Preparedness Checklist

[drewbear]

Okay, so here's a checklist of items I should have on hand in the case of an emergency, whether limited or major. Feel free to comment if you have anything you'd like to add or suggest replacements; I'm always willing to accept advice.

Bolding the ones I have and in no particular order:

Food & Water:

* flour
* sugar (I have white, light brown and dark brown)
* rice
* beans (dry black beans and canned pinto beans)
* pasta (thin spaghetti and macaroni)
* airtight containers for all above
* 15 1-gallon jugs of water (currently empty, but can be filled as needed)
* canned soup (I only have 5 or 6 cans, though)
* canned meat (2 cans of tuna)
* canned bread
* canned fruit
* canned veggies (1 can each of spinach, corn kernels, green beans and diced tomatoes)
* powdered milk
* root vegetables (sack of potatoes, 2.5 onions, 3 bulbs garlic and 2 carrots)

Transportation:

* car/truck in good repair (gotta get the oil changed, the alignment fixed and have the guys who did my brakes take another look at 'em, but otherwise, yeah)
* bicycle

Clothing (assume all should be durable and fit comfortably):

* hiking boots, broken in
* 4 pair thick cotton socks
* 2 pairs long jeans
* 2 pair underwear
* 2 cotton t-shirts
* 2 long-sleeved shirts (not dress shirts)
* raincoat/rain slicker
* towel (yes, who HASN'T read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but it's still good advice)

Health & Hygiene:

* stocked & current first aid kit (2 of 'em: smallish one in the car & medium one in the apartment)
* 30-day supply of any necessary medicines (getting the refill this weekend)
* stock of OTC meds like aspirin and antifungals
* stock of antibiotics (if possible)
* large bottle of multivitamins
* bar soap
* travel sizes of toothpaste & shampoo
* new, clean toothbrush
* bleach
* topical disinfectants such as hand-cleanser gel or Clorox wipes
* toilet paper
* latex gloves

Camping:

* tent
* sleeping bag/mat rated for local climate
* hiking backpack
* easy-to-understand survival guide (like the Boy Scout Handbook)

Emergency Gear:

* taper or pillar candles
* matches
* flashlight
* battery- or crank-powered radio

General:

* spare glasses or contacts (if needed)
* digital camera
* portable entertainment (lightweight books, music players, deck of cards, etc.)
* spare batteries
* duct tape
* heavy-grade plastic sheeting
* current maps of the area you are or are traveling to
* dust mask(s)
* utility knife (2 or 3 Swiss Army knife knockoffs)

Okay, I know I'm missing or forgetting things, so please feel free to add to the list.

Comments

Re: Endgame of survival

[drewbeartx.livejournal.com]

I'm rejoining AAA this month, partly for the roadside assitance and partly for the maps.

I already have the plastic from when I had to ghetto-repair my car windows, but I do need a new roll of duct tape.

Like salt, foil is something that, for some reason, I always forget I already have at home. So I have about 5 times as much of each as I would actually use in any reasonable amount of time. :-P