Here's mine.
Posted on 02/17/2014 4:32:15 PM PST by Kartographer
These individuals were able to weather the storm in conditions ranging from basic temporary self-reliance to minor discomfort and inconvenience. They had a source of food, water, and heat. They had a means to defend themselves if necessary. They did not require supplies after the fact.
They were also a distinct minority.
Others still believed they were prepared . . . until the storm hit. They had generators but no gas. They had extra food but no way to cook it. They had a well but no way to pump the water. Some had fireplaces with no logs or firewood with nowhere to burn it. The list of half-preparedness is endless but the resulting sum of that half-work is the same – they were not prepared at all.
In short, being prepared half-way is not being prepared at all.
(Excerpt) Read more at shtfplan.com ...
My take for the article was completely different. If you have a fireplace, buy you don’t store your wood properly? Like he said you buy a generator, but store no fuel or you never maintian it? You buy weapons and ammo, but no cleaning supplies? Long term can food, but no decent can opener. A large first aid kit, but no training how to use it? and so on and so on and....
Lesson learned! Test equipment on a regular basis. I have always shunned the “Fire drills” of grid down scenarios by killing power and water for a weekend. I will now do this at least twice a year, at the beginning of summer and winter to insure that I have everything I need and that it all works.
I have a sailboat equipped with solar panels, a reverse osmosis desalinator (Water maker), loaded with a year’s supply of food, full fuel and water tanks and a few other essential items. I think I am pretty well prepared.
Here's mine.
I really don’t care if others hear my generator. It is chained to an I-bolt set in concrete and the chain and lock can only be cut with a cutting torch. And I have plenty of ammo for anyone foolish enough to try stealing it.
Freeze Meister?
No, I haven’t.
Texas requires municipalities to have a backup power system that will last two weeks for all water/sewage plants.
A Texan who gets their water from the city will have two weeks to put some up for later.
I also have a bag of sakrete to plug my sewer line to prevent backup into the house when the sewage lift stations fail.
I am wondering which is the better idea — buy the components now and mix as needed or mix it up in quart containers now. Your thoughts?
How many people know where your boat is tied up and the fact it is fully equipped?
Power failure in GA is not bizarre, so no excuse not having a working generator (fuel etc included).
Freezing temperatures are not unusual in GA, so alternate heat sourcing is not unreasonable.
Having a pump, or at least a cup on a string (you’d be surprised how few have a suitable string), is vital if you’re expecting to use a well.
A generator will be needed for communications, serious light, and house-preserving cooling. (Many homes will internally tear themselves apart if not kept dry and cool inside.)
Whole point is that some people think they’re prepared, only to find that whatever their plan they lack something critical. Got a year’s worth of canned food, wise guy? You have a can opener that’s going to survive a year’s worth of cans?
We’re not talking “everything imaginable”. We’re talking normal/reasonable emergencies, and unable to handle primary preparedness. Generator and no fuel? That’s not about “110% prepared”, that’s heading toward 0%.
You can't depend on the water plant to have potable water for two weeks. Houston water was polluted after Ike hurricane went through there, so there was no city water to drink. In my town, one of the water stations flooded with flood water and took out the backup power generator.
You can't depend on ANY outside service working after a natural or manmade disaster. After Ike took out power, the hospital switched to their generator and it wouldn't work. There was no one to work on it as those people were home with the family during and after the hurricane and the only phones that worked were those that plugged directly into the wall. Critical patients were driven to San Antonio, a five hour drive. No operations could happen no matter how critical the operation was.
Due to phones not working except those that plugged directly in the wall, no one could call 911 if they needed to and if they had gasoline in their car and went to the emergency room, they had light from a small generator but could only do minor medical procedures as no one could be checked in to the hospital. Patients were left in their rooms in the dark and it was hot summer.
The best way to prepare is to assume there is no power and won't be and no utilities will work and there won't be any gasoline to buy. There was no gasoline for many miles in all directions from Galveston through my town and on to Huntsville. There was no power to get the gasoline out at a station but it didn't matter because the pumps were pumped dry.
No food returned to town UNTIL gas stations had gas as food trucks could not refill their gas tanks so they didn't come.
The last food item to come back was bread after the other food was already back.
I am on the high side in the immediate area where I live and the sewage will fill up those on the lower side before it gets to me and I know where the sewage cut off is not many steps from my front door. You are doing good to think of sewage because most people don't.
I wouldn’t mix it now because it is highly flammable. If a quart jar broke, it would be a very bad thing. Don’t know if you have small children but if you do one might find that quart jar interesting and that would be bad.
I have two heavy duty regular type can openers and probably 8 military can openers. With a little practice, the military one works just fine. The reason I don't know exactly how many military openers I have left, I gave them as Christmas presents to some family members and gave each one a metal “spork”. I carry one of the metal sporks and one of the military can openers and a small authentic Swiss army knife in my purse. In my car I have a four way silcock key to open a water line on the side of a building. Everyone should have a four way silcock key in their car.
Sounds good. We’re on septic, and we keep it healthy.
Where do you keep your sailboat? Desalinators will foul with any petroleum contamination. Just about any inshore water will have some fuel skim. You’ll want to be careful how you collect your seawater.
I know what you mean about the water. We have had water prep here for almost 30 years because we have a well. It’s gotten more efficient in the last 8 or so years. I have kitty litter jugs (about 40-50) filled with water just for toilet flushing (straight well water). I have clear impact plastic (gallon clear former juice jugs) filled with softened water for washing up, brushing teeth etc. Then we have cases of bottled water for drinking. Would like to run the water pump with a solar backup but we are in Michigan (not good for solar). Plus hubby is resistant, still working on him.
You’re 100% right. My narrow thinking on this posting was severely limited to a massive power outage. I wasn’t thinking about things such as those you mentioned.
I have a three months supply of potable water stored and the means to purify water from most any source other than the ocean which is too hundred away. I can distill water if necessary. Thankfully, most water available to me will require nothing more than boiling to insure its safety.
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