Disaster preparedness [View all]

[Kaleva]

Last edited Sat Nov 3, 2012, 10:57 AM - Edit history (2)

Been reading a number of threads here at DU on the subject and I think much of what is discussed here in this group applies.

I could last a long time without electricity, gas or running water. Lake Superior and a river are not far from where I live and I could melt snow during the winter on the woodstove in my basement. I don't have much cut wood but there are trees and brush all around my place and I do have an axe and a couple of hand saws. I have lots of books still over at my ex wife's place and she's also giving me a book cabinet so there would be plenty of reading material. I'm used to the temp in the house being in the 50's, at lest during the day when I'm active and at night when I'm sleeping. As the basement is warmer, it wouldn't be a problem to move a mattress to the basement and live down there during the very cold times of the year.

The pantry isn't well stocked yet so food would run out quickly but with the garden next year and with continuing to purchase canned goods, I ought to have enough stock on hand sometime next year to last for weeks if not months.

I'm on blood thinner medication and usually only get a 30 day supply at a time so that may be a problem altough I could do some research on-line for natural blood thinners. If I get blood clots, my life would be short despite all other preparations I would have made.

Edit: I forgot about the two large tubs of homemade sauerkraut, 9 bags of apples from my apple tree and the bunch of onions given to me by my former wife and in-laws. If a major disater were to strike now, I could live on that for awhile. I wouldn't be very kissable though. i ought to sit down some day and figure out what I need to stock up on for a varied diet and how much I'd need to last for 30 days?...60 days?...90 days?... or longer and what that would cost. A diet of sauerkraut, onions and apples would get old very fast.

Moving down to the basement would make sense as I'd burn far less wood heating just that instead of trying to heat the whole house. I have about 1/2 a cord of wood stacked outside and covered with an old shower curtain which would last me for a bit. There's enough space in the garage to stack two cords of firewood there in the future. I have a large, old maple tree in my backyard which should be taken down soon. I talked to a tree service company and was told it'd cost about $700 to do the job and that's with leaving the wood on site. Wood I can cut up for firewood. Expensive firewood but the main thing is the tree needs to be taken down before it comes down on its own and possibly hits the house or garage.

One of the 5 gallon buckets I have could be used as a makeshift toilet if there was no running water available. I already pour my urine on the compost pile everday and i could do the same with solids.

Read last night about natural blood thinners. Garlic (which I don't have), onions, vinegar, cider (which I do have) and drinking lots of water are good. They are no replacement for coumadin but if I can't get that, at least I could resort to the natural remidies to keep me going for as long as possible.