For years, my father and father-in-law would tell us that they had everything under control to handle the natural disasters common to their areas. Healthy pantries, stored gasoline and propane, plenty of firewood, tractors to clear debris or snow, four-wheel drive vehicles for movement and most importantly generators for their wells and freezers. Yet, after each big weather event both of them would tell of what they didn’t quite have ready or of supplies that they should have had.
I got into the practice of calling them before inclement weather to ask if they had water and fuel ready or to see what we could do to help them get ready in case the storm impacted their area. Most times, our subtle reminders or outright offers to help prepare were rebuffed. Over and over at a surface level each side of our family “seemed” to be prepared to pull through short-term disruptions to their lives. Yet, after event each would tell me about their circumstances during, while I silently groused over how much harder they made the time on themselves and our mothers by not planning. This has been the status quo for a couple of decades in the ongoing effort to have my father and father-in-law ramp up their preparedness games.
The harsh reality I finally came to accept was that neither of these men would invest more than a cursory effort into readying themselves for a disaster. As a result of this recognition, my wife and I decided to build basic emergency preparedness kits and leave them with our folks. A third kit was prepared for my sister’s family who lives near our parents, recognizing that they will be with mom and dad if the situation warrants the need for additional help. These were not designed as end-all be-all mega kits, but each included supplies that would provide for our loved ones for at least two weeks and likely much longer, when used in tandem with the supplies and tools we knew were in our parents’ homes. What follows is a description of these kits and the reasoning behind the contents.
First Priority: Power & Lights
The most expensive piece of these kits was a new generator for each household. Last fall, a volunteer relief agency that wanted to send generators into the region impacted by Hurricane Helene was trying to pull together a group buy for tri-fuel units. In order to reduce the price per unit, an offer was made for individuals from outside of the impact area to also purchase gensets so a lower price could be negotiated on the overall larger order. All three of us took advantage of the offer.
Interestingly, each of us plans to run our generators on a different fuel. Dad will have to use gasoline; my father-in-law had his generator tied into a 300-pound propane tank and I will use natural gas as long as it is available. After receiving and assembling the units, they were load tested using stabilized gasoline and taken through the first portion of the break-in period. The fact that these generators had electric start was paramount given our fathers’ ages and relative health, neither is physically capable of pull-starting a large engine.
To supplement my dad’s generator preps, we gave him two five-gallon cans with stabilized non-ethanol fuel (87 octane is my only local option for ethanol-free). In reading articles and letters from the early years of SurvivalBlog, I was introduced to PRI-G stabilizer and have begun using it. One ounce of PRI-G is rated to either stabilize for two years or rejuvenate 16 gallons of “stale” fuel if used annually. For ease of dispensing the government-friendly (CARB-compliant) spill-ensuring nozzles were replaced with easy pour flexible spouts and air breather valves were installed on the cans. A 32-ounce bottle of both PRI-G gas treatment and PRI-D diesel treatment were included with dad’s kit to treat fuels in the future.
For a small energy alternative, each kit included a slightly used three-piece Nature Power solar panel power kit from Northern Tool (#88432). I had purchased these kits years ago for a remote lighting project that never came to be and we decided passing them along was better than leaving them idle. The panel is rated at 110 watts and 5 amps, the charge controller is rated for 8 amps and 130 watts and the 12 VDC to 110 VAC inverter is a basic modified sine wave unit rated at 300 watts.
To round out this small system, we also included a cable connection kit from Harbor Freight (#59171) that contains the leads necessary to use the 12-volt power directly from a battery. The uses for such a small system are limited, but it could power lamps, fans or be used to recharge electronics after being paired with a battery. We encouraged each family to purchase at least one deep-cycle battery for emergency use. Currently, two models of the Ever Start marine deep-cycle battery are available from Walmart for under $100.
To address basic lighting, the kits included a pair of clear inflatable Luci solar lanterns from Mpowerd/BioLite, several outdoor solar lanterns from Dollar Tree and one of Energizer’s plug-in rechargeable flashlights. (Lowes #244560). The cheap lanterns are suitable for areas where low light is convenient for safe movement such as in hallways or interior rooms. The Luci solar lanterns are perfect for lighting medium sized areas and having an on/off function as well as two intensity settings is of benefit for conserving the lantern’s charge. A plug-in flashlight stationed in a central outlet should guarantee that at least one flashlight is available immediately upon a power failure. By leaning heavily into electric options, we hoped to provide safer and portable alternatives to the oil lamps and Coleman fuel mantle lanterns our parents have traditionally used.
Each of the family groups has a propane grill and Coleman camp stove. My parents also have both a Blackstone griddle and a three-burner outdoor propane cooker used for canning. To supplement what they have and provide a safe and easy indoor cooking option, a tabletop single burner butane stove plus a 12-pack of fuel were included in the starter kits. The stoves came from the camping section at Walmart and the fuel packs from a regional restaurant supply chain. Theoretically, each can of fuel is supposed to last two hours if the stove is run on high. Although we decided there wasn’t a reason to include cookware in the kits, we did add a package of 16-ounce disposable bowls and four dozen each plastic forks and spoons.
Water Treatment
A lot of time was spent determining the best water treatment options for the prepper starter kits. Giving each family a Berkey would have been wonderful but financially impossible. While my side of the family relies on a deep well for daily water needs, they also have a pair of springs and a small branch on site. My in-laws, in contrast, have city water and are about two miles distant from their nearest surface water source. A one-size-fits-all all solution was not feasible. For my in-law’s storing potable water made the most sense given that carrying water is not an option due to health issues. Therefore, their water kit consists of three blue poly 50-gallon drums that originally held a very sticky fruit juice concentrate, water preserver and a hand siphon drum pump as their short-term backup. If a situation is prolonged, then they will move in with us.
For the kits prepared for my parents and sister’s family, inspiration was drawn from my earlier engineering career. I anticipate most who enjoy SurvivalBlog are familiar with size exclusion filters such as the Sawyer and their substantial filtration volume claims (up to 100,000 gallons).
Theoretically, a pair of Sawyer Squeeze filters could supply ample safe drinking water for six adults for months assuming the filters are maintained and frequently backwashed with clean water. In reading the frequently asked questions at www.Sawyer.com, a filtration maximum of 295 gallons per day is possible with gravity flow from a regular 5-gallon bucket feed vessel using minimally turbid surface water. Having no hands-on experience with this product, I defaulted to trusting the recommendations of hikers who rely on Sawyer products when traversing long distances such as the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail.
(To be concluded tomorrow, in Part 2.)
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