OK, as crazy as it sounds… we have talked about the people who will be in this boat. While it is true that one cannot possibly prep all they will need in one day, some people might end up in this situation.
What would we tell someone who only has a day (or two) to prep? It would depend, of course, on how many people they have to prep for, but we can make a list per individual.
I would suggest:
Other than that, what else should someone try to do in 24hrs? The rice and beans could tide them over until they have time to more accurately gauge the size of the emergency. They would still have some leftover food already in the house as well to use up.
I suppose part of this might go back to the thread “what items will be most scarce” — the last-minute prepper should get some of those, possibly. Although, what will be scarce anyway may not necessarily be necessary.
The last-minute prepper, should, before running out of the house to grab everything, make a plan of action: how many items can you pick up at one single store? Will everyone be going to this store?
Perhaps the prepper should call the store first to be sure it isn’t already overloaded or sold out on most items.
It might make more sense to visit various stores, and/or to spend more than one would usually to get the needed items.
If there are two cars and two preppers in the house, each could take a different route and/or split up the prepping tasks.
Or, each could try to get all of the above in an effort to be doubly sure all items are had.
Cell phone communication between the two would be handy as you and your partner/spouse/roommate try to pick everything up around town.
you would spend more, you wouldn’t have time to price shop.. if you didn’t have anything? like sleeping bag, cooler, bug spray, first aid kit a map of where they might be going (thinks I’d better check that myself)
It would not be a good idea on this sort of last-minute prep (and we’re talking about people who haven’t prepped ANYTHING yet) to try to grab everything as though on a shopping-spree.
You would have to be STRATEGIC and take the time to buy ONLY those things that would give you the MAXIMUM benefit.
It would be hard; I think the temptation would be to run around and pull almost everything down from the shelves that you liked; but you’d have to know ahead which items you would really need, which foods would give the most energy, last the longest, etc.
Last minute OTC meds! I have been surprised how fast ibuprofen goes (I have a broken ankle!). Stuff to make ORS- sugar salt maybe salt substitute for potassium (recipes vary). As much canned soup as possible - the kind with pull tab tops might be more suitable for younger kids who may be in charge of feeding themselves, unfortunately.
ah… wouldn’t you have a list? or would this be like a sudden realization thing. You might ask the 10 items from the pharmacy section YOU must get
I should clarify the purpose of this thread: I was referring to people who haven’t prepped ANYTHING yet, but then they hear on the radio/tv/internet that a cluster has broken in North America somewhere, and they decide for themselves, “ok, this is it. This is real now. I really should get some stuff.”
Or, the country’s officials step up their injunctions to buy tuna and stay indoors — so the non-prepper becomes a last-minute prep-as-fast-as-you-canner. :)
And that’s the person I’m talking about… the mad rush of the masses who waited until the leader of the pack tells them to get ready.
maybe a strategic walmart, sam’s club, or whatever list (one for each type) three hours shopping, what to get where
I guess the subtitle to this thread should be: “…and you haven’t started prepping yet.”
you hit the baking section.. flour salt sugar salt, in a frenzy you remember yeast, coa coa and maybe a bag of brown sugar… you round the aisle to? and grab what?
yes, OTC meds definitely.
My idea is that we can make this into an official list and then eventually post it as such and put it on the index or main page for that time when people start flocking to Flu Wiki after they hear on the media that “it’s finally hit.”
notices I’ve grabbed excess salt and ditches it in canned soup section.. approximately 32 cans of soup latter I begin to wonder how I’m going to manage the cart…
Hopefully most people will have heard of the Flu Wiki at least a week in advance of when they actually need it (so to speak).
dog food.. I grab two bags and shove them under the cart, I know I should “off” the cat but grab a bag of cat food anyway and wedge it in behind…
I take a short cut down the frozen section, checking for ice cream as I whip by.. yesssss rocky road! I make a mental note to grab a half gallon on the way to the check out.. which in turn reminds me to head for the paper section for toilet paper, towels, paper plates and plastic spoons (I’ll be eating the ice cream in the check out line)
unfortunately this store has a limited selection of canned beef, I promptly clean them out of dinty moore beef stew and half of those little wieners in a can
suddenly I realize that the only place I’ve seen flashlight batteries are at the checkout stand….
I make a sharp left into pharmacy! YEA!!!!! large rubbing alcohol, Hydrogen peroxide, any bandages in sight.. large thing of lotion toothpaste, rubber gloves.. etc etc etc I escape with room in my cart for more. .but more what?
oh yea. rice and beans… lot’s of rice and beans and three big cans of columbian coffee
I remember gadgetry and hit the kitchen section, grabbing a couple of can openers, a large wire whisk and a big funnel. In hardware I grab four locks and and an equal quantity of hasps.. if I’m short on bolts and wire I grab some of those. (later I plan to rig my car alternator to the battery and charge it with an exercise bike…
ah hunting and fishing department… I pull up to a stunned looking clerk and ask to see a good 20 gauge pump shotgun.. (nothing like the sound of a shotgun being pumped to get someone’s attention) since a hand gun is out of the question I buy two nice hunting knives, some pepper spray, the shot gun and what ever amount of ammo the law will allow…
fill your car and if there’s any room left in your car, go back in the store and get more stuff before you go home.
somehow I balance all of this and grab a large cooler with a handle and wheels on it. opening it and stuff nearly every item I see in sight, that I might possibly have a perceived use for.. push it closed and head for the check out line…
as I hit check out I notice the thick crowd piling through the doors, I lean forward and slyly pull all the batteries into my cart.. I realize coming back would be foolish..some one would surely just make off in my car
winks, I’m ready
Just imagining the scene has made me feel better about my preps.
Grab all the beef jerky (assuming not vege), pricy but lightweight; rather than shotgun, grap slingshot. Rocks always available.
moeb- ROFLMAO
now watch for someone watching you and following you home because you seemed “prepared”
Unfortunately Moeb… if you did the 24 hour shopping in that one trip (one large cart) you probably have less than 30 days of provisions at best.
The sheer volume of food & supplies to feed a family of 2 or 3 for any serious length of time is rarely understood - as most people buy a week or two at a time (at most) and add to this with eating out at restaurants and “quick trips” to the corner store.
This has the makings of a reality TV show! You get half an hour in a Super WalMart and then have to live on the stuff till you give up, winner is last family standing!
What a great idea Corky52, you should seriously sell that to FOX. I’d watch, and I don’t like reality shows.
Local TV station here in San Diego did something similar on earthquake preparedness a couple of years ago. The show got great viewership. Families had to live with what they had in their homes with power, gas and water shutoff, three day time frame.
Yes all cans with ringpulls I agree for the kids. I like stocking canned fruit - we eat so much fresh it is hard to imagine not having any fruit at all. Beans are good due to protein as is tuna and salmon - lots of nuts, walnuts, almonds etc for Omega 3s I added garbage bags the other day to my prepps hadnt done that before. I think chocolate would certainly be great too!
Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter,and Peanut Butter.
macaroni and cheese.. I forgot it
Corky52 @01:03 I think that for many of the regulars on the Wiki, that show would be boring. If all we had to contend with was 3 days, and it was during otherwise “normal” times, most of us would just crank over the generator, pop open a cold one, watch the other network on TV, eat our regular meals, have no problems with sanitation or showers, and then go to bed contented.
Three days later, there would be a mass firing at the TV station for whomever thought up this “stupid” show concept.
On a serious note, I have been making it a hobby lately to count up the packages of a product on the sheld or on the “on sale” gondolas out in the front of the store. It is surprising to see that a massive display only holds perhaps a few tens of dozen of an item. So in reality, the first family comes in and snags 50 cans of something, the next 5 familes do the same, and then the big sale gondola is empty. The shelves sometimes only have a few tens or a few units of other items. By the time the average individual gets the message, there will be little left to run up and down the aisles and grab.
Next time you are in the store of your choice, actually take the time to count up how many of an item are being displayed/sold on both a regular shelf and in a sale gondola. The results will give you a new reason to prep NOW.
Beer, beans, babe, benzene & bullets.
Please reconsider the pull top soup cans for kids. Those rings can be hard to pull. My mother and my kids have to put so much weight against it to open, that when (if) it does finally let go, the contents of the can go flying all over the kitchen! Regular hand can opener is the way to go, unless you are sure that your children can open the pop top ones.
Benedryl (fights mucus formation, may reduce cytokine storm), Pedialyte pops, Gatorage, matches, fuel for the camp stove, bag of onions (sauted onion helps Spam a great deal), lots of chocolate, BLEACH, Beware of Dog sign, thermometer, can pie filling (nice treat after days of rice and beans), thriller novel.
I should have added benedryl, bleach and book to the basic “B”s.
“Brunswick” herring fillets(canned)Seafood Snacks - source of omega-3 polyunsaturates - protein - vitamin D - calcium This is a great(ready to eat) snack with crackers, easy open(pull tab) and I get them for .97 cents each and they have different flavours (My kids love the golden smoked) Product of New Brunswick, Canada
Close this thread, its a waste of space
Babywipes!
Burn Barrel!
Sorry Momathomejill that you are offended by the silliness of the basic “B”s. In actuality these are the headings of categories in a mental check list. Beer: things to drink. Beans: things to eat. Babe: loved ones. Bullets: security needs. Benzene: fuel needs. I should have added Benedryl: medical needs. Bleach: sanitation needs. And Book: entertainment needs.
Its just a mnemonic device to remember necessities.
You pull your teenage kids out of school, give them lists and a cell phone, and you drop them off separately at different locations . The more carts you have at more locations simultaneously, the more likely you will fulfill your needs (and max out your credit card). The kids could wait near the checkout line with their full cart for you to come by and pay for the stuff and transfer it to your vehicle. You could even have time to dump your load at the house to make more room in your vehicle.
Ahh…one of the niceties of driving a Ford Excursion!! TONS of room for stuff both inside, and if I have a small step-ladder, stuff on top!!!
The downside? $90 to fill the tank!!!
bleach and a 12 ga shotgun.
If you think it’s going to be crazy out there, maybe it would be better to keep the kids together and not make them cope alone with the shoving and grabbing. My anxiety would be off the charts, so I would want them in the same store with me. (Nightmare scenario-what if something prevented me from picking them up? Like carjacking??)
Momathomejill: another thread you want to close?? Have you been at home too long? Get some fresh air.
bucket.
Besides meds (fever reducers, first aid kit, re-hydrators) and food (rice, beans, pasta and sauce, water, meds, canned goods, PB, whole wheat crackers, pop tarts, sanitizing items). Also as much fresh produce, etc you can reasonably use before it goes bad (apples/oranges last a long time) and all the frozen veggies you can fit in your freezer. As well as meat to freeze.
And yes, momathomejill seems to complain a lot about “waste of space” threads.
My sister will clearly be in this category. She told me it’s nice that I have an interest in all this “medical stuff” but she said I’m paranoid anyway and she has more important things in HER life to think about.
This from a woman with a husband, two kids under 12 and never any food in her house. She hates to go food shopping under the best of conditions and only does it when she’s down to a can of tuna, stale crackers, a moldy loaf of bread and the milk is going sour.
BoonCT and lauraB --- perhaps we should cut her momathomejill some slack. I think she’s a fairly new visitor to the Wiki, and I remember when I first came on board, all I wanted was information about how to protect my family. I didn’t want anything else but that…no jokes, no news, no “feel-good” articles---just “How can I protect my family from a possible pandemic that could kill all of us?”
OTOH---mebbe she just doesn’t like to play at recess…
Ignore the trolls. We should have some new capabilities for dealing with them by the weekend.
jon c – at 10:08 --- bleach and a 12 ga shotgun.
Now, jon c, I wanna see the reloaded you use to get bleach to stay in them there shotgun shells!! ;-)
RELOADER!!
Melanie – at 12:16 --- Hello, dear. ;-) I’m think that momathomejill isn’t a troll. I’ve seen her handle on some of the other threads with information, but she does seem to want information very cut ‘n dry…no horsing around.
When I was with a group of friends and we started talking about BF no one had done any prepping but me and they all said, well we all know we will just come to your house you always have tons of food. For some reason on my list(24 hour prepper) I would be thinking more stuff for if you get sick, jello, soups, gatorade, stuff to make up IV drinkable solutions for replacement, bleach and masks, tylenol, and NO. 1 GUAIFENESIN I truly believe with a chest congestion this could be a lifesaver. Keeping the phlegm loose will be a key.
I’ve been considering a new thread… door etiquette
I mean what happens when there comes a knock on the door? A desperate voice, perhaps at night. What if it’s someone in a uniform?
So she wants her info cut and dried and she wears red underpants. Let her start her own wiki.
moeb, you have me LMAO here!
Besides all the Peanut Butter, I would grab every single package of Hershey’s candy bars I could find. All those cheap wine boxes too!
I can just see it - Moeb screeches to a stop at the checkout, forks over his debit card, only to be told he’s over his $500 per day limit! Now he has to put some things back! AAAAAAAHHHHhhhhhh….OMG, what to sacrifice, the rice or beans!
(I say “he” because he went through the pharmacy without grabbing tampons, which is the first place I’d head)
Or - better yet - the toothpaste barcode isn’t in the system, and the cashier gets on the speaker to call for a price check. After 10 minutes the teenage stock boy shows up, and is sent off into the store to find the price of the toothpaste. After 20 more minutes, he shows up, with a price, and finally the checkout is finished and Moeb forks over his debit card… (go to first scenario).
In the mean time, all the people behind him are on the verge of riot….
Wait a minute, this happens every day at my local Food Circus!
Remark: tinned soup is a really bad idea if you’re trying to get maximum food into minimum space - read the nutrition label, it’s usually pretty low calorie! (I’m assuming of course that you have water.) It may be useful as a convelescence food, or as a luxury if you can afford the space and like it, but for sheer sustenance almost anything else is a better choice.
moeb----that was so funny AND visual! I couldn’t stop laughing! I just wanted to add this page: “Will moeb come to the customer help desk. Your five children have been here for two days. If moeb is still in the store, please come get your children. Paging moeb . . . . .”
Anyway, “If you only have 24 hours”? The store is the last place I would want to be. The panic before an incipient hurricane or blizzard is bad enough, but an outbreak of a possible lethal virus? Saints preserve us. I want to be home, safe, with my family.
Eccles,
The TV show was back before Avian Flu and part of an earthquake awareness series, pretty good at the time. Watching the problems the people had just in the three days, without water, electricity and gas opened some eyes. Getting people here up to speed isn’t the problem!
If this doesn’t get the newtimers prepping, nothing on Gods green earth will.
I am planning to ‘enrich’ everything with the rice and beans that I have plenty of. I have 5 men in the house to feed and I better provide some solid substance in those stomachs otherwise there will be a lot of sneaking around the pantry! For that same reason I also bought a lot of potato flakes to ‘thicken up’ the meals.
Now, can I please do 2 more B’s?
BBgun and Bulldog
energy bars, gels,powder form of gatorade. high in calories and nutrients, light weight.
Baseball bat and bullwhip.
Bouncing Betty’s for perimeter defense - Walmart is usually out of stock though. ;)
25 hours only, I am prepared. I would spend the time calling family and friends and checking to see what they needed and make sure they were aware.
Bug spray( to go with rat traps)
Empty my bank account. Hit Costco for as much food as I can get & Gas for the car, Walmart for OTC meds, vitamins, gloves, masks, cleaning supplies, TP and so fourth and pick up prescriptions at the drug store. Note to self: transfer prescriptions to Walmart or Costco so I have one less place to stop.
Hey this would be great for a 24 hours, Jack Bauer show. Each week he spends an hour prepping.
I’m sorry, I meant to say super soaker and bleach. not 12 guage shotgun.
BoonCT—feeding your crew with “rice and beans” for several meals will definitely “enrich” the environment!!
With five girls and myself, I would definitely stock up on Tampax, Playtex, Always, Motrin, Motrin, Motrin—do they sell PMS meds OTC?
I couldn’t help but post, this has been really exhilarating reading this post! I do think it would make a great reality show. My sister’s small neighborhood is going to spend next weekend living off their supplies along with no power or running water then reconnoiter and discuss what they might do differently or what worked well for them. P.S., I think I’d hit up vitamin C and multi-vitamins aisle while heading to the pharmacy :)
mother of five – at 23:40 --- they sell PMS meds OTC?
Also….Rum. 151 proof. After 3 shots, you won’t care… ;→><<
Uh oh, what happened??? I soo screwed that up!! mother of five: midol and pamprin. Jeeeezzzz…
Also…Rum. 151 proof. After 3 shots, you won’t care :-}
bump
24 to go…MEAT! Canned Vienna sausage, corned beef, sardines, SPAM (do you know Guam has 7 varities of SPAM?, one they sell only there, but the times I have been working there I could not figure out which was the Guamaniam one). More sardines. Maybe a case of Hi-Ho crackers…Almost forgot…as much chocolate as I can find for the wife…
mother of five - down here it’s not PMS. It’s FTS. (fixin’ to start)
LMAO! A good ol’ boy, for sure!!
I actually used this argument to convince my daughter to start prepping now. She said, ‘I haven’t heard anything at work about the bird flu (she works in a medical clinic), so I think I will wait until there is an official warning before I take this seriously.’ I said, ‘Picture this,if you wait until then, you will be standing in lineups three hours long amongst sick people that might already have the flu and you will only end up coming out of the store with a couple of weeks worth of food if you are lucky. You will even forget some very vital things, which you will have to go back to purchase, and stand in another 3 hour lineup, that is if there is anything left in the store by the time you go back for your second purchase. Wouldn’t it be better to do that shopping now, when you can buy everything on sale and without being exposed to sick people who could give you the flu? What have you got to lose by shopping now? A pantry full of food is like money in the bank. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose!’ I also gave each of my adult children a ‘list of stuff to bring if we are part of your backup plan.’
we’re all gonna need lots and lots of BeanO
Just figure out how to bottle the gas and use it to cook with.
Based on this thread I have typed up a Word Document to print and give to family and friends who are not prepping as of yet. I want to make it as easy as possible for them if they only have 24 hours. Also I want to get them thinking about the logistics of actually doing it this way (as so many of them have said they will do). I also want to give them examples of each item where applicable in case they are in panic mode; this way the examples may trigger them out of panic mode and into thinking somewhat logically.
What will have a high trade value in a pandemic: DISASTER CURRANCY
1. WATER 2. WATER PURIFICATION SUPPLIES 3. FOOD 4. TOILET PAPAR 5. DAIPERS 6. BATTERIES 7. FIRST AID SUPPLIES 8. WATER STORAGE CONTAINERS 9. FIRE EXTINGUISERS 10. BATTERY OPERATED RADIO 11. CELL PHONE (RENT PER USE) 12. GENERATOR (RENT PER USE) 13. GASOLINE 14. PROPANE 15. INVERTER 16. CHARCOAL 17. TARPS, ROPE, PLYWOOD, DUCT TAPE 18. TOOLS 19. CANDY, TOBACCO, ALCOHOL
B is for Baygen
bump
Kate that is a great idea! I’m glad you thought of doing that. In fact, that is one of the goals I had in mind starting this thread. I’d like to make that ultimate 24-hr list and repost it here.
PanicStricken, I really like: “A pantry full of food is like money in the bank.” I would change this to “A pantry full of preps is like money in the bank.” and put it on t-shirts or something:) Really, that sums the argument up nicely.
Okay, next I will post the beginning of a flyer/list I am going to make (as Kate did above) and circulate. Please feel free to help me build on it. I am basing it on suggestions from this thread. Feel free to also use it for yourself.
If You Only Have 24 Hours To Prepare for H5N1 Quarantine: (please copy and circulate)
This list is for individuals who have failed to stockpile goods and supplies for the event of an avian flu pandemic. It assumes that there has been some official or obvious sign given that a state of pandemic has been reached and that the best hope for protection will be self-quarantine. It has been said that a virus at this stage will be able to pass to any point on the globe within 18 hours. YOU NEED TO STOCK UP NOW.
NB: You will need to make a plan of action. You will not be able to get everything you need for a 3-month quarantine in one shopping trip! Sorry - you should have begun preparing earlier. This list is based upon what you should attempt to accomplish in the ultimately unfortunate of “last-minute” trips – the one you will have to compete in with other panic-stricken shoppers for dwindling food and supplies.
NB2: If the store has run out of an item you need, MOVE ON. Don’t panic. Do not waste time in this situation. Go to another store until you get it.
NB3: You will need cash! Some stores may no longer accept credit or debit in this situation. In others, the lines may be down. Don’t risk your survival because you do not have adequate cash on hand.
As I said in another thread, I got really strange looks at Walgreens when I showed up at the checkout with Theraflu, chocolate, tampons and vodka. ‘nuff said!
list continued, part 2:
IN LOOSE ORDER OF IMPORTANCE:
meats/beans/fruit/fish, what fresh fruit, cheese, is left. Focus your energies on grabbing foods that provide the most nutrition (eg., soups not as filling)
OK — any additions/ changes? I have a part 3 coming up, with lists of what should be bought on a second trip if one is possible. For this trip, I only want to list the things to buy IF ONLY ONE TRIP WAS POSSIBLE (and with the realistic restrictions of time (8 hours shopping limit), money (daily cash limit withdrawal) and availability (face it, some will be sold out).
continued, part 3:
LESS ESSENTIAL ITEMS to pick up if you have TIME, MONEY and they are AVAILABLE:
REALLY LESS ESSENTIAL (for urban survival) ITEMS TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER TRIP TO PICK UP:
FOR ALL OTHER ESSENTIAL ITEMS YOU WILL NEED A SECOND TRIP (at your own risk)
ricewiki: Only one addition to that “first trip out”- several big jugs of vegetable oil-canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, etc. You need those good fats for physical and mental health as well as for the “dense” calories.
Since I can’t figure out how to attach a link, I will just copy and paste this… Also I tried to split it up visually by section/aisle at the grocery store soit would be easier to split it between family members or one wouldn’t waste any time running back down aisles for an item before they’ve gone through the whole store. I formatted it a bit nicer, using centering, bolding and bullet points but this is the text:
WHAT TO BUY IF YOU ONLY HAVE 24 HOURS
If you are buying last-minute food, water and supplies when a human-to-human pandemic has been announced as spreading, please sit down for 5 minutes and make a plan of action with your family- if you own multiple cars, have a family member drive each car (caravan style) to the same store, each of you take a cart (or two) and divide this list - meet back at the checkout and load all of the cars. Pull the children out of school immediately and start the family plan into action. Cell phones may come in handy - communication would be handy as you pick everything up around the stores and around town.
It is not a good idea to grab everything you can - BE STRATEGIC. Everyone else will be ‘panic shopping’ along side you.
Next stop should be for gas for each of the cars. Fill any portable gas containers you may have or can buy at the gas station. Be prepared to spend considerably more than you would at any other grocery store run.
THE SHEER VOLUME OF FOOD NEEDED FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR FOR 3 MONTHS IS RARELY UNDERSTOOD: BUY AS MANY AS YOU CAN GET/CARRY OF EACH ITEM!
N95 NIOSH-rated Medical Particulate Masks
beef consommé
cocoa, yeast, etc…
Page 2
Theraflu, Nyquil, Pepto Bismal, cough expectorant, allergy medicine, Benedryl, Tylenol & Tylenol PM etc…
buy a back up)
If you have a Babies or Pets - baby food, pet food, diapers, wipes, powder, ointments, soap, lotion etc…
If there is time, stock up on books (not checked out at the library), games, etc…
ITEMS TO BUY ONLY IF THERE IS TIME AND ROOM
Cheese Eggs Potatoes Onions Fresh Fruit Fresh vegetables Comfort Foods
Nice work, ricewiki:
Water: I would make is to up the level of water containers and fill them with the water that is still on and clean and save room in the cart for other things.
Meds/vitamins: I would also add things like mucinex, oscillococcinum (homeopathic med sold in Costco and was developed about the time the WWI flu hit. My MD studies homeopathic and other forms of alternative medicine and says to take on dose per week when WHO hits stage 4), simply saline nasal spray, and tylenol to alternate with ibuprofen. Also vitamins— a big multi and some good quality Omega 3s and some antioxidants. Immodium-D or other meds for diarreha. Food: bullion cubes for chicken, beef and vegetable—Assume you are going to be making soup and chicken broth eases breathing, spices—ginger, tumeric and cinnamon for medicinal and cooking. Some tea to help keep fluids up and bring in some antioxidants.
Cleaning: liquid laundry detergent, Big paper towel package, big jug of white vinegar for cleaning. Extra tissue boxes.
Thanks for the feedback. I’d like to find a way to combine mine and Kate’s lists so we can make one master list and repost as its own complete thread, something newbies or last-minute-preppers can download/cut-n-paste if they come here in a panic.
Remember, this “If You Only Have 24 Hours” list is different from a “How Do I Start To Prep” list.
Both are directed at people who haven’t started prepping yet, but the former is for dire straits once the pandemic becomes “official” or there is an otherwise obvious escalated emergency pandemic situation.
The latter is simply for the calm before the storm, like right now, while we all still have (forseeable) time to prep.
Add to med list - Gatorade and/or other oral rehydrator. Dehydration is a major contributor to severe illness/death.
Forgot to add - it would be great to have a list we could show/send to people so THANK YOU for doing this. At least even if they don’t beleive there is a problem they’ll have a guide should TSHTF.
Did you mention powdered milk? Also, liquid dish detergent is versatile!
Be sure to use two carts. Push one, pull the other one. (not a joke to you Brits)
If I may make some suggestions/thoughts about ricewiki’s excellent list:
The first thing I woud be sure to get is supplies for oral rehydration solution and fever reduction
If this is a last minute, survive or perish list, my thought is that there is too much stuff on the list.
To add to the “B” list - Basics, Basics, Basics. Stick to the basics.
Sahara I agree with you, that if this is truly a “survival” list it’s a wee bit bloated. I am going to do up a final draft and put it out for just such an evaluation.
eg., tea and coffee are great and helpful, but are certainly not survival items in any stretch of the imagination. You need water for both, coffee dehydrates and is a diuretic. etc etc.
Gonna go over your list and accomodate it. Thanks everyone for suggestions! I really do want this to be a service to newbies and/or the final wave of panickers!
It’ll be a service to ME too- just one more way to check myself to make SURE I have basics covered. Also, to have a list to pass out to falks. If they see the minimum it’s gonna take, maybe (big maybe) they’ll go ahead and get started some.
I meant FOLKS.
OK, what I’ll do once we (mostly) agree on a final version, is I’ll format it nicely in MS Word and make it available as an attachment/ download.
Anyone who wants it then can email me at rice wiki (all one word) at hotmail dot com and I will send it then.
Alternatively if there’s some common fluwiki address I can send the file to, we can post it there and readers can download from there.
Questions:
Are any of these items (below) really necessary FOR SURVIVAL (and I do mean barebones but healthy survival) and to grab on your first-and-possibly-only trip?
My inclination is to put them in the “if you have time/money” section, or in a “second trip if possible” section:
Just to repeat, I’m not doubting the high importance of some of these items, but *if you could only make one trip* under time constraints, are any of these really necessary? You could pick them up on a second trip if you are able to make one (eg., if your town hasn’t come down with the flu etc.)
If you think of other items like this (needed and useful, but not for ultimate survival) feel free to add them here.
Obviously, ideally, we would want to pick up a bit of everything we would want/need on that first and “ultimate” shopping trip, but practical factors can’t allow it and the last-minute-survival-prepper should be much more strategic with his/her time.
I want the list to be able to provide the last-minute-survival-prepper (LMSP) with a feeling of a certain amount of basic security at the end of the day. So that he/she can think, “well at least I have enough of what I really need, even if things won’t be as comfortable as I would like.”
The LMSP is probably going to have to deal with a certain amount of rationing for his/her self/family and won’t be living on the same standard of living as before (obviously; that’s the downside of not having done any prepping).
I see where you have “extra can opener”. I know this is obvious to most of us, but maybe you should put “extra MANUAL can opener”, in case the power goes out. Would hate for anyone to have all that canned food and only an electric can opener and no power :) And thanks for the lists…its a great double-check for me.
Got it. Almost done with the penultimate draft.
Editing such a list could be a never ending task!
True Hillbilly! But I want to come up with a basic very practical template anyway — people can always download and customize further if they need to.
Just SOMETHING that most of us agree on will get the LMSP through at least 3 months alive and still generally healthy.
I think it is a very worthy task. I know I didn’t have a clue when I started. Actually my preparations were for those things that I would need to “grab and go”, such as a first aid kit, box of prescription and OTC meds, important papers file, survival stuff (i.e. blankets, flashlighs, emergency cooking gear, etc.).
About the time I got those together I discovered the ‘wiki and have been working on SIP ever since. It’s not a bad idea to be ready to do both. Let me know if you want me to assemble a “bug out” list.
What’s a SIP? I haven’t picked up on that acronym yet:)
Sitting in place? Solitude Isolation Preparation?
I would definitely put Gatoraid on the last minute prep items. Most people may find picky children more likely to drink something like gatoraid than DIY oral rehydrating solution (flavor, color, name of stuff, etc), storage is long, convienent, easy to use for anyone, doesn’t need refrigeration, ability to make individual servings, etc. We eat fresh fruit and Rarely drink any type of juice. Last go round with bad colds, I bought a huge container of Tang. Amazing the desire to drink something novel!
Great list- been jotting down just to double check my inventory.
ricewiki - sorry, Sheltering In Place. A more appealing term than self-quarantine.
First aid supplies including bandaids and triple antibiotic creams, otc cold and flu medicines including fever reducers, fire extinguisher, dry cereals, rice, cond. cream soups, canned meats, vegtables, protein bars, instant breakfast dry mix, tang, gatoraid, vitamins, bleach, hydrogen peroxide. Batteries, matches, charcol, candles, tampons, tp, soap. If someone could get all that at the last minute, I’d be amazed.
OK everyone, here’s the penultimate draft (combines mine, Kate’s and above comments) before posting it separately. Please read the above thread if you’re new to the discussion before posting any suggestions/comments — just to be sure we’re all on the same page. After receiving further suggestions I’ll finalize it and post. You can also email me for a final copy in Word attachment at rice wiki (all one word) at hotmail dot com. Thanks everyone. (I hope all my formatting works below, just trying it now.)
If You Only Have 24 Hours To Prepare for H5N1 Quarantine (please copy and circulate)
Note to Fluwikians: Remember, this “If You Only Have 24 Hours” list is different from a “How Do I Start To Prep” list.
Both are directed at people who haven’t started prepping yet, but the former is for dire straits once the pandemic becomes “official” or there is an otherwise obvious escalated emergency pandemic situation.
The latter is simply for the calm before the storm, like right now, while we all still have (forseeable) time to prep.
This list is for individuals who have failed to stockpile goods and supplies for the event of an avian flu pandemic. It assumes that there has been some official or obvious sign given that a state of pandemic has been reached and that the best hope for protection will be self-quarantine. It has been said that a virus at this stage will be able to pass to any point on the globe within 18 hours. YOU NEED TO STOCK UP NOW.
NB: If you are buying last-minute food, water and supplies when a human-to-human pandemic has been announced as spreading, please sit down for 5 minutes and make a plan of action. It is not a good idea to grab everything you can - BE STRATEGIC. You will not be able to get everything you need for a 3-month quarantine in one shopping trip! This list is based upon what you should attempt to accomplish in the ultimately unfortunate of “last-minute” trips – when everyone else will be “panic shopping” beside you. Focus your energy on grabbing foods that provide the most nutrition.
TIPS/SUGGESTIONS:
NB: If the store has run out of an item you need, MOVE ON. IT WILL NOT BE THE END OF THE WORLD. Do not waste time in this situation. Go to another store until you get it.
NB2: You will need cash! Some stores may no longer accept credit or debit in this situation. In others, the lines may be down. Don’t risk your survival because you do not have adequate cash on hand. And be prepared to spend considerably more than you would at any other grocery store run.
IN LOOSE ORDER OF IMPORTANCE:
LESS ESSENTIAL ITEMS to pick up if you have TIME, MONEY and they are AVAILABLE:
REALLY LESS ESSENTIAL (for urban survival) ITEMS TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER TRIP TO PICK UP and then ONLY IF YOU REALLY NEED THEM:
FOR ALL OTHER ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL ITEMS YOU WILL NEED A SECOND TRIP (at your own risk)
Lotion and conditioner aren’t needed for survival. Technically speaking, neither is shampoo. You can wash your hair with a bar of soap.
This is a great list! One problem - it’s a mixture of “types” and how many of a “type” (e.g., can of tomato paste, jug of oil). It might be better just to list the “types”, since the quantities depend on the number of people being fed.
yes, MfromNM. We could write it up just for “one person” and then the individual can build from there according to their needs.
Sahara: true. I could move the shampoo/conditioner in with the other ‘luxury items’ that can wait.
The one big thing that stands out, after reading this thread, is that you DON’T want to be a LMSP!!!
However, I am thinking that foil might be good to add somewhere on that list (cook without needing to clean pans with water).
Also - the Gatorade would be more manageable in the powdered form.
Have someone at home filling up containers with water? We have water delivered in 5 gal jugs. If we get a SIP order, I’ll fill up any empties at the tap. I’ve done that when we’ve had a hurricane on the way.
Possibly some spices are necessary, for variety, especially for kids. Kids especially might eat less than they need if they are bored with beans/rice as a daily offering. Depending on family favorites, maybe beans can have an ethnic flavor, Italian, Mexican, German, Polish, Korean, Indian, or ?
Peanut butter is a staple, IMO. It can be mixed with dry milk, honey and oatmeal as a protein and calcium sweet (maybe with raisins or chocolate). Or made into a sauce with cayenne, garlic, and vinegar.
A multi-vitamin, especially a source of Vitamin C.
Thank you for the great list!
I think when mommaof3 was talking about Gatorade, she meant the powdered kind. You will need to make sure a sick person drinks 2 to 3 quarts of ORS a day, which translates into many over the course of illness for one person. The Vita-water on the list will not serve as ORS. You need to have the right ratio of sugar and salt to effectively rehydrate. I’m not sure Gatorade has the right balance. Maybe somebody else knows for sure. Dr. Woodson recommends 10 lbs of sugar and 1 lb of salt to treat one sick person.
I don’t think bleach and hand sanitizer are on the “optional” list.
Is this list for one person?
Should read “which translates into may GALLONS over the course of illness for one person.”
Sahara, I haven’t made it into a “one-person” list yet. So far it’s sitting in limbo — I wouldn’t mind help from anyone regarding the specific quantities of items for a single person (then can multiply as needed for more people).
Re: gatorade. Didn’t know it also came in powder. Is this better?
Re: Woodson: one pound of salt?! That will kill you! (I’ll have to read that part of the book again). We can add the proper proportions of salt/sugar then.
re: bleach, sanitizer are currently on the “wait for 2nd trip if you need them” list. Should these be put on the “if you have time/money grab them” list? Hand sanitizer will only kill bacteria, and here we’re dealing with a virus (this is why I thought it less essential). Please correct me where I’m wrong.
I think the major point about this list is how DIFFICULT it would be to get the essential list in one trip. Imagine the complications if the stores are jammed, there are no free carts, and some shelves are completely empty. Start now! Even if it is just a little bit at a time.
hmmm, had another thought on this. Those who are prepping, or who are at least in the planning stages, know what an impossible task it would be if you had to prep for a SIP of 2–3 months’ duration in only 24 hours. A list of basic needs for one person to live on for 3 months, and what that equates to in #’s of shopping carts (a more visual example), might be enough to persuade more people to start prepping.
Just the tp alone could fill one cart!
Someone else added up the cans - 360 (4 cans for 1 person/day) - how many fit in a shopping cart? How many could you fit in your vehicle to get it home?
Thanks Hillbilly, Jane, Sahara, M Fox for the feedback.
Preppers know how unideal this sort of list will be.
At least with this list, the LMSP can get SOME of each of the items necessary for survival. The LMSP is no doubt going to have to ration things and live on a ration-system, especially if there is no good chance to go out for a second trip a day later.
Another thought:
poverty line/lower-income preppers. Those dependent on welfare or social support systems. I have no idea how to begin a list for such individuals, but maybe it should be done.
I know some of us here don’t have as much cash to get all the preps we want as soon as we want them, but there will be/are even more in an even worse situation, who can’t even meet daily needs. These people have to prep too!
Curiosity got the better of me, LOL!
If a shopping cart is (about) 3′ x 2′ x 2′, and an average can is 5″ tall with a 3″ diameter, then you could get about 460 cans in one cart. If each can weighs an average of 10 ounces, the whole load would be about 288 pounds.
For one person, you could pull out 100 cans (to have the 360 cans for one person bare minimum), then you’d have room for tp, meds and other toiletries, etc.
So, you could possibly prep one person per cart - but I know I sure couldn’t push it!
This is an interesting exercise. I have to admit I thought I was done prepping until last week, when I added up how much food was really required for my family of 4 to make it 3 months. It was then that I started to understand why so many bought 5 gallon pails of rice, flour, and beans, or #10 cans of dried fruit and dried milk. I am going to do that, too, because it has become obvious that my little pantry isn’t going to hold what we need without a few bulk-storage options.
At first I thought this thread wasn’t worth much, because it seems so impossible and everybody will have different ideas about what is a necessity. However, it might be a good exercise to help those who are starting their prep to understand how much they really need to get, and how to kick-start their preps if they want to get going fast.
I’m going to think about this a bit tonight, and I’ll post some thoughts tomorrow, if they’re worth anything.
BTW, ricewiki @15:42 - That one pound of salt isn’t all at once! It is used to make the ORS of 4 cups water, 3T sugar and 1/4 t salt. I hope you weren’t pulling my leg, I’m the one who looks up gullible in the dictionary, every time!
There is such a thing as powered Gatoraid, but I don’t know anything about it.
Thanks everyone.
I know a list like this can cause disagreements but I just want something basic solidified for that LMSP. They’re not going to be in an ideal situation, and this list isn’t going to put them in one. But as they say, it’s “better than nothing.”
… to say nothing of the fact that having a ready-made list like this will help the LMSP’s to focus and waste less time, you know? So they don’t end up going on a really chaotic shopping spree and buying things they WON’t really need, etc.
OK, I have the final list template done.
If you would like a copy please email me at rice wiki (all one word) at hotmail dot com.
I can send it in a word attachment, and you can customize it to your own specifications, and copy and pass on to others.
“It has been said that a virus at this stage will be able to pass to any point on the globe within 18 hours. YOU NEED TO STOCK UP NOW.”
Too late. The stores will already have been emptied, and the pertinent items went first. Anyone who thinks they can stock up in the last day will have a rude awakening. It would be deadly to suggest otherwise.
By knowing what these items are, maybe I can either a) help out someone or b) at least give them SOME idea of the enormity of the thing
Has anyone approached a grocery store and asked them to set up last minute shopping packages in the event of BF H2H in the area? They’d be heros if they would do it.
Did I miss the flour and yeast?
They need to plan for their funeral. This is not meant to be sarcastic, it will be a fact. It has taken us many months and lots of money to plan and prepare for 6 months of preps. If they only had 24 hours to prep, there wouldn’t be anything left on the shelf to prep for. Too late and a dollar short.
ricewiki - on the list to give my family who don’t believe Avian Flu is a potential threat at all, I am going to leave off the specific quantities for several reasons: 1) each family size is different and 2) they will become completely overwhelmed with those quantities listed and just flat out panic and will be less effective shoppers. Also I have stated at the top to ‘buy as much as possible’ and that the required amount of food for a family of 4 for 3 months is greatly underestimated. I want them to buy as much as possible and not just stop at 3 bags of rice if they can afford and have room for 4.
Also, I disagree that shampoo and conditioners, lotions, laundry etc are not essentials. They are essentials in the fact that my family members (and I think most would agree) will BELIEVE they are essential and therefore could very well venture out into the middle of a pandemic to get the item. Better to put it on the list now and have them buy a few of that said item and not feel like they have to go out and get some. Perception is everything. If they preceive it is essential to daily life, then it IS essential.
This is just for my family and friends. If one doesn’t grasp the enormity of the situation (and clearly they don’t or they wouldn’t be shopping in the last 24 hours) then they won’t grasp the enormity of the consequences of venturing out to buy that bottle of shampoo “in between waves”. Better to eliminate that situation.
Just my 2 cents. I have handed my draft out to some friends already. Most rolled their eyes but did promise to keep it tacked up above their desks or in a very easily found place. Some even thanked me. Who’da thunk?
I plan to email it out again upon H2H confirmation anywhere - and have put them in Emergency Care Boxes for each family member - which will be delivered well before H2H2H. Thanks ricewiki for your hard work on this.
Kate, we should trade lists… you can email me at ricewiki at hot mail dot com…
It’s good to know we’re doing this! Who knows how far our lists will go by email…
Hopefully to increase lots of awareness…
I know these aren’t essentials, but I have been stocking items that will make isolation more bearable—like great chocolate, chutneys, mustards,wine, my daughter’s favorite candies, etc. These will hopefully make days of rice and beans more palatable.
ecbmom – at 22:34
What is a chutney?
sam’s carries the BIG dry powder cans of Gatorade. You can also get small one quart packages you add to water. I think this would be a top essential for a sick person along with tylenol for fever.
Some people have mentioned picking up some salt but I don’t think people realize just how much salt they might need. You might use a pound of salt just making an oral rehydration solution for one sick person. How much salt is it going to take to prepare a couple of hundred pounds of rice?
If regular table salt is unavaible, try checking your local hardware store (or even the grocery store) for rock salt or water conditioner salt. Apart from the size, it’s essentially the same as table salt, though rock salt may have some minor impurities.
http://www.aquascienceresearch.com/APInfo/Salt.htm
It probably won’t be iodized, but you can do without extra iodine for a while.
Salt is one of those things we take for granted but really miss if it’s gone.
ricewiki, Excellent work! Have you been able to get the two lists you’ve been working on (pre-prep and 24-hrs), over to the wiki side? I was hoping to take some time this week to update the preparedness guide section with your list, Owl’s ‘Owls Nest’ list, another update of the ‘90-days’ list, and some links to some of the food calculators mentioned in food prep fora.
There has been a TON of good information on the forums in the last 6 mos, and it hasn’t appeared to have made it’s way to the wiki side. I know folks are catching much of this as the forum index, but it’d be nice to consolidate some of this into a more newcommer-friendly form. Much of what we have in preps is links to source material, I think it’d be useful to cross-index the most useful stuff, along with the member-generated material (like these lists and things like medication treatment protocols by anon_22 and TomDVM -with links back to fora for context), into a format that will help someone get started.
chutney is an indian condiment, available at most chain groceries—lots of varieties and adds a lot of flavor to bland food.
A chutney is an Indian condiment that can be sweet or hot or both. Cooked lentils and rice provide complete protein (all the amino acids) but is very bland, so a little chutney is a lovely addition. So is some plain yoghurt. Having a few jars of chutney on hand helps the mind shift from “GAG we’re in an emergency” to “Yum, what’s for supper?” We use basmati rice purchased in 10 kg bags from an Indian food specialty store or from a restaurant supply store (much more affordable than the small package of basmati at the grocery store). Lentils are cheap and store superbly.
Don’t forget toilitries for women. You don’t want to have to go out to get tampons or pads during a pandemic.
I am really stuggling with quantities. It is really hard to figure out. Plus I hate to buy too much of the things we don’t typically eat (eg. my kids won’t touch Tuna now but it may become their friend later) and/or may expire. Right now my things are hidden but that space is filled and I’d rather not start stroing obvious preps if I can.
Sasher — sorry, I missed your post at first.
I don’t have the list on the wiki side — don’t know how to put it up there. But I can email it to you if you haven’t emailed me for it yet.
If DemfromCT knows of a way to put it up, maybe we can do that. So far people have just been emailing for it.
I think most of us have several trigger points, I know I do. I have one (1)for when the AF hits North America and I hit the mail order companies for hip boots, Tyvek suits an alcohol stove and othe items. Then there is the trigger point (2) when a documented h2h case occurs and I make a mad dash to the local grocery store to get anything I can to supplement what I already have on the concept that more is far better. Then the trigger point (3) when the first cases hit in the USA and spread. Last chance to put on a respirator and go shopping. Then sit back and see what happens. All this assumes I have enough in place to survive if (3) of my plan were to hit today.
Should also mention that sanitary napkins make excellent compress bandages.
Is it just me, or are there others who see this list as an exercise in futility? Imagine your local big box grocery store at, say, 7am on a Sunday morning—with very few customers in the aisles, an overabundance of clerks to assist you, and no waiting lines at the cash register. Now imagine that every store you have to visit to complete this list is the same: open, almost deserted, with freshly stocked shelves. Hardware stores, pharmacies, banks, gun stores, pet stores . . . all there, all open, just waiting for you and your money.
Even in this best case scenario, it STILL seems almost an impossibility to me that one could complete the shopping and visits and contacts required by this list. Even with the help of family. Now imagine the same stores in the middle of the day, with a normal customer base . . . . . . . . . . .
Okay, now imagine the same stores, following the realization by even a small minority of the populace that they—like you—have only 24 hours to prep. You can’t be serious!?!
I am not belittling the effort you have put into this thread, ricewiki and kate. This is a great reference that I hope all of us have already bookmarked for ourselves, and printed out for our friends and relatives. But it seems to me that what you have accomplished, by creating this list, is one of the best arguments I have yet seen to convince people that successfully trying to prep at the last minute is a futile exercise at best.
The next time someone says to me something like “Well, I’ll have plenty of time to stock up when it starts to get bad” I’ll give them a copy of this list. I’ll bet it does more to speed up their prepping than anything I could say to them.
I have to agree with Walker’s assessment. I’ve enjoyed this thread from a humor standpoint and to use as a checklist for my own preps, but I agree that it’s highly unlikely to be useful for the people who won’t prep until the last minute.
There are two types of people out there - those that won’t prep and those that can’t. Those that can’t, like people who are sick/hospitalized or institutionalized, have limited mobility and no one to do the amount of shopping we’re talking about, those who are too poor, the homeless, etc., still can’t prep to a significant level even if they wanted to.
Those that don’t want to (the ones that are calling you “crazy,” “nut case” or worse, or are just too sure that “It won’t ever happen here…and besides, the government will take care of us…”) are highly unlikely to come to you for advice when TS does hit TF. They won’t want to admit to you that they were wrong. So who are you going to send this to?
Better to change it to a list of minimum items for 30 days of sheltering in place and pass it out now. The ultra-last minute folks are going to be SOL and you won’t be able to save them unless you have already prepped for them.
SaddleTramp – at 10:00 Better to change it to a list of minimum items for 30 days of sheltering in place and pass it out now. The ultra-last minute folks are going to be SOL and you won’t be able to save them unless you have already prepped for them.
I agree — maybe a shortened, basic 30 day list, different from the “guide” lists/information that won’t overwhelm someone, but can be helpful for us to pass out to someone asking questions. Is there such a list on the forum? Perhaps catagorized like: Food, toiletries, water, OTC meds for 30 days for one person. Something they can take to the store with them.
Oops, sorry I posted too quickly, ricewikie’s list is great.
Right guys… my list is as much of a PR/”scare” item as it can hope to be of real help.
But it truly is supposed to help those who may be dumb enough to think they’ll be able to prep last minute. If you look at it carefully, you’ll see how incomplete it is. It was supposed to be the minimum things… etc etc. (as I’ve already written about enough above).
rememeber, anyone who wants a copy, ricewiki at hot mail dot com, and I’ll check that every few days or so…
Walker910: I am still going to try to get such a list to family members and loved ones. Who knows, maybe the Internet will still be able to FedEx items to folks overnight. Warehouse stocks won’t deplete overnight (agreed that store shelves will). But, I still think that you might be able to get things delivered/FedExed from purchases made over the Internet. You are going to pay top dollar and may or may not receive them. But, having a list compiled that one can work off of may be a very, very valuable resource when one has only a couple of days to secure these items.
Of course, every person that is prepped before the pandemic is announced is one less person in the grocery store or on the Internet so we need to keep working on each of our friends.
Those of us who have secured sufficent preps for even just two months know how impossible it would be to do this in one day, even if the stores weren’t jammed and everybody else was grabbing things off the shelf. My poor little Subaru went home from town many a night with it’s tail dragging.
“Who knows, maybe the Internet will still be able to FedEx items to folks overnight. Warehouse stocks won’t deplete overnight (agreed that store shelves will). But, I still think that you might be able to get things delivered/FedExed from purchases made over the Internet. (Janet – at 15:36)”
That’s assuming that (1) the internet is still functional, (2) the company you order supplies from off the internet still has enough employees show up for work to fill their orders, (3) that company still has fully stocked shelves, (4) credit cards will still be a viable form of payment, (5) enough FedEx employees show up for work to process and ship your order, and on, and on, and on.
Here’s a trivial example. Right now, 4/28/06, there is NO GREAT RUSH on the part of the American populace to prepare for a possible pandemic. At the moment we are much more concerned with the Duke lacrosse team and the Da Vinci code. In spite of that, my most recent order with Nitro-Pak (placed yesterday) was made with prior notice from the company that their “. . . order processing time (for non-food items) is currently taking 5 - 7 business days to ship. Food orders are currently taking approximately 4 - 8 weeks to fulfill due to recent bird flu demands.”
Janet, I agree with you that this list of ricewiki’s is a valuable resource, and I wholeheartedly support everyone’s efforts to get as many of our family and friends as possible involved in prepping, as soon as possible. That’s where I think this list can play a very real part.
Here’s where I disagree with you: the minute that this country realizes the necessity to start prepping is the minute prepping will no longer be possible in this country.
I don’t think this is going to slam into us on Day 1. If, and that is still and IF, it does occur, those who are watching will have several days notice over those that don’t, more likely at least a week. IMO, this will be the time to make a concerted effort to hit the Wallymart and perhaps put in an order for items we have been putting off buying as luxuries; a cushioned toilet seat for that 5-gallon pail, etc. :-)
Hopefully, the seed that we planted in our relatives and friends will have started to bear fruit and a follow-up call will be all that is needed to alert them before the general populace figures it all out.
Walker910 - “Food orders are currently taking approximately 4 - 8 weeks to fulfill due to recent bird flu demands.”
What?!?!
Is the mad rush already upon us? What will it be like post-May9ABC?!
Really though, is that what their actual website actually said? That’s phenomenal… I wonder if someone there is just trying to scare people or have some fun…
Walker910: I think we agree to agree, however, I don’t think ALL sites takes 4–6 weeks to deliver items! People will be frantically searching around for quick deliveries and there will be companies out there that will profit from providing overnight delivery at a very, very steep price.
Fears of the Internet crashing are very valid but hopefully would not happen in the first weeks…who knows! When TSHTF, I for one will not be in the stores but I may try to score additional items on the Internet. If my family asks, I would tell them to try to get items in that way first versus going to empty stores where the flu may already be quietly circulating.
Again, I think we agree - I am just trying to convince myself and others not to give up and to keep trying to convert preppers one at a time.
So far I have only been successful with one sister. Not very good, huh! But I keep trying and I have printed copies of the “necessity” list to hand out at that time. People will panic and not know what to buy, so the list may be helpful. Keep plugging!
Had a question on canned beans. These are mentioned often as an important staple. What variety do you mean ? Green beans or the boston baked kind or ?
willowanne -
I store canned black beans, red beans, pinto beans, ranch style beans and baked beans. Black, red, and pinto beans added to rice makes a perfect protein.
Ricewiki, here is the website: http://www.nitro-pak.com/ No, I don’t think they are trying to scare anyone. I think it is simply an honest attempt on the part of a company to give their customers an honest understanding of what they can realistically expect when placing an order. If—in spite of their best efforts—a company is simply unable to fill orders in a timely manner, they are going to lose a lot of business and a lot of hard-earned good will from their customers who expect their order to be filled today and delivered to their doorstep tomorrow. Better to be upfront about the situation, and continue to run their business as best they can.
“Is the mad rush already upon us?” Not at all. But it does illustrate how even a mild ripple of concern can effectively shut down any possibility of successful last-minute prepping. “What will it be like post-May9ABC?!” Your guess is as good as mine.
Janet, you sound like the kind of caring, responsible individual I would like to have for a neighbor. So please, do not put much faith in the internet for last-minute preparations. Please. Even in a hypothetical best case scenario with the internet still up, the company still fully staffed, and the company’s virtual ‘shelves’ full of product, you are still going to find yourself standing in a virtual line at a virtual check-out counter longer than anything any of us can conceive. And even that bleak prospect completely ignores the liklihood that the servers which host those companies with remaining supplies will take so many hits from ‘last-minute preppers’ that they will go down within an hour.
In the meantime, I agree with you, Janet. Keep plugging, keep converting, and keep hoping it never happens.
I’m not sure that ABC special is going to do anything.. I saw nochange after the NBC dateline, and that to me should have been more authoritative. Although, no one would know that I am prepping because, I don’t buy in large enough quantities to be noticed. (I do this so no one will laugh at me and tell me I’m crazy)So maybe more people are doing this than we know about.
My father lives down the road and I have talked with him about prepping. They hardly cook anything and mostly dine out and I know he isn’t going to prep. When TSHTF I have to run over there because I can’t store my guns where I am staying now. I am thinking off putting together a rubbermaid tote with ~ $100 of preps to give to him (as well as telling him at the first sign of H2H to get to the store). It’s really hard to prep for someone else.
I figured for about $100 I could get: 32 cans Progresso Soup (1 can split for 2 people), Large Box (4 regular boxes) of Saltines, 10lb of spagetti (in 1lb bags), 6 lg. cans of pasta sauce, Large bag of Rice, Large Peanut Butter/Jelly (probably 2 each), and some comfort food.
While this is very little of what is needed, this along with boiling city water would probably keep them alive for 60+ days. And, if they do decide to prep, then I can just add this to my preps.
Nopower: Sounds like a wise plan. In this way, you don’t have all of your preps stockpiled in one area where they can be stolen all at once. You are also taking care of your parents should something happen to you. I have stockpiled items at my sons’ houses. In this way, if I can’t get to them for one reason or another, they will have items. I have also run off a list of how to take care of someone with the flu: what meds, how to hydrate, etc. Again, in this way, should I not be around or able to get to them, they at least have some information on how to care for themselves or a loved one. Who knows, our loved ones may need to take care of us.
Janet – at 19:48: Your lists sound very useful. Would you be willing to post them?
Janet - yes, please post these if you are willing to.
It’s unlikey the unprepared are going to consult the internet before rushing out to panic buy. They didn’t think before, so chances are they won’t think if/when panflu hits and they’ll just get busy panicking.
The essentials prepping list is very well thought out, but it’s for a scenario where the world shuts down and everyone hides at home, peeping out from behind the curtains brandishing a loaded shotgun. The vast majority of people don’t have enough money in the bank to buy food for 3 months never mind pay their mortgage and bills, and if they don’t go to work for 3 months it’s as simple as this, they’ll starve and they’ll lose their job, if for no other reason than if everyone does it there won’t be a job to go back to. It’s the run and hide mentality that will cause supply chains to break down, and ultimately it’s not guaranteed to stop you from getting flu. So get a grip people! There will be less food, but not no food.
The importance of prepping is that psychologically you’ll feel better able to cope and encounter fewer risky scenarios. In addition, you’ll be able to stock up on things that may not be available, such as foods imported from other countries; and you won’t have to pay top dollar for the basics should they become scarce. In a small way us preppers are doing everyone a favour, as we are improving the current supply chain and reducing the burden on it should crisis occur.
Sure, I’m prepping too. I have some items I’d only eat if my life depended on it, like tinned macaroni cheese (yuck). High on my list are tasty, healthy things that store well, like pickled foods (e.g. gherkins, sauerkraut, beetroot, olives, anchovies) and tinned fish and tomatoes (BTW, huge fish like tuna eat smaller fish eat smaller fish = accumulated mercury - tinned smaller fish is better) and bottled olive oil. Unwashed potatoes and onions store well too. Lentils, barley, chick peas etc. Also natural antivirals like garlic, echinacea and tea tree oil. Garlic should be in the ‘grab it first’ list, and eaten raw for max benefit (I’ve been trying to grow some but my cats keep doing the toilet on it: thus the little rascals will be sacrificed and barbecued should TS really HTF). Onions have the same properties as garlic but less concentrated (cats are not peeing on my onion crop). Plus items that boost the immune system making it less likely to get flu in the first place, such as multivits amd vitamin C. Instead of buying gallons of water I have a water filter jug and both an electric kettle and a tin kettle for the gas hob. Combined, these will kill enough crud to make untreated water drinkable (at least where I live in the UK they will).
I can’t help but think the fear of panflu is taking on a life of it’s own. Things might get a bit miserable but the world won’t grind to a halt.
“a follow-up call will be all that is needed to alert them before the general populace figures it all out.”
It will be on the news as it develops. I highly recommend avoiding the trap of believing you can get the jump on others when the moment of truth arrives.
You all had wonerful ideas here and I read this site daily, but as I was looking for preps I may have missed realized that as new preppers come they may have to search to much and potentially give up. The new prepping stuff is good too, but not as basic. If this is close to the top eleswhere I’m sorry.
Good idea, KimT… it’s always okay to bump when something needs to be seen.
A Modest Proposal:
I suspect that anyone who has done no prepping at all has done NO prepping: that is, no gathering info, no locating and reading sites such as this, and no monitoring of news on the spread of the virus and development into a pandemic.
Only when it is on the newspaper headlines and every radio and tv broadcast will they know. If they can’t read, they can at least see the bodies in the gutters. That is when they will start to prepare.
In such an extremity there is only one possible recourse, if they act decisively: make up a B-O-B.
This is a simplified, variant recommendation, but really quite appropriate, so please don’t scold me before you think.
This B-O-B has only three, but ultra-essential elements:
A DIY spiritual closure, personal identification and casket— everything needed for the utterly unprepared.
We could even make up kits for those of our friends who mock out awareness, if we have resources…
<Am I serious? Am I ever not?>
LOL Nikolai….
If there were no food to buy and all the stores were empty, would you buy large sacks of dog food to survive?
Gee Nikolai, maybe you can make up an “Obituary Form” to be filled out and start it with the name on top - DOB, SSN, next of kin, etc. Then include it in the B-O-B! ;)
The first “B” should be for “bottle” rather than “bible”. You’ll be getting an autographed edition soon enough, and I’d rather have some whiskey (for medicinal purposes).
Okay, Dark Influence! As I think about it, B.O.B. does sound a lot like “Bottle Of Booze” doesn’t it! Not too bad an idea, either!
Seriously, though, looking at the foot-and-a-half lists up this thread, imagine in the final 24 hour panic, utter panic, trying to get around to the shops and finding, checking out, hauling away such ranges of items!
Utterly out of touch with reality, however well intentioned the advice. Just finding a liquor store with stock and getting a bottle or two could be an accomplishment…
I’m sort of used to these sorts of large shopping trips. When we do our normal shopping trip we fill three grocery carts piled high for our family of five. After checkout it ends up being four carts. Typical bill is $750. The limit is how much it is possible for us to pack into our van and still get in to ride home. Fortunately we only go shopping about once every three to four months. If we see TSHTF then we plan to do an extra trip rightaway.
Tip for people: 1. Pay cash - when you are buying a lot, a credit card or check makes it take longer to get checked out. If you must pay with a check or credit card then get the manager over there from the start so you can get it put through. They have a limit of $500 or so as the max without a manager okay at many stores.
2. Repack hydrophylic stuff into glass jars or pails. e.g., sugar, salt,
3. Metal pails are better than plastic.
4. Same goes for anything mice or insects might get into.
5. Take some coolers with you to go shopping if you are buying frozen things. I wouldn’t buy frozen stuff for stocking up for a disaster because I wouldn’t trust the power to stay on but for normal times shopping I take a couple of coolers in the warm weather.
6. Old milk crates are handy for storing things.
7. Live somewhere cool and use a root cellar. This makes storing things much easier. Living somewhere cool makes life easier for the most part. Gardening is harder but there are tricks.
8. Speaking of gardening, buy seeds. Heirloom. If you don’t know how to garden, learn.
I’d like a handheld trunking scanner a bearcat 246t model,and the batteries to go along with it.Of all the problems I can foresee,civil disorder is the one I personally fear the worst.A tank full of gas for each of my family members would be helpful as well.
Closed due to length. Conversation is continued here.