Getting Prepared Month 13: Taking Your Preparedness Plan to the Next Level
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For all intents and purposes, 2012 was the year that prepping – the newfangled word used to describe emergency preparedness – went mainstream. Whether it was the popularity of reality TV shows such as Doomsday Preppers, the well-publicized encouragement from our government, or simply the realization that in order to prevail following a disaster or crisis we must learn to become self-sufficient, the word “prepping” is now a part of our vocabulary and that is a good thing.
While prepping – in concept at least – has gone mainstream, there are still those around us that think we are a bunch of nut jobs, striving to set ourselves apart from the rest of society with the crazy idea that we can take care of ourselves. We can grow our food, cook without traditional sources fuel, keep ourselves safe and even shop for groceries in our own pantry. Doesn’t sound that crazy to me but what do I know?
With that introduction, I am pleased to share the initial installment of “12 Months of Prepping – Year 2”. The purpose of this monthly series will be to help you take your prepping activities to the next level and beyond the mere basics.
Now not to disparage the basics – after all, most of us got started with the traditional 3 days of water, 3 days of food, and a basic set of gear to get us by just in case the big one (or its equivalent, disaster-wise) hit in your area. And to that end, 12 Months of Prepping – The First Year, did just that. But now it is time to move on.
And for those of you just getting started but who want to advance quickly? Feel free to jump in on this accelerated plan as you continue to work your way through year one. There is no requirement or prerequisite – only the mindset to get going.
MONTH 13: Supplies and Gear
Dried Beans – 1 pound per person
White Rice – 1 pound per person
Solar battery charger
Rechargeable batteries for your flashlights
Add a minimum of 3 gallons of water per person and per pet to your existing supplies
In year one, we put away the bare minimum of food to get by for three days, perhaps a bit longer. This year we are going to up the ante considerably by adding bulk foods. As boring as it may sound, beans and rice are the proverbial survival staples. They are inexpensive, easy to store, have a long shelf life and, if cooked with some seasonings, are pretty darn tasty.
This month we are going to add one pound of each of bulk beans and rice for each person in your household. And if you have never cooked dried beans before? We have that covered in Let’s Cook Some Beans.
We are also going to add to our water supplies this month. If storage is an issue and you have a freezer, one thing you can do is fill the empty nooks and crannies with frozen jugs of water. All you need to do is re-purpose some plastic juice jugs by swishing them with a about a teaspoon of a bleach then filling them with water. Don’t forget to sanitize the lid as well.
Tuck the filled jugs in the freezer and they will be there not only to help keep you food cool during a power outage, but also to use as drinking or cooking water. Just remember to leave some room at the top of the bottle for the frozen water to expand – an inch or two should be sufficient.
For extra credit, you can also fill zipper bags with water and freeze them as well. Of course you will want to freeze them in an upright position until they are solid and can be laid flat.
For more information on water storage, brush up on the the basics by reading Back to the Basics: Water for Survival.
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