Here it goes...

I've been trying to figure out how to post this without it becoming a good vs evil of mankind or ammo vs everything else debate...

Recent world events have made me (and many others) look at their preparations and supplies. I'm happy to report that I'm not doing too badly...

So my thoughts turn to my neighbors. Disregarding the fact that I should be teaching men to fish(prepare)... What can I easily and cheaply start putting away to hand out after our little island of 200 homes get cut off when the bridges fall? Assuming a three to seven day wait period for assistance.

I'm thinking along the lines of ten to twenty goodie bags to be able to hand out that would help others but not cost too much in the way of dollars or space to start compiling.

A 1.5L bottle of water, lighter, roll of TP, tea light, el cheap flashlight, large garbage bag or two.

Or does it make more sense to just focus on expanding my own water storage and purification systems because people will need water more than TP?

I'm sure other people have already had this discussion but I didn't find what I was looking for when I searched.

Looking forward to your collective wisdom and thoughts...

200 homes -- How many people is that? 400 or more? You alone can't stockpile for the entire community. Just keep talking up preps and the need for your communities families and individuals to be prepared in case you get cut off.

Thanks for the reply Russ.

I wasn't thinking about stocking for two hundred houses.
I was thinking more along the lines of what extra stuff can I cheaply pick up while I'm shopping and throw in a rubbermaid and make ten or so people's life a little easier,post event.

If we assumed (dangerous) that the minimun food and water were covered (I know I listed water tho in my first list) what are the next items that people might not have or appreciate?

An AM radio? Tarp? Since we live in the age of Warehouse stores is everyone well stocked on TP and garbage bags? Maybe paper plates and hand cleaner will make a difference to someone.

I'm not trying start Bartertown or stock up on high value stuff to trade, just thinking about what I could potentially have extras on hand of to give away and that would help others.

200 homes, maybe 20 are prepared, another 20 semi prepared and the rest are SOL. Can you provide for 160 homes and the people in them?

Are you better off preparing for your family? I think so. Unless and until there is a mob at the door, what's mine is mine. And I don't/won't stick out as being prepared so that anyone would give me a second look.

For three or four days, most people would be ok. Granted, I don't want to hear the whining and sniveling that would accompany 4 days with no power, but frankly, most people can get by that long on the water in the water heater and what food's in the house. It's after that I worry about.

just some ideas in no particular order

if there are swimming pools available, you might look at a Sawyer .1 micron 5 gal filter kit from Adventure Safety Products
and prepare your loaner kits in 5 gal buckets so they can carry water

the ever popular blue tarp and deck screws... firring strips...roof mastic

Stanley "Yankee screwdriver" on loaner basis to attach said tarp, hammers, nails

mosquito netting or citronella buckets

1 gal cans to be made into charcoal cookers+ small bag of charcoal briquets... arrange group cooking time using available LP grills

demonstrate how to make a floating candle... glass jar 2/3 full of water with 1 inch cooking oil on top, floating wick in small aluminum "boat".....small block of paraffin to make light source

demonstrate how to flush toilets by pouring into bowl not tank

couple of short hose sections to access hot water heater drain spigots

couple of extra 5 day coolers for meds and formula... check out Engel Australia 12v refrigerators (pricey)

log chain w/hooks, and hand saw/chainsaw to remove downed trees blocking access

Clorox and directions to treat water and disinfect surfaces

garden sprayer (no "-cides") to use as shower

best thing is to share your knowledge...we have a problem here in Florida...when Craig Fugate was Emergency Management Director the state and local agencies worked so well in response, people looking for "entitlement" were lining up for their ice, water, and MREs when the wind on the back side of the storms was still blowing 40+

Jenks, first off, I commend you for such generous thinking. We need more people like that in this world.

I think you'll get some good suggestions from others, so let me approach your question from a different angle. I think that potentially the most beneficial thing you could do is help foster better relations among your neighbors. Strangers tend not to be so generous or trusting of one another or cooperative, although a crisis may temporarily short-circuit that instinct.

I think the Japan quake is an excellent example of what can happen even when most of the physical stuff, even critical supplies, are just not available. Granted, there are some definite and unique cultural differences between Japan and us, but still, when people are civil and community-minded, we have seen these communities pull through, even with little to no outside support for quite some time because people spontaneously pulled toghether and also shared what they had instead of hunkering down as individuals. I guess Cairo could be another example of neighbors taking care of neighbors, although in a scarier context of residents discouraging anarchy or thugs from causing trouble.

To share what you have is a wonderful instinct, however, without that social bond in place, in many cases, the gift goes out and maybe never comes back or never gets "paid forward". With a foundation of good relations among neighbors, I think your efforts will be much more appreciated and yield some surprising and surprisingly beneficial results if disaster ever does strike your neck of the woods even if your neighbors weren't really prepared. Good luck with this!

How about:

Extra batteries
Emergency blankets
First Aid Kits
Roll of cordage
Reusable bottle (the cheapest route for this would be to have on hand a supply of empty CLEANED gatorade type bottles)

For yourself, definitely expand your own preps. Others have made some great comments already. Anxious to see how this thread develops.

As you already said, "...teach a man to fish..."

I doubt you can prepare enough to save the masses, unless you are very very rich.

How about buying and distributing a good preparedness / survival book instead? I don't know a good one to recommend because all the books I like are more geared towards wilderness survival. Buying something commercial could get expensive, but you might find free or reduced cost materials from some government disaster preparedness group.

Meet your neighbors, talk to them and get to know them. Then hand them a preparedness book.

I like the way you think, jenks.

In no particular order:

Consider joining your local CERT (http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/), or at least getting trained (for free) if you don't want to join the local team. CERT can provide you with a pre-existing structure to provide assistance until the professional responders get to you, especially if you get some of your neighbors to join as well.

Get trained on first aid and trauma care, and build up your supplies to be able to treat more people.

You can never have too many garbage bags, particularly the large and heavy contractor bags. Too many uses to count. Same with duct tape.

Candles and small, giveaway flashlights. I maintain a stock of fake Photons ("fauxtons"), the ones I like are http://www.dealextreme.com/p/white-flashlight-keychain-22000mcd-10-pack-1100 (no affiliation).

Communications. We recently had a thread about maintaining community communications in the face of disaster.

Food, water, tarps, lumber, gas-powered tools, hand tools, paper plates, cups and plastic utensils -- all are expensive to buy and store in sufficient amounts to help more than a small subset of your neighbors. But if you have more than you need, you may be able to help some.

My thoughts go along the line of buying more (in your case a lot more) of stuff you already need, use or eat. Think about things with a long shelf life.

Rather than just expendables, think about community systems. Maybe good rechargable batteries and a way to recharge them. A generator (gas diesel propane) or solar panels set up with a battery charging system could be handy for a group. If your house was set up with an off-grid system to keep food cold, you could save a lot of your neighbors food if you also had a freezer bigger than you require. $.02