Mobile phones are great, but if your power is out for a couple of days in an emergency, so is the charge on your phone. Here’s a well-designed and useful product to add to your emergency supplies. The Solio solar charger is a compact powerhouse that harnesses the sun. It stores power, holding a charge…
Category Archives: Supplies
When your computer bursts into flame – how to douse an electrical fire
Yes, you often write smokin’ hot blogs, reports, and love letters. Still, you don’t expect to see your computer burst into flame. Electrical fires can happen to anyone, and they require a bit of special preparation. Is your office ready? First, make sure you have a “C” class fire extinguisher in your office, or a…
What to do after an earthquake
Tens of millions of people in the US and Mexico felt Sunday’s 7.2 quake that rocked Baja California, as buildings swayed and windows broke. Southern California shook harder than it has in many years. Part of being prepared for these events is knowing what to do after one occurs. A few things to keep in…
Playing telephone (in an emergency)
Here are three things to keep in mind about using the telephone in emergencies. 1. When disaster strikes, local phone lines may be jammed for days. If you are at home and your partner is at work, the best way to communicate will probably be through a contact out-of-state. In preparation for emergencies such as…
Sanitation in an emergency
Please pardon me, but the subject really can’t be avoided. In an emergency such as an earthquake, sanitation services may be interrupted, leaving residents without water for up to two weeks, so let ‘s consider how we’ll cope. You do have your water supply of one gallon per day per person for cooking, drinking, and…
Can we count on our public officials in an emergency?
Not long ago, I heard a man say, “If there’s an emergency, I’m not worried. Our fire and police departments will take care of me. They’d better. That’s what I pay taxes for.” Here is the situation in his town of Burlingame, CA: The town of 50,000 maintains five fire engines and one truck, with…
Following Through for Do-It-Yourselfers
Do you look at emergency preparations and think you should be able to do the job yourself? Great! These posts have lots of information to help you get it done. But emergency preparation is too important to leave until that someday that never comes, so if your preparations are not all you believe they need…
Camping food
Some people are okay with stocking their emergency supplies with freeze-dried food. They can foresee several days fueled by power bars and military style MREs. I am not like them. I am fond of good food, and I cook for pleasure. If, like me, you have sometimes been put off your emergency preparations because you…
What to do with expired emergency supplies?
The food, water, first aid supplies, and batteries in your emergency supplies each has limited shelf life. We’re all conscious of avoiding waste. What to do with the things that are near their expiration dates? Water – Water in large plastic containers will begin to taste like the container. Even aseptic packaging will flavor the…
What would Scooby do?
Anyone who has watched Scooby cartoons knows, when there are ghosts afoot, you need to flee. In case you need to flee during emergencies (fire, flooding, or other disasters) remember to make simple provisions for your pets, too. Where to begin? Well, Scooby would suggest extra treats, and lots of them. That’s not a bad…