You can just watch television to see what doesn't work. I'm not up there, but I've dealt with my share of undesirable scenarios.
1: You need fuel.
Fuel, fuel, fuel, FUEL! Damn, go buy some fucking fuel. What the fuck is wrong with people?
Keep it around, or buy it when you first hear a storm might be coming. I've got a large stock at all times. No matter what happens down here, I can sit on my ass and relax.
2: Common sense.
Common sense ain't that common. If you don't have any, pay someone who does. I will provide it for $1,000 a day.
3: Water.
I'm so sick and damned tired of hearing about water quality, when a camp filter can be had for fifty bucks, purification tablets can be had for less, and fire can be made for free. Any one of those things is almost always enough to get you by. If not, combine two of them.
One thing that's never in short supply during a storm is water. Buy some Gatoraid mix to make water more useful.
3: Electricity.
Unless you rely on an electrical medical device to survive, you don't need it. It will come back eventually.
4: Food.
Unless you have an Engel and FUEL, or a very good cooler, leave the damned milk on the shelf. It's a waste of space. Organic milk lasts much longer, if you just have to have it.
Bread doesn't last long without isolation, either, unless you get the real stuff. Hint: Sunbeam doesn't count. Eggs can go for months, but only if they were built from bugs and just fell out of a chicken's ass.
Those shit eggs on the shelf spoil quickly. What you need is...
RICE, and anything else of the sort. Porridge, pasta, whatever. I go with rice. Half the damned world lives on it just fine. You don't need much, either. It gets bigger when boiled or fried, and it doesn't take much to fill you up. If you bought those good eggs, fry them up with the rice once or twice a week.
Rice is like stone soup. If you find something nice, cook it in rice. By itself it's boring, but nearly anything edible can be added to make it more interesting. If you end up with leftovers, throw them in the rice later.
High-end butter can go a while if kept in an air tight container, and REAL cheese can last a very long time. Those two things make everything better. Likewise, peppercorns and salt should be kept around.
Canned food should be purchased in as small a can as possible to maximize efficiency. Buy things that don't really have to be cooked when you are feeling lazy.
5: Supplements:
Keep some vitamin pills around.
I keep performance enhancing products around, such as might be found in outdoor stores. When mixed with other things, they put you in a mind to get things done. Even the little health bars are nice, as they are designed to fill you up.
This is the important part, though. Keep some shit you like handy. I'm always found with a few liters of Mello Yello and Gatoraid Rain-berry on hand. I like those things.
That's just round the house stuff, but it all works great. If you don't keep things like this in mind, you are going to be very uncomfortable during a disaster.
6: Make sure you replicate your stocks in a manner small enough to fit in a pack. If you have to leave, you'll have the stuff with you.
One more little tip: Payphones tend to last longer than people think during a disaster. If you want to call a family member, try one. Don't forget relay systems, either. There are many ways to communicate long distances if you arrange things ahead of time.
Cheers,
Kennith
