"...nuclear warfare is not necessary to cause a breakdown of our society. You take a large city like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago--their water supply comes from hundreds of miles away and any interruption of that, or food, or power for any period of time you're going to have riots in the streets. Our society is so fragile, so dependent on the interworking of things to provide us with goods and services, that you don't need nuclear warfare to fragment us anymore than the Romans needed it to cause their eventual downfall."
Gene Roddenberry

 

Preparedness Notes

Everyone has to start somewhere, and every journey begins with the first step. This page is designed for those who are at the beginning stage of preparedness.

 

Assessing the threats we face

Each potential threat must be looked at in terms of both probability and consequences. No need to make a big production of it - the intuitive approach works pretty well for this.

One important thing to keep in mind is to follow the line of falling dominoes to see what secondary consequences something might have. For example, let's look at Economic Collapse. On the surface, this could mean loss of income, loss of savings, and foreclosure on your home - all very serious consequences. However, we need to look farther down the line to see what other consequences might result:

This is just a very simple, basic example, and not even a very good one; however, it serves to illustrate the domino-effect analysis that should be done when considering the potential consequences of a given threat.

This is just a very simple, basic example, and not even a very good one; however, it serves to illustrate the domino-effect analysis that should be done when considering the potential consequences of a given threat.

Potential Threats

Following is a list of potential threats gathered from various discussion groups. They are in no particular order, and they run from serious and high probability to little more than an inconvenience and extremely low probability. The one thing they all have in common is that each is a very real threat, and none can be dismissed by saying "it can't happen here." It can.

Planning

Once you've realized the importance of being prepared and decided to accept responsibility for the well being of yourself and your family, you are ready to make plans and begin physical preparations. We'll touch on some of the major areas of preparedness. This is being presented on a very basic level and assumes that you are just starting out.

At this point, we're just discussing general concerns, strategies, and plans. Specific recommendations, sources, etc., will be covered in the next section.

Getting Started

Keep it simple, and don't let yourself get overwhelmed. Just make sure you get started with the basics. Set an easily achievable goal for yourself: food and water for your family for two weeks, and then give yourself a reasonable due date. Several companies such as Nitro-Pak have pre-packaged kits that make this as easy as picking up the phone and ordering with a credit card. Whether you actually get a pre-packaged kit or assemble your own, studying the list of contents will help you form your own ideas of what you will need. The main thing here is to do something. Don't just think about it - set goals and do it.

Location

This is really a long term issue, so we won't spend much time on it. Clearly, some locations are far more vulnerable to major threats than other areas. Generally speaking, the more densely populated an area is, the more vulnerable it is. If you have been thinking about relocating to a lower density area, you now have another reason to do so. That said, many people simply cannot pack up and relocate for any number of reasons. We can sum this topic up by saying "do the best you can with what you have" - if you can improve your location, great. If not, well, that's life - deal with it.

Food and Water

We'll assume that you already have shelter - after that, food and water are about as basic as it gets. Most disasters can be gotten through if you have sufficient food and water, so that's where you need to concentrate your efforts.

We use a lot more water than most people realize. The ideal is to have your own well and a way to pump water that doesn't depend on the local utility company. That usually means either a generator or a hand pump. The alternative to your own well is water storage. While it is important, there are some real practical limits as to how much water most people can store. If you have a swimming pool, you're in good shape here. Another means of storing water is containers. A combination of portable containers (generally 6 gallons or less) and stationary containers (55 gallon food-quality plastic drums are an excellent choice) usually works best. Do not try to use recycled containers if they previously contained anything but water or bleach.

If you are storing water, there's a good chance you'll run out - and probably sooner than you think. At that point, the quality and purity of available water may be questionable. A means of water purification will be needed to assure that your water is healthy for drinking and cooking. Purification can be by chemical means (bleach, stabilized oxygen, iodine, etc.), electrical means (ozone treatment), or mechanical means (filtration, reverse osmosis, etc.).

There are a number of approaches to food storage, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Which one works best for you is largely a matter of personal choice. My own preference is freeze dried food packed in #10 cans. This is initially a bit more expensive than some other plans, but when you consider that even at that, meals are less than what you would pay at a fast food restaurant, it's not much of a down side for most families. Freeze dried food packed in enamel coated cans has a shelf life of at least 20 - 30 years, with excellent taste, texture, and nutrition retention. I have personally eaten many meals of freeze dried food that is over 20 years old. I would rate it at least as good as what you would get from a typical frozen microwave dinner - it's not Mom's home cooking, but still very good. The fact that freeze dried meals can be served as regular non-emergency meals makes it a "can't lose" proposition. You know that the need for food is still going to be there no matter what, so you're simply buying your meals ahead of time.

As for price, a complete one-year, 3-meals-a-day package of premium freeze dried food comes out to $6.90 per day, including shipping to anywhere in the US (Platinum-Reserve package from Nitro-Pak as of September, 2002). This is not some stripped down beans-and-rice-and-junk-food either. It is meals like Chicken Teriyaki, Hearty Beef Stew, Beef Stroganoff, Lasagna with meat and meat sauce, eggs and bacon, etc. Preparation consists of boiling one cup of water and adding it to a measured amount of food from the can, stir and wait 10 minutes - not exactly in the skilled chef category. Stocking up on freeze-dried food is an open-and-shut case - there is no downside to it, and plenty of upside.

You routinely buy insurance for accidents you don't have and illnesses you don't get, and at the end of the year you have nothing to show for it. Storage food is like insurance - only you get to consume all that you put into it. You simply cannot lose when it comes to a good food storage plan.

Another option for food storage is to simply use conventional canned food. It is important to realize that the "Best used by" dates listed on cans are not necessarily an indication of safety. Take a look at this article published by the Food and Drug Administration for more information on just how long canned food can last.

Cooking and heat

If you have a propane outdoor grill or a good charcoal grill, you're just about set for cooking. Both propane and charcoal store extremely well, and both are quite safe when common sense safety precautions are followed. If you're thinking about getting a gas grill, be sure to get one with a side burner in addition to the main grill. Besides, grilling hamburgers outside is a great way to have fun and a good family meal. Just stock up on bags of charcoal or an extra tank or two of propane gas and you're all set.

Heating your home gets a bit more complicated, but not much more. A wood burning stove is an obvious choice in many situations. Since local conditions play such a major role here, specific recommendations are beyond the scope of this discussion. Just be sure to consider the need for winter heating when you're making your plans, and remember that safety becomes a major concern when using any kind of non-electric heating.

Medical and First Aid

A basic First Aid course is the first place to start here. Advanced courses are even better, but at least start with a basic course. First aid kit and medical supplies will be covered in those courses. Remember to keep on hand a good supply of any needed medications; don't assume that you will always be able to drive to the local pharmacy and get what you need.

Defense

This is probably the "touchiest" topic in this discussion. If normal government law enforcement services are unavailable, and large numbers of people get desperate, the potential for serious trouble is obvious. No matter how much you prepare, it will do you and your family no good if you have no way to stop society's predators from making you their next victim.

Some will say "just give them what they want." What if what they want is your wife or your daughter? What if giving them what they want will result in the death of you and your family? These are serious questions that need to be answered. The clear choice for defense is a firearm - all other means are a very distant second place for use during a serious emergency. After careful consideration, if you decide to own and use a gun for personal defense, you'll need to know what kind to get. It seems that everyone who enjoys owning and shooting guns has their own opinions on what makes the ideal defense gun for someone just starting out. I am no exception, so I will make the following recommendation: a good quality, stainless steel .357 magnum revolver with a barrel of 4" or less, and non-adjustable (fixed) sights. This covers a large number of guns, and is pretty much a plain-vanilla, general purpose, simple-to-use gun. If you're already a gun owner, whatever you already have is probably just fine to use. Besides, that means you probably already have your own opinions on the best choice anyway. Just make sure you have a good supply of ammunition.

Don't forget to include at least some very basic training on how to safely and effectively use a gun. It doesn't have to be some long, extensive training session - just the basics. They can be easily taught in an afternoon. Of course, regular practice is something that everyone should do, but most of us let that slip more than we should. Do the best you can to get out and practice at least a couple times a year.

 

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