Beau Johnston

Thursday 11/06/15

Every household is different. Despite the differences, everyone should keep the same basic supplies in their house in case of an emergency or natural disaster. Below is a list of gear that you will find useful during an emergency. There is a good chance that you will already own most of this gear, but I strongly you to buy any items you are missing.

• Garbage bags. If you have to evacuate during wet weather, these are good for keeping your gear dry.
• Plastic buckets with lids (10 litre capacity). Also useful for keeping your gear dry during wet weather.
• Household candles (at least a dozen).
• Matches (several boxes).
• Candle holder (a glass bottle will do. I have an old fashioned, brass candleholder).
• Portable stove (either butane or hexamine) with extra fuel.
• Portable radio (with spare batteries) for monitoring news and emergency broadcasts.
• Torch (with spare batteries). Please don’t think you can rely on a $2 torch in an emergency.
• Toilet paper (people don’t remember toilet paper until it’s too late). Always keep more than you need.
• Books (even if everything goes well, you’ll have to pass the time somehow).
• Deck of cards (another way to pass the time without electricity).
• Duct tape (get several rolls of good quality tape, you don’t want your repair to fail at a critical moment).
• Note pads.
• Pens.
• Permanent markers.
• First-Aid kit (no, a packet of sticking plasters isn’t enough).
• Basic toolkit (you can guarantee things are going to break during a disaster).
• Telephone with landline connection. Unlike high-tech phones, the basic push-button and rotary dial phones don’t use electricity, so you can still use them during a power outage. Mobile phones are convenient, but the network may become congested, or (depending on the type of emergency) authorities may order the mobile phone network to be temporarily turned off.
• Glow sticks (use these at night and to conserve your batteries).
• String (preferably, paracord).
• Storm whistle.

During a natural disaster, you don’t know how long the electricity and water will remain connected (especially if the town’s water supply becomes contaminated with floodwater or sewerage). It is advisable to fill your sinks and bathtub with water. The buckets I advised you to purchase could also be filled with water.

Basic safety

• Only use your portable stove on a heat resistant surface in a safe, well ventilated area, such as your kitchen. Seriously, don’t cook food in your bedroom.
• Never leave a naked flame unattended. You are already experiencing enough difficulties from the flood/cyclone/earthquake; don’t add a house fire to your problems.

The gear listed above is inexpensive, and portable. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to evacuate your home, you should consider taking this gear with you too.

Thursday 04/06/15

Welcome back to the fourth and final instalment of Food Prepping. I hope you’ve been doing your homework each week, because it will definitely benefit you in the long run.

By now, you should be comfortable with the concept of building up a food bank for yourself and your family. Unlike some portrayals in the sensationalist media, food banks aren’t a new thing. I grew up in the country before the days of twenty-four hour shopping, so our pantry comfortably held enough food to get us through at least two to three weeks before we had to go shopping again. We also had an additional store of tinned food in a separate part of the house that would easily see us through another two months if necessary. This was normal part of everyday life in a rural environment.

As important as prepping is, I strongly advise you against telling other people that you are making such contingency plans. There are two reasons for this, and neither of them are pleasant. The first reason is because mainstream media has presented the idea of prepping as something only weirdos and loners do. Unfortunately, some people will believe the extreme examples are representative of what you are doing and they will keep you at arm’s length. The second and most important reason is that you don’t want your food bank to become public knowledge. While you read this advice with a full belly, from the comfort of your armchair, this might seem like a strange thing to say. I want you to ask yourself what you would be prepared to do to feed yourself and your family if you hadn’t eaten for several days; or a week? Now ask yourself what you would be prepared to do if you heard rumours that there was food in a house at the end of the block? Forget your altruistic values and answer honestly. Once you enter desperation into the equation, civilized behaviour dissipates in the blink of an eye. How safe do you think you and your supplies will be if everyone knows about your food bank?

If you think this point of view is a little extreme, just remind yourself how selfish, aggressive and violent society has become in the last twenty to thirty years. Once your food bank becomes public knowledge you risk facing a hungry, violent mob appearing on your doorstep; ready to redistribute your supplies to people they deem to be more deserving of them (namely, themselves and their enforcers).

Ideally, your own family should remain ignorant of the full extent of your preparations. Kids have a tendency to unintentionally blurt out information they shouldn’t, in front of people they shouldn’t (like the neighbours or your in-laws). So do bored or lonely adults who are just making small talk. Keep your food bank in a separate room and lock the door.

During a disaster, keep a minimal stock of food in your pantry. Too much food will invite disaster. Too little will make people suspicious about how you are able to survive with so little. Restock your pantry at night only after everyone else is asleep. Make sure you are discrete when you dispose of your trash.

During a disaster, if you are still in your own home (or some other solid structure), it will be easier to keep your supplies secure. If you’re living from a vehicle or in a tent, security will be a lot more difficult. Security is paramount. Do not remain in a comfortable environment if you are surrounded by people who are willing to use force to get what they want. Never risk the safety of your family for creature comforts. In the aftermath of a disaster, you may be faced with the decision of staying in your home or temporary evacuation. You must be prepared to relocate to a county designated evacuation centre (or your own pre-arranged Bug-Out location). You don’t want to find your home surrounded by an angry, hungry mob. Also, you don’t want to be on the receiving end of some self-righteous justice from a mob who have declared you to be a food hoarder.

Some might consider this advice to be unpalatable, but this is the reality of prepping. EVERYBODY has the same opportunity as you to prepare themselves for a disaster. Some people (like you), have chosen to read up on the subject and take a few simple steps to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Unfortunately, you are in the minority. There are many more people who have chosen to spend their time watching television instead. Their disaster plan is to hold their hand out and hope someone will put food and other supplies in it.