Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Water

Water, it’s something everyone needs and can’t live without. No matter what the situation, having clean water on hand is a must. According to FEMA, you should have at least a three-day supply of water and you should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking.
There are many different ways to store water, you can get cases of water, that are easy to rotate (just drink them, lol). There are water storage containers that require less rotation, but take up more room and when time does come to rotate, can call for some imagination. And of course, there are barrels to store water in.
Because Water takes up so much space, if you are starting out, go small and work up. Buy an extra case of water at the store next time, or if they are on sale, buy three. Whatever you choose, water is a must.  Here is a link that is helpful with storage and amount ideas.

Breaking down the list.

Now, depending on how much and what you are planning on storing, you can adjust a list to fit your needs. For most who want to dive into the food storage world, there is a basic 3 month supply that is kind of a general rule of thumb. Once you have this 3 month supply you can go after another 3 months, and so on.
These magical lists are usually filled with many nutritious and filling foods...that is for most people. When you have an allergy to food, it can change everything. It took me a long time and a lot of searching to find things to replace on my list.
I’m going to try and break these lists down into the categories and share what we have chosen to use instead, obviously according to our needs.  Since we have such a wide range of foods to stay away from, there should be something here for just about everyone. If there is a favorite product that you use as opposed to what I use, please feel free to share it :)
There are approximately 7 general categories that you’ll need to look at. Aside from all of the other items you want to have on hand, I’m focusing on those most commonly found on a food storage list.
  1. Water
  2. Grains
  3. Fats and Oils
  4. Legumes
  5. Sugars
  6. Cooking Essentials
  7. Other Proteins
Because there are so many options and so much to each of these categories, I’ve decided to break them down into their own entries. Hopefully, it will be easier to reference these too.

Monday, August 30, 2010

One of the first things you should do.

When an emergency hits you, who's going to wait while you pack a bag and copy a list of you or your child's allergies?  Nothing is going to help you more than an B.O.B. (better known as a Bug Out Bag).there are countless list available on line for adult or family packs, but one that most people don't address is a child's BOB. Depending on the age and size of your child, their BOB should still be as light as possible.

Here's a list of what I put in my kids bags. These are always packed and hanging on a hook in their room. (And trust me, if you ever have a house fire at 2 a.m., it's ideal to have it by their room and ready to grab!) If your children get into things like this, keep them in your room or in an easily accessible place.

  • A list of their food allergies and medical history/needs. It's not a bad idea to laminate this to keep dry and legible. There are even sites that offer personalized cards with a picture of your child like this one.
  • WATER There are a couple of options for this. They make a "juice box" style of water that is a great option for kids. Whatever container you choose, water is one of the most important items in your pack. An empty water container isn't a bad idea either. You can store the next items in the list inside of it.
  • MRE's or power bars that are allergy friendly. These are invaluable to those with allergies for a multitude of reasons. Rotate these every couple of months.
  • Gum or hard candy, if your kids can have it, it will keep them busy in an emergency. 
  • Change of clothes. This should be changed seasonally and just as light as possible (they are going to be carrying their own pack)
Extra Epipen, books,  poncho, gloves, hat, etc., you can tailor your BOB to whatever needs you have. Think about what season it is and change out the contents ever so often. This could be a literal life saver some day.