| Water Without water you will not last long. Assume that your regional water supply is now contaminated or suspect. For most non-nuclear attacks, a supply of bottled water for drinking is sufficient. The shelf life is substantial and can be kept close to your safe room. Keep in mind that a gallon/person/day is average. This does not account for cooking, hygiene or pets. It may take several days following an attack to get FEMA supplied water into the community. The larger the city, the bigger the problem. Imagine trying to get fresh water to every man, woman and child in a city the size of Chicago. You should be prepared for a minimum of 7 days. Cooking with water and making powdered milk, coffee, tea or powdered beverages will require addition fresh water. You may find having a filtering system will help following the first 7 days. But start with your own supply that you know is safe. Food Second on the survival list is food. Most people do not keep enough food to make it through a couple days without a run to the grocery. If an attack comes, the groceries will be looted if they aren�t already contaminated. Rule of thumb, if it isn�t canned or sealed in plastic, don�t eat it. Foods from your own pantry could be contaminated if they are already open. Note that I don�t propose you run out and buy MRE�s. If you put normal usable food stuffs away, you can rotate them occasionally and they will always be fresh. A supply of dried or canned goods properly sealed will carry your family for a while. When planning your supply, think about supplying your family 2-3 meals per day plus snacks. Canned meats, pastas, veggies and other precooked products could be consumed with or without heating. Energy bars and snacks packed in plastic can keep the kids busy between meals. Tea, coffee, powdered milk or aseptic packaged milk, powdered Gatorade, sugar, rice meals and other items store well and provide nutrition. Plan for 7 days as a minimum, food will also be hard to get. Keep a shelf of these food items within view of your safe room. Humans are known to break in to other�s homes to get food, water and supplies. If you want to protect your family, protect your survival supplies. Protection Speaking of protecting your family and supplies, keep in mind that there will be unprepared people out trying to gather what you have. They are not beyond force and the local authorities will be either overworked or incapacitated from the attack. Have a safe room! This could be a large walk-in closet, the basement, a bedroom with a secure door and lock. This should be where everyone goes in the event of an attack. Don�t plan on leaving this area for several days. A chemical filtered safe haven would be best. But visqueen and duct tape are a joke. You might as well wear aluminum foil hats and dark sunglasses. That is one disservice that our Office of Homeland Security has done. Additionally, you must protect what is in your safe room. Your family, food and supplies will be at risk without personal protection. Am I an advocate of firearms? Absolutely, you have the obligation to protect your family. If you have small children, be sure to use appropriate care in preventing them from getting to them. A gun safe or trigger lock would be advisable. Finally, don�t be afraid to use it. If you have it and aren�t ready to use it, you will not be a survivor! |