Friday, March 26, 2010

3 months supply of food you normally eat along with your long-term storage.





“Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet. One way to do this is to purchase a few extra items each week to build a one-week supply of food. Then you can gradually increase your supply until it is sufficient for three months. These items should be rotated regularly to avoid spoilage“.-The First Presidency

I want this to be very clear. We have been asked by the Prophet to have a 3 month supply of foods that we eat regularly in addition to our long-term supply of food, NOT instead of our long-term supply.

Put your three month supply of food together with meals ready to eat. This food supply is easy to use in an emergency.

Benefits of a 3-month Supply?

 During an crisis, you will still have an emergency food supply.

When there is some type of disaster, the grocery store shelves are the first to empty. A truck strike or earthquake can cause serious problems.

 A three month supply of meals ready to eat is a nice way to ease into using your long-term food storage and get used to the life-style adjustment.

When the time comes that you can’t go to the store for food, things will not be normal. If you are not used to eating food out of your food storage, a three-month supply of meals ready to eat will be a great buffer zone.

When you are out of your comfort zone in the middle of chaos and confusion, the last thing you want to think about is “What’s for dinner?” To add to the stress, you also might get to fix dinner without electricity!

* On a busy or “bad” day, dinner is a snap with meals ready to eat!

Have you ever pulled out a recipe, only to find your missing an ingredient! With this plan, all the ingredients are “In the Bag”!

* Your kids can learn how to cook with these easy meals. Even your 10 year old can open a can and mix in the spices!


6 Steps to Building a 3-Month Supply


When you set out to put together your three-month supply of meals, it seemed overwhelming. Here’s a plan.:

Pick out 2 weeks of recipes. Use easy meals your family eats now. If you came to the forum you would have been given several meal plans, shopping list and all less needed to carry out this plan. If not, see me and maybe I can hook ya up!

Convert each meal to “non-perishable” foods. If you use fresh chicken, use canned or dehydrated. You get the idea.

Write each converted recipe on a 3 X 5 card. Run each card off 6 times.

Times each ingredient by 6 and write how much or how many you need on a shopping list. There you have it a 12 week supply of food.

Go shopping!!! Remember to take some help! You can do this in one big trip if you have the money, or gather the supplies over the next few months.

Note: Use name brand labels. The metal is heavier and stores longer.

Take each recipe and all the ingredients and put them in a gallon freezer bag - right down to the spices and cup of rice. that way everything you need is right there. No hunting for things or finding your out of something.

Use Ziploc freezer bags, they hold up better. You can also buy the Jumbo size bags for a large family. Put the spices in a snack size bag. The ingredients like rice or a cup of biscuit mix can go into a sandwich size bag.

Now put the recipe in and ZIP . . . It’s “ in the bag!”

Store them in boxes under the bed or bins in the closet. You want them to be easily accessible. Keep a few meals ready to eat in the pantry and use them on busy hectic days. Keep the recipe cards. When you have a few stacked up, go to the store and replace the ingredients. This is a great way to rotate your three-month supply of food. Start eating your food storage now and save money!



Now, if you want to add in a few breakfast meals, you can. If your family has one good meal a day all ready to go, you‘ll be MILES ahead of everyone else. They’ll all be scrambling around trying to scrape together anything to feed their family.

One good meal a day is more than many people around the world get! But a few breakfasts would be a bonus! Peaches, canned ham, muffin mixes, etc. Cracked wheat cereal is a favorite at our house! That would be easy to do-- If you have a wheat grinder? You could even have pancake mix, TVP or canned bacon, powdered eggs and dry mix of Orange Juice. What a great start to a day!

Use your creative ideas to make your "meals in a bag" unique to what your family likes.

Please leave ideas and comments below.  Just click on the "comment" button this post.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Dry Soup Mixes have become one of my FAVORITE Dinner Options!  Especially in the cold winter.

Make a few and keep them on hand for a quick meal. Soup Mixes can be stored long-term if they are sealed in vacuum bags with an oxy pack. I like to use canning jars. Just add boiling water when you're ready to eat, and dinner will be ready in no time!

It only takes a few minutes to put the jars together and when it's time for dinner, You'll have an AMAZING Dinner with just a few minutes of prep time!


Two-Step Dry Soup Mix

1 Package Brown Gravy Mix, 2 Tbsp. Mild Red Chili Powder, 2 tsp. Dried Oregano Leaves, 1 tsp. Ground Cumin, 1 tsp. Dried Minced Onion, 1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt, 10 to 12 Regular-Sized Tortilla Chips Coarsely Crushed, 1 to 1-1/4 cups Uncooked Small to Medium-Sized Pasta, Dehydrated Corn, Dehydrated Red and Green Peppers, & 1 cup Freeze-Dried Cooked Ground Beef.

Layer Ingredients in a Jar.

Instruction Tag:
In a crock-pot combine the following:
Contents of Jar
8 cups Water
Simmer a couple hours or until macaroni is fully cooked.

Here's another one--See if you like it also!!

Split Pea Tortellini Soup Mix

3 ounces Dried Cheese-Filled Tortellini (2/3 cup)
¼ cup Dried Tomatoes
1/3 cup Split Green Peas
½ cup Dried Chopped Carrots
1 Tbsp. Instant Chicken Bouillon Granules
1 Tbsp. Dried Minced Onion
1 ½ tsp. Dried Basil, Crushed
1 ½ tsp. Dried Thyme, Crushed
½ tsp. Garlic Powder
¼ tsp. Ground Pepper
Add a couple tablespoons Tomato Powder

Layer all ingredients in a jar, or vacuum seal bag; seal and attach a tag with directions.

Tag:
1 Package of Mix
Add 5 cups water. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 50 minutes or until peas are tender.

Option: Add imitation bacon bits to the mix ahead of time for bacon flavor

As if that isn't enough....here is a 3rd Dry soup Mix recipe.

Potato Soup Mix

1 ¾ cups Instant mashed Potatoes
2 Tbsp. Instant Chicken Bouillon
2 tsp. Dried Minced Onion
1 tsp. Dried Parsley
¼ tsp. Ground White Pepper
1 ½ cups Dry Milk
¼ tsp. Dried Thyme
1/8 tsp. Turmeric or Curry
1 ½ tsp. Favorite Seasoning Salt
Measure all ingredients in canning jar or vacuum seal bag.

To Use: Place 1/2 cup of mix in soup bowl and add 1 cup boiling water. Stir until smooth.

Possible Variations: Add small dehydrated potatoes, bacon bits, or a small
amount of dehydrated broccoli or dehydrated corn or celery. Get Creative!!

These are also a good recipe for your 3 months supplement supply or long-term supply in your food storage.
 
ENJOY!!!! Let me know how you like it!!!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Better than paper towels and a lot less expensive...



COFFEE FILTERS

Coffee filters ..... Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the 'Dollar Tree' for almost nothing even the large ones!!

 Here are several uses for these filters, if you know of more please add them in the comment section, especially if they would help in being prepared......Thanks!

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave.. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4.Pre-Filter water through it before using the water filter, this will keep your filter clean longer.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6.. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes...

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping.. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter..

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..

13.. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter, tie to make a small bag and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash..

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds.. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

Now....please add your suggestions on how to use coffee filters....just click on the comments button below this post......Thanks!!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Pandemic Preparedness-

    Preparing for a Pandemic is more than just storing water and food.  It is preparing to have to deal with wide spread flu or other pestilence.  Pestilence is not what we think of as dealing with pests such as flies, bugs, etc.  Pestilence by definition is any virus, natural disaster or epidemic that could cause a loss of transportation, communication, medical care, loss of utilities, banks closing, or death.  So next time you hear the word- Pestilence- don't think of only bugs.  Being prepared for a pandemic is being ready to take care of your family in your home instead of having to go to a shelter were there are thousands of people all without the basics of water, food, and sanitation.
   In a pandemic we need to be able to take care of more than just food and water.  We need to be prepared to handle medical needs, sanitation needs, and shelter needs as well. So we need to find alternative methods to do these things. We have had or will have forums on these individual topics throughout the year. Melanie put them all into a condensed form.
    Some medical alternatives are having a supply of medicines on hand if you could not get them at the drug store. Maybe consider a supply of alternitive medicines such as herbs and/or oils. A first aid kit to handle injured people in the case of an earthquake or other event.  N95 face masks to filter the air we breathe from the smells, ash, contaminates in the air. Ways to bathe/shower and wash hair.  Some of the products that Melanie recommended are vinyl gloves, work gloves, books to have a hard copy on how to deal with first aid, survival and other knowledge we may need, herbal medicines, (we will have a class on this later in the year so you'll know which herbs do what things), a supply of vitamins, moist wipes, cooking and heating methods, and anything else you think you may need.
    One of the suggestions that Melanie had was to have a sprayer.  The type that is used to spray insecticides (the pump up kind).  This can be used to shower with-water inside and being pumped up it can be a creative shower.
     Melanie also showed us some alternative cooking methods and how they worked for her. She suggests we have 3 options for cooking in case the sun isn't out, we are out of propane, etc.   Melanie said also that for washing clothes we should use liquid soap as the powder doesn't desolve and work as well in alternative ways to wash clothes.
     Melanie brought Jennifer with her to speak to us also.  Jennifer went to Haiti a few years before the recent earthquake on a Humanitarian mission.  She told us that it took her about 2 months to get used to the ways of life there.  She learned to deal with no running water, no electric, purifying her own water, using only a gallon a day of  water, ways to cook and doing without toilet paper and other things that we take for granted here.  It was interesting to hear what she dealt with and what we may deal with in case our conviences that we take for granted are suddenly gone.  The fact that it took her 2 months to adjust is good to know also.  It supports the direction that we have been given from our prophet to have a 3 month supply of everyday things that we are used to eating, drinking etc.  so that we have time to adjust and deal with our new circumstances and not be overwhelmed with new foods as well. 
    We thank Melanie and Jennifer for taking their time and effort to come to help us be prepared for a pandemic.  It is good to hear from different peoples experiences and learn from them.
  

Saturday, March 13, 2010

PROTECTION: PERSONAL AND PROPERTY




How safe do you  feel?


Randy gave us a great forum on Thursday Night!  He explained to us how fear is not useful.  Having a "mind set"  is is the key to success.   Randy likes sayings like: 1) On ounce of pervention is worth a pound of cure. 2) There is no substitute for common sense and basics. 3) The more you sweat in peace the less you bleed in war. 4) Giving money and power to politians is like giving whisky and car keys to a teenage boy. 5) A soft voice turns away rath.  6) God didn't create man equal, Samuel Colt did. 

Randy showed us his BIRD VEST.  It is has much larger and more pockets than the fishing vest that we talked about using last week for our 72(120) hour kits. It costs about $30. Thanks for that suggestion Randy! Also, he suggests we use Gerber optium 50 flashlight, it works on different sizes of batteries.  The battery that Randy recommends is a Lithium 123 battery.  It has a shelf life of 7 years!  WOW! A  zicon bulb uses alot of battery, but and LED bulb uses much less battery.

The first thing we need to do to protect ourselves is to protect our infrastructure. Our constitution is copied in about 30 other coutries, not excactly but close.  Our constitution is our greatest assetWe need to do our part to protect it!

In protecting our Financial Assets- we need to pay our tithe, do service for others, avoid debt, & live within our means.  We need to study the dynamics of money.  Randy suggested that we ask Robin Smith for a CD called Dollars & Cents and watch that to help us in this.

Property Protection-

What are we protecting our property from?  The first thing would be nature. In case of  wind-  we could use truss ties on our roof.  Go into your attic and at the point where your roof meets the walls of your home insert a truss ties at each point.  This will help to keep your roof on in high winds, which we get in our area at times. Use Steel Straping to hold wall to the foundation.
In the case of a flood- keep our window wells cleaned out, grade your land so that water goes away from your foundation, replace your water supply lines to clothes washer, toilets, dish washer, etc. every 5 years to guard against water problems in your home.  Randy suggests that we do not use the plastic ones, but instead use the steel mesh or even better the rigid are the best.  He also suggests that we replace the shut-off valve every 5 years use the ball valve, it is must higher quality and dependable. It is the valve with the 1/4 turn.  If replaceing or adding pipe he suggest using PEX pipe.
In case of fire- have smoke detectors in your home with fresh batteries.  Replace batteries at least every year.  Cut brush etc. from around your home.  Make sure your house numbers are visable to the street to make it easy for help to arrive. Clean your chimney often. Check your chimney from the roof down, not from the inside of your home up.  The build up is on the top of the chimney. If the buildup is as thick as your thumb it is enough to burn your house down.
Earthquake- Anchor furniture, shelves, & your water heater especially tall items that can fall on someone. Use flex (PEX) pipe where possible,for gas lines as well.  Turn gas off only if you smell gas. To turn the gas back on do it slowly, count to 20 as you do. Then check all your pilot lights to make sure they are on. If you think there is a leak spray soapy water around the area and look for bubbles.
Randy suggests outdoor lighting. Use low voltage lights intead of solar.  They are brighter and use little electric.
     Individuals will have a harder time surviving.  We will need to group together and use each others skills to survive a crisis.   Randy feels like we have a stable community that others will want to join and add to in a crisis.  I agree with him.  Let us all do are part to be ready to comtribute to the cause when the time comes.

Firearms- Randy has a video that he is willing to lend to educate use on firearms.  Contact him if you want to borrow the video from him. 

Thanks again, Randy!!  We appreciate your efforts and learned a lot from you!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Magic Mix Recipe:


4 cups Instant or Non-Instant Dry Milk

1 cup Margarine or Butter, Room Temperature

1 cup Flour or Cornstarch

Combine all ingredients and mix until it looks like cornmeal (small pebbles).

Store in refrigerator until ready to use.


If you want to use powdered butter instead of the real butter your mix can be shelf stable, here is the recipe adjustment:

4 cups Powdered Milk

4 cups Flour

4 cups Dehydrated Margarine or Butter Powder

2 tsp. Salt

This recipe uses 1/2 cup Mix to 1 cup Water.

It tasted the same to me!

I think this will help save tons of fridge space!





                                                                     Ingredients


Mix together until it looks like cornmeal


     Creamed Eggs on Toast:



Follow the recipes below to make the white sauce. Add 2 boiled, peeled and chopped eggs to mixture. Season with salt, pepper and any other seasonings your family likes.

Serve over toast!
White Sauce:

Combine 1 cup water with ½ cup Magic Mix. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Makes 1 cup




Alfredo Sauce:  

Use the Magic Mix to make the White Sauce Recipe and add shredded Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese and season with Coarsely Ground Garlic Salt with Parsley. Serve over pasta.
 
 
Magic Mix

Pudding:

½ cup Sugar

2-3 Tbsp. Cocoa (Optional)

1 cup Magic Mix

2 cups Water

1 tsp. Vanilla

Combine Magic Mix, sugar, and cocoa in saucepan. Mix well. Add water; stir over medium heat until puffing bubbles. Add vanilla and beat. Cover and cool.

Makes 4 – ½ cup servings.

You can add butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips for twist!

You can also serve with fresh fruit and Spiffy Whip!
Project to Preparedness- Sanitation is essential
     Good for campouts also

                                                Portable Washer


                 You will need:


1- 5 or 6 gallon bucket
1- gamma lid
clothes pins
laundry soap
laundry line (rope)
stain stick
dryer sheets
2 gallon plastic bags
Plunger
bleach
drill bit 1 1/2"

Why dyer sheets & Ziploc bags you ask, when there is no electicity for a dryer?  Good Question!!  These are good for occasions where there is only a case of the "stinkies". Put your stinky clothes in the 2 gallon plastic bag along with the dryer sheet at night.  In the morning your clothes smell fresh again.

Instructions:

Drill a 1 1/2" hole in the middle of the gamma lid.  Put a board or something under the lid while drilling for support.

Make sure the plunger handle fits through the hole

Put the laundry items inside the bucket

                                                 attach the lid

There you have it!!  Not the top of the line washer, but in an emergency it will be a great thing to have....great on campouts also.

Friday, March 5, 2010






72 HOUR KITS should really be 120 hour kits!
Learn from others--it took 5 days for help to get to the people in Chile! Their government thought they were well prepared because of the history of earthquakes there.

Look to recent events:

*Katrina    *Midwest Floods *Winter storms in the Northeast   *Haiti * Japan * Chile * Taiwan *California Fires* Tidel Waves.

Can we really think that our turn isn't coming?? 

The reality is that it just isn't possible, in the real world, for large scale response to occur quickly, relative to what many people seem to expect. Too many naively expect the government to come riding to their rescue immediately. This isn't like dialing 9-1-1. It just doesn't work that way. If more people took some responsibility for their own preparedness, the available resources would get to those who truly need it much quicker. People who could do so, but fail to prepare not only hurt themselves, they cheat everyone else as well.

Things I have noticed on the news reports that people are experiencing:
*people have water, but won’t share, it is for themselves

* looting within 24 hours

* curfews

* People in streets with no supplies

* 5 days before water/food/ supplies get to the people.

* gangs forming

*Crime going rampade

If you don't want to be one of those standing in lines for hours waiting for water or food or ice and complaining incessantly on TV,  make the effort to prepare. Many of those who find themselves standing in these lines in many disasters could have prepared but did not. Don't be one of them!!

Emergency preparedness doesn't have to be expensive and you don't have to buy special survival gear and supplies. It's quite easy to assemble a basic 72 hour Emergency/Survival Kit with a trip to the supermarket and hardware store. That doesn't mean it will be the lightest possible kit, nor take up the least volume, as if you used specialty products, but it will suffice to keep you going when things take a turn for the worse.

I don’t recommend Buying Pre-made 72-Hour Kits. There are numerous commercially prepared 72 hour kits for sale, which sell like mad after every major disaster. You can use the list below to figure out if such kits really have what you need, but as always, be mindful of the quality of equipment and supplies included, not just what is there and the quantity. These companies make money by selling pre-made 72-hour kits. Although they have good intentions, these pre-made kits really are not a good idea because a 72-hour kit needs to be tailored to individual needs. It can also be less expensive to buy the essential items separately, which is important if 72 hour kits need to be made for a large family.

The essentials you need to survive for the short term are water and shelter. Everything else is really a luxury. That's not to say there aren't significant advantages to having food and medical supplies and the rest, but in terms of priority, they come second after the most basic essentials.

How do we prepared?

Prepared in Five Steps

1 DISCUSS the disasters most likely to happen in our area and their impact on your family’s safety. Hazards in our area include home fires, severe winter weather and storms, earthquakes, flooding, and hazardous materials threats. Riots, pandemic, ....

2 TRAIN all family members. Learn first aid . Learn to use a fire extinguisher and how to shut off utilities. Do not take the chance that the only person who knows first aid or how to turn off the natural gas will be at home when needed.  Even small children can do somethings, they are smarter than we give them credit for!!

3 ASSEMBLE your disaster supplies into a personal 72(120 hr) hour emergency preparedness kit. This would include food, water, clothing and medications to last you at least 72 (120)hours. You need enough supplies for each family member. (see list below)

4 IDENTIFY in and out of state emergency contact names and numbers and provide copies to each family member. Post a copy near your phone and put copies in your 72 hour disaster supplies kit. When local phone service is out, family members can use their out-of-state contact to relay messages. Put number’s in your cell phone.

5 MAINTAIN your readiness. Review your disaster preparedness plan with your family at least once a year. Identify what new training, equipment or supplies you may need. Replace batteries, update clothes.

Finally, don't rob your emergency kit when you need something for non-emergency use. You'll never remember to replace it and it won't be there when you really, really need it.

*****Don't forget your identification, money and critical important papers. Driver Licenses, Social Security cards, Medications with Name and Dosage (copy of prescription or label is best), Immunization cards for children, insurance documents, name and phone numbers of insurance agent(s) and main offices of insurance carrier, family and friends out of area that you can depend upon in an emergency, names of lawyers, copies of deeds, titles and inventory list of belongings (a video record could be useful), Spare Keys to house, cars, safety deposit box, etc. Money can solve a lot of problems in the days and weeks immediately after a disaster. Small bills so your not giving $100 bill for a bottle of water.

 
How to carry all this stuff?

*Trash can on Wheels (hands not free)   *Suit cases on wheels   *duffle bag  *foot locker  *framed backpack    *day pack   * fishing vest     *Milk jugs cut open and tied together  * cooler on wheels * 5-6 gal. bucket with lid  *whatever works for you, be creative.

Suggestions & Reminders

¨ Store your kit in a convenient place known to all family members. I keep my kit in the trunk of my car. I am where my car is most of the time!

¨ Keep items in air tight plastic bags. So they don't leak onto clothing and other items in your kit.

¨ Change your stored water supply every six months so it stays fresh.

¨ Rotate your stored food every six months.

¨ Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription medications.

¨ If you store important records on computers, keep backup copies on diskettes and/or keep hard copies on file. Thumb drive is good for this purpose.

 Keep the tanks on your vehicles full of gas for emergency evacuations.

AGAIN.....
If you don't want to be one of those standing in lines for hours waiting for water or food or ice and complaining incessantly on TV,  make the effort to prepare. Many of those who find themselves standing in these lines in many disasters could have prepared and did not.




Suggestions for items in a 72 (120 Hour) kit--put in it what you think YOU will need or want:  (This is about YOU)

72-Hour Kit Checklist  (120 Hours)

You should prepare a portable kit for each member of your family.

• WATER. Store 1 gallon of water per person per day. Keep at least a three day supply of water. Or tables, filter etc.

• FOOD and UTENSILS. At least one to three-day supply of nonperishable food that could include ready-to-eat meats, juices, high-energy foods such as granola or power bars.

• NOAA WEATHER ALERT RADIO, either hand crank or battery powered, extra batteries if needed.

• BLANKETS/PILLOWS/SLEEPING BAG

• FLASHLIGHT and extra batteries or hand crank, or light sticks. Do not use candles/open flame during an emergency.

• WHISTLE for emergency signal. Ready to hang around neck. Teach kids the approprate time to use an emergency whistle.

• DUST or FILTER MASKS, readily available in hardware, N95 mask recommended for preventing halation of airborne particles.

• MOIST TOWELETTES or Baby  Wipes for sanitation

• TOOLS - Wrench or Pliers to turn off utilities, Broom, Shovel, Hammer and Working Gloves.

• CAN OPENER for for food (if kit contains canned items).

• PLASTIC SHEETING and DUCT TAPE to “seal the room” for sheltering in place.

• MEDICATIONS to include prescription and non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, stomach remedies and etc.

• FIRST AID SUPPLIES. An assortment of bandages, ointments, gauze pads, cold/hot packs, tweezers, scissors and sanitizer.

• PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS to include at least one change of clothing/shoes/outerware. Don't forget toothpaste/brush, soap, etc.

• GARBAGE BAGS and plastic ties for personal sanitation.

• PAPER SUPPLIES. Note pads, markers, pens, pencils, plates, napkins, paper towels and etc.

• CAMERA. Disposable camera to record damage.

• CASH. Keep enough cash for immediate needs in small denominations.

• EMERGENCY CONTACT PHONE LIST.

• MAPS. Local road and area maps.

• MEDICAL HISTORY LISTS. For every family member in your home make a list of medical history, all medications (by name) and dosages.

Emergency Container Tip:

Create emergency kit(s) and store in any type of containers with wheels. Such as for the larger kits;garbage cans, foot-lockers, chest, duffle bags, tote bags, ice chest, various size suitcases or various size plastic boxes. A water-tight container is most ideal for keeping a 72-Hour Kit.

Suggested Areas To Store Emergency Kit(s): Store grab-and-go food and water container where easy to access in case you are advised to evacuate. Children and adults keep their emergency kit(s) in their bedrooms. Let the children have responsibility for their own backpack and have the older children buddy-up and take care of younger brothers or sisters. Mom, dad take care of baby.

If a senior citizen resides with the family, also buddy-up and help them for they move slower and a backpack
may be too heavy for them to carry.

Re-think where all of your camping gear is located throughout the household. Keep in one area if possible for easy access so youʼre not looking in the dark with a flashlight for things.

Always keep a pair of hard sole shoes underneath your bed.

Be Ready!! Be Safe!! Be Calm!!