Category Archives: Emergency Plan

What if Your Preps Outlive You?

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Two unrelated stories caught my attention this week, which prompted me to write this article.  One story was about a California couple who found an underground 1960s fallout shelter in their backyard and the other story was about a woman who had a baby and soon found her husband mistakenly sold a box where she had stashed her wedding ring.

These stories have nothing to do with each other, but they both got me thinking about something that is often left out of emergency planning:  having instructions should something happen to you.

As you can see from the story about the bunker, the man planned well, for what many feared in the 60s, that of nuclear war, but fortunately for him, a nuclear disaster never did come to pass in his lifetime.  Yet his emergency preps lived on, now a quaint reminder, even a time capsule of sorts, representing a bygone era.  In the same vein, we prepare for emergencies or disasters, and continue to hope for the best.

The second story about the wedding ring being hidden in an unused box that got sold inadvertently reminded me of the  importance of telling a trusted someone where you hide things.  I’ve seen articles giving tips on where to hide stuff such as cash and other valuables.  But what if you hide your items in these secret places and something happens to you?  You may have hidden them so well that no one will benefit from your foresight – your loved ones may find your stash accidentally, or maybe they will never get found.

I admit, I don’t even feel comfortable with this subject either, but I know it is something I  need to deal with.  At the very least, have a conversation with your partner about where and what you are hiding, so someone else knows where to find things should something happen to you.  If you were incapacitated or unconscious in the hospital, will your loved ones know where to look for emergency cash or even health insurance forms so they can pay the hospital bill?   Here are a few issues to consider:

  • Do you have a last will and testament?  If you have a lot of assets, then best consult an attorney, if not, and your estate is simple, websites such as Legalzoom (no affiliation with us) may help you.
  • If you are parents, who would take care of the kids?
  • To whom would you grant power-of-attorney should you become incapacitated?
  • Hidden caches and such:  would your family know where you hid your valuables such as safe deposit boxes and storage units?  Watching that show Storage Wars and seeing the characters uncover hidden gems for profit just makes me wonder about the hapless owners who lost these items for whatever reason.
  • Not all families are “on-board” with prepping – you’d have to consider who may appreciate and benefit from your efforts the most, instead of just dumping everything in the trash or selling them off for pennies at a garage sale.

No one really likes to think about this, but loss of life is certainly a disaster situation for the family.  It is something that many of us avoid thinking about, yet is necessary to consider as part of a well-rounded plan.

 

For beginning preppers

 

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DebtProof Living

 

Guest Post: How to Build a Survival Cache in Case of an Emergency

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A survival cache is a container of items that will be useful for survival in the midst of an emergency situation. It is a good idea to build one ahead of time in case of a natural disaster or other emergency that would force you to evacuate your home or apartment. Including enough supplies for you and your family is important to ensure that everyone will be able to survive in case of an emergency. Even more important is making sure everyone in your family knows how to use these tools.

What should you include in a survival cache?

There are many different items that people choose to set aside in case of an emergency, and you can never be too prepared. Some common items include: food, medical supplies, water, weapons, spare clothes and a small fire-starting kit. A well-constructed cache should be able to get you through several weeks – even months – of survival before you are able to stock up on additional supplies. If you have infants or small children in your family, you may also want to pack a baby-carrier or sling, cloth diapers and medicine, since young children are more susceptible to disease or illness.

What container should you use to store your emergency supplies?

You can use any container to build a cache, as long as the supplies are able to fit. Most people use PVC pipe to make enclosed tubes. You can buy the supplies from any local home improvement store, and you’ll want to make sure the container is completely sealed and waterproof. These containers are relatively inexpensive and easy to make. Proper food storage is essential to ensuring that your supply of food lasts until you are able to find more.

Canned goods are perishable, but they do last a long time and their lifespan doubles when stored in a cool place. Pickling food also allows normally perishable items to be preserved. Dehydrated foods are probably the best way to go, as dried foods can safely be eaten for up to a year after they are dried, and this method of food preservation allows for a lot of food to be stored in a smaller space.

Where should you store your emergency supplies?

It is best to store your survival cache away from your home, because if your home is destroyed, and you must evacuate quickly, you won’t lose everything. Most people choose to bury their container in the ground somewhere along a route that may be easily accessed when traveling. Doing this provides you with an opportunity to enact a mock disaster event, during which you and your family members can spend some time learning how to use all of the tools in your survival kit.

Everyone in your party should know how to start a fire and how to disperse food and water evenly so that it lasts as long as possible while still allowing everyone to be adequately nourished. Knowing how to use weapons, hunt and fish for meat is also essential. Both adults and children should be schooled in basic first aid procedures in case someone gets hurt. If only one person knows what to do in an emergency situation and something happens to that person, the rest of the group will be left scrambling. Remember, there is solidarity in numbers.

Guest Post is written by Sam Peters – blogger, freelance writer, and manager of theeducationupdate.com.

 

 

 

 

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 For beginning preppers