So before the baby got here (about 8 months ago). My wife was freaking out about my emergency pile of food (about 2 weeks worth) because the best if used by dates were passing. So I gave in and agreed to donate it to a shelter. Which sounds better than it is. Because my wife never delivered it and after it had froze and thawed multiple times remebered it was in here trunk. Bottom line is it all got tossed.

Now for the good news. After all the bad stuff that is happening on the east coast we have gotten motivated again. So we went to *warehouse club* to start stocking up on canned food. Oddly enough we saw they had three pallets of emergency rations. Not normal MRE type stuff. So we picked up a 45lb. bucket of hard white wheat and 30 day (for one person) pack of dehydrated food. I've always been against these type of prepped food but with a new baby and long work weeks I gave in. I know how to bag and seal wheat ( mylar and oxygen absorbers) so this was definitely a purchase of conveinance. In the worse case this stuff is shelf stable for decades so its a cheap insurance policy and it lets us take our time to rebuild or supply.

In the course of our talks we realized to have a months worth of food you can't forget :

Salt, Pepper, Spices
Medicines (I know this has been touched on a lot).
Tampons (not just for nosebleeds)
baby food / evaporated milk /formula diapers
dog food - for our two dogs to be clear but, if its canned food it has to be consumable by humans per the FDA. Not saying I would eat it. But things change when you haven't eaten in a few days.

My wife kept saying how can we cook all of this stuff if there is no water. Which is a great point, if you don't have water you can only live for 72 hours. So all the food in the world won't help. The first rule is always fill up the bathtub. You need 2 gallons of water for every person in the house per day. 1 for drinking and 1 for cooking/disenfection. You can find bathtub bladders that are made of heavy plastic and come with pumps so the water is sterile. If your bathtub is not in direct sunlight the water will be fine for a few days as most (municipal water is already chlorinated). Just remeber the chlorine will leach out over a few days.

Last today when we were in the back yard the flies were out of control. We are a few weeks away from our first freeze (It was 86 degrees today). Well the dogs had been leaving land mines everywhere and I brought up the point that those flies that were landing on our faces were also chowing on dog poo. My point is the one of the major killers of people in less industrialized parts of the world is unsanitary latrine conditions. If you've been reading the news, people have been defecating in the hallways in the highrises in new york. This can only lead to bad things. I'm not sure what to do about the people in cities but if your are digging catholes in the back yard your best bet is to cover it up.

Just some thoughts yardians. Also smoke and prayers sent to all those affected by the storm.

Here is some of what comes to mind:
toilet paper
toilet paper
more toilet paper
soap, toothpaste & feminine hygiene products, even if there is no woman around, condoms aren't a bad idea either
potable water (55 gallon drums sealed is good, or a bunch of 5-6 gallon jerry cans that seal tight, even plastic gallon jugs can work if they are the thicker ones)
food spices AND tools to prepare/cook the food (wheat with no grinder is rough)
shelter/blankets/sleeping bags/tent/lean to
clothing to cover all seasons
maps of the area you are in at the time AND knowing at least 3 different routes to where you want to be, home, cabin, friend/family etc
paper non-computerized phone books
space blanket, whistle, fire starter and other relevant survival stuff
defensive gear
medicines AND first aid kits (bigger is better)
fire extinguishers (bigger is better)
fuel for the engines you will need to run ie generator, fuel/water/trash pump, vehicles(preferably diesel and/or propane for long term reliability) AND fluids/filters for said machines
chainsaw & 2 cycle gasoline, make sure you try to get pure gas with no ethanol if possible to prevent the carb getting fouled up, or the highest octane available and something like sta-bil to keep it fresh longer
wood/grass/trash powered heating for when the other fuels run out, preferably with said fuels stockpiled on hand
tools to process wood, repair/maintain machines, etc
vehicle recovery gear, cable/chain/strap, winch/comealong/hilift can be used to clear large debris
bicycle with a small cart/trailer for if vehicles aren't an option
hand held CB's are generally better than the walkie talkies, but anything that works is better than nothing
consider either a 12v or propane deep freezer that will run with no a/c electricity
snacks & games to help with boredom/stress
one or more spare 12v batteries on a maintainer so they always stay full for whenever
universal power supply with your most sensitive electronic devices plugged in for emergency power and current spike protection (your internet might still work during a power outage if you can power your laptop or modem)
regular plain old handset phone that will work off of the phone line power, ie not cordless/computerized

I am sure there is plenty I am forgetting, but that is some of the more important things I have thought of during different life experiences.

Im bumping this back towards the top for our NorthEasr members who are coming back.

I guess its lucky for me that my pile was in a tragic boat accident, no need to come by my house at all <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Martial law won't stop all the criminals from carrying guns though. You should hand out items from your hoard to trustworthy members of this forum instead so we can take care of things together <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Did I mention that I'm really trustworthy? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Hey you're a Geek, you like knives and you live in PA., USA! Of course you're trustworthy! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

You make it sounds bad (apart from the knife thing), but I swear I didn't vote for you-know-who <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Well, the first thing I did was go out and kill another deer and make 10 pounds of Italian sausage to top off one freezer <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

It was serendipity, but we were actually involved in storm prep before we knew there was a storm coming. We had scheduled to go can a bunch of food through our church several weeks before Sandy and our date to do it was the Saturday before the storm hit. We had also ordered a generator (which got there a few days after Sandy passed). We topped off a six month supply of food for our family (wheat, beans, sugar, etc.--primarily the basics) and I went out and got a kerosene heater to supplement our indoor propane heater (all our house runs on electric) as well as a 4-5 day supply of kerosene. I tried to talk my wife into letting me get a fourth cooler--a seven day big one that could hold most everything in our fridges--but she drew the line somewhere (especially since we have three, I JUST bought a freezer, and we had a generator on the way) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I am waiting for stores to restock them, and then plan to buy 4 five-gallon gas cans and two or three 5 gallon kerosene cans. Not planning on keeping them filled, but handy. We USUALLY have AT LEAST a few hours warning before a major event--enough to go stock up on fuel. Our 72 hour kit (BOB) is packed and ready to go at a moment's notice, and we have small emergency kits in the cars. We also made sure we topped off our supply of batteries--we usually keep enough on hand to power the majority of our flashlights and lanterns for several days if the need arises--and topped off the gas in our vehicles.

In addition to the 3 day supply of water we keep on hand, I filled about 15~20 gallons in large containers and kept them in a bathtub until I was sure we wouldn't need them. We have a creek behind our house and a ceramic filter system if things get desperate.

Made sure our cell phones were charged as well as the ipods, tablets, gameboys, and whatever else might keep the kids occupied for a couple days.

We definitely overspent on snack food/easy prep foods at Sams Club/Walmart, but it's food we'll eat over the next month or two anyway <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Our ultimate goal is to have 8-12 months worth of food stored (not counting the freezers full of venison--some of which I keep meaning to can). You never know when your employment situation might change and you find yourself without work for extended periods of time (which is probably more likely in this economy than having your home destroyed by a storm). Survival isn't just about natural disasters <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Moreover, in the unfortunate event of a natural (or manmade) disaster, there's more than just our family to think about. We live in neighborhoods and communities. As a citizen, a Christian, and a human, I don't think I could watch my neighbors suffer while my family eats. As unfair as it might seem, I recognize that part of my preparation is also to assist those who may not be able to take care of themselves.

The Scout motto seems to still hold: "Be prepared." That said, I'd also note that no matter how much we are prepared, there are times when it all means nothing. If your home disappears in a tornado, fire, or earthquake, all of you preparation may well disappear with it. My hope is that as I prepare to support my family and my neighbors, that that will generate enough good karma out there so that if our preparations go up in smoke, perhaps someone else will be as prepared as we were and is willing to lend a hand to me and mine.

"He-who-must-not-be-named" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

A BIG +1 to your last two posts D/T!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

The home in smoke idea goes right along with the eggs in one basket concept. What ever your most likely threat is would be something to build for/against to increase your odds of surviving said disaster.
Things to consider based on your threat area.
Floods: consider building higher up if you can and definitely out of a floodplain. If not, look into ways to increase drainage out of your home and decrease drainage in. French drains work wonders.
Earthquakes: consider a building method that has flexibility with the land like strawbale walls. Stick built or stone/brick/mortar are extremely rigid.
Fires: consider a house that is very hard to burn like stone/brick/block/strawbale and keep your property cleared of as many fire hazards as possible, and remember to keep a good water supply on hand to fight/protect the place.
Hurricanes/Tornadoes: build partially or completely into/underground or at least store your most important valuables in a storm cellar, hopefully high enough up to not get flooded.
Drought: Stockpile as much water as you can possibly can, though it may not be cheap. Water is the most important thing to have, period.

There is also always the option to look at relocation to safer environments as well, and it may be cheaper in the long run. Stepping out of the circle of comfort is hard for many but not impossible.

MonsterDog, I wasn't meaning for it to sound bad, just messing with your statement.

I consider All the dogs here trustworthy, this place just gives me that sort of feeling.

Skunkhunter, no worries, I was just playing off ya with the whole geek+PA thing, I realized it could fit a certain voting demographic <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> You've never said anything on here that was in any way offensive to me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />