When the Power Goes Out

By Sharon Astyk
Category: Electricity • Preparedness

We're just past the one year anniversary of the Northeastern power outage that had many people out this way out for a week or two last year, and what's the forecast up at our place? Snow, followed by sleet and icy rain and more ice. This seems like a recipe for trouble.
Being of a vaguely apocalyptic mindset, your blogiste is pretty good for a power outage, but it occurred to her that not everyone is probably ready. In fact, despite the fact that FEMA has *said* that in a crisis it may not be able to reach people immediately, despite the fact that an awful lot of Americans had extended outages last year, most Americans are woefully underprepared for an extended outage. My hope is that you will not be among them. So let's go over the basics of getting ready.
1. Consider your water situation. The most serious problems caused by power outages are water related. If you are on a well and rely on electricity to pump water, or if the storm involves heavy rains or flooding and water contamination, you can expect to be without water. Everyone needs water, and you will be extremely unhappy without it, so use some common sense and get some. At a minimum, get some old soda or milk bottles, clean them, and fill them with water when you know a storm is approaching. You can get larger containers as well. You can also drink the water from your hot water heater.
If you know that you may lose power, it only makes sense to fill the bathtub (if your tub holds water), buckets and pots so you've got plenty.
Stored water may not taste great - and keeping hydrated and warm is important. A stock of tea, coffee, or cocoa, or some Hi-C or Tang can make the water palatable.
2. You either need a way to cook without power, or you need lots of food that doesn't need cooking. You can cook outside on a grill or camp stove, but that won't be too much fun in a snow or sleet storm. If it is warm, you can use a solar oven once the weather settles down, but that won't help in a cold climate. If you have a woodstove, you can cook on top of it. Otherwise, some cans of sterno or a rocket stove (small homemade stove that uses tiny bits of biomass) are a good idea.
Have a thermos or two around, so that once you heat something - water, food, oatmeal, etc.. it stays warm.
3. If it is cold, you will need a way to keep warm. Bring in wood, or hook up your fuel source. A source of heat that doesn't depend on electricity is a good idea, or plenty of blankets, pets on the bed and someone to cuddle with. If you have no heat source, you will particularly want that sterno or something that allows you to boil water, so that you can heat your insides with tea, cocoa or coffee. Wrap kids up well in multiple layers, and sleep with them, or put them together. Babies should sleep up against you.
Remember, it is easier to heat yourself than it is to heat the room - you can put a brick near the woodstove or heater, and then wrap it in cloth and put it in your bed or under your feet to keep warm. You can put a cat on your lap or a dog next to you, or snuggle up to a honey. You can move close to the stove.
Again, if you are sure you are going to lose power, it makes sense to turn up the heat beforehand, to slow the chilling of your home. Check on elderly neighbors if it gets cold - they can die comparatively easily from hypothermia.
Dress in layers. I know everyone says this, but you really should. At night in our cold old house, I layer cotton long johns under fleece footed pjs for the kids, and can put a robe on top of it. We like long johns under PJs or jeans or leggings under long, warm skirts, and multiple tops. Don't forget to keep extremities warm.
4. Check out your lighting situation. Can you find your flashlight? Do you actually have batteries? Do you have oil and wicks for your oil lamps? If you have solar lights outside, you may be able to bring them inside during the evening. If you have notice, pick up extra batteries, and check your flashlight's condition.
If your kids panic in the dark, make sure you have a flashlight for them and spare batteries, lightsticks, or a nightlight with batteries. This is also good if you are prone to tripping over stuff.
5. All this burnable stuff - wood heat, propane heat, candles, oil lamps used by folks who don't use them every day ups your fire risk considerably. Check your smoke detector batteries and make sure you know how to use your fire extinguisher. Don't leave open flames around children or pets - supervise them carefully.
6. Have a plan for hygeine. You can fill the tub to flush the toilet - remember, you get one freebie from what's in the tank. It goes without saying that you should flush infrequently. Remember, the water you use for flushing doesn't have to be clean - you can use your dishwater after washing dishes.
If you know you are likely to lose power, do dishes and laundry, so that they don't pile up. If you use cloth diapers, consider picking up some disposables for the emergency if you are likely to be waterless.
Wash hands frequently, or use alcohol based hand sanitizer if you don't have enough water to wash.
If you can't flush, either put a garbage bag in the toilet and change it regularly, or set up humanure composting - find a place away from water sources and human habitation and collect human manure mixed with dry leaves, sawdust, shredded newspaper or some other high-carbon material. If you are in an urban area, you will probably want to set this up at the community level, and talk to your neighbors - remember, if they get sick, you probably will too.
A reserve of toilet paper is worth a lot.
7. Make sure you know how to use tools safety, and that you are careful when doing unaccustomed labor. Every year some people kill themselves using chainsaws for the first time, or give themselves a heart attack shovelling snow. If you are going to be doing more exertion than normal, and you can take asprin, you might want to take one. Otherwise, just take breaks and stop before you are totally exhausted. Wear appropriate clothing to the weather and the job you are doing. Stop if you get tired - that's when you make mistakes.
Fill your gas tank before the storm - gas may be unavailable if the power outage is widespread.
Also make sure before the storm that you know how to shut off your natural gas and drain your pipes so that they don't burst.
8. Have some food. If you have ever read this blog before, you should already have a reserve of food. If you haven't, go get one. The reality is that people are often stuck in their homes without food for days or even weeks - it happens *all the time* and IMHO, there's nothing wrong with taking help if you really need it, but it is a good deed to try not to need it, and to get out of the way so that the people who really can't help themselves get help.
If your food is in the freezer, eat it in this order. First, eat what's in the fridge, if you can't find a cold but non-freezing spot outside (remember, you may have natural refrigeration). Then eat what's in the freezer - but in the meantime, open it infrequently and cover it with heavy blankets to keep it as cold as possible. Food will last longer if your freezer is full, so you can freeze jugs of water, which you can then drink or use for washing. If you have a cookstove or grill, you can pressure can meat and other foods in the freezer, and if it is freezing outside, you can put food outside (if you have bears or roaming dogs, do what you need to to protect it). Otherwise, invite the neighbors in for dinner.
If you've been reading me, you probably already have a supply of needed medications, but if you don't, get prescriptions filled before the storm. Make sure you have basic stuff like bandaids and painkillers and a first aid kit. If you have a medically fragile person in your home, notify your police or fire department and your local utility company, so that they will put you on the priority list or check on you. If you know about medically fragile people in your community, check in on them.
9. Be prepared to take in refugees - people who get trapped away from home, people who have no heat or food or water. If you can put aside a little extra for them, great. If not, even a little companionship, shared body heat and a cup of tea are worth a lot in a crisis.
10. Try to relax and enjoy yourself. Sure, it may be a pain, but it is also an adventure. Everyone will be a lot less freaked out if you make it as fun as possible - eat all the ice cream before it melts, play board games, sing, make jokes about the peanut butter sandwiches. Don't panic - human beings survived without electricity for a long time. You'll be fine.
This is the short version - the longer and better version of this comes in Kathy Harrison's wonderful book _Just in Case_ - where she discusses all kinds of readiness in warm and reassuring and helpful terms.
Have an easy storm!

Customer Reviews

Money well spent Money well spent "Excellent Product, buy while you can. If you can't see what's comming, buy some glasses.Gods Speed. Semper Fi (Always Faithful) Only wish I Could buy more." Evilz Date: April 22, 2010

   best stuff! 
"this stuff is awesome....i use it into my everyday cooking! the freeze dried fruits and veggies are oh my gosh...amazing! and you can just reconstitute w/ water so simple and fresh! ...EVERY can labeled nicely...there are nutrtion facts on the label, directions...and on some easy yummy recipes!! you won't be disappointed! if you want to sample just get a hold of a local consultant to try product!
Location: Billings, MT  Date: April 20, 2010 

Great Quality food at a Good Price Pros: outstanding quality and taste Cons: sometimes backordered becasue of demand Model Number: 443250 "As a prepper since 1998, I have tried and purchased many prep items. Without a doubt Thrive is one of the top 2 suppliers in terms of quality (Both of the product itself and storage method) and taste. My finicky kids will eat all of the fruits right from the can without rehydrating, and Thrive foods last long enough once opened to become part of your weekly menu. Every item we have tried has been excellent! They also provide tons of info at their homepage. You will not be disappointed in the quality, taste and variety. My only complaint is the food tastes so good that it is hard to keep in storage!"  Snarfer   Location: NJ   Date: February 6, 2010     GOOD customer service "Concerned as we are about Wiemar Republic-like hyperinflation, we bought this product. One can had cracked open at its bottom due to blunt force trauma during shipping. We contacted Costco who put the THRIVE people in touch with us. They quickly sent us a new can to replace the damaged can. Nice service! Thanks."  HyperinflationHedge Location: Oregon   Date: February 5, 2010     Great Product at a Great Price "The food is great tasting and if you understand where we are going as a world in the next couple of years, to pay only about 2 + dollars a day for a supply of food that last about 25 years, you would jump on this wagon now before too many wake up and then you will just not be able to buy at almost any price. This is a deal and a half and the quality can not be beat. Buy now.. in a couple years or sooner (2009 now) you will not be able to get. Listen ... there is plent to know now if you are looking"  crs2000 Date: December 10, 2009     Great Price on Great Product "Everyone needs to prepare for rough years as our dollar dies. Quality product & a price that kills competitors. Get this while you can!" ScottyL Location: South

Pantry Usage and Storage "The contents of opened cans can be easily stored in glass mason jars, the ones used for canning, with a canning lid which is vacuum-sealed onto the jar with a food saver jar attachment. For jars which are in constant use, use a white plastic screw-on lid available with canning supplies. The product is wonderful for crock-pot soups and stews, and allows for personal cooking preferences (versus pre-mixed/packaged meals)!"  Firebrandofpeace Location: Pacific Northwest   Date: October 13, 2009      Wish you had trial sizes (we do now carry pantry sizes and sample packs) "Wonderful Idea for Costco to carry these products (We are now transitioning away from Costco as our primary vendor into private home sales in order to allow people to sample through a consultant before investing)! Perfect for today's economical hard times! However, I wish they would carry a larger variety with smaller cans than the "Starter Package". I would love to be able to sample every one of these products, and open a little can at a time and not have so many opened cans in your pantry. I would buy each of my children a supply for Christmas!"  RLabrum Location: Bozeman, Montana   Date: October 7, 2009

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill of 4/20/2010

The Dreaming Tree: An American Tragedy
A fish killed by unknown causes washed ashore in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, on Monday.

Venice, Louisiana (CNN) -- A wind shift could push more oil from BP's Deepwater Horizon gusher into the Mississippi Delta and areas west of the river, which is "bad news for Louisiana," Gov. Bobby Jindal said Monday afternoon.

Louisiana has been mostly spared since the oil rig exploded April 20 and sank two days later about 50 miles (80 kilometers) off the southeast coast of Louisiana. The catastrophe is sending 210,000 gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico each day. Most of the slick has been centered in an area east of the environmentally sensitive delta.
"We've said all along that the oil coming west of the river would pose a whole new set of challenges," Jindal said at a news conference.
He detailed efforts to place booms and other restraining devices into four passes near Grand Isle to prevent the oil from reaching land.

Will you tell them that the reason nothing ever grows in the garden anymore, because they wanted to win the craziest race. That's this world over. Will you smile like any father, with your children on a sunday hike? When you get to a sea of rubble, and they ask, what was (your world) like. Ah, well, that's this world over; Ah, well, next one begins; Ah, well, that's this world over, you sadly grin.  - Andy Partridge

In spite of these sobering events I believe there is always hope and a glorious future is still ours to claim!

New Mexico Dehydrated & Freeze Dried Food ListingsSelect a New Mexico City to view Dehydrated & Freeze Dried Foods Listings

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Helpful Food Storage Tips

•Be Practical. Store the food you eat and eat the food you store. It doesn’t make sense to buy food storage that your family isn’t accustomed to eating. Many items, such as wheat, flour, oats, and dried milk are needed to sustain life and are already included in many of the foods that we enjoy each day. Become familiar with recipes that include ingredients contained within your food storage. This will not only enable you to become familiar with the preparation of foods within your food storage, it will also allow you to rotate your food in a timely manner.

• Store Foods Properly. Quality is best maintained by minimum exposure to light, heat, moisture, and air. Items stored in a basement will last much longer than in a pantry or garage. Store food on shelves or on a raised platform rather than directly in contact with concrete floors or walls. Avoid storing items next to certain products such as soaps or fuels; this will prevent the spread of odor and other possible contaminants.

• Temperature. Where possible, always store your food indoors. Temperature has the largest affect on food storage. Canned goods will store 2 to 3 times longer at 70°F than they will at 90°F. Most dry goods store indefinitely below 70°F. Temperature affects nutrition, texture, and taste.

• Moisture. Dry goods should contain less than 10% moisture. The more a container is opened, the more moisture is introduced. The humidity in the air the day food is dry packed or home canned can also affect storage life. Weevil cannot grow in grain with less than 10% moisture. For a maximum shelf life, non-fat dry milk should have no more than 2.8% moisture.

• Light. Store foods in opaque containers or dark cupboards. Light fades colors, destroys vitamins, and speeds the rancidity of fats.

• Air. Containers should have airtight seams and lids. If in doubt, use duct tape as an additional seal. Plastic buckets with rubber gaskets are airtight if the gasket has not been damaged.

• Use Variety. Use a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein sources, and dairy products to obtain balanced nutrition. This will provide greater flexibility in cooking.

• Use Labels. Label your containers with the date of purchase.

• Rotate Your Storage. Rotate as many items as you can by using food storage at least twice a week. This will allow for a complete rotation of a year’s food supply every three years. It will also help your family become accustomed to the items you have stored.

• Store Water. Be sure to store a large amount of water (at least 14 gallons per person for a two week supply). Soda and juice bottles will work for water storage as will larger food-grade plastic containers. For larger quantities, 5, 15, 30, and 55 gallon storage drums can be used. Water will need to be treated before storage. FEMA recommends treatment with 4 drops of bleach per quart of water. Water supplies should be replenished yearly.

• Store Non-Food Items. Food storage is only part of emergency preparedness. Don’t forget to store non-food items such as medicines, toiletries, soap, cleaning supplies, paper products, laundry detergent, and clothing.

• Grow a Garden. For easy access to fresh produce, grow a garden. Also, store and rotate seeds. If you don’t have garden space, try using pots to grow vegetables.

Emergency Supplies: Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany disasters.

According to FEMA, "Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany disasters... and sometimes avoid the danger completely." Preparing yourself and your family with at least a 72 hour kit and an emergency plan will reduce anxiety and panic should you find yourself in a disaster situation. Many emergencies don't allow time for people to assemble even the most basic items, which is why preparedness planning is so important. In addition to first aid and emergency kits, our site offers emergency essentials and supplies for virtually any disaster.
Shelf Reliance also boasts a wide variety of camping and outdoor gear. If you are in need of emergency planning or simply love the outdoors, we have the perfect products for you. All of our products are available online. Order through a consultant to get the best party prices. Send an email to me at thrivelady@gmail.com and I will set up an account for you and attach your orders to a party so you can receive the discounted pricing.

 



Create a completely custom emergency kit for
your family using our Emergency Planner. You 
pick the duration, disasters to prepare for and 
quality of products included in your kit 




Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation's premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering.
Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products;  educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs.
The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—across the street, across the country, and across the world—in emergencies. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new—the more than half a million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through nearly 700 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world.
Some four million people give blood—the gift of life—through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. And the Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of 186 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people.
An average of 92 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
The American National Red Cross is headquartered in Washington, Gail J. McGovern is President and CEO, and Bonnie McElveen-Hunter is Chairman of the Board of Governors.

Click HERE to find your local American Red Cross
Click HERE for Albuquerque Community Safety Education Courses 

FAMILY SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS

Preparedness... An Everyday Task for Everyday Life

Being prepared for emergencies is crucial at home, school, work and in your community. Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood, workplace or school or can confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services -- water, gas, electricity or telephones--were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away. Therefore, the best way to make you and your family safer is to be prepared before disaster strikes.

Food Insurance

What if you can't get to the grocery store—or don't want to go into town—for any reason?  Maybe you've had a rough week and just don't feel like getting out.  Maybe you want to keep from catching the flu this season.  There's ice on the roads!  Or, maybe the threat alert level is too high and it might be better to avoid crowded areas.  Maybe it's time to build an emergency supply, or have an emergency preparedness plan, or just put together an emergency preparedness kit.  (Domestic and emergency preparedness is highly recommended by the Department of Homeland Security!)  Maybe you just don't want to drive your car and spend enormous sums on fuel.

For decades governments and religious organizations have urged people to prepare themselves for hardship by storing extra food and water. Food storage or "food insurance" has been seen to be a worthy goal for families in these uncertain economic times. The suggested one or two year supply of food is intended to take care of a family in case of a natural disaster or in the eventuality of a family crisis where money might not be readily available to buy food.  Losing one's income has become all too commonplace in today's society.
Some people shop for staples in their grocery shopping once a month or once every other month.  This is a good idea except for the period when it gets down to shopping day and the supply of food may be depleted.  Having a supply of food on hand is a good thing for everyone in case of emergencies.
 http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/restaurants/bestbites/14918.html
This past winter there were record snow storms in the Washington, D.C. area and other parts of the United States.  People who knew the problems were coming flooded the grocery stores to buy essential items, leaving the stores with little or no reserves of some products.  The employee or trucking strikes which sometimes occur cause the grocery store shelves to become empty. After Hurricane Katrina, most of the complaints centered around the long delay before they were evacuated, and the lack of food and supplies at the shelters.

Disasters of nature hit unsuspecting areas and preparing in advance is a good idea. If, heaven forbid, disaster strikes and you had the wherewithal and foresight to prepare your household, your dignity remains in tact as you avert subjecting your family to waiting in long lines of angry people for the government to feed you.

Shelf Reliance, a company from Utah, has recently launched from retail (Costco/Walmart) into the network marketing arena.  Consultants give home parties in order to share the concept of food storage and provide participants with information, recipes, and samples.  The company produces food products which may be stored for 25-35 years and which may be used daily.  They encourage rotation of the food storage through usage and have set up programs where people are able to buy the products monthly according to their own budgets (THRIVE Q).  It also allows the consultants to earn money through the network marketing plan down three levels.  This is a company which should see great growth and success through which consultants have a chance to win at a home based business.

Click HERE for a link to see what emergency resources are available to you in your state.

Preparedness in NM Even in New Mexico – disasters happen.  Every community in New Mexico is vulnerable.  As New Mexicans, we face the threat of a variety of natural disasters and the threat of man-made disasters.  Within the last year, New Mexico has dealt with an unprecedented series of emergencies from drought to fire, flooding and severe winter weather, and even tornadoes. In the wake of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, emergency management officials have learned that local emergency services and governmental agencies cannot necessarily rapidly respond to your individual needs.  Buildings, roads, water systems, and communications can be severely hampered during a disaster.  Basic infrastructure need to be made operational to allow emergency management assistance and recovery to begin. No one can stop natural disasters from occurring, but we can limit the impact they have on our family.  The chances of being killed or injured during a disaster are very low.  However, you may not be able to live normally in your home and community until your family and community have transitioned into the recovery stage. Experts, like the American Red Cross or Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), recommend having three days worth of emergency supplies for each family member in your household, always.  Think of emergency preparedness as a “quality of life” issue.  Proper planning, preparation, and practice will help you and your family be more comfortable when faced with an emergency.  The most important factor is communication.  Every member of your family needs to be involved in planning so that when disaster strikes; everyone will know what to do. Once your family plan is complete – don’t forget to practice.  Just like you did when you were in school, once a month have your household “fire drill” or “flooding drill.”  Share your family plan with your neighbors; help them plan for their family.  Let them know that disasters strike – even in New Mexico.

Prepare Ye

Having a supply of essential foods, clothing, fuel, and water will help us during times of personal and natural disasters. We must be prepared for calamities that may come our way. Having what we need and knowing what to do in the event of an emergency or other calamity can bring us peace and help us overcome fear.
In Matthew, chapter 24, we learn of “famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes. …” (Matt. 24:7.) The Lord warns us of a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth prior to the second coming. We also read of an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land as well as wars decreed upon the face of the earth. …” The Lord declared that these and other calamities shall occur. These particular prophecies seem not to be conditional. The Lord, with his foreknowledge, knows that they will happen. Prophecy is but history in reverse—a divine disclosure of future events.  Some will come about through man’s manipulations; others through the forces of nature and nature’s God, but that they will come seems certain. Yet, through all of this, the Lord Jesus Christ has said if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.
J. Reuben Clark, Jr. said:
“First, and above and beyond everything else, let us live righteously. …
“Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague; where we are now in debt, let us get out of debt; if not today, then tomorrow.
“Let us straitly and strictly live within our incomes, and save a little.
“Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough food and clothing, and, where possible, fuel also, for at least a year ahead. You of small means put your money in foodstuffs and wearing apparel, not in stocks and bonds; you of large means will think you know how to care for yourselves, but I may venture to suggest that you do not speculate. Let every head of every household aim to own his own home, free from mortgage. Let every man who has a garden spot, garden it; every man who owns a farm, farm it.”
The Lord desires his Saints to be free and independent in the critical days ahead. But no man is truly free who is in financial bondage. “Think what you do when you run in debt,” said Benjamin Franklin, “you give to another power over your liberty.” “… pay thy debt and live …” said Elisha. (2 Kgs. 4:7.)
L. Tom Perry said "Acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life. Obtain clothing and build a savings account on a sensible, well-planned basis that can serve well in times of emergency."
Perhaps if we think not in terms of a year’s supply of what we ordinarily would use, and think more in terms of what it would take to keep us alive in case we didn’t have anything else to eat, that last would be very easy to put in storage for a year … just enough to keep us alive if we didn’t have anything else to eat. We wouldn’t get fat on it, but we would live; and if you think in terms of that kind of annual storage rather than a whole year’s supply of everything that you are accustomed to eat which, in most cases, is utterly impossible for the average family, I think we will come nearer to what J. Reuben Clark, Jr. advised us way back in 1937.
There is more salvation and security in wheat, than in all the political schemes of the world. Dry, whole, hard grains, when stored properly, can last indefinitely, and their nutritional value can be enhanced through sprouting, if desired.

Building up a food storage helps us learn how to prepare and use basic foods. Because many items in a food storage only last a certain amount of time it is important to rotate the food by using older items and replacing those items with new ones. When we do this we can learn to use our food storage which in turn will prepare us to know how to use our food storage in the case of an emergency.
There are blessings in being close to the soil, in raising your own food, even if it is only a garden in your yard and/or a fruit tree or two. Man’s material wealth basically springs from the land and other natural resources. Combined with his human energy and multiplied by his tools, this wealth is assured and expanded through freedom and righteousness. Those families will be fortunate who, in the last days, have an adequate supply of each of these particulars.  Wood, coal, gas, oil, kerosene, and even candles are among those items which could be reserved as fuel for warmth, cooking, and light or power. Some may be used for all of these purposes and certain ones would have to be stored and handled cautiously. It would also be well to have on hand some basic medical supplies to last for at least a year.
We have been advised to pay our own way and maintain a cash reserve. Recent history has demonstrated that in difficult days it is reserves with intrinsic value that are of most worth, rather than reserves, the value of which may be destroyed through inflation. It is well to remember that continued government deficits cause inflation; inflation is used as an excuse for ineffective price controls; price controls lead to shortages; artificial shortages inevitably are used as an excuse to implement rationing.
When will we learn these basic economic principles? However, “… when we really get into hard times,” said Clark, “where food is scarce or there is none at all, and so with clothing and shelter, money may be no good for there may be nothing to buy, and you cannot eat money, you cannot get enough of it together to burn to keep warm, and you cannot wear it.”
 How on the face of the earth could a man enjoy his religion, when he had been told by the Lord how to prepare for a day of famine, when, instead of doing so, he had fooled away that which would have sustained him and his family.
If you are without bread, how much wisdom can you boast, and of what real utility are your talents, if you cannot procure for yourselves and save against a day of scarcity those substances designed to sustain your natural lives? … If you cannot provide for your natural lives, how can you expect to have wisdom to obtain eternal lives?
When will all these calamities strike? We do not know the exact time, but it appears it may be in the not-too-distant future. Those who are prepared now have the continuing blessings of early obedience, and they are ready. Noah built his ark before the flood came, and he and his family survived. Those who waited to act until after the flood began were too late.
Let us not be dissuaded from preparing because of a seeming prosperity today, or a so-called peace.
Recall the ravages of inflation in Germany in the early 1920s. In December 1923 in Cologne, Germany, it cost six billion marks for breakfast. That was just 15 cents in American money. Today, the real inflation concern is in America and several other nations. 
Ezra Taft Benson spent a year in war-torn Europe at the close of World War II, without family, distributing food, clothing, and bedding to the needy people. He looked into their sunken eyes, in almost the last stages of starvation. He saw faithful mothers carrying their children, three and four years of age, who were unable to walk because of malnutrition. He even saw a hungry woman turn down food for a spool of thread. He saw grown men weep as they ran their hands through the wheat and beans sent to them from America.
The days ahead are sobering and challenging. Oh, may we be prepared spiritually and temporally.

How Much to Store: not having what you need vs. having what you don't need

Is a one-year supply of food enough? What about a two-year supply?
If people are fortunate enough to find storable food that they can trust, and if they are fortunate enough to get it stored before it disappears or becomes illegal, and if they're wise enough to get more than a 1-year supply, here's how that supply must be handled.
We must not touch any of that supply until every other alternative has been completely exhausted. When we can no longer grow food in our plowed up lawns, barter, spend cash or trade our cars and other possessions for food, then and only then, should we break open this supply.
You see when conditions have reached the point where the "food of last resort" has to be used, the survival clock starts ticking. If there is only a 2-year supply, that's exactly how long the family has to come up with a miracle to solve the problem of survival.
What about putting in a little at a time starting with a few basic grains and building up your supply gradually? Not a good option - see why.
Let's talk about "nickel and dimeing" a supply - putting in a little at a time starting with a few basic grains and building up gradually. Ten years ago that was an option, not now. Whatever is missing in that supply needs to be filled in immediately. If the supply isn't complete and nutritionally balanced, it is not a supply.
For example, let's look at two families.
One family has a 1-year supply of all the "basic" grains. The other family has a 3-month supply of fruit, vegetables, dairy products, proteins, grains and cereals. In short a complete and balanced supply.
How long will each family survive?

• The family with the grains will make it a few days before the beginning of dysentery, and scurvy - the illnesses the pioneers experienced on the same diet.
• The other family with the balanced supply will be fine for at least 3 months. Their only problem is poor judgment in the quantity of supply.

The conclusion is that if a supply is not balanced and complete, it is virtually no supply at all. The council to store what we eat is absolute. You want your stored food to be as close to what you are currently eating as possible. Flavor and diversity are crucial.

How much is enough? That's up to every family. Is it better to have what you don't need or to need what you don't have?

QUOTES:

"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail" - Benjamin Franklin

"The sad thing is if an American talks about prepping or getting ready for disasters they are looked at like they are paranoid. Most preppers, survivalists, etc. keep their lifestyle secret. Too many Americans have grown up believing that the government is their mother, father and Santa Claus all rolled into one. They cannot or will not believe that it's possible for the lights not to come on, the Walmart trucks not to run or the gas stations to run out of fuel. We grow up learning history about those with self reliance and a pioneer spirit yet most Americans today want to be coddled like small children. It really is sad how far the average American citizen has fallen over the last few decades."

"Most of us preppers are normal people. I have an advanced degree and work in a high rise office building. The only difference between me and someone who is not prepared is that I have plans and supplies in place for disasters, be they natural or man-made. I also have many friends (here in the Midwest) who are doing the same. We had a snowstorm here this year that illustrated the contrast. In anticipation of the storm, many people went to the grocery store (I did not, because I have plenty of food). On local news, they showed the store shelves had been cleaned out. The average grocery in the United States does not have more than 1-2 days' worth of food on its shelves. Think about that, and whether you owe it to yourself and your family to have your own stockpile."

Personal Disasters: "It is far more likely that we find ourselves laid off, having health problems or injuries that sap financial resources and prevent work or having friends, family members and neighbors in some category of personal disaster (as opposed to a disaster that affects everyone in a geographic area). In my circle of contacts, I have more examples of people using home storage and preparedness methods to resolve these issues than I have from the catastrophic earthquakes and storms through which I have lived.
Also, based on my circle of contacts, the storage defense issue is way overplayed in the article. Most people I know who pursue preparedness as a goal are extremely generous people and share what they have. I have personally been the beneficiary of that generosity when times have been tough."

"Having a fully prepared and self-reliant society, one which is not dependent or reliant on government to solve their problems would virtually eliminate any need or desire for socialism. If all who were able to work, would work, rather than drain the systems resources, then there would be enough wealth amongst the giving to help those who truly do need it through charity."