I've got a big thing of formula on the list for the next Costco shop... Buddy down the street has a new family member.

And yes bottle vs breast is a very dangerous discussion to have but it has been shown that some mothers stop producing breast milk at times of stress, so the arguement becomes moot at that point.

Sue:

Yes there a many different plugs that fit into what ever electronic device you are trying to power so you do have to pay a little bit of attention. Most solar power chargers will have several adapters tho. A lot of manufacturers have moved to a USB to device cable which simplifies things somewhat. The hand crank charger that came with the eton radio has a USB charging outlet. I can make that work with my Tundra phone, the Ipad or the kids ipods or DSsssss.

Good call Jenks! A lot of people take breast milk for granted. It's the one gap they don't anticipate. You can improvise diapers, wipes, cream, etc. but not infant food. They can only eat breast milk or formula.

There is instant available, and you can even get it in presterilized bottles. Powdered is more complicated (i.e. boiling water, sterile bottles) but cheaper.

I have a solar panel designed to plug into my truck to charge the 12v battery. Keep that charged and then just get chargers designed to plug into a car's 12 volt system. Those are available for cell phones and some laptops. My truck has a standard lighter (optional these days) with two additional accessory jacks.

Jenks,

Maybe the parable of the fishes and loaves works best here. You might want to contribute your spare stuff as the starting point for a central store of goods that could be drawn upon in the event of major event. Have your neighbors contribute to the stores a little bit at time, an extra pack of TP or canned soup or dry milk, etc. Have a defined list of needed items so you don't get the junk people have lying around.

Now, if the logistics of that get out of hand (and it may quickly put a burden on the organizers) instead create a emergency supplies phone chain (or walkie-talkie chain as Blast suggested)so that after an event you could organize an inventory of stuff on hand and also gather information on who needs what. A central spot to take in supplies from those who have for those who don't.

In your situation this might be workable, since everyone there is known by someone else and "outsiders" might not be able to mess up the communal effort.

Obviously this idea isn't simple to plan or execute but given the nature of your community might be a good fit.

Thanks for the tips on the solar chargers, guys!

Charge the car battery and charge the cell phone! Too obvious, Russ, too obvious!

Jenks, you meant a large MULTI-PACK of formula containers, right? Factory-sealed means a lot to a stressed mother, even if a little outdated. Bulk, divided at home, doesn't work here. It's like giving someone a gob of antibiotic ointment on your dirty fingertip.

Sue

Great discussion and so many excellent ideas already. Think all this has been covered to some degree but we're big on redundancy around here....

Handout of things people can do in the situations most likely to occur in your area -- others have already suggested, great idea. The biggest expenditure on this item will be your time. Knowledge that we on this forum now take for granted, such as water from the water heater, water purification, best practices in rigging outside toilet, etc. -- this would be priceless knowledge to someone with no background in this arena.

-- what would be in that handout could be a lengthy thread on its own.


Extra Tools: Might it be a good idea to have extra axes, chain saws, hand saws, heavy-duty extension cords, generator, shovels, hammers, etc. Not everyone has that stuff (especially not in my area).

Refrigeration: If you have the space, a large freezer (hooked to a generator) or extra Coleman coolers (that in the meanwhile you can use to store gear) would be priceless as your neighbors struggle to keep food from spoiling. If all you did was create block ice in your freezer for your neighbors during a power outage, you'd be a hero. You'd save their food and some meds from spoilage.

Water: If you have room for a water tank that can hold a few hundred gallons... Or rain barrels that could

Food: No one is going to starve to death in a week, but a sustained power outage will probably be occasion for a mass cookout. Good to have briquettes on hand or plenty of propane for your gas grill. You could combine your effort to be neighborly with an ongoing charitable effort -- store certain packaged/canned food items in bulk but rotating out to charity (in advance of expiration, of course) and replenishing for emergencies.

Ham radio: Being a licensed operator could be handy. In a crisis, people are hungry for news.


Would be good to initiate some discussions with neighbors now. Among other things I'd inventory what skills your neighbors have. Are there any doctors or nurses? Mechanics? Anyone else with practical skills in a crisis?

Was reminded the other day that one of my dog owner buddies a couple block away is a nurse. Filed that away.....

I've been thinking about this lately, and I've come to the conclusion that most American families have got TONS of stuff crammed into their garages. OK, it's often a big pile of random stuff. But stop to think about it for a minute ... suppose you could get everybody on your block to agree to SHARE collectively all resources that are contained in their garages. I bet you could assemble a lot of answers to basic survival needs.

Sure, this approach doesn't get you past the essential needs for food and water. But it might stop you from needing to collect a bunch of other hardware items.

So the question boils down to this ... just how do your think your neighbors are really going to handle a 1-week disaster? Because chances are that if they decide to pitch in and share with their garage goodies, everybody would do a lot better.

cheers,
Pete #2

If people are in my neighborhood running around looking (looting) for basic necessities, I will do my best to make it look like I have nothing. That's a time when being overly kind could leave you robbed and dead. It all depends though. Your neck of the woods may be different than where I live. I have full confidence that the folks around me could carry out a violent looting spree in a time of desperation.

Sue, are you dissing my fingertips?

Actually, you make a very good point. I was only thinking about my buddy and his new kid but there really is no harm(other than space considerations) of a multipac. Not sure handing a new mom a baggie of formula and saying "trust me" would be a survivable event...