I have $500: Tell me what to do

Here is a link to a response that Ranger and I did for someone else

http://internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=985&p=9548#p9548
by the way, the main kit was for a huge bug out to location or supplies to have on hand list. Don't try to put all of that in one pack!

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Assess your situation. Where do you live? Will you ever be forced out of your home?(base of operations) Are your resources better spent on stocking up your base or preparing to leave? Alberta...... cold winters, limited water of questionable quality in the future.

While it may seem expensive, one of the first things I bought was a gravity fed Berkey water purification system. It will purify many thousands of gallons of water at pennies per gallon. By far the most cost effective solution in terms of space and time. Everyone talks about timely rotation of supplies but the truth is, few do it.
Besides our regular "deep pantry" of regularly used foodstuffs the long term stuff is freeze dried for 25 year storage life.

My advice,
gravity fed water purification
alternate heat source
start building a deep pantry - whatever will store, buy 2 instead of one. Build your stash slowly. The goal is to buy smart so you never throw anything away because you bought something you never use.
Learn to make what you buy now - become a better cook so you can make from scratch what you now buy, learn to make bread etc. Work to where you never buy another cookie, granola bar, loaf of bread etc
Learn to grow your own food.
Learn to create your own stored foods, dehydrate, canning, etc.
Keep cash in reserve - nothing wrong with having a week or two worth of cash on hand.

Notice that a lot of this "prepping" stuff is learning, not buying.

Gosh...Overwhelmed, lots of questions

Just getting started....Reading lots and taking notes.

My biggest thing is knowing how much

I have a family of 6...how much water should I plan on storing How much food. Would like to have 5 years worth for my family and perhaps extended family. Is there a formula to estimate how much I should have stored.

We live in Calgary.

Signs: have tried searching for how much water per day per family member online? Most of this stuff is all well documented already. There aught to be 1000 places documenting that! Same goes with food. But in the end, you should start your own thread if you need more help and not hijack this one.

For the OP: Many people get priorities mixed up. When talking "just getting started with your initial first steps", food is the LAST priority. You can live fine for 3 days with out food, maybe a couple candy bars for kids as a "morale booster", but they'll survive fine without them.

In most natural disasters you're talking
- clean water (water purification - if you're alone purification pills are fine, if a larger family consider something higher volume, perhaps a $150 water filter)
- hygiene (alternative methods for waste disposal - read no functional sewer for 3 days or perhaps worse sewer backing up into your house!)
- basic first aid kit and capabilities (CPR, ability to stop life threatening bleeding, consider butterfly sutures and perhaps 'quickclot', infection control supplies and perhaps a basic 'sam splint' for twisted ankles or wrists)

Those three are priority #1 can kill you in 3 days in your own home with all the food in the world. Then move onto shelter (again not food yet). Lets say its the middle of winter and all your windows are broken/shattered on your house. How will you keep the family warm? Again bags of rice won't help if you will die from exposure. Start with a costco box of extra large garbage bags and a few roles of duct tape. You can close up broken windows, black out light, even do basic NBC protection with those two items! That rule of 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food is supposed to be preceded with 3 hours without shelter!

Along with shelter and general stuff I'd start thinking about tools next (still not food). A good quality knife, maybe a multitool, maybe an axe, maybe a prybar/crowbar (for opening jammed doors/rescue work), maybe a saw (preparing firewood from salvage).

I think the items I mentioned so far are much more immediate than long term food needs. Once you've got those basic 3-7 day immediate needs covered you can start thinking about food and more elaborate backup plans (outside your house) for shelter, bedding, etc... I think you can fit all of the above inside $500 and still grab a few basic food items, but don't start with food! Do that last after you are sure the basic 72 hour kit is covered. People seem to get obsessed with food when most deaths in natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, forest fires, etc..) are hygiene and first aid related - I don't think I've ever heard of someone dying of starvation after a natural disaster as they are already taken by diarrhea/dysentery/dehydration/blood loss.

Wow Elrond, your an ass. I am not trying to hijack anything. The thread title was I have $500 dollars tell me what to do? How is my question any different? Like I said I am totally new and overwhelmed and didnt know where to start. I hesitated about coming on here, and now I know why I didnt want to come on here. People and responses from people like you. You give people like us a BAD name and reputation for being weirdos.

Thanks for nothing.

Gosh...Overwhelmed, lots of questions

Just getting started....Reading lots and taking notes.

My biggest thing is knowing how much

I have a family of 6...how much water should I plan on storing How much food. Would like to have 5 years worth for my family and perhaps extended family. Is there a formula to estimate how much I should have stored.

We live in Calgary.

Here is the link to a food storage calculator. It is from LDS

http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm

First get a good knife. I have a greg lightfoot timberline zambezi and love it.
http://www.knivesplus.com/timberline-knife-zambezi-tm-7211.html
Second, get a good hatchet. I like the gerber/ fiskars type. They are lightweight and razor sharp. Plus hold a good edge too. The pac axe is what I mainly carry out in the woods.
http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/HikingCamping/KnivesTools/SawsAxesSharpeners/PRD~5006-048/gerber-back-paxe-axe.jsp

If you need a firearm than nothing beets the old lee enfield .303 bolt action rifle. It is cheap to buy rugged and very reliable. This rifle is still standard issue to the Canadian rangers.

This link: http://www.ldsavow.com/PrepManual.html

It's the free for download LDS food storage guide - full of great information and it will give you everything in a nut shell.

Signs... Please do not judge everyone by the actions and attitude of one. I agree the response was rude and demeaning. Perhaps the individual has issues of their own.. who knows... BUT.. it in NO WAY exemplfies the attitudes and spirit of this site. We are all here to learn, to teach and to share. Respect is paramount to any relationship and that clearly was not shown to you. If anyone presented themselves to me during or after an event with that kind of attitude they would not be invited to join any group I was a part of. We are here to develop relationships, networks and trust so that IF anything happens we have the basis of a beginning amongst us. Clearly one of the members here doesn't see it that way. Pity for the site but moreso pity for that individual. They will be alone out there.

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Guys, that was not a bad post. Look at it again. When someone's post to a thread opens up with questions about their specific situation (that is different than the OPs) it is normal forum ediquette to start your own thread. That is Internet wide, not just here. People would love to help, but keep each thread it's own.

Likewise we have google and the search on this very forum so we don't answer the same basic questions over and over. Do a search before you post a question. That is also Internet wide forum etiquette! Not unique here, this is common advice on all forums.

There was nothing weird about that post to give anyone a bad name. I'm probably one of the most level headed "preppers" you'll find on here period.

Sometimes it isn't what is said... but how it is said. All we have to go by is the written word. It can be very difficult here without facial expressions, tone, cadence and body language and sometimes interpretation can be "fuzzy". Just sayin...

I understand. Writing is always open to misinterpretation. But that was a much harsher return from signs than I dished out!

Happy to help signs, but hopefully my clarification at least sheds some light on my attitude there and why I suggested starting your own thread.

Hey all! I'm the OP. Thanks for the awesome responses so far and welcome to Signs! No worries about jumping on here, for me. It's all good.

So my little guy and I had some fun finding stuff in the house we already had like bleach, duct tape, tools, small knife, matches, firesteel, compass, binoculars, blankets etc. With tonight's grocery shop I've added some canned goods, garbage bags, water and hand sanitzer. We put it all in a closet downstairs so everything we're gathering is in one spot. We have a lot more to gather/buy obviously. Just had a though tonight to make a little kids entertainment bag --- some new colouring books or toys from the dollar store would help take the edge off for my little guys.

My plan is thus:
My first priority is water, food, and tools for a short emergency like a power outage.
My second priority is creating a family BOB.
My third and ongoing priority will be to expand the home preparations from a small emergency to something more substantial. And also create a solid bug-out plan.
My fourth priority is creating that little "go" bag residing in the car with extra supplies, in addition to a basic car emergency kit.

Another ongoing project will be training myself (and family when appropriate) in various areas, like first-aid, CPR, self-defense, etc.

Thoughts?
amf