Monday, December 29, 2008

Well, here's trying...etc.

The Idaho Preppers Network website now exists and there is a link to the right--we'll see how it turns out. If you are in Idaho and would like to have your website linked on the Idaho Preppers Network site, let me know. I know there are people out here in Idaho who are more qualified in emergency preparedness than I am--if you are willing to share your expertise, we would love to learn from you.

I hope that everyone had a marvelous Christmas. We had tons upon tons of snow, and that really feels like only a slight exaggeration from where I sit. (Inside, where it's warm, of course... :) I'm glad that we didn't travel, for various reasons. In terms of preparation, however, we are a little bit better prepared for emergencies than we were last week, and here's why:

a)My husband asked for, and got, an emergency flashlight for Christmas. We started out all right in the emergency lighting area after we moved in, but our levels had gone down through the years to the point that the flashlights that we could still find were not in working order. I read and/or heard somewhere that you should have emergency lighting available in every room, so that is our goal. We have non-battery sources of lighting down in our store room, but realistically they would be a lot more difficult to find and/or deal with in the direct aftermath of a power outage--i.e. it would be a lot easier to find the candles downstairs if we had a flashlight to guide us to their location in the first place. Working on the lighting situation, but it has improved.

b)More of my emergency food supplies have found a new home in appropriate food storage containers--yay for buckets! However, now that we have more food in buckets, it is easier to see that we need more food-filled buckets to meet our goals for emergency preparedness. Slow but sure.... :)

So it's all good. A step at a time, and it gets better and better. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

5 comments:

foodstr2 said...

Not sure *how* you're packaging the food in buckets, but be aware that rodents can--and will--chew through a bucket to get to food that they can smell through the plastic.

Just a thought...

Marie said...

Foodstr2--Thanks for pointing this out--I asked about this and have heard that some people think that this could happen. The only option I see other than buckets would be steel drums, which are impractical for me space-wise. I would also hope that it would take some time for rodents to actually make it through to the food, and I would notice that it was happening when it started. If it were to become a problem, I would store my food in my living room if necessary... :) Fortunately for us at this point the only rodents I have seen on my property are the dead ones that our cat took care of, and they were all outside. So I guess steel drums would be more ideal, but each person has to do what works for them--thanks for your comment!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for starting the Idaho Preppers Network. I'll be heading over for a look-see.

Check out the LED headlights next time you're at the store. We live off the grid and use ours all the time-chores, around the house, in the car, etc. Not too expensive at $13/each.

Question--why don't you go to the LDS cannery and get food in the cans?

Glad you had a great holiday.

Idaho Homesteader

John said...

With regard to buckets, here's a link where you can see a video demonstration of a bucket with resealable lid that looks quite practical.
http://destinysurvival.com/2008/10/20/survival-kitchen-an-excellent-pail-for-grain-storage/

As you'll see if you go to the link, I don't make anything by mentioning this.

John

Marie said...

Idaho Homesteader--The LED lights sound like a great idea--I'll have to check them out.
We actually buy most if not close to all of our storage like wheat, rice, etc, from the cannery, but we buy it in bulk and then put it in buckets because it's more economical for us that way, especially since we were able to get several buckets at a good price. We have bought some cans, and we love those too--no worries about the container not being strong enough there. I look forward to your insights on the Idaho Preppers Network--I'm sure we will learn a lot from you!

John--I checked out that video, and I really like the resealable feature on those buckets--plus it's indicated that they are pest-resistant, so that's always a good thing. Thanks for making us aware of another resource--what works for some may not be ideal for all, but at least we can help each other know different options. Having choices is a good thing... :)