Emergency Preparedness – final post

July 6th, 2006

These are not really parts of a backpack, but if you are not ‘on the go’ you might want to stash these in the house. Non-Backpack items that I have learned to keep around:

NON-wireless phone. Now here’s one that was invaluable in the 3-day NYC blackout. Sometimes in a blackout the phone lines will still work since it runs on a different system. There is a little bit of electricity in your phone line that can power touch-tone phones, but not cordless ones. If the slick looking cordless phones are the ones you want to have out in your home, then put the ugly corded one in your closet for safe keeping.

An extra word on Food and Water. So, I learned that you can go a week without food, but only 2-3 days without water. When the power goes out, you’re not supposed to drink the water. And water sells out pretty darn fast if that’s the case. If you don’t have to leave your home right away, you’re supposed to keep 1 gallon, per person, per day in supply. That takes care of both drinking and hygiene needs (yuk!). That’s a lot of space, but blackouts happen a lot, and unless you have a gas range, it’s hard to boil all that water. And on food, next time you’re in Sam’s Club, just buy a case or two of soup and stash it away.

So, I swear this is what I actually keep in 2 duffels under my bed, for the five of us. Cost me about $250, but every once in a while I pull it out to check on it like some secret security blanket. I admit, I’m a freak, but you may wish you lived next door to this freak family come the next blackout…

• Basic 2-3 day Survival Kits $100-160
• Solar radio/light $50
• Maglite $20
• Leatherman $30
• Medication
• Contacts
• Copies N/A
• Walkie Talkies $30

I hope you’ve found my emergency preparedness posts helpful.

- Daphne

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