Question of the Day - Sunday, January 5, 2025

[fionasmom]

When I was in the market this morning, I noticed that there were serious sales on canned goods. Now, we don't actually eat that much that is canned because of the high sodium/sugar in so much of it, but it does serve its purpose for emergency use.

I decided to stock up on a few items which brought me to the point of reconsidering my emergency supplies. Living in earthquake country, having always had pets, and receiving continuous updates from the county and state to be ready has made me become very vigilant about emergencies.

To summarize, I have a great deal of shelf stable food, some from a local disaster preparedness store, cat food, can openers, water and purification tablets, tarps and cords, various tools, cat carriers and dog crates, lanterns, phone chargers, portable toilet (okay, it belonged to my dad and was in his sick room), masks that are used in construction, some medical supplies and prescriptions and hygiene items. When I worked on the second floor, I had a crowbar and the kind of steel collapsible ladder that you hang from window. My workplace actually required emergency preparation and we had to carry three days worth of supplies in our cars which is the amount of time that we could legally be detained at work.

Are you prepared for whatever calamity could befall you wherever you live? Do you have any special preparations that you have made? Do you think that this is just all overkill?

 

[Mia6]

have extra meds, good question. i need to stock up

 

[denice]

I am not stocked up. I know I should. I have a small chest freezer that is almost full but that doesn't work without power. I usually have at least two or three weeks' worth of supplies for the cat here. I avoid canned because of the sodium, I had a high blood pressure reading back last spring and I have been watching the sodium. I have read that rinsing canned food will get rid of some of the excess sodium but I have pretty much switched to flash frozen and fresh in season produce.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Nope. I have no space to stock anything. I don't know what sort of calamity other than fire could hit here. We don't get extremes of weather like cyclones or snowstorms. I live in the suburbs, there are multiple sources of food and medication around. My concern would be getting P&D caged up to escape if necessary.

 

[Margot Lane]

My go boxes are hopefully filled with useful items. Sometimes I think no matter how I prepare I won’t know ‘til a calamity happens. I hope I remain calm, breathe, and keep my logical pants on. One thing I have: a tent you just throw open and it’s a tent. Folds up like a frisbee! Easy peasy.

 

[game misconduct]

once we fully move into our new house i will begin to build an emergency/ survival supply stash maybe i can talk gf into letting me buy a generator

 

[neely]

I'm usually prepared regarding human and pet food but have to admit I don't keep too many canned foods. I always keep a supply of toilet paper, kleenex and paper towels. The one supply I keep meaning to buy is a battery operated lantern in case of a blackout similar to this one: Enbrighten Battery Operated LED Nickel Plated Lantern 14210 - The Home Depot

 

[NY cat man]

We usually stock up on shelf-stable foods in the fall so we don't have to worry about going out in the winter. That also goes for paper goods and cat litter. In fact, there are 9, 35 pound buckets of cat litter in the attic right now. It's easier to haul them in before the snow flies. Michele's parents lived out in the country, and her mother converted a bedroom into a pantry that she kept stocked with all manner of food items. I guess it rubbed off on Michele. Also, we have two freezers, and a standby generator that can power the whole house, so we're good there.

 

[SueLinda]

Living in on the west coast of FL, as soon as hurricane season is over we start stocking up little by little through the next 6 months, so that when Hurricane Season starts in June, we are all set. Hoomans and furbabies are fully prepared by June.

 

[Norachan]

I live in earthquake country, on the side of a volcano, in an area that gets heavy snow every winter, monsoons every summer and regular typhoons. What could possibly go wrong?



I have a woodstove and enough firewood for a month at least. I have a chainsaw and a couple of axes. I have candles, torches and plenty of batteries. I always stock about a months worth of cat food and enough dried and canned food to last me a couple of days.

I need to go grocery shopping, so hope there are no disasters today.

 

[margecat]

I am very interested in emergency preparedness, and keep my supplies current.

 

[Tobermory]

We live in an earthquake zone, too, so I’m about 3/4 prepared. Plenty of cat food (of course), bottled water, some water straws for filtering, a Jackery portable generator with solar panels, plenty of batteries and lanterns, glow sticks, first aid kit, toilet paper and paper towels, meds.

What I don’t have enough of is food. I usually have jars of peanut butter and cans of tuna, but I’ve eaten the peanut butter and the tuna has expired. Oh, and I also have a go bag packed and ready in the front hall closet.

 

[susanm9006]

Whenever I cook I make TV dinner meals for the freezer, so there always is heat and eat food . This is more though for when I am sick or just don’t feel like cooking. I usually will just stop at the store if we have bad weather coming so that I have no cook items. I just always keep a stock of other necessities like cat food, toilet paper etc.

I did get a very cool item for Christmas to use in case of a power outage. It attaches to a Ryobi 18V battery and has a USB and a 120 volt outlet so I could charge my phone or use a small appliance.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We get a little bit of all kinds of weather here. So I do try to keep a supply of food, water, etc for emergencies. We’ve got snow now and DH was out chopping wood just in case yesterday.

When DD was 4 weeks old (after arriving 3 weeks early and spending a few days in the NICU) we had back to back blizzards and lost power in the first. I was pumping exclusively because she couldn’t nurse. It was a miserable experience. No heat or water with no electricity. The pump didn’t have battery power. Fortunately my mom worked for the state and one of the elders from our church who was high up in state government at the time. He came and evacuated us with the cats. (He was out getting nurses to and from the veterans home nearby.)

In the years after that we invested in a wood stove and some other emergency items that would have helped. DH was about to start a little backpacking stove to heat water to wash bottles when they came for us. We hope we never need the stuff; but it’s there.

 

[Winchester]

We keep plenty of cat food on hand for the girls as well as bottled spring water. A first aid kit. We have two freezers full of food, as well as a generator, should the electricity fail. One thing we no longer have is a good supply of canned foods because of the sodium content. I should build that supply back up anyway, just to have it on hand. Plenty of flashlights, matches, batteries, etc.

 

[game misconduct]

Not yet only bought a good solid knife so far after we get fully moved in I will begin to

 

[fionasmom]

I hope anyone and everyone in So Cal is safe from the fires. While I was not under evacuation orders, I did need to get out some of my emergency supplies.

 

[mani]

Nope. I have no space to stock anything. I don't know what sort of calamity other than fire could hit here. We don't get extremes of weather like cyclones or snowstorms. I live in the suburbs, there are multiple sources of food and medication around. My concern would be getting P&D caged up to escape if necessary.

 

[kathyfromcanada]

We keep plenty of cat food on hand for the girls as well as bottled spring water. A first aid kit. We have two freezers full of food, as well as a generator, should the electricity fail. One thing we no longer have is a good supply of canned foods because of the sodium content. I should build that supply back up anyway, just to have it on hand. Plenty of flashlights, matches, batteries, etc.

That is something I need to do as well. A generator would be good too. I just got back on the catsite.

 

[mani]

That is something I need to do as well. A generator would be good too. I just got back on the catsite.

Welcome back kathyfromcanada !