by Michael X., Survival Blog:
(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)
Water List
This is an item for the first three days. This is super important and needs to be one of the first items confirmed.
Check locations and condition of water sources:
Bottled Water/Stored water containers
Well water (power dependent)
Lake water – are there containers to carry and larger containers to store lake water?
Is there a rainwater collection option available?
Is the Berkey/Filtered water system ready?
Can the tub be successfully filled with water from the system before the power goes out or the line pressure is gone?
Can I treat the lake water? Do I have the sanitizer in place?
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Food Storage List
This is a first three days to do and can continue for a couple of weeks, or longer in my opinion.
Food is obviously important. Much of it is also dependent on refrigeration, good storage and age. The tendency is to stockpile and forget. The stockpile could end up being a giant mess with older items in the back.
Is food segregated to ensure the food with the shortest remaining shelf life is eaten first (no power type situation)
Can all the food be accessed?
Is the food that is affected by refrigeration in a place where it can be used first?
If the food is “strategically placed and not obvious”? Is there a map or layout to ensure the food is accessible in a logical order?
Is food organized by expiration or purchase date? Maybe color-coded?
Is the food secure?
Is there any sign of water damage, or animal or mold infiltration?
Is the coffee stockpile is accessible?
Medicines
This needs to be in place and confirmed in the first few days.
There are several classes of medicines. Some need to be used every day, other medicines are only needed during some activities, and some are only needed in emergencies. The storage plans will vary by type.
Are prescription medicines available? Is there any stockpile of key prescription medicines?
Are alternative or natural alternatives to prescription medicines identified and available?
Is there a stockpile of pain relievers, allergy, and digestive meds available? Salves and powders?
Are there hard-copy instructions for all medicines and natural alternative use, as well as hard-copy books for treatment and first aid?
Are first aid items available, stocked and clean? This includes bandages, clotting aids, and tourniquets.
Are there long-term medical devices such as crutches, braces, splints easily locatable?
How good is the medical treatment training?
Batteries and Chargers
This should be settled in the first few weeks.
Batteries run lights, radios, phones and a wide variety of electronic devices.
Are the battery testers available?
Are the batteries still good? All stored batteries should be tested. If the stores are open, buy more!
Are there small solar chargers? Where are they located? Are they currently charged?
Lighting
This will be needed immediately in an outage situation, short or long term.
This is reviewed separately from other power items because once the power goes out you will have maybe twelve hours before you are sitting in total darkness. I do not want to sit in the dark.
Are the locations of candles known and documented?
Are lighters and matches available?
Are flashlights located throughout the house?
Are the flashlights bright or are new batteries needed?
Are the solar lights operational?
Are oil lamps in place with stockpiled oil? Are there spare wicks?
Are there gas lamps in place with wicks, etc.?
Is the lamp fuel in place? Are there extra wicks available?
Note on lighting: Are there rooms you can use that close up enough that light cannot be seen from the outside?
Power List/Generators
If the power goes out, all bets are off. You are on your own.
Generation of electricity will be the immediate, and long term, issue for certain key items such as radios and telephones.
Are the solar powered power stations fully charged? Are the panels ready for use as well as all cords and accessories?
Are the gas generators ready to run? Is the gas fresh in them? Is there gas stabilizer in the gas? Is the spare gas fresh?
Are all the necessary power cords available?
Can the gas generators be run discretely?
Cooking/Food Preparation
This is needed in the first days.
What is the best way to cook food? Can the stove be used without power? In our case, yes but the ignition relies on electricity, but works via match light.
Are stove utensils for gas stoves in place – graniteware/enamel, cast iron?
Are the camp stoves that run on propane and/or on white gas accessible?
Is the barbecue grill with propane tanks operational?
Personal List/Hygiene List/Sanitation List
This needs to be in place because when it hits there will be little opportunity to react or restock.
Are extra soaps in place?
Are spare glasses and sunglasses in place?
Are there multiple toothbrushes and toothpaste?
Are there wind-up clocks?
Vaccinations should be in place now. When it hits you will either have them or you won’t. Do you have records available? Can vaccination records, passports, and other IDs be accessed easily?
What other things does the spouse want and need?
Transportation
This will be important immediately. However, a few weeks in it may be found that travel is not an option.
Are all vehicles properly maintained? Are fuel tanks full?
Is extra gas is stored and stabilized. Is gas labelled in order to use the oldest first?
Are bicycles maintained and usable? Are the tires good?
Are ATV/UTVs or snowmobiles operational?
Are boats, canoe, and kayaks ready to use. Are boat gas tanks full?
Are oars and paddles reachable?
Networking
This mutual support type network should be in place now, to be ready when needed. If it is not fleshed-out, it should be as soon as possible. There is a narrow window for this.
A network of knowledgeable individuals will be extremely important after a few weeks. This is a network of mutual support, and mutual defense, with experts in rural living, defense, food gathering, and hunting.
Is there an agreement to form a group or an already-formed one?
Is there at least a list of “candidates” with their skills identified?
