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Lesson 1 - The Top Five Essential Preparations

Preparedness and survival are not just a fad – they are a mindset from our not so distant past. All we are doing is trying to make up for the time lost when we started relying on technology and government for our daily needs. Let’s use today’s technology and blend with the skills of the past to achieve a greater level of preparedness.

Let's start with the most important preparations that you should start with...... the big five basic needs that you should have ready at all times:

o Water

o Food

o First Aid kit

o LED flash lights (with extra batteries)

o Emergency crank radio

These items are based on the scenario that you are going to be stuck at home for a period of time during some sort of emergency. It's surprising how many people don't have some or all of these items ready at home. Let's discuss the importance of each one.

Water - living without water – you won’t!

Absolutely essential for drinking, hygiene and cooking

While one gallon per person per day is recommended, enough to drink would certainly be better than nothing at all

Several cases of bottled water would go a long way during an emergency and you can replace it as you use it

Here are the symptoms of going without water from bad to worst – nausea; weakness; headaches; ability to walk and speak clearly; impaired vision; delirium; death (3 – 4 days). You should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. This amount covers drinking, cooking and sanitation. The individual amount needed depends on age, physical activity, physical condition, and time of year. Each home should have enough potable water to last 14 days at a minimum. So for a family of four - 56 gallons are needed. There are many commercially available containers that would work just fine. Dedicate a space somewhere in your home to store the water. If you were to buy 23 - 2.5 gallon water containers - you will have your needed two week supply. Usually it's best to mark the containers with the date and as they reach the six month mark - use the water for cooking, making coffee, or just drinking. Pick up replacement containers as needed. This way there is no waste.

Food -

You can go days or even weeks without food, but who wants to?

Granola bars, canned food and crackers could mean the difference between a clear head or confusion.

Every time you go shopping, put in an extra few items that you normally eat. Check the expiration dates and get items with a long shelf life if possible.

If something happens, you have food you’re used to and you can use it up as part of your regular food supply.

Make sure you rotate supplies to maintain freshness.

When storing food at home it doesn't make much sense to store months worth of food if you only have two weeks’ worth of water - so don't go crazy. Try and balance out your food and water ratio. Every home should have enough food stored to every person in your home for at least two weeks. Of course, this would not be enough food to survive a long term situation but would be plenty to get by for most short term disasters or emergencies - remember we're trying to keep this simple and basic. As you gain knowledge and experience, you may want to plan for long term survival.

Non-perishable foods are ideal to feed your family during most emergencies. Foods such as rice; grains; pasta; beans store very well in air tight containers. A great resource for storage is to clean out 2 liter soda bottles and fill with rice and grains that you can pour in with a funnel. These bottles stack very nicely lying down on shelves.

Canned goods are another good source of food that store very well and provides a great variety. This is one of the best ways to provide a supply of protein - such as tuna, salmon, and peanut butter (jars). In order to track expiration dates - use an indelible marker to mark the can so you can read easily and rotate stock as needed. An important thing to remember is to always buy foods that your family normally eats - that way they will not have to get used to eating different foods during an already stressful time of an emergency. One final item to remember is treats such as chocolates that will really boost morale.

First Aid Kit -

If you ask most people if they have a first aid kit ready at home - they will say yes - but what they really mean is that they have some Band Aids and maybe some aspirin. Everyone should have a fully stocked kit ready to go at all times.

Emergency Lighting -

It's hard enough to get through an emergency - but surviving is even harder in the dark. This is why a good LED flashlight makes the top five list. The advantage of an LED light is the fact that it has such a low power consumption and the LED itself will last thousands of hours. Each home should have several flashlights ready (with extra batteries) by placing them with your other preparedness supplies so you can know exactly where they are when needed.

To be fully prepared with lighting - they should be a flashlight secured to each bed in your home so that if you wake in the middle of the night and the power has gone out - you know where your light is to guide you to safety. A good way to secure the light is to get a metal spring clip that is commonly used to secure rakes and shovels to the garage wall - just screw it to the side of the bed and clip your flashlight right in.

Emergency Crank Radio -

During an emergency situation it will be useful to know what's going on in the rest of the area and/or world. This is why an emergency crank radio will be a great resource. These radios can usually run on batteries or by cranking a handle which will provide power to the radio when battery power has been exhausted. Not only can you listen to emergency radio communications but these radios also provide LED lighting and the ability to charge cell phones. This is a must-have item for the home in any emergency.

Summary -

The five items above could make a world of difference to you and your family in an emergency or survival situation. They could also save your life. The effort and expense to gather supplies now will be well worth the time. Don't delay!