My Emergency Preparedness Plan

Five Year Plan for Becoming Resilient

My Goals:

1. Be 80% Energy independent (housing and transportation) by 2017
2. Have 6 months of food and seed storage in place by 2012
3. Have water collection and water storage in place by the summer of 2012
4. Have a complete long term emergency supply kit in place by the summer of 2012
5. Have 60% of our land in use for food production by the spring of 2013
6. Become educated about permaculture, food preservation, food storage and basic survival skills (ongoing).
7. Join or build a community of like minded individuals to work together toward a brighter, more sustainable future.

Steps for becoming energy-efficient:

1. New roof with radiant heat barrier.
2. New heater or heat pump (energy star) more attic insulation, all devices on power strips including garage doors and kitchen appliances. Put fridge and freezer on timers.
3. Purchase clothes dryer spinner
4. Research and purchase solar panels or solar windows by 2015.
5. Research and purchase electric car and battery-powered bike or scooter by 2015.

Steps for food storage:

1. Decide on location (clean and organize)
2. Learn what food stores best
3. Find a bulk provider
4. Begin purchasing storable food
5. Order seeds from the seed vault

Steps for water collection and storage:

1. Put in a rainwater collection device and purchase water barrels.
2. Put in an irrigation system from water storage to the garden.
3. Purchase water purification tablets or water purifier/distiller
4. Purchase reverse osmosis for drinking water
5. Put in a well (if necessary – do the research)

Steps for creating an emergency supply kit:

For the car:  (My friend Tony Fischer recommended most of these items for my emergency car kit)

1. survival manual
2. bottled water (2 gallons) – the walmart bottles seem to not bust even when they freeze
3. Fix-a-flat cans – have used this more than once. Also have helped friends with flats
4. Jumper cables
5. knife
6. Bag – able to be carried with shoulder strap or like a backpack
7. Work gloves – very dangerous to injure yourself during an emergency.
8. flashlight / radio – wind up/solar or crank generator –  Have to wind it regularly or the batter will ruin
9. matches / lighter – always have multiple sources to start a fire
10. candle – 12 hour
11. Platpus water bag – 2 liter. They make many sizes
12. Water purification tablets – Kadian is best. Probably not good for you but then its better than the alternative.
13. Waterproof notebook – Write in the rain brand makes awesome waterproof paper
14. 2 pencils
15. duct tape – wrapped around pencil
16. compass
17. toilet paper – you never know when you might need some!
18. first aid kit – covers all the basics. A first aid class to go along with it helps!
19. space blankets – multiple uses. Cold, keep sun off, shelter
20. pry bar – very helpful tool
21. lightsticks
22. power bars – stores well in heat and cold
23. handwarmers – chemical. Replace every year
24. zip ties – many uses. Good for repairs
25. leatherman – multitool
26. rope – 101 uses. Paracord is small and lightweight but very strong
27. Aluminum foil – heavy duty, folded. Can be used to cook or boil water in.
28. Change of clothes
29. Good shoes

72-hour “Grab and Run” Emergency Kit:

1. Purchase LED or crank flashlights, batteries, crank radio, water filter, iodine tablets, waterproof matches, long butane lighter, sleeping bags and wood/pile blankets, headlamp with LED light, candles, basic toiletries, cooking device, first aid kit, duct tape, survival manual, 25 gallons of water, waterproof/fireproof container with important documents,  (and ask my survivalist friend Joe what else I need)
2. Purchase firearms for self defense.
3. Purchase a generator and 5 gallon can of gasoline

Steps to convert land for food production:

1. Till all farm-able land and mix with compost and yard waste
2. Cut down some trees to provide more sunny space (vegetable gardens need 8-12 hours of direct sunlight)
3. Build more raised beds
4. Build better composting system
5. Use 100% of kitchen scraps for compost
6. Plant fruit trees in the front yard.
7. Raise chickens and rabbits for food.  Use manure for garden.
8. Build fence to enclose the entire back yard.
   

Steps to furthering education:

1. Participate in local classes on gardening and sustainable living.
2. Visit organic farms and learn what they are doing.
3. Purchase resource materials at garage sales.
4. Start resource supply list (books, DVDs, blogs, newsletters, etc…)
5. Spread the word.  Build community around sustainable living and the gospel.
6. Start a blog to use as a resource center and journal of my progress in this endeavor.

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Preparing for Emergencies

I’ve added some items to my emergency kit wish list.  I’m still hoping to be prepared before we face a crisis like the folks in Texas and New Mexico did this past week with prolonged water shortages, rolling blackouts and for some, days without any electricity.  I’m not entirely ready for that yet.  We have stored a good bit of water and food (three days worth) but that’s about it.  We are definitely in the market for a good generator.  Let me know if you have one to recommend.  Here’s a few items that are on my wish list:

1. Ambient Weather WR-088 Emergency Solar Hand Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio, Flashlight, Cell Phone Charger (Blue) with Cables:

• The Ambient Weather WR-088 Weather Band provides assured access to news, weather information and illumination whenever and wherever you need it. The rubberized finish makes the WR-088 splash-proof. This robust and dependable radio, with integrated LED flashlight, offers a choice of self-charge, solar and external recharge power options.
• The WR-088 delivers complete independence from wall power or disposable batteries, ensuring sustainable access to vital information and the peace of mind that you’ll never be without power. Ambient Weather’s self-charge technology means unparalleled playtime performance, and the compelling design makes the WR-088 a great everyday radio, as well as the perfect companion in emergencies.
• The WR-088 will play for approximately 20 minutes at normal volume per 1-minute wind, and can be rewound at any time for as much playtime as you want. An LED charge level indicator tells you the best speed to wind. In direct sunlight the WR-088 will charge itself and play continuously – the internal Ni-MH battery can be fully charged from both the solar panel and an external USB charging adapter. Order ASIN: B0049J2FIS or B0049J43EW optional AC adaptor or DC car charger converter.
• A must for any emergency toolkit or your everyday portable radio, the compact WR-088 is an AM/FM NOAA Weather Alert Radio and a powerful 3 LED flashlight, with cell phone, MP3, MP4, Amazon Kindle (TM) and USB charger, all in one tiny package. The WR-088 is a five way charger – charge from a USB device (computer), AC or wall power (with optional converter), DC or car charger (with optional converter), hand crank, or solar panel. The Ambient Weather WR-088 is a radio that you and your family can depend on, anytime, anywhere, any weather.
• The WR-088 sets itself apart from other crank chargers – you can fully charge the WR-088 through the USB/AC/DC adaptor, and when you need it, charge the cell phone/mp3/mp4/USB with no cranking. Other crank chargers require continuous hand cranking to charge a device. Optional adaptors are available for AC (house) and DC (car) charging. Includes mini and micro cell phone adaptor cables, which cover about 90% of the cell phone market. EXCEPTIONS: Does not charge Apple IPhones and Ipads. Some cell phone adaptors sold separately.

2.  Camp Chef Explorer Series EX-60LW 2-Burner Modular Cooking System, Black – The Camp Chef Explorer Series EX-60LW 2 Burner cooker is more than just a camp stove, this modular outdoor cooking system allows you to create easy gourmet meals at home, camp or at the game. Includes a 3-sided windscreen ,Clover Leaf cooking surface and appliance-style temperature controls enable easy adjustment of output, making cooking fast and easy. 2×30,000 BTU

3.  Wonderwash –  -This is a hand-cranked, non-electric mini washing machine that washes loads clean in only 1-2 minutes using 90% less water and detergent. No maintenance required.

4.  HYBRID SOLAR POWERED FLASHLIGHT WITH EMERGENCY BATTERY BACKUP BLACK (*2-pack*) – Hybrid Solar Powered Flashlight! Doesn’t Need To Be Left In The Sun! Once Charged It Can Be Stored Anywhere And Holds A Full Charge For Over 3 Years! The Hybrid Solar Light uses revolutionary technology that generates power from sunlight and stores it. When fully charged the Hybrid Solar Light can hold a charge for years. It is environmentally friendly, durable and guaranteed for life*

5.  Mini Countertop Spin Dryer Clothes Spin Dryer Portable Clothes Dryer – Works in only 2-3 minutes 2.2 lb capacity for dry laundry (about 1-2 pairs of jeans per load) 1600 rpm spin speed Portable, only weighs 11 lbs Compact, measures 13.5″ x 13.5″ x 15″ Very quiet Perfect for use with our Wonderwash 110V, uses 82W Important: please note that this is a spin dryer, not a regular tumble dryer. It extracts much more water from the clothes than a regular washing machine spin cycle, they come out slightly damp.  (this is more for energy savings that a black-out since it does require 82 Watts of electricity)

6. Global Sun Oven® – World’s Best Solar Oven – The Global Sun Oven? is the world’s most widely used solar oven. Solar cooking has been around for centuries, but up to now, not many people have had the opportunity to try cooking with the sun. Using the most advanced materials, the Sun Oven takes all the hassles out of solar cooking to create the ultimate solar appliance.
Features:

• Rust-proof, highly polished, mirror-like anodized aluminum reflectors
• Sets up in minutes
• Lightweight with carry handle
• Easy temperature monitoring
• Will reach temps of 360 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

The sun oven can be used in the winter as well as summer. It has been used very successfully at below zero conditions at a base camp on Mt. Everest. Measures 19″ x 19″ with an average depth of 11″. The total weight is only 21 pounds. You can bake bread, make cookies, pizza, muffins, or anything you could prepare using a conventional oven.