of food and such on hand now so that they don't have to go out and mingle with others - or go out when people are in full "panic mode"..

I'm not saying it "will" happen or it "won't".. (I've posted my opinions on the pandemic thread..) I myself am not particularly concerned at this point, but others are and rather than clog up the "pandemic" thread - where the swine flu is being tracked - I thought it would be more helpful to the folks asking these kinds of questions on that thread to have them all in one place in another thread.. Are you following me? LOL

However - in all reality - most everyone should have some kind of "reserve" on hand for the possibilities I mentioned in the initial post.. (You know - like people who live in hurricane prone areas have?)

So - that's why I started this thread.. To help those folks who "do" have serious concerns - or for people who have simply never thought about having certain items available if for some reason they couldn't leave their homes - or there was a mad rush on the stores - or whatever..

I "thought" the concept would be pretty easy to follow, but I guess not!

 

[dizluvah]

We keep our pantry stocked with canned goods: veggies, condensed soup, chili, beans. I purchase and use large bags of rice, flour, dried beans from warehouse stores. I keep yeast on hand in case we need to make bread the "old fashioned" way. I also keep a couple bags extra bags of charcoal on hand because we can grill even if we dont' have power.

The key to successful stocking up is to be sure and use everything before the expiration date. It requires a little effort to rotate items so you are using oldest first and a bit of restraint to not go overboard buying too much when you find a good sale.

I don't advocate hoarding food but I also don't think it is unreasonable to keep extra items on hand just in case. I also find this can help with my budget, if an unexpected bill or expense comes up, I can always use up more of my pantry items and spend less on groceries for a week or two if needed.

 

[C.Ann]

I tend to keep can food, cereal, popcorn, etc. We also have a battery opeated TV, which keeps us conected. Glow sticks are great for kids and to light up the hallway like a runway at night.

Cereal and popcorn are a great idea! The cereal tastes just as good dry out of the box as it does with milk.. I also like the idea of the glow sticks - especially for kids who are afraid of the dark..

To go along with the flashlight a good battery powered weather radio. All the TV weather channels won't do any good if the storm knocks the power out..

Yup - a good battery powered weather radio.. I've had one of those for years.. Used to have a great scanner too, but when they changed to the trunking system and my DD bought me a new one, I could never get it to work right.. Drats!

I could eat off of the food I buy in sales for months. Months upon months upon months. That's good - you have the food aspect covered..

Now someone was mentioning on the other thread that they don't have a lot of room for storage - so how - and where - do you store your extra food and such?

 

[diznygirl]

I went grocery shopping tonight, hungry. Big mistake!

I stock piled alright... lots of sweets. I have candy, cookies, ice cream, donuts... I'm all set for any pandemic. IN fact, with what I have, I look forward to it.

Ice cream is the first thing to stock up for hurricane season. If the power goes out, you HAVE to eat it.

C.Ann - you didn't mention water. We bought a few gallons and keep it in the bottom of our pantry. Will it go stale? And I've heard of tablets to make tap water less dangerous to drink - sound familiar to anyone?

TIA!

 

[C.Ann]

I don't advocate hoarding food but I also don't think it is unreasonable to keep extra items on hand just in case..

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Exactly! But people should also be thinking about other things as well - not just food..

 

[All American]

I am a firm believer in having food storage and emergency preparedness kits. Sure there is the "what-if" of a major disaster, but there are also smaller instances where such things could come in handy. For example, when pregnant with my daughter I ended up in the hospital for a week. My husband was a wreck, so I told him not to pack anything, just grab my 72-hour kit. It had the extra clothes and toiletries I needed to get through the week as well as some snacks. In a smaller case, now I have morning sickness and was in tears a few weeks ago because I was starving for protein but couldn't handle the thought of chicken or steak, so my husband went to our food storage and found some peanuts--a godsend at the time.

As to your original post (sorry about the tangent),
1. I think comfort food is a must. I stock up on chips and soda during the 4th of July/Memorial Day/Labor day sales.
2. Try to keep food on hand for meals you normally eat--pasta and spaghetti sauce, peanut butter and jelly, etc.
3. Someone mentioned keeping the propane tanks full. You may not have electricity, but you can always barbeque.
4. Don't forget shampoo, soap, toilet paper, feminine products, medicine, etc.
5. Have extra stuff on hand for your pets.
6. I keep books we've never read with our kits. Also, card games and puzzles.
7. Start small. I started with the 72-hour kit. Once that was done, I worked on getting two weeks, then one month to three to six months. We are trying to get a year's worth but it does take time.

There's a ton more, but this is off the top of my head.