Prepare: Shopping Basket

You have seen one of these. Your traditional hand shopping basket found in most grocery stores. Can't pack a lot in one of these, right? Not really.

Let's say you are on the road or nearby and you need to get some quick supplies before they are all gone. However, the grocery store has limited purchases to a single hand basket to keep the "hoarders" at bay.

So into the store you go with basket in hand. The goal is to get enough food or stuff for a few days. Let's say enough to fit into a backpack for instance.

If you are on the move, the most important things to have are water, protein and the ability stay energized and replace electrolytes. There is no way you are going to get three days worth of water into a hand basket, so instead concentrate on food.

Go to the packaged meat section. Get..
- foil wrapped single servings of Spam
- foil wrapped single servings of tuna
- small cans of vienna sausages or tuna


Go to the diet food section. Get..
- a handful of protein bars. Go for the most protein in a serving. Myplex have 27 grams per bar.
- get any packets of electrolyte mix if they have it. If not, go the drinks section and get envelopes of gatorade.

Go to the drug section and get..
- one 100 count bottle of aspirin
- one 100 count of multi vitamins

Go the bakery section and get carbs..
- three packs of tortillas or pita bread
(flat gets more in the basket)

Lot's of room left..

Go to the baking section and get..
- dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc)
- nuts (peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, etc)

Go to the grocery section and get..
- single serve packets of peanut butter or nutella
- Bags of M&M's

If there is any room left, grab a handful of small oranges or bananas and pile them in. Or maybe some quick energy drinks like 5 Hour Energy, which is small and takes up only a little room. Or a small bottle of bleach. Or some trash bags or ziplok storage bags, but only if you can take them out of the box in the store.

Only thing left to do now if find a water source and then hit the road.

SHTF: Strange places to stock up - Part Three

SHTF: Strange places to stock up - Part Three

Here's the deal. You are away from home, let's say in a strange town on vacation or business trip. Maybe you are across town in a neighborhood you are not familiar with. Anyway, the radio comes on and says "The end is here". Nuke attack, martian invasion, zombies, you name it.

You know you need food and water if you are going to get home. Also, you want to build some stocks for what will happen in the coming days. However, you don't know where the closest grocery store is. What to do?

You need a list of alternative and strange places to get supplies when you need them in a scenario like this. Today's idea - the office supply store.

Office Max, Office Depot, etc. Now bigger is better, but a FedEx/Kinkos will do in a pinch.

For instance, go to the office superstore and check the back section. There are cases of water, snack foods, coffee, tea, sugar and other stuff offices put in the break room.

There is also trashbags, paper towels, toilet paper, soap and cleaning supplies out the wazoo. Same idea. They are for stocking the office. However, they are also survival supplies.

And then the batteries, flashlights, fire extinguishers. Some stores even sell tools for fixing stuff around the office. There may not be any tents or foul weather gear, but there are often plastic sheets and related material for covering desks or furniture. These can be doubled as emergency shelters if need be.

What if FedEx Kinkos or UPS store is available? My F/K store has snacks, candy, even beef jerky at the check out counter. They also have a limited supply of bottled water and energy drinks for late night presentation cram sessions.

An office supply store can be your best friend if the poop hits the fan unexpectedly. Keep it in mind.

SHTF: Strange places to stock up - Part One

Strange places to stock up - Part 1

Ho Ho Ho! Christmas is now behind us and the New Year is on the way. While taking part in the great consumer grab over the holidays, I was in several different types of retail establishments which gave me time to make some observations which may come in handy.

If the Shumer his the fan, most of us might jump in the sled and head to the nearest grocery store or warehouse club for food, water, etc. However, we all know that the Safeway or Kroger is the first place to get hit hard. It helps to have some alternatives!

Here is the first in my suggestions of alternate places for supplies off the beaten path.

Since it was Christmas - the toy store. "Huh? The toy store? What good is a Monopoly game or Barbie doll going to me?" you ask in disbelief.

Try the mega Toys R Us toystore. The front of the store has a huge snack and candy section. I found bottled water, snack food, candy and better yet, protein bars. Apparently, some brainiac in marketing realized they could get some impulse buys on overpriced junk in this section from their shoppers.

Don't forget to see the check out line where they have even more edible junk.

Also, most toy stores now cater to babies as well. Besides valuable diapers, wipe and relate paraphanalia, there is almost always baby formula, food and jugs of sterilized water (for the over protective mothers in the crowd).

And there are batteries out the wazoo in the toy store. Can't have enough of those.

In the toy section, look for Easy Bake Ovens. They contain baked goods and there is usually a section of refills for those things as well. In a pinch, this is food.

The toy store is just one "off the beaten path" for supplies like food to keep in mind should the balloon go up when you least expect it!

Prepare: Emergency Evacuation Supply List

I hate the idea of having to evacuate from my home due to an emergency. Where I live, there is little chance of a wild fire driving me from home, but there are other scenarios to consider. First, a sudden alien invasion. Or a nuclear attack. I think an enemy invasion force would give me plenty of time to get ready. But let's consider something with little notice or warning.

Here is my Emergency Evacuation Supply List and Plan

If I had to get the family out of Dodge quickly, I would depend upon the family car. I keep it at three quarters full at all times. I keep the following in the car -

1 empty five gallon gas can
1 inverter
1 set jumper cables
1 CB radio + antenna
1 set of FRS radios (less than one mile range)
1 set of basic hand tools
Generally a case of water, but sometimes less in the summer when it can go bad
1 jug anti freeze
1 quart oil
1 standard blue tarp

I would add to the car at least 3 more gas cans (probably tied to roof and filled at nearest station), some larger tools like a shovel, an empty bucket, some trash bags.

Next, I would add food and water. As many cases of water as doable.

For food, it would be empty the pantry of ready to eat foods like cans, heat and serve meals, protein bars, candy and so on.

Next would come the big ice chest with a layer of ice on the bottom. Milk, lunch meat, cheese and what not on top. That goes in the car too.

Each member of the family gets one soft sided duffle type suitcase. Put enough clothes and shoes for 3 to 5 days. Make sure there is extra underwear and socks.

Next comes the stuff bag. This hold toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags and diapers.

Next comes the emergency bag. A shoulder bag with medical supplies and small backup foods like protein bars.

Next are guns. Shotgun goes on the front dashboard or in front of front seat passenger. Hand guns are worn by adults. All carry spare ammunition and more ammunition and long guns are stored in back.

The dog is going to have to find a way to ride in the back with the stuff or at the kids feet in the back.

Once everything is loaded, I will put the bike carrier on the rear hitch. It will hold four bikes. The bike trailer folds and is on the roof.

The first stop will be for gasoline if possible. If not, we ride on what is in the tank and the one full can (five gallons) in the garage now.

I keep maps and routes in the car already. I have no plans to stick to a major interstate or find myself blocked by FEMA troops directing me into a camp for my own "safety".

The key at this point is to have somewhere to go until thing blow over or a place to start over. That is where skills and supplies come in handy.

Think about the recent adaption of the movie 'War of the Worlds' with Tom Cruise. He left New Jersey for Boston. There is a brilliant move. Leave one big crowded place for another. Yes, they wandered through the country, but the plan was to get to a city where mom was.

The guy was caught with his proverbial pants down. You have to be ready for an emergency evacuation with supplies, a survival mindset and a plan. Otherwise, you end up running around the house looking for batteries and mustard.