Prepping 4 Survival

Update 3/15/2020

I decided to write an update to this post since we have now seen a rush on stores to stock up and we have seen all sports being canceled along with other events, and schools around me have shut down for the next two weeks, maybe longer. If you were not able to get what you needed to last two weeks, just be patient. I expect the stores to restock in the next few days as shipments come in from the warehouses. The rush and clearing of shelved we have seen is just what the stores had on hand and not the complete stock of these major chains.

The rush we have seen is one of the major reasons for this site. I did not expect to see the mad rush on stores or the cancelations that have occurred when I originally wrote this post, but I hope you have realized that this can happen again, and you do not want to face the rush again. My hope is that you have decided to be prepared for the next time, and I hope this site can give you the information and tips you will need.

I will be adding post and links to this site on a continuous basis, and if you would like updates on when new information is added go like Prepping 4 Survival on Facebook where I will share new post. This is a very new site and page that I have been working on for the last several month, but I hope to make it a site that people can look to when it comes to being prepared. If you have never prepared in the past, this is the site for you because I try to keep it simple, and the post that are on here are about basic needs. You can also visit my partner businesses found on the sidebar where you can find kits and gear you may need. I will get into more advanced information as the site grows, but you can learn the information you need here and by following my page on Facebook.

Remember to wash your hands and limit contact with others. I am on the front lines of this pandemic working as an EMT, and I look to be overwhelmed with the rest of the healthcare community. Take care of yourself and your family to help us.

I hope you find this information useful, and if you have tips that I may have missed, please leave a comment below so everyone who is reading this can benefit.

Original Post:

Corona virus cases started showing up in China, and one of the central cities there, Wuhan, has seen a lock down where residents are restricted on where they can go. Travel bans have been issued, and there are confirmed cases in the U.S. now.

This is not about surviving corona virus if you contract the virus, but how you survive by not contracting the virus and being prepared for potential lock down of U.S. cities as this virus spreads. My hope is the virus is contained before there is a major outbreak and we see shelves start to empty at the stores.

The Problem

With the report that the U.S. military is preparing quarantine sites in different cities, we need to start preparing ourselves now. As of this Writing, there were 71,000 cases in 26 countries with the majority being in mainland China. We have seen this virus spread on a cruise ship as well, with quarantine measures in place. Just read a report that the plan to quarantine the passengers on the ship has failed as the virus is spreading still.

Travel bans have been issued and screening of passengers at airports started early as the number of cases started to grow. The concern is a potential pandemic globally with this virus. The goal is to stop the virus from spreading more, but I think we will see the number of cases continue to grow before the virus is contained.

In China, store shelves are bare from the outbreak panic and residents stocking up. Most stores have enough food on hand for about three days, and when people panic, this stock can be depleted in a day. My concern is if there is a pandemic panic the stores will be emptied and slowly replenished. The time to plan for the potential pandemic is now. I just saw where a survival food supplier is seeing shipping delays of 10 to 14 days from the demand with the corona virus scare. With this information, you need to decide what you are going to do for food and water now and take action. Waiting could leave you and your family scrambling with the unprepared if you don’t.

The Number of Cases and Deaths are Increasing

The number of cases are increasing daily and deaths are occurring from the virus. The majority of the cases are in Mainland China, but there are a few cases in the U.S. that are in quarantine. The big question I have is if the quarantine is effective at slowing the spread of the virus. The virus was not contained on the cruise ship with a quarantine in effect as the number of cases continued to increase.

In China the front line care givers are contracting the virus, and this is occurring as more information about the virus is learned. My question with this is if proper protective measures are being used, and if so then what is being missed with the transmission? Medical personnel are getting the virus while using available protective measures, and this concerns me. Do they truly know how the virus is transmitted or is there information being missed? My concern is how do I protect me and my family. One answer I have is to limit contact with other people.

Travel Bans and lock downs

The U.S. has issued travel bans for China, and have taken measures to get U.S. citizens back into the states. In China the government issued travel bans into and out of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, trying to control the spread of the virus. Trying to limit the exposure and spread of the virus from one location to another is the purpose of the bans, but this virus is still spreading. My concern with how this virus is continuing to spread, we could see travel bans and lock down orders here in the U.S. Honestly if the virus continues to spread here, I will protect myself and limit my exposure with personal protection measures. I do have a concern being in the medical field and exposure. I could make the decision to isolate myself too late, but I am going to continue to watch how the virus is spreading and follow the news closely relating to the virus. My hope is that I can isolate myself and family before coming into contact with the virus, and just wait out the process however long necessary. You need to make plans on when and how you will do the same.

What You Will Need to be Prepared

In several of my blogs related to survival recommends you have food and water for 72 hours. I do not think the 72-hour window will be enough for this virus. They are saying most people infected or that have come in contact with someone with the virus are quarantined for 14 days. My plan is to ensure I have what I need for this amount of time and maybe a little longer. I do not want to leave my house to stock up on what I may need at the last minute with the masses who always wait. This will increase my chances of coming in contact with a carrier, and I definitely do not want that.

There are several options that I will look into for food including freeze-dried options. I have food storage already but it is limited to staples and beans. With the many options for freeze-dried and prepackaged meals, I am making purchases to increase my food selection, and if nothing comes of this virus, I will have increased my stores for the future. As I mentioned earlier some suppliers are seeing a higher demand than normal and now have shipping delays, SO DON’T WAIT.

The cost of my stocks needed will be worth every dime when I consider the cost of contracting the virus. If I don’t need them then I will be ready for the next emergency.

Stock up on food, water, and protective equipment such as isolation gowns, masks, and gloves. Relying on the water supplied from the faucet may be fine at the start, but if power is lost then you will not be able to access this water. Look into ways to easily store water. If you have a bath tub that is not used, there is a storage container specifically designed to be filled and kept in the tub. Several hundred gallons can be stored in this way, and it is a good item to have if storms cause outages for several days in your area like an ice storm that we see in the south.

You can find everything from freeze-dried and prepackaged meals as well as the protective gear here.

Having a way to decontaminate yourself or a family member may not be a bad idea either. This can easily be created with a kiddie pool, garden hose, and plastic.

Conclusion

Preparing now instead of later for the potential pandemic we could face with the corona virus is what I plan to do, and you should too. Ensuring you have enough food and water for two weeks is what I am thinking, but more would not hurt.

Don’t wait till the pandemic is here. Beat the masses and get what you will need NOW!