Feb 24, 2011

What A Difference A Day Makes

Diaper Wipes: Not Just For Baby Bottoms

This week I had a vivid dream. I'll spare you the details but long story short there was a local emergency which necessitated the evacuation of our home quickly. In my dream I looked around at my emergency supplies (anyone who has been following this blog knows I'm a survival type personality since childhood) realizing I may have to leave the emergency supplies behind. In the dream I kept thinking over and over, "Brasilia was wise to make emergency backpacks."

Brasilia is my neighbor and kindred survival soul sister who I've mentioned many times in past posts. If she doesn't have something I do. We drive her poor husband insane with our "finds" like lugable loos and solar showers. In addition to her survival treasures she has 4 grab and go 72 hour backpacks. One for each family member.

I shared my dream with my friend Mama Mia Maria who totally surprised me. "I already made a backpack for each family member. And they are red so we can be seen easily."


Wow. Apparently, I am a very slothful survivalist.

After the third person e-mailed asking me what to put into these 72 hour emergency back backpacks I did a little research and sent out some suggestions to them. In researching sites I was surprised to discover that the Mormons are instructed to have a 72 hour emergency backpack on hand. I'm not Mormon so I have no idea how long this policy has been in place.



I found some interesting new to me web sites like SHTF where I was a little surprised by this sobering tid bit:

"Mountain House Freeze Dried Foods has announced that their supply shortages will remain until at least the summer of 2011, but may continue to be extended as demand for their emergency preparedness food products is rising well beyond what they’re facilities are able to produce. Distribution to smaller distributors has been suspended."

Mountain House is probably the most reputable supplier of emergency foods around.Even an amateur survivalist has heard of Mountain House.

Long story short I'm gathering things for our bakcpacks and encourage you to as well. I think anyone who was fortunate enough to be able to bolt out of their front door this week in Christchurch would have loved to have been able to grab a 72 hour backpack on their way out.

I'm not listing what you should put in a 72 hour backpack. You can gather more than enough suggestions by doing a google search yourself. I will suggest that while you are individualizing your family's back packs, however, that you pack around these five areas:

*Water *Food *Hygiene *Medical *Identification

And don't forget your pet. They need a backpack as well. Although, if I were you I'd free the hamster if I had time.

Having been to a third world country more than once living without electricity and running water I will suggest one of the things i found MOST valuable as did everyone on the team who kept borrowing mine...

Diaper Wipes. They may be your only means of washing under severe conditions. I am putting a bag of diaper wipes in every pack.

I realize it's difficult for us Americans to think outside of our comfort zone. We are rarely without electricity. It is generally restored within days. Even during the Florida hurricanes when our grocery shelving empties out in 3 hours it's usually stocked again after the 24 hour bluster. Except of course if you are involved in a Katrina like situation. The Artist volunteered in New Orleans for over a year after Katrina, mucking houses, working soup kitchens, living in a tent. Nine months later when her team re-located the soup kitchen to another parish they found a decomposing horse in a tree and a grocery store meat locker. The grocery store was gone. The meat locker still contained the meat. It was 100 degrees in the shade. Use your imagination...

The Artist before Katrina in New York City:
Photo by Lois Greenfield

The Artist ( on left) after Katrina in New Orleans.

From tutu to Hazmat suit



What a difference a day makes.

4 comments:

A said...

Without ignoring the main subject--emergency preparedness is so important-- I must send along a "wow"---- the Genius is impressive!

Kathleen Scott said...

Having evacuated more times than I'd like to remember, I'd say you're right on. And add a suggestion to make a portable box of important household papers (the ones you'll need to reestablish yourself if your home is ruined), ready to be grabbed on the way out. We kept our originals in an inland safe deposit box and carried copies in our evacuation box. Not as redundant as one might think--a whole bank, including safe deposit boxes, was blown away in Hurricane Andrew.

Anonymous said...

Tequila and quaaludes. Done!

Mrs. M

Jennie said...

That was the from the first house I ever gutted in the 9th ward... We showed up to only XXL Tyvek suits... sooo awkward. The woman who's house we gutted was SO wonderful, she had her friend bring us homemade beans and rice for lunch... best beans and rice EVER.

I'm readying packs for me and my zoo!