check this article out below on purchased Solar Ovens-they are sturdier and easy to use. I am going to save up for one! and some recipes to use to cook using food storage items.
http://www.heraldextra.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/article_e6e34c6f-2700-5843-9353-8c87a4a7108e.html
Sun Ovens
Originally developed in 1986 by retired Wisconsin restauranteur Tom Burns, the Sun Oven is now used in more than 130 countries around the world. The Sun Oven is available from a variety of retailers in Utah, with units typically available for between $250
and $300. Sun Ovens has more than 20 affiliated dealers in Utah, including the Bosch Kitchen Center in Salt Lake City, Abundant Health in Spanish Fork and Blendtec in Orem.
In Utah: www.sunoven.com/usa/locate-dealer.php#UT
Sun Oven Society (SOS) Sport Solar Cooker
The Sport Solar Cooker is sold by the non-profit Solar Oven Society, based in Minnesota. The society ships its products to countries around the world, and to all 50 states.
On the Web: http://www.solarovens.org/
You may, at times, have heard someone describe a particularly hot day by saying, "It's a cooker out there." Perhaps you yourself have said on a sweltering summer afternoon, "I'm cooked!" Did you know, however, that you really can cook your food with nothing more than the heat generated by ordinary sunlight?
Actually, quite a lot of local people may know just that. Paul Munsen, an executive with Sun Ovens (www.sunoven.com), said that Utahns are big purchasers of his company's product. "Right now about 40 percent of our total production is being shipped to Utah each year," Munsen said.
He thinks it's most likely because of the emphasis placed on family emergency preparedness by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "In Utah it's a preparedness item," he said. Lots of people own a solar oven, in other words ... and keep it in a box in the basement.
Solar ovens are simple. They look sort of like a picnic-style food chest with a glass panel where its top would be. The Sun Ovens models use anodized aluminum solar-reflecting panels that fold out from it sides like cardboard box flaps to capture and channel reflected light through the glass oven top.
"As long as you have enough sun to cast a shadow, you can use it," Munsen said. Not only that, but you can use it anywhere, in any season -- even if there's a foot of snow outside.
The basic item can be pricey. Some models are almost $300. Some are sold with reflector panels included only as an optional extra. And it takes time to cook your food: up to four or five hours, in some cases. In other words, you can't get home from work and throw something in your solar oven for dinner.
The concept is bound to seem gimmicky to people who are used to cooking with a conventional oven that sits in the kitchen and plugs into your wall. Add to that the fact that availability is largely limited to Web-based dealers -- local preparedness superstore Emergency Essentials doesn't carry solar ovens -- and well, maybe it's not so hard to see why a lot of people own a solar oven but have never used it.
Tastes great
That's why, on a visit to the Beehive State at the end of June, Munsen, 58, was busy arranging public demonstrations of what you might say is the hybrid-electric car of household appliances. His message: Get that thing out its box and use it to cook your food!
The benefits are numerous. Solar ovens don't require electricity, which makes them both environmentally friendly and hugely cost-efficient. They're also simple to use. Lehi resident Natalie Barron, a married mother of four, had a vague fear that her oven might be complicated, but only until she tried it out. "It sets up in about 15 seconds," she said.
Solar ovens don't heat up as quickly as a conventional oven, and can take somewhat longer to prepare some foods. What may be one of their biggest selling points, however, is the end product. "There's no movement of air when you cook in a sun oven," Munsen said. "Food doesn't dry out."
Meats, for example. Munsen cooked up some chicken at a demonstration in West Jordan. "People were shocked at the taste and wondered what I had marinated it in," Munsen said. "It was just chicken."
There's also a noticeable effect on breads, Munsen said, which are lighter and fluffier. Barron, who operates a home business selling preparedness supplies with her husband, Michael, agreed. "If I'm making bread," she said, "it takes maybe 10 minutes longer to bake a loaf, but my bread turns out much less dry."
Barron, 40, has also used her solar oven to make brownies, which turned out "super moist" in the middle and had just the right thin crust on top. "They were just incredible," she said. "The pan was gone in, like, 10 minutes." The Barrons like the product so much that they've started selling it through their home business, Bee Provident Supplies (www.beeprovidentsupplies.com).
And while price can be a deterrent, there are economy models available. The Solar Oven Society (www.solarovens.org) sells a model that includes the oven, reflector panels, two cookpots, a thermometer and a gauge to measure water pasteurization all for $190.91 (shipping included).
All around the world
A solar oven is versatile, too. "You can use it to bake, boil or steam," Munsen said. (Yes, preparedness enthusiasts, you can use it to purify water by boiling.) "You could make rice, make pasta, make a casserole. Virtually anything other than fried foods can be cooked in it."
Not only that, but you won't screw up your favorite recipes. "It's the most forgiving method of cooking you'll ever find," Munsen said. "When you put food in the Sun Oven, it's completely even heat. Food heats all the way through." By putting a raw egg in a solar oven, Munsen said, he can make a hard-boiled egg without water.
That underscores another important aspect of Sun Ovens: the company takes its product to developing nations around the world, where water, and more importantly, fuel for cooking, are often scarce. In Haiti, Munsen said, some people spend up to 90 percent of their household income buying charcoal to cook with.
Using solar ovens solves two problems. It saves money previously spent on fuel. Perhaps more importantly, over the long haul, it's a boon to the environment. Haiti is almost completely deforested, Munsen said, but if the use of solar ovens were to become widespread in the island nation, it could replace "about 70 percent of the wood that's used there."
Not only that, but solar ovens reduce the risk of respiratory ailments commonly caused by cookfires and, if widely used, have the potential to reduce air pollution. "There's 2 billion people in the world who cook using wood, charcoal or dung as their primary source of heat," Munsen said.
A solar oven is also versatile: You can use it anywhere, in any season -- even if there's a foot of snow outside -- as long as the sun is overhead.
The disaster preparedness implications are obvious. Barron, who is LDS, said that she tries to store enough food to last one year. On the other hand, she said, "it would be very difficult to store enough fuel to cook food for a whole year. When we found the Sun Oven, it was like, 'Oh, this is the answer.' "
Barron's solar oven used to sit in its box, but you might say that she's seen the light. "I use it all the time now," she said. "If it's a sunny day, I'm using it."
Chicken Noodle Vegetable Soup (Food Storage Style)
• 2 12.5-ounce cans of chicken (reserve liquid)
• 5¼ cups of liquid (Combine reserved canned chicken liquid with water to make the 5¼ cups)
• 1⁄8 cup dehydrated onion
• ¼ cup dehydrated carrots
• ¼ cup dehydrated celery
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 small bay Leaf
Preheat solar oven. Place chicken, water, onion, dehydrated vegetables, bouillon, pepper and bay leaf in covered three-quart pot. Put in solar oven and simmer for about 1 hour (at about 250-300 degrees) or until dehydrated vegetables are cooked.
Add 1 cup of rotini noodles and ½ can cream-style corn to soup. Cover again and simmer for another 30-45 minutes or until noodles are cooked. Take pot out of Sun Oven.
Remove bay leaf and stir in 1 can of cream of chicken soup. Salt to taste.
-- Courtesy of Natalie Barron, Bee Provident Supplies
Tender Sunday Roast
• 3-4 pounds beef roast (sirloin tip recommended)
• ¼ cup Shirley J All-Purpose Seasoning
Preheat solar oven. Place roast in a covered three-quart enamelware roasting pan. Sprinkle seasoning all over the top of the roast. Place in solar oven.
Full Sun: To cook for a long time, aim the oven at where the sun will be two hours from now. This will ensure it is tender in about 4-5 hours. For a faster cook, aim the oven at the sun and adjust every 15 minutes for 2-2 1/2 hours.
Partial Clouds: If you have a few clouds in the area, add at least one hour to cooking time and adjust the sun oven to face the sun every half hour.
Variation: Add sliced carrots and potatoes about halfway through cooking time.
Cook until roast is falling apart and vegetables are cooked through.
-- Courtesy of Natalie Barron, Bee Provident Supplies
Hearty Cowboy Cookies
• Cream following ingredients together:
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup butter
Add:
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
Sift and add:
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
Add:
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1⁄3 cup coconut
• 1⁄8 cup chocolate chips
• 1⁄8 cup nuts (optional)
Preheat solar oven. Form dough into cookies and bake in solar oven at about 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (longer if temperature is lower) or until lightly browned on the edges.
-- Courtesy of Natalie Barron, Bee Provident Supplies
Honey Nut Granola
Combine in sauce pan:
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Heat until all ingredients are mixed well.
Combine in large bowl:
3 cups of rolled oats (not quick oats)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Pour sauce pan mixture over oats, seeds and nuts, and stir until well blended.
Preheat solar oven. Bake half the mixture at a time in a three-quart enamelware pan and spread out evenly or place mixture in three uncovered pint jars. Bake (uncovered) in solar oven at about 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Granola will become crunchy as it cools.
-- Courtesy of Natalie Barron, Bee Provident Supplies
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Latter-day Preparations: What We Learned at Conference
Latter-day Preparations: What We Learned at Conference By Gary C. Lawrence
http://www.ldsmag.com/lineuponline/091006conference.html#
Remember General Conferences when we were told to grow gardens, put in a supply of food, prepare 72-hour kits, get out of debt, and put our houses in order by preparing every needful thing?
The Church’s instructions on provident living still stand, of course, and there are wonderful resources available to help us. But when was the last time such counsel received significant attention in General Conference?
As best I can recall, there was a turning point when President Hinckley, after an extensive sermon in a priesthood session on financial preparations, said, “Now that’s all I’m going to say about that.” It may have been the last time he mentioned physical preparations in a General Conference address.
During the five sessions of conference just completed, I attempted to write down every admonition, instruction, exhortation, suggestion or recommendation given by the speakers. I collected 430 items of counsel in all, but…
No one talked about food storageNo one advised putting together emergency kitsNo one exhorted us to get out of debtNo one said to grow a garden
There were only three references to financial matters (Elder Watson, Bishop Burton and Elder Christofferson) and all of them were warnings against excesses and greed, not about preparations.
Many sense that things could soon break loose – that it wouldn’t take much to put many prophesied events about the last days into motion. At this time of turmoil throughout the world, a roller coaster economy, crime, thugocracies, natural disasters, looming inflation and even nuclear threats, it would seem a natural time for our leaders to talk about nuts-and-bolts preparation – to tell us what we should do next.
Well, they did. But not in a direction some may have expected. (And the rumor du jour, that the call-out of Israel to flee to its tents was imminent, failed again – surprise, surprise.)
We’ve been hearing about food storage and other preparations since 1936. The way I see the talks this conference, those days are over. Members who haven’t prepared physically are not very likely to start now simply because two or three more General Authorities plead with them.
This is not to suggest we’ll never hear counsel about physical preparations again in General Conference, but rather it appears the emphasis is shifting from physical preparation to spiritual preparation – to build strength of heart, mind and spirit for whatever is coming, and especially to become more proficient at receiving personal revelation.
Those who watched conference hoping for a fish found that they instead were instructed how to fish. Of the 29 individuals who addressed us, 16 of them spoke about the Holy Ghost – how we can cultivate the gift of the Holy Ghost, how to improve our sensitivity to promptings, how to purify our lives so we can hear gentle spiritual communications, and related counsel – in other words, how we can gain personal instruction to guide us through coming events from the Source that knows everything. In speaking order:
Elder Scott: Consistently strive to recognize and follow the feelings prompted by the Spirit.
Sister Matsumori: Help others become more familiar with promptings of the Spirit.
Elder Clayton: Be humble so you can hear the word of the Lord.
President Uchtdorf: Listen for the Father’s voice for it leads to the ministration of the Holy Spirit.
Elder Oaks: Listen and feel of God’s love.
Elder Hales: Yield to the influence of the Holy Ghost.
Elder Watson: Be temperate in all things as guided by the Holy Ghost.
Elder Anderson: Turn away from pride, anger and impure thoughts.
President Packer: The Holy Ghost communicates to our spirit with promptings and impressions.
President Eyring: Learn to follow inspiration.
President Monson: Refrain from anger so you will have the Spirit with you.
Elder Perry: Listen to the Spirit for guidance.
Bishop Burton: Let virtue garnish your thoughts.
Sister Dibb: Use the safety equipment of scriptures, prophets, and the Holy Ghost.
Elder Nelson: Cultivate spiritual discernment.
Elder Ringwood: Be sensitive to the Holy Ghost.
The emphasis on these basic principles suggests that we haven’t been following them as we should. Which brings to mind the well-known story of Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers. Every season, even after the Packers had won two Super Bowls, Lombardi would address his players and start with the basics: “Gentlemen, this is a football.” (And Max McGee, the team’s star receiver who scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl history, would say, “Not so fast, coach, not so fast.”)
There wasn’t a player who didn’t already know what Lombardi would say – blocking, tackling, mental alertness. But he said it over and over because they fell short on execution. Our leaders are obviously telling us it’s time to execute the basics better and bulk up our spiritual preparations to match whatever we’ve prepared for our physical survival.
Having a house full of wheat, beans and rice will be insufficient if we are not strong in spirit and mind as we face prophesied events.
http://www.ldsmag.com/lineuponline/091006conference.html#
Remember General Conferences when we were told to grow gardens, put in a supply of food, prepare 72-hour kits, get out of debt, and put our houses in order by preparing every needful thing?
The Church’s instructions on provident living still stand, of course, and there are wonderful resources available to help us. But when was the last time such counsel received significant attention in General Conference?
As best I can recall, there was a turning point when President Hinckley, after an extensive sermon in a priesthood session on financial preparations, said, “Now that’s all I’m going to say about that.” It may have been the last time he mentioned physical preparations in a General Conference address.
During the five sessions of conference just completed, I attempted to write down every admonition, instruction, exhortation, suggestion or recommendation given by the speakers. I collected 430 items of counsel in all, but…
No one talked about food storageNo one advised putting together emergency kitsNo one exhorted us to get out of debtNo one said to grow a garden
There were only three references to financial matters (Elder Watson, Bishop Burton and Elder Christofferson) and all of them were warnings against excesses and greed, not about preparations.
Many sense that things could soon break loose – that it wouldn’t take much to put many prophesied events about the last days into motion. At this time of turmoil throughout the world, a roller coaster economy, crime, thugocracies, natural disasters, looming inflation and even nuclear threats, it would seem a natural time for our leaders to talk about nuts-and-bolts preparation – to tell us what we should do next.
Well, they did. But not in a direction some may have expected. (And the rumor du jour, that the call-out of Israel to flee to its tents was imminent, failed again – surprise, surprise.)
We’ve been hearing about food storage and other preparations since 1936. The way I see the talks this conference, those days are over. Members who haven’t prepared physically are not very likely to start now simply because two or three more General Authorities plead with them.
This is not to suggest we’ll never hear counsel about physical preparations again in General Conference, but rather it appears the emphasis is shifting from physical preparation to spiritual preparation – to build strength of heart, mind and spirit for whatever is coming, and especially to become more proficient at receiving personal revelation.
Those who watched conference hoping for a fish found that they instead were instructed how to fish. Of the 29 individuals who addressed us, 16 of them spoke about the Holy Ghost – how we can cultivate the gift of the Holy Ghost, how to improve our sensitivity to promptings, how to purify our lives so we can hear gentle spiritual communications, and related counsel – in other words, how we can gain personal instruction to guide us through coming events from the Source that knows everything. In speaking order:
Elder Scott: Consistently strive to recognize and follow the feelings prompted by the Spirit.
Sister Matsumori: Help others become more familiar with promptings of the Spirit.
Elder Clayton: Be humble so you can hear the word of the Lord.
President Uchtdorf: Listen for the Father’s voice for it leads to the ministration of the Holy Spirit.
Elder Oaks: Listen and feel of God’s love.
Elder Hales: Yield to the influence of the Holy Ghost.
Elder Watson: Be temperate in all things as guided by the Holy Ghost.
Elder Anderson: Turn away from pride, anger and impure thoughts.
President Packer: The Holy Ghost communicates to our spirit with promptings and impressions.
President Eyring: Learn to follow inspiration.
President Monson: Refrain from anger so you will have the Spirit with you.
Elder Perry: Listen to the Spirit for guidance.
Bishop Burton: Let virtue garnish your thoughts.
Sister Dibb: Use the safety equipment of scriptures, prophets, and the Holy Ghost.
Elder Nelson: Cultivate spiritual discernment.
Elder Ringwood: Be sensitive to the Holy Ghost.
The emphasis on these basic principles suggests that we haven’t been following them as we should. Which brings to mind the well-known story of Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers. Every season, even after the Packers had won two Super Bowls, Lombardi would address his players and start with the basics: “Gentlemen, this is a football.” (And Max McGee, the team’s star receiver who scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl history, would say, “Not so fast, coach, not so fast.”)
There wasn’t a player who didn’t already know what Lombardi would say – blocking, tackling, mental alertness. But he said it over and over because they fell short on execution. Our leaders are obviously telling us it’s time to execute the basics better and bulk up our spiritual preparations to match whatever we’ve prepared for our physical survival.
Having a house full of wheat, beans and rice will be insufficient if we are not strong in spirit and mind as we face prophesied events.
Monday, October 5, 2009
How to Prepare a 72 hour kit
great article on 72 hour emergency kits
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/emergency/061010surviving.html
Surviving the Unthinkable
By Carolyn Nicolaysen
In 1989, just minutes after "The Pretty Big One" — a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in San Francisco — a policeman walked up to a news camera in the Mission District surrounded by collapsed houses, fires and human frenzy, and warned the people of his city: “You're on your own for 72 hours!”
Being prepared for sudden disaster is different than laying aside a year’s supply, which involves motives of thrift and provident living. It’s about surviving the “unthinkable.” And because sudden disasters are unthinkable to so many, most are unprepared for the survival issues that will immediately confront them.
Already, we are moving on from the lessons of Hurricane Katrina. The unused emergency trailers that were stockpiled by the hundreds just outside the hurricane zone stood unused for lack of timely distribution, and are now being auctioned or simply given away to states and Indian reservations.
Levees in New Orleans that were rebuilt and reinforced may not withstand future storms much better than the last, according to those who rebuilt them. And so it goes in our own communities. We are all vulnerable to something — hurricane, earthquake, flood, wildfire, ice storm, pandemic, or terrorist event.
During the first 72 hours of a large-scale emergency, first responders’ will be stretched far beyond their normal planning and resources. Demands on their response will be heavy, even with a full staff, but in reality, they are likely to be shorthanded.
A recent survey by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health they found that 40 percent of public health workers say they would be unlikely to report to work during a pandemic. There were two main reason —first the fear of infecting their family; and second, the need to care for their own family's needs.
The Johns Hopkins survey points out that a 40% absentee rate is consistent with emergency response during past disasters. Public health workers, firefighters, police, relief agency volunteers, and even the National Guard have their own families in need of care. Responsibilities at home, isolation due to bad roadway conditions, loss of communication via phone lines and cell phones, all make response within the first 72 hours difficult.
With limited resources, public and private relief agencies must focus on the most life-threatening situations first. There will be people trapped, people with health emergencies who need to be transported, power and phone lines down, ruptured gas and water mains to repair, fires to extinguish, looting to curtail, and all this with a limited staff.
FEMA has warned us to prepare for at least 72 hours on our own. The Department of Homeland Security has warned us to prepare. Michael Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, has warned us to prepare. And most importantly, church leaders have warned us for over 70 years to take personal responsibility for preparedness.
President Gordon B Hinckley said the following in General Conference of October 2005:
I do not hesitate to say that this old world is no stranger to calamities and catastrophes. Those of us who read and believe the scriptures are aware of the warnings of prophets concerning catastrophes that have come to pass and are yet to come to pass… If anyone has any doubt concerning the terrible things that can and will afflict mankind, let him read the 24th chapter of Matthew... What we have experienced in the past was all foretold, and the end is not yet. Just as there have been calamities in the past, we expect more in the future. What do we do? …Someone has said, it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came."
To help you take action, here are my 14 favorite tips for getting started on the first step of your family emergency plan, a 72-hour kit:
1. All great 72-hour kits begin with a great backpack. There are many places to purchase kits online, but not all packs are created equal. Make sure your pack is large enough for both your survival and personal items. You do not want to be forced to carry a second pack as the goal is to keep your hands free to care for children or pets, and to clear debris.
Packs should have padded shoulder straps for comfort and be supported from the waist when carried, for optimum support. A pack with several compartments will allow you to separate items and organize your kit, enabling you to find things quickly. Purchase a bright colored backpack which can easily be found in a cluttered closet or cupboard at the last minute. If you decide you want a pack with wheels make sure it is also a backpack.
If possible, load the pack and try it on before you purchase one. Many times rolling backpacks are very uncomfortable to wear because the frame hits your back or hips. You will not regret spending a little more to get a good backpack, but you will regret buying a cheap one and adding a backache to your stress.
Each member of the family should have his own backpack. Nothing will help children feel more secure than having their own things. Purchase a pack that is sized so your child can carry it easily.
2. Food in your kits should be rated for a five-year shelf life. MRE’s and high calorie energy bars are the best choices. Be realistic here. Unless you are very disciplined, you will not rotate these items every 6 months. Don’t be caught in the “penny wise and pound foolish” trap. You will end up spending more money on food you throw away than if you had bought the “good stuff” to begin with.
It is not recommended that you store dried foods such as oriental noodles or instant oatmeal, because these will require your precious water supply to prepare. Canned foods are very heavy and will also need to be rotated. One last tip… remember your eating utensils.
3. Purchase pouched or boxed water that has a five-year shelf life. Bottled water purchased at the store is good for just 6-12 months. In all likelihood, water supplies will be very limited. For this reason, never add jerky, salted nuts, or other salty foods to your kit because they will increase your thirst.
4. Matches… now this is a controversial issue. I recommend a flashlight and glow sticks in your 72-hour kit instead of matches. In the first 72 hours after a disaster it is likely there will be gas line ruptures or water heaters whose pilot lights have gone out. Many people have lost their homes after the initial threat was passed because they lit a match. Matches should only be included in a grab and go kit for use after the original threat is passed. Never store batteries in your flashlight or radio. Store them together in an outside pocket of your backpack.
5. Keep an extra set of keys: home, office, vacation house, RV, car(s), safety deposit box, etc. at the top of your kit or in a front pocket for fast access. Also keep your flashlight and a whistle easily accessible (a whistle, because it can be heard farther and for longer than your voice can carry).
6. Each member of the family should have an identification card in his kit. In addition to their own cards, parents should also have a copy of each child’s ID card in their kit. During an emergency you may not be able to remember important information. Each card should include: Parent’s names, address, and home and cell phone numbers plus numbers for close family and friends. Also include the name, address and phone number for a local contact person, an out of state contact person, the name and phone numbers of your doctor, dentist, optometrist, and church leaders. List any medications, special medical conditions, and allergies on the card as well.
7. Each kit should have several family photos. Include individual photos of each family member as well as a family group photo. Individual photos may be used to post if you are separated from a family member. A family photo can be used to prove a relationship if there is a question when you are reunited by emergency personnel.
8. A multi-function tool or pocketknife is a must. These can provide everything from can openers to screw drivers. When you purchase a multi-function tool, look for one that has a sheath with a belt loop. It will be a great help to have your tool readily available as you deal with the aftermath of a disaster.
9. At least one AM/FM radio should be available per adult family member. You might consider having one radio that can be operated with a hand crank or by solar power. Also make sure your radio has both AM and FM bands.
10. Everyone, including children, should have basic first aid items in their own kit. However, a child’s kit should not include medications such as pain relievers. A larger, more complete first aid kit should be included in a grab-and-go kit or kept in your car. Consider including as well, a backup pair of prescription glasses.
11. Emergency blankets are amazingly versatile. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and should be included in every 72-hour kit and kept in every vehicle you own.
12. You won’t find this on many lists, but I consider them a must have — biohazard bags. These can be used for sanitation as a porta-potty liner or to dispose of medical or hazardous waste. Their bright red color and large labels make them easy to identify so children can be easily warned to stay away.
13. The Boy Scout Handbook is an incredible resource for all types or emergency information and solutions. Include one per family in your 72-hour kits.
14. This should probably be number 2 after your good backpack, and the first thing to add — a small set of scriptures appropriate to the age of the family member. Nothing will be more comfort in an emergency than the voice of the Lord in scripture.
Take a small step every week and shortly you will be prepared to meet the future without fear. If you have experience from using your 72-hour kit, please share what you learned with us.
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/emergency/061010surviving.html
Surviving the Unthinkable
By Carolyn Nicolaysen
In 1989, just minutes after "The Pretty Big One" — a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in San Francisco — a policeman walked up to a news camera in the Mission District surrounded by collapsed houses, fires and human frenzy, and warned the people of his city: “You're on your own for 72 hours!”
Being prepared for sudden disaster is different than laying aside a year’s supply, which involves motives of thrift and provident living. It’s about surviving the “unthinkable.” And because sudden disasters are unthinkable to so many, most are unprepared for the survival issues that will immediately confront them.
Already, we are moving on from the lessons of Hurricane Katrina. The unused emergency trailers that were stockpiled by the hundreds just outside the hurricane zone stood unused for lack of timely distribution, and are now being auctioned or simply given away to states and Indian reservations.
Levees in New Orleans that were rebuilt and reinforced may not withstand future storms much better than the last, according to those who rebuilt them. And so it goes in our own communities. We are all vulnerable to something — hurricane, earthquake, flood, wildfire, ice storm, pandemic, or terrorist event.
During the first 72 hours of a large-scale emergency, first responders’ will be stretched far beyond their normal planning and resources. Demands on their response will be heavy, even with a full staff, but in reality, they are likely to be shorthanded.
A recent survey by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health they found that 40 percent of public health workers say they would be unlikely to report to work during a pandemic. There were two main reason —first the fear of infecting their family; and second, the need to care for their own family's needs.
The Johns Hopkins survey points out that a 40% absentee rate is consistent with emergency response during past disasters. Public health workers, firefighters, police, relief agency volunteers, and even the National Guard have their own families in need of care. Responsibilities at home, isolation due to bad roadway conditions, loss of communication via phone lines and cell phones, all make response within the first 72 hours difficult.
With limited resources, public and private relief agencies must focus on the most life-threatening situations first. There will be people trapped, people with health emergencies who need to be transported, power and phone lines down, ruptured gas and water mains to repair, fires to extinguish, looting to curtail, and all this with a limited staff.
FEMA has warned us to prepare for at least 72 hours on our own. The Department of Homeland Security has warned us to prepare. Michael Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, has warned us to prepare. And most importantly, church leaders have warned us for over 70 years to take personal responsibility for preparedness.
President Gordon B Hinckley said the following in General Conference of October 2005:
I do not hesitate to say that this old world is no stranger to calamities and catastrophes. Those of us who read and believe the scriptures are aware of the warnings of prophets concerning catastrophes that have come to pass and are yet to come to pass… If anyone has any doubt concerning the terrible things that can and will afflict mankind, let him read the 24th chapter of Matthew... What we have experienced in the past was all foretold, and the end is not yet. Just as there have been calamities in the past, we expect more in the future. What do we do? …Someone has said, it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came."
To help you take action, here are my 14 favorite tips for getting started on the first step of your family emergency plan, a 72-hour kit:
1. All great 72-hour kits begin with a great backpack. There are many places to purchase kits online, but not all packs are created equal. Make sure your pack is large enough for both your survival and personal items. You do not want to be forced to carry a second pack as the goal is to keep your hands free to care for children or pets, and to clear debris.
Packs should have padded shoulder straps for comfort and be supported from the waist when carried, for optimum support. A pack with several compartments will allow you to separate items and organize your kit, enabling you to find things quickly. Purchase a bright colored backpack which can easily be found in a cluttered closet or cupboard at the last minute. If you decide you want a pack with wheels make sure it is also a backpack.
If possible, load the pack and try it on before you purchase one. Many times rolling backpacks are very uncomfortable to wear because the frame hits your back or hips. You will not regret spending a little more to get a good backpack, but you will regret buying a cheap one and adding a backache to your stress.
Each member of the family should have his own backpack. Nothing will help children feel more secure than having their own things. Purchase a pack that is sized so your child can carry it easily.
2. Food in your kits should be rated for a five-year shelf life. MRE’s and high calorie energy bars are the best choices. Be realistic here. Unless you are very disciplined, you will not rotate these items every 6 months. Don’t be caught in the “penny wise and pound foolish” trap. You will end up spending more money on food you throw away than if you had bought the “good stuff” to begin with.
It is not recommended that you store dried foods such as oriental noodles or instant oatmeal, because these will require your precious water supply to prepare. Canned foods are very heavy and will also need to be rotated. One last tip… remember your eating utensils.
3. Purchase pouched or boxed water that has a five-year shelf life. Bottled water purchased at the store is good for just 6-12 months. In all likelihood, water supplies will be very limited. For this reason, never add jerky, salted nuts, or other salty foods to your kit because they will increase your thirst.
4. Matches… now this is a controversial issue. I recommend a flashlight and glow sticks in your 72-hour kit instead of matches. In the first 72 hours after a disaster it is likely there will be gas line ruptures or water heaters whose pilot lights have gone out. Many people have lost their homes after the initial threat was passed because they lit a match. Matches should only be included in a grab and go kit for use after the original threat is passed. Never store batteries in your flashlight or radio. Store them together in an outside pocket of your backpack.
5. Keep an extra set of keys: home, office, vacation house, RV, car(s), safety deposit box, etc. at the top of your kit or in a front pocket for fast access. Also keep your flashlight and a whistle easily accessible (a whistle, because it can be heard farther and for longer than your voice can carry).
6. Each member of the family should have an identification card in his kit. In addition to their own cards, parents should also have a copy of each child’s ID card in their kit. During an emergency you may not be able to remember important information. Each card should include: Parent’s names, address, and home and cell phone numbers plus numbers for close family and friends. Also include the name, address and phone number for a local contact person, an out of state contact person, the name and phone numbers of your doctor, dentist, optometrist, and church leaders. List any medications, special medical conditions, and allergies on the card as well.
7. Each kit should have several family photos. Include individual photos of each family member as well as a family group photo. Individual photos may be used to post if you are separated from a family member. A family photo can be used to prove a relationship if there is a question when you are reunited by emergency personnel.
8. A multi-function tool or pocketknife is a must. These can provide everything from can openers to screw drivers. When you purchase a multi-function tool, look for one that has a sheath with a belt loop. It will be a great help to have your tool readily available as you deal with the aftermath of a disaster.
9. At least one AM/FM radio should be available per adult family member. You might consider having one radio that can be operated with a hand crank or by solar power. Also make sure your radio has both AM and FM bands.
10. Everyone, including children, should have basic first aid items in their own kit. However, a child’s kit should not include medications such as pain relievers. A larger, more complete first aid kit should be included in a grab-and-go kit or kept in your car. Consider including as well, a backup pair of prescription glasses.
11. Emergency blankets are amazingly versatile. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and should be included in every 72-hour kit and kept in every vehicle you own.
12. You won’t find this on many lists, but I consider them a must have — biohazard bags. These can be used for sanitation as a porta-potty liner or to dispose of medical or hazardous waste. Their bright red color and large labels make them easy to identify so children can be easily warned to stay away.
13. The Boy Scout Handbook is an incredible resource for all types or emergency information and solutions. Include one per family in your 72-hour kits.
14. This should probably be number 2 after your good backpack, and the first thing to add — a small set of scriptures appropriate to the age of the family member. Nothing will be more comfort in an emergency than the voice of the Lord in scripture.
Take a small step every week and shortly you will be prepared to meet the future without fear. If you have experience from using your 72-hour kit, please share what you learned with us.
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