Food Storage & Stock Rotation

Storing food is an essential part of disaster preparation. Everyone needs food and water to survive. There are some basic rules that need to be applied when doing this. First, the type of food you store is important. You have to think about how you will prepare it in a disaster. Will you be able to boil water to cook rice, will you be able to keep things cool if the power is out and things like that. In addition, having food that you and your family already eat is especially important. Not only does this help with preparatio,n but it will add a sorce of comfort in a disaster situation. The next thing you should think about is rotating your stock. Food and water doesn't last forever. So constantly rotating and replacing things is a necessity. Another reason why stocking foods your family already eats is impotant. Another thing that does not store forever is medication. Whether it's prescription or over the counter medicine it needs to be rotated and checked. Another item that needs to be rotated and checked periodically is batteries. This is not a difficult habit to get into and doesn't take very much time to do.

Firearm Choices and Selection

I constantly get asked the question, what is the best firearm for self defense. That is a tough question to answer. You could ask 50 people and get 50 different answers. There are tons of firearms on the market today, all shapes, sizes and even colors. It can be an overwhelming task for sure. First we must decide what kind of defense we want this firearm for. Will it be for personal protection or home defense? Will we need to conceal carry it or not? So lets say it's for personal protection and we need to conceal carry it. There are many firearms that fit this scenario well. A 1911 in .45 ACP would work well, but so would a Ruger LCP chambered in 380. There are also many revolvers that would get the job done too. Personally I prefer semi automatic pistols over revolvers. Not that they are better or worse it's just what I prefer. I have several pistols for conceal carry that work well for me. First is my Sig Sauer 2340 in .40 S&W. It is not the lightest or the smallest pistol ever so it may not be comfortable for everyone. I also have a Taurus PT 111 and a Taurus PT 709 "slim" both in 9mm. The 709 is a bit more comfortable to carry, so much so my wife carries one. It really comes down to personal preference and which one you can shoot effectively. Any of these would work for home defense as well or you could take a different approach. 12 gauge or 20 gauge shotgun is a great home defense gun. Some even prefer an AR-15 style rifle to serve this purpose. I have several of each in my home, but use my conceal carry Taurus. Since I have small children in my home, most of my firearms are kept locked up. The only firearm I keep locked and loaded in my home is my Taurus 709 and even that is kept in a Gun Vault safe next to my bed when I'm not wearing it. No matter what firearm you choose, familiarize yourself with it and use safe gun practices.

Frequently Overlooked Items

So you have stocked up on food and water. You have created a plan for your family, whether it's staying in your home or leaving. You have put together bug out bags for yourself and family. So you're done right? Wrong There are several important things that you shouldn't forget to do. In an event of a "bug out" scenario, leaving quickly is usually necessary. Having everything you need in one spot makes it easier. Things like Wills, Deeds, Insurance paperwork, I.D's, Birth Certificates etc. are very important documents that you should always have. I think it is a good idea to have copies of the originals and/or scans stored on a USB drive. I prefer the USB drive because it is compact and easy to store. You can also scan or store sentimental items like photos, children's artwork etc. Most items can be scanned and easily transported. Family heirlooms can be bulky and heavy which makes them very hard to transport. You must decide what can and what can't be replaced, as well as what you can and can't live without. Personally we keep all our important documents in a fireproof safe and scans of them on a USB drive. We also like to keep cash in case ATMs aren't working.

Natural Disaster Preparation

I'm sure everyone has been through at least one natural disaster in their life. They are very common events that can devastate a community. Where you live will dictate what natural disaster you should prepare for. Luckily most of the preparations are the same. The main difference is whether you can stay in your home or not. Lets take a tornado for instance. If you live in a mobile home you may want to seek shelter elsewhere, however if you have a basement or storm shelter you may decide to stay. A flood, on the other hand, is a different story. A basement is not a good place to be in a flood so evacuation is the best option. For an ice storm or blizzard it would be better to stay put and wait it out. The most common thing you will have to deal with if you stay in your home is lack of power. No lights, no gas for heat or cooking, and no water. This could last hours, days or even weeks. Taking the time to prepare now will make things much more tolerable in that event. There are simple things you can do to prepare for this. First you need some sort of lighting. Flashlights, candles, lantern or even having a generator will work. Then you need some sort of heat. Kerosene heater or a wood stove would work. Often times if you have natural gas it will still be available even in a power outage. I prefer cooking with gas and having a gas water heater so that helps. Next you need food and water. I suggest at least a weeks worth of food in your home at all times, but recommend 2 weeks worth. Water can be stored easily in plastic containers or jugs. The recommendation for water is 1 gallon of water per person per day. A great water source that is always available is in your hot water heater. Most water heaters have 30 gallons of water in them at all times so that would sustain a family of 3 for ten days. I have only listed the basic items required to get through a natural disaster. These items should be a part of your preparation along with an evacuation plan. As I said most disasters require similar planning except the decision to stay or leave.

Home Defense

Everyone thinks about home defense. We lock our doors and windows, turn on the security system if we have one and call it good. I, however, won't settle for good when it comes to the safety of my family. A puny door lock just isn't enough to keep out a determined criminal. Of course we can't all have bars on our doors and windows or have a moat outside our homes nor would we want to. We can, however, improve the security of our homes. Some simple things to do is keep bushes and shrubs manicured to eliminate blind spots around the home. We can portray a "hard target" to deter criminals from our home. Putting up security cameras even if they're fake, installing motion lights or creating a community watch program are all good ways to deter criminals. Another way to reduce the risk of a break in is to look plain. Don't flaunt your possessions or money. Of course you don't have to make your home look like a shack, but keeping the blinds closed so people can't see your 60" LCD TV would be a good start. The last home defense measure you can take is having a home defense weapon. I prefer a firearm but a bat would work well too. Anything to disable or immoblize the assailant is what you want. For those that choose a firearm I suggest that you pick one that is easy to operate, one that you are comfortable shooting and one that you can have near you when you need it. Personally I keep my conceal carry pistol, a Taurus 709 9mm, loaded in my nightstand. This is the only firearm I have loaded in my home. I carry it every day away from my home and have it near me while at home. One thing to be aware of is depending on the caliber you choose it could cause collateral damage to others inside and outside the home. Always be aware of what is behind your target. I won't get into what the best home defense weapon is, because I believe any weapon is better than no weapon. You must rely on yourself to defend your home and your family. None of this will totally eliminate the threat, but it will minimize it. Your families safety should be the top priority for everyone.

Financial Survival

Financial survival planning is imperative these days. I have to admit that my family has been sheltered by the recent economic crisis. We moved to Alaska just before the economic downturn, where the economy is much more stable. Regardless we are still taking steps to better our financial future. A financial budget is something every family should have. It doesn't have to be extreme, but having a plan is a must. Simple things like eating out less, buying used and even reducing things like phone plans and cable can go a long way. I grew up in a lower class family so times were always tough. We ate a lot of beans and rice, but we always ate. We didn't go to the movies, or pay for TV and we seldom got new clothes. It wasn't always fun, but we survived and it wasn't all that bad. Today wants and needs get confused by many people and most people, including me, feel the need to constantly buy things. Now that I'm a husband and father I want a better life for my children so I tend to spoil them more than I should. I have come to realize that in order to keep my standard of living the way I want it, we need to be a bit more frugal. I have never been one to worry about my future, but I'll hit the big 30 in a month and now it's all I think about. The reality is my generation will not be able to depend on Social Security so our retirement will depend on what we do for ourselves. Be it personal savings, 401K or investments, we must plan for our own financial future. I don't know about you, but I want to enjoy my golden year traveling the Country with my wife. Experts say that the average person needs between 1-2 million dollars set aside for retirement at the age of 60. If that is accurate I would need to save over $33,000 a year to have 1 million dollars at 60. Realistically that will not happen, but saving as much as I can now is better than nothing. Money is a sore subject for most including me, but it is a very important part of life and it must be addressed. So sit down and create a budget, include not only your bills, but a savings plan. You are the most valuable person in your life so you should pay yourself first.

BOB or EDC for Baby and Pets

Many parents already have a form of EDC for their babies in the form of a diaper bag. A BOB for your baby is really no different. The only real difference for us is the bag we use. We found that most diaper bags on the market are not build for heavy use. So we opt for a small backpack to carry all our son's necessities. Extra diapers, formula, bottles, clothes, medication, blankets and toys. We take bottled water and powdered formula instead of already made bottles. Since most parents are used to carrying this already, it should be a very easy practice to get into.

Now an area that seems to be overlooked is a kit for your pets. Our dog pulls his own weight in our survival planning. He has his own backpack that contains his own water, food and cup for eating and drinking. It works out very well and takes some load off of us. This may not work for you, but it's an example of what can be done. Be mindful of the weight your pet can carry comfortably and safely. Remember your pet is your friend not your workhorse.

Emergency Roadside Kits

An emergency roadside kit should be one of the first things a person buys. They range in price form $30-$60 depending on what they contain. I decided to create my own kits instead of buying a premade one. My wife and I both have identical kits in our vehicles. We also have our EDC Bags with us every day along with a bag for our son.

Contents of our Roadside Emergency Kits

First Aid Kit
Fire Extinguisher
2 Hazard Triangles
2 Road Flares
Tire Gauge
Jack & Lug Wrench
Spare Fuses
Portable Battery Booster/Air Compressor Combo
Flashlight
Gloves

We also have Winter Kits that get added each year in addition to the Roadside Kits.

Contents of Winter Kits

Window Scraper
Tow Straps
Blanket
Small Folding Shovel
Extra Set of Warm Clothes Including Gloves & Hat

For longer trips like our trip form Indiana to Alaska we add other items. Some of the items we added for that trip were...

Basic Tool Kit
Coolant
Hoses
Water & Food
GPS
CB Radio
Oil
Fuel

It looks like a lot to carry around, but it really isn't. My truck has room for all this under the rear seat and my wifes Jeep has room in the rear storage compartment. It's better to have and not need than to need and not have.