Originally posted by MagicaRose
reply to post by paladin1852
How do we prepare?
I've been stocking up on canned food and water.
I really don't know why I'm doing this.
It's just a strong feeling that I've had for about a year now.
There are some things that we can never prepare for.
No one knows if something is going to happen or not. But I have always beleived in being prepared. I grew up on the southern New Jersey shore areas,
and you always had to be prepared for hurricanes, ice storms, nor-easters(winter hurricane), and flooding. I now live in the mountains in Kentucky
and it is a complete different set of variables.
I would say that you look at the area that you live in and look at the kind of hazards there are in your area. If your area is prone to flooding,
tornadoes, hurricanes, earth quakes, or any other kind of natural disasters your area could be affected from, and incline your supplies to handle the
possible disaster.
It is always good to keep stocked up on basic supplies, such as flashlights, batteries, water, blankets, matches, medical supplies, non-perishable
foods, a battery operated am/fm radio, a couple of good knives(something that can handle alot of abuse). You can also go to government sites such as
www.fema.gov, and they have premade lists for different types of survival kits. You can also run searches on the internet and look up sites on
survival, primative living, urban survival and just about every topic that you can think of.
Another thing to think about, is if you are planning to rough it out at home, or go looking for a smaller town to go to, or go bush(national forest,
wilderness area). If you do not decide to stay at home, you will have to keep your supplies to a movable size and weight(usually, as much supplies as
your car or truck will carry). I live in a very mountanous area, with alot of national forest areas, natural springs, and natural resources, so my
wife and I will go bush if something ever did happen. So we have to keep our supplies light and moveable and rely on natural resources. In the event
of a natural disaster, we have enough supplies to last for a few months at home.
If you plan to leave your area, make sure you know what roads that you want to take, and alot of times if you take a major road or highway, you may
not be able to get through, so always have a backup route.
The last main area to cover is, are there any man made devices in your area, such as nuclear power plant, chemical or biological hazards or a weapons
disposal area, and read up on the possible effects of a leak or meltdown. I live 68 miles from a chemical weapon disposal area, and the main chemical
stored there is "Mustard Gas". Mustard gas is an air born agent, so you will have to get a gas mask to protect your lungs, and it will also
severely burn your skin, so you would need some heavy clothing to protect you from exposure.
The best thing that I could ever tell anyone, is to go camping, and not in a motor home or a cabin, but use a TENT! Some people refer to it as
"primative camping." This will help you build skills to help you survive, and give you alittle taste of ruffing it. Read everything that you can
get a hold of on emergency prepardness, camping, and survival. The internet is also a great resource.
I hope I have not overwelmed you. But, I wanted to answer your questions as best I can. If you have, any more questions, or need clarification,
please reply back, and I wil do my best to answer.