I Always Want to Be Prepared
Be Prepared... Is the boy scout marching song.... As someone who takes this in as good advice it isn't always easy to be prepared but it is possible and once you get the initial setup done then it is just maintain...
Where I come from which is far from where I have lived my parents and grandparents talked and worked on being prepared. When I was young it was to be ready for a 6 month famine. So we stored wheat in barrels and bought several things in bulk. As time went on we got down to having at least a 6 week supply of food, water, and other essentials.
When I got married it wasn't practical to have that much around but we did get to a point that if things went bad, such as power loss due to some fire or flood then we could get by for a while. It helped when hurricane Katerina and Rita hammered the gulf of Mexico. We had things ready to go in a huge bag and if we needed to make a hasty departure then it was throw people in the car and grab the bag.
It worked well although I was in the Philippines for work when Rita was heading for Houston and my wife then grabbed the kids told me she was going to her sisters and headed out with the bag. One day before the evacuation order came down. I booked hotels and places for them to rest on their way. They made it and got back when it was all done.
Friends of ours didn't leave till it was too late, then the roads were like you see in all the movies packed nobody moving. Terrible traffic jams and then the prices are sky high.
We allowed them to come over and eat out of our freezer where there was food stored and water for them They made it for the next week while you couldn't get anything.
When Ike ran up I-45 from Galveston to Dallas and barreled over Houston like a freight train we were ready again. Water for toilets and washing all ready in barrels, drinking water was in a 25 gallon barrel and treated. Had 2 fridges and a deep freeze full of food and ice. Fresh batteries and candles. Got some wood for covering the windows cause I didn't really want the neighbors trash to come through.
Batten down and things locked up we rode it out as the wind howled all evening and into the next day. It was all over for us, but for Houston it wasn't. People were not ready.
Power out except in the outside areas. The Walmart where my ex works was one of two places that was up and open for business. Cell chargers went in a few hours. Water and bread went even faster, meat went in a day, milk would come in and in an hour be gone. Gas, both propane and car fuel, would be gone in 6 hours. Can stuff went a little slower but it was going quick too. Water wouldn't even be stocked, the pallet would be wheeled out and dropped and by the time the guy came back with another pallet (15 minutes tops) the first one was empty. That Walmart made almost double in sales that day after Ike than they did on the last black friday.
Why do you ask? Not because they price hiked everything, they kept the prices the same. It was because people were not prepared.
Now that I am divorced I still think it is the right thing to do.
A 72 hour kit is basic and each of my kids has one. Funny thing is that stores like Wal-mart and other retail places sell them but you don't need to buy it. Make it yourself to fit your needs.
The basics of a 72 hour kit will be in another story...
Where I come from which is far from where I have lived my parents and grandparents talked and worked on being prepared. When I was young it was to be ready for a 6 month famine. So we stored wheat in barrels and bought several things in bulk. As time went on we got down to having at least a 6 week supply of food, water, and other essentials.
When I got married it wasn't practical to have that much around but we did get to a point that if things went bad, such as power loss due to some fire or flood then we could get by for a while. It helped when hurricane Katerina and Rita hammered the gulf of Mexico. We had things ready to go in a huge bag and if we needed to make a hasty departure then it was throw people in the car and grab the bag.
It worked well although I was in the Philippines for work when Rita was heading for Houston and my wife then grabbed the kids told me she was going to her sisters and headed out with the bag. One day before the evacuation order came down. I booked hotels and places for them to rest on their way. They made it and got back when it was all done.
Friends of ours didn't leave till it was too late, then the roads were like you see in all the movies packed nobody moving. Terrible traffic jams and then the prices are sky high.
We allowed them to come over and eat out of our freezer where there was food stored and water for them They made it for the next week while you couldn't get anything.
When Ike ran up I-45 from Galveston to Dallas and barreled over Houston like a freight train we were ready again. Water for toilets and washing all ready in barrels, drinking water was in a 25 gallon barrel and treated. Had 2 fridges and a deep freeze full of food and ice. Fresh batteries and candles. Got some wood for covering the windows cause I didn't really want the neighbors trash to come through.
Batten down and things locked up we rode it out as the wind howled all evening and into the next day. It was all over for us, but for Houston it wasn't. People were not ready.
Power out except in the outside areas. The Walmart where my ex works was one of two places that was up and open for business. Cell chargers went in a few hours. Water and bread went even faster, meat went in a day, milk would come in and in an hour be gone. Gas, both propane and car fuel, would be gone in 6 hours. Can stuff went a little slower but it was going quick too. Water wouldn't even be stocked, the pallet would be wheeled out and dropped and by the time the guy came back with another pallet (15 minutes tops) the first one was empty. That Walmart made almost double in sales that day after Ike than they did on the last black friday.
Why do you ask? Not because they price hiked everything, they kept the prices the same. It was because people were not prepared.
Now that I am divorced I still think it is the right thing to do.
A 72 hour kit is basic and each of my kids has one. Funny thing is that stores like Wal-mart and other retail places sell them but you don't need to buy it. Make it yourself to fit your needs.
The basics of a 72 hour kit will be in another story...
56-60, M
