Preparedness

In the last few years, the number of people making product recommendations has exploded, due in part to the growing number of “survival/prepping” podcasts/blogs/YouTube channels/etc. Which is great for the manufacturers & suppliers, but not so great for the consumer.

Why?

Because not everyone who makes a recommendation on a particular product is very knowledgeable in its usage and/or specifications, and because of that, they may not always give you the most accurate, informed purchasing recommendation on what they think is “the best” you should get.

For example, I was listening to a podcast episode whilst enjoying my morning coffee, and the individual was reading off a list of recommended products to purchase for your favorite person as a gift (some were pretty cool, and others were just gimmicks, but that’s a post for another day.) Included in the list was a particular water filtration device, and they listed a number of false “facts” about this particular filter. While they were reading the list, they came across a few words they had obviously never encountered before and couldn’t pronounce. Not a big deal, you say? (more…)

You never know what you’re missing from your Home Preparedness Plan or emergency supplies list if you don’t periodically hold a realistic drill^*.

Imagine what would happen if you tried to restore your computer backups after years of backing up once-in-a-lifetime photos, only to find out that half of what you backed up couldn’t be recovered. (You do test your backups periodically, don’t you?)

When planning for disasters around the home, you’ll need to take into consideration every potential problem you may encounter, such as extended power outages, no potable (drinking) water, no telephone, and no heat. Don’t forget about natural disasters, such as fire (both structural as well as wildland), floods, hurricanes, typhoons, tornados, and so on.

Run your test scenario at least twice a year when the clocks get changed for an entire weekend – 48 hours – and don’t forget to change the batteries in your smoke & CO detectors. Every quarter would be ideal, if feasible for your situation.
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