Okay, so I stole the thread title from Ms. Alffe....she has a thread on the SOS forum about emergency supplies and it got me thinking. Am I prepared for an emergency? Could I survive in this house for several days without "contact" with the outside world or modern conveniences? What, if anything, do you do for preparations? Do you have a supply of food, medical supplies, etc. stashed away for just such an event? If so, what do you have?

Here are some of the things I thought of that I should have a supply of just in case:

Prescription Meds
Water
Cat Food
Cat Litter
Easy Open Canned Food (beans, fruit, tuna)
Dry Cereal
Batteries
Spare Flashlight
Neosporin
Bandaids
Tylenol
Pepto-Bismol
Plastic Utensils
Matches
Paper Towels/Napkins
Toilet Paper
Several Large Empty Buckets
Blankets/Pillows
Socks/Shoes/Underwear/Change of Clothes
Toothpaste/Toothbrush
Lotion

Can you think of anything else?

I can go a solid month without needing to step out of this house.

Meds, batteries, gasoline stocked up in the shed. Generator, flash lights, animal foods, and supplies, water, TONS of water. you need at least one gallon per person per day of water. I have cash to easily buy things we need should the ATMs or electronic stuff be down, and have many things to barter with. The basement is full of canned, jarred, and frozen foods. I was raised knowing how to garden, and hunt.

Its a good idea to have a small suitcase packed with your emergency needs in case you must evacuate to a shelter somewhere. a 2 week supply of meds. your IDs. bank book, or passports. a calling card in case your cell phone doesnt work and you need to call long distance to tell folks you are ok. CASH. not tons of it, but enough to be able to buy something if you are stuck, and folks are charging $20 for a loaf of bread.

dont forget your animals. many shelters are now accepting doggies and kitties. have a carrier packed and ready with their info. I have a carrier that includes a harness for both animals. That harness has their rabies tag, info tag, and vet info in it. Both carriers are light weight and easy to carry a long distance if needed. I am thinking about getting one on rollars tho.

common sense rules the day. if you are prepared, you wont starve to death or freeze to death in your own home.

You may want to think of a way to purify water. if you have city water and they stop treating it (think haitii) you will want a way to sanitize it. They sell UV lights that can be plunked into any bottle or bucket of water that will kill the bacteria and virus' and they sell portable bottles that have filters in them to remove nasty bugs if you have to drink from a stream. Iodine tablets or chlorine tabs can be bought cheaply at most sporting good stores. You can spend from $3 to $300 depending on the item you buy. I have a UV light that cost $79 on sale and will do large amounts of water, and only needs fresh batteries to work.

Have a car charger for your cell phone or Laptop so that you can recharge them if the power is out.

Cash....that's a good idea. I should probably have at least $100 in small bills stashed away somewhere.

I think I'm going to start buying a gallon of purified water each time I go to the grocery store. It's only about $1 and I can store it in a cool, dark place.

Hey Deb, you would be awesome on that show The Colony!

The Iodine is far more effective for field water purification, but it does add a taste to the water. Chlorine does also, but for the most part we are used to it.

I would ROCK if civilization fell apart. I farm, hunt, fish, can live off the land, with or without electric. I know plants well enough to make medicines out of them. I am a great nurse and well trained as a paramedic so I know how to treat injuries. If it all falls apart, you can all come live on my commune. We would be comfy and cozy.

How do I make a reservation? I want the room with the cabana boy.

Wet wipes, I'm sure they make wash cloth size.
Chocolate and a good book. I would also include a Bible but I'm sure others would have some other spiritual guidance book

Yes, of course, I should have listed The Bible first.

They make a product called "Comfort Bath" that we used for my Dad in his final days. It's sort of a "bath" without the water.....like a big wet wipe. It's very useful for bedridden people and those without access to water.