Survival Supplies

With over 85% of us coming from dysfunctional environs, it makes sense that many of us would have a survivor mentality. Worse, with the threats of late, and with ever-increasing odds of the need for safety plans and survival supplies, it is okay to be obsessed with what we need, what to do, and how long in advance we should do it.

I say all of this up front to justify, I suppose, my obsession with survival supplies. I have left over plastic 2-litre bottles filled with water, have batteries in such huge amounts that their juice will die before I need them all, and I have so much canned food that I use it to build furniture or prop up book shelves.

You may not want to go so bonkers about survival supplies, and you may be more realistic about doing things like taping windows before a hurricane or tsunami (as that little itty bitty tape is probably not going to keep great forces from smashing through). But in the same respect, you may need a nudge with the survival supplies list; so, here are a number of items recommended for storage — before the emergency occurs:

ENOUGH FOOD for 3 DAYS — Store foods that require little or no cooking; and if you do store canned foods, be sure to add a manual can opener.

ENOUGH WATER for 3 DAYS — The water will be important for cooking, bathing, and especially drinking; allot one gallon per person per day, for starters.

FIRST AID KIT and NECESSARY ITEMS — Besides a well-stocked first aid kit (which you can purchase at a home improvement store, an army/navy surplus store, or any store featuring survival supplies—hiking, boating, etc. stores, for example), be sure to have back-up medications, replacement eyeglasses, and any other medical survival supplies…such as hearing aid batteries, extra contact lenses, etc..

OTHER TOOLS and ADDITIONAL SURVIVAL SUPPLIES — Pack away toiletries and hygiene necessities: tooth brushes, tooth paste, soap, toilet paper, pliers, paper and pencils/pens, a battery-operated radio and batteries, and at least one flashlight with batteries, as well. Keep a gallon of bleach in your supplies, and store everything away from the center of the house…or away from where the usual supplies are and may be destroyed or blocked, say, during an earthquake.

I made my survival supplies “kit” long before the anthrax scare and the horrors of 911, but I found an article after the former debacle was terrifying the U.S., an article which suggests in such a case, you will also need to have ready filter masks (which you can purchase at home stores, also); duct tape; and plastic sheeting and dense-weave material.

All of the above applies, that is, unless you live in an underground missile silo—a place I have more than once considered investing in and moving into….