Are you prepared for an emergency? Power outages, flood damage, panic community behaviors at the stores? Truth is even a few days without heat and electricity, food and water, can be life-threatening.

Here is a list of essentials I’ve compiled from my own experience last winter, and from friends in the FB clan. Do what you can to stock up and not be caught OUT IN THE COLD if something comes down in your region of the world.

Start building NOW – bit by bit, so that you are stocked up and prepared. And be sure to rotate your stock so it is always fresh, especially the water.

ESSENTIALS FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

• First aid supplies
• Bubble wrap and duct tape for windows for heat conservation
• Candles, matches and lighters
• Flashlights with batteries
• Batteries! All sizes
• Extra warm, waterproof sleeping bags for each family member
• Extra blankets
• Alternative heating: kerosene or gas stoves, firewood for fireplace, and a generator if you can manage one.  When disaster hits NONE of these are available so plan ahead)
• Toilet paper!
• Good organic vitamins and a supply of Vitamin C
• Alcohol and hydrogen peroxide
• Can and bottle openers
• Very warm waterproof boots/jackets/gloves and warm wool clothing for all.
• MMS (Miracle Mineral Supplement) and/or Colloidal Silver (I have my own generator)
• Rubber gloves
• Disinfectant soap
• Water purifying tablets
• a.m. radio (if you can find one!) with batteries
• Hot water bottle
• Mosquito and insect repellents
• All sanitation supplies especially for women and babies!
• Tools: scissors, knives, household tools.
• Liquid laundry detergent and bleach
• Paper towels, extra toilet paper, zip loc bags.
• Big garbage bags – get them by the roll and be sure they’re sturdy.
• Fire Extinguisher (every household should have at least one)

SUGGESTED FOOD SUPPLIES

• WATER – first and foremost – you need gallons and gallons stored in the house.
• Food for your animals – to think people are abandoning their animals because they can’t feed them is just beyond reality. You should have a 2 week supply of drinking water for everyone in the house including water for your animals and you also need water for bathing, cleaning, cooking, and toilet.
• Salt – helps store some foods
• Canned foods – beans, lentils are full of nutrition; soups – but watch out for msg.
• Dried beans, lentils, quinoa, couscous
• Pastas and rice/canned sauce or tomatoes
• Olive oil and vinegar
• Coconut oil
• Dried fruits
• Nuts of all kinds
• Honey! Make sure it’s the real thing
• Powdered and/or condensed milk – or UHT milk with long shelf life
• Instant mashed potatoes flakes
• Coffee/tea for those cold days and sugar (why not?)
• Granola bars
• Peanut butter
• Crackers
• Quick cooking oatmeal.

Tips:

• Don’t throw away your plastic mineral water bottles! Save them, filled with filtered water, and store…
• Extra ‘booze’ around the house – can be used for bribes or trading if things get completely out of hand. Cigarettes too.
• Try to get rain catch containers for water. Some companies now sell them complete with spigots.