August 08, 2008
We had a great week with our family visiting southern California. Thank you to all who helped me last week by creating guest posts and also allowing me to post some of the comments I have received personally. As I sat in earthquake country with my family I was so happy to see how our family there is preparing and even our grandchildren know what to do in an emergency. Nothing is more important to me than my family and it really does give me a lot of comfort to know they are doing all they can to be safe.
All our preparing is really coming together now. For this week:
1. Place child locks on all lower cupboard doors where medicines, chemical or sharp items are stored. You may think this is not important if you do not have young children but we all have family and friends who visit with young kids. Some of these can be adjusted so they are not engaged all the time but can be easily activated when company is on the way.
2. Add a camp shovel to your Grab and Go Kit. It is actually a good idea to keep this in the trunk of your car, especially during winter months, when you may need it to dig out of a snow drift.
3. Camp in your back yard using your Grab and Go Kit. This will help you understand the items that still need to be added to make your survival experience less stressful and safer for your family. Every family has a few special needs and only you know what items you should add to meet those needs.
4. Make an ice pack or two. I am going to post this at some point in my money saving tips but it also belongs here. Get a large, freezer, resealable, plastic bag. Pour in 3 cups of water and 1cup of rubbing alcohol. Lay flat in the freezer for at least 2 hours before using. They will not freeze solid and can be easily molded to the area which needs relief from an ice pack. They are much less expensive than commercial ice packs and work great. During a pandemic they would be invaluable in helping to reduce fever. After a natural disaster they will help after a long day of clean up. They have a thousand uses.
5. Add a safety vest, mylar blanket and whistle to your Car Kit.
6. Make a list of items you need for your emergency supplies but have not been able to afford to purchase. This will be the list you give to family when they ask what you want for your birthday or Christmas. This should also include items you can give as gifts to family and even your children. During our family reunion this last week our daughter and her family slept in the backyard. They had to borrow a few items and now understand what they still need to add to their supplies. They borrowed some sleeping bags from friends and the little girls now would love to get princess sleeping bags as a gift. This list may include: sleeping bags, white sheets and towels, Dutch oven, fire extinguisher, family uniform, food storage, fire ladder, 72 hour kits, water storage, and even a good set of maps.
7. Add one can of soup per family member to your food storage. This can be soups you open and eat or soups you use to make sauces for casseroles.
Good Luck!
