Why Prepare?

     So why prepare?  Why not?  You can prepare without being one of those crazy hermits living in the hills shouting the end is near.  You can prepare yourself for anything.  An earthquake, floods, loss of a job and yes anarchy in case social order breaks down.  Preparation is not crazy it's just smart planning. 

     So where do you start?  Food is the obvious choice.  Other things can most likely be fabricated or scrounged up.  But if the infrastructure of our society goes down, there will be no more food deliveries until it comes back up, if ever.  Almost none of our food comes from a local point.  Even in a farming community the food is shipped elsewhere and the food in our supermarkets is shipped in.  Does this make sense?  Not really, but that is the way our country works, bass ackward.  ;)  Short term bartering with local farmers can snag some fresh produce.  But all too soon those supplies will be used up, or they will start to hoard as they realize relief is not coming soon.

     So the first question is, how much food do you stock pile?  The Church of Latter Day Saints are pretty close to being the experts in this.  They recommend that you start out trying to store at least a 3 months supply of necessities.  Once you have your core stock pile for three months then you can add to it little by little as money and space allows. 

     I'm not going to get into a comprehensive list of different foods to store, but there are some things that will store for a long time, such as rice, wheat and beans.  Here is a link to an excellent food storage guide, http://www.ehow.com/how_2220971_Store-Food-Long-Term-Survival.html.

     One thing you need to do with stored food is trade it out.  Rotate the packages of food and use them up before they get too old.   Just replace them as you use them.  The rice, beans and wheat can store for years if done right.  But almost all other foods need to be rotated.

     Where do you store your supplies?  Where you store your survival supplies is important and easier than you might think.  Not all of us are blessed with a nice big basement with endless storage possibilities.  If you are lucky enough to have a nice big pantry in your kitchen, good for you.  For the rest of us, food should be kept in a dry, relatively cool environment.  Run down to your local Walmart and buy some cheap plastic bins.  I got a couple of three foot long, 18 inch wide and high, plastic bins for about 5 bucks each.  I am currently using one as a coffee table in the living room.  The other is in my bedroom.  Lower flat bins could possibly be slid under the beds, just think of the storage space under a queen-size bed!


  
     My next article will focus on pets, our fur kids, adopted babies, our best friends.  What do we do for or with them in an emergency?  Hurricane Katrina highlighted how our fine feathered/furred friends often get over looked in an emergency.  Preparation can help you to avoid the heartbreak of losing your pets.