Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
With Halloween upon us, some of us may have zombie survival top of mind this time of year. Whether or not you believe you'll ever need to know how to survive the undead, it pays to be ready for other emergencies. Winter will soon be upon us and if you've lived in the Great Lakes region for many years, you've undoubtedly dealt with power outage from downed lines at some point.
To be ready, be sure you have enough food, water, and other necessities. You need to stockpile for at least 3 full days' worth, for each person. A week's worth is even better.
Don't forget that services we rely on in everyday life may likely be unavailable during an emergency. A “˜prepper' will know how to live without electricity, gas, water, phones, and even sewer services.
The websiteReady.govhas numerous lists for recommended supplies. As they recommend, basic supplies should always include:
-Water, at least a gallon per person, per day
-Non-perishable food
-A battery-powered (or even hand cranked) radio
-Flashlights and plenty of batteries
-First aid kit
-Whistle signal for help
-Moist towelettes and garbage bags for personal sanitation needs
-Manual can opener
-Cell phone(s) with extra battery backups, solar chargers or power invertors
-Wrenches or pliers to turn off utilities if necessary
Additional items that are highly recommended:
-Prescription medications, extra glasses
-Infant supplies
-Feminine care supplies
-Pet supplies
-Fire extinguisher
-Plastic and paper mess kits
-Warm blankets
-Portable heater that doesn't need electricity
-Extra clean clothes, especially warm layers if it is cold
These lists are by no means complete. We highly recommend consulting all the preparedness lists and making your kit(s) accordingly. Of course, we have to also add our ideas for how to save and how to get needed items”¦
-Search secondhand stores for things such as the battery-powered radio before buying new.
-You can get a manual can opener, plastic and paper mess items, flashlights, garbage bags, some non-perishable foods worth buying, and a whistle at most dollar stores or by effectively using coupons & great store sales.
-Add a few extra canned goods to your normal purchases each week, just to add to your emergency stockpile.
-Using freezer storage bags, set aside a bag or two of food each week to build a pet food supply.
-Stay at least 2 weeks ahead in supplies on your medications.
-Watch for sales and coupons for personal care items. When they are an excellent price, buy extra to fill your stock pile.
In an emergency situation, there are two groups of people: Those who are prepared ““ and those who aren't. Take some time before Christmas season kicks in and the snows start accumulating to be ready for anything ““ even an outbreak of zombies! Happy Halloween.
