Hoarding for War, Shopping for the Apocalypse

[Elissa]

Do ducks really flock to tape or is it better to have a closet full of Poland Spring and nonperishables for the doom to dawn?

What's on your shopping list this week?

[indiagirl]

Hmmm, Lissome, nothing out of the ordinary on my list. Are people really stocking up?

[Elissa]

Dunno. Just got a call from my mom (historically verifyable alarmist) saying she wants me to go stock up on water and to be sure to have food for a few days blah blah. It hadn't occured to me til then. On the otherhand she has been right before.

I am of the school that says we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Yet anxieties have a way of snowballing....

Edited March 17, 2003 by lissome (log)

[Jaymes]

I actually do know people that are stocking up. And there have been many articles in the local magazines and newspapers about what to choose - 1 gallon of water per person per day, and to count on about 7 days - and so forth.

It sorta reminds me of the "earthquake kit" that we were all supposed to have when we lived in California....

Bottled water, peanut butter, non-electric can opener, canned goods, crackers, paper towels, non-water cleansers, flashlight, batteries, transistor radio, that kind of thing.

Also, we were told to have a supply of several sizes of garbage bags, to put all sorts of yucky things in, if we were going to be trapped for several days in a small space, no electricity, etc. We were to keep all of this in an interior closet (preferably in a hall) and when there was an earthquake, to go there immediately.

In Alaska, we were to keep an "emergency kit" in our vehicles in the winter: a blanket or bedroll, a large metal coffee can and matches and candles and some peanut butter and a couple of candy bars for quick energy.

The thing was that a candle in a metal coffee can gives off enough heat to keep you alive in a stranded car. Also, you can use it to melt snow. The "candy bar" thing never worked out for me very well, though. I just kept eating them.

Edited March 17, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[Fat Guy]

Two useful Web sites for those who wish to make shopping lists:

http://ready.gov/

http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/

The former focuses more on war/terrorism preparedness while the latter is more oriented towards general disaster preparedness, but both give similar advice in terms of what to buy.

Although I'm not personally stocking up on food, I think doing so is a legitimate personal choice that should be respected.

[Richard Kilgore]

Whether or not it is "alarmist" and whether or not it is a good idea may be two very different things. If you don't live in an area where hurricanes, tornados, severe storms, or earth quakes occur...it may be less important to you. If you do, storing a few days supplies, flashlights and other emergency equipment has been considered prudent for many years. If you live near NYC or DC, or another area that might be a high risk target, then probably looks like not a bad idea. If you don't....Someone could do it either way and look calm enough while another person could look and act quite anxious.

[Blue Heron]

I actually do know people that are stocking up.  And there have been many articles in the local magazines and newspapers about what to choose - 1 gallon of water per person per day, and to count on about 7 days - and so forth.

It sorta reminds me of the "earthquake kit" that we were all supposed to have when we lived in California....

Bottled water, peanut butter, non-electric can opener, canned goods, crackers, paper towels, non-water cleansers, flashlight, batteries, transistor radio, that kind of thing.

Also, we were told to have a supply of several sizes of garbage bags, to put all sorts of yucky things in, if we were going to be trapped for several days in a small space, no electricity, etc.  We were to keep all of this in an interior closet (preferably in a hall) and when there was an earthquake, to go there immediately.

In Alaska, we were to keep an "emergency kit" in our vehicles in the winter:  a blanket or bedroll, a large metal coffee can and matches and candles and some peanut butter and a couple of candy bars for quick energy.

The thing was that a candle in a metal coffee can gives off enough heat to keep you alive in a stranded car.  Also, you can use it to melt snow.  The "candy bar" thing never worked out for me very well, though.  I just kept eating them.

That's an excellent list Jaymes, plus great links from Steven. I keep pretty much stocked up on those items just as a result of living in an earthquake zone, plus I keep an emergency kit in the trunk of the car, too. One x-mas I bought earthquake kits for all my family members. However I didn't know about the candle in the coffee can thing. That's a great tip. Also in my earthquake kit I keep aspirin and even my old prescription left overs of the strong stuff from post surgery, since in a disaster one might not be able to get to a hospital, bridges could be down, etc. and you'll basically be on your own to cope with any posibble injuries for a few days.

[Fat Guy]

I'm no expert on this stuff, but just from doing a lot of reading and thinking about it in a somewhat rational manner I can't say I'm convinced that food is a priority in disaster planning. I wouldn't call a person crazy or wrong for doing what FEMA and OHS say to do -- stockpile 7 days of food and water -- but I'm wondering if there are any recorded instances where people had to break into their canned tuna supplies after a disaster. It seems that's not the issue. But even if it is, a few Snickers bars or some other highly concentrated nutrient source is probably all I'd keep on hand foodwise. Water seems more critical -- you won't last long without it. Just looking in my refrigerator and cabinets, though, I bet I could go a year or more foodwise without dying of starvation. One doesn't need to eat the 17,000 calories I eat every day to stay alive -- you can get by just fine on a can of beans or whatever. And I've got enough soda, wine, juice, and other stuff around such that I could remain hydrated (and drunk) for probably a few weeks if I rationed it. We're not talking about post-apocalyptic survival here, after all. We're just talking about whatever delay might occur between the onset of a disaster and the subsequent evacuation or delivery of emergency supplies. I consider the non-food preparedness issues to be much more significant: reading up on preparedness, having an evacuation plan and a communications plan, having necessary medical supplies on hand, and all that.

[hjshorter]

If you live near NYC or DC, or another area that might be a high risk target, then probably looks like not a bad idea.

We live near DC, and if we didn't have young kids we would have blown off the Emergency preparedness stuff. But, if something does happen it would be essential to have diapers, water, food, etc., so I went to Costco a couple of weeks ago and stocked up.

[vengroff]

Personally, I find it hard to imagine a situation in which I would be safe from harm locked up in my house for a week, but would have no access to any source of food or water outside my home, or transportation to a location where such a source would be available. That being said, I'm sure I have more than enough to eat and drink for a week in the house.

[nyfirepatrolchef]

What exactly are people stocking up FOR?

Are we going to rationing like WWII?

Last time I heard, the war was gonna be going on in the middle east. Granted, lots of very not nice things are expected to happen here once this mess gets going, but the concept of storing food seems as ridiculous as the concept of duct tape and plastic over windows.

[hjshorter]

What exactly are people stocking up FOR?

In case I can't, or don't want to go to the grocery store for a few days. I had a taste of this last year when the sniper thing was going on.

[=Mark]

The constant drumbeat about this situation has instilled a large amount of anxiety within the general population. One of the aspects of this anxiety is that people feel a lack of control over events that are going on around them. This is why people have an irrational fear of flying, not that flying itself is risky, but that they have no control over the situation.

Stocking up on "emergency supplies" gives people the illusion of having some semblance of control over the situation, which has a calming effect. I'm gonna coast on the remnants of my blizzard of 93, blizzard of 96, Y2K and blizzard of 'ought 3 stockpiles...

[Wimpy]

I just had a thought- what would be a list of what we would consider gourmet food that also meets shelf stability requirements of a FEMA type situation?

Eg:

1) foie gras

2) bottled pickled artichokes

3) confit of goose

4) dry salamis, chorizos

5) various fruit preserves

Any others? Big problem would be bread I think. Perhaps that pumpernickel/roggen brot stuff from Germany.... Cheeses may be difficult except for processed cheeses which would NOT count as gourmet.

[Liza]

Sadly, no amount of food helped us that last September when we were evacuated. Instead, all our papers (passport, lease, bills) are organized in one folder and fine-tuning our evacuation plan. If anyone else is worried about evacuation, I recommend getting papers in order; the last time we fled, we didn't think to grab anything and had quite a difficult time getting past the police check-points because we couldn't prove we lived where we lived.

[tommy]

all of this talk is making me very hungry.

edit: that seemed inappropriate after liza's informative post. they came at the same time.

Edited March 17, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Wilfrid]

People with young babies might be well advised to make preparations, especially if you're relying on milk formula. Pharmacies and supermarkets can run out of that in a day or two. Otherwise, I agree that it's hard to imagine a situation so serious that drought and starvation are prospects. In addition, I find it hard to see why such a situation is more likely to occur during conflict with Iraq than at some other time.

[elyse]

Just looking in my refrigerator and cabinets, though, I bet I could go a year or more foodwise without dying of starvation.

What he said.

I do have 2 & 1/2 gallons of water that my mum bought me, but I'm planning on not using it and giving it back to her. Didn't want it in the first place.

[nyfirepatrolchef]

Besides theres one thing that people dont seem to be grasping...especially the duct tape and plastic fans....unless you hermetically seal your home....thereby totally occluding oxygen....youre NOT going to keep out the nasties theyre scaring the shit out of us about. The only form of radiation you MIGHT have a shot at stopping is Alpha. According to my early training eons ago as an Auxiliary Firefighter (thereby making me part of the Civil Defense system pertaining to radiological situations) Alpha is stoppable by a sheet of paper I think it was. Beta and plastic? Yeah right. Gamma? The concept of put your head between your knees and kiss your ass goodbye applies well here.

Now should we talk about Bio/Chem?

Right now I wish I was a rural milkman somewhere.

[Fat Guy]

Going too far off topic now.

[g.johnson]

And I've got enough soda, wine, juice, and other stuff around such that I could remain hydrated (and drunk) for probably a few weeks if I rationed it.

Alcohol is a diuretic so drinking it would be a bad idea unless you boiled off the alcohol first.

[Fat Guy]

G., are you saying that if a person had only wine available as a beverage, and assuming he didn't boil off the alcohol, he would die of thirst?

[nyfirepatrolchef]

Going too far off topic now.

the point I was making was what the hells the use in the first place?

Back on topic enough?

[g.johnson]

G., are you saying that if a person had only wine available as a beverage, and assuming he didn't boil off the alcohol, he would die of thirst?

I think it's possible.

[Fat Guy]

Further discussion of the alcohol/dehydration issue should go here. Thanks.