IF my condo doesn't fall to the ground during 'The Big One', or something lesser, here on Vancouver Island AND we can stay here, how would we cope?
First thing, shovel a pathway as everything will be on the floor.
I'm having my doubts about water, running or flushing. But, I have 7 days of drinking water saved for 3 people and... ok, I still need to account for the cat.
What about flushing? No flushing.
My plan is to dry up the bowl with a towel and use a plastic bag as a liner for each visit to the bathroom, then once or twice a day take out side to some designated area for future disposal.
One of the things I've been doing, especially since the Japan earthquake, is reducing the amount of glass I have, particularly in the kitchen. For instance, I have replaced glass mixing bowls with stainless steel ones. All my storage containers are plastic. I have a couple glass things (jam, wine) in the fridge, but I found neoprene beverage covers at the dollar store for the jam, and I made a couple of quilted covers for wine bottles.
I have always lined my cupboards with anti-slip matting that you can get at the dollar store. (Use a white or beige as the darker the colours are less sticky.) But recently have started using it on the back half of my counters for small stuff that might slip around during a survivable earthquake.
Do you have a plan to get drinking water after 7 days?
Pipes might be ruptured for months, hiways closed by fallen overpasses for many weeks.
We expect a three months wait for help of any real kind and just hope they don't start a forced evacuation "for our ownsafety!
hi, ttruscot
Other than starting to work on accumulating another 2 week supply of water I don't have any long term plans.
I have pondered the reality of prepping beyond my ability to actually make use of it, i.e. being evacuated for safety's sake if the big one hits. I don't have a vehicle, so no way of removing my stuff. I don't expect to be able to rent a vehicle after the big one. My dad lives on the other side of town, he'd probably lend me one of his vehicles, but even so I could only move so much stuff.
I understand that my ability to withstand different situations changes in each case. Economic downturn, inflation, debilitating injury, I can prep for, end of the world stuff, not so much.
Good entertainment,
that's inexpensive,
takes up minimal space,
no batteries required
is Slam Scrabble.
You may want to install child safety catches on your cubboards so that they don't open during a quake. This is even more important is you have to go past the kitchen as part of your excape route.
Everything else is the same for bugging in for any other distaster. Pick up anything that has fell and bug in as normal.
Why did I join Canadian Preppers Network?
Well I was going to join the UK Network but those bloody Brits don't know how to speak proper English! 😉
What about flushing? No flushing.
My plan is to dry up the bowl with a towel and use a plastic bag as a liner for each visit to the bathroom, then once or twice a day take out side to some designated area for future disposal.
This is a good idea, I hadn't considered this.
My plan was to use water from a Rain Barrel for Flushing, but once that runs out your idea would work great. I have a pile of old plastic grocery bags, that doubled up would easily last me at least couple weeks as Toilet Bowl Liners.
My whole Preparedness plan is focused around Bugging in, if we ever get hit with a Mandatory Evacuation, I may consider just laying low and waiting it out. Laying low in a Mandatoy Evacuation Zone will have its own risks but with proper planning I think its the best way to go. Why bother with preps if we're just going to evacuate and abandon all our hard work so it can be looted by others?
Although I do have a Bug Out Bag, Bugging in is my primary plan. I won't be bugging out unless I truly have no other choice.
DaScribbler
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A series of novels that women out there might find entertaining and inspiring is Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.
The main character, Claire, is a young woman who 'magically' finds herself in Scotland 200 years ago. She learns to survive in her new surroundings and her life takes many twists and turns.
I first started reading the series in 2001. I have just recently been reading online about the prepping community. If someone told me that the author was a prepper/survivalist I would believe it. (Actually, I recall that Diana Gabaldon was a Marine Biologist before her career as novelist took off.) While the story starts out in Scotland, eventually over the course of several books she ends up in pre-revolution USA. The love of her life, Jamie, is the leader of a community of people that he tries to keep safe in the mountains, as he knows what is coming (because Claire told him).
Anyway, when the shtf and I am hunkered down with my short-wave radio, preps, and candle I know that if I want a bit of fun and distraction I can start re-reading the series again.
Can hardly wait for the next book! Apparently it's not due out until 2012. A very good reason to survive 2012. lol.
Yesterday, at Home Hardware, I bought a solar powered shed light.
Kind of a spur of the moment thing as I'd gone in for something else.
It has a solar panel that is about 6" X 6" with a 16' long cord to the led light.
Yet another experiment.
While I wish I had the titles handy ( unfortunately they are packed away in boxes for 2 more weeks) I have several books on self sustainability, off-the-grid lifestyle books ... they cover the gamut from the usual topics to how to raise, maintain and butcher livestock, every kind of gardening ( for our diverse climates) to canning and harnessing wind power... titles will follow shortly!
Awww... I was distracted while in the midst of reading and posting and posted this under the wrong thread! Sorry! 😮
Hey paintergirl,
Glad to see you got on the Canadian Preppers website. You know how much I love technology (no), it took me 20 minutes and 2 trys.
Check out the Introduce yourselves thread, there are several more BCers here.
I hoping that when you are settled, that you will start a thread with stories about how people cope, or don't, during a crisis, i.e. blizzard of '96. 😉
I bet lots of Canadian Preppers out there have a few stories to share, also.
I like the idea of the toilet liners!
Something you could also do to help keep the smell down would be to pitch in a handful of sawdust or kitty litter after each "visit". Assuming, of course, that you had something like that on hand.
You can quickly bulk up your water supply with those big jugs that go on water coolers. I recently saw some square ones that would make stacking far easier.
Interesting.
One thing I have a suggestion for is, if you do have prep shelves, but a locking gate on it...you don’t want all your food to be knocked off, kind of like the child lock idea.
For flushing, there are products out there to deal with human waste. Such as bio toilets as well as chemical "rest stop bags" basically it turn your sold and liquid waste into an odorless gel. Then you can dispose of it quickly. I guess a shopping bag would or in the thick,i would just hate to have a spill of any sort during that movement processes. Human waste is dangerous and contains harmful pathogens. So it should be a priority to dispose of it in a quick fashion.
One thing I need to say…You really need more water. You could be in some serious SH*T if you run out of water for drinking, cooking, or hygiene.