I use to think of people that put together emergency preparedness kits as either being paranoid individuals or backwoods militia men that anticipated war or the world coming to an end. That was before I became interested in a more frugal lifestyle and getting back to the basics of living; being more self sufficient if you will. Since becoming unemployed, my income level has dropped beyond significant to flat lined, back up again and then nothing. Nonetheless, I am able to hold my head up. I want for nothing in regards to food, water and shelter and it is all possible due to being prepared. How prepared are you in the event an emergency happened where you are?
We don't relate unemployment on a daily basis to that of an "emergency", however when the food runs out and no sight of a paycheck anytime soon, one quickly goes in to survival mode; seeking anything in the pantry that could possibly make a meal; rationing the toilet paper, paper towels, etc. Don't laugh, it's true. We rarely consider emergency preparedness at all until we see countries like Haiti and Chile and the total devastation they have experienced. Why is that? Is it the same type of fear just as we were afraid of talking about death in my one of previous blogs? Is it the fear that should we reach the point where our lives switch over to survival mode, it might really be the real end? It doesn't have to be like that. I promise, you aren't going to be viewed differently; you won't be called a "hoarder" or anything of the sort. In fact, you more than likely will be admired for being proactive just as I have learned to admire those who have taught me; some young, some old. Stereotypes such as these prevent us from being proactive and as a result, we rely on others who are prepared their resources rather than our own. By doing so, however, could result in an emergency of its own should they die or not be able to get to you. It is important that each of us take steps toward self sufficiency simply for that reason. While I am constantly learning, I am becoming more proactive in my daily life and gaining confidence in being prepared for the smallest emergency as temporary as it may be.
Another example that is easier to relate to is something as simple as a winter storm with no heat or power for hours; days even. This is more of a reality as we have seen this across the nation lately with nontraditional weather patterns as we enter what should be "spring". While it's more typical where I live in the northwest and living in a rural area, most inner city folk are not prepared. They can't be blamed as weather patterns like this do not occur regularly, but nonetheless it puts them in "survival mode"; a temporary state of panic; relying on road crews, power companies, grocery stores and agencies to do whatever it takes to get things back to normal . It's only natural for us in a crisis situation to make comments that "next time", we'll be prepared only to find ourselves integrating back in to our daily lives and never making the effort. Finances are a good example of such.
Being prepared for any sort of emergency builds confidence and can reduce the stress and panic one might experience in such a crisis. Food seems to be the main focal point and the most intimidating item when preparing an emergency preparedness kit due to a lack of knowledge in how to prepare dehydrated food. You would actually be surprised just how much you already cook with it and how you can have fun creating meals that you will enjoy. Many have the preconceived notion to think that should an emergency occur, there they will be with a box filled with bland, boring meals for survival. Not so. I came across the blog Trail Cooking & The Outdoors that appears to market to back country trail hikers. But what I found is that there are volumes of recipes that are fun and made with everyday food items you probably already use; and they're dehydrated! For the average spouse that has children, you can't go wrong with their recipes and may even find yourself trying some their cooking ideas for fun. There are videos, tutorials, and alternative cooking ideas. This has been my site of preference.
Depending on how involved you want to get, there are many sites regarding emergency preparedness. Through my research, I have found that the FEMA website is another great resource for anyone considering their own emergency preparedness kit, but it is not an easy read compared to the Preparedness Pantry blog I found. It is an interesting site with more information than one could imagine including recipes for food stored items. It's really a matter of preference and how detailed you want to get. The idea behind it all is to have fun with it and determine whether you are looking to create a long term storage plan to last for up to twenty years, or one that will provide the basic essentials for a shorter period of time.
While water and a heat source are essential for food stored items, there are also non-food preparedness items that one needs to consider as well; especially if you are considering emergency preparedness kits for long term storage. A detailed list of such items can be found in the Just Add Water book written by Barbara G. Salsbury advertised here. She is by far one of the best pioneers on studying dehydrated foods; developing and testing a variety of recipes and speaking at functions regarding food and water storage and usage. I highly recommend this book for anyone working with churches and community organizations considering an emergency preparedness kit for their group. For the average person, I found it a little more than I cared to bargain with. It does, however provide a wealth of knowledge and recipes to boot.
Should plans such as these be too overwhelming, consider starting by simply adding a few extra items to your plan over the course of a few months each time you go to the grocery store. Regardless of who you are or what status you may have in the community, I hope that you will take the initial steps toward being proactive; self sufficient. Never rely on outer resources to be able to get to you in the state of an emergency; no matter how small.
