People often mention flashlights on lists like these, but I think lanterns are a necessary item, too. They give off much more light than flashlights.
We have a couple of propane lanterns and a couple of battery-powered lanterns that we use for camping, and I’ve used that battery lanterns a couple of times when the power’s gone out at home.
I do see that a couple of posters have mentioned lanterns, but it’s worth repeating. One flashlight’s not going to do much in total darkness. A propane lantern gives off a lot of light.
I was thinking about the ranking of likely disasters as well. For me, the three most likely would be:
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major winter storm, with power loss;
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summer tornado;
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flooding from the Mighty Wascana.
On # 1, basic need is a fireplace with ample supply of firewood - check.
On # 2, basic need is a good solid basement - check.
On # 3 - hmmm. I think I’ll take a buddy up on his request to store his canoe in my back yard.
However, I’ve got to work on the ancillary supplies, and the suggestions from this thread are very helpful. Thanks everyone.
I don’t think you’re giving enough weight to the possibilities of an attack by pirates.
Why yes, I do like the Arrogant Worms. Why do you ask?
But seriously, you’re right. The only large-scale disaster that’s even remotely likely here is the blizzard accompanied by failure of the power and/or natural gas distribution systems. Tornadoes are devastating, but their effects are highly localized and you can reasonably expect assistance to arrive very quickly. What you need to survive the winter power outage is a source of heat and enough food to survive till the roads are opened. Figure 3 days tops till you can travel, but possibly more till you have power/gas. Water’s not an issue in this scenario if you have a heat source, since there are huge piles of water in solid form just outside your door, so you’re basically looking for a bit of a non-perishable food stockpile (though again, if your freezer stops working, you can just stick stuff on the back porch), first aid, lamp of some sort, radio. But the heat source is the big issue.
Some of these lists look like they came straight out of the film “Tremors”. Giant underground worms are things that shouldn’t be believed in. A government is something you should believe in. Obviously this government is one you can’t believe in when it reacts this badly to a disaster.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is, I would say some of you were taking it a little over the top if there wasn’t a Republican majority in government.
Whisky, would have to be included in my survival list, as the alcohol can steralise wounds, and get you pissed, which is just as handy.
Why would they come after me? I don’t have any grain or fer-til-iizer! 
mmm, yess, but there’s this little matter of the dachshund and the basenji and their winter use of the backyard…
:eek:
Reading Bricker’s list, I got two different visual images of Bricker, both inspired from the comics:
1:
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Bricker in a bat-suit;
#2:
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Bricker as Uncle Duke: “Where the hell are my Krugerrands!!”
Any blizzard severe enough to wipe out the power grid is going to leave plenty of fresh drifts. Then you can melt snow by the fireplace to go with your “hot dogs” 
Watching this disaster, I was thinking that keeping your stuff what you might have to take with you in a rolling cart of some sort would be a good idea.
something like this:
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-8373495-4534224?_encoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0000ARUNZ
To the above excellent suggestions I’d add a copy of ‘Robert’s Rules of Order’ to help with parliamentary tasks when setting up government amongst the survivors. When firearms and liquor are involved, you don’t wish to misrule on a critical motion.
IIRC, military pilots have a sort of “Box within a box” setup for their survival kits. When they eject, they have:
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What is physically strapped to them (ie: what’s in their pockets or on their flight harness), flashlight, knife, handgun (if they have one), some basic first aid, maybe a granola bar, very lightweight and unencumbering stuff.
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What is contained in a small sports-bag kind of thing (some food, water, first aid supplies, blanket, etc.) that can be thrown over a shoulder and carried off.
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What is in a bigger bag (something of a more robust survival kit, I think the smaller bag is attached to this one in an easily-seperated-if-needed way)
Basically, he takes what he needs based on how quickly he needs to get to somewhere else (like if he’s getting chased by dinosaurs or pirates, he might just run with what he’s got or grab the shoulder bag).
As for what I’d keep in MY survival kit:
First aid stuff (several small, self contained kits and one or more larger, more robust kits)
Blankets - something waterproof and easy to carry. If you have extra cash for them, you can get survival blankets that are brightly colored on one side (so as to make you more easily spotted by rescuers) and foiled on the other side (to reflect sunlight, for the same purpose). Hiking sleeping bags are lightweight, waterproof, very warm, and can be packed tightly if you need to keep them in a bag or a box. If all else fails, a wool army blanket from a surplus store should serve nicely.
Emergency lights- I’d recommend one or two Mag-Lites (combining the best qualities of a flashlight and a club), possibly an assortment of smaller or lighter flashlights, depending on who is with you. I’d say at least one flashlight that doesn’t need batteries (wind-up or shake it to charge it), and depending on your likliehood of flooding, a flashlight that floats and can be tied to you so you don’t loose it. Lanterns, chem-lights, etc. as you have space for. Unless you use the flashlights fairly often, I’d keep the batteries seperate from them (the corrosion from leaving batteries in a flashlight too long can leave both the batteries and the light useless).
Extra batteries or fuel for whatever you have that needs them.
A radio - preferably a survival radio that doesn’t need batteries. That wind-up one with the cell phone power jack someone mentioned sounds nice. Depending on where you are, some kind of broadcasting radio (CB, HAM, etc.) might be handy too, but make sure you know how to use it, and keep your messages as brief as possible so as not to jam the frequency.
A controlable source of fire - ie, lighters (with extra fuel), strike-anywhere/waterproof matches, whatever. Just make sure there’s no leaky gas or anything of that nature when you light one of these things. Fire can be used to cauterize wounds (if that ends up being necessary), heating up food or rooms, or just for something as mundane as fusing the end of a rope made from synthetic fibers (to keep it from unraveling after you cut a length of it off)
Some means of self-defense (if you keep guns, make sure everyone knows how to use them, if only to make sure they don’t hurt themselves or others on accident when they need them). This could be if you need to fight off other, less-prepared people who want to steal your supplies (of course, if the other person is being civilized about it, you might offer to share), or it could just be for fighting off any wild animals that come unwelcomed (depending on where you live, you might have to deal with grizzlies, mountain lions, or other predators that might be as desperate for your food as you are)
And of course, a towel. People will give you anything you need if they see you are prepared enough to have your own towel. 
Don’t forget that if the power and water go out, you have quite a lot of water in your house already: Your hot water tank probably has between 25 and 50 gallons of potable water in it. Close all your water valves to prevent contaminated water from coming in, and you’ve got a good supply of drinking water to last you a long time. If you’re in a cold climate, and worried that with the power out the water will freeze in the tank, then use the relief valve to drain water into pots, pans, etc.
Likewise, your toilet tanks have between 3 and 5 gallons of water each in them. Don’t drink it, but it’s usable for washing, cleaning, etc.
If you get some warning that the water might go out, you can even use your bathtub as a reservoir. Put the drain plug in, then duct tape over it (most drain plugs leak). Fill the tub with water, and you’ve got a good supply.
I’m also tempted to buy one of those camel-back water holders. If you have to get out of town quickly, say in the case of a terrorist attack, having one of those could be priceless. Plus, they’re very usable for hiking, camping, biking, etc.
Cynic, you forgot to mention vodka.
Re: epinepherin.
I dont know about individual state laws but there is an inhalable form that is perfectly legal to possess called Primatene mist.
Perhaps one of our resident phisicians can comment on how effective it would be in treating severe allergic reactions.
It seems we’re preparing for different disasters. In the Seattle scenario, there would be no house. It might just fall down, or it could be swallowed by liquefaction.
Earthquake is our most realistic threat here. We don’t get hurricanes or tornados (ok, one in a while, but they’re little). Our house is on high ground, and not near a slipable slope. If we get 4 inches of snow in a winter, we think we’ve been transported to Alaska.
Getting anywhere would not be an option, for example, my husband works 17 bridges and overpasses from home. He estimates it would take him 3 days to walk home. That’s if he didn’t run into something he couldn’t climb over or creep under. (like looters)
Since the Seattle infrastructure is ill prepared for “The Big One” we figured we should be.
Where I live (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada), we are relatively safe (having said that, I am expecting a sperm whale to drop out of the sky on me any second now). Although anything might happen to a few homes or neighbourhoods, about the only major catastrophes that we face as a city are winter weather and train derailments.
It is not unusual for one or more of the roads out to town to be closed for a day or two due to winter storms (there is only one road east, one road west, and one road south, and the one road north dead-ends at a rail line), and it is not unusual to lose power for a few days due to winter storms. It is quite conceivable that we could be both cut off and lose power for an extended period. That would cause great inconvenience, but I doubt if anyone would die, for we have the ability locally to handle this sort of problem.
As a port, we have significant rail yards. There is always the possibility of a derailment releasing toxic fumes (just think of Mississauga in 1979). I do not think we would do well if suddenly we all had to flee the city, for there are too few roads for a sudden and massive exodus.
If there were a combination of severe winter storm and toxic train derailment (a scenario that can reasonably be envisioned), the effects could be very serious. One cannot flee chlorine gas if one is having to dig one’s way out of one’s home, or if one is waiting to be dug out by neighbours who themselves are fleeing.
As far as personal preparedness goes, I’m into wilderness canoeing and backcountry skiing, so being self supporting for extended periods without a roof over my head, and being able to travel without motors, even at –40, is no big deal. I suppose I ought to purchase a gas mask and some filters.
My family and I live in an area well-known for civil unrest. Folks don’t go looking for Americans, but we have had several “hunker downs” where we couldn’t leave the compound. Usually you have a little while to get prepared so this is what I stock up when tensions mount.
Our compound has a high, barb wire brick fence that’s about ten feet high.
We have a huge generator and fuel tank that probably would cover a couple of days. The fuel level is topped off.
We have guardians who are linked to a guard service by radio.
Satellite telephone in case the cellphone system goes out.
About a weeks worth of rice, beans, some canned goods like tuna, chicken.
Bottled water for a couple of days. A bathtub filled with city water. A pool filled with more water if necessary. [Bleach usually used for cleaning veggies but can be used to make water potable].
All cars are topped off ie full gas tanks.
We have a fairly extensive book, video and DVD library; everyone has a their own computer, there are xboxes, ipods etc. to keep three teens entertained. There is also some exercise equipment.
If I hear gunshots: we close all the security grills, close drapes, instruct folks to stay away from windows. Only once [in another country], did the kids and I have to sit in a dark house, way in the back with lots of mattresses protecting us. That was the only time we have been evacuated from home due to civil disturbances. That was really frightening.
We also have a place in Detroit and funny is that I feel safer at home than here. I usually jump out of bed, mr kiffa trying to grab my hand when I hear guns shots in Detroit. I think New Orleans would have been an absolutely horrific experience
You’d be amazed at what difficult concept this is for some people.
“Oh, no, three feet of snow and the power’s off! We have a fireplace, but no water and the fridge isn’t working! Whatever shall we do?” :smack:
I would have no problem prescribing a couple of epi-pens for a patient who wanted to stash them for emergencies. Your family doctor might agree.
Of course, all states have laws against taking a pen prescribed for yourself and using it on a neighbor who happens to be going into anaphylactic shock. Under emergency conditions, who will keep that in mind? Law-enforcement teams will be even more overloaded than usual.
So, of course, I am stating for the record that it’s illegal to share. If you have to, I’m not going to call the cops on you.
Ragiel, M.D.
Primatene mist delivers 0.22 mg of epinephrine per dose, as opposed to 0.3 for an adult epi-pen and 0.15 for the junior strength. Absorption through the lung capillaries should be as fast as the subcutaneous ones.
Problems: if the victim is not accustomed to using an inhaler, it may not be easy to get the full amount into the lungs, and if the reaction is compromising breathing, it may be impossible.
And, with the current hysteria over possible misuse of epi and pseudoepi products, the store may refuse to stock or sell it even if it remains legal. Both federal and state laws may apply as well. In MI, the Walgreen stores have restricted OTC Claritin-D to 15 tablets per day because of their pseudoepinephrine content. That’s their choice; other stores make the tablets slightly more available. Another thing to check out ahead of time.
Ragiel, M.D.
I’m a volunteer EMT in Maryland and we’re not allowed to carry them on our volunteer medic units. IIRC, the paid paramedics carry them, and can administer them, but we can’t even carry them. I can administer a patient’s own Epi-pen in case of emergency, though.