Could you survive more than a week after a major disaster????

   


  Deep inside us all is the will to survive but for most of the people that translates into more panic, crying and uncertainty (never good in any situation). Then there is the few who will work their fingers to the bone to survive only to ultimately fail in time due to the lack of knowledge and preparation needed. Last there are the few that made some basic preparations. Now I'm not talking about building bunkers and stock piling guns and ammo with 300 pounds of beans and rice. Let try to be a bit more practicable and realistic for the masses.

 We all know the big three...Food,Water & Shelter. This is why right before a storm people run out to the store and buy as much as they can most often much more than they need. This leaves many others without as supplies diminish.

Lets look at the three basics.

Food is essential for life there is no arguing that but how much do you need?  I like to use the canned food method for calculating how much food to keep on hand.

Most canned food will last years past the sell by date.  But you should always rotate your supply.

      2 cans of food per person per day regardless of age. This is the base minimum and must be a mix of canned foods. Having all the same types of canned food will cause deficiencies in your diet and could slowly make you sick. Can foods include fruits,vegetables,soups,stews beans, meat and fish. Try to think nutritionally dense when selecting your cans and keep in mind any allergies or special requirements your family has. Some foods such as corn,pasta sauce and most broths I would consider them for add on's but are not very calorie dense and should be in addition to your two cans per day. I also keep one large jug of olive oil at almost 300 calories per ounce it can be used to increase the calories of any meal. Honey is the next item I keep a large jug for its many uses.

      Remember when life gets harder and more physical you will burn more calories this is not the time to buy and store diet foods.Having a wide variety of foods will also help keep up your spirits up. One thing to remember is EVERYONE EATS do not go without and give to others in your family thinking it will last longer. Mental awareness and strength are huge factors on the outcome of any emergency situation. Your family is depending on you  to keep them safe and you need to be at your best.

This is what a local store looks like less than 30 mins after a hurricane.

     The "officials" say keep a minimum of three days of food per person in the event of an emergency. The same officials say stores will be out of food in 3-4 days if the supply chain is disrupted. I'm sorry but if you only have 3 days of food just about the time you run out so will the stores so how will you resupply? I think 7-14 days of shelf stable food per person in addition to whats already in you house will get you past any small to moderate event. Obviously in a major event more preparations will be needed that are out of the scope of this post.

Please comeback next week for The next installment on basic #2 WATER.