Are THEY prepared for ME?
Posted on 10/12/2014 6:20:37 AM PDT by BobL
Now that it's proven that Ebola transmission doesn't necessarily respect international borders and confine itself to "those countries", perhaps it's time that paranoid types (me included) update our supplies and get ready for what may come. I'll state what I see as worst-case, and others are welcome to chime-in and comment (or contradict) what I say.
First, if the virus spreads out of control (which I consider possible, as long as it is being given civil rights), there is only one way to stop it, and that is a near-complete lock-down of the country, with only essential workers allowed out of home confinement. The country will basically look like a giant ghost town with a small number of people in space suits trying to keep order and hand out supplies to the 98% of the people that are totally unprepared. They will also try to keep operating utilities such as power, natural gas, clean water, and sewage treatment. Not much need for gasoline though as our consumption rate will drop to next to nothing (so stockpiles will last a long time for those allowed to use it).
The next question is how long will the confinement be. I suspect that the confinement will be at least 30 days (longer for people having some contact with victims), and it will take some time to clear the streets.
So, as far as disasters go, this is actually one of the easier scenarios (try thinking about a landscape covered with radioactive fallout, for example, or even no water/power and a badly damaged house after a hurricane). In this case, you may lose water/power, but not right away. As far as being prepped to go out in public (i.e., clothing, masks, etc.) or taking care of Ebola patients, that's way out of my league. Others can discuss it, but I won't try.
So, my recommendations are as follows:
WATER
1) Storing Fresh Water: Ideally, you go on stored water. It can be bottled, although my first-line method is to take a large trash can, line it with 2 heavy duty trash bags, and then fill it up about 2/3s with tap water, that's good for about 20 gallons, which or about 20 man-days if used for drinking. There are also devices that fit in bathtubs for storing water, although these are getting hard to find.
2) Purifying Other Water: As a minimum have always fresh bleach, and be sure it's really fresh, as its shelf life is only 6 months. Even if you hate Wal-Mart, that's a great place to buy it, since they have huge turnover so your bleach will be fresh. Only buy PLAIN bleach, not scented or otherwise cute, and visit the Clorox site to get instructions on using it. When used properly it will kill off the vast majority of bugs that can get you, if your water supply is not clean. Lots more can be done beyond that, but it will cost some money.
3) Rain Water Collection: If your house has gutters, then try to come up with a way to collect that water. It is usually doable, and the water may be quite yucky (especially at the beginning of a storm), but it certainly beats not having water. If you have decent purification capability, you can live on it (even bleach is probably sufficient for most rain water).
FOOD
1) I think having 60 days tucked away is a good start, with half of that being starches (rice, noodles, etc.), which cost next to nothing, and the other half being yummy stuff, being not requiring refrigeration. So canned/dried food is good, with canned food being very cheap on a per calorie basis and lasting for years. I've been eating my 5 year old cans of food that were stored without any regard to temperature, reaching well over 80F in the house for 2 summers in a row. They are well beyond their expiration date, but taste great, with only slight changes from the newer stuff.
2) Beyond the above, you can then buy perishables, frozen/refrigerated food, since you'll likely have power for much of the time. At worst the power goes out and food ends up in trash bags at the curb. And BE SURE to have a lot of heavy trash bags.
3) For cooking, if you plan to rely on starches, you really need to have a way to cook them without relying on power or natural gas. I've about lost count of my ways to do that - starting with a propane stove, propane grill, gasoline (camping) stove, second gasoline stove, butane stoves and probably some other options. Don't try to get cute with a "solar stove" or "wood stove" only - you want something easy to use, and powerful. Just be sure whatever you have can boil water efficiently and that you have enough fuel to keep going (and that can be a lot of fuel if you boil). I like gasoline because I can pull it out of my cars, if I need to.
HEATING
Heating can certainly be a challenge. Here in Houston, it actually can get (relatively) cold, dipping well into the 20s for a few days each winter and not getting much above 40 during those spells. But every region and every home is different so I won't try to give a single set of recommendations. But a few things to consider: Electric blankets can make a boatload of difference for someone trying to stretch out a tank of propane (of course you need power), likewise thermal underwear. There are actually propane heaters that operate indoors although you need to have some air ventilation to prevent Oxygen depletion (and with the depletion Carbon Monoxide will be given off - otherwise, no Carbon Monoxide). Butane is similar, but I don't know where to find a space heater rated for indoor use. Never burn gasoline/wood indoors for heating without direct venting, because Carbon Monoxide will always be given off as a product of combustion. (burning gasoline indoors for cooking - I'm not really sure there, but I'd be very careful to have lots of fresh air, at a minimum). Needless to say, a battery powered Carbon Monoxide detector is a must if you have any indoor combustion.
OTHER STUFF
Lots of other items - just think of what you normally use, and have a decent supply. Also think of what might get used more, especially things like plastic bags and have a large supply of them. Paper items are another good thing to have - if water/soap is tight, you may want to use paper plates, for example. Batteries, of course. And also consider what happens if the power goes out. Do you have a manual can opener?
So that's it for now, I'm in pretty shape with the above (actually really good shape). Even if you're not a prepper you can still do a lot of the above on a temporary basis and then slowly consume the items (like food, paper towels, etc.) and your net cost is nothing, you simply bought the stuff a bit earlier than you otherwise would have. Even with food, you don't need to buy food that requires cooking (you may not be used to it, but most canned food doesn't require any heating/cooking to be safe, and yummy)...but it will certainly cost more than starches.
Good Luck!!
There is absolutely no way possible this hasn’t been planned out.
When you get idiots like the clown from the CDC getting his talking points out of sequence and making a reference to something that hadn’t yet happed, you know it’s planned.
Thanks, that is exactly what I have, just in a lower concentration than other websites specify. I still think it will work fine, once adjusted for its concentration.
I was going to say not practical for long-term survival, due to the relatively large costs of the jars and then the storage space required, but you’re really looking at it for non-refrigerated short-term storage of excess food. That does make sense.
For those in suburban areas where houses are close together, you need to ask yourself a question. If this goes hot and all of the morons and illegals begin to panic and loot houses....are you prepared to fire?
I'm not a doctor and didn't stay at a Holiday Inn so here's my take. 30 days for the first round but an extra 30 days for those who showed symptoms after the first round and maybe another 30 just because. Of course, this admin won't do that so we'll all be on our own.
10" Aquacera Super Cerasyl gravity filter candle at Amazon- $ 18.
32 gal LDPE (food grade plastic) trash can at Walmart- $ 30
dont forget to buy some goggles in case you are treating a family member at home
While the waterBOB is an excellent idea, I’m thinking maybe use it in only one bathroom. You’re going to need to have your second bathroom for proper bathing and maybe washing clothes if the power goes down. Someone had mentioned recently that a bathroom would make for a good sick room.
“For those in suburban areas where houses are close together, you need to ask yourself a question. If this goes hot and all of the morons and illegals begin to panic and loot houses....are you prepared to fire?”
I suspect that most people on this site will not have a problem if they need to deal with zombies. The rules are different with Ebola and people will do what they need to in order to protect themselves. But also, unlike most other scenarios, zombies will be expressly prohibited from even walking the streets (that’s the who point of confinement), so there simply won’t be as many and dealing with them will be a lot different than, say, some “youths” knocking on doors after a hurricane.
“30 days for the first round but an extra 30 days for those who showed symptoms after the first round and maybe another 30 just because.”
I agree. Like a nuke or EMP attack we tend to think it’s a one-shot deal. Take your radio out of the Faraday Cage, try to hear some news, and ZAPP!, another flash. It could well end up being a series of 30-day confinements.
Depending on the items stored they can last anywhere from 3-15 years when stored like this. Most of my jars have been purshaed on sale, at yard sales and closeout sales. Storage space includes closets, under the beds, under couches, and in my pantry - generally areas not used for anything else.
I have had a problem finding the right kind of Calcium Hypochlorite
Smart...
As far as Ebola, I’m wondering about asprin since it thins the blood. Just checked and saw this: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22338573
“In the future, newer antiplatelet agents may offer more comprehensive platelet inhibition without interfering with primary hemostasis, thus offering greater protection with lower hemorrhagic risk.”
Water, don't forget water, that should be your first priority. If you use the pool shock tablets make sure they do not contain an algaecide. It will make you sick.
You’re definitely in good shape...and you have made a very practical hobby out of being prepared. Nice job, but definitely somewhat risky for people don’t have the expertise/experience (like myself), especially compared to professionally-canned food. I suspect that we’ll both make it through this, even if it gets bad.
FYI - Amazon.com has a few $0.00 Kindle downloads of prepper books. Doesn’t hurt to glance through them for tips. Also, scroll through the “how to” books.
You don't have to be an expert to do this. Read/watch and learn. Start with small batches and work your way up to larger amounts. If you flub something at first, you do not have a lot invested in it and can work on it to get it right.
I think that water storage in the trash cans/bags would still come in handy for washing dishes/clothes/hands, flushing toilets, etc. You wouldn’t have to worry about contamination for those jobs.
Are THEY prepared for ME?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.