Preparing Now for a Time of Need
What would you eat if there was no grocery store? Where would you sleep if you were forced to evacuate? Preparing now for a time of need can alleviate fear and increase your chances of survival.
Grocery shopping in early 2020 revealed a lot about our society’s emergency preparedness. Among the emptiest shelves were pasta, cleaning products, and toilet paper. Milk was scarce, too. Supply couldn’t keep up with demand for months.
As the fairly new homeowner of a little condo, I didn’t have much storage space but I tried to keep a little extra of food and necessities on hand. That’s just how I grew up.
Then COVID happened just when I was about to buy more toilet paper.
Thankfully, my parents have always kept an emergency supply of food and necessities. My mother’s example of researching, rotating, and using food storage has left a deep impression on me. My parents both garden and keep fruit trees, too.
Self-reliance and preparedness are both things that were taught to us through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In scripture it says, “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” I was reminded of it recently during my studies. I’ve been praying to know what I should write about. And this is what I feel impressed to share.
Five years after the events of 2020, what have we learned? Are we simply relieved that supply has normalized? Have we gone back to our old ways or are we still thinking of the future?
I would plead with each of us, myself included, to do more to prepare for future hardships and emergencies. And it doesn’t have to involve buying up all the toilet paper in the store today.
There are small and simple things we can do now to prepare.
Ladies, What’s in Your Purse?
Women with their purses, mothers with their diaper bags—they are some of the most prepared people I know. Ready with water, band-aids, and snacks to confront little daily emergencies.
What you have on you in an emergency are some of the first things you’ll have access to. Consider your compact everyday emergency kit and what you might add to it.
Some items I usually keep in my purse “just in case” are:
Phone
Lip balm
Elastic hair tie
Pen, pencil (with extra graphite)
Grooming kit; nail clippers, file, and tweezers
Essential oils
Granola bar & hard candy
Extra feminine products
Notepad (for when a novelist has thoughts)
Adhesive bandages
Tissues
Mints
Here are a few more ideas, or you can find some on Pinterest.
Even if you don’t have a purse, consider what you might keep in your wallet, in your pockets, on your phone case or keychain—such as a multi-purpose tool, a Swiss-army knife or lighter (as appropriate), cash, adhesive bandages, a small LED light, notebook, or pen.
Vehicle Emergency Kit
Some emergencies can be prevented. Regular vehicle maintenance and refilling gas frequently are some assurance that you won’t get stranded too far from help.
It’s also a good idea to keep an emergency kit in the car. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of valuable space either.
Consider what you would need if you had to take an emergency trip out of town or if you were issued an evacuation notice. Or what would you wish you had if you were stranded in bad weather? This list from Reddit might give you some ideas:
Survival Car Emergency Kit Supplies First Aid Kit - inside cab, mounted to back of seat Water - 2 gallons + some 500ml bottles, in trunk Food - 2 boxes of meal replacement bars, in trunk, replace every 6 months Blankets - multiple, wool and "outdoor" blankets, flat on bottom of trunk Seat belt cutter tool - on keychain Fire extinguisher - mounted in cab Cellphone - in pocket, burner in glove compartment Cellphone Charger - in glove compartment, spare in milk crate in trunk Duct tape - actually gorilla tape, in trunk crate Window breaker tool - on keychain Roadside Emergency Kit Supplies Flashlight - on keychain, in glove compartment, on window visor, and in trunk, lots of lights Toolkit - in trunk with spare tire, also spare fuses Road flares or hazard triangles - in trunk w/tire Tow strap or Rope - in trunk crate Coolant - in trunk crate Jumper cables - in trunk crate Tire gauge - in window visor pen slot Spare Tire - in trunk, special compartment Tire iron and jack - in trunk, with tire Can of aerosol tire sealant - in trunk in crate Winter Car Emergency Kit Supplies Non-clumping kitty litter - trunk, in crate Ice scraper - trunk unless winter Snow Brush - trunk unless winter Foldable shovel - specifically a folding snow shovel, trunk inbetween crates Hand warmers - trunk, in crate Emergency Blanket - trunk, in crate
AAA also recommends rags/wipes, tarp, raincoat, and gloves.
American Red Cross adds: an emergency radio, a portable power bank, books, games, and cash.
Consider what might happen, too, if you can’t access GPS for any reason. An old fashioned road map is not a bad idea. Spare clothes, a tire repair kit, air compressor, and hatchet might also be good options.
There are definitely some things on these lists that I had not thought of before, such as a seat belt cutter, a window breaker, and a fire extinguisher. There are different types of fire extinguishers, so if you get one be sure to choose one that is suited for vehicles.
A Year’s Supply
One of the things my church has advised us to do for decades is to keep a year’s supply of basic food, clothing, fuel, and other essentials. Over time, food storage will need to be used and rotated so it will be useful in time of emergency.
One church leader and his wife were also reminded during 2020 to examine their year’s supply.
“We learned a great deal. In many areas, our preparatory work was just right. In some other areas, however, improvement was necessary […]
“We discovered, for example, items in a remote closet that had been in our food storage for decades. Frankly, we were afraid to open and inspect some of the containers for fear of unleashing another global pandemic! But you should be happy to know that we properly disposed of the hazardous materials and that health risk to the world was eliminated.
“Some Church members opine that emergency plans and supplies, food storage, and 72-hour kits must not be important anymore because the Brethren have not spoken recently and extensively about these and related topics in general conference. But repeated admonitions to prepare have been proclaimed by leaders of the Church for decades. The consistency of prophetic counsel over time creates a powerful concert of clarity and a warning volume far louder than solo performances can ever produce.”
We all know the best time to prepare for an emergency is before it happens. We see the survival stories on television and we the hear government advertisements about preparedness.
We hear, yet are we listening?
We live in a world of instant gratification where anything we need can be ordered online if not picked up off a shelf. But that illusion fades once demand overwhelms supply like it did during COVID. Money couldn’t buy what wasn’t there.
I’ll add, too, that in case of a catastrophic emergency, money will not be worth as much as food and water.
Another church leader observed:
“You of small means put your money in foodstuffs and wearing apparel, not in stocks and bonds; you of large means will think you know how to care for yourselves, but I may venture to suggest that you do not speculate. Let every head of every household aim to own his own home, free from mortgage. Let every man who has a garden spot, garden it; every man who owns a farm, farm it.”
Elder Ezra Taft Benson who delivered this address in 1973 had previous personal and professional agriculture experience, even serving as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for a time, starting in 1953.
He adds this advice:
Dry, whole, hard grains, when stored properly, can last indefinitely, and their nutritional value can be enhanced through sprouting, if desired.
Water, of course, is essential. Other basics could include honey or sugar, legumes, milk products or substitutes, and salt or its equivalent.
President Harold B. Lee has wisely counseled that “perhaps if we think not in terms of a year’s supply of what we ordinarily would use, and think more in terms of what it would take to keep us alive in case we didn’t have anything else to eat […].”
There are blessings in being close to the soil, in raising your own food, even if it is only a garden in your yard and/or a fruit tree or two.
Concerning clothing, we should anticipate future needs, such as extra work clothes and clothes that would supply warmth during winter months when there may be shortages or lack of heating fuel. Leather and bolts of cloth could be stored, particularly for families with younger children who will outgrow and perhaps outwear their present clothes.
Wood, coal, gas, oil, kerosene, and even candles are among those items which could be reserved as fuel for warmth, cooking, and light or power.
It would also be well to have on hand some basic medical supplies to last for at least a year.
Men [or women] who can perform useful skills with their hands will be in increasing demand. Handymen, farmers, builders, tailors, gardeners, and mechanics can and will prove a real blessing to their families and their fellowmen.
The Saints have been advised to pay their own way and maintain a cash reserve. Recent history has demonstrated that in difficult days it is reserves with intrinsic value that are of most worth, rather than reserves, the value of which may be destroyed through inflation.
In case all of this feels overwhelming, consider just buying one extra week of food and building up to a month’s supply.
Buy one extra of non-perishables that you know you will use.
Buy a case of bottled water to keep on hand or store filtered water in clean, used juice or soda bottles.
Learn how to cook with items that you might use for long-term storage such as whole grains, beans, powdered milk, and pasta.
Learn to can or bottle what your garden (or supermarket) produces.
This page on food storage also has additional tips and resources. There are even emergency preparedness guides to help you organize your efforts.
We Don’t Know What Emergencies the Future May Hold
Even though we all hope it won’t happen, there is always the possibility that we will have to survive away from home, vehicle, or city limits. What would you eat if there was no grocery store? Where would you sleep outside of the city? What would you need to have to survive in the wilderness for a few days?
72-Hour Kit
The purpose of a 72-hour kit is to have a bag filled with essentials that you can grab and take quickly in case of sudden evacuation. This kit should include supplies to keep you alive for 72 hours.
Keep it somewhere easy to access and where all family members will know to find it. You may choose to create a separate kit for each family member so the load is distributed and each person can carry most of their own supplies.
The US Department of State and the US Army Reserve both have handy PDF lists that make it easy to assemble a kit. These include:
Food & water
Bedding & clothing
Fuel & light
Tools & equipment
Personal supplies & medication
Personal documents & money
Games & entertainment
LDS Living Magazine adds a few items you may not have considered:
N95 masks in case of smoke
Scissors & small tools
Paper maps
Spare glasses or contacts
A “grab list” for items that may not be in your 72-hour kit because you use them regularly
Basic Survival Skills
Having the tools necessary for survival is only helpful if you know how to use them. There are skills and knowledge that could increase your chances of survival in case you find yourself away from shelter and help for a time.
The American Red Cross and Wilderness Awareness School highlight some basic survival skills it would be wise to learn:
Building a fire
Building or finding shelter
Signaling for help
Finding & rationing food & water
Basic first aid (CPR, wound closure, burn treatment, etc.)
Navigation
How to swim
Knot typing
Even if you have learned some of these skills before, you will want to practice them regularly.
This YouTube channel produces survival skill content from basic skills to more advanced. You may want to do your own search or find a class that can teach you some of the individual skills above. There are several free videos that teach basic knots or fire starting.
The more hands-on you can get with your learning, the better.
Emergency Preparedness on a Schedule
The purpose of all of this is not to be overwhelming. But being forward-thinking could literally be lifesaving. It will take some intentional planning to incorporate some of this into your current lifestyle. Here are some ideas that may help.
Choose One Thing - What feels the most important or the most do-able right now? Is it buying an extra of the non-perishable items on your shopping list to begin building your food storage? Or making a 72-hour kit?
Habit Stacking - This takes advantage of current habits in order to build new ones. For example, rotate your growing food supply while putting away groceries. Add a survival item to your shopping list each week. Or while browsing YouTube, shift gears and watch about a new survival skill.
Schedule It - Schedule to participate in a class, go on a weekend camping trip to practice skills, or hold a family meeting to review your emergency plan. Set a reminder to regularly check & rotate items in your vehicle or 72-hour kits.
I want to add, too, that maybe you’re like me and you are physically unable to practice some of these skills. But everyone has something they can contribute.
Some of these kits include entertainment. If you’re an entertainer, a storyteller, a singer, someone who can make others laugh—you have the important ability to lift spirits or bring people together in the midst of trying circumstances. Think of how much this meant during the isolation of COVID.
Maybe you’re good with pets or kids. Or organizing things.
Maybe you’re good at following directions, or have a good sense for navigation.
Cultivate what skills you have. If your mind is your asset, learn about native edible plants or sources of nearby water. Learn about wildlife in your area. Research the best multi-purpose tools to optimize your kits.
I know I haven’t covered everything in this article. Maybe you have your own tips you would like to share in the comments.
We rely so much on technology and massive supply chains that we would be left helpless if those things failed. But we don’t have to fear if we prepare for the future.
As Aesop taught in two of his fables: “slow and steady wins the race,” and “storing up for a time of need” are incredibly wise counsel. You can be confident that you and your household are prepared if you begin now and make these habits and skills a part of your life.
With love,
Ordinary Girl