Hi. I'm new here, so if this is in the wrong forum, please forgive me (and feel free to move to the appropriate one).

I am interested in putting together a survival kit. Hurricane Katrina showed us the necessity of being, well, overprepared. 72 hours is minimum; more likely, especially given where I live, it's going to be a bit longer than that to get help. I live in Utah, so it should be very well prepared, but people are people.

I have some kit, but that was "from the life before". I became disabled in 2003, and have been ever since. If I am to put together a new kit, I don't know how to do it. I can only make, at max, $1477 a month (it's a bit longer story than that, I'll explain more if needed). And I just got turned down for food stamps. So, I have to do anything I do on the cheap. And I have food allergies as well, so MRE's probably aren't going to work. So, with that budget, and the knowledge of and earthquake, what can I do and in what order should I do it? Thanks.

I'm sorry to hear of your tight financial situation.

As for food, there is probably an easy solution. You can stock on regular canned foods durable items like rice or pasta from the supermarket. That's what equipped.org recommends over MREs and freeze-dried food as a more economical choice. It probably tastes better (or at least no worse). The main drawback is inconvenience: it's bulky and heavy (compared to freeze-dried food), and it may require a bit of preparation (more hassle than MREs). However, if you're bugging in, that shouldn't be a big factor.

Are you preparing for an earthquake?

Welcome to ETS.

Funding limitations stop many of us from preparing the way we would like. First thing I would do (in keeping with a short discussion in another thread) is determine my monthly/annual budget and how much I can realistically put into a preparedness effort. One thing you might think about is whether the equipment will be dedicated to emergencies or can be used day-to-day. Dual use gear makes more sense to me. Can you afford to buy stuff you'll never use other than in an emergency that may not happen... ever. I can't justify it either.

MRE's are over-rated IMO. Yeah MRE's last a long time, but so do many canned goods at a fraction of the price. Don't get caught up in buying "stuff" that some guy is selling for "survival". Buy more of the food you eat now, rotate it so you have enough to get you through a hard time. How much room in your home do you have for a pantry? Doing this you can have supplies for a much longer period and it's what you eat now. That's what we do. I bought some MRE's years back and considering the price it was a waste of money.

That's a start. Look at water storage too, basic needs of life -- shelter, water, food.

To give a good advise tell us what your disability would be usefull, but I fully understand if you don't want to tell that in a public forum.

Things I would start with (i'm not from Utah so not sure what dangers and resources are Utah specific):

- Know what the actual dangers are you want to prepare for. Check the local emergency management / red cross websites.
- Add to that how that would effect you specificly.
- Identify what you need to survive.

Some disasters can be seen coming and will give you some time to react: Wildfires, flooding, etc.

In that case I would spend my resources in the ability to get away fast. If I assume you are less mobile than most, I would invest in:
- Making plans with neighbors, friends, familiy to pick you up during a evacuation. Make sure you have a bag with essentials, but also invest in them in normal life.
- Have a emergency fund, so you can pay for a ride if nobody wan't to pick you up or pay for (beter) shelter if you are evacuated.
- Have a vehicle your self, but that can expensive.

Assuming the first two, have a bag with essentials. Best would be something you can carry your self and doesn't take up too much space. But medical supplies/devices can be big, so a hard compromise. Small and portable, because you want to be able to fit in a family car, with a family already in it.

Some disasters can occure suddenly: earthquakes, tornado's, etc.

In that case making you house more survivalble would the priority. Again assuming you are less mobile; you won't be able to take cover as easily.
- Make sure items are secure in house, so they won't fall on you or become projectals. So bolt funuture to the walls and have little above your head.
- Stormproofing / earthquakeproofing is recommended; but probably not in your budget. (although some metal straps don't have to be expensive, but totally depending on the building.)
- Making plans with neighbors, friends, familiy to help you out.
- Basic emergency kit; food, water, stove and medication/medical supplies. I would stack up on regular items; canned or dried. If you can spare the cash, using sales/bulk can even save you money in normal life.

To continue with Tjin's thoughts, knowing your general or specific disability would be helpful. Mobility is an issue.

Also, Utah is a big place, are you near Provo or SLC, a smaller urban area or in a more open area?

What are the specific emergencies that are likely in your area? Heavy snow, power outages, earthquakes, wildfires, et al. Is your intent to bug-out (leave) or bug-in (shelter in place)? Different threats, different response.

As an example, I'm in southern California and the two issues I'm concerned with are earthquakes (EQ) and wildfires (WF). An EQ is a come as you are event, it happens and you are wherever you are. After the EQ there is little point in bugging out.

On the other hand, where I live, wild fires start days to maybe a week away. Fires that start nearby are taken care of quickly, the ones that start well east can get very big and containment is not easy. So bugging out is a very real possibility. Different threats, different response.

I will join the chorus and recommend against MREs, primarily because they are heavy. I have consumed some while on fire lines and rescue operations. They are OK, but you can do just as well at a decent supermarket.

Most markets have energy bars (Clif bars and similar). Try some and see how you like them. Stock the ones you like for emergencies. There are many more brands coming onto the market. A good many of them are simply glorified candy bars, about equivalent to a Snickers bar (which is actually not all that bad nutritionally). With Clif bars at least, don't worry about expiration dates - they last well beyond the time on their wrappers. Their big advantage is - no cooking or preparation required, other than tearing open the package. Supplement them with canned goods that are reasonably nutritious and that you like -perhaps beef jerky?

The big item is water. Keep you canteens and containers filled and ready to use. I don't bother with bottled water. Basically, it just an added expense. One way or another, you will need at least a gallon a day, especially in warm weather. This is where canned goods shine. Most fruit and veggie goods are predominantly water - don't waste a drop.

Gather clothing that will work for your weather and climate. This means you will most likely have to adjust the items on a seasonal basis, but that is OK - it gives you a chance to review all the contents of your bag.

I imagine you will have meds or appliances relevant to your disability. They, obviously, are high on your list.

I share your concern about EQs, being also from SoCal. There are many simple measures, not at all costly, that you can take. Take down anything handing on the wall over your bed and other items that will fall over and cause injuries - bookcases are big culprits here. Definitely no mirrors on the ceiling....

A lot of us are willing to be helpful, and more specific details will help. Develop a plan for anticipated situations and get ready as best you can. None of us are anywhere near perfect, and nature rarely follows the script, so improvisation will almost certainly be necessary.

I live in Ogden/Layton Utah. The winter here is the biggest threat; my car is plenty outfitted for that. The big big one is a 7.0 earthquake from Logan to Provo, somewhere in that region. It will be bad. The only scenario I have for that is shelter in place; the only way in or out except through the far south of Utah is through canyon passes, and I'll bet gold against sawdust those will be either closed by rockfall and debris or severely messed up making leaving impossible. Good news is, the local faith promotes "self reliance". The vast majority don't know what that is going to entail when the rubber meets the road, but we'll get to that. So, those are the two scenarios I can think of, barring the apocalypse. (It's kind of funny how this started.)

Shelter in place after a big EQ makes a lot of sense. This site has some very good advice on preparing for a big tremor. pay attention to preparing your house and be sure that you have necessary supplies stashed at various places (don't put all your eggs in one basket).

Be sure you can turn off your gas and other utilities and that you have alternative means of cooking, etc. Depending upon how densely urbanized your neighborhood may be, fire in the aftermath of an EQ may be a possibility (think San Fran 1906 or Loma Prieta 1989).

Welcome!

Shelter in place has some big advantages. Even in a small apartment, you can store more things than you could ever carry.

A couple of thoughts on food. Think dried foods like rice, beans, oatmeal, pasta, buckwheat groats, etc. Long shelf life when stored dry and sealed. Easy prep---mostly just soak in water. Dry milk can also be considered, but has a shorter shelf life, so it would need to be rotated.

I think that your neighbors who prep as a matter of faith have access to large cans of a variety of food items, and you may be able to access this supply. I think they also publish a recommended list of items, which you may find on-line. I recall some threads and posts about this from a few years ago, but I can't pull them up, so maybe another member will be able to find them and post links. Bottom line, get to know your neighbors and don't be afraid to discuss this with them.

Finally, and this may seem odd, learn to make bread using just flour, water, yeast (or sourdough) and salt, and bake it in a dutch oven in a charcoal fire (assuming the oven is no longer operational). Tasty fresh bread in a emergency is good for you and makes a good trading item.

you live in Utah, the "pros from Dover" in the food storage world is the LDS church...the best video I've come across on food storage was by Wendy DeWitt (LDS)... it is long, but well worth watching...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOLuIApyNPc

Welcome to ETS, ED! There's a lot of wisdom and experience in this group, and everyone is always willing to share their knowledge.

Welcome, Ed! It's good to have you at ETS.

Greetings from Provo welcome to the forums..

Hey Ed,

First and foremost, welcome to ETS!! As you can see it is a great place with outstanding people.

Second: Like others have said - water; store it.

Third: this is probably a little redundant, but just take a look at how, what, and where you store things. As your life has changed due to the unfortunate disability, make sure that access to your supplies makes sense for your particular situation - reach, flexibility, mobility, etc.

Fourth consideration: buy that one extra can of baked beans, Chunky-style soups, crackers, simple hygiene supplies of some sort as often as possible. Build slowly.

Fifth: Scour this site and ask the question. I have received some great information and advice. You will find the Personal Message (PM) function helpful.

Again, welcome to the Forum, kick up your feet, and spin a yarn or two.

Under the heading of "better lucky than smart," here is the link I was thinking of when I mentioned the LDS canning of food, and the availability thereof:
http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=157138&page=1

Not sure whether anyone's said this already in this thread, but I know some people who live in earthquake zones stash their supplies in different locations. If a building collapses and destroys a part of your supplies or makes them inaccessible, you still have the other parts. That is, if you survive...

Definitely a good idea. In addition, our cars, it happens, are parked in the open. I make sure that there is a certain amount of minimum gear in each vehicle, fairly likely to still be accessible after an EQ and useful if we should decide to leave.

Hi Ed- Putting together a kit/supplies on a budget is tricky enough, add in disabilities and allergies and it makes it both much trickier and much simpler.

The folks here are terrific sources of info and I've learned a lot lurking here.

For the tight budget part, there are some common strategies such as smart use of your Dollar Store or equivalent. Lots of folks report finding good equipment at estate sales and thrift stores like Salvation Army or GoodWill which both have online stores. Watching for sales at the bargain stores ( here those might be Smart'n'Final or WinCo, not sure about your area.)

Allergies, depending upon the specifics and severity can be very significant challenges. At minimum, CAREFUL reading of labels is most important. If the allergies are the biggies that are increasingly being diagnosed such as, gluten, casein, nuts, chicken eggs, corn, you have lots of company these days. There are good online groups - often of knowledgeable parents who have truly pioneered the searches for safe foods.

Then there are the issues, after deciding on which foods are safe and can store well, of exactly HOW to store or in what form to buy in order to store well. If you don't have a countertop vacuum food saver, you might contact you neighbors or a local LDS to see if they can help or can advise you. Again, on the food saver, that can sometimes be found at the thrifty suggestions, above, or the LDS cannery may help you out...

Without knowing your specific allergens, Amy's Lentil Soup and Lentil Vegetable soups are relatively allergen free. Our COSTCO sells six or eight cans in a small case. If nuts aren't a problem, a glass jar of nut butter can be a good ready to eat food that needs no cooking... Plain canned beans (saves on water and fuel) and instant rice are great staples that can be dressed up with herbs/spices to offer nutrition and variety.

Steer clear of foods that go rancid quickly such as brown rice and foods not packaged in glass...

Without a better idea of some details, those are some suggestions just off the top.

Honestly, YouTube is one of my favorite resources for seeing how others prepare on the cheap or on a budget. Definitely do-able! Let us know about your progress!

Ed, I'm not prepping for/with a disability but I am on a tight budget. Some of the things that work for our family include:

*Absorb wisdom. There are A LOT of experts out there, who will tell you exactly what you need to do to prepare for an emergency. Some of them are full of poop. Research with an open mind, but keep your BS detector on. It's easy to get overwhelmed and caught up in an extreme mindset. Think seriously about what you really need to prepare for. How likely is any given scenario? How big of an impact would it have on you/your family? When I first started preparing, ETS was a HUGE help for me in this regard. The people here are pretty realistic in their approach and I really appreciate that they help me learn and keep me focused at the same time.

As an example: the top four likely events that my family prepares for are house fire, local industrial emergency, local weather emergency, and job loss. An emergency at one of the nuclear plants near us would have devastating consequences for us, so we prepare for that too, but the likelihood of that happening is lower, so we have KI pills and keep our vehicle gas tanks full. The concrete bunker filled with guns and gas masks, that I was sure we needed when I first started prepping, has been moved way down the priority list.

*Don't go buying fancy stuff for bug-out bags or bug-in supplies until you know what you need and know you can afford it. Make a list and look around your own house first. Clothing, blankets, cooking stuff, hygiene, etc... you are probably more prepared than you think. Organize what you have on-hand first, and then make a list of what you need.

Once upon a time, my husband and I bought a years worth of food. We took delivery up-front and we paid for monthly over the year. The pantry and chest freezer were full and it gave us great peace of mind. (It sure came in handy when my husband lost his job.) At the time, we could afford it, and we made it last a very long time by continuing to do our regular grocery shopping every week and rotating the goods through the pantry to keep everything fresh.

We can't afford that anymore, so now I buy a little extra every week when I do my regular grocery shopping. A few extra cans a every week doesn't break the bank and will add up quickly.

*Make a smart budget and stick to it relentlessly. Save for big ticket items and shop the sales for the little stuff. It really helps make the most of our money. If I allow myself $5 a week to add to the emergency pantry, for example, I can spend $1 a can and get five of something, or look for a sale and get 2 for $1 and double my purchasing/storing power.

*Storing only what we actually eat. We don't have specialty food for emergencies. (An emergency is going to be stressful enough without asking my kids to eat something different.) We do have some fancy dehydrated meals and MREs, left-over from our days of having a disposable income, but dehydrating or canning home cooked meals in the oven is way cheaper and healthier.

*Eating what we store. Buy stuff when it's on sale and rotate through your pantry from oldest to newest. It'll help keep your stored food from going rancid, and you'll always eat at good prices.

*Learn to cook. It's cheaper and cooking for yourself is a survival skill all on it's own. Practice making meals without the convenience of electricity. In fact, learn to use all your emergency supplies and practice your contingencies. Monthly fire drills at home, power-free nights at home, mock bug-outs.... being ready includes knowing what to expect, as best you can anyway.

EDIT: It's not budgetary in nature, but I'd also add learning your medical needs and procedures to the "Learn to Cook" theory. If your medical services are not available in an emergency, you need to know what you need to do to provide them for yourself.

*Don't buy water. Clean your own containers and refill them with tap water. Add a little bleach if you're concerned about germs.

*Second-hand stores and garage sales are great for finding supplies. You can often get great quality stuff for little money.

*Dollar stores are great. The quality/quantities aren't always the same but you can find good deals there on all kinds of things.

"As an example: the top four likely events that my family prepares for are house fire, local industrial emergency, local weather emergency, and job loss."

Well stated, and that is true for most of us here. You mentioned earthquake potential, and as a SoCal resident, I share that concern. A lot of survival strategies involve measures that are common to camping and hiking - cooking over an open flame, treating water to render it potable, navigating through terrain, etc. A background in those activities is helpful, but even more important is the ability to adapt to novel situations, improvise, and generally to think outside the box.

Just a thought, since we've discussed dehydrated vs canned foods/MREs in this thread:



We have old infrastructure in my neighbourhood, and our water main gets shut off at least twice a year for repairs. We haven't lost water yet due to an emergency, but it is something that we prepare for at our house. If we lived in an earthquake zone, I imagine that it would be a higher priority for us.

We store water at home, and at the moment our pantry consists mostly of canned goods, rather than dehydrated. I am very aware of this when I'm backpacking, but I have to keep water consumption in mind as we do more dehydrating for home, and also consider it when rationing our home stores in a possible emergency.

The most common emergencies are the ones to plan for first, simply because they are common.

Bad Weather, Fire, Job/money.

If you start by planning for these, you start to cover less common things.

Going back to the basic basics.
In the worst possible situations
3 minutes without air
3 hours without shelter
3 days without water
3 weeks without food.

Going to take air as a given.

Shelter-
Bad Weather or Job/money usually In place- (except hurricane zones)
This is optimum- most of your stuff is already there.
Ask yourself- How can I make my shelter better/safer? What is greatest risk to shelter?
Not trying to throw money at problems, just covering basics.
If you own, keeping trees trimmed back. Making sure all gutters work.
If you are in a cold area, making sure you have a safe heat source, have good insulation, and blankets/sleeping bags-
I picked up four 4lb bags from goodwill for 3.99 each (they had 7, but 3 were damaged)

Fire- fire Prep-- Thing #1 INSURANCE. Once you survive a fire, this is the prep that give you back your stuff.

Have several smoke alarms, wired and battery. 2 escapes for each room. This can be hard for non-fit people--My in laws are 70ish with arthritis. MAKE SURE YOU CAN USE THE ESCAPES- I had a rope ladder upstairs- which would have done no good as the @#### window jammed (now fixed)...TEST THEM.

Once you get out- do you have a plan on where to stay? Only good thing about most fires is they are very local-mostly just one house/building.
Hotel/tent/RV/car/neighbor/relative? Have stuff stored outside of your primary shelter- even a prepacked suitcase is 100% less sucky than having nothing but your p.j.s... Pack one like you are planning for a long weekend.

WATER- In place- Store water.
I have a 50 gallon in basement- cost 15.00 for barrel (used) from rent all place- Cleaned with bleach, filled from tap.
I have 5-8 gallons in garage 5 - 2 liter frozen in garage freezer (helps even out freezer temps) 2 2 gallon jugs, from store.

Food- not an expert- barely started in this area. working on plans. Wife is Gluten Free- no flour. 6 yr old hates all beans. sigh

Hi guys. Thanks for the information. Things got a little crazy; I'm in the middle of a job hunt and things go away when that's happening. I'll have to reread and then post.

Good luck with the search, Ed! I hope it goes well for you.

Oh, goodness that was a long break. Work calmed down and back to business as usual. I'm still trying to find the fault lines here, and not having much luck. Does anyone know how to use USGS maps? They're monitoring, but I have no idea otherwise. Otherwise, water remains the biggest problem...I have the water heater, which I could drain into a suitable container, but the only space in the apartment for now is under the sink or the bed. (My apartment is only 418 ft^2.) Ready to eat food won't be MUCH trouble, and rice even less. After that, I'll probably be bugging in.

I did a quick web search on, "earthquake fault lines in utah" and found a few links that would look interesting if I were in UT.
Regional Info
Utah Faults seems to indicate that the Wasatch Fault is your main concern.
Liquefaction Info would also be good to peruse. Beyond that you might want to contact the U of U seismology folks and see what other info might be available.

Also see Utah Seismic Hazard Map.

Rather than focus on individual faults, it is better to think in terms of zones or regions of seismic hazards. You are correct that the whole region along the Wasatch front is at significant risk of earthquakes.

I have a couple of possible storage solutions, depending on your degree of handiness and available cash. All of them are variations of under bed storage.

The first is a storage bed. It's like a captain's bed, but lower to the ground with a single row of drawers or cabinets. We put them in our kids' rooms because of the same storage constraints you have. The amount of large item storage can be considerable, but the weight of the water may be too much for the drawer glides during an earthquake. This is the most expensive option.

This one is similar to my son's.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40228708/

The second is a trundle bed, minus the second mattress. The trundle will roll easily, even when loaded with considerable amount of weight. Put a piece of plywood (if necessary) over the trundle's slats, and you have instant storage. Use a dust ruffle or bedskirt under the regular mattress to hide the contents. For emergency supplies, this would be my first choice.

In college, I put my bed on 8 inch risers similar to these. Added to the 6 inches of clearance normally found under a bed, and I had space for several large plastic tote boxes. It's cheap, but a solid shake could knock the bedframe off the lifters and onto your supplies.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50314319/

And, lastly, one of my college roommates used milk crates. Our rooms were a little over 110 square feet each, with a common bathroom and kitchen. He put all of his stuff in milk crates, put a plywood board on top of the crates, and his mattress on top of the plywood. This will require a bit of strength because you will have to move the mattress to get to your supplies.

EDIT: The USGS E-quake Hazard Maps might help quantify your risks.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/hazmaps/