There’s a lot of uncertainty around us, and we would like to think that our homes are a safe refuge.  They can be, with a little preparation.  We’re not talking a full root-cellar/bomb shelter space, just enough to get through a few days to a week of sheltering in place!   Remember the rules of 3’s: in general, humans can survive for: (The Rule of Threes)

• 3 minutes without breathing (asphyxiation)
• 3 hours without shelter in an extreme environment (exposure)
• 3 days without water (dehydration)
• 3 weeks without food (starvation)

Clean Air

If smoke or chemicals make you retreat inside, you’ll want to take quick action to ensure that your space is sealed as tightly as possible, because those contaminants will start to leach inside, too. If you live in a drafty home, it’s best to pick a smaller room with a door, like a bedroom, where you can control the air quality.  Use tape and plastic sheeting or a Window Shrink Wrap Kit to seal the window, and try to keep the door closed as much as possible.  At the very minimum, a MERV13 furnace filter, box fan and duct tape can help you make a temporary air cleaner for smoke particles.  You can also have a small stash of N95 respirators on hand, or a 3M respirator mask that can accept different cartridges. If you live near any industry or transportation lines, you may consider adding 3M 60926 cartridges, which have a P100 HEPA filter and protect against organic vapors, acid gas, ammonia, methylamine and formaldehyde (for chemical disasters). 

Suitable Shelter

Obviously, sheltering in your home affords a lot more protection than outdoors.  However, without electricity, you’ll need blankets for the winter and lightweight, cool clothing for the summer.   If you have to evacuate your home, having coats and a tent to throw in the car is always helpful, even if you’re going to a community center.  Coats and a tent can help you create a “micro-climate”, which is the temperature inside these items, keeping you warmer.  

Clean water

If you rely on city water, this can be turned off very quickly.  You’ll want to have one gallon of water per person per day stored (½ gallon for drinking and ½ gallon for cooking/cleaning).  You can store the water in containers in a cool place, or a large reservoir like a waterBOB (bathtub container with pump).  If you are storing it more than a few days, add 8 drops of regular bleach per gallon, or ½ teaspoon for 5 gallons, to ensure it stays clean.  If the water smells like chlorine when you open the gallon, pour it into open containers and let it sit for a few hours, and the chlorine will dissipate into the air.  Alternatively, you can add:

• Five drops of 2% tincture of iodine to each quart or liter of water that you are disinfecting. If the water is cloudy or colored, add 10 drops of iodine. Stir and let the water stand for at least 30 minutes before use. (Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water)
• Sunshine, Salt and Lime Juice: see our article on The Purifying Power of Sunlight! 
• Water Purification Tablets: Some highly-recommended ones are:
• Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets with PA Plus (4 tablets per liter, 2 for purification and 2 to remove iodine taste/discoloration)
• Aquatabs 397mg Water Purification Tablets (maximum 4 gallons treated per tablet).
• P&G Purifier of Water Portable Water Purifier Packets, (purifies up to 30 gallons total).

Materials: WaterBOB Bathtub Storage Emergency Water Container, Water Storage Containers (preferably glass but food-grade plastic is ok), Regular Bleach or 2% tincture of iodine, salt, limes, measuring spoons, eyedropper

More tips: 

• Did you know that you probably already have 40-50 gallons of drinkable water stored in your home?  Check out this short video to learn how to access the water in your hot water heater.
• You may want to invest in pre-made water filter(s) like LifeStraw, which has unlimited shelf life and can filter up to 1,000 gallons..  

Emergency food

There are lots of different opinions on what foods you should stock for an emergency, but those that are high in nutrition and long in shelf life are best.  These include cans of tuna, salmon, chicken or turkey, nut butters like peanut butter, dried fruits such as apricots and raisins, and canned beans of any variety,  Sealed packages of cereal, crackers and trail mixes make great snacks, and dried grains like oatmeal, rice and pasta (with canned sauce, of course!) can help mix up the menu. If you use milk, dried or canned milks can help get you through.  Pay attention to expiration dates and switch out these foods before they expire by eating from the oldest ones first.  For those who drink tea or coffee everyday, these caffeinated items may be on their  “essential” survival list.  Contrary to older advice, a moderate amount of coffee won’t really dehydrate you, and can be mood-boosting. (Health Debunked: Does Coffee Really Dehydrate You?)

Portable Stove and Cooking Gas

If you’re a tailgating or camping pro, this is already in your home.  Having a portable stove allows you to be able to cook a few meals at home if your electricity goes out, or take it with you if you have to evacuate.  It also comes in handy if your other water sanitization methods have run out and you have to boil water.  “Dual fuel” is handy, but just make sure that you have 2-3 canisters of the correct type(s) of fuel on hand as well. There are lots of versions of these stoves on the market; here are just a few.  Especially with the mini-version, it’s wise to do a trial run after you get the stove, in order to be familiar with the amount of fuel you’ll need, its operation and any other accessories necessary.

• Mini foldable camp stove, compatible with 7/16” threaded butane canisters, $13
• Single-burner Propane or Butane Stove Dual Fuel Stove Portable Camping Stove, $30
• Coleman Triton 2-Burner Propane Camping Stove, $60

Disposable plates and utensils

Normally we are not a fan of disposable food ware, but in an emergency you don’t want to have to waste precious water to wash dishes, or be concerned about sanitizing water just to wash dishes.  Since these items don’t “expire”, you can keep a small stash of them indefinitely if you label them “for emergencies only”!

Medications and a First-Aid Kit

Of course there are many other items that we “can’t live without” from day to day–essential medications being top on the list.  It may seem like playing a game of musical chairs, but try to have a week’s worth of medication on hand at all times, in case you really can’t get to the pharmacy.  Also, instead of running around to all of the bathrooms in your home to gather medical supplies in an emergency, it’s easier to purchase one First Aid Kit and keep it in a central place known by all family members. 

Photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash