Building a Basic One Month Preparedness Pantry ... part 2

Part 1 of this series can be found HERE.  The reason why I started this series can be found HERE.

Part 2 is all about non- electric emergency lighting...

When the power is disrupted in an emergency situation the lights go out as well.  If the power interruption happens in the evening or at night, we are literally left in the dark with no warning.  No one likes stumbling around in the dark looking for a flashlight or a candle to light so part of our basic one-month preparedness pantry is to have our non-electric light sources available and ready for use.

Here are some options:

Flashlight.  This is probably the first thing we all reach for when the lights go out so we need to know where we can find one ASAP.  Pick a location in your house and keep one there at all times when not in use, that way you will know where to go immediately when it’s needed.  Here's an option for a solar powered flashlight too!

Oil lamps.  (make sure you have oil for your lamps as well)  We keep our oil lamps displayed as part of our home décor so that they will be ready to light when needed.  We keep oil for our lamps in a safe place that is easily accessible to us.

Battery operated lamps/lanterns (make sure you have batteries)  Our battery operated lantern is stored on a shelf where all we need to do is reach and get it.  We also have a central location for all our batteries.  We know right where to go when batteries are needed and don’t have to spend time searching for them.  If power has already been lost, you don’t want to be searching around in the dark for batteries so pick one location and keep all your batteries together.

Head lamps.  I can’t say enough good about head lamps.  During our days without power during Hurricane Matthew I used a head lamp quite a bit.  It went with me where ever I went and left my hands free.  You can adjust the light up or down on the ones we have as well as the brightness or dimness.   It sure was handy when doing handwork or reading and of course when up and walking around.

Emergency candles.  Emergency candles are different from regular candles.  Emergency candles are meant to burn longer and put out a bit more light.  Make sure you have a safe way to burn them.   If they are single stand-alone candles make sure you put them in a container that will not allow them to fall over.  You don’t want to have to worry about your house catching on fire while providing light for your home.

Solar powered landscaping lights.  If you have solar powered landscaping lights in your yard, bring them in and use them as a light source.  The next morning take them back outside to let them recharge.  It’s not a huge amount of light but it is better than nothing.

Fragrance candles can be used but they don’t give off as much light and you need to be aware of anyone in your household who might have allergies to the fragrance.

Store these items somewhere in your house so that you can get to them easily when needed, maybe a tub or tote labeled emergency lighting would work.  If you're storing oil lamps make sure they are empty of any oil.   The goal is to know where your emergency lighting supplies are and be able to get to them as soon as possible when needed.

One more thing … store enough for a month!   You’ll be surprised how much you'll use and while no one anticipates being without power for an entire month, having what you think is a month’s supply will ensure that you actually do have enough to get through several days without being left completely in the dark!

Being prepared with non-electric emergency lighting means the difference between sitting in the dark and as one person put it, ‘looking at the four walls and doing nothing’ and being able to function.

Patsi 

Sharing 42 years' experience of frugal, prudent living and pantry building 

A Working Pantry

My second blog:  From This Heart of Mine 

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

You can view my privacy policy HERE. 

Building a Basic One Month Preparedness Pantry ... part 1

Previous posts in this series can be found HERE.

(Photo is of some of the many boxes of food and basic supplies that were distributed to victims of Hurricane Matthew in our area.)

We’ve spent the last week recovering and helping others recover from the devastation of Hurricane Matthew.  In some ways this past week has been surreal.  I’ve seen so much and learned so much and it is the experience of that ‘much’ that I want to draw on and share with you.

I hope you take this series seriously, the information I’ll be sharing and the things I’ll be suggesting you do could very well someday make a big difference in your life.  I want you to be able to take care of your family's needs in an emergency instead of having to stand in long lines for several hours just to get the basic necessities.  

Okay, the first thing you need to do to build a basic one-month preparedness pantry is ….

Assess what your needs would be!  If you had to depend solely on what was in your pantry for one month, without electricity, what would you need to have?

Remember that your pantry is more than just food.   It’s the food and household supplies that keep your home running smoothly readily available when needed.

Everyone is in a different season of life, so our lists are going to look different, but getting prepared starts with assessing and making a list.  Here is what ours looks like …

Medication (over the counter and prescription)

First Aid-Kit

Nourishing food

Comfort food (don’t underestimate how important this is)

Batteries

Non-electric lighting

Paper products (disposable plates, plastic wear, paper towels)

A non-electric way to cook/prepare meals

Drinking water

Household/bathing water

BOB … Bug Out Bag (in case we have to evacuate our home at a moment’s notice), also known as a 72 - hour emergency kit

Remember this is your one-month preparedness pantry; it won’t work for you if it’s not tailored to your specific needs.

So, what does your ‘list’ look like?

Patsi 

Sharing 42 years' experience of frugal, prudent living and pantry building 

A Working Pantry

My second blog:  From This Heart of Mine 

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

You can view my privacy policy HERE. 

Why Prepare?

A week ago today, on Friday, October 7^th, 2016, Hurricane Matthew slammed into our area leaving massive destruction.  Many were caught unprepared because of the varying weather/hurricane predictions we were given.  Others did not even attempt to prepare because ‘they just don’t do that kind of thing.’

We were among the minority who didn’t receive any damage, that we’ve been able to find thus far, other than a yard filled with debris (our mailbox was a casualty, but that really was nothing compared to others). We did lose power, phone and internet service but have all three back as of this writing.  While we did not have all of our regular comforts of home, we made it fine … because we were prepared.

Preparedness is not just for those who think there is going to be some kind of major world/national apocalyptic event.   I firmly believe, and the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew has reinforced this belief, that everyone should have some level of preparedness.

This week I’ve seen and talked with …

those who lost everything due to flooding or because a dam broke/was over run (I think my heart goes out to these people the most, there just isn’t a way to prepare for sudden catastrophic flooding),

those who lost power and were existing on honey buns and snack foods,

those who lost everything in their refrigerators and freezers because of lack of power,

those who had no safe drinking water,

those whose ability to get to work became impossible or in some instances suddenly became unemployed because of the devastation of Hurricane Matthew  (The economic fallout of Hurricane Matthew is just beginning to be felt.) ,

those who were and are stranded in their homes because of flooding,

those who had no means of non-electric lighting, and

those who had no water for household purposes during the power outage.

I’ve seen and talked to people who had no food, they simply could not fathom having more than 4 or 5 days of food in the house and when you take into consideration that a good part of that food required refrigeration or a freezer; that 4 or 5 days suddenly became 2 – 3 days of food.

So, why prepare?   Do catastrophic events only happen to others?  Is there not a need for a basic level of preparedness?  I’ve always thought there was and after what I’ve seen and witnessed this week, I’m even more convinced.  So, beginning next week, I am going to start a series on how to build and maintain a very basic 1 month preparedness ‘pantry’ that will see you through your own “Hurricane Matthew’ type scenario. 

Until tomorrow!

Patsi 

Sharing 42 years' experience of frugal, prudent living and pantry building 

A Working Pantry

My second blog:  From This Heart of Mine 

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

You can view my privacy policy HERE. 

Where Do I Start ...

Before I start on this post I want to thank Sandra S. for her very generous donation.  Thank you!  Thank you!   Thank you!  

We finally have Internet service back ... I have missed blogging but with everything that has happened the last 4 days I truly don't know when I would have had time.

I have learned so much ...

I have much to share ...

But I need a little more time to process it all ...

So, I'm going to share a few pictures that will hopefully set the stage for my future post ...

These pictures were taken in the neighborhood where I live the morning after hurricane Matthew blew through ...

This is a small sample of what 100+ mile per hour wind and torrential rain did to our little community ... (little did we know, it was only the beginning)

one of two trees that fell across the road we live on totally blocking it ...

trees that brought power lines down ... (this is one of many reasons we lost power)

 a leaning power pole ... another tree down ... in the road ...

a broken and leaning power pole ... a tree had already been cut and removed from the road ...

more downed trees ...

and more downed trees ...

how would you like to wake up to this in your yard ...

this was a neighbor's yard ...

This is just a small sampling, there were trees down on people's houses, in their yards and in surrounding woods. Out buildings were blown down.  There was water standing in yards, across roads and sadly ... in houses.  This was all within the little community where we live.  At this point we had no idea how widespread the damage was and that it was much worse in places that were not so far away.

The sun was shinning and it was a beautiful day ... except for all the destruction!

patsi

A Working Pantry

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27

My pantry is intentional, purposeful, simple, practical, frugal and what works for my family.  It’s the food items and household supplies that keep my household running smoothly ready and available when they are needed.  It’s my contribution to our family’s economy and my work-from-home ‘job.'

You can follow A Working Pantry on Facebook and Instagram. 

You can view my privacy policy HERE.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting this site via one of these ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked!

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me keep my pantry well-stocked!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means.

Let's Talk ... About Re-Canning

Re-canning, for the purpose of this post, is when you purchase items in #10 size cans or other large containers and re-can them.

I've done it with great success!

Here are a few things that can be re-canned to give you an idea, there are many others:

black olives (follow canning instructions as if you were canning them for the first time.)

tomatoes  (follow canning instructions as if you were canning them for the first time.)

green beans (follow canning instructions as if you were canning them for the first time.)

ketchup (follow canning instructions as if you were canning them for the first time.)

tomato sauce  (follow canning instructions as if you were canning them for the first time.)

mushroom pieces (follow canning instructions as if you were canning them for the first time.)

No the black olives and green beans are not mush, nor are the mushrooms.

Why would you want to re-can?  What are the advantages?

Many times #10 size cans or other large containers of an item are cheaper.

Maybe your garden didn't produce all you needed and using this method to finish stocking your pantry will meet your needs.

If you can't use it all, it's a way to keep it from going to waste.

Here are some posts that talk about re-canning (be sure to read the comments as well):

Canning, -- Well Re-Canning 

Canning and Re-Canning 

Recanning Store Bought Tomato Sauce

Have you done any re-canning from store bought #10 size cans of vegetables or fruits?   

What are your thoughts on re-canning?

patsi

A Working Pantry

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27

My pantry is intentional, purposeful, simple, practical, frugal and what works for my family.  It’s the food items and household supplies that keep my household running smoothly ready and available when they are needed.  It’s my contribution to our family’s economy and my work-from-home ‘job.'

You can follow A Working Pantry on Facebook and Instagram. 

You can view my privacy policy HERE.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting this site via one of these ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked!

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me keep my pantry well-stocked!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means.