Are you Prepared for a Catastrophic National Emergency?

What if any kind of emergency hits your city, town or neighborhood and you have to get out - maybe go to a relative's house. Do you have enough gas? Remember how many people sat in mile-long lines on the side of the road waiting to get some gas from the pumps, until they were empty?

Those who kept a few 5-gallon gas cans full in their garage were able to hit the road and make it to safety. It's pretty easy. Every few months you dump that gas in your car and refill the cans. The gas is always good and ready to get you where you need to go.

So take a minute and ponder your possible scenarios - however unlikely. What will you be in need of if:

- your power goes out?
- your heat source is off?
- you have no phone?
- the city water is off, or your well pump can't operate?
- you can't get to a doctor?
- you can't get to a pharmacy to refill your prescription?
- you have to get out of town and need gas for the car?
- you need supplies for the baby?
- the store shelves are empty?
- you have pets to feed?
- a pandemic hits the area and the only safety is to stay in your home?
- looters are looking for unprotected food and provisions?
- you don't have a stove to cook on?
- you have to flee your home and camp out?
- the only food you will have is what you can grow?
- the water supply is contaminated?
- you need some wood to burn but have no way to cut up a tree, fence, boards, etc?

Top 100 Items to Disappear First During a National Emergency

1. Generators (Drawbacks: Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood can take 6 months to 2 years to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white & brown sugar
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.)
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. ("Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans, Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress's
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Livestock

There is also a lot of free instuctions og google on how to build underground shelters. Shovel needed.

thereliantself.blogspot.com...

Another important Survival link with informative crucial information and self help link How To Keep your Butt Alive

Thanks for the post...with respect to solar flares if the power goes down we are screwed and even if you build a bunker. Can you imagine when you emerge from you bunker the looting and the killing that will be going on? For some of us who live in the northeast how crazy do people get when a storm is approaching? Water is off of the shelves immediately and people are stocking up as if they will never see the light of day. I think we can all prepare for a short emergency but for the long hall it's going to be pretty awful. Can you imagine going without simple things as toilet paper let alone medicine for family members. Power outages mean hospital backup power will only last so long, people will inevitably expire just from that, pharmacies closed, banks closed and if the solar flare hits your bank account will most likely disappear so bartering would be the most important way of surviving because cash and gold will be useless. People need to keep items that will help people survive a bit easier such as matches, magnifying glasses, knives, rope, extra food rations especially sugary snacks for trading, batteries and possibly gasoline to name a few. I would also keep a couple of radios without batteries in them just as back up to test because nobody will really know when the solar flares will end and I would hate to start up a radio only for it to get fried.

If it's another planet that advances in our solar system we are all screwed even if you live underground. By the way I don't subscribe to Nibiru but a solar storm is possible at any time.

I do think that a good deal of this 2012 is fear mongering to make some people as much as possible at the expense of some individuals.

Very good thread... I will keep this list close and begin to add what I do not already have... Thanks and be safe..

No matter how much you prepare, nothing can prepare the mental state which a major catastrophic event will put you in.

reply to post by chrismarco


Yes I can imagine the nightmare. After seeing FEMA wait for days to help the surviving victims I wont put any trust in them. Also it seemed like Japan waited until all were dead before they started helping people. We can not depend on the govenment in a disaster. They dont know what they are doing. It takes tat least 3 days for them to get the stuff lined up before shipping supplies.

Im a Katrina Survivor...you can bet your a*s Im prepared...my plan and prep was tested during that event and all my shortcomings have been corrected...I didnt make it over to New Orleans but I knew people who were there and saw the thugs and drones completely lose it...talk about a breakdown of society....anyone who doesnt prepare for anything their area is prone to is just plain stupid or deluded...

Originally posted by DannyboyUK
No matter how much you prepare, nothing can prepare the mental state which a major catastrophic event will put you in.

Yeah a prepared mind can get through anything that won't immediately kill you.

The main thing I see wrong with a lot of folk's way of thinking is that they have an attitude of "it can't happen here or to me." Even entertaining that thought invites the possibility that you won't make it through.

Thast does not mean living in fear or anything like that.

Originally posted by DannyboyUK
No matter how much you prepare, nothing can prepare the mental state which a major catastrophic event will put you in.

I agree, this is why we need to make it less stressful like adding candy or mentally satisfying supplies. Rice would get old in a hurry.

reply to post by Homedawg


I totally agree with you... I believe something is coming this way and I do want to be prepared but I am also prepared for the normal catastrophies that are prone for my region.... Even though my children think I am losing it, I have told them that there will come a day when my preparations will be appreciated, whether from tornado, global catastrophe or whatever...

reply to post by bmck12


I think those who dont own guns should buy wrist rockets with metal pellets and baseball bat for protection even bow and arrows. People will steal what you have dont tell anyone but those you trust with your life, crime will be rampant some men will do anything to feed their family, maybe even killing for it.

Originally posted by Homedawg
Im a Katrina Survivor...you can bet your a*s Im prepared...my plan and prep was tested during that event and all my shortcomings have been corrected...I didnt make it over to New Orleans but I knew people who were there and saw the thugs and drones completely lose it...talk about a breakdown of society....anyone who doesnt prepare for anything their area is prone to is just plain stupid or deluded...

edit on 3/26/2011 by Homedawg because: clarity

Yes youre right about those who havent prepared, especially those on ATS who know this stuff or simply people watching drama unfold in Japan sitting on the couch eating popcorn. They still dont get it. They think it's gloomy to think about. Crazy!

Originally posted by wonderworld
reply to post by bmck12

 

I think those who dont own guns should buy wrist rockets with metal pellets and baseball bat for protection even bow and arrows. People will steal what you have dont tell anyone but those you trust with your life, crime will be rampant some men will do anything to feed their family, maybe even killing for it.

no maybe about it...the thugs and drones are waiting for anarchy...witness the idiots who were looting TV's in the New Orleans WalMarts...the number of shootouts that occured daily have never been counted...nor have the random murders committed....rescuers were shot out of their boats by sniper fire by thugs who didnt WANT to be rescued...they were in their element....slingshots just wont cut it unless you have the equipment and supplies(and the ability)to go bush and hide for weeks....Ill stick with a 12ga and a .308 thank you very much...been there,done that and got the T shirt...

Originally posted by Jomina

Originally posted by DannyboyUK
No matter how much you prepare, nothing can prepare the mental state which a major catastrophic event will put you in.

Yeah a prepared mind can get through anything that won't immediately kill you.

The main thing I see wrong with a lot of folk's way of thinking is that they have an attitude of "it can't happen here or to me." Even entertaining that thought invites the possibility that you won't make it through.

Thast does not mean living in fear or anything like that.

edit on 26-3-2011 by Jomina because: (no reason given)

One odd thing about me is I dont live in any areas prone to natural disasters, except aMountain that is overdue to blow but still live 300 miles away and dont live on a fault line, yet I stocked up during the 2008 financial collapse and have been adding to it since. Better safe than sorry. I have all bug-out-bags ready to go plus more. I dont know what I'm expecting to happen but want to protect my kids, which meant buying 50 pounds of bulk candy and stashed it. I do worry about the polar shift and the coming super storms with 300 mile an hour winds.

The so called "Bug Out Bags",or BOB's are a great idea for anyone,no matter where they live...as are a couple of weeks of MRE's or Freeze Dried meals for everyone in the household..take a backpack of camping gear,add your food and a firearm an put them close at hand...keep a set of field clothes and boots,altered for the season close by and you and every member of your family can be dressed,equipped and armed for any event and out the door in less than 15 minutes if need be...I see nothing wrong,paranoid or out-of-bounds in that kind of thinking....I also see a lot more people starting to prepare...my supplier of canned food www.beprepared.com have been sold out of lots of products for months....if you have kids,or family,and you have to watch them suffer because you were stupid,its on you...

Another great website for preppers(beginning or expert) is www.survivalblog.com lots of new inf,updated daily,and exchange of ideas on there....

Hi all, As everyone knows, this type of thread is very common here on ATS. First let me state that in my opinion there just isn't going to be any 'great disaster' that occurs on a global scale. Remember -- this is ONLY my opinion and my own personal feeling. I don't have anything against those who think something bad is coming and I don't criticize or say bad things about them so please don't tell me I'm some stupid person sitting on my couch eating popcorn.

I do have a couple of questions for the so-called 'preppers'. How much of your time do these preparations for disaster take out of your life from day to day? Are you making your life less enjoyable with constant thoughts about impending doom? I have no immediate family of my own so I have only myself to be concerned about. I know that this makes a big difference.

So in short, I do have not made any preparations for any disasters or doomsday scenarios. That may seem foolish to some of you but it's just not in me to think this way. Hopefully, nothing disastrous will happen on a global scale.

Let's all hope for the best!!

Originally posted by AidanK
Hi all, As everyone knows, this type of thread is very common here on ATS. First let me state that in my opinion there just isn't going to be any 'great disaster' that occurs on a global scale. Remember -- this is ONLY my opinion and my own personal feeling. I don't have anything against those who think something bad is coming and I don't criticize or say bad things about them so please don't tell me I'm some stupid person sitting on my couch eating popcorn.

I do have a couple of questions for the so-called 'preppers'. How much of your time do these preparations for disaster take out of your life from day to day? Are you making your life less enjoyable with constant thoughts about impending doom? I have no immediate family of my own so I have only myself to be concerned about. I know that this makes a big difference.

So in short, I do have not made any preparations for any disasters or doomsday scenarios. That may seem foolish to some of you but it's just not in me to think this way. Hopefully, nothing disastrous will happen on a global scale.

Let's all hope for the best!!

I lived thru a direct hit of Katrina...my plans and preps were adequate but had some holes...those have been filled...as to what part of my DAILY life do my plans take up?..maybe 10 minutes when I check on my stuff...if you havent done it,you cant have a realistic opinion on those who have been there/done that...as for life-less-than-enjoyable because of my planning?..try going thru 3 months of basic life-or-death daily survival and talk about "enjoyable"...Ill take less-than-enjoyable life over no life...JMO

As for a Global Scale disaster,probably not...but if it hits YOU,it doesnt have to be global in scale,or even regional...just ask someone who just went thru a class 4 or 5 tornado...only 2 or 3 miles wide....but if its on their heads,thats all they worry about

Originally posted by wonderworld

Originally posted by DannyboyUK
No matter how much you prepare, nothing can prepare the mental state which a major catastrophic event will put you in.

I agree, this is why we need to make it less stressful like adding candy or mentally satisfying supplies. Rice would get old in a hurry.

Rice can get old and so can crackers but it beats the heck out of blood stained snow(Napoleons retreat from Moscow)...and hard candy is a must,along with powdered milk,cornmeal,oil ,peanut butter,100% whey powder and honey....all of which store easily for long periods..JMO

Originally posted by bmck12
reply to post by Homedawg

 

I totally agree with you... I believe something is coming this way and I do want to be prepared but I am also prepared for the normal catastrophies that are prone for my region.... Even though my children think I am losing it, I have told them that there will come a day when my preparations will be appreciated, whether from tornado, global catastrophe or whatever...

I think we are alike on that issue. Many I know think I'm nuts and have wasted money on something that will never happen. I also agree with you that someday they will appreciate that we prepared. A few people I know would be refused entry. I warned them many times and they arent living off my supply, my kids come first.