Posted on 11/08/2012 6:17:46 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
While three months’ worth of preparedness may seem like a long time, history confirms that it takes a combination of only a few emergencies for things like power, water and health services to be overloaded and run-down for weeks on end.
For instance, New Orleans is still being rebuilt years later, and Japan was still cleaning up their nuclear meltdown more than six months after the tsunami. Should a severe snowstorm or forest fire cut you off from the grid, it certainly has the potential to last longer than a week. Thus, as you progress in your preparedness lifestyle, you will want to move beyond a short-term plan.
Given that many crisis situations last longer than one week but less than three months, when looking at the most likely possibilities, we at Category Five have concluded that a three-month preparedness plan is the most economical and logistically feasible preparedness plan, yet it still accounts for some of the longer-term emergencies you may face.
Look at what the Northeast is experiencing with Sandy, and you’ll see that one week of supplies may not be enough. More than a week after the storm, getting gas for your car was still difficult and thousands of people still had no power.
When Hurricane Katrina and the Japan earthquake hit, people were YOYO (You’re On Your Own) for close to a month.
If a series of emergencies produced a cascading domino effect, then it may be closer to three months before sufficient “normalcy” is re-established. Thus, we encourage everyone to ultimately shoot for having at least a three-month preparedness plan in place. Category Five has developed the following checklist to build upon our one-week checklist.
Category 1: Water
□ Purchase more water (as much as you can fit and afford)
□ Consider purchase of long-term water storage containers
□ Purchase a water filter for sourcing surface water
□ Determine closest water source and quality
Category 2: Food
□ Purchase food storage (account for water cooking requirements and special medical needs)
□ Solidify food-sourcing capabilities (gardening, hunting, fishing, neighbor’s orchard, local farms, etc.)
□ Account for rationing in your food purchases
Category 3: Shelter
□ Implement serious upgrades to your shelter (well, garden, extra storage, energy efficiency, backup power, etc.)
□ Get more flashlights, candles, batteries, matches, etc.
□ Purchase more survival items (blankets, sleeping bags, camping toilet, firewood, work gloves, propane tank, etc.)
□ Account for potential season changes (extra wood stored for heat or extra water for extreme heat)
Category 4: Power
□ Get more “spare” cash from bank (small bills)
□ Consider alternative energy sources (create system redundancy)
□ Purchase extra tools (gloves, batteries, etc.)
□ Account for fatigue (purchase board games, books, a Bible, etc.)
□ Increase your knowledge and experience (practicing what you preach)
Category 5: Security
□ Defensive security (firearms, ammunition, mace, Tazer, dog, etc.)
□ Purchase more medical supplies (emergency kit, bandages, pain meds, sun lotion, sleep aids, hand sanitizer, etc.)
□ Account for special needs within your family (diabetes, asthma, etc.)
□ Account for the social dynamics that will change with a three-month crisis (migrations from cities to rural areas, family and friends crowding your door, martial law, etc.)
□ Keep your plans private
□ Build a leadership team
Note: During the three-month planning phase, you will find yourself thinking differently about preparedness. It will no longer be just something that you purchase and set in the back of a closet. It will become part of your daily thinking and planning. It truly will start to become a lifestyle: a preparedness lifestyle.
For more free checklists and information, please visit www.CategoryFive.org.
–Austin Fletcher
For heat, we’re going to have to use the old wood stove method & we have access to wood. Our big problem is AC - my dad has health issues and if it’s over 80 degrees, he has trouble breathing and if it’s humid, it’s deadly for him ..... fans don’t cut it.
Yup, I’ll give you a referral on the pump!! ;-)
Very useful information and I think especially useful for those new to prepping.
It can be overwhelming for someone just starting thinking about prepping for the zombie apocalypse but this is manageable.
Maybe do a half dose once in a while or regularly, if you can.
I am on a new anti-histamine and now that allergy season is over, I find I don't need as much as usual so do a half dose and keep ordering as if I'm doing a full dose.
I DO know that's not feasible for some conditions.
I have a fireplace too, and a small woodpile .. will just have to keep adding to it and then scrounge the countryside for deadfall if it comes to that.
Still can't believe we're even having to seriously discuss crap like this for any reason other than the occasional power outage !
Tuesday is like a waking nightmare .. just about the time you're thinking about 'normal' stuff, the reality of what's happened comes screaming in out of nowhere.
Angry doesn't even BEGIN to cover it, ya know ? !
Btw, you might wanna have look at this thread.
The title sounds off topic, but there are some really smart guys posting on it who might have some ideas for you re the AC situation for your dad.
I'm about to try to redneck an old lawn mower into a generator, and they haven't laughed at me yet or nothin' ;-)
Anyway, cheers, if such can still be had !
Thanks for the heads up on the thread - I’ve made a note of it for future reference. My brother would probably be interested ... 90 year old dad, not so much, just can’t deal with it.
‘Rednecks’ (to the horror of most Leftists) for the most part are going to be the ones who survive the coming years .... they mostly have common sense, know how to ‘make’ things, know how to live off the land. Survival of the fittest .... something that does make me smile just a little.
I had a brand new still in the box franklin stove stored at the family place only to find out a relative sold it. Never will forgive that one.
Your survival plan should be in layers
Home
Vehicle
Afoot or bicycle ...
We also store a spare truck and Fifth Wheel RV about a hundred miles from our primary home. Understand not all folks can do such but thinking along such lines will let you go from power out to last resort bug out situations.
Under the seat of my truck or trunk of my car is a pelican suitcase bolted to the floor with a long term survival pack inside. Food, water and all needs addressed if forced to abandoned our home for the short term. Tools, supplies and food stored within a easy days bike ride from home.
Layer your plans, redundancy in depth per se.....
Stay safe .
Is there a basement he could live in during the summer months? That would take advantage of natural cooling.
No basement, unfortunately.
An average war period for this nation seems to be about 4 years, with a min/mix between 3 and 8. Three months is way too short.
Revolutionary War: 8 Years.
War 1812: 3 Years.
Civil War: 4 Years.
WWI: 4 Years.
WWII: 5 Years.
The basement in our house is good BOTH in the summer and in the winter. There is never more than a 10 - 12 degree difference regardless of what the outside temperature is. Insulation is the key.
Water: Is 12,500 gal pool, good source of water? I have Brita filters for shower water and am working on obtaining a filter that backpackers use. Good one costs over $100.
Ha Ha Hank Williams Jr “Countryboy Can Survive”
Agree - so can country girls! ☺ (Redneck girl: "Her hands are calloused but her heart is tender")
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