What About Those Pre-Assembled Kits?…Caramel Powder and Grilled Pizza
Did you know there is caramel powder? Really, you could make caramel popcorn during an emergency. If you missed last night's show with Jan Lebaron from Healthy Harvest, download the READY OR NOT podcast for other great ideas. I will be sharing her grilled pizza recipe tomorrow.
I have hesitated answering the question about 72 hour kits because I was selling my own kits. But, since I have pretty much cleared out my inventory I can now be completely honest without any appearance of a conflict of interest. Just a little background. As I sat and watched the aftermath of Katrina I was frustrated with all I saw. Some reports blamed first responders, some the mayor and governor, some FEMA, and some the President. I heard very little about personal responsibility but none of that really mattered at that point. The real cause of my frustration was that it didn't need to be happening. People did not need to be trapped on a bridge in horrendous heat. They did not need to be left without food and water. The truth is they were left in that condition because no one had taken the time to educate those residents how to prepare. My family turned to me and said "you could do that". The next week I had many, many friends, and friends of friends, call me about just what they should be doing. I launched Totally Ready a month later as I could not honestly recommend any of the kits I could find. I soon discovered most people do not care if the kit is quality they just want it done. They based their purchases on cost, not quality, a terrible idea. I also decided I wanted to concentrate my time on education so…I sold my stock. There are still a few things left, but not much. I also decided I needed to write books that are to the point and not a long read. Thus, much of what I have in my ebooks and books are bullet points and short descriptions.
Now, as for kits. Like I have said I have never found one I can really get behind. If you are one who just wants a quick solution for yourself or a kit to use as a gift for someone who you know will not compile their own, a kit is the way to go. For the rest of you. I suggest you do your own creating. My problem with kits?
1. The back pack. They are always too small. A good kit should have a backpack large enough for you to add clothing and personal items. It should have several outside pockets for keeping a light source, whistle, keys, sunglasses and basic first aid supplies easy to access quickly. I do not like backpacks with wheels because I have never found one that is comfortable when it is fully loaded. The wheels dig into your back. Should you choose to roll your pack you will not have your hands free to remove debris or to hold the hand of your child.
2. Food. *Food often, not always, taste awful! There are good emergency bars and you should always purchase a few to try before you commit to many. *Not enough. Be aware you will need MORE calories than normal during a time of stress and/or hard physical work. None of the kits have enough food. They do not have enough calories per day and they do not account for enough days. You should be preparing for at least three days in an office or auto kit and for at least five days in an evacuation kit (what we used to call a 72 hour kit). * The wrong kind of food. If you are making your own never use granola bars, jerky or anything salty, or anything that needs water to be reconstituted so it can be eaten. Granola bars have a very short shelf life. Salty foods will make you thirsty and there will not be enough water. Dehydrated foods should never be eaten without reconstituting. It is dangerous and can cause dehydration and even death if eaten long enough without liquids. Again where will you get the water to reconstitute?
3. Tube tent: Yikes! This is huge for me. What good is a tube tent? They are flimsy and small. They are useless. If you want shelter in your personal kit, as well as in your larger Grab and Go Kit, add a tarp and rope. Tarps make a much large shelter and they can be used in dozens of other ways, for protection from the sun, a wind screen, even a way to haul debris. Rope can be used as a clothes line, to build a shelter, to mark off a dangerous area, again, so many uses.
4. Kits for two. Again, I could go on and on but bottom line is they do not really have sufficient for two people. I have never found one with two whistles for example. So I ask you, who gets the whistle and who has to just yell if there is a problem? The same is true of work gloves and other items which both people will need, not just one.
I have other frustrations with purchased kits but this is getting long so I guess this is part one! Stay tuned for part two! Bottom line, you have much of what you need in your own home so build your own kits, you will be much happier when you actually need to use them.
Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.
Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper
Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/
Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/
Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/
Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010
Great points! I totally agree on the pre-assembled kits and the tube tents! It's okay to start with a pre-assembled kit if you want, but do some real thinking and add the things you personally want or need to the kit (which usually will mean it needs a bigger pack than it came with like you mentioned!). I have yet to see a pre-assembled kit that is stocked with feminine hygiene products for example, and none come with clothes. All our kits are specifically assembled to our needs.
I don't have a kit. I just can't do it emotionally. I know, it's terrible, it's denial, it's dumb. It's just that I have everything in my home, all my supplies, all my prep work, all my storage items… I just can't see a situation where I would leave my home while still breathing. It's my safe place. It's my family's meeting place. Help. Words of wisdom?
I felt the same as cshellz…until I came to the realization that I'm 30 miles downwind of a major air force installation. One chemical leak, one experiment gone wrong, one nutjob with a dirty bomb and a grudge against the military is all it would take to put my family in harm's way. Whether I WANT to leave my home is irrelevant…if there's a localized/environmental disaster that puts my family in jeopardy, we WILL leave our home.
Our kit is packed and ready at the bottom of the basement stairs, with all the necessities including my daughter's emergency 'lovey'.
nice work !!