May232010
Prioritize Your Preparedness Purchases
A guest post by Liz Long.
It’s easy to focus on just one area of preparedness and to only buy the things that can easily be picked up during your regular shopping trips. That’s an important part of getting prepped, but you also need to think about things that aren’t as easy to get because those are the things you will be totally unable to get post-SHTF.
Think about what is available, or not, in developing countries or countries whose governments/economy have essentially collapsed. Getting boot-leg DVDs is often quite easy but a good DVD player or TV is not. Getting alcohol is always possible, but getting good alcohol is a different matter entirely. (Even if you don’t drink, alcohol is and has always been a good item for bartering, bribing, and gifting.) Simple home-spun fabrics are easier to get than high tech materials like GoreTex. There are a lot of variables and categories of items to consider when you think about what to stock up on if the SHTF, but the most important boil down to need, availability, and price. These will be different Now than they will be Then.
image by DRB62
What kinds of catastrophic events (earthquake, flood, hurricane, nuclear attack, wildfires, etc.) could occur near where you live? What items would you need to deal with these events? The basics you need for a day or two aren’t generally very expensive, they’re easy to find in brick and mortar stores, and there aren’t that many items you really need.
Many times, long lists of disaster preparedness supplies are more generalized in nature and meant for longer-term survival. While important, if you don’t have the items to survive the initial hit, then it doesn’t matter if you have the rest. One of the basic items for a nuclear attack is Potassium Iodide. I bought full courses for $10 per person. Considering its long shelf life, the cost of many over-the-counter medications, and how nasty radiation poisoning is, this is a bargain. It is also something you need to buy (probably online) Now because if there is an attack, it will be too late Then. You can get heavy mil plastic and duct tape easily Now so you can cover doors and windows quickly Then, but you won’t be able to run to the store for supplies if there really is an attack. Ditto supplies to cover your windows before a hurricane or to use post-earthquake. If you don’t buy these things Now, you might not have a choice Then.
There are also things you do not need Now but expect to need Then, such as a water purification system, heirloom seeds, and camping gear. Some of these things are very expensive, including a generator and good camping tools and supplies. It is easy to put off buying them because of the cost. However, they will not only be very expensive Then, but they will likely be unavailable, and you will not be able to buy them at all. Can your family survive without them? If the answer is yes, then go to the next item on your list and breathe a sigh of relief. If the answer is no, then you need to figure out an alternative or a way to buy them while you still can.
Here are some examples:
- If you plan to Shelter in Place and already have plenty of winter blankets for your family and any extended family, or if you live in a warm climate, then you probably don’t need to worry about winter sleeping bags. But if you need to get to a retreat or to family and may be pressed into driving there during the winter, or you live in a location with severe winter weather, those sleeping bags should be a high priority.
- We all need some form of generator if the SHTF. For our home, solar-powered isn’t a good option and a whole-house generator would use too much fuel. We plan to buy a small to medium size generator and only use minimal electricity for battery chargers, the fridge and other light use. We will turn off everything else, except the ceiling fans in the summer. We are also getting solar powered items (particularly flashlights and lanterns) whenever we can. We will use the wood-burning fireplaces to heat the house in the winter, or at least augment the propane heat. Buying a smaller generator and having a plan to augment it lets us avoid buying a big one.
- There are also items that you will definitely need in the near to mid-future no matter what happens, but Then your only options will likely be used or comparatively low-quality
image by katrinket
products, if you can even find them. While you probably won’t want to buy your kids clothing ahead for more than a year or two, if you find jackets, boots, jeans, or sneakers on sale that will suit them as they grow, you have that much less to worry about going forward and you will use them no matter what. You’ll be amazed how fast a pair of sneakers here, some jeans and socks there (on clearance, of course) add up to enough clothing for a season.
While my family has stocked up, we’ve made sure to buy harder-to-find items early on, as much as we can. If it becomes clear that the S is about to HTF, there will almost certainly be a small window of time in which those who are paying attention can still buy additional food, fuel, and basic medical supplies. What you will almost certainly NOT be able to do anymore is buy things like topographical maps of your area, Quick Clot, or a field surgical kit. You will be able to get some pasta and canned goods at the grocer, but not long-term storage foods like dehydrated butter and cottage cheese. While waiting until the last minute to stock up on any groceries or medications you use regularly would clearly be unwise, hopefully this will help you think about other areas where your family needs to start stocking up sooner rather than later.
© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
(24) Readers Comments
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Oh my goodness Soren you are hilarious! I guess we had better stock up
katzien
Good point about the potassium iodide tablets. I used to think 'nah…really won't ever need those.' But after reading the news yesterday about the escalation between North and South Korea, and seeing that we pledged full support to South Korea, and knowing North Korea is crazy AND they have nuclear arms………I'm rethinking the need for those tablets. Let's not forget Iran is also developing nuclear weapons, and they're crazy too. Yikes!
LizLong
You might also want them if you live near a nuclear power plant. So many scary things are possible.
Laura Schnaidt
All good points. I have a generator but have decided to convert to propane. Propane is easy to store and doesn't require the same considerations as gas. In the event of a power outage you can't pump gas at the station anyway. Just to have extra gas though I am going to get a large tank to put in the back of my pick up truck. With a pump I can fill up my car in an emergency. I'm also consolidating several freezers to one large one so that we only have one to power in an emergency. Have also done some other things to make unwanted intrusions more difficult (raised the block wall around the house, added gates that lock down, etc.). And on a lighter note I'm getting baby chicks this week!
LizLong
Our county is considering letting people on lots smaller than 10 acres have chickens and other fowl. You can bet I'm going to bug them to approve that! We live in a heavily wooded area and while our house has many wonderful features, being easily made secure isn't one of them. Glad you can do it to yours! A generator is still on the to-do list, but it's pretty high up on it. We need to do the research and make a decision. I'm hoping to find a good solar one that doesn't require a new mortgage.
Howard C. Wiggin
If you go to Countryside & Small Stock Journal (www.countrysidemag.com) and look for the artical on BOB – Back Up Batteries there is an outstanding example of a portable homemade solar generator.
Karen
Love your post. I am concerned about water, living in an area of low rainfall and high heat. If the water in my storage containers is old, can it still be used? I have a really nice water filter (like a Berkeley), a Brita and a camping filter. Would these work to get safe water for drinking? I know it may taste flat or stale, but that pouring it back and forth in containers with get oxygen back in it will make it taste more 'normal". Thank you.
Hawaii Honey
Thank you for the great suggestions. This post was an important one for me. My eyes have just been opened to preparedness this year!!! I am running out to get the potassium iodide tablets this weekend. You know what, the stores here are starting to showcase the "preparedness" items in their front aisles now. Our Costco here had lanterns, batteries, sleeping bags, flashlights, bottled water, etc. as soon as you walk in. My first thought was, "Well, looks like camping season is upon us!" THEN…. the very next item was a large plastic container of 200 ready made meals that will last 20 years! Uh- oh…. this ain't camping, Honey! Let's get going, everyone, on what we need to do. Someone knows something….!!!!
TheSurvivalMom
That's the exact same thought I had when I saw the preparedness products at some of the Costcos in Phoenix. I know they wouldn't stock something they weren't sure would sell. We can't prepare for everything, but we CAN prepare for one thing at a time, and step by step, we make a lot of progress.
LizLong
I haven't seen it at our local Costco, but I'm glad to know it's getting mainstream enough to be there. I think we've almost convinced my parents to start prepping. I'm glad my post helped. I know it can be totally overwhelming!
rightwingmom
Not only are stores featuring "prepping" items, but you have to catch those items when they're stocked! My dad found the Mountain Meals section at Academy depleted. He's barely on board w/ prepping, but this made a huge impression on him.
I'm noticing items like dry beans, rice, quick grits, quick oatmeal, canned fruits & veggies (etc.) are being hit hard on the grocery shelves. Even if people don't admit it, prepping is happening. People are getting ready for SOMETHING!!! Uncertainty in our future has never been stronger, at least in my lifetime!
LizLong
I think you're exactly right. I think there are A LOT of people out there getting ready, they just don't want to talk about it publicly. My husband noticed there are ads for tomatoes, blueberries, and other edibles to grow at home on tv now that weren't there even a year ago, and a lot more for veggie and herb gardens in the stores. It's definitely a movement that's growing, IMHO.
Urban Man
Great Article and replies, Ladies.
We advocate a Survival Tasks Decision Matrix, actually one would have several. One decision matrix would equate events, trends, warning or whatever made you look twice, to priotized tasks that had to be accomplished.
I put two recent posts on my site,http://www.urbansurvivalskills.com, with short videos of a scenario for economic collapse. If a prepared individual was keeping track of trends leading to the collapse, he/she may have filled up all their fuel cans just before Day One where lack of gasoline and non-accpetance of credit cards became an issue.
All containers for Water would have began to be filled, and last minute grocery items purchased before the crisis became widely known to all, say on Day Three.
We also use a term called “wargaming” where you, or a group, go over “what if’s” and develop the requirements to mitigate the negative effects of “what if”.
Survival Mom – I put a link to your site on mine and will try and push some people to your site through facebook.
Again great article and replies.
regards – Urban Man
Jan
Great points! Yard sales are also a great place to get preps. I have found tents, cooking supplies, canning jars, etc for pennies. I also buy good clothing for my kids at yard sales and store it away. I buy clothing that is 3-4 sizes too big. If there was a disruption in services, my kids would have the clothing they need for our extreme winter weather. If nothing happens, then they have play clothes that can get torn up and I won't mind.
This winter I am having an heirloom seed swap with friends. They are all excited and so am I! Another thing to try out is networking with like minded folks. My parents and sister are great because we bounce ideas off each other and help each other prep. Several of my friends are preppers, we all kind of evolved together into prepping. We each have strengths that we share with each other.
LizLong
I keep buying clothing to grow into for my boys. Some of it will be years before they grow into, but even without prepping my standard was to have everything to buy two sizes ahead. So now, yep, easily 3-4 sizes ahead – especially for winter jackets and jeans, and I'm working on sneakers. (Somehow, I can't remember what sizes I need to buy them for shoes.) And I'm keeping their old winter coats for a few years in case we need to either barter or help someone else out. Things are fairly spread out where we live, so it's hard for me to get to yard sales.
In the last few weeks, I've also started to make some real progress on both my kitchen herb and medicinal herb garden. So, we have apple trees, berry bushes, and herbs planted. If anything does happen, our annuals should all be well established, hopefully with enough to share, and that will "just" leave me with the veggie garden to deal with. And, yep, I'm going with heirloom. I can't wait to try the Dragon Carrots – they're red!
Jan
Glad I am not the only one buying clothes that are too big! Our town is pretty small, but there are some good yard sales. I also hit up thrift stores when I am in the city. I also trade with friends.
Most of our garden is heirloom this year. I am excited to see how many of the seeds we saved last year will sprout for us. The cold weather has pretty much cleared up so just about everything is in the ground right now. FINALLY!!!!
TheSurvivalMom
Jan, where do you live? June 10, is pretty late to be celebrating spring!
Bets'
Having found sites like this, makes me feel less crazy! Glad to know I'm far from the only one stocking up. I've bought lg plastic storage bins to keep track of my stash, since it has to be stored in the bsmt. One for things like matches,plumbers candles,rope, another for beans,grains, one for 'sweets', coffee & tea, condiments & spices.
I just might get a cherry tomato & one cuke out of my meager garden this year. DEER! But the up side is, when SHTF, I do live next to a fully stocked forest preserve.
LizLong
You definitely are not the only one. I need to deal with the deer and garden issue too, but we can only do so much at a time. I hope you stick around! Lisa has created a very friendly site.
Bets'
Thanks Liz, glad to be here. This site is so 'calming' and informative. I actually got depressed for months, then snapped out of it and began stocking up. The thing I'm concerned about is having enough food to sustain us.
I'm buying raw honey like crazy, condiments, summer sausage,powered milk,oatmeal,nuts, grains,canned & jarred fruit, but wonder if we'll make it. The house is paid for, the debt is zero, so I think I'm ahead of the game, but still, I have deep concerns. Anyone, please advise
TheSurvivalMom
Your financial situation sounds ideal, Bets. Next week I'll be writing a series of blog posts about planning food storage around menus. I think that might help you feel organized with your food storage and help you better assess just how prepared you are. Focus a bit on water storage. It's probably the easiest thing to shore up, and a lot has been written about it here on this blog. Do a search for water or water storage. Please post your questions any time or email me.
Bets
Thank you Lisa. Water & T-paper is my next stock up focus. We have village well water, so I fill empty gals. from other towns, but want to buy those 4-5 gal containers at about $5 each.(already filled) I checked into MRE's but they're expensive, so I would love to get some great menu ideas.
tgraham76
This year I learned how to grow and cure tobacco, Im sure that smokers would trade gold for a cigarette if they couldnt get one! I store it in bags in the deep freeze, it will last for years. if you are a smoker, quit or add tobacco to your preps!
brenda
how do you take the potassium iodide tablets? once or twice a day? one or two at a time? what aout childeren?
Mary Winter
First – take only if you are for sure exposed to radioactive iodine. Do not take as a preventive (prophylactically).
Next – Here are the dosage guidelines per http://preparedness.com/potioddosgui.html –
Maximum Effective Dose – (The most you can safely administer if you don't have time to deal with fractional dosing)
Birth to 1 year 65mg daily (1/2 IOSAT tablet)
Age 1 to Adult 130mg daily (One IOSAT tablet)
Minimum Effective Dose – (The least you can administer and still be protected from radioactive iodine)
Age 18+* 130mg daily (One IOSAT tablet)
Age 3 – 18** 65mg daily (1/2 IOSAT tablet)
1 month – 3 yrs. 32mg daily (1/4 IOSAT tablet)
Birth – 1 month 16mg daily (1/8 IOSAT tablet)