Emergency Preparedness experts (EMO Canada, FEMA and RED CROSS) all recommend that we keep adequate non-perishable food and water supplies in our home for a 72-hour period in case of disasters.
The most likely scenario would be a storm knocking out the electricity which our society has become increasingly dependant on these last few generations.
Below is my grocery list for one person to last three days:
- 3-pk Ramen Noodles
- 3 cans of Brunswick Sardines
- 6 pk Instant Oatmeal
- 1 box of 6 Nature Valley Granola Bars
- 1 cup of dried fruit & nuts
- 6 pk Ritz Crackers with cheese or peanut butter
- 6 tea bags
- 3 herbal tea bags
- 6 coffee packets
- 6 sugar packets
- 12 creamer packets or powdered milk
- 3 Orange Juice drinking boxes
- 6 one-litre (quart) bottles of water
Six litres (quarts) of water weighs about six kilograms (12-1/2 pounds). It’s not practical to carry this weight in water if you are on the move, so it’s crucial that you have a way to collect and purify water on the go.
Inexpensive options are to carry a stainless steel container which can be placed directly into a fire to boil water:
Another is to carry a simple filter:
Below is a Menu for One Person (1500 Calories)
Breakfast
2 pk Instant Oatmeal 80 calories
Dried fruit & nuts 100 calories
Orange Juice Drinking Box 90 calories
2 Coffee, creamer, sugar 50 calories
(includes 3 cups of water)
Lunch
1 pk Cup-a-Soup 50 calories
1 pk Crackers 125 calories
Nature Valley Granola Bar 170 calories
Tea, creamer 10 calories
(includes 2 cups of water)
Dinner
1 pk Ramen Noodles 380 calories
1 can Sardines 140 calories
Nature Valley Granola Bar 170 calories
Tea, creamer 10 calories
(includes 2 cups of water)
Night Snack
Herbal Tea 0 calories
1 pk Crackers 125 calories
(includes 1 cup of water)
—————-
1500 calories / day
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The “Survival Rule of Threes” is a useful tool to set priorities in a survival situation.
A person can survive for:
— three minutes without air,
— three hours without shelter,
— three days without water,
— three weeks without food.
According to the “Survival Rule of Threes” a relatively healthy person could live up to three weeks without food. However, after only a couple of days of fasting they would be in a weakened state and may not able to make intelligent decisions or take care of themselves properly.
Our great-grandparents were much more self-sufficient than we are today. Their knowledge and skills, gained through countless generations, has been lost in just the past two or three generations. Our current society has been built on convenience and cheap energy… when electricity is removed our very survival is at stake.
It is incredibly important to re-learn those past skills of our grandparents and share them with our family and friends… our community… just as they did in their day.
– Become active, and get into shape.
– Learn to grow food and preserve it.
– Learn to bake bread, learn to sew by hand.
– Learn to hunt, fish and trap. Eat what you kill.
– Learn a skill and barter it with your neighbours.
