Bugging In: Prepping for Sustaining

Recently I posted an article about bugging out, and what kinds of supplies to have ready to go in case you and your family need to leave your home quickly in an emergency. But if you end up having to stay put, say during a pandemic scare or if a mainland event caused the boats to stop coming to Hawaii for a time, you might want to consider some more long term and sustainable options. And let’s face it – we should be doing that anyway. Local food and energy production should not be a far-off dream, but a work in progress. Our civilization is precariously hinged on a continuous supply of electricity. It wouldn’t take much to knock it out, especially in the US with our crumbling grid.

If the recent tsunami from Japan wasn’t enough to kick your prepping up a knotch, there are plenty of other scenarios that might. NASA and other organizations have long warned the public about the possibility of solar flares knocking out grids for long periods of time – months or even years. And that is just one possible SHTF (sh—hit-the-fan) scenario – economic collapse, polar shift, supervolcanic eruption, mega-earthquake, nuclear war or meltdown…the list is endless. The governments of the world are building hundreds – if not thousands – of large underground bases worldwide, and storing seeds for any such possibility. In fact, if you have a lot of money, you might be interested to know about various long-term underground shelters people are building – self-contained units, some with supplies to last as long as five years. Since the Japan catastrophe, sales have skyrocketed. Recently, Australian television aired an interesting program, 100 Days of Disaster, about recent disasters worldwide, preparations some people are making, the 2012 phenomenon, etc. Worth a watch.

How far you want to go in terms of preparations is up to you, how much storage space you have, how much you want to spend, how long you feel you need to prepare for, the abundance of natural resources in your area, etc. My family has been preparing a little at a time for quite a few years; we have recently ramped up our preparations, as we feel things are becoming more uncertain every day now. We’ve always considered it money well spent, either way – a kind of insurance policy we hope we never have to use, but wouldn’t dare be without.

And depending on your location, bugging in might not even be an option. You might be in a big, crowded city, and not have enough rainfall, firewood, fuel, or space to garden. But on the Big Island, it could be more realistic, as we have a lot more resources at hand and a relatively small population to support compared to the huge and abundant island we live on. And, the weather is always temperate – we can garden all year round and don’t need to worry about heating our homes (as a side note, I still have some winter gear stored – hey, climate change is in the news a lot…). Regardless – as it is now, this island could not independently support its population without a LOT of work by a LOT of people working together.

This article is only the tip of the iceberg, as I am certainly no expert – there are many, many books and websites devoted to this topic, and a lot of people spend a lot of time researching, studying and living these methods. But I’ll try and give somewhere to start. One book I found is When Technology Fails – lots of information there, whether it’s for emergency preparedness or off-grid living. Back to Basics is a classic. Heck there are a bunch of them out there. Get one or two and do a little reading before anything happens.

Water
Water will continue to be the most important consideration. Household water catchment is already quite common in Hawaii, especially in areas that receive more rain. But does your filtration system run independent of the electric grid? Something to consider.

Otherwise, have a stash of water in your storage, as much as you can fit and afford, and want to plan for. Plan on about a gallon of water a day per person. After that, you will have to filter, so even if you’re not on catchment now, larger storage barrels or tanks as well as smaller, collapsible water carrying containers are something to consider. During an emergency, you might want to fill your bathtub just in case – the WaterBOB is a pretty nifty idea. Solar stills can be cheap and simple to build, or there are more elaborate solar still set-ups available online, which is a good option for Hawaii. Boiling and distilling are certain, but require a lot of energy. The Waterwise 1600 is a distiller which doesn’t require any filters, works on seawater and is nonelectric (it must be kept at a simmering boil for hours over some kind of heat source) – however they are not readily available at the moment. I’ve seen bidding wars for them on Ebay.

Some people swear by their Berkey water filter - depending on the model they can filter up to 6,000 gallons before replacing the filter. The Kadadyn systems have ceramic filters which last a very long time (up to 13,000 gallons). These can all be expensive though. I did find a very interesting alternative at Emergency-H2O.com – check their blog page for a CNN video to see them at work in Haiti. Pretty good for the price – starting at $29.00 for a simple DIY. Even so consider having replacement filters, just in case. Water can also be filtered using sand and charcoal (not briquets!), or sunlight and PET bottles, called SODIS. And of course there are purification tablets and plain bleach which can work short term. You might want to have a few different water treatments options at your disposal, as not all systems filter all viruses, cysts and protozoa. Do your research.

Food
Having weeks or even months worth of stored food would be a great help to support your family at first, but again, this is based on affordability, space, and what scenario and time frame you are prepping for, and whether or not you have a vegetable garden and/or fruit trees. I’d suggest having a few weeks of stored food at the least if you live in Hawaii even if you don’t think TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it) is going to happen, in case there is ever a hiccup with the shipping, which has happened temporarily before. It’s estimated that most grocery stores have only about three days worth of food, so if transportation is halted for any reason, things would go south quickly. Here is an overview on long term food storage, pest prevention, rotation, and containers. And here is one example of the kind of preparations some people are doing – it’s very serious stuff here folks.

If you already have a garden, or have plenty of fruit trees on your property, this is great security and a step towards self-sufficiency. The localvore movement has been quite strong the past couple of years, and many more people are digging up their grass in favor of tomatoes. Consider getting a fruit picker, if you don’t already have one, so you can reach high branches when you go gathering. Canning and preserving are valuable skills, especially without refrigeration, and there are some great books out there to help you. Many people here I know also keep chickens, rabbits, goats, and even sheep and cattle. (We also know plenty of people who hunt the abundant wild goats, sheep, pigs and even cattle.) If you don’t already save your own seeds for next year’s garden, read up on that, and be sure you’re using nonhybrid seeds so it’s at least possible to try. Meanwhile, consider storing nonhybrid seeds. You can purchase sealed emergency seed caches which claim to last for years. Or, vacuum seal an assortment of seeds you know will work in your climate. Don’t forget medicinal herbs. Do what you can and trade for everything else. The ancient Hawaiian community system, the Ahupua’a, is a topic worthy of its own post. Ohana is everything.

Cooking
As I said in the Bugging Out post, have several kinds of firestarters just to be safe. Lighters run out of fuel. Here in Hawaii, the traditional method of cooking uses an imu, and many people I know still do that for luaus and such, so fortunately that is not a lost art and is actually a very healthful way to cook your food because it’s steamed. Another popular way to preserve meat in Hawaii is smoking, and dehydrating for fruits and veggies. If you use propane, have some extra, but long term, that could run out. Have alternatives.

Solar ovens work surprisingly well, and you can make your own for pretty cheap. Rocket stoves are also pretty cool. Cast iron pots and pans will last forever, and large cauldrons for soups and stews to feel lots of people seem like wisdom. (An outdoor fire pit or wood-fired BBQ set up goes without saying.) If you think like the Amish, consider manual grain grinders, food mills and mortar and pestles, and even a wood-fired stove. Books on storing and preserving food will come in handy. Dehydrating sea water for salt will be an option here in Hawaii.

First aid
Aside from the smaller, compact kits in your bug out bags, a surplus medical supply is another thing to consider. How prepared you want to be for these types of emergencies is up to you, but living on a remote island, I would feel more secure having a larger supply of a few things, like bandages, pain relievers, ice packs and antibiotics, not to mention allergy relief, burn treatments, minor surgical supplies and even midwifery essentials. Of course if you or a family member has a medical condition, have plenty of prescription medicines and necessary supplies on hand. (You can buy antibiotics over-the-counter for fish at vet supplies online – it’s controversial, but it’s said they are the same ones used for humans, if you buy from a reputable vet supply.)  You can buy in bulk at Costco and even Ebay. Honey, tee tree oil, oregano oil, whiskey and vinegar can be used as disinfectants and/or topical antibiotics. I found a great resource on line at The Patriot Nurse – check it out. She knows far more about these things than I do. There are a multitude of great survival and basic medical first aid books available, such as Where There is No Doctor and Where There is No Dentist. Make sure you have a Nurse’s guide or other such handbook on dosages for antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, if you decide to stock up on those. I can’t take any responsibility for those decisions – it’s up to you, just know your options and do your research.

Dental care could also become a concern. You can get some temporary emergency filling repair kits, and salt is a good substitute for toothpaste, believe it or not, as is baking soda. Clove oil is great for treating abscesses, and Anbesol for oral pain relief. Medicinal herbs, how to grow them and how to make home remedies, is another skill worth studying. I recently took a CPR and First Aid course which I hadn’t done in many years. Just a suggestion.

Sanitation and hygiene
Keeping clean and hygienic is important to avoid disease, as we all know. Composting toilets are quite interesting, and some off-grid communities here already use them, as well as grey water recycling. Toilet paper will among the first things to run out if the boats stop coming, so store some extra. In Hawaii, we also have a toilet paper tree called Melocia, believe it or not. Wish I had one in my yard. Know how to properly dig and care for a latrine. For shorter term scenarios, you can use 5 gallon bucket-type camping toilet kits. Do a little searching online and be prepared at least for short term sewage stoppages.

A good supply of various soaps is wisdom. Castile soap is organic and can be used for showering as well as clothes and other things including pest management in organic gardens, believe it or not. Baking soda, corn starch, vinegars, and lemon juice can be used to make cleaning solutions and deodorants for all kinds of uses. Here is an idea for making your own manual washing machine using a toilet plunger. One of the aunties here on the island recently told me how her mother used to wash clothes in a metal basin over a fire made of coffee tree branches – they would boil the clothes, and have two other rinsing bins before wringing and hanging to dry. A solar shower is a handy thought too, especially here in Hawaii.

Most women these days probably use disposable products, but if you’re into being sustainable, you are probably already beyond this. The “cup”- there are several brands – is made of silicone and will last practically forever. Another suggestion is reusable fabric pads. You can buy them online or find patterns to make your own. Note that disposable maxipads are also usable for wound care – so, maybe have a pack or two around anyway for first aid. Also, tampons can be used as tinder for starting fires, among other things. Believe it or not, I’ve also heard of baby socks rolled up as a suggestion for reusable tampons. In a long-term scenario, birth control could become a vital concern. Something to think about.

Self Defense
If it’s really TEOTWAWKI, let’s face it: if you have a solid long-term supply, gear and bug in plans, your less prepared neighbors might find out about that pretty quickly. Of course, working together and community living will be imperative to long term survival in such a situation, and hopefully everyone will find a way to contribute, if if comes to that. But what about the people who will just want to steal your stuff, or even kill you for your food? I’d like to think that especially on the Big Island, this won’t be as big a problem as it could be in a larger, mainland city. Generally people are pretty aloha here, and tend to be very community oriented. But like everywhere else, we also have some lazy, mean, crazy and selfish people – and plenty of unprepared people, to be sure. In our family, we are ready for this possibility. Think about what you would be prepared to do, and what supplies you would want to have, to defend your bug-in spot, your family and stockpiles. You might have to move somewhere more defensible. And remember: ammunition can run out. Have options.

Tools and equipment
For bugging in, one assumes you will have access to your home tool shop. If you don’t have the basics in terms of hand tools, pick up a kit, same for gardening, if you have the space, and seeds. Have a few other essentials like a variety of nails and screws, duct tapes, tarps, zip ties, glues, and rope. More elaborate SHTF preppers might also have thought of manual hand drills and sewing machines. Maybe you have some antique tools in your attic or outbuildings. Dust them off and see if they need repair now. I found a manual crank attachment online for an old Singer I have. A store of threads and fabric will also be good to have, along with other various needlecraft supplies. Some people go so far as to have tools for tanning animal hides and stitching leather.

If you’re a hunter, consider have alternatives to guns to hunt with and start to develop your skill in using them. Long term, ammunition could eventually run out, but you can reuse arrows, and even make your own, for example. Traps and snares are an excellent option. If you’re a fisherman, make sure you have extra supplies to repair and build nets, spears, fishing lines, etc. In the old days, Hawaiians built fish traps near the shore with rock walls. Metalworkers and blacksmiths will be highly prized, if they know the old ways and had the old tools.

Some people have two-way radios, solar generators, aquaponics systems and other fancy equipment. Again – depends how deep you want to go with this, what you are preparing for, and where you live. Off-grid living and/or local energy production can be a challenge, and yet even as many people realize it is the best solution for what ails our planet, if things aren’t changed soon, we may have no choice in the matter.

Books
Having a library of useful information will be important when there is no Google. There are all kinds of books out there on off-grid living, back to basics, homesteading, etc. You can learn to make soap, candles, and glue, for example, not to mention manual or animal-driven farm implements. Gardening, composting, preserving food, human waste disposal, and medical manuals like midwifery will be valuable. If you find something useful on the Internet now, print it out and keep it in a notebook somewhere. Don’t forget about entertainment! Have your favorite books and novels, and maybe pick up a few you haven’t read yet, to save for later.

Entertainment
Books, board games and decks of cards will be dusted off, as they often are, when the power goes out. Nonelectric musical instruments, and people who can play them, would be wonderful, as as would good storytellers. In any emergency situation, short or long term, keeping children occupied, and even adults, can be essential to psychological well being.

Spirit
I’m not going to get too deep here on this. I’ve written quite a lot about maintaining one’s spirit and attitude over at Surfing the Tao. The gist of it is, the wave can be either big or small, you still need to be balanced as it carries you forward. Unfortunately, many people are mentally unprepared even for the smaller emergencies of “normal” life. If something major happened, fugetaboutit. But for others, look to your higher power, know you are not alone, and things will happen regardless of how you react. So, why not react with balance and forethought, compassion and calm? Do you want to be a burden on those around you, or a help? Something to think about. Because – It’s all good.

Suggestions
As I’ve said, this is merely the tip of the iceberg, but hopefully I’ve got your wheels turning. Spend some time searching possibilities online now while you can, purchase a few books for your library, and consider adding to your cache a little at a time. If you have the chance to live off-grid or learn valuable skills, please share. I hope in times of need, we can band together, so if you find this website, get in touch. Add a comment or email me at avmichaels@surfingthetao.com.

Surviving an Earthquake: the Triangle of Life

Growing up on the East Coast, I never experienced any earthquakes. My parents, who still live there, to this day have never felt a quake. But in 1992, I moved to Los Angeles. (In fact I arrived in April of that year, just in time for the LA riots – but that’s another story!)

It wasn’t long before my roommates and I began to feel small tremors here and there – it was a novelty, and kind of exciting when we did.

That all changed on January 17, 1994, the day of the Northridge Quake. My boyfriend at the time and I were living in Hollywood, and were rudely awakened at 4:30 in the morning by a violent shaking. Neither of us had ever experienced a major earthquake before, and it took a long moment before we realized what was actually happening. The most prominent memory of that moment, aside from the violent shaking and not even being able to stand up in the doorway where I was “supposed” to be, was hearing large explosions outside in the neighborhood, and to be honest my first thought was we were being attacked by the Russians. Well…it was 4:30 in the morning. Turns out those sounds were the electrical transformers blowing up along our street.

Very quickly we, along with our neighbors, made it out into the street, where we remained for some time before we felt safe enough to go back indoors. Our 1920s-era apartment building suffered some pretty big cracks in the plaster walls, but it was ok, and so were we. I will note that we made some new friends that day, as did many others; LA is notorious for a kind of blasé view towards neighbors but that changed that day, and we spent the next day or two huddled together watching the horrific aftermath on the news and riding out the aftershocks. (A funny side note; years later another friend confided she sleeps in the nude, and had run outside oblivious to her lack of clothes, until a neighbor gently pointed out her condition. These things happened I suppose.)

The Northridge quake was measured at 6.7 on the Richter scale. On October 15, 2006, I experienced another 6.7 quake here in Hawaii. Again, I was awakened by the sensation, but this time I took hold of my small dog who was next to me and rode it out in bed. It was another strange day of aftershocks and cleaning up broken glass (by the way, don’t store cooking oil in glass where it could fall off a shelf – what a nightmare to clean up!!) Mind you, we live in a wood frame house, so I knew no bricks or concrete were coming down on me, and we also live on a giant lava rock – no liquefaction in Hawaii either. That is a big problem in LA and other places. Check out this video of ongoing liquefaction from the recent quake in Japan – frightening to say the least.

Needless to say, earthquakes aren’t fun anymore. We get small tremors pretty regularly from our volcano, and each time I feel one I freeze and wait and see if it tapers off, or grows. It’s now an extremely frightening feeling, one I do not want to go through again. And yet, likely, we will.

So what to do? Experts recommend, “drop, cover and hold on”. The doorway thing has now become controversial, because the door could slam shut and hurt you. And in a really big quake, you may not even be able to stand.

Alternatively, the Triangle of Life is a method of surviving earthquakes developed by Doug Copp, which you will see by reading that Wikipedia entry is quite controversial. After my years of research however, I’ve come to take Wiki with a grain of salt. Alternative theories don’t get much credit there, because the mainstream may have ulterior motives. (You’ll have to spend some time on my other site, Surfing the Tao, if you want to go down that rabbit hole.)

You can watch an introductory video about Copp’s method here. Here is a site which claims this method has been endorsed by many various countries around the world, and offers some possible reasons why the official US mainstream does not.

Myself, I’m not going to be crawling under a table, or standing in a doorway. After reading all of these various suggestions and having been through it before, I’ll be on the floor next to my bed, or maybe in front of my couch, in a spot where no books or mirrors can fall on me, hoping to be in that triangular “void” space created by falling walls and debris. Better yet – I’ll either be outside, or have shoes on to quickly run outside when a tremor starts, and not cut my feet on broken glass. But you may not have time for that, and it could be more dangerous to run with falling objects coming down around you.

Make yourself and your family aware of these options, do your own research and decide on a plan together to stay safe during an earthquake. And get to know your neighbors. You’ll need each other if a big one hits.

Kona Town Meeting – Emergency Preparedness

http://konatownmeeting.org/

Emergency Preparedness For The Next Threat

Where were you when you heard about the Japan earthquake and the tsunami warning for Hawaii? Were you prepared for the impending tsunami?

The only sure thing is that there will be more emergencies such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis in the future. Are you fully prepared?

Come listen to the experts talk about how to be ready for the next serious emergency. Bring your questions about what  you can do to be informed and prepared for next time.

Speakers will be:

• Quince Mento, Hawaii County Civil Defense Director
• Henry Tavares, Assistant Chief of Police for Hawaii County
• Carol Kitaoka, American Red Cross
• Wally Lau, Deputy Managing Director for West Hawaii

Dominic Yagong, Chairman of the Hawaii County Council, will provide a County Council update.

Kona CPR and First Aid

If it’s been awhile since your last class, as it was for me, consider buffing up your CPR, First Aid and emergency response training. Kona has a great place to do just that, right near Costco: Kona CPR.

Have fun!!

Bugging Out: Emergency Preparedness Kits

There are innumerable scenarios in which you might have to quickly grab a bag and get out of dodge.  Is a tsunami on its way to your beachfront bungalow?  Did a large earthquake just render your apartment building uninhabitable?  Is there a radiation leak in the next town, or even a forest fire, hurricane or flood on its way?  Let’s just hope it’s not zombies…;)

If you google “bug-out” bag or kit, you’ll find a lot of articles on what to pack, and a lot of pre-made kits you can buy.  Some people keep them in their cars, schools or offices, in their briefcases or purses.  You might want to keep some smaller kits in several locations.  We keep smaller bags in our cars, our “A” bags, and larger, more extensive packs at home – our “B” bags.  The idea is to actually have these items packed and ready to go; you don’t want to be running around your house looking for your glasses, or trying to remember where you put those band-aids, if a tsunami is on its way.

This is an ongoing list of suggestions.  It’s up to you to decide what you feel you and your family might need to have on hand.  Most official sites recommend having food and water for at least 72 hours.  Given some of the outrageous disasters we’ve witnessed like Katrina and the Haiti and Japan earthquakes, some people recommend having enough to last for 7-14 days.

A serious reminder:  do not fear.  Fear is the mind killer.  Just prepare to the best of your ability.  It’s all any of us can do, and freaking out will not help anything or anyone, anytime.  Be calm, which is easier if you’re well-prepared.  In emergency situations, plan on being a help, not a hindrance, to your family and neighbors.

Planning

It’s very important to establish evacuation plans and possible meeting places with family or friends.  Know your area and have paper maps with clearly designated safe zones and meeting places – your phone and GPS may not be working. Also try and keep the gas in your car topped off, we try not to let it go below half a tank, and know how to turn off the gas and electric to your home in case of emergency.

“A” BAG

Companies like Adventure Medical Kits have ready-made survival packs of all kinds and sizes, and sometimes you can find deals on Ebay and places like that. Or, you can build your own, sometimes for cheaper. Keep it light enough so you can walk a long time with it if you have to.

Water, a gallon a day per person (replace every so often to keep fresh)
water purification tablets, straw, and/or bottle
food bars or MREs (also, keep an eye on expiration dates)
small first aid kit (look in camping supply stores, or build your own)
extra cash (credit card machines may not be working)
flashlight (suggested to use crankable so batteries are not an issue)
am/fm radio (you can find crankable flashlight/radio combos)
small multitool (like Swiss army knife)
whistle and/or signal mirror
lighter, waterproof matches, firestarter -  have several kinds
hand sanitizer or wet wipes
tissues and/or toilet paper
small towel
fold-up rain poncho
space blanket
a few vitamin packs or Emergen-Cs
Feminine supplies if applicable*
maybe a hat, and a pair of sneakers and socks, since if you’re in Hawaii you probably only have on your slippahs!
In Hawaii, we don’t always need extra jackets or warm clothes depending on altitude, but in other climates you might want to consider that too.

“B” BAG

We keep larger kits at home packed with further emergency and survival equipment. Don’t forget to take your “A” bag with you too if you can if you have to bug out, but just in case you can’t, you’ll see that stuff on here again. In a multi-person household you might split some of the bigger or heavier items between you – just remember, people might get separated, or lose something. Redundancy is a not a bad thing. And you still need to be able to carry it without a problem, so pack carefully.

Food and Water
A gallon of water per day per person. It gets heavy. Carry what you can. After that, it’s filtration and purification. Have collapsible water jugs to collect water and store it after purification. The Katadyn Pocket Microfilter is a good choice, since it has ceramic filters which last much longer, but there are plenty of great products out there. There are also water purification tablets. Household bleach (the plain kind) can be used to purify water, 16 drops per gallon. Everyone should understand how to build a simple solar water still and have the tools on hand to do so. More on water in the Bugging In section coming soon.

Food will have to be lightweight or densely packed with nutrients. Freeze dried foods, power bars, peanut butter, and MREs are some ideas. There are plenty of sites online to buy stored emergency food kits (we found some at Costco), or try dried soups, dehydrated mashed potatoes, and anything else you can think of that is lightweight, nourishing, and doesn’t take hours to cook like dried beans.

Clothes
You will want to have at least one clean change of clothes. Plan to have some kind of soap to hand wash them so you don’t have to pack much. You could use those spacebags or compression bags to squish it all up small. Have at least one change of comfortable pants. Consider a pair with roomy pockets like cargo pants, so you can keep lots of stuff on you if you need to. Some people use sports vests with lots of pockets. Have maybe a couple of clean t-shirts, underwear, and socks, and a hat against the sun or weather. Ladies, maybe a comfortable sports bra. Depending on your climate, warmer jacket or coat, and/or sweatshirt, and comfortable sneakers or hiking boots for long walking if you need to. Maybe an extra pair of flip-flops, slippers or sandals for when you’re not hiking, depending on climate and preference. Rain gear – you can find ponchos that fold up very small, or use a garbage bag or tarp.

Personal items
These are things personal to you, like toiletries and medicines. If you wear glasses, you could store your extra pair here, and same if you wear contacts, and have a bottle of contact solution. It’s often suggested to have a small book or two for information or entertainment in case you’re stuck somewhere for awhile with nothing to do. Consider a survival field and/or medical manual, a Bible, a copy of the Tao Te Ching, a paperback novel, etc. A deck of cards won’t take much room and could keep a while family occupied. If you can grab your wallet, great, but some sort of ID and some extra cash is recommended. Pack a small ziploc or waterproof bag with your hygiene items like a small travel toothbrush/toothpaste, comb, razors, hair bobbles, creams, and soap. Castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s has multiple uses, and there are other kinds of camping soaps you can find. Toilet paper, personal medicines, feminine needs* and birth control* are up to you.

Tools and weapons
If you end up camping somewhere, life will be easier with a few tools. Some people prepare for hunting and butchering, or even fighting zombies or bad guys. Just be safe and responsible at all times, especially around children. Also, be aware if martial law or a state of emergency is declared, they might not like you walking around with guns and knives, but a sturdy cane or walking stick can be a great weapon too, and also handy.

For basic tools and supplies, start with a multi-tool like Swiss army knife or Leatherman tool with pliers, scissors, can opener, screw driver, etc. A small hammer, a folding shovel, a roll-up saw and an axe are other suggestions. Firestarting is likely the second most essential necessity after water. Some sites suggest having as many as five different firestarters, and knowing how to use them. Matches and lighters can run out. Rope or paracord, duct tape, zip ties, and bungee cords are all handy. Have a thin, small painter’s tarp – useful for many things including tent base, rain cover and solar water stills. An emergency fishing kit, needle and thread, compass, towel, dishcloth, empty garbage bags and ziplocs are other good ideas.

Crankable flashlights, headlamps and radios are a must have.  Some people pack luxuries like solar chargers or two-way radios. It’s up to you.

First Aid
Your first aid kit can be as simple or as fancy as you like. You can buy a pre-packed one, or build your own. I have a pretty sophisticated pre-packed one which I then added to with a few more things I wanted to have on hand. You should at least have the basics like bandaids, antiseptic wipes and ointments, anti-diarrhea pills, aspirin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, gauze bandages and medical tape. Surgical suture is a suggestion I’ve seen on a lot of sites, useful not just for cuts but for mending and repairs. Have sunscreen, bug spray and unless you live in Hawaii, a snake bit kit. An emergency blanket, instant cold packs and instant hand warmers. Some people have face masks or even gas masks. A few more packs of vitamins or Emergen-Cs can keep your electrolytes up.

A medical field guide or first aid booklet of some sort is wisdom. Some people go so far as to have field surgical kitsand antibiotics on hand. There is controversy about using antibiotics made for fish, but I’ve read testimonies of people using them quite successfully. It’s inexpensive and available over the counter online. Know what you’re doing with dosages however, and avoid tetracycline as it does become toxic after the expiration date. Oregano oil and colloidal silver are other antibiotic suggestions, and for external use, tea tree oil and honey. So, again, up to you – just do your research.

Sanitation
For temporary situations, you could have some disposable bags on hand along with a 5-gallon bucket. Or, dig a latrine with your folding shovel. Be sure to follow the rules on environmentally sound methods of human waste disposal and personal cleanliness. Not doing so can spread disease very quickly. Have soap and hand sanitizer available, and you can also find solar showers in camping sections of sports stores.

Shelter
It just depends on the disaster, how long it lasts, and whether there are accessible emergency shelters nearby. We have a tent and sleeping bags ready to go just in case; tarps and plastic sheeting, along with some rope or paracord, can make a fine shelter for Hawaiian climate.

Cooking
Again – depends on your personal level of comfort and ability. There are a variety of small, lightweight camping stoves available. Rocket stoves are ingenious. Sterno is great to have on hand. You might want to have a small grill to place over a campfire, and in that case, be sure you have a camping saw to cut firewood. Small camping pots and utensils are quite useful and pack very small.

Pets, children, seniors, people with disabilities
Larger dogs can carry doggie backpacks with dog food, some water, collapsible bowls, medicines or other pet needs. Smaller pets may need to travel in crates or totes, so be sure you have those clean and ready to go somewhere, along with food and water for them.

Older children can also wear a small backpack with some food bars, clothes, coloring books, etc. The rest of their supplies, as well as all supplies for infants, you need to pack somewhere where you can carry it. Have extra clothes, diapers, formula, bottles, medicines, baby wipes, powder, ointment and food and utensils for them.

As applicable, seniors and people with disabilities should have any canes, walkers, medicines, medical records, equipment, denture needs, lists of allergies, doctors, insurance, diet and medical information such as pacemaker serial numbers, etc.

* Feminine needs and birth control
In researching these topics I found some interesting suggestions for sustainable women’s products.  The Cup seems like a very good choice in any regard. Made of silicone, they are washable and reusable for many, many years. And I was surprised to read that many woman already use washable pads. You can find them online in many places, or find patterns to sew your own. This is a good, sustainable suggestion for anytime, not just emergencies. The gross-out factor nagged at me a bit at first but then I thought…what’s grosser than filling our landfills…and many women swear they’re even easier than cloth baby diapers to clean, so it’s up to you.  Check out ThePatriotNurse for some good info on this.

Birth control is a bit trickier. For bug-out bags, an extra months of pills, or a packet of condoms or whatever you use is a good idea. Longer term solutions maybe be a more difficult issue…

What else?
Did I forget something? Leave a comment!

April is Tsunami Awareness Month

April is Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawaii. Each year, tsunami response exercises are held by civil defense, military and first responders. The recent earthquake and resulting tsunami from Japan last month certainly highlights the need for everyone to be aware and prepared.

On April 1, 1946, what is now thought to have been an 8.6 earthquake in Alaska caused the most damaging tsunami in Hawaiian history, killing 159 people and destroying Hilo’s waterfront. Another deadly series of waves in Hilo killed 61 people in 1960 as a result of an 8.3 quake in Chile. There were also destructive tsunamis in 1952, 1957 and 1975.

The 1975 tsunami was generated in less than a minute after a 7.2 earthquake off the coast of the Big Island. In situations like that, there is not much time for warnings or evacuations, so if you feel a big earthquake here and are near the ocean, get moving. Two people camping near the ocean died that day.

In 1948, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was founded. Since then, worldwide alert systems have vastly improved the detection and monitoring of tsunamis, as well as the rapid communication between countries. On the first business day of each month, tsunami warning sirens are tested statewide. If you hear a siren at any other time, it’s time to get to higher ground. If you live, work, shop or visit in tsunami evacuation zones, know the route to safely leave the area ahead of time. You might want to have pre-planned meeting places with family or friends.

And if you live in such a zone, you’ll be glad you prepared your bug-out bag ahead of time as well. I’ll be writing more on emergency kits soon.

Preparing for an Earthquake: What You Can Do…

Particularly since the recent earthquake/tsunami in Japan, I’ve noticed more articles about preparedness.  ABC news recently published Preparing for an Earthquake: What You Can Do to Stay Safe.  The article notes how woefully unprepared the US is for major disasters, and recommends a few things to consider when building your own emergency supplies and plans.

The article also shows a map of earthquake danger zones; note that one of the most active spots is not just the West Coast, but the US midsection along the New Madrid fault.  So no matter where you live, it’s a good idea to think ahead.  Don’t forget about pets and children!

The Big Island experiences small quakes all the time as a result of our active volcano, Kilauea.  If there’s a big one, as there was in 2006, you’ll feel it for sure.  But you can also keep track of where earthquakes are happening worldwide – as in the case of Japan, a major earthquake far away can sometimes result in a destructive tsunami here too.  You might know about the IRIS seismic monitor, which shows quakes from the past two weeks and seems to be updated a few times an hour.  The GEOFON seismic monitor shows quakes in the past 48 hours, including where the last big quake was.  I also like the Live Earthquakes map because it shows real time (or practically real time anyway) quakes, including the smaller ones worldwide.  Firefox has an eQuake add-on alert you can install on your browser, so when USGS updates a new quake, your screen will shake just a little bit.  If you’re on the computer a lot as I am, this is a handy way to stay informed.

You can also subscribe to alerts on your phone from Hawaii County Civil Defense.