Been thinking about buggin in for 7 days plus. Assuming Summer, my stored water is gone, I'd really want a shower and things have stabilized...what else?

Teacher

From the number of views without responses, I'm guessing I'm not the only one unsure of the question here.

Good topic..lots of variables. But simplistically, I'm in OK so in the summer here it hits 100 (but it's the humidity that kills ya) <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> so I want to have 3-4 gallons of water per person per day. I acquired a food grade 55 gallon drum..used to have syrup in it, but should fit the bill and it was free. I also have a 33,000 pool that could be used for bathing, flushing.

7 days of food shouldn't be that hard to store up..especially since I plan on eating out of my refrigerator the first day..freezer the next two assuming no power. The fozen food in the garage should be just thawed and ready to cook for day two and three. Charcoal grill...and also have propane grill with several full 20 lb bottles just for that purpose.

Once the freezer and Fridge are empty I would start on my stockpiles of canned and dehydrated. Of course you gotta have side dishes, so I might start on them early to have something with the deer, pork ,beef and fish in the freezer.

Again..assuming summer..staying cool would probably be the most difficult, so a small generator to run some fans to keep air circulating....or battery and solar set up to run those 12 volt fans. The charger is pretty expensive, but when you figure the price opposed to how long a generator would run for the price, I think solar is the way to go. I would still like to have a generator.

I could discuss this for hours. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

to explain: Assume an event and you've bugged in for 7 days. At that point, what are you concerns/ needs? What are you running out of?

TRO

I think one often overlooked problem is boredom. Assuming that power is out, *most* usual forms of entertainment are unavailable as well. Unless you have a large number of books that you haven't read, or are willing to re-read old ones, there might not be a lot to take up your down time. This issue will be magnified by the number of people in close quarters.

I don't mind re-reading some books 5 to 10 times .....

+ I guess I would finally have time enough for some reloading (I presently am out of .45ACP or .38SP loads and I have only one box of .357 left.... damned ... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> )

I believe Malpaso is correct.
If you are lucky, boredom will be your only threat.
I would think it rational to believe that members of this site would have 6 months per person of dry/canned food on hand in their home as a minimum. Seven days is only a small test of your emergency water system.

Personnally, I keep a backpack for each person loaded with sleeping bag, tent, water filter, 4 liters of water, and food and drink mix (tea/coffee/sports) for 7+ days each.
This is separate from my pantries, freezers, and root cellars and 72 hour kits in vehicles.
While this may seem like overkill, I live on a Native American Reservation, and anyone or anything that sticks out from the norm is promptly dealt with or stolen. I have become quite adept at disguising things I wish to keep.

I find the Mormon food list on the internet to be helpful. I believe they are required to keep a year of food per family member as a religious requirement, and have figured out how to store this under each person's bed. Granted, some of the food listed is not to my taste, or quite bland in nature, but weak and hungry is no way to face the day.

Might I suggest a deck or two of playing cards??? Good for months of entertainment... the plastic ones will last for years <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

Troy

For entertainment don't forget small musical instruments - harmonicas, jaw harps, percussion instruments can be made of almost anything, etc.

If you are with other people, also consider story telling.

I did 10 days with no power back when hurricane Alicia took out a good chunk of Houston’s power grid. Boredom was definitely at the top of the list. Surviving without power for 10 days was a walk in the park. Surviving without strangling other family members was a challenge. Fortunately I was young at the time and spent most of my daylight hours playing outside as I would have done on any other days. The nights however were long and boring. I consider entertainment items to be rational use of space and weight (within reasonable limits) in any kit designed for over 72 hours. A good thick book works well for me. I keep the FM21 manual and a thick but pocket-sized version of the SAS manual in my 7-9 day kit. I find that I can read them over and over and not be bored with them even though I’ve read them before. I think a good book is a great idea as is a deck of cards. If you have kids then you really have to think of something small and lightweight yet effective way to entertain them as well, or they WILL surely drive your blood pressure up once they start getting bored. I also enjoy whittling and I carry a knife 24/7 so I can come up with at least an hour or two worth of entertainment anywhere that I can muster up a scrap of wood (which is pretty much anywhere). Primitive living skills are also one of my hobbies/passions so that is helpful as well. If you have similar hobbies in that they don’t require a lot of special tools or gadgets or gizmos, that is helpful too since you can engage in those hobbies pretty much anywhere.