emerg prep links
I just came across this article on solar flares: Powerful Solar Storm Could Shut Down US for Months (hahahahaha, "the next peak in solar activity is expected to come around 2012." Hello 2012!)
oh, and the recent blackout that some of us local-folk experienced, with the thought that winter ain't over yet and there will be more storms coming and more shit hitting the fan, this sort of thing has been weighing on my mind recently, so I thought I'd share some links, in case other people might be interested, too.
Three Steps to Preparedness -- from the Red Cross (Thanks, heraldofchaos)
The ANYWAY, Very Cheap Food Storage Plan -- this is the sort of thing I've been looking for for a while now. Thirty days' worth of food storage is nigh impossible to do in the space we currently have (with the amount of stuff we're still storing) without making our home look like a fallout bunker -- not an aesthetic I find terribly appealing, frankly. But we *do* have space for several days' worth of food storage. Plus, this article gives me ideas and guidelines to follow that are more specific than "non-perishable food".
Water storage is still something of an issue for me because I twitch at the thought of buying water in plastic bottles. Does anyone have thoughts on reusing glass juice bottles (the big ones, not the single-serving ones) in the context of pressure canning? Would the seal on the lid be reusable? I wouldn't reuse these jars for anything but water, so there wouldn't be the concern of something like salmonella if the bottles and lids were thoroughly sterilized, right?
Food Storage If You Have to Leave -- thoughts of evacuation are scary.
In a similar vein, from Avery: Don't Leave Home without Your Emergency Binder -- this is a good idea for everyone (housefire, anyone?). Except that you can do this without all the Avery supplies, useful though they may be. (thanks, misslynx)
Toileting, Bathing, Laundry in a Low-Power Situation -- things people tend to overlook (well, maybe just me). We already reuse most of our bath- and shower-water, but it didn't occur to me that if we're experiencing low-water flow, then the city sewers will also be sluggish, right? Which then creates city-wide, hygiene-related disaster. Regardless, soap is also a good thing to have extra of, in addition to food and water.
oh, and the recent blackout that some of us local-folk experienced, with the thought that winter ain't over yet and there will be more storms coming and more shit hitting the fan, this sort of thing has been weighing on my mind recently, so I thought I'd share some links, in case other people might be interested, too.
Three Steps to Preparedness -- from the Red Cross (Thanks, heraldofchaos)
The ANYWAY, Very Cheap Food Storage Plan -- this is the sort of thing I've been looking for for a while now. Thirty days' worth of food storage is nigh impossible to do in the space we currently have (with the amount of stuff we're still storing) without making our home look like a fallout bunker -- not an aesthetic I find terribly appealing, frankly. But we *do* have space for several days' worth of food storage. Plus, this article gives me ideas and guidelines to follow that are more specific than "non-perishable food".
Water storage is still something of an issue for me because I twitch at the thought of buying water in plastic bottles. Does anyone have thoughts on reusing glass juice bottles (the big ones, not the single-serving ones) in the context of pressure canning? Would the seal on the lid be reusable? I wouldn't reuse these jars for anything but water, so there wouldn't be the concern of something like salmonella if the bottles and lids were thoroughly sterilized, right?
Food Storage If You Have to Leave -- thoughts of evacuation are scary.
In a similar vein, from Avery: Don't Leave Home without Your Emergency Binder -- this is a good idea for everyone (housefire, anyone?). Except that you can do this without all the Avery supplies, useful though they may be. (thanks, misslynx)
Toileting, Bathing, Laundry in a Low-Power Situation -- things people tend to overlook (well, maybe just me). We already reuse most of our bath- and shower-water, but it didn't occur to me that if we're experiencing low-water flow, then the city sewers will also be sluggish, right? Which then creates city-wide, hygiene-related disaster. Regardless, soap is also a good thing to have extra of, in addition to food and water.