Mini Prepping - The Beginning for Me - Part One

Being prepared is a great thing.  But to what degree is a big question.  I know those who are looking at the possibility of a world wide dooms day, sort of like what you see on the television shows like The Colony.  How long could you live off the land?  How rotten is too rotten when it comes to the meat you can eat?  Would you shoot your neighbor if it meant saving your food supply?  For myself, I have to look at it a bit different.

I think about Mother Nature and the moods that she may be in.  And just how that may effect me, and my family.  If she is mildly to moderately irritated, just maybe she will throw a huge storm my way that include a tornado or two.  Leaving me without power and easy access to the outside world for many days.  I have food and water to cover me for that.  I also have a way to keep my cell phone and lap top charged for those days.  But, if Mother Nature decides to throw a huge hissy fit and, at that very moment she has a grudge on the way California is being governed, and she believes that Yuma Arizona would make for some nice beach front property, then that could be a whole other story.  Even several hundred miles inland (the new inland) could be effected for many weeks.  The later is the situation that I will prepare myself for.  Not just because I believe that there is a true possibility that California may be in trouble some day due to it's fault system, but because there are so many situations that could cause us to be in desperate times for several weeks or a month.

I call it my mini preparation.  The way my mind works, it is the only thing that I can truly grasp.  And it is a situation that I can mentally and financially deal with.  Let me share with you how I am doing this.

My first task was to ensure that I can have contact with my family and friends when necessary.  Mentally, I will need to know that their situation to function well.  I have a small power converter for my car.  So long as I keep an adequate amount of fuel in the vehicle, I can hook up my cell phone charger and my lap top to this and do the little bit of charging for minimal use.  This will work for me.  My brother has approached this a bit differently.  He has put his knowledge of solar power and his 'handy man' abilities to work and built a small recharge station.  With a solar panel built on a wooden box, he can maintain his cell phone, lap tops and other small items with the aid of the sun.  And as long as good ole' Mother Nature doesn't take that away, he  has got it made.

Next, I have made a list of items that I feel I would need for 30 days.  This is not a list just for myself, it is for the number of people who just may show up and want to be under my roof.   It is generally recommended that everyone should sit tight where they live and survive the best they can right in their homes.  I don't see that.   happening in my families situations.  So I take a random number of 10 people and a few dogs.  Yep - animals count.  Who could be comfortable leaving a family pet behind, if they didn't absolutely have to?  No one in my family.  Pets are family too. And I have about 10 family members who live some what close by.

That's how I started with my Mini Preparation.  Make a list.  Think about it a lot.  Come back in a few days and I will share the beginning of my list.