The Stupidity Of A Household, Brought To Life In Cans
Gini and I are skeptical of terrorist threats. Oh, we know they exist and we know they're serious, but we look at the figures and go, "Wow, we have a much better chance of getting hit by a bus. Or choking on a peanut." The potential scale of a terrorist attack is such that we can't blow it off, but we're not convinced it's the uber-number-one priority of this government over, say, the economy. Or making sure our infrastructure, like the levees and highways and power grids, are taken care of.

Then there's the additional factor of where we live. Cleveland. Not exactly a hot spot in the nation by any means, and it's unlikely that an international terrorist would look at the vast numbers of cities available and go, "Cleveland. The Mistake by the Lake is America's heart." So really, in terms of terrorist threats, it's unlikely that we need to prepare.

Which is why it's so silly that we are. But we feel better.

See, there's a Web site called ReallyReady.org, which was founded by dumbfounded scientists who couldn't believe how bad the official preparation advice was on the official Ready.gov site. So they came up with their own emergency preparation practices, and presented them on their site. And this past weekend, Gini and I made a CostCo run to get a bunch of stuff to make sure we'd be handled in case of some sort of global emergency.

Right now, we have a big plastic trunk filled with batteries, a flashlight, a radio, five days of non-perishable food (complete with snacks and dessert), a gigantic first-aid kit, and N95-rated face masks. We'll be getting some five-gallon jugs of water to store with it next month, and this weekend we'll be putting blankets and bleach and toilet paper in, and we'll run to Target to get a can opener and a whistle.

There. One big place to survive the impending apocalypse.

It's not just a terrorist attack we're worried about, of course - given the state of Cleveland's power grid, we could be out of power for as long as a week if something huge blows here. And you never know what sorts of natural disaster might strike. But for about $110, we've gotten ourselves a little piece of satisfaction - in our closet will be everything we need to hunker down for a couple of days if the shit hits the fan, and that sort of thing probably will never get used, but dammit it makes us feel a little more secure.

Gini and I have a great future coming. We wanna make sure we're around for it.

(Post a new comment)

	zoethe 2006-09-21 05:01 pm UTC (link)
	For the record, being ready for natural disaster was my priority all along. I was ready in Alaska, and have felt a little "naked" here that we haven't been. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - dolmena, 2006-09-22 02:02 pm UTC (Expand)

sterlingspider 2006-09-21 05:02 pm UTC (link)

Such is the joy of doing a big camping trip every year. It's very nice to know that in case of emergency we have a hibatchi, tents, very good sleeping bags, lanterns and flashlights... the whole 9 in regards to gear. In fact we all found it rather amusing that when so much of the northeast's power went down a couple of years ago we were all snug and happy, camping our butts off and not even noticing. (Reply to this)

	gentlemaitresse 2006-09-21 05:05 pm UTC (link)
	Remember to rotate your food. And since you got food that you actually like to eat (right??), you should eat it occasionally and replace it. If it's stuff you're unfamiliar with, you should become familiar with it by using it occasionally. And even MRE's eventually get too old to eat. Do you intend to use chlorine or iodine to sanitize your water? (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - razorsmile, 2006-09-21 05:21 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - gentlemaitresse, 2006-09-21 05:24 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - zoethe, 2006-09-21 05:43 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - gentlemaitresse, 2006-09-21 05:52 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - vrax, 2006-09-21 08:09 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - zoethe, 2006-09-21 08:17 pm UTC (Expand)

phoenixredux 2006-09-21 05:06 pm UTC (link)

You might also want to throw in a light-weight camping stove, of the sort one might use while backpacking. Don't forget a mess kit. Personally, I would also include my Mayan hammock because it's light weight, incredibly portable, and can be hung up anywhere you can find two solid things 7-10' apart to tie-on to. And it sure beats sleeping on the floor of the AstroDome or whatever. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - scyllacat, 2006-09-21 05:55 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - garybaldy, 2006-09-21 07:35 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - scyllacat, 2006-09-21 08:56 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - garybaldy, 2006-09-22 03:38 am UTC (Expand)

hiromasaki 2006-09-21 05:11 pm UTC (link)

You're safer in Cleveland than I am in Akron. In the 50's and 60's, Akron was in the top 5 list of likely targets in case of a land war in the US. Why? Large, consolidated manufacturing areas (That at the time churned out most of the tires used in WWII and later across the country for private use.) a major research university (U of Akron's Polymer Science dept. is still one of the best in the world.) and two arsenals in close proximity (Ravenna and a smaller one in Akron.) I'm not sure where we stand now, but if any terrorist is looking to damage infrastructure and has outdated info, we're near the top. >. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - zoethe, 2006-09-21 05:40 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - hiromasaki, 2006-09-21 06:09 pm UTC (Expand)

	darthparadox 2006-09-21 05:11 pm UTC (link)
	Sounds about right. I assume you were around for the huge power outage in 2003? My family goes camping once a year, so we were okay in terms of flashlights and whatnot, and being August we didn't have to worry about freezing or anything. But... yeah, being prepared for shit going down is always good. (Reply to this)

	montykins 2006-09-21 05:22 pm UTC (link)
	We've got two gas masks, but one of them is WWII-era, so it probably won't work as well. But it looks so cool! (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - zoethe, 2006-09-21 05:41 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - jfargo, 2006-09-21 05:44 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - zoethe, 2006-09-21 05:47 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - scyllacat, 2006-09-21 05:52 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - kyra, 2006-09-21 05:54 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - scyllacat, 2006-09-21 05:56 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - garybaldy, 2006-09-21 07:37 pm UTC (Expand)

	razorsmile 2006-09-21 05:28 pm UTC (link)
	Depending on the level of disaster, a couple of days worth might not be sufficient. Skills and knowledge are ultimately more useful, I think. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - zoethe, 2006-09-21 05:42 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - scyllacat, 2006-09-21 05:58 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - lysystratae, 2006-09-21 06:35 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - scyllacat, 2006-09-21 09:04 pm UTC (Expand)

roniliquidity 2006-09-21 05:40 pm UTC (link)

That's just great, now we're going to go drop a wad of cash at our nearest wholesale store. I can't not have a solid disaster plan, and this is a more solid plan than mine, thus rendering my plan obsolete. I did tell you a watched the remake of "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" while I was doing my homework one time, and then spent half the night up and anxious because I didn't have a plan in case of an EMP, right? (Reply to this)

	roninspoon 2006-09-21 05:46 pm UTC (link)
	Bottled water, especially bottled in plastic, does not last terribly long. Your stores need to be replinshed about every 6 months. Don't forget to put a can opener in there if you bought canned food. Don't forget a really good quality field knife and sharpening stone. A good knife is invaluable once you go off the grid. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - kmg_365, 2006-09-21 06:20 pm UTC (Expand)

Upcoming disasters scyllacat 2006-09-21 05:49 pm UTC (link)

I don't know if it's because of the Katrina thing, but I definitely have that feeling. I don't know if it's a terrorist attack, a hurricane, an economic collapse, or what, but I definitely feel like being in control of my life means being prepared for an emergency these days. Memories from Katrina: Every single battery in the city was GONE. Also all the drugs. The Winn-Dixie next to the French Quarter that was looted -- they had broken out the pharmacy windows and taken EVERYTHING. Alcohol was disappearning, partially being drunk, partially being looted (where looted was defined by me as hoarding or trashing products instead of using or distributing). The sports stores were being cleaned out, not just, I think, for the name brands, although I'm sure some idiots think that way; but because the shoes weren't little toeless sandals. Good shoes are important. When I left the city, I was taking (besides a handful of My Stuff) scissors and razor blades, toilet tissue, plastic bags, water, tape, needles and thread. In times of crisis, good sharp metal becomes more necessary and scarcer. Tape and batteries and other modern conveniences that we think of as being ordinary, are NOT possible without large industry. You won't be able to make them yourself, like you could, say, make ink or soap, or grow food, or patch clothing. A lot of adhesives and plastics use petroleum in their production. With oil crises brewing, I think of these things. So, at the end of the year, we're thinking how to get off the grid and reduce our dependence on industry and money and our involvement with government, and work on building community and self-resourcefulness. But we still have battery-powered flashlights. :) (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

Re: Upcoming disasters - lesleykajira, 2006-09-21 05:57 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: Upcoming disasters - scyllacat, 2006-09-21 06:01 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: Upcoming disasters - rintheamazing, 2006-09-21 06:50 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: Upcoming disasters - lesleykajira, 2006-09-21 09:23 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: Upcoming disasters - lacey, 2006-09-22 06:51 am UTC (Expand)

	wolflady26 2006-09-21 06:00 pm UTC (link)
	Not exactly a hot spot in the nation by any means, and it's unlikely that an international terrorist would look at the vast numbers of cities available and go, "Cleveland. The Mistake by the Lake is America's heart." Normally, I'd agree, but you know... the terrorists might be encouraged by the fact that your river is flammable. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - usafpa, 2006-09-21 06:03 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - fragiletender, 2006-09-21 07:00 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - lesleykajira, 2006-09-21 09:25 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - scyllacat, 2006-09-21 06:03 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - wolflady26, 2006-09-21 06:05 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - zoethe, 2006-09-22 11:42 am UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - wolflady26, 2006-09-22 01:33 pm UTC (Expand)

usafpa 2006-09-21 06:01 pm UTC (link)

I was raised in Dayton, Ohio and the surrounding area. How will you keep from freezing to death in winter? Do you have a fire place or something? I live in SC now where hurricanes are the thing. And the one time a year it snows, the power goes out. I have a fireplace and a whole mess of wood. I live out of city limits so I don't worry about looters coming to my house. We have a chest freezer. We filled the bottom with those 5 gallon water jugs Coleman makes. I don't think it will ever go bad like that. Might taste funny, but I don't think it would hurt you any. We have a camping stove and a gas grill. Be advised if you are going to burn either item in the house for heat, you will most likely gas yourself from lack of ventilation. Buy something that's meant to be burned indoors if you are going to need heat. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - old_hedwig, 2006-09-21 06:04 pm UTC (Expand)

old_hedwig 2006-09-21 06:02 pm UTC (link)

I assume you have a battery or hand-crank radio (I even check mine when foul weather is predicted to keep it pre-set to the most useful news station so I won't be fumbling). Cash in case electricity outages shut down ATMs - you won't be able to buy much because only Mom-n-pops operate without power registers, but always useful. What about heat? Do you have a wood-stove? Fireplaces are mostly useless for heat, I miss the pretty flames but when we've been without electricity in the winter I'm glad we put the stove insert in ours. You can cook on a BBQ grill, we make sure to have a few extra bags of charcoal at the end of the season before it vanishes from stores. I've lived in or right outside Wash DC almost 50 years, I got so used to the fact that I would be blown up by an atomic bomb I don't really worry about terrorists at this point, but its just a fact of life that the power can go out and stay out for a week. Having non-perishables around makes sense in any case - even if the rest of the world is fine we have gotten sick enough at times no one wants to venture out for a week. There's only so much one can do - you can stock 6 months or a year of food/water/supplies, but then you've devoted all your space to it, and will have to spend a lot of time rotating and restocking. And if its that bad, unless you are armed and willing to kill to defend your supplies, being the only person with food just means someone is going to come take your food away. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - usafpa, 2006-09-21 06:15 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - old_hedwig, 2006-09-21 06:31 pm UTC (Expand)

When The Rapture Comes crimson_planet 2006-09-21 06:02 pm UTC (link)

The water is kind of suspect. Storing water requires turning your inventory, and a big question is how much is enough. I went for a camping water filter. I'd have water for years because I could drink out of puddles. No heavy jugs or reminders or stuff you are likely to ignore because, Hey! life is good, right? Depending on your neighborhood and the disaster (ofc), some sort of personal protection might be useful for perimeter defense or going down to the 7-11 for a case of gatorade. It doesn't have to be a gun, (and I'm not getting one either), but a decent knife, or baseball bat, or even pepper spray should be added. A generator might not be a bad investment, but you don't want to be the only house on your block with lights on at night. Just get something big enough to run your refrigerator. The nastiest disaster might be an EMP, where people aren't really hurt like an earthquake or hurricane. Everyone is healthy, normal, has their house and all their stuff, but anything electrical doesn't work. There won't be anyone to rescue or wounded to help, just half-crazy confused people like yourself. Public services grind to a halt, and law and order is confined to a 20-meter radius from a police officer. People will loot because they are scared, won't know what's going on, and feel like they have to, just to be safe.* Imagine Katrina that covers 3 states, lasts for 6 weeks instead of 2, and all the rich people aren't able to get out first. Who's ready for that one? R * They are out of beer, smokes, diapers, bananas, etc., the Piggly Wiggly is locked, but the place is already broken into, other people are doing it, and you don't know how long it will be before an ATM will work again, and you want to make sure you get the good stuff for your family before it's all gone. Could get ugly fast. And I'm talking about the _good_ people here. Bad people, bad areas - the sky is the limit. We're not talking about getting medieval, more like cro-magnon. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

Re: When The Rapture Comes - scyllacat, 2006-09-21 06:08 pm UTC (Expand)

	Oh, and if you have a baby old_hedwig 2006-09-21 06:07 pm UTC (link)
	its a real good thing if you are breastfeeding. Even a minor power outage wreaks havok on formula feeding. (Reply to this)

	kmg_365 2006-09-21 06:15 pm UTC (link)
	Much to my wife's occasional dismay, we do not have an emergency preparedness kit, nor do we have a disaster plan. Which given where we live is a bit silly. (Reply to this)

bonerici 2006-09-21 06:30 pm UTC (link)

i like ready.gov better than reallyready. ready.gov explains why you need a whistle (to signal for help). It's clear that reallyready was based directly on ready.gov instead of independently developed, yet reallyready left off the list one of the single most important things from the list: local maps If you go back and read accounts of the Katrina disaster, you'll find that many lives were lost because the rescue workers were unable to FIND the people they needed to rescue, perhaps a local road would be washed out or a signpost gone, lives were lost because rescue workers could not go help the people in trouble even if they were able to contact them. Also, fire extinguishers are not in the list for your kit in really ready, but it is on the list for ready.gov. If an earthquake hits, trust me, you'll want that fire extinguisher because you'll want to stop any local fires in your house, because the fire department is going to be way too busy. The list of problems with ready.gov in reallyready is all just picky ass bullshit. The ready.gov site I think is actually better . . . uh, except for the duct tape thing. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

Tip sites - crimson_planet, 2006-09-21 06:44 pm UTC (Expand)

paranoidgrl 2006-09-21 06:54 pm UTC (link)

I live on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, and my family has always kept a "hurricane box" that sounds a lot like what you have (except instead of water purifiers, we just bought gallons of water). When Katrina hit, we were without power for nearly a month, without drinkable water for nearly 6 weeks, and phones (landlines) were out for nearly 3 months in our neighborhood, so you might want to add a prepaid cell phone to the box. Even after things got back to normal, the grocery stores weren't fully stocked until after Christmas. You might want to add containers to hold gasoline, especially if you have a generator. Gas stations don't pump gas if they don't have power. I don't worry much about terrorism, but I do worry about natural disasters. (Reply to this)

vrax 2006-09-21 07:56 pm UTC (link)

Echoing what many have said, I think it's pretty imprtant to be able to protect your supplies. And also to be able to gather more supplies. Some posters mention a good knife, but then the question is "do you know how to use it?" Can you trap/kill and clean an animal? Can you build your own shelter in the woods or wherever? Are you adept enough to construct a firebow and make an actual fire from nothing but wilderness supplies? For my own peace of mind I choose more training over more supplies. I can splint bones, make stretchers, build fires, build shelters and disarm people of their weapons 6 ways from Sunday. I do keep a pack of four LED flashlights and fresh batteries for them as well as a high quality hunting knife, and some basic camping supplies. That's all I feel I need because I can make or take the rest. As soon as the world becomes some sort of insane free for all and devolves into what bonerici calls the "Natural form of Government - warlordism" I'm lookin out solely for my immediate family, and I'll take whatever I need by any means at my disposal. Before we got married it was non-negotiable that my wife (then still my girlfriend) learned extensive martial arts and basic camping skills. She put in many hours a week for almost 3 years and it's just another of the many reasons that she's the love of my life. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

Survival - crimson_planet, 2006-09-21 09:05 pm UTC (Expand)

	johannah_rose 2006-09-21 10:37 pm UTC (link)
	I'm a vegetarian and was recently diagnosed wih diabetes (on my 26th birthday too and I'm normal weight according to the charts). I don't think they make non perishable foods for someone like me. Oh well, looks like I'll be stuck turning to cannibalism. (Reply to this)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) - lamistressa, 2006-09-23 04:59 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - johannah_rose, 2006-09-23 09:28 pm UTC (Expand)

baronbrian 2006-09-22 12:18 am UTC (link)

Someone has probably already said it but I'm tossing in my two cents. If you don't know how to use the first aid kit, learn. And if you're really serious about learning for a disaster, learn something beyond the consumer grade Red Cross class that will mostly emphasize short term stabilization until the paramedics arrive. I suggest a First Responder class or if you just want to do some reading get Medicine for Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities. The blurb says it all. What do you do if you're 25 miles into the backcountry and a member of your hiking party develops appendicitis? Or if you're nearing the summit of a 14,000-foot peak and your climbing partner suffers a ruptured cornea from the altitude? If you thought ahead, you'd pull out your copy of Medicine for Mountaineering. This is probably the top book to carry for serious backcountry injuries. There are other titles that cover basic first aid, but not with this book's depth and specificity. (Reply to this)

	tharp42 2006-09-22 03:43 am UTC (link)
	Cleveland? Yeah, you're right not to be worried. I'm not sure what any terrorists could do to make it any worse. (Reply to this)

	i_like_swearing 2006-09-22 03:44 am UTC (link)
	Terrorist attack. Shyeah right. Although as Chris Brookmyre put it, "I like (his) odds, but I don't like the stake". (Reply to this)

	katels 2006-09-22 04:04 am UTC (link)
	Hello! I have added you, because your anecdote about band envy made me laugh so hard that even my dog looked at me thinking, "you're so weird". I know you say you check out the journals of people who add you but seriously? Don't bother right now. I am in the midst of finishing my Honours thesis and all I do is whinge. : ) (Reply to this)

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