Food For Thought Part III

Food For Thought Part III

The discovery of fire changed the world for early man. It provided heat, light, a means to cook protection from predators and solace through the long dark nights. When the power goes out we will need to stay warm, cook and purify water. To do this we need some form of Cooking/Heating Fuel and an ignition source. If you have a propane tank system for your home you are in luck as long as the tank is topped off. If you have gas from the Utility Company it may still work for a short time or it may not. Either way your stove usually has electronic ignition for the burners and the oven is probably electronically controlled as is your furnace. Even if the gas is still available you must have some form of igniter (Matches, lighter etc.). For those of us who don’t have gas portable propane operated heaters, camping stoves, BBQs are a good standby as long as you have ample gas bottles available. If you do not have these you will need wood or paper bricks and somewhere to burn them (fortunately there are usually plenty of sources of firewood in most urban areas (Fences, Decks, and Flooring etc. that can be readily used). If you are relying on scavenging fuel remember you will need to have the tools on hand to render it usable in addition to some sort of ignition source.

Now that we have met our basic survival needs we need to turn our attention to security. Once people who have not prepared realize that the stores are empty and they need to feed themselves and their families you need to be prepared to safeguard yourself and your supplies. Unfortunately desperate people will resort to almost any means to survive. You need a Means of Defense.

The only fight you are guaranteed to win is the one you never get in.

• Stay under the radar; don’t advertise the fact that you are prepared.
• Make sure you have a secure perimeter; board up windows and doors (Use screws not nails they are much harder to pry loose) and lock gates.
• Have a safe room inside the house with all your supplies in it.
• Have a suitable firearm; carry it with you at all times, have sufficient ammunition, know, how and be prepared to use it.(we recommend that everyone in your group who is capable has a firearm and is trained to use it. We also recommend that wherever possible you stay with the same caliber to simplify ammunition requirements)
• Have an escape plan. Even if you succeed in repelling an unwanted guest you are probably now a known location. If you choose to remain expect more and probably larger groups in the near future.

We have taken care of water for drinking but what about our Hygiene needs. If the water is still on or we have a swimming pool steam or pond to use for water to flush then then toilets will work however if the sewage plants are shut down they may well back up in a fairly short time. Human waste as well as being pretty disgusting is a ripe source for disease and bacterial infection. We must have some way to dispose of it. Using a plastic bucket lined with heavy duty trash bags allows us to seal up waste which we can then remove from our habitation area. It can be buried, burned or dumped (don’t dispose of near any water source). Food waste and trash can be disposed of in the same way the same way. Personal hygiene is important for health and mental wellbeing. We are accustomed to unlimited water for our daily cleanliness routines. According to my water bill; my family of four used 187 gallons / day last month. That is for everything but drinking as we buy bottled water. We will be struggling to get enough drinking water so water for washing us, laundry and dishes is going to be tough. For us good alternatives are dry shampoo, medicated wipes and or sanitizing lotions. For dishes laundry and other messes we should use a solution of household bleach and water. We may not look or smell our usual spiffy selves but we will be hygienically clean.

Last but not least we need some form of Light. We don’t function particularly well in the dark. Being able to see makes every task easier, therefore having some form of light allows us to extend our working day and eases our fears in the night. Fortunately there are numerous sources of light we can prepare for emergency situations;

• Hand Crank lights. Ideal as require no energy source.
• Battery torches and lanterns. Portable but heavy on batteries.
• Oil lamps. Fire hazard and require another fuel source.
• Gas lamps. Heavy on gas but do provide a heat source too.
• Simple but vulnerable to wind and are a fire hazard.
• Chemical lights. Good source of low level lighting.

I am sure many of you will disagree with some or all of the things we concluded in our discussions. Good. The point of this article was to get you to think about your preparedness for an emergency and to give you a basis to work from. In survival there is no one size fits all, everyone’s situation and needs are different. I hope you will take a little time and review yours and start to take some steps to prepare.