Why should I care?

“He who waits upon fortune is never certain of dinner.” —Ben Franklin

You don't know when an accident, natural or man made disaster is coming to cut utilities, supplies and emergency services. Get prepared before the days of trouble come. No specific political or religious beliefs are required, just good ol' common sense. An affinity for the character Q (Quartermaster) in the James Bond movies is optional. A good primer for the subject is on Wikipedia.

The Basics

Tools are no good if you are not able to use them. Without physical health, a good mental attitude and some classes and/or reading you'll just be chasing after the wind.

• Phone, money, insurance papers and writing materials
• Water
• Food
• Medical supplies (especially for children, older folk and injured/sick)
• Shelter

The three main scenarios are in the home, in the car and personally. Obviously, the size, weight and quantity of preparedness items reduce with each.

For the home, 1 to 3 months supplies can be bought in bulk locally (and rotated over time) but the real challenge there is power and water. All the sleeping, cooking, toiletries and backpack elements of a standard camping/hunting kit can be used. For the car, have a 72-hour kit, blankets and a change of clothing, hat, gloves etc. appropriate for the climate. For personal carry, there's the compact survival kit or tin. You might want to consider longer term solutions for self-sufficiency at home.

			Home water filter
Top of line kit