Preparing For The Unexpected

I want to level with you right off about this blog post. I have been thinking about this post going on about two weeks now. Its a very wide topic to be writing about. I won't be to be able to cover every little thought I have on this subject but I will try to hit on what I think is important and leave the rest to your own thinking.

Over the holidays we had several unexpected events thrown our way. Some of those events we were not prepared for but should have been. We know that life is always trying to throw you a curve ball you just got to be ready and catch it if you can.  From heart attacks, terrible flights, lost luggage, bad weather and illnesses we had enough curve balls thrown our way it would make you head spin.
The subject of being a prepper or the act of prepping has become the rage among survivalists and their followers. Not everyone is into prepping or survivalism. At least not to the extremes that some persons maybe. But in some fashion or another everyone is a prepper. You might not think in terms of prepping but being prepared and planning ahead is an instinct that everyone has to some degree. A great example would be the list I made of events I have planned for in the past or what I have prepared for in the future. 

Life(weddings, birth, education fund, savings, retirement)

Death(funeral, Will, insurance)

Disasters and Weather related events(tornadoes, flooding, hurricanes, earth quakes, etc.)

Unexpected accidents, Injuries and Illnesses(first aid, car insurance, health insurance, etc.) 

So, let me back up to a few of the unexpected events that got me started on this being prepared kick. The first was my fathers heart attack. Now, one might not think we could be prepared for a heart attack but I do believe we can at least have planned or been prepared for such an event. The first steps one might take is eating healthy, getting appropriate exercise and following doctors orders. This might not prepare us for a heart attack but being healthy might lessen the possibility of having a heart attack. The second step would be to have health insurance and a Will of some sort. You might also want to educate your self on the warning signs of a heart attack.

Another event was our lost luggage when flying over the holidays. How could I have possibly been prepared for that? I should have and will now always carry on my bags. When we traveled this last time we had one small bag to check and one carry on bag. Had I thought about this in advance and not been lazy we could have carried on both bags. Another option had my checked bag been larger would have been to add a change of clothing for each of us in our carry on bag. Being a seasoned flyer I knew the risks of lost luggage but I failed to prepare.

Lastly, I want to share our experience with acute bronchitis. After all our travels my husband and I came down with bronchitis and even shared it with our son. With all three adults in our home very ill we were in a sort of lock down. We put all visitors off limits to our home. We were quite ill for about ten days. When we returned home from traveling we had no fresh foods in our home as we had planned to shop for groceries over the weekend when time allowed. As ill as we were we only had enough energy to visit the doctor. What help our situation the most was our stored food and first aid supplies we had put aside for an unexpected emergency. We settled in and waited for our health to improve and stayed warm despite the freezing weather outside. I thought about how bad it could have been if our pantry was not stocked as completely as it was. At this point we have a two to three week supply of dried and canned goods that could see us through an emergency depending on how much family we would be cooking for. Looking forward we are hoping to stocking an even longer emergency food supply. So, as this little prepping bug catches hold I will probably be writing more about our journey into the world of prepping. So, off I go now to start preparing for some of those events I have listed. 

Readers, Are you prepared? Do you have something to add to this list. I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. 

Surviving A Power Outage In Reasonable Comfort

Recent long term power outages the last few years have got me thinking about ways to make life bearable during a power outage. The longest power outage I have experienced was about five days. That was during a blizzard when I was a teenager. I can remember we had a coal burning stove in our kitchen and a wood-burning fireplace in our living room. This was during the Energy Crisis in the 70's. My parents had added the wood burning fire place and coal stove to reduce our energy bills. I can remember the neighbors not having it so easy. They depended on electric heat and did not have a fire place. Of course they were invited to ride the storm out in our home but being that the storm was in full force they did not want to risk venturing out into the storm.
Thinking about the past has reminded me that being prepared can make the difference in  having a tolerable experience or suffering a great deal. Now I ask, "How are we prepared today for a long term power loss?"
Below is a list of preparations we have made or are making as a family to prepare for emergency power outages..

1. A non-electrical heat source. Such as a kerosene, gas or propane heaters.
2. A cooking source. Gas or charcoal grill (for outside use only), portable propane camping stove or canned heat with a folding camp stove. Canned heat can be found in most camping supply stores.

Sterno type.

Single burner folding stove.

3. Several light sources. Flash lights with extra batteries, candles, and oil lamps. You can find a DIY for homemade oil lamps here. Do not forget matches or lighters.

4. Portable energy source if possible. Not necessary but highly recommended. A small portable generator would be nice to have. This would keep your refrigerator and freezer working to save food from spoiling. 

5. A non-perishable food source for at least three days. Canned and dried foods will keep for months or years if stored properly. 

6. A battery operated radio. This may be your only news source for a while if phones are not working.

6. Last but not least some little extras to help pass the time. In a world of electronic gadgets we need to remember with out power our entertainment devises may not remain charged for long. A few new unread books, magazines, and crossword puzzle books are great for personal enjoyment. A board game or two might be great for family fun. For our grandchildren we keep a few new coloring books, crayons, puzzles, and a paint or craft set. These can entertain children for many hours. 

I keep most of these items in a plastic tote. With the exception of our kerosene heater, oil lamps and camp stove that are kept in our utility closet. I have recently added to our emergency tote one large first aid kit, hand sanitizer, wet wipes and a list of emergency contacts. 

How are you prepared for emergencies such as a power outage? Do you have any good advice?