In past posts I have joked about the Zombie Apocalypse. It is a fun topic and is easy to write about as there are so many movies out with various scenarios of how this could come about. Today I want to take a more serious look at disaster preparedness. No matter where you live in this country the possibility of a natural disaster hitting and forcing all of us to hunker down in our homes for a time that could range from a few hours to a few days without power is always there. Do you have enough food, non perishable food, to feed yourselves for those few days? Can you heat that food or will you be eating cold chili straight from the can?
Here is the scenario I try to stay prepared for in my house. Living in the Pacific Northwest and having witnessed the awesome destructive power of Mt. St. Helen’s in 1980, volcanoes are a real threat. In Washington we have Mt. Adams, Baker Ranier and St. Helen’s which are all active volcanoes. And as I am also currently living here in Southern Idaho we are on the edge of the super volcano under Yellowstone park. All of these volcanoes have been studied for years and the experts believe they can predict when an eruption will be coming. There were dozens of people killed on May 18, 1980 by the eruption of Mt. St. Helen’s because the experts that were sure they would know long before any eruption happened that one was coming were wrong. There was no warning. In a matter of seconds, millions of tons of debris, ash, and hot mud were rushing down the mountain and swallowing everything in its path. The time to prepare for an emergency is now and not when it happens.
So what can you do to prepare for an emergency? To start with is water. Water is the most important supply you can have on hand. Luckily any grocery store you go into will have cases of bottled water. It is a good idea to keep a couple cases on hand for your emergency rations.
Next is food. There are a number of different ways you can go for food.
The first option is the M.R.E. This is Meals Ready to Eat. The U.S. Military uses MRE’s for our troops. These are complete meals sealed in a sealed package that can be stored for up to a year or so. A quick search of Amazon.com gave me several options such as the SOPACCO SurePak meals These can be purchased by the case that includes 12 meals from 6 different menus and also include heat packs to warm the meals. These meals include an entree, dessert, cracker or bread with spread, as well as coffee with creamer and sugar. The kit also includes a napkin, moist towelette, and a snack. Another option for this is survivalfood.com. Here you can get a food supply that comes packed in a back pack for easy portability.
Next up is canned food. Cans of soup, chili, beans, and vegetables will store for extended periods and can be eaten cold right out of the can. They are not as appetizing cold out of the can, but it is better than going hungry.
Another option is canned meat such as Spam. This is another canned food that can be used as an ingredient in just about any recipe or can be eaten cold from the can.
You may want to also include some dried beans or rice. Both of these can be easily cooked and added to broth to make a more filling meal.
In order to cook your canned food you will need some kind of heat source. If you have a fireplace or wood stove then heating the canned foods or rice or beans can be done in a good cast iron pot placed directly on the fire. Another option is a portable stove. These come in many varieties and sizes. They use various types of fuel from butane to propane to white gas or even unleaded gas. A small back pack stove like the Brunton Raptor Foldable Canister Stove with Piezo Ignition or the Masterbuilt MDCL Double-Burner Propane Camp Stove will do a great job of heating your meals. It’s a good idea to also stock up on fuel for your stove and to practice with the stove.
Also, have an emergency drill with your whole family at least twice a year. Spend a weekend surviving without power or the ability to run to the store to pick up something or to call for delivery for dinner. This is the quickest way to test your survival preparedness and find out just what you forgot. It is also a good way to make sure your survival supplies are fresh and ready for when the real emergency happens.
There are quite a few other things that can be stored for long periods of time that can be used for emergency survival such as Ramen Noodles. These are quick and easy to prepare and make a good filling meal and if you are on a tight budget these are a cheap way to go. Packs of these noodles sell for 18 to 20 cents a pack and can be ready to eat in a few minutes. In the coming weeks I will be posting recipes for Ramen noodles as well as for other survival foods. Just because you are in survival mode does not mean you cannot eat well.
Clacked by Jeff Love
on Oct 17, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
