What have you done lately...

[Valerie in WA]

...to be better-prepared for natural or man-made disasters?

It's been almost a year since I originally set up our BOBs (Bug Out Bags - backpacks for each of us with barest essentials) and BOV (Bug Out Vehicle - and the assorted totes that would be put into it), so I am now going through everything.

I need to rotate out last year's medicines and food, update the kids' single change of clothes to the next size, review our plan, and add a few things.

Dh & I discussed this yesterday and have decided that spending money each year to improve our preparedness should be considered money spent on 'insurance'. You may never use it, but you don't want to be without it!! We are discussing an amount, but are thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 per year.

I'm bumping up the thread that describes what I did last year. It's here: [ame="http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59992"]Frugal Village Forums[/ame]

So what are you doing?

[QuilterMom]

We recently priced some Coleman items at BJ's (warehouse club) and will be checking to see what Sam's has when we make a trip there later this week. I have a feeling we'll be making the purchases at BJ's though (and we already have the money set aside). Dh is wanting the Coleman 2 burner stove, additional propane tanks for it, and a rechargable Coleman lantern. We did buy 2 20lb. propane tanks for our outdoor gas grill while we were there, but need to get them filled (it was too late at night when we made the purchase - that part was already closed).

We also recently purchased a new freezer. We got the largest one that would fit into the space we have and it's supposed to be delivered later this week. We'll move the one we currently have out into our garage and continue to use it. This will help me stock more (since our current freezer is filled to capacity).

I continue to buy in quantity during sales. A co-op I found has helped in that capacity.

[Valerie in WA]

Kim, do you have a generator to keep your freezer going? Or do you anticipate power outages to usually be less than 2-3 days (where there freezer could keep itself frozen)? You're in hurricaine country aren't you?

On thing on our list is hose and adaptors to make our 20lb propane tanks power the campstove. Currently our campstove only takes those little bottles (two pound?).

[Nada.Leona]

Hmmm... well, actually I have been thinking recently about what I can do to take care of my cat should a horrible disaster happen! As long as myself and my cat are safe, there's very little I really need to worry about. But it is definitely something I should start considering. Post away, ladies -- I'm going to be studying your responses for inspiration!

[staceyy]

I just enlisted a master gardeners help to teach me to garden. I'm continuing to stockpile and I just sent for a catalog from a preparedness site.

[Droppedonmyhead]

I went through the 3 Hurricanes (Charley, etc) that hit and tore up florida a couple of years ago. Boy, am I even more prepared this time. I did buy a little 5" tv that runs on an A/C adapter or batteries. I got plenty of batteries in stock and got bigger and better flashlights. My food and water stock was already in place. Other than getting gas in the car when it's time and getting cash out of the bank, I'm ready.

[QuilterMom]

Yep Valerie, we're smack in the middle of hurricane country. We got Frances and Jeanne in 2004 and part of Wilma in 2005. We actually have 2 generators!

[AmyBoz]

The only thing I do is buy a gallon of ShopRite water every time I go to ShopRite. That way, we've got some fresh water in case anything happens.

[Goodwin17]

I have a hurricane box here at the house. We went through hurricane Dennis last year. We have a small generator, small battery operated radio, flashlights, a couple of glow sticks, disposable plates, napkins, batteries. We have a couple of coolers. I've got to get some extra medications put up. We keep plenty of canned food and usually a couple gallons of water. My hurricane box is a work in progress.

[marym]

Last year we converted our fireplace to gas because of my allergies and asthma. We had a 80 gal propane tank installed outside. I use this for the fireplace and had it hooked up to the gas grill, if we lose power we can keep warm and cook. I also always have 6 gals bottled water in the basement, I think I want to double that amt because we are on a well and if the power goes out so does the well pump. I shop in Amish bulk stores in Lancaster county and try to have lots of flour and bulk sugar, oatmeal,spices ect.
We have several oil lamps to use in power outages that we frequently have
here. I have 2 COleman lamps. I think I would like to get a battery operated radio with a weather station on it. I never used to worry about thing like this before but now with the strange weather and terrorism (I live near a nuclear power plant) I think we should be prepared.

[kymom]

staceyy could you share the site you got the catalog?
thank you

[Renee-2kids]

I've been stocking up on food, food, and more food. And water.
Unfortunatly, the youngest refuses to eat rice. We are working on that.

I have stocked over the counter meds and I order my perscriptions a few days ahead each month and I'm slowly stocking those.

Stocked on TP, paper plates and such. (need more paper towels)

In the last 6 months I have gotten...
a Coleman one burner cooker thing and propane tanks.
Shake flashlights
Crank radio
batteries

I have got to get the diaper stash back up. I have some cloth diapers we could use in a pinch, but if we didn't have water.......

I want to get a rain barrel. And sleeping bags that rate down oto 0 degrees.

[Darlene]

We have pretty much everything we need but would like a bigger generator. Would like it hooked right to the box so we wouldn't need to run all those extension cords. We really like being self suffecient and are usually ready for anything.

[jamiet]

Everything everyone has posted is so good. I too feel inclined to be prepared in many different ways.
Dh was near fatally wounded at his job, and we were okay (and he is too), but it could have easily not been okay. Had we not had a stockpile of food and goods, we would have been in more trouble.
I like the idea of having a small stash of $$. I don't mean a whole lot, but just some in small bills and quarters.
Just this weekend I saw a 5 gallon bucket filled with 275 servings of food (freeze-dried) at Costco. It was $110. I could only get one.
I have to say that I really want to have enough on hand that I can help others in need, or barter if something happens where we live.
Jamie

[LastDragonfly]

We are continuing our emergency food supply and I will be working on my dehydrated food this week. I still need to fix our BOB just in case we ever needed to evacuate.

I have made my own emergency candles and they are readily available in every part of our house, car, and office.

We are stockpiling water in 5 gallon jugs.
Emergency food stored and stockpiled
Dehydrated food-in progress

I need to replenish our first aid kit.

We have a small amount of $$ on hand