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How do YOU prepare for the worst?
This isn't a preper specific question, but a general preparedness thread. How prepared for general emergencies are you: apartment fires, blackouts, car emergencies, get-out-of-dodge situations, EDC, etc.
I'm interested in hearing how my fellow tildoes think and prepare :)
Thanks for the post, it reminded me I should eventually get to packing my emergency kit...
I did get snowed in for three days once and ended up eating literally everything in my pantry. So now, every winter, I stock cans, ramen, and pasta with pasta sauce and some water. Enough for three days -ish (which is the recommended for my city).
I'm actually much better with my pets. I always have at least a month of their food on hand and have their meds, collars, toys and dishes stored ready to grab if needed. The real issue will be to get the two cats...
Edit: to add, I also have a butane burner with lots of butane.
Thanks for the site. It's really helpful!
That's a good point about pets, I just realized that I do not usually store more than a few weeks worth of food. Time to buy a few boxes!
Also get a bag of flour, a box of baking powder and a stick of butter. These all keep for a longish amount of time and you can make bannock with them and some water (though I'd recommend milk instead of water, salt and sugar if making it for anything other than sustenance).
This recipe is pretty close to the recipe my grandma taught me, it's extremely simple.
Edit: Just also wanted to mention this can be cooked over a fire or grill as well, just clear a bed of coals and lightly put it on top or wrap the dough around a stick and cook it like a marshmallow. Even though there are no eggs in this recipe you have to be careful eating raw dough/flour as it can still contain bacteria like E. Coli
A few years ago I bought a portable jump starter and it's saved me and a co-worker, twice, from having to call for a tow or mechanic to come out and jump our cars. I'm sure there are better "kits" for this type of thing but this one is cheap and it holds a charge for months and can still jump a dead battery. As a plus it can also charge your phone in a pinch!
We live in a rural area that can experience extreme weather. Power outages can (and have) last for a week or more, travel can be impossible for periods of time.
Everyone has a generator in this particular location as everyone's water comes from a well, no power=no water. In addition, most of us have large freezers (also generator required for outages), well stocked pantries and alternative forms of entertainment (not internet based). The culture isn't that of a 'prepper' community per se, but that of practical necessities to live in a place that is drop dead beautiful that is quite challenging and requires practical forethought.
I think prepping is interesting and fun. We’re lucky to live somewhere where emergencies / catastrophes / weather is very unlikely to be an issue.
Still, I try to have food, water and equipment to be self sufficient for about a week.
Now, with a 4 month old baby, our preparedness situation is more complicated. Bug-out is difficult, and our best chance is staying put.
I haven't done "prepping" per se, but I have several enthusiast flashlights. They make blackouts and night work easy, and will be good for emergency signaling if need be. I also have some decent radios, and I carry a knife, lighter, etc.
You're right, of course, preparedness is not just the material wherewithal. Knowing what to do in a situation is not the same as having to do it, or even being able to do it. Never thought about that part actively, but maybe I should.