Helping Mom Prepare

My 63 year old mom spends her summers in a trailer park in south eastern Ontario. They recently got battered by high winds and rain and lost power for a few days. It's got her thinking about preparedness. Hooray!

She's a nurse so has medical and first aid pretty well covered. She used to be a camper so has lots of basics on-hand already.

She bought a generator during this latest event, and has a propane BBQ. The stove and heater for the trailer run on a large propane tank as well. She also has a firepit (big ol iron rim) with grill. Everything else there is electric.

She only gets spotty cel phone service and has been putting off getting POTS.

Here's the list I made to get her started. I'd love your feedback.

You've got a generator now and that's great! Keep the manual handy, along with extra gas and oil. Be careful and don't overload the circuits though. Read the manual carefully.

Keep your propane tanks full, and maybe get a spare for the BBQ. Keep some firewood and kindling in the shed too, and don't forget to keep a few bbq lighters on-hand.

Get your land-line phone hooked up! You need a way to call for help other than your cel phone. A crank/battery powered weather radio is a good idea too.

Check you first aid kit. Add a pack of maxi pads and some roller gauze and/or tensor bandages in it for bleeds and breaks, and get extra triangular bandages for slings and slints. Tweezers and a manifying glass are good for spnters and bug bites. Get a tube of polysporin too!

Stock-up in extra meds, including tylenol, iboprohan and benedryl. (Asprin too if you can use it.) Get a little cooler and gel packs if any of it needs refrigeration, and make sure the lables are clear on everything.

You need enough bottled water on-hand for a week or two. (2-3 Ls per person per day.) Maybe a couple cases and a couple of those big jugs to start.

You need non-perishable food. Maybe a couple boxes of cereal/power bars, cereal, dried fruits, crackers, vaccuum sealed smoked salmon, canned tuna, canned pasta, canned fruit powdered milk, etc. Don't get stuff that needs water or heating and don't forget a manual can opener.

You need flashlights and extra batteries. Candles are great for outside but don't risk fire or fumed in the trailer. Use LED lights in there. A lantern or two will light the place up. Getting lights that work on all the same batteries saves time rummaging for refills.

Since you're not there in the winter, you don't really need to think much about extra heat and warmth right now, beyond what you'd already have there. Always have extra clothes on-hand. Bring extra blankets, sweaters, etc. as summer turns to fall and the nights get cooler.

Make sure you have rain gear for you and the trailer. Tarps, rope, bungie cords, etc. wiill help you batten-down the hatches if need be. Have a couple of buckets on hand for leaks.

Get a big bucket with a tight fitting lid and stock up on toilet paper and baby wipes. It's nadty, I know but just imagine it.

And run it regularly.



Also, grab a small bag of calcium hypochlorite from the pool supply store. With that and instructions http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/b...isinfect-water/ you can disinfect a lot of water.



My mom doesn't know squat about flashlights. Rather than have her buy a cheap incan and keep only one set of batteries for it, I bought her a good flashlight and a box of lithium batteries.



And plenty of contractor bags.

Thanks Chaos! It's a big job so I'm trying to get her to take it in little chunks.

I don't think they allow rain barrels where she is but she could get buckets for rainwater that she can disinfect. We'll bring her for stuff for disinfecting when we go next weekend and show her how to do it.

When she bought the generator, she stocked up on peanut butter and honey but I think she was counting on one of the guys around the campground that usually check in on her to help her with the generator. We'll have to work on that!

Simple is definitely better! I like your idea of a good flashlight and batteries, rather than cheapies. Her birthday is coming up. Guess what she's getting?

have her use fuel stabilizer if the generator is left topped off, shut off fuel line and drain the fuel bowl (most have a bowl drain)...is the generator electric start? if so a battery tender might be a good idea to keep it charged... as commented, run it periodically...in additiona to the recommended pool calcium hypochlorite, a 5gal Sawyer .1 micron filter is relatively inexpensive...

+1 on the various generator comments. This is probably the weak point -- the most things can go wrong.

Some of my experiences/observations:

Generally, storing it fueled without a weekly run of 10 minutes or so is a good way for it not to work when needed. It will not start.

Better to store it dry (no fuel). Let it run out of gas--don't fool trying to drain it. You end up causing a leak in the fuel system and may leave fuel in the carburetor, causing it not to start.

If stored for months at a time, store dry, pull the spark plug, put a few drops of motor oil in the cylinder, turn it over a couple of time to coat the inside, then replace the spark plug.

Store gasoline with a stabilizer, but use twice the maker's standard mixture recommendation--the fuel will last longer and start easier.

Many generators have a low oil cut off -- generator will not start or run if it thinks the oil is low, even if to your eye it looks ok. Keep oil on hand and keep it filled.

Change the oil at least annually.

As a last resort, when in trouble, doubt and frustration, read the instructions.

Two or three Ls of water/day isn't enough. It's too cheap and too multi-purpose to skimp there. If she cuts her hand, she could use at least half that just cleaning the wound. And you know she isn't going to want to go two weeks w/o washing a dish or taking a bird-bath.

A rain collection barrel is a good idea. If the need arises, the park will likely lift the ban temporarily. They don't have to be large barrels -- two smaller containers (like 20-gal/75 L) tubs or totes, nested and filled with supplies would be less bulky. Provide the screening/netting/cover.

Food - if she's got water and cooking ability, add some quick-cook foods. The type of scenario you're anticipating is likely to be a PITA, she needs some sense of normalcy and something to focus on.

Gift her with one of those clip-on toilet seat/lids from a sporting goods store and a matching large plastic bucket. They're cheap for the value involved when the need arises. Make sure she understands the need to keep the NEW plastic bucket out of the sun. Maybe pack it with supplies so she doesn't use it outdoors.

Chaos is right on target with his advice about flashlights.

Sue

I think at least one LED headlamp would be a very beneficial addition. Being able to go hands-free is so useful when you have things to do in the dark.

Actually, you might want to ask her to check out any LED lights before she needs them. I know that some older folks have a hard time seeing with the bluish light from LED flashlights compared to the old incandescent flashlights, even if that light is dimmer and orange. Even in younger eyes, blue wavelengths are not focused well by the eye, and that gets worse with age. Maybe that's fine to put up with in an emergency, but it annoys the heck out of some people.

Good luck getting your mom prepared.

Thanks gang!

I'm not at all familiar with generators and worry that she's relying on someone else to know and do it for her.

I've already started gathering gear and supplies for her, incorporating all your suggestions. (She's got a GHB in the car, and Bug-In and Bug-out prepped at home.) I don't want her to get overwhelmed and throw her hands up. Don't want her to think a little is a lot either.

Picked her up a copy of "When All Breaks Loose" today. It's an easy read and covers all the basics.

Great suggestions Sue. Thanks!

Thanks gang!

I'm not at all familiar with generators and worry that she's relying on someone else to know and do it for her.

I've already started gathering gear and supplies for her, incorporating all your suggestions. (She's got a GHB in the car, and Bug-In and Bug-out prepped at home.) I don't want her to get overwhelmed and throw her hands up. Don't want her to think a little is a lot either.

Picked her up a copy of "When All Breaks Loose" today. It's an easy read and covers all the basics.

Thanks Arney! I hadn't thought of that. She has macular degeneration which means light is a huge issue. Incandescents are probably a better choice for her.

Moms are different, and if it was my mom to be prepared, I would eliminate the generator altogether.

See if you can provide her with other means of lighting sources. For emergency short term, use light sticks (plus flashlights of course). For longer term, buy her a couple of solar lights ( the ones used in gardens ..etc. ) She can put them at the window in the day, and re-position them at night.

Cooking, I would buy her small gas stove, plus several bags of wood/coal for the fire pit you mentioned.

Great idea Chisel! The simpler the better. Honestly, I was stunned that she bought a generator. Maybe she's trying to get in touch with her inner bush woman, who knows.

I respectfully disagree. LED emitters are far less fragile and tremendously more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs. It's possible to buy flashlights from a warmer tint bin that don't have these issues.

The tint of an LED may--or may not--make a difference to people who have trouble with an excess of blue, so it's going to be a subjective thing for each person. A "warm" LED light still has an excess of blue in it compared to an incandescent, and a deficiency in other colors compared to an equally warm, but fuller spectrum, incandescent bulb. An elderly friend of mine who says the blue of LED really annoys his eyes dislikes even my warm tint LED or high CRI (color rendering index) LED flashlights, although he says they are better than using a bluish LED. YMMV

Are power outages the big threat where she is?

Sue

Yes Sue, power outage is probably the biggest threat, be it from wind/rain storms or heat. Heat, and wind and water from those storms are numbers two, three and four in my mind. I don't think there's ever been a twister near there but high winds bring down trees and power lines, and the local rivers are prone to flooding. She's on relatively high ground in the park, but low compared to the surrounding area.

As for lights, I'll try a few different ones and see what she thinks. As her vision fades, we'll have to make a bunch of adjustments for a bunch of stuff.

Does she understand the need/speed to vacate to higher ground, and where to go and what to take? I hope she isn't the kind to wait to see what others are doing, first.

How about printed lists taped inside a cupboard door near the exit door?

Good call Sue! She's a nurse by profession and genetics so she's likely to stick around and try to help others before helping herself. She was the Director Care at nursing home for years so has the know-how, just maybe not the presence of mind to overcome the herd mentality and save herself preemptively. I think we'll make her a BOB for the trailer and the instructions are a great idea. Thanks!

DS and I spent the weekend with my mom at her trailer a couple of weekends ago. I took it as an opportunity talk to her about her plans in case of another power failure. We stocked up a few essentials and she's in better shape now than she was. She also has a weekly to do list to keep improving.

It also presented a chance to let DS practice his fire skills and try again for a flame with his fire steel, and show her how she can cook over a campfire.

First we worked on her fire pit. We added an iron rim and cover a month or so ago, and this time we brought an old oven rack that fits over it and a small BBQ basket for cooking.

We collected firewood from the forest behind her lot, processed with ax and knife and then sorted it:


After fiddling with and repositioning the wood pile, we made tinder. He's much less anal about his pile(s) than his mom


Once he got his flame with his firesteel , I showed the boy how to give it CPR.(His first successful fire steel fire! YEAH!):


Then a lesson in patience - feeding the fire slowly:


Then campfire cooking with yummy fresh trout and a can of beans:


Finally, we were ready for marshmallows and hot chocolate:

I would add warm clothing and blankets.
Although the trailer is only used normally in the Summer, what if some disaster prevented leaving in the Autumn, and forced her to stay into the winter ?

Is she receptive to all this? Probably so, considering the daughter she produced.

I hope she has a place to keep her firewood dry. And a bag or two of charcoal wouldn't go amiss, either.

Sue

Wouldn't a small propane powered stove (Coleman or equiv) along with a few bottles, be even easier and more effective than starting an open fire? I have the same issues with my MIL...

Having now read the entire thread, I see you have propane on site. Depending upon the size of the tanks, location, etc. it might be possible to tie in the stove permanently.

Absolutely Adam. She goes up there through May through October, which can be pretty cold. We only get about 4-6 weeks of truly hot weather here in the summer. Through the rest of the summer it's cool enough to want a sweater/blanket at night and into the morning.

She has lots of blankets and extra clothes so she's all set for that.

She also has a 100 pound propane tank that fuels a stove, oven and furnace in the trailer. We got somebody out last weekend to check them all and make sure they're in good working order.

Thanks Hikermor. She's got a 100 pound propane tank tied into the trailer so, along with the bbq, she's in pretty good shape.

We did a coleman camp stove for her as a back-up though. She's pretty comfortable using propane so I'm with you thinking that campfire cooking would be only a back-up for her back-ups. It was fun watching her remember something she did long ago though. Making your own campfire is very empowering!

Good call Sue. She can get a bit like a deer in the headlights. That storm a few weeks back has her determined though.

We broke everything down into small pieces - protection, rescue, water and food (Bear's tip: Please Remember What's First) - and then took inventory to show her how well off she already is and where she can imrove. (i.e. she had a flashlight but no extra batteries, lots of canned food but only an electric can opener, etc.)

She's got a metal shed that she keeps her wood in. She's probably got a half a cord, already chopped. It was all big pieces though so DS and I went foraging for smaller stuff and top off her stores. She's got a pile of newspaper out there too, and DS showed her how well steel works too and then insisted on buying her a big box.