......................

[WDWorBUST]

Along the lines of other things besides food -

I keep an extra month's supply of my RX medications on hand. There is an out of pocket expense if your insurance is picky, like mine, about determining when they will allow refills. However, for me the cost is money well spent since I cannot go without some of medications without serious health consquences.

Also - I gave crank flashlights as stocking stuffers a few years ago to my sister and her DH. I got them at LL Bean for around $15.

Check and see if your insurance offers a mailorder plan. You get a 3 month supply AND you can reorder a month early so you can always have an extra months supply with no out of pocket expense above your copays. There is usually a discount to doing it this way too (2X or 2.5 times your monthly copay for a 3 month supply).

 

[C.Ann]

I keep a small pantry in the basement stocked with food that doen't need preparation, mostly canned goods. There's shelf-stable milk down there, saltines, instant oatmeal, canned fruit and vegetables, soups, toilet paper, and water. Probably not stuff we'd *love* to eat, but we wouldn't starve.

----------------

What kind of "shelf-stable" milk are you talking about? I'm curious about that one..

 

[dolcezena]

Biggest reason we need an emergency kit is for blizzards. (It would take a pretty major one to trap us for more than a day though - our city is VERY used to digging ourselves out!) However, the power COULD be out for a bit, depending.

So, in addition to cans of tuna & beans, dry cereal, flashlight, radio, candles, first aid kit, water & pet supplies, we also have a couple of those silver thermal blankets.

Came in VERY handy when our furnace decided to stop working in February & it was -40!!!! (Having the dogs cuddle up with me was useful too!)

 

[C.Ann]

we also have a couple of those silver thermal blankets.

Came in VERY handy when our furnace decided to stop working in February & it was -40!!!! (Having the dogs cuddle up with me was useful too!)

--------------

Source? I could have used one of those the weekend before last when my heater died here and I had to spend two nights with the outside temps dropping well below freezing!! (Worse yet, this is a "seasonal" place, so it's not even insulated..) I was pretty darn cold - LOL..

 

[dolcezena]

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Source? I could have used one of those the weekend before last when my heater died here and I had to spend two nights with the outside temps dropping well below freezing!! (Worse yet, this is a "seasonal" place, so it's not even insulated..) I was pretty darn cold - LOL..

I assume you mean the thermal blankets, not the dogs

We got our first one in a roadside emergency kit, 2nd one was at Canadian Tire....no idea what the US equivalent of Cdn Tire is but I would think The Evil Empire *cough - Walmart* or Target would have them.

Now that I think about it, I should remind my mom to make sure she has an emergency kit for their "new" cottage - they just bought it 2 yrs ago & only use it 2 wks/year. (Tee Hee, free lakeside cottage for us, yippee!)

 

[yoopermom]

For the person with the BiPap/CPAP machines, many people in my family use them, and most have purchased generators (you can get quite small ones), or a vehicle that could be slept in that has an electrical plug-in (camper/motorhome/hybrid truck). Without their machines, their health could truly be endangered! If you google "camping with CPAP machines", you'll find message boards that discuss this issue and ways around it.

We've been serious preppers since the turn of the century scare, and I would HIGHLY recommend the LDS materials, they've been doing it a long time! Amish stores, like Lehmans, are very helpful, too.

Don't bother to buy stuff you wouldn't eat normally/are not comfortable preparing. If you don't normally cook dried beans, for example, don't buy 50 lbs and think you'll eat them in an emergency. Better to have 10 cans of frank n beans! Make up a good rotation system, buy lots of totes that fit in odd crannies, and you'll be good to go. (And if you ever come to my house, don't look under my beds--those totes aren't filled with shoes, they're filled with food!)

Terri

 

[C.Ann]

I assume you mean the thermal blankets, not the dogs

We got our first one in a roadside emergency kit, 2nd one was at Canadian Tire....no idea what the US equivalent of Cdn Tire is but I would think The Evil Empire *cough - Walmart* or Target would have them.

Now that I think about it, I should remind my mom to make sure she has an emergency kit for their "new" cottage - they just bought it 2 yrs ago & only use it 2 wks/year. (Tee Hee, free lakeside cottage for us, yippee!)

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Thanks! No room for doggies here - LOL..

 

[redshoes]

I keep an emergency supply of food and such because it makes me feel a little more comfortable. I have a supply of canned food, powdered milk, and other shelf stable products. I have a backpack for every member of my family that has 72 hours worth of items ready to go. This includes a change of clothes, a blanket, and some small toys to keep my kids occupied. I divide out important papers and such between the different packs. I have copies of our birth certificates, our homeowners policy in the packs as well. I also copy the current folder of photos onto a flash drive every three months so I don't lose memories in case something were to happen to our home.

When we were living in an apartment waiting for our home to be built, we were short on space to store food and other items. One of the things I did was buy two shallow small tubs and pack them full of emergency food items and then stored them in the trunk of both of our cars. They weren't big enough to occupy too much space but they served their purpose. The tubs are still there now even though we have the space to store things at home, because although we would love to at least be in the comfort of our own homes when something bad happens that might not always be the case.

 

[happygirl]

Everyone has had really great ideas Keep them coming

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

----------------

What kind of "shelf-stable" milk are you talking about? I'm curious about that one..

Parmalat is one. This will give you an idea of what the cartons look like.

http://www.parentdish.com/2008/08/25/is-parmalat-really-milk/

also, there are shelf stable soy/rice/almond milks. We use rice milk and buy it by the case when it goes on sale. I t lasts a long time.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Okay, we already have individual packs in our cars and one huge one in the home. Plus, I just won a HUGE survival pack for four at a recent work faire we had. (We are a family of two so at least we can help our neighbors now!)

I have added contact lens solution and I try to swap them out every six months so they don't expire.

What to do about Rx? I am on blood pressure medicine and can only get a 30-day supply at a time. Mine is very, very mild, so I could go without in an emergency. (as for the birth control pills, well, that's not life threatening and I've always enjoyed kids! )

I will add a hand-crank can-opener to our collection of emergency stuff at home.

What are some good non-perishable items?

Rice?
Dried beans (I can't cook but I'd make-do I'm sure!)

What else am I not thinking about?


ETA: We live in EARTHQUAKE COUNTRY! So, I'm not paranoid, just prepared for that scenario but my stocking up can be good for any event, even swine flu. HHHhhhmmmm, BACON!

 

[sbell111]

As near as I can tell, the worse case scenario is that I get the flu, just like the worse case scenario with the 'regular' flu a few months ago. If I get it, I'll stay out of work. If it turns to pneumonia, I'll go see my doctor (or head to the hospital). None of these scenarios requires me to buy a generator or stock up on water.

 

[dolcezena]

One of the things I did was buy two shallow small tubs and pack them full of emergency food items and then stored them in the trunk of both of our cars.

Now that idea I like! Out of the house, so I won't just be tempted to raid it when I'm too lazy to go to the store Nor can the dogs get at it, & if we're ever on a road trip & off of the highway, we'll survive! (As I mentioned, COLD climate area here)

 

[Mom2Nick]

Maybe everybody can dust off their Y2K stashes for this next impending disaster.

 

[worm761]

We live in hurricane country. I always keep a well stocked pantry this time of year. We have a grill and all the camping supplies you could possibly want. We keep a supply of propane on hand for the camp stove. I have both the shake flashlights and the crank flashlights. We also have a crank radio and a crank emergency radio. During Ivan we were hit pretty bad. Had no electricity for 21 days. The radio was a lifesaver. We always knew what was going on. We also have a case of MRE's on hand. If needed we can/will eat those. I have seen some in the camping section at Walmart, so they might be worth looking at. And water. Lots and lots of water! Even better, those flavor packets for the water. DS hates just plain water but will drink it with a flavor packet. Something to entertain yourselves is a must too. Cards, Uno deck, some dice and a yahtzee pad, board games, anything that doesn't require batteries.

 

[WDWorBUST]

What to do about Rx? I am on blood pressure medicine and can only get a 30-day supply at a time. Mine is very, very mild, so I could go without in an emergency. (as for the birth control pills, well, that's not life threatening and I've always enjoyed kids! )

Mailorder pharmacy. Most insurances offer it AND give you a discount. Instead of monthly just have your doc write you a scrip for a 3 month supply with 3 refills. You get 3 months at a time (often at a discount) Then you can refill it a month in advance. It's very convenient.

 

[wall*e2008]

Needed:
Chainsaw
Gas
Fishing poles
Spade (to dig worms)

No need to stockpile when you have trees and a lake on your property. Get that chainsaw full of gas; down some trees; dig some worms; catch fish and then cook them over the campfire. Drink the lake water.

 

[C.Ann]

Parmalat is one. This will give you an idea of what the cartons look like.

http://www.parentdish.com/2008/08/25/is-parmalat-really-milk/

also, there are shelf stable soy/rice/almond milks. We use rice milk and buy it by the case when it goes on sale. I t lasts a long time.

What does it taste like - the Parmalat? I'm not a big fan of powdered milk, so if it tastes similar, I don't think I'd care for it..

Hmmm.. Just gave myself an idea though.. I'm still drinking my 6 containers of Boost every day - and it doesn't matter to me if it's warm or cold - so I suppose I could get some extras of that..

As near as I can tell, the worse case scenario is that I get the flu, just like the worse case scenario with the 'regular' flu a few months ago. If I get it, I'll stay out of work. If it turns to pneumonia, I'll go see my doctor (or head to the hospital). None of these scenarios requires me to buy a generator or stock up on water.

We're not discussing "only" the flu scenario.. If you have read through the posts you will see we are discussing natural disasters as well: hurricanes; tornadoes; floods; blizzards; etc..

Do you live in an area that you feel confident you would never be housebound for any reason? Or be unable to get to a store in a timely fashion to obtain items you might need? Some of the folks posting on this thread go through this every year - due to the areas they live in..

Do you have anything helpful to offer?

 

[kirbsam]

bottle opener for your beers. and cork screw for all you wine drinkers. also your bottle opener should be double ended in case your pop top breaks. keep the ideas coming.

 

[fussymonkey]

Even here at the lake - from April till November - I have to be prepared for any number of things

I don't get it, why would living on a lake require you to stockpile groceries? My family and I lived in a lakeside cottage for years and never stockpiled groceries- not even when idiots touted the end of the world during Y2K.

I appreciate preparedness, but hysteria not so much.