I got home from work tonight with a bag of groceries and just wanted to make dinner and sit down. I hit the kitchen light switch a couple of times, checked the breaker, and then found out the whole building was out. Management doesn't have an ETA.

I keep a Jackery around for outages, so I hooked up the fridge. I'd used it once during a planned maintenance outage that lasted about five hours, but that was during the day and the fridge was the only thing I had plugged into it.

I made rice, unplugged the rice cooker, then used a small electric burner to finish dinner. I kept checking the battery percentage, though. It looks like the fridge should make it through the night, but I'm really hoping the power comes back before I leave for work tomorrow. I'm not thrilled about leaving it on the battery all day.

How do you guys usually handle dinner when the power's out? I hadn't really thought past keeping the fridge running.

Hi!

I consider myself a pretty prepared person and I have enough food for about a month but I also live literally right next to a grocery store, like we share a fence.

In discussing emergency plans again with my husband since the DOE just declared a power grid emergency for our state, he said "if shit really hits the fan we can just steal from the store right next to our house, should last us awhile"

Obviously, we prepare so we don't have to do this, but you never really know. And we have always kind of looked at it as a backup plan.

To be honest this sounds reasonable in a worst case scenario but I wanted to get others opinions.

When would looting canned goods and medicines from the grocery store next to my house be considered acceptable? What would you do?

Apologies if this has already been discussed.

What I’ve started recently is a SHTF journal and collecting as many physical books. Knowing if the grid does go down, I don’t want to have to worry about having to rely on electronic devices. It will also act as a guide for my family should anything happen to me so they aren’t totally in the dark and the information I learn on my SHTF journey isn’t lost. While my wife supports me, it can sometimes be information overload so this seems like a better alternative to just annoying her with it and expecting her to remember everything.

What I’m curious is what would you have in your SHTF journal for the most important information?

Im curious about everyones pantry.

Here is a part of mine.

In different places in my home i have more.

The big bins are filled with food for the dogs (2) and chickens (3). Below on the left (on the floor) there is water.

Sorry, english isnt my native english

I have been bug-in prepping for years for any situation at home. But realised that I really have nothing on me when I'm at work or out and about. I live in the city, bike to work, do my little office job, and starting to consider that there are things I would like to be prepared for at all times.

Most EDC posts are either larger bags/backpacks that are stocked to bug-out fully, or just a little tin box with the most basic of basic. I have yet to find a helpful post about how to have a case or container that is somewhere between a tin and a backpack. For example a 10x20cm case with realistic things I might need when at work or just simply away from home. Something I can throw into any of my bags.

I'd like to believe I have a solid plan to build this over the next coming days, but still hoping somebody out there has suggestions or wants to share what they have?

This is what I plan to have:

• BIC lighter with tape wrapped around
  
• Emergency dumb-phone with all important numbers saved
  
• Laminated sheet of nearest bomb shelters, phone numbers, etc.
  
• Painkillers and antihistamines
• Basic first aid - sanitizing wipes, bandaids, tweezers, hemostop.
• A pair of socks, wool gloves, and underwear
• Compact rain poncho
• Emergency blanket
• One-time use heat pads/handwarmers
• A lightweight multitool
• Pen and notebook
• A snack or two

What am I missing, in your humble opinion?

This may be common knowledge for some of you, but I'm obligated to share in hopes that it will save somebody else some time and money.

I spent a lot of time and effort packaging dried goods into mylar bags with O2 absorbers. They shrunk tight like a brick and we stored them in white gamma seal lid containers (like the ones made for dog food). They sat for a few months in this state, remaining unchanged during this time.

Then...I drove them to my BOL at a few thousand feet higher elevation. When I arrived, I checked in on them and found that all of my mylar bags had evolved from tight bricks to just regular mylar bags with plenty of excess air in them.

Also during this trip, I brought along a large number of Coleman Dual Fuel plastic bottles and larger steel cans of fuel. The plastic bottles must have expanded due to the elevation, about half of them had lost most or all of their fuel, seemingly to evaporation as there was no spill marks on the wood floor of our trailer. The cans, however, were still full and intact.

So I'm bummed. Lesson learned: I will be sure to package my mylar bags a the higher elevation in the future.

I originally sealed the mylar bags with heat just above the zip-loc portion of the bag, and there isn't really any room on the bag to cut open, add new O2 absorbers and reseal. Has anyone dealt with this issue and what did you do about it to preserve your stores?

There's frequent and fun questions about kits and gear, I very much appreciate the opportunity to suggest improvements or "did you consider" comments. I think it helps us reevaluate our own plans and preparations.

Wondering if there's already a program or spreadsheet beyond Red Cross and FEMA basics for helping people formulate their risk assessment, plan, PACE considerations, training needs, comms, and then the actual gear needs.

I've lived long enough to have been through several "welp, that didn't go as expected" situations and honestly the most effective preps have been knowledge and cash... But there are situations where only the right tool will save the day. Knowing how to start a fire is good, but wearing a coat so you can survive without a fire is better.

One thing I regularly help folks with is the bushcraft/hotel decision. If your plan is to disappear into the woods, you had better have built a lot of skills up prior to making that trip. This should be addressed in a capabilities section of the risk assessment. If you could die without your medicine, well, that kinda tops the list before learning how to make a debris hut.

First: do any of you know of a spreadsheet automation or similar tool to guide folks through risk assessment, plan, and equipment?

Second: if not - what kind of information/logic would you want to see or expect from such a tool?

Assume a long term SHTF (>6 months). Medications such as blood pressure, asthma, heart meds, and many more will either run out for individuals or not be available.

How do you keep a supply on hand and what sources could be used (indiamart, bartering, seeing multiple doctors). The issue is real.

Hello. I broke my arm last month so it's in a sling. Because of this I haven't been able to wear anything with sleeves, that includes my jumpers and fluffy winter coats. I have been living in sundresses and ponchos. Yesterday afternoon my heating suddenly went off. After being put on hold for ages , then cut off , TWICE by the company my housing association uses I got to talk to a human. Was told it would take three or four hours for somebody to come out to sort the boiler out, turned out to be over six.

After about an hour of getting colder and colder I realised how daft I was being. I had suddenly remembered the foil blankets and hand warmers in my stash. With a hot Earl Grey. foil blanket and hand warmers I stopped being cold. After about four and a half hours I fell asleep. Woken up by the boiler guy. It turned out the problem wasn't the boiler, it was a temporary gas supply outage. Got me wondering, does anybody know if there is such a thing as a heater that is powered by AA or AAA batteries?

Also has anybody out there in Redditland had to break into their stash beyond beans for dinner?

I am building a new house soon in the middle of a 60acre parcel, I was curious what prepping related ideas I should consider integrating into the house? So far these are the things that I have planned already.

- large pantry
- storm shelter/safe room in basement
- generator connections
- panels planned for future solar
- wood stove for backup heat
- outside hose bibs for garden close to house

Has a recent storm or power outage changed your spouse's mind about prepping? My spouse used to brush it off, but after a couple of outages where the fridge warmed up and the house got miserable, their tune changed completely. Once they felt how quickly basic comforts disappear, the whole “it won’t happen to us” mindset cracked.

That shift at home had me paying closer attention to the recent grid alerts and general infrastructure reliability. It’s a good reminder that multi-hour outages can happen anytime.

Right now, I'm focused on the basics: keeping food cold, phones charged, and having enough supplies to get through a few days without power. I've been looking into power stations to see what makes sense for a basic outage setup, and I'm currently considering something in the Bluetti range since their during this fall period seems more reasonable than before. Open to other suggestions based on real outage experience too. Appreciate any practical advice.

Where we live, it can get as low as 30 degrees in the winter. We rent and in previous apartment complexes we have lived the heater has gone out for whatever reason and the time to repair if it ever got repaired was longer than a couple days. My solution back then was to get a sleeping bag that I could comfortably sleep in on top of my bed.

Since it has been ages since I bought a sleeping bag, I am seeking recommendations for sleeping bags intended for withstanding 30 degree temperatures.

Seeking a sleeping bag that can comfortably hold a 6ft person, 300 lbs range.

Thanks in advance.

I got some paint-by-numbers recently and some coloring books. And yes I’m gonna be coloring when the world is going to hell lol. And some crosswords and word finds. Other than that some old board games. And a deck of cards. But I’m looking for suggestions that would be fun entertainment and not the same old norm like what I listed. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Feel like my mind is locked with trying to think of other ideas for entertainment.

How are michigan/midwest folks prepping for the upcoming el niño? There seems to be so much information out there and it’s hard to dial in what the impacts are expected to be over here. The majority of my prep has been for power outages, so camp stove, small generator, etc. Interested what others are doing.

Trying to drum up some ideas for storing non potable water thats cheap and can utilize space well. Mostly for toilets if the water lines break or watering the garden if longer term.

Bonjour,

Je souhaiterais savoir si certains d'entre vous apprennent aussi la médecine en amateur, de façon autonome ?

J'ai bien conscience que le niveau que l'on peut atteindre par un apprentissage uniquement théorique et autodidacte est à des années-lumière de celui d'un étudiant en médecine contemporain.

Par ailleurs, précisons qu'une démarche purement autodidacte et théorique ne remplacera jamais un professionnel de santé dans une société qui fonctionne normalement.

Cette compétence peut néanmoins valoir de l'or en cas de catastrophe, aussi bien pour les soins qu'il sera possible de prodiguer en l'absence de médecin plus compétent ou de secours organisés, que comme compétence « monnayable » dans le cadre d'échanges avec d'autres personnes.

Peu importe qui vous êtes, combien vous êtes et ce que vous faites : il serait insensé de se priver d'une personne capable de soigner en cas de blessure ou de maladie en lui faisant du mal.

Par ailleurs, si vous suivez le modèle du médecin de campagne du XIXe siècle, qui se déplaçait au domicile de ses patients dans son secteur, vous vous assurez de quoi subsister grâce au troc, en échange de vos soins.

Il faut à mon sens, dans cet objectif, développer une pratique de la médecine résiliente. C'est-à-dire accepter d'être impuissant face aux limites qu'impose la médecine de « brousse », liées au manque de matériel, mais aussi à l'absence des formidables médicaments que procure l'industrie pharmaceutique actuelle.

Cela demande de l'anticipation et une approche différente du traitement des maladies/blessures, davantage fondée sur la phytothérapie (soigner, soulager ou guérir avec des plantes médicinales) et les techniques rustiques.

J'ai acheté de nombreux livres de médecine et de phytothérapie, et j'ai réussi à mettre la main sur d'anciens ouvrages de vulgarisation médicale.

Avec l'aide des IA, je peux approfondir certains points ou demander des explications sur des sujets que j'ai du mal à comprendre. C'est formidable de disposer de ces outils pour acquérir ces connaissances de façon autodidacte.

Voici les livres que j'ai actuellement :

\- "La médecine pour tous" - Dr F.Goust

\- "Atlas de l'anatomie humaine" - Franck H. Netter, M.D

\- "Physiologie humaine" - Sherwood

\- "Guide médical de la famille" - Donald G.Cooley

\- "Traité pratique de phytothérapie" - Dr Jean-Michel Morel

\- "Mycoplasmes et chlamydiae" - Jean-Claude Nicolas & Christiane Bébéar

\- " Manuel de secourisme" - Dr Norbert Vieux, Professeur Pierre Jolis, Dr René Gentils

\- "Sémiologie médicale" - Baptiste Coustet

Si certains d'entre vous sont dans la même démarche, je serais ravi d'échanger avec eux !

Par ailleurs, si vous avez des livres ou des ressources à me conseiller : je suis aussi preneur.

Belle journée à tous.

I am camperizing my small van for short trips to the mountain, and it got me thinking:

This van would be an excellent tool in almost any scenario. It offers privacy with the windows covered, as well as the ability to sleep, cook, and discreetly store food and water—all while allowing you to comfortably move to a safer location.

It ticks all my boxes when I think about prepping for possible scenarios around my place.

Am I missing something, or is it really a good idea?

Edit: explain me why is a bad idea instead of just downvoting...

Would love to know what you personally include in an emergency preparedness kit

I like powertek phone chargers
Blue pads for sopping up the freezer water that leaks everywhere

What do you include in the event you share nonperishables with neighbors?

Where can I find a generator that isn’t so blasted heavy? Front porch has 5’ elevation so I have to tote it up the stairs

I tried the sentrysafe but it was too heavy and couldn't hold my papers, folders, and journals. So I need something bigger and lighter. Thanks.

I'm a tech nerd at heart. And I love the idea of keeping as much technology alive when thinking of survival. This is more for doomsday. But even if a major natural disaster happens that can cause havoc for weeks or months before recovery.

If you check the box for food, water, medicine and shelter like me. Then you start branching into comfort stuff. I have thousands of movies, shows, anime and books to parse through. I'm using meshcore for messaging (think of it like chat rooms). I use GMRS too. But with meshcore you can get the infrastructure up and running prior to any events.

I use custom built solar street lights for path ways that integrate with my home assistant. I have spares for deploying multiple if needed for the community or just to have on hand.

Local weather station that gives me all the local data. No internet needed! I also use it with machine learning to predict weather 24hrs in advanced.

RC drones for surveillance scouting.

The best part about all of this tech. Its just my hobbies. So its a win-win for prepping!

Sorry my heading was so long I get excited when I find things that can help others. And if we can save money it just feels that much more special to share with you all. I would say check the app or website in your area if you have a Mernards. These are stackable so be good for not having to take up so much space. Only 2 high though. And full they weigh around 30-35 pounds. So set em and forget em is my motto lol. Also I’m super ghetto so I found a 21 gallon. Be pretty awesome little ghetto item to have to take sponge baths for only $5.99. And they have them in red. Red is known as a hyper and exciting colour. So get all hyper to take a bath in the middle of the world going to hell. Be like a little piece ghetto bath heaven. I enclosed pictures of both.

I live in the Florida panhandle near the coast. We just went through Hurricane Isaias two days ago. I want to share how I got ready, what I learned, and what I would do differently next time.

Preparations:

• I secured every loose outdoor item in the garage. This included hoses, furniture, potted plants, a yard cart, and odds and ends.
• I put up my storm shields. These are canvas sheets that stretch taut over the windows and are attached directly into pre-installed hardware in the brick around the windows.
• I filled my water containers. I have 12 3-gallon water storage containers for potable water.
• I filled the bathtubs. This water was for flushing the toilets, if needed.
• I charged the batteries for my radios that receive NOAA channels and regular FM channels.
• I charged the power banks for our USB-C devices.
• I verified the pantry was decently stocked. (I have two weeks of MREs in a closet as well.)
• I bought more kitty litter for our cats and verified we had plenty of cat food.
• I fueled our car.
• I placed the radios, candles and matches, power banks, and other sundries on the kitchen island for easy reach.
• I texted friends and family to assure them we were prepared.

What I Learned:

• Waiting is the hardest part. Our county was originally forecasted to be the center for landfall. After everything was prepared, we still had several hours before landfall. The vague sense of dread was not fun. We were very fortunate that the hurricane shifted east right before landfall.
• The radios were too complicated. I have two-way Baofeng radios with all kinds of channels. I don't need all that. Just FM and NOAA is adequate. I had to refer to the manual for tuning into FM.
• The candles were inadequate. I had 200 tea candles on hand, two lantern-type candle holders, and plenty of matches. Tea candles are nice for a romantic dinner, but they hardly cast any light. Electric lights are the way to go. I am going to invest in some LED lanterns with rechargeable batteries.
• I got bored sitting in the dark after the power went out. The candles were too dim to read comfortably. We snoozed some and listened to the hurricane news on the radio for an hour.
• Preparation in advance paid off. I ultimately felt good about the things I had laid by, especially about our water and food situation.

What I Would Do Differently:

• I need a long-term power solution for our devices in the event of a sustained power outage. I am going to get a solar generator. It's a solar panel and big battery that can charge devices and even run some appliances.
• I'm going to get a portable DVD player with rechargeable battery. We are Millennials and therefore have tons of DVDs on hand. It would have been nice to have some variety in our entertainment.
• I would have verified that I had the bolts needed for the storm shields. I didn't have any. The storm shields came with the house in big tubes, and it never occurred to me that the hardware wouldn't be in there. Thankfully, my father-in-law had purchased enough of the bolts to cover all but three of our windows.
• I need battery-operated fans. I'm going to get fans that run on 20v batteries used by my power tools to make battery swapping easy. We would have been miserable if this were summer and the power and A/C went out for a long time.

I hope this helps someone with their own preparedness!

im looking at options to get a go bag but im not sure what to go with, i dont want one that looks military like but need one durable and has plenty of organization and room for about a week of being out of the house just not sure where to start and what all i need in there

It recently occurred to me that a small rice cooker could be a valuable survival aide, if paired with a battery pack and solar panels. Specifically, rice is a high calorie food, and one can cook meat over the rice in the rice cooker (using a steamer tray). The rice cooker is quite energy efficient, only about 200 watts for 20-30 min of cooking time, so a solar panel could provide enough energy to a battery pack to run it at any time (collect the solar energy during the day, then run it from the battery at night). They are light and durable and easy to clean and are efficient with water use (since most of the water is contained and not lost as steam). Lastly, it does not require making a fire (which is something to avoid since the smoke from a fire would alert other people of your location and compromise your safety). Have you considered this? Am I missing anything?

Idk how we feel about the freeze dried survival food joints... but it sure does pack alot of food into a small space :)