May242011
151 Comments
Survival Survey: What is your #1 stock-up item?
image by Muffet
If you knew that world as we know it ends in thirty days, what item would you stock up on so that you would never run out? Assume that you have both the space and capability for storage.
I would absolutely HATE not having ice. This probably has something to do with the fact that I live in a desert. I would stock up on at least ten years worth of ice!
How about you? What’s the one, single item that you couldn’t live without?
© 2011, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
(151) Readers Comments
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Oh my goodness Soren you are hilarious! I guess we had better stock up
Karla Moore
Regular Bleach is a good one. It can be used to sanitize all kinds of things including WATER. Ammunition is another. Yes, I do know how to use firearms. Spices. Many a bland food can be made palatable with the right spice. Dried spices don't go bad, they just get less potent with age…but still use-able.
Prescription Meds. Vitamins.
Survival Common Sense…..we're gonna need it!
Criss
canning jars
traumamamma
Yay for canning jars!!! Not only do I can food with them, but I also can water in my empty jars. When I run out of jars and need some to can with, I open the water jars, store the water in a nice big pitcher and reuse the jar for food. I never have an empty jar hanging around. Back to the subject, my #1 priority is to store water. We need water to cook with, wash with, drink, water my veggies, water my chickens, to clean up with, etc. I have water jugs hidden all over my house. My husband just realized that I had a 55 gallon drum of water behind my fridge! Forgot to tell him it was there…out of sight, out of mind, but none the less available in an emergency. Almost any container that had fluids purchased in it can be recycled to hold water. That is, however, milk cartons that contain micro bits of fats and proteins that may not be completely removed by washing, and can hide in the tiny pockets of the container make unacceptable storage containers.. My favorite is gallon orange juice jugs. They fit flat under the bed if laid on their side. Just make sure to completely top off the container with water before capping. If you have an aireator on your faucet, be sure to check your containers in a few days to open and refill, as the air in the water rises to the surface and leaves a gapl refill the gap again to the tippy top and your water will last forever! Close very tightly.!
Debbie
How do you sanitze the orange juice jug?? Do you wash with dishsoap or just rinse out with hot water?
When you put stuff in the canning jars do you have to cook it to sterilize. I remember my grandmother used to do this when I was young but have forgotten the procedure…..
traumamamma
I just wash the jug with hot water and antibacterial dish soap. I rinse several times with hot water, then several times with cold water. I fill the jug to the top, lightly cap and allow to sit on the counter for a few hours. You will notice tiny bubbles collecting on the sides of the jug. At that point, I remove the cap, put my hand over the top of the jug and spank the sides of the jug and watch to see that all the little bubbles have risen to the top. When I no longer see any bubbles, I top off the jug with water that has also been “airing out” to the point of making a “water tension hump” on the top of the jug. At that point, I replace the cap and firmly screw down. There may be a drop or two of water running down the sides of the jug. This tells me that there is no longer any air in the jug. Then I put a wrap of duct tape around the lid, squeezing the tape into all the little dents in the lid and the jug. It is then nearly anaerobic water, making it difficult for bacteria to grow. Place the jug in a dark place. There you go!
traumamamma
As far as the canning jars go, I have a pot of simmering water for the jars when I am canning food. I keep them in the water for at least 15 minutes. I also make sure to use simmering lids. You can also use your dishwasher for the jars if it has a high heat cycle and if you are fast at your canning skills. Unless you are raw pack pressure canning, your jars must be hot and sterile.. When I am canning water in my empty jars, I just wash the jars and use hot lids to seal in the water. I can water for 15 minutes waterbath. I often do small batch canning, so I need “filler” jars in my pot. Perfect opportunity to can a jar or two of water.
lee
does water stay good forever?….
Ted Hunt
Water has been around for approx. 4,5 billion years. Yep its the same water that ran through dino’s. So the real question is , how clean is the water your storing?
Most bottled water is just tap water from a different city. So who knows?
But if its bottled , it has been cleared by the government in that city/state and has a exp date of about 2 years. Should say on the bottle.
If you want to store water indefinately, read the label, is it tap? (artesian,reservoir etc) or is it distilled?
distilled has removed pretty much all impurities and germs and can be stored for decades (if the container is capable).
Do not use de-ionized water, its too pure. It’s a great cleaner because water has a tendency to absorb gases (as it falls through the air) and minerals (as it soaks into the ground). You need these things in your body. De ionized water will absorb the gases and minerals in your body, and you will go the way of the dinosaurs.
So if your water supply is reasonably inspected and you cant see floaties or smell it. It should keep for a few years in a really clean container. Like others have said here, water purification tablets are like .30 per gallon if you want to make sure about germs ( get them on ebay) , bleach is way cheaper.
Dont be afraid of your water supply, unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated. In a natural disaster , you have reason to believe. So store it ahead of time.
I am a snack and soda vendor , i have read quite extensively on bottled water.
traumamamma
To grow bacteria in water, you need air and light, and by removing the air and storing in the dark, there is very little chance for the water to allow bacteria to grow. If you question your particular water in your area, you can always boil the water for 10 minutes, then cool and store. I have mountain water, and I have been able to store for 7 years now without worry. You can, as with all stored items, rotate your stock if you are concerned.
patty
chocolate is a must, sons prescriptions, tp, batteries are up there on the list too!
sam
Clean water can food and Ammo
woodslady
Toilet Paper?? The Third World has none and they survive pretty well… To really get into the survival mindset you have to think beyond what you're accustomed to. The best thing to have is God, and next the brains He gave to figure out how to use what's around you.
Liz Long
Um, actually a lot of them die from diseases transmitted by poor hygiene. TP won't solve that, but it sure don't hurt.
traumamamma
I have a Dutch “mom” that has never used toilet paper…she washes each time she urinates or has a bowel movement…that may be difficult if water is at a premium….baby wipes are a good alternative, and, if washing off is not an option, it will keep your skin lubricated and protected against bacterial infection.
traumamamma
Absolutely God first, then perhaps a huge stack of old telephone books…makes excellent toilet paper and paper for canning bacon with. (for t.p.,just crumble into a wad first to soften the paper. The ink is sterile, and the paper is compost able. Toilet paper from the store just takes up so much storage space. We (my daughters and I) have begun making fabric kotex, cotton crocheted tampons, and flannel “nappies’ for the babies. I am working on a plan for reusable adult diapers. We can also use flannel squares as toilet paper if in dire straights. Anybody remember “diaper pails”? Same concept with the squares.
lee
don’t think I an go as far as you are but I am definately trying to NOT buy things like paper towels or paper napkins anymore….cloth napkins and towels and wash cloths are better anyway….
thesurvivalmom
Lee, I’m not big on everyday use of paper towels myself, but do keep in mind that in a crisis, water may be at a premium. Therefore, laundering wash cloths, cloth napkins and the like may not be as easy as it is today. I’ve stocked up a bit on paper towels and paper plates for that reason.
GMC3MOM
…and to that point, if you are using paper goods that are as eco friendly as possible, when you are done with them you can toss them into your fire/fire pit/stove. Just make sure you get the most eco friendly as possible.
traumamamma
Since my last post regarding home made napkins and tampons, I have discovered sea sponge tampons. Highly absorbent, completely natural, and very easy to rinse out. It is your body and your body fluids, after all. I still amazes me after all my years in the ER that people still find their own body and body fluids offensive. Ever hear the term, “On the rag”? There was a reason for that. Tampons are a relatively new creation.
Kelly Sangree
Oh, you’ve GOT to try the Diva Cup! I switched 4 years ago and never looked back! http://www.divacup.com/ (No, I don’t sell them or work for them. I should – there wouldn’t be one left on the shelves!)
Patty
Yes, we can do without tp but it makes a great barter item and some people will give an arm and a leg for it! Always good to have extra.:)
Ted Hunt
Your very true in what you say. Tp is probably not top priority in an emergency, but its a good idea. The third world countries you talk about? One of their worse killers is disentary from germs, try wiping for 6 months with no paper , no running water to clean your hands and no clothes washing machine or electricity. Its why they get sick and die more often than we do. Shorter life expectancy. Then washing their bodies in the city water supply extends the germs to everyone else.
so yes consider cleanliness and personal hygeine in your survival kit.
In long term survival , cleanliness and health confidence can help boost your spirits.
After WW2 things like soap and personal hygeine became very valuable commodities during recovery, disentary and disease are always the biggest killers in disasters.
Purple Prepper
I have looked into a lot of skills. I could make plenty of things with other stuff around. I would stock pile soap, just regular old soap. It can be a dangerous process to make it and I don't really want to mess with that.
Donna
I read your comment about soap.
I don’t use lye in my soaps. Sounds bad to me, lol.
So i go to hobby lobby or michaels and buy glycerine and essential oils I like . You can also buy goat milk, shea butter, and olive oil cakes to add to your soaps there too if you wish.
I use my microwave to melt it down, for 30 seconds each time till melted. You add the essential oils last.
let me know how it goes.
Donna S.
LastGoRound
The posted comments indicate to me that about 9 out of every 10 of the responders think this is a joke. Sadly, they will be dead within a week of a TEOTWAWKI situation. By the time they realize the ATMs and their debit cards aren't working anymore, that they wouldn't do any good anyway because the grocery stores are being looted, the power just went off, that the nearby urban area is riot torn and going up in flames, and that their vehicle's gas tank is reading 'E', it will be way too late.
Liz Long
Really? 9 out of 10 responders here probably already have water, food, hygiene, first aid, and all the other basic TEOTWAWKI needs covered and are answering with their #1 LUXURY item to have. Yes, prepping is generally a serious topic with serious concerns behind it. But that doesn't mean you can't LIGHTEN UP and have a just for fun topic every now and then!
The people who "will be dead within a week" aren't hanging out on this board. The ones on this board will be home cooking a tasty meal on their sun oven and making sure their defensive perimeter is fine, and checking to make sure the solar panels are aligned correctly.
LastGoRound
One can certainly hope so, and hope that the Red Bull, Viagra, and Chocolate answers are just that – people being very unserious about a very serious subject. Given the current events occurring almost globally, you could very literally go to bed one night and wake up to a whole different world the next morning. Be prepared…
TheSurvivalMom
Stick around and read through the hundreds of blog posts and comments, and I think you\’ll find a group of people pretty well focused on what it takes to be prepared.
Ted Hunt
This is a great site.
Yes we should be very serious in planning for after SHTF. But its a good idea to give thought to after that. Even soldiers carry chocolate and gum to give out to new orphans in war torn countries. A little niceness, a little reminder of good times. Thats why the movies industry boomed during the depression, a cheap way to forget the situation for an hour or so.
And yep luxuries will gain in price as the currency is used up as Toilet paper. Nylon stockings , cigarettes or aged liquor would by you just about anything under the sun.
Donna
Thank you for your site, I find it very informative!
Donna S.
LizLong
Truthfully, if you're having to sit up and guard your house all night or force yourself to stay awake an extra couple hours to make it to your bug out location, some Red Bull might not seem like such a luxury. And chocolate is always good to barter. My stash of Hershey's Special Dark Syrup probably seems silly to you, but if I have to get my kids to drink powdered milk to get some calcium, well, that just might make a world of difference. As in so many things in life, a lot of it is in how you look at it.
But I gotta admit, the Viagra would just plain be a luxury! Not a practical purpose for that one.
lee
okay so I’ve got the cans of beans, dry beans, the rice, the pasta, the foil, the whiskey, the canned hams and canned beef and chicken, among other things…..but you know what I prize the most?….my olives….when we’re all dirty and depressed and sick of the rice and beans, a jar of olives will mean a lot….same with chocolate…although I don’t know how to keep chocolate for a long time unless in the refrigerator, and the electricity might be off….
we’ll need the basics…..but thinking about the extras is a good idea…
Terry Sullivan
re: viagra. while it is a second string item, I know on those long cold nights when human comfort is needed the most, us seniors should have a stock of it, especially if it is already necessary to use. It is not a luxury, just not an immediate survival item. For the same reason, I have a deck of cards for each of us since we like to play cards on the computer. Pictures of our grandchildren, since they are so far away that bug out plans cannot include them. We have skills most of you young preppers have only heard about – priceless. On the immediate survival list should be notes on what skills you would need, and then learn them, post haste! Don’t forget your greatest resource – your parents or grandparents.
I have three bug out bags, one that functions as a concealed carry purse, and I have my most critical necessaries in it – including a large crochet hook -and it never leaves my side. Never. Second is a large fanny pack with more critical stuff and the third is my solar powered backpack with a laptop, all my music, iPol, iPad with movies, all protected against EMP. Primarily we plan to hunker down in place, but recognize that we may have to leave on short notice.with no choice in the matter. That is why we have redundancy in our supplies eg. purse has a filter bottle, back pack has a camelback insert along with more food than the survival bars in the fanny pack and so on. That is just what I can carry; hubby can carry more, but if we are separated, we can still make it because we both carry the really critical stuff.. Although we are seniors, I am not concerned about comparing ourselves with the young and buff. We know we are survivors, been there, done that, and at the end of the day it is what is between your ears and what is in your heart.that will get you through whatever happens. Oh – one small thing. While I have my whole library on a stick, I have a very small paper version of the bible. You can be sure that I would prefer using grass than that paper if we run out of our camping supply of tp. A last word – don’t pack anything you have never used. Make sure every single component is an old friend and not just in the bag because someone told you to pack it. God be with you all.
traumamamma
I so completely agree with you, Liz…I must have missed something on that other person’s comment…I have yet to see anyone on this website with a dumb idea or a dumb question. I have not read the writing of anyone thinking this is a joke. 9 out of 10 people on this website will be the caretakers of the others that fail to prepare. I believe that people do not rise to the occasion, they sink to their level of preparedness. I see lots of people here that will have a high level of preparedness. I believe that I just read a post by that 1% that will be sinking.
Charley
within 3 days of Katrina, every Walmart and other stores were picked clean from looters. Many of the looters caught on video were police officers. In a SHTF situation you may have only yourself and whatever small group you’ve banded with that you can trust. I work in a school with older kids. Periodically we talk about 2012 and things they see on tv. They ask me if I think the world will end. I tell them no. But that what bothers me is that so many very intelligent people think that something WILL happen. Being prepared for whatever life throws you isn’t a joke. It’s just good common sense.
sandra
Lots of bleach, cause it's gonna be tough keeping things disinfected.
Toilet paper will be hard to come by, likley. So that means using cloth in it's place.
TheSurvivalMom
Bleach has a shelf life of just about a year, so also stock up on calcium hypochlorite, which is pool shock. Buy the stuff without any additives — calcium hypochlorite being the only active ingredient. Use this to make homemade bleach by mixing 1 heaping teaspoon with 2 gallons/8 liters of water. You now have bleach. For water purification purposes, add 1 part bleach to 100 parts water.
PreppedGrandma
No kidding! I have been “prepping” for years and years and I did NOT know that bleach had a shelf life of one year!(I rotate everything.) What a great example of “we learn something new every day!” Thank you!
elli
oh oh … didn’t know this either … seems it is always something ~ that’s why it is needful to have experienced friends about <3
Kelly
Wish I had known about pool shock bleach when I lived in the Amazon more than 30 years ago. For personally, I have my supply of coffee, tea and chocolate. And salt. Would like to stock pile wine, but it keeps disappearing.
deb
Hi, I am a recent reader of this website. I have a comment; if a calamity occurs, I would think individuals without food, water etc. would break in and take what you have and I would think they would even murder to get it. Even in all your prepareness what could you do to stop it.
TheSurvivalMom
Deb, I\’m posting an article on Wednesday that addresses this scenario, but in short, tell NO ONE that you\’re prepping. That\’s the only way to be sure you won\’t become the target of looters. If you\’re prepping together with another family, or some relatives, then of course you\’ll be sharing info, but the rule of thumb is to not tell
anyone everything!
lee
entirely possible that people will try to break in….but they’ll break whether you have stuff or not……
besides…..prepping does not mean the end of the world…it means that you are prepping for even simple disruptions…..like a bad snow storm that cuts the power for a week….or a dry spell where there is no fresh veggies or fruit….or a run on the banks where your credit card wouldn’t be useful for several weeks….
I hope my preps are useful for a snow storm my self….that, and to be able to provide for my adult children and my grandchildren if they come upon bad times….
Ted Hunt
Join the NRA. They have self defense for women. Safety training for firearms. And if we all supported them, SHTF would be postponed indefinately, because their purpose is to stand up for the constitution. They now are funding defense for the 1st amendment (free speech) as well as the 2nd (right to bear arms). They demand criminals be locked up and good citizens be protected or at least be able to protect themselves.
Women are the fastest growing segment of hunting, shooting sports and self defense training. Why would anyone want to miss that revolution?
My grandmother made the same money as a man in the 1920′s, delivering mail. She drove her horse and buggy all over the country at night in hard times. Othe women gasped and said, arent you afraid meet up with bad men 10 miles out the country at night. She showed them her 32 in her purse and said “those men will have to watch out for themselves”
Ardis Kenney
Deb, that is why a person stockpiles firearms and ammunition!
Dave, RN
Pemmican! You can live off of the stuff almost indefinitely and properly made stores for 20 years. And it's good for you unlike the vegetable oil oatmeal grain type bars…
Connie Chauvel-Gomez
WATER!!!!!
Chocolate coffee tea and Peanut Butter also
elli
wonder about the peanut butter .. I usually prefer the Smart Balance all natural ~ says no refrig needed, what about the shelf life of unopened? would it be better to have some chemicals that extend the shelf life? I haven’t seen this discussed anywhere yet.
Helen
The only thing i would truely miss,, and dont want to live without,,, air conditioning!!!!!!!!!!
TheSurvivalMom
Amen! That, and ice.
Roxanne
How do you plan to make ice without electricity?
thesurvivalmom
I don’t! That’s why I’ll miss it!
Ted Hunt
If the crisis last that long some ambitious young man will store ice in a straw lined cellar. YOu can just trade him cherry pie for the ice. Or throw an ice cream social and have ice cream and cherry pie with the young man. lol
Thats how my parents lived.
Jen
coffee tea peanut butter powdered milk water tp wool blankets meds hard candy for treats
MamaB
Fuel. Easier to use the tractor and chain saws
with it!
elli
and one of Dolly Parton’s songs is “A Hard Candy Christmas” … what goes around, comes around
Debbie
I have a 20 x 40 pool…is it safe to use the water to drink, bath? for drinking how do you sterilize??
Kelly Sangree
No – it’s not the chlorine, it’s the stabilizers you need to worry about, and from what I hear they are hard to filter out. It’s still good for some basic personal hygiene and flushing toilets (if the sewers haven’t backed up), but no good for watering plants or consumption.
Debbie
Are there natural antibiotics, medicines to use since we wont have access to these? As you can tell Im new here….Also, last year we had our attic insulated with the spray foam, is it safe to store water and food there??
dusty
Good to have oil of oregano on hand and tea tree oil. Stock up on meds at local dollar stores such as for diarrhea, constipation, nausea, colds flu itches bandaids etc, etc. even vitamins. The one for congestion is guaifenesin, same ingredient as mucinex but very cheap at dollar stores.
erin
pepto has a short shelf life and ingredients in it actually turn to lead after expiration so be carefull capsules and caplets can be safe almost indefienitly but most liquids degrate quickly so just toss those and stick with nonliquid alternatives. other than essential oils I have heard oil of oregano actually gets stronger not weaker too and is a great mutli use oil/antiseptic
Lisa
Debbie:
Garlic is a natural antibiotic and Dr. Oz even says an antiviral. Eating just a clove a day kept bronchitis from myself and my 3 year old last winter. If you pickle or marinate it, they lose their aweful flavor of eating a raw clove, but keep it’s good properties.
Keri
For antibiotics-find a product called “fishmox”-I’ve gotten it a Southern Agriculture. It’s fish antibiotics that come in 250mg capsules. You can find anything from amoxicillin to cipro to penicillin. Ive taken it to my pharmacist and was told that it is EXACTLY the same thing that we get from our doctor. Just pay attention to the doses that your dr gives you and write it on the fishmox bottle. My pharmacist said 1 capsule 3 times per day or for a really bad infection 2 capsules (500 mg) 3 times per day. I used it for a UTI and It worked perfectly! I wouldn’t recommend self medicating often, but in a emergency…..
Charley
glad to see I’m not the only person who keeps fishmox on hand!
elli
interesting you say that garlic doesn’t lose it’s good qualities by being pickled, I had been trying to find out about hard boiled eggs that have been pickled (which my family loves-Pennsylvania Dutch recipe) I still don’t really know if that takes the goodness out of them .. anybody know ??
Winnie
I don’t know about pickled garlic, but please be aware that storing garlic in oil is a very dangerous combination that can encourage the growth of Clostridium Botulism. Botulism Is common in soil and garlic is a low acid root vegetable.
Enzo Pamrona
Ammunition…and chocolate. Must have chocolate!
Peg
Ok … here is a twist some people don’t consider … For me, we are in okay shape (although nobody knows … I agree … tell no one you do not trust with your life) … What worries me most … is PLAVIX. I need it to stay alive – got FOUR stints in my heart — without it I will not be gardening, canning, and taking care of business. BUT it is ILLEGAL to stock pile drugs even if they are life saving drugs … doctors don’t accommodate preppers and neither does the DEA. My point is, without Plavix, I am dead anyway. So why am I bothering? Because my hubby isn’t dead anyway. He will live. This is all for him and the next generation. I pray for him. My days will be numbered either way. If I had 30 days and I knew it … I would be looting pharmacies and taking all the Plavix I could get my hands on. Chocolate? LOL … yea … if there still is chocolate on the shelf, I will grab that on my way out the door. All that said … I also worry about the desperation of addicts at that time. You know … the ones going after the Oxycontin and methadone. They will not understand (should they run into me) that I only want the Plavix … they can have the rest.
One who warns and informs
For Rx drugs, consult Dr. Bob at http://www.survivinghealthy.com You might be surprised what you can get legally. You’ll have to pay out of pocket for this. Found him on survivalblog.com
Savannagramma
in reply to the post re: Plavix — Cayenne pepper is good for arteries and circulation. Hawthorn berry and Motherwort are also good heart health herbs. Look into herbal alternatives, they are safer for you than prescription drugs & without the dangerous side effects. Many you can grow or wildcraft yourself.
GMC3MOM
you can slowly build up a stockpile. Simply call in your refill when you get down to just a few left. The pharms/docs won’t catch it if you are refilling your script when you are down to less than 5 pills. In fact with my husband’s meds on auto refill (he must take them daily) they are usually ready to pick up a week before we need them. Keep an empty bottle, and toss those few in there and keep doing it every month.
farmergranny
i have an excellent relationship with my doctor and she was willing to double the doseages of my meds (heart) to read “take one capsule two times a day” instead of just the one a day I take now. This way I am building up a supply for when it won’t be readily available. If you don’t think your doctor will do that, get a prescription from him each time you go and fill it at another pharmacy; of course, you will have to pay out of pocket, but it is worth it.
Colleen Mills
I guess I am really lucky, my internist is OK with me stockpiling my essential meds. Has also written prescriptions for the highest dose, so I can take those extras and put into storage,and he doesn’tget into trouble. I told him I was practicing emergency preparedness, and he just got out his prescription pad.
Even my insulin has been filled for the largest dose on my sliding scale.(I have never run a BS of 300) I got 3 bottles enstead of one, and I have 6 refills. I can build a zeer to keep it cool now that I know I can keep enough for a while. I will buy
a box of syringes each payday, and keep stockpiling my test strips and batteries for the meter.
Let’s hear it for common sense doctors.
teresa
I purchase bags of potatoes on sale and dehydrate them. I have several hundred pounds of dried potato slices that are light weight and are small when dehydrated for easy storage.
Karen
Lee, you don’t have to keep chocolate in the refrigerator, it never goes bad.
GMC3MOM
it will just get a white coating on it. Many people think that means chocolate has gone bad. It’s not bad, just old.
Savannagramma
Teresa – what pretreatment do you do for your potatoes? I tried dehydrating some once and they did not look at all appetizing afterwards
Puppy_Parent
For great medical info, check out http://armageddonmedicine.net/. The doctor that runs the site (and has now authored at least two books) has a ton of great information about natural remedies and how to stock up on animal medicine for human use (and how to use it safely). I highly recommend the website. Enjoy!!!!!
Karen
My #1 stock up item is “ICE”!!!! After Katrina, my family and I only had a four day supply of ice to use to cool our drinks. I stored containers of water and froze them in the freezer in case we were without electricity, this way the extra frozen ice extended the items in the freezer. We first used everything with a short shelf life and items that couldn’t take the humidity. It was the end of August and it didn’t matter what you did you couldn’t cool off. It was so hot I sweat coming out of a cold shower. We thought about getting a generator but a few days after Katrina I was glad we didn’t because it was hard to get fuel to keep it running. My husband’s cousin would try to bring us ice from Baton Rouge (about 60 miles away) every 3-4 days. We all would get excited to see him (or rather the ice), it was like getting gold. Poor thing, would have come every day but gasoline was hard to come by even in Baton Rouge, so you didn’t use your car unless it was absolutely necessary. Even weeks later when electricity came back on many of the places with gas just had the pumps available so you couldn’t purchase gas with cash only with your debit or credit card. I witnessed people at a gas station fighting and arguing because one person was getting a large supply of gas for his generator and people were upset with him because they thought the generator was frivolous. These two people knew each other, I dare to imagine what might have happened if they were complete strangers. My family and I were lucky we had more than enough food, propane, water (both for drinking, toilets, cleaning, and bathing) for the four weeks we had to “rough it”. This experience was a wakeup call for my husband and myself. Our experience was only an inconvienence and nothing like what people had to endure in harder hit areas. I no longer get laughed at for prepping, in fact, I have full support from my family. I’m happy I didn’t follow our government’s suggestion of having enough food and rations for three days because I don’t know what we would have done for the other 3 1/2 weeks. However, I did have enough supplies for a whole week in my car in case we had to evacuate. Sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble. This is the first time I’ve shared my thoughts about Katrina outside of my family.
elli
I am new to this site and I thank you for sharing. First hand knowledge is priceless. This site is giving me info I had not picked up elsewhere … GREAT SITE Guys !!
Jenny
peanut butter, sugar, coffee, tunafish, boullion, OFF bug spray, tp, pasta of all kinds.
Nory
Essential oils and non-gmo seeds. I make all-natural bug repellents and anti-virals/biotic sprays from the oils. Considering contamination by gmo, organic seeds are a no-brainer.
I also love my EasyGreen sprouter, but it won’t do me much good when the power goes out, lol.
rainy
I would stock up on chicken or live poultry which I already have. I can grow anything and have the room, but life without some comfort meat would be a living **ell.
Shelly
Peanut butter!!
joe
Confidence that we can survive, It may sound cheesy, but without it you will over stress and do more harm than good to you and your family.
If I have to choose a product, it home protection.
Shirley Toney
Lots of great ideas. I recently found a solution for the time when toilet paper runs out. A portable bidet. They are used to wash the “nether regions”. You can find them on ebay or amazon for about $14.95. Or better yet, a wash bottle that is very inexpensive. As a retired science teacher I used them during lab clean up. All you have to do is cut off the inside tube so water can be squeezed out when it is upside down. For the ladies after urination, I suggest some cheap wash cloths. They can be used once or more than once and then washed.