After a major earthquake,<br><br>1. I have no gas in my apartment and my stoves are electric. So long as electricity is restored, I can cook. If I didn't have electricity, how would I cook in my apartment? What do I need?<br><br>2. If it is assumed the water is contaminated, how would I do the dishes? Should I use my reserve water (2.5 gal containers) or should I use paper plates and bowls, picnic style?<br><br>3. Is it better to get ready to eat food, assuming that cooking will not be possible?<br><br>Please let me know. I am stocking up on foods...I bought some canned stuff but was hesitant to buy stuff like tried potato mix, dried margerine, egg noodles, etc. in lieu of ready to eat but expensive Campbells soup and chili.

#3 - Ready to eat food would be my preference for the first 72 hours. During this time "anything" could happen and I wouldn't want to be dependant on or tied down to any infrastructure. Freeze dried or sea Rations such as mainstay products would be my first choices for this time. If things last more than 72 hours then the first 72 give me plenty of time to transition to improvized infrastructure. <br><br>#2 Paper plates are better than wasting your drinking water on doing dishes. Again the answers will change after the first 72. During the first 72 hours don't use dishes. Don't cook. Don't waste water on cleaning dishes or anything else. Unless wounded you should be able to go for a few days without washing more than your face and hands. Washing these remains essential to prevent disease. If things extend beyond 72 hours you should have a way to save your "gray water" (the water alreaady used to wash dishes can be re-used to flush the toilet or wash clothes etc. ) Do not attempt to re-use black water (sewage). If you seem to be in for a long duration (>72 hours) you should have a means of purifying water. Filter and fire are best when combined.<br><br>#1 Don't start a fire in your apartment! There will not be a response from the Fire Department. If the electricity is on you should probably turn it off until the electrician can checkout the building for damage. Your buildings condition will determine if it is safe to run the electricity. Go outside if you need to cook on a fire. You should be on MRE or Mainstay rations for the first 72 hours so cooking will not be necessary. If things last longer then I would suggest the rooftop as the more secluded place to cook without having to feed strangers. Cook on a stove not an open fire. A 1 or 2 burner coleman stove using white-gas is probably adequate. Checkout your access to the roof and be prepared with flooring if you find it necessary. Most flat roofs are not designed for walking on and may suffer damage if you use them without something extra to walk on. A sheat of 1/2 or 3/4 plywood would make an acceptable roof patio if there isn't one. The plywood could be stored on-end against the wall in any room without being noticed. Just screw the top two corners to the wall and paint it. This also reinforces your walls and helps to dampen the noises comming from the neighbors. Or you could store it on the roof leaning up against the top of the stairs depending upon wind conditions up there.

I don't disagree with anything miniMe said, but I might add a couple of thoughts.<br><br>As he indicated, water is always going to be a very high priority, and cooking a relatively low one.<br><br>That having been said, assuming that in your projected scenario you've really taken care of all the higher priority items and are still concerned about cooking, there are a couple of things I might consider:<br><br>One- MREs with MRE heaters. This is a short-term solution, but it will get you hot food. You pour a little water in the heater and it heats up the pouch in about 10 minutes, no flame. Some ventilation is needed for any food-heating option.. but, after a big one in an apartment, you may already have a lot more ventilation than you need.<br><br>Two- for longer term I MIGHT consider an Alpaca kerosene combination heater/stove. Kerosene is much safer than gasoline (white gas, Coleman fuel, whatever) and stores much better (at least 5 years). This one-burner stove/heater is, as far as I know, unique in that it's built on the same principles as kerosene space heaters, and is designed for use without venting (chimney, ducting), NOT without ventilation. It's pretty small (about a foot high), but efficient, and as a heater will take the chill off of an apartment in a pinch as well.<br><br>I would never consider any gasoline/Coleman fuel stove (or lantern!) for indoor use, and I have used them outdoors for a lot of years. Also, before I purchased any heaters or stoves for indoor use, I bought both fire extinguishers and battery-powered combination smoke detector/CO (carbon monoxide) detectors. The model I bought is easliy detatchable from the ceiling (twist) for use in whatever room you're cooking in or heating. I wouldn't want to use a kerosene space heater without one or two.<br><br>Also be aware that such devices should be stored empty and dry (which can be a hassle after use), and from that state it will probably take 3 hours or so for kerosene to saturate a dry wick- so this is not a quick option. I'd think about filling it as the MREs or MRE heaters were getting low, unless it was really cold.<br><br>Of course, cooking outside is always preferable when feasible. You really, really don't want a fire. The ethic your mother taught you of turning the lights out when you leave a room used to be life-and-death, not just the electric bill.. when all light was combustion, getting in the habit of leaving a room with one burning vitually guaranteed that sooner or later you would burn down your house. Never leave any flame unattended, even by dozing off. If you have a fire of any kind going, you need someone on fire watch.<br>

Hey there.<br><br>I decided to go with canned food. I don't want to cook on the patio, because about a half dozen apartments and everyone between the swimming pool and entrance can see me on the balcony. While I like to share under normal circumstances, I still have my roommate to take care of, which essentially cuts my supply in half, and feed one neighbor, and you gotta feed 'em all.<br><br>How would I determine if electricity is safe if no one is in the leasing office to call an electrictian? Should I assume unsafe for the first 72 hours?<br><br>I plan to have about 20 days of canned stuff (chili, soup, diced veggies and corn) and 10 days of survival rations. Is that a decent 30-day package? I'll probably go the first 2 days living off my refrigerated foods that don't need cooking (vegetables, cold cuts) because it'll spoil faster.

This was my reality after the Northridge quake. First, living just north of the L.A./Ventura line we lost electrical power. We called a relative in Washington State to let them know we were allright. He informed us our Grandmother ( in Northridge) was O.K. , but the house was damaged. This system allows people to have a safe contact without tying up local communications needed by emergency personel. We loaded flashlights, extra blankets, water, coleman two burner stove and my Mauser. The allready rude driving habits of SoCal were exasperated by knocked out signals, gas fires erupting from the asphalt and the many cinderblock fences knocked into the street. There were no police checkpoints as in a localized fire situation ( the few units available were literally a THIN BLUE LINE, and they weren't responding to loud radio complaints.) The key word was GO SLOW @ 25mph, heads on swivels. On arrival we learned their water was off ( Ventura, on a different system was functioning.) We prepared a campsite with the tent as I secured the gas line. The neighborhood consisted of families that had lived together since 1926. The coleman got a workout as we pooled resources and secured each home on the street ( broken windows, gas shut off, pets secured, food pooled.) A community before a disaster is a community during a disaster, even Hollywierd. If you don't know your immediate neighbors now, introduce yourself. That night there WERE looters. I watched 2 scale the fence with sacks and large screwdrivers. When the mauser bolt double chirped, they announced they were looking for work. I let them clear the collapsed brick chimney all night and gave them a running start at daybreak. Water was trucked in with a quota. Flashlights were at a premium. Gouging at some local retailers occured. People took names and there were prosecutions later. A co worker who's apartment was the one with fatalities moved to Oklahoma shortly after. He later got hit by a tornado.

Howdy,<br><br>I am not an electrician and someone please correct me if I am wrong but I would not be overly concerned about the safety of a building's electricity. If it is on it is safe. If there were a short the breaker would have caught it. If power is off on just a single circuit (15-20 amp), unplug all the items on that circuit and reset the breaker. If the breaker pops again leave it off. If the main breaker (100-200 amp) were popped then I would not try to reset it until a electrician has looked at it. If the main breaker was still on and no sparks were coming out of the wall I would not turn if off. Many houses have sump pumps and other devices that need to keep working or you will have a basement full of water or sewage. You could also loose your phones without power. The base stations of cordless phones don't work without power. It is a good idea to have at least one phone that does not use electrical power. <br><br>The time to check your house's electrical system is before a disaster. If you have the old style screw in fuses (maybe with a penny under one) or if you have old cotton insolated wire or old knob and tube wiring your house maybe a disaster waiting to happen. <br><br>Also if you have a generator don't plug it into you house or you could electrocute the guy down the street trying to fix the lines. You need to have a cut-in box professionally installed to power your house with a generator. <br><br>I would be concerned about natural gas after a disaster. Here in the midwest gas is popular for home heating. I have a wrench set aside and I know where the shut-off valve is so I can turn it off if I smell gas in the house or suspect a broken gas pipe. It is also a good idea to know where the water shut off is in case of a broken water pipe or washing machine hose. Water can do a lot of damage if you can't get it shut off. <br><br>Have fun<br>David Koelzer

Never having experienced a quake like that... you've gotten some advice already, but I'll toss in my 2 cents worth. (Chris K's first hand account was super, btw. IIRC, his Mauser is in some obscure "tropical" caliber - Chris, do you rec solids or softpoints for stopping charging looters? LoL - JK). <br><br>On stoves: if you don't want to spend a lot of money and don't want to use white gas, how about propane appliances fueled from disposable one pound cylinders? Several to choose from, including lanterns, and they tend to be fairly inexpensive and simple. [Side note: I think the kerosene advice is fine, but not for me. I've used wick type stoves, pressurized kero, diesel, JP5, mogas, alcohol, LPG, etc. Personally, I find pressurized "gasoline" stoves most preferable, followed by various LPGs. And packaged fuel like Coleman and Blazo has stabilizer in it, so a sealed can stays good long enough. BUT - I agree about the slightly elevated hazards for the unwary and/or inexperienced.]<br><br>Light: If not a lantern (see propane, above), then how about a nice candle lantern like an Ucco? I've used one for a long time and they work great. Haven't seen it in person, but there's a new version of it out that has an LED lamp built into the base as well as the original version. Ucco's take a specific size candle, so stock a few spares. Of course, LED lights with a few spare batteries would be just dandy, too.<br><br>What if your building is unsafe/unstable? At least a tarp and some cordage would be a good thing to have handy. Along those lines, perhaps a packable 72 hour kit kept with you (in your vehicle?) as the nucleus of your more extensive supplies at home would be a good idea (what if your building collapses or you cannot return to it for a couple of days?) You can lug that much stuff around without a fancy backpack in your climate, I think. If the weight is too much, cut the 72 hour water down a bit - you probably would be OK at 2 liters/quarts a day for three days if you conserve sweat.<br><br>I'd keep a walking stick handy (with 72 hour gear) as well. Something in the "quarterstaff" type model - broomstick or larger "natural" one that is about 1/2 foot taller than you. Too many potential uses to list here. Keep it simple - who would want to steal a stick?<br><br>Just a few thoughts that I hope are helpful to you as you sort all this out and decide what to do.<br><br>Regards,<br><br>Tom<br><br><br>

Good question, especially for those of us in earthquake country. My approach for the aftermath of a major quake is to sit tight and camp at home while we repair or rebuild. I have a single family dwelling; an apartment complicates things a bit. IIRC, several apartment buildings were collapsed/uninhabitable following Northridge.<br><br>I don't think you can count on electricity following a quake. In fact, power outages are not unknown even without quakes. I would recommend stocking up on propane equipment for cooking. White gas is simply too hazardous, not that propane is hazard free. In an apartment situation, I would consider using a backpacker type stove, since you might have to leave. Two burner coleman stoves are just too bulky and heavy for that eventuality. If you can count on staying put, stockpiling propane in 25 lb bottles and using a bulky stove will work well; you will be able to purify lots of water and cook as well.<br><br>Coming from a desert background, potable water is used ONLY for drinking when there is any question about availability. Don't mess with freeze dried stuff. Canned foods are what you want - they already have water in them and will not intrude upon your water supply. Stored in cool, dry conditions, they will last well beyond their expiration dates, and you can always rotate them into your normal consumption. Remeber that you have more water stored than you may realize - there are about five gallons of perfectly fine water in your toilet tank (not the bowl). Shut off the supply valve in order to preserve its purity after the quake. The sewers probably will be busted, along with all the other utilities, so think about waste disposal. If you have canteens around, store them full, and change the water periodically. Contaminated water from the tap can be rendered fully potable by bringing to a full, rolling boil. You do not need to sustain the boil for several minutes as some recommend.<br><br>I recommend canned foods, especially those that can be eater without any or very little preparation, which is nearly all canned stuff, come to think about it. You will have many more important things to do without messing around with cooking, especially at the start. I have a lot of staples packed away, but I have also stored some luxuries (gourmet chocolates! and similar) just so we can give ourselves a little psychological lift. I figure most of my fuel will be consumed in purifying water, rather than cooking.<br><br>I would think about shelter, too, in case the building is uninhabitable. A lot can be done with blue tarps and simple tools and supplies. Historically, fire and aftershicks have complicated post quake life. So all of us should be prepared to leave if circumstances require.<br><br>Quakes are a fact of life in SoCal, and actually throughout the rest of the USA as well, but I would rather take my chances with an earthquake than a tornado or hurricane any day. Quakes are easier to plan for.

Just a passing thought, building on Ayers good recommendations. The easiest, most available source for electricity is most likely your car. Fine for charging radios, batteries, etc. But obtain an appropriate converter so you can turn the DC into AC.<br><br>A written, prioritized list of items to take with you is a good idea, as well. We actually used ours a few years ago, and it really helps.

Just to clarify my orignal suggestion... I have several pressurized "gasoline" stoves (back to my old 1971 Svea, still working.. sorta) and have used it for backpacking for many years, and that's what I prefer for that useage myself.<br><br>The Alpaca I mentioned is different than other wick-type kerosene stoves, being built along the lines of a kerosene space heater, it's designed to burn especially clean for use indoors. Personally, I will not used pressurized stoves or lanterns indoors, especially gasoline. Some here who are senior to me may remember that Aladdin made their fortune (in wick/mantle kerosene lamps) off the statistics of farmhouses burned down by their pressurized-gasoline lantern comptetitors. <br><br>The Alpaca was suggested just to keep from having to cook outdoors- with proper precuations, of course.