Plan and Prepare

 

Make a plan, then prepare accordingly!

I can only talk till I am blue in the face, for so long. Ok, I usually go beyond that, trying to help. The point is, are you preparing for what is being said to be a dark, cold winter? Are you prepared if world war 3 were to break out? Are you prepared if cyber attacks hit our power grid? Are you prepared if you can't get cash out of an ATM or use your debit/credit card? Are you prepared if internet/cell phones go out? Do you have a plan with family, to know what to do if chaos breaks out in your area? 

You can listen to just about any media source lately, and they are all talking about cyber attacks on our power grid, supply chain issues, and war. You can listen and read about the Fall/Winter weather conditions, that are being forecast. If you pay attention at all, you will know that the entire world has lost its collective brain cells, and nearly every country is battling with another. Even the state of New York has issued a generic, "what to do in the event of a nuclear disaster," video. I'm sorry, but when even mainstream talking heads are talking about the chaos...that should be alarming to all. 

So, I thought I would give my direction of thinking, and maybe it will help someone else. My family has spent decades living prepared. We have lived rural for a long time, and that means you plan, prepare and remain prepared for several months on end. Here is what I look at:

*I currently have 5 people in my house full time, I have pets, and livestock. 

*Food:  meats - roughly 140 lbs per month(family), vegetables - roughly 30 lbs.(family), fruits - roughly 30 lbs.(family), spices - this varies greatly, other - flour - 50 lbs., sugar - 50 lbs., rice - 8 lbs., tea/tea bags - 4 boxes, coffee - 2 canisters, baking soda - 2 lbs., baking powder - 2 containers, yeast - 2 lbs., Etc., . Pet foods and treats - cats(18 lbs month), dogs(50 lbs month)rabbit(2 lbs. month). Livestock feed - about 400 lbs. month, hay - about 17 bales a month, mineral - about 100 lbs. month. 

*Water:  It takes on average about 1 1/2 gallons of water per day, per person for cooking and drinking. It takes about 5 gallons per person, per day for cleaning and bathing and about double that if you have to wash clothes. It takes about 5 gallons of water per week for my pets, and about 150 gallons of water per week for the livestock. 

*Other necessities:  It takes roughly 40 rolls of toilet paper for 2 bathrooms per month, It takes a mid-sized jug of laundry per month, 2 bottles of dish soap, 2 decent sized bottles of hand soap. A bottle of body wash, a bottle of shampoo, a container of toothpaste, a tooth brush; per month, per person. It takes an average of 2 packages of female hygiene products per month. Other cleaners - Lysol, bleach, vinegar, comet, etc. - about a jug/container each per month. Wood for the furnace - about a log truck load per winter - a little extra in the event of having to cook outdoors. Propane - for the grills, about 3 per month. Storage bags,foil, wax paper, trash bags. Paper towels, disposable plates/cups. Foil pans for cooking outdoors. 

*Seasonal clothing: coming into winter months - bibs, coats, hats, gloves, boots, socks. How are the rest of your seasonal clothing adding up - jeans/pants, sweatshirts, sweaters, long underwear. 

*Because we are coming into the last months of the year - this is typically a time of many celebrations. Now is the time to start shopping for Thanksgiving and Christmas needs. The prices are only going up from here...so now is the best time to plan ahead. Make it a point to cut back on outlandish Christmas gifts this year. Get whatever shelf life/freezer items you can get ahead of time, while you can get them. We are just over 3 months from Thanksgiving, and 4 months from Christmas. Think about your traditional holiday meals and what you need to prepare them. Prepare your family for a more meaningful holiday season - where the greatest gifts are spending time with loved ones, instead of unnecessary gifts, and the gifts you give will actually be purposeful instead of stacking up in a corner less than a month after Christmas.

*Do you need bedding for your outdoor pets, indoor pets, cat litter. Make sure you have straw or pine shavings to help insulate dogs houses, chicken/duck nests, bedding for cows/sheep. Pine shavings work good in chicken nesting boxes too. 

*First aid/medical:  make sure to have a minimum of 2 months of needed prescriptions! Stock up on OTC meds - allergy medicine, Tylonal, Childrens medicines. Make sure you have at least ONE fully stocked first aid kit, although I recommend several. Bandaids - all sizes included the buttfly stitch ones, gauze,  medical tape, triple anit-biotic ointment, burn spray/cream, drawing salve, a plain bottle of elmer's glue(removes splinters easily), ace bandages.

*Recipes:  YES, I am including recipes as a plan. If by chance the grid or internet  goes down, you will not have the internet to refer to. Get the recipes you want WRITTEN on paper! Make sure you get recipes for things you may need but won't be able to get in a store - bread, desserts, etc.

*Alternative lighting:  Candles, flashlights, lanterns, batteries, matches, long stick lighters, etc.

*Extra fuel/diesel:  Make sure you have extra on hand at all times. Whether you need it for your vehicle(since many of the gas pumps are now electric), or you need it for a generator. 

*Other items: chain saw chains/bars, chain saw mix, ax/maul, tea kettle that can be used indoors or on a fire/grill, cookware that can be used outdoors, fishing equipment(just understand that those that do not stock up will end up flooding rivers/lakes, or wooded areas, attempting to find food), there may also be some that will attempt to steal yours, so always be ready to defend your home and family.

As I said, you need to sit down with your family and make a plan. If you are in the same boat I am, getting them to listen may be a challenge. It is necessary though. Have a plan for getting home, or if they can't to know where they will need to go. Have a plan for getting the items listed above. Let them be included in the planning and implementation of these plans. Make it your mission, your family mission to accomplish this as quickly as possible. 

This will give you a little jump start into planning and preparing. My gut instinct is telling me the next 4 months are going to be like a living hell, so please get prepared. Go through your home, look at everything you use on a regular basis. Then multiple that for the number of months you want to be prepared, and that is a good start. Look at everything from the obvious to the not-so-much so. Think of what you would need without electric, internet and cell phones. 

I hope this will help others that have been floundering to find a list of preparations. This is my list annually. I'm sure there are things I have forgotten, but this list would have you prepared.