contacts
getting started:
the big 3 considerations
what to start thinking about when it comes to this preparation stuff
Like most big undertakings in life which you'd rather put off, it's hard to figure out where to begin. Here are 3 simple things to think that will help get you kicked off
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In light of all the worrying stuff going on around the nation and the world, you've decided that it's time to take arms against a sea of troubles, and get your house in order — literally stocking it with some essentials. You also realize it might be good to do some planning. Great. So, er... now what?
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Here are three areas to get you thinking about disaster prep — and the steps that will get you moving.
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Know that a disaster will impact every part of your everyday life
No, we're not saying things will change forever. We're holding off on the YA dystopian novels for now, thank you. But if the electricity goes off in the region where you live, for whatever reason and for however long, it will literally impact every single thing we take for granted. (And trust this: If it's a hurricane, wildfire, or a hacking attack, it will impact the local electrical grid.)
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Your credit cards won't work.
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You won't be able to pump gas.
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No cell phone. You won't be able to connect with loved ones and figure out what to do or where to meet.
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Most of the stuff in your home will stop working. The taps won't work, the toilets will back up, and, obviously, no lights.
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You may not know what's going on. No alerts on your cell phone after a certain point... and no 24 hour cable news (okay, that's the one potential upside).
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The takeaway?: Get ahead of it now. Do some simple things like taking $1,500 or more out of the bank in small bills. Make a disaster plan with your loved ones, figuring out things like who will pick up the kids. And buy a hand-powered radio so you can get urgent news over old-fashioned radio waves.
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Get all this advice and more in our Advice 101 section. Or you can skip to our entry, The 10 most crucial things to do before a disaster hits.
2. Realize that the essentials are the same no matter the situation
If you're an A-type like us, you'd like to prepare for every EVERY eventuality, and have a backup plan for everything No wonder we stall out in the planning phase. It's overwhelming. But the truth is you can't plan for everything. You could suffer through a hurricane, but it could just as easily be a hacking attack. Either way, it will likely affect those things mentioned in item No. 1.
So, instead, plan for the essentials. Here are the categories you need to account for.
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Water solutions.
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Food & cooking.
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Light, heat, and energy.
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Safety & sanitation.
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Evacuation and transit.
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Longterm considerations.
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The takeaway?: While you DO have access to all the great technology and home delivery of services like Amazon.com — invest in some solutions today. Having items like the LifeStraw Family, which can turn dirty water into clean water for years, will make all the difference. So will stores of the right food, solar lighting, and ample heat.
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We've made recommendations for those items. You can go straight to the Essential gear master list, but our suggestion is to go through the items category to category. Start at Water, go to Food & Cooking, and so on. Some of the gear will be right for you, some of it won't. For instance we notate what is right for apartment dwellers, and what isn't. You needen't by everything... just the right things for you and your family.
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Plan to stay. And leave. And figure out where you'd go
There's one other major thing to think about: You won't know where the best place to ride out a disaster might be until it goes down. So you need to prepare yourself — and outfit yourself — for three different scenarios.
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1. You may have to hunker down and stay at home. It doesn't matter if it's a big mansion in the Pacific Palisades or a sublet studio in Bushwick. This is your Home Shelter. The good news is that it's the easiest scenario to stock and prepare for. Just remember, you could be in this joint for weeks, or even months. See our dedicated Home shelter page for insights and gear specifically dedicated for home sweet home. We spend some time thinking specifically about apartments and small spaces, too.
2. You may have to leave. (And if the authorities have mandated an evacuation notice, please do. Discretion is the better part of valor.) If you've got to hit the road, you are in an Evacuation & transit situation. Crucially, you need an evacuation plan with several variations. You could take your car if you have one, but you might need to go on foot. You will definitely want an evacuation kit (or "bug-out bag," if you must), and some gear already inside your vehicle. Oh, and paper maps. For more info on this less agreeable scenario, please see our dedicated Getting Out: Evacuation page.
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3. If you have to leave, you better have some idea where to go. Several, if possible. But we recommend having a destination, preferably one you have laid away gear and essentials. This one we're calling your Away Shelter, and that link will take you to that dedicates section. This might be a country home or a beach shack, or your family's house 100 miles away. Importantly, if you live in a city or crowded suburb, this second location may be the place where you need longterm solutions.
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The last important point: You may need multiples of some of the essential gear in EACH of those locations. You may not be able to get your food stores from your home shelter to your 2nd away shelter: It's best to have food and water solutions at BOTH.
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We've tagged our gear lists accordingly.
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Lastly, if you want a real world example how we approach this stuff, take a look at this blog entry by one of our founders, who lives in New York City. You'll see his holistic approach to being ready.