Emergency preparations, Part 7: Food for thought

I hadn’t originally planned to cover this topic as part of my ‘Emergency Preparations’ series, but on reflection it fits very well into that category: so here it is. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) recently produced a very interesting – not to mention disturbing – report examining the impact that a disruption of road transport… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 7: Food for thought

Emergency preparations, Part 6: Cash and Barter

In this article, I’d like to consider the usefulness of having cash on hand, as well as alternatives to cash for barter. Let’s start with cash. I’d always kept a few hundred dollars in reserve, in case of need, but during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 I found I didn’t have nearly enough! (I wrote about… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 6: Cash and Barter

How much ammunition is ‘enough’?

I’ve fielded several questions from readers over the past months, partly prompted by my shooting-related articles, partly by my posts on emergency preparations (both categories are listed in the sidebar). The general thread of the questions has been “How much ammunition should I keep on hand?” That’s a more complex question than it might at… Continue reading How much ammunition is ‘enough’?

Emergency preparations, Part 5: Planning your food reserves

(Other articles in this series are listed in the sidebar, or you can click here to display them all in reverse chronological order.) When planning your emergency food reserves, there are a few very important guidelines you should follow. Also, bear in mind that we’re speaking of a one-month reserve of food in these articles.… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 5: Planning your food reserves

Emergency preparations, Part 4: A useful reality check

(Other articles in this series are listed in the sidebar, or you can click here to display them all in reverse chronological order.) Miss D. has been reading my posts on this subject so far, and discussing them with me, and also perusing some of the Web sites catering to the more hard-core ‘survivalists’ among… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 4: A useful reality check

Emergency preparations, Part 3: Get real!

(Other articles in this series are listed in the sidebar, or you can click here to display them all in reverse chronological order.) When making emergency preparations, it’s vitally important to be realistic and pragmatic about what you can, and cannot, reasonably expect to accomplish, and the threats with which you’re likely to be confronted.… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 3: Get real!

Emergency preparations, Part 2: In praise of the 5-gallon bucket

Your emergency preparation kit will contain all sorts of essentials, but there’s one that comes right at the top of the list for versatility, convenience and all-round utility. That’s the humble 5-gallon bucket, available from any number of vendors, local or online. You can get them for as little as $2.50 (bright orange ones from… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 2: In praise of the 5-gallon bucket

Emergency preparations, Part 1

I’ve advised in the past that individuals and families should prepare for civil disruption as a result of deteriorating economic conditions. I’m not a dyed-in-the-wool ‘survivalist‘ – I don’t believe it’ll be possible for most of us to survive a complete collapse of society, no matter how well prepared we may be as individuals. For… Continue reading Emergency preparations, Part 1

Lessons learned from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005

In a comment to my previous post, Pappy asked: Peter, how about a post about what you do to prepare for a hurricane, and also for the influx of “visitors” running from the storm. Funny thing you should ask that, Pappy. In 2005, following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I posted a number of “lessons learned”… Continue reading Lessons learned from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005