3. Stockpiling Survival Supplies

As I mentioned in chapter two, there are five foundational categories that are the building blocks to any good survival stockpile:

With this foundation in place, you set yourself and your family up to survive almost any type of disaster. This chapter details how to create stockpiles for each category.

WATER

In a survival situation, water is going to be one of your top priorities. Simply put, if you don’t have it, or you can’t find it, consider yourself as good as dead.

How Much Water Do You Need to Stockpile?

The average person who engages in a normal amount of activity typically drinks about two quarts (1⁄2 gallon, or 2 liters) of water every day. Although this number may be a good place to start, it doesn’t account for additional factors including environmental conditions, medical conditions, and even sudden illness that can strike during a disaster. Because a crisis situation is usually filled with so many unknown variables, I advise bumping that figure up to at least a gallon of water per person, per day with the mindset that you’ll probably be without access to fresh running water for a minimum of two weeks.

How to Store Your Water

Buy bottled water. The safest and most reliable method of water storage is to purchase commercially packaged bottled water. This water is already packaged for long-term storage and is a good way to start your emergency water supply.

Fill food-grade water containers. When it comes to storing water, I recommend only using food-grade water storage containers. These containers can be found anywhere, from surplus and camping supply stores to the camping aisle at your local discount department store.

Refill empty beverage containers. If you decide to use your own containers, make sure they’re made from high-quality food-grade material. Two-liter plastic soft drink bottles are going to be your best option, as they are already made to store liquids for a long period of time. Stay away from milk and juice bottles as these types of containers are almost impossible to completely clean and can become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Water Storage Safety

If you decide to bottle your own water for storage, sanitize the containers you will use with a liquid bleach solution. This solution can be made by adding 1 teaspoon of liquid chlorine bleach to a quart of water. Shake the solution in the bottle, making sure it touches every surface, and then thoroughly rinse with clean water.

If you’re filling your containers with commercially treated water from a public water utility, there’s probably no need to add anything to the water as it’s already been treated with chlorine.

If you’re using water from another source, such as well water, add 1⁄8 of a teaspoon (or 8 drops) of unscented liquid household chlorine bleach per gallon to maintain water quality while in storage.

Storage Time

Unless you’re storing commericially bottled water, it’s a good idea to replace your stored water every six months. Your water should be stored in a cool, dark area with the fill date or purchase date written on the outside of the conatainer. In the case of store-bought water, observe the expiration date on the bottle. That being said, most water wil keep indefinitely.

URBAN WATER SOURCES

Your home has a number of places where you can find emergency water in a pinch:

How to Make Water Safe to Drink

Even the best emergency plan needs a Plan B. When it comes to water storage, this means knowing how to find and sanitize water during an emergency.

While there are a number of options for cleaning contaminated water, none of them is 100 percent effective at treating everything. The best methods for killing bacteria and other microorganisms include boiling, chemical treatments, and water filtration systems. For detailed information on water purification and dealing with water emergencies, see chapter twenty-nine.

FOOD

While food isn’t as vital as water (you can survive a long time without eating), it is an important consideration. Having a full belly can greatly help morale and your mental state during an emergency. With the rising cost of everything, food is becoming a significant part of every family’s budget. In fact, it’s estimated that the average American family spends over 12 percent of its budget on food. With that in mind, the thought of spending even more money to stockpile an emergency food supply might seem a little overwhelming for some.

While the extra cost might seem like a burden, the fact is, we all need to have a stockpile of emergency food on hand at all times. This stockpile can save you both during a natural disaster and during a job loss.

Stockpiling on a Budget

Stocking up on emergency food doesn’t have to break the bank, and you don’t have to buy commercial survival food to “be prepared.” Here are some ways to save:

Look for foods that have a long shelf life. Things like hard grains, most flours, beans, pastas, and canned foods are all excellent examples of foods that will last.

Don’t buy foods that you don’t eat on a daily basis. There’s no use buying a bunch of food that’s going to just sit on a shelf. Your emergency food supply should be primarily made up of foods you already eat, so they can be rotated into your existing food supply and used up without going to waste.

Stock up around the holidays. Holidays are a good time to score some great deals on canned goods. If you have an extra freezer, you can stock up on things like turkeys and hams at a fraction of what they’ll cost at other times of the year. If a natural disaster cuts your power, cook your refrigerated and frozen food first before it goes bad and then start using your shelf-stable foods.

Buy when it’s on sale, and become an extreme couponer. You don’t have to spend hours upon hours clipping coupons, but you should take advantage of every chance you get to save money. Most major food manufacturers offer money-saving coupons through their websites, local newspapers, social media pages, or other online resources. Make these coupons go even further by using them during double or triple coupon offers.

Types of Food to Stockpile

The two best principles for selecting food for your stockpile are

  1. Make sure you think it tastes good.
  2. Make sure you eat it on a regular basis.

When people first start stockpiling food, they usually make the mistake of stocking up on foods that they would never eat in a non-survival situation. Buying that twenty-pound bag of beans might be cheap, but an emergency situation is not the time to start trying foods that may disagree with your body.

Stock up on foods that you normally eat on a day-to-day basis. Now I don’t mean stocking up on things that can spoil, but you should definitely stock up on foods that your family is familiar with and enjoys eating.

Don’t forget comfort foods. Maintaining a positive mental attitude during a stressful situation is an extremely important aspect of survival. Don’t discount the need for stocking up on foods that will help you pick up your spirits during tough times. Sweets can provide both a quick calorie boost and a morale boost in an emergency, especially for children.

Flavor, flavor, flavor. Stock up on flavor enhancers like salt, sugar, honey, and shelf-stable spices that store well. Again, comfort and familiarity are an important part of survival.

Regularly Rotate Your Food Stockpile

Don’t forget to rotate your stocks. Rotating your emergency food supply into your regular diet is smart for a couple of reasons:

SHELTER

Your ability to regulate your internal body temperature and protect yourself from the elements is extremely important during any type of survival situation. Shelter is a survival necessity that can literally mean the difference between life and death. The type of shelter you choose will depend on your situation, environment, and overall ability to improvise shelter from local materials.

Many natural or man-made disasters can shut off vital utility services, meaning you may not be able to heat or cool your home as usual. This is why shelter remains an important consideration even if you plan to stay in your home.

Some items that you should consider include

During an emergency, a small room or closet can easily be turned into an insulated fortress. Couch cushions, blankets, towels, and mattresses can be used to add insulation to your warm zone area. You can also line your clothing with crumbled-up newspapers, paper towels, or any other insulating materials.

FIRST AID, SANITATION, AND MEDICAL CONCERNS

During most natural or man-made disasters, sanitation can quickly become a huge problem. From losing the ability to access safe water and waste facilities to outbreaks of mold and disease that can often happen during the aftermath of a disaster, you need to have a plan in place that addresses your sanitation needs and medical concerns.

Keeping clean is the first step in keeping healthy. Here are some tips for how to stay clean even if water and sanitation services are unavailable.

It’s important to have a good first aid kit stocked with items you can use to disinfect, clean, and cover wounds. If anyone in your home has a medical condition, your first aid kit needs to be stocked with extra supplies and medications that will see that person through the disaster.

PROTECTION

Disasters can bring out the worst in people. Despite what some politicians would like the public to believe, firearms save lives. I’m not going to recommend any one firearm; you’re going to have to figure that one out on your own. Just like with other areas of preparedness, there is no one-size-fits-all gun for every situation, and what works for me might be totally wrong for you.

I advise going to your local gun store, where you can try out a variety of guns until you find one you’re comfortable with. Then you need to seek out a qualified instructor who can teach you how to use that firearm in a real-world self-defense situation.

Firearm Basics: Gun Safety

Firearms owners bear a responsibility that needs to be taken seriously; it’s literally a matter of life and death. Since every gun is different, before handling any firearm you need to thoroughly familiarize yourself with it. Even if you consider yourself an expert, before handling any new firearm, you need to understand the particular characteristics of that gun.

All too often, I see gun owners who let their ego get in the way of good common sense safety practices. These are guys who have been shooting for years, but are too proud—or too stupid—to ask for help.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone at the range take an unfamiliar firearm from a friend, without ever asking a single question about that firearm. Never assume you know the gun.

Before you accept a firearm someone is handing you, proper gun safety requires you to

When it comes to handling a firearm, there are some basic rules that should always be followed.

  1. Always point the muzzle in a safe direction. If people followed this one rule, virtually all firearm accidents would be eliminated. Remember, your firearm should never be pointed at anything you don’t intend to shoot.
  2. Never rely on your gun’s safety. While your safety should always be on when you’re not shooting, it should never be counted on to prevent the gun from firing. A safety is a mechanical device that can and will fail; it should never be 100 percent relied on to stop an accident.
  3. Keep your finger off the trigger. If you’re not in the process of firing your firearm, your finger should not be inside the trigger guard. The Internet is loaded with pictures of idiots posing with their finger on the trigger. This practice is not only stupid, it’s likely to get someone killed.
  4. Practice, practice, practice. If you can’t remember the last time you fired your gun, you’re doing yourself and your family a disservice, and you’re putting your lives at risk. To be a good and safe marksman, you need to practice your shooting skills. Practice not only makes you a better shooter, it also ensures your firearm is in good working order when you need it. The last thing you want to find during a self-defense situation is you have a gun that’s not in a condition to be fired.
  5. Make sure you are using the right ammo. Using the wrong type of ammunition can seriously damage your gun and can cause serious injury to yourself and those around you. Although this seems like common sense, it’s actually a common mistake that even some seasoned hunters have made out in the field. For example, a common hunting mistake is to accidentally load a 20-gauge shell into a 12-gauge shotgun. This can be a deadly mistake that can cause the barrel of your shotgun to blow out when the lodged shell creates an obstruction inside the barrel.
  6. Know where you are firing and what’s beyond your target. After you pull that trigger, you can never get that shot back. Unless you know exactly what you’re shooting at, and what lies beyond what you’re shooting, you should never take the shot. Even a small round like a .22lr bullet can travel a distance of about 11⁄4 miles (two kilometers); this means you better be darn sure of what’s beyond your intended target.
  7. There’s no such thing as an unloaded gun. Drill that saying into your head because it’s probably the most important safety advice you’ll ever receive. Every firearm you touch should be considered a loaded weapon; therefore, it needs to be given the respect due a loaded gun.