Looking for feedback and suggestions on how to improve my supplies please

Posted by Happy_Perspective583@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 23 comments

Family of 4: 2 adults and 2 pre teens.

Prepping for storm or extended electrical outage, or disruption to supplies to stores, aiming to manage 2 weeks staying at home.

Points of note:

Don't have a bath
Don't have pets
Thankfully don't have to worry about extremes of temperatures, weather doesn't go below -4°C or above 30°C so don't need heaters or aircon, can manage with extra blankets if power outage is in winter

Equipment

2 x Camping gas stove, plus canisters to last 2 weeks for cooking
Battery operated radio plus loads of spare batteries
Head torches, handheld torches, room lamp, all with batteries and spare batteries
2 x charged power banks for mobile phones
Wooden disposable cutlery plus paper plates so don't have to use water to wash

Sanitary:

I have 2 full 210L water butts gutter connected rain water drums to use for toilets.
Toilet paper for 2+ weeks. Sanitary towels / feminine hygiene products.
Dry shampoo
Baby wipes
Soap
Hand sanitiser

Drinks

Water for drinking and cooking, 24 x 2L bottles
12 x 1L Cartons of juice (mix of 4 x cranberry, 4 x apple, 4 x pineapple)

Food

Oats for making overnight oats with water, to which I can add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, mixed dried fruit, chopped hazelnuts, enough for 2+ weeks
Olive oil 3 x 2L
Tins of tuna (16), tins of salmon (12)
Eggs to cook scrambled on gas stove
Tins of chickpeas, black beans, red beans, mixed beans (don't need water to cook), 24 tins total
Dried pasta, lentils (will need water)
Tins chopped tomatoes
Tins fruit (pineapple slices, peach slices, mixed fruit)
Tins coconut milk
Bags of Dried fruit (apricot, cranberries, raisins sultanas)
Packs of almonds, chopped hazelnuts, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
Jars red peppers, carrots, beetroot
Rice cakes
Various crackers
Comfort foods: popcorn bags, lentil crisps, tortilla crisps, Breadsticks, dark choc chocolate bars

First aid

Both adults have first aid training
3 x first aid kits
Everyone's medications to last 2 months, plus calpol, ibuprofen, zyrtek, antihistamines, dioralyte, paracetamol, disprin, rennie, milk of magnesium, antiseptic wipes and cream, cough medicine, lemsip capsules, eye drops, eye wash, throat lozenges
Inhalers and back up and extra backup inhalers

Entertainment

Board games
Jigsaw puzzles
Colouring books
Card games
Loads of reading books
Paper and paints

Questions

Is there a power bank or battery equipment that you can plug socket into? For nebuliser (asthma)
Am I underestimating how much water needed for cooking and cleaning saucepan? For pasta / lentils?
What am I missing?

Any feedback or suggestions greatly appreciated

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ClementineCoda@reddit

Yes, more water.

Laptop and pile's of DVD's and CD's.

More candy for the kids - hard candy, jelly beans, mini candy bars, not just "healthy" dark chocolate. Cookies.

Dry cereal/meusli and shelf stable milk.

Green veg (green beans, etc). Peanut butter and jam. Potatoes, carrots, onions. Bullion/stock cubes. Dry milk. Rice and pasta.

Coffee, tea, instant cocoa, sugar, creamer.

Multi-vitamins or individual (C, fish oil, etc).

Dental hygiene/tooth pain.

Big pile of socks, underwear, t-shirts.

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Happy_Perspective583@reddit (OP)

Thank you for mentioning these items, I hadn't considered a lot of these, now added to shopping list, much appreciated

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ClementineCoda@reddit

Quick thing about your concern with water and cooking pasta/lentils - add a few stock cubes to the water, then you have broth as well, the basis for a soup.

I forgot to mention herbs and spices. Oregano, thyme, cinnamon, garlic powder, etc.

You might have tins of this and that but things like spices, condiments, onion/garlic make things more like a regular meal.

The longest stretch I went without power was 6 days, and making meals interesting was extremely important. Canned beans and plain tuna gets boring really fast.

Makes sense to look up some recipes using the canned room-temp food you already have stocked.

For instance chick peas with beets, dressed with lemon/olive oil, makes a protein heavy salad, no cooking. Tuna or Salmon with chick peas, sliced onion, vinaigrette. Canned potatoes with canned green beans, canned tuna or salmon, lemon/oo. Canned beans and a can of diced tomatoes, can of corn Mexican taco seasoning - hot or cold.

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Happy_Perspective583@reddit (OP)

Stock cubes, herbs, spices, lemon juice, vinegar, wraps, now added to shopping list, and I've written all this into my recipe book, thank you

Joe-_-Momma-@reddit

Get powdered milk or tin milk.

A power station for the nebulizer. Look on Amazon for one.

Since you say tin. I assume you are in the UK or EU. Please have a why to defend who you love.

The world is 3 meals away from chaos. People will try to take or kill you, for what you have prepped.

smsff2@reddit

Let me ask you a rhetorical question. Before creating this list, did you review the many lists others have posted on this subreddit? Did you try to help them or identify items you have that they might be missing?

I feel that going through all these lists takes a lot of time, and trying to spot what others lack is somewhat pointless. People’s common sense is generally no worse than yours.

Please note that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has already published a recommended list of items every household should have. You should first check whether you have everything on that list. Unlike personal opinions, it’s developed by a government agency that considers a wide range of scenarios. Individuals often can’t do this as comprehensively, since they tend to focus on situations they’ve personally experienced or seen locally.

https://www.ready.gov/kit https://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/appendix_b.pdf

List of similar topics on this subreddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1i9uogx/please_advise_on_my_prepbasics_list/ https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/ehrmkl/supply_list_ideas/ https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1ozlpnf/shake_down_my_kit_lists/ https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1f9yfea/listing_on_things_i_need_for_prepping/ https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/17b0lv2/top_5_things_youd_tell_someone_to_stock_up_on_now/ https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/vva2gf/a_site_recommends_stockpiling_these_common_items/ https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/18vjyd7/what_items_are_you_adding_to_your_supply_closet/ https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1lote2b/tools_and_supplies_under_10_for_wish_list/ https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/fc17qp/made_a_spreadsheet_for_tracking_inventory_link/ https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/gw7233/medical_supply_list/

Relative_Ad_750@reddit

The “prepper classroom” series on the Bear Independent YouTube channel should be required viewing before posting here. Covers 99.99% of the repeated questions here.

Thank you for compiling and sharing the list of other similar posts, this is really helpful

Active-Weakness2326@reddit

This is a really solid list for 2 weeks honestly. A few things I'd flag.

48 liters of water for 4 people for 2 weeks is tight. That's less than a liter per person per day before cooking. The general guidance is a gallon per person per day. Your rain butts help but I'd bump the stored drinking water if you can.

For the nebulizer question, yes, something like a Jackery or similar power station with an AC outlet would work. Look at what wattage your nebulizer draws and make sure the station can handle it. This is honestly a critical prep for your family given the asthma, I'd prioritize it.

You're missing a way to filter or purify water if your stored supply runs out. Even a basic gravity filter would fill that gap.

Thank you, I needed the nudge on the water and I'm currently researching options for power station, thank you for the reassurance and the prompts

sunflowebloom@reddit

I’m impressed!

Thank you, my anxiety has an outlet

Fickle_Arm9659@reddit

Do you have a yard? If so, it sounds like your climate is great for growing things. Get some seeds!

CopperRose17@reddit

I think you've done a good job. I suggest adding a few packages of Scrubzz to your sanitary supplies. It takes a small amount of water to make them lather. You don't have to rinse, just dry off with a cloth. They can even be used to clean your hair. I cut them in half if I only need to wash my feet. I use them for camping as well as prepping. They are great to use after surgery, or if you are just too sick to make it to the shower. I'm always looking for ways to conserve water, and these help. I also use cardboard cutting boards for camping and prepping. I'm just not sure that I would have the water to wash things well if SHTF. Living in the desert is a challenge. :)

I had not heard of Scrubzz, thank you, this is excellent suggestion, buying now

gadget767@reddit

More water. Gatorade (couple of cases) and Immodium for your medications. Two small battery backups for every person with a cell phone. Whistles for every person. Survivor Pro (Amazon) water filter so that you can use that saved rain water that you have.

Whistles, excellent, hadn't occurred to me, thank you

Hefty-Squirrel-6800@reddit

Having a good-capacity water filter reduces the need to store as much water. Water is usually around, but it is not drinkable. Be that as it may, you are not storing too much water.

As far as power, you can get a power station or a car battery with an inverter. When I was in such a situation, I had three deep-cycle car batteries. I used my portable generator to charge them during the day and used an inverter for power at night.

AlphaDisconnect@reddit

Your toilet has 2 gallons. Maybe dont flush that. Maybe drink that. Pond or stream water flushes just as good.

Coleman quad lamp. The old d cell one. An extra set of batteries.

You want an electric car. One that supports back charging. Biggest battery bank on wheels. Oh and no more oil changes. Registration is expensive. Oh. And you can now go 1500 miles for 30$ in home charging. Get the 240v charger.

A towel and grease. If your sewer backs up. You dont want a poo basement. Pack that in there.

But not T bag on what you have now.

bardwick@reddit

This will sound almost off topic, but you don't have entertainment. The pre-teens stuck out to me. Board games, candy, ability to play music, non-internet required apps, mini solar panel to charge devices. I've been using Goal Zero for years for cell phones/etc while camping.

Am I underestimating how much water needed for cooking and cleaning saucepan?

My default answer is always yes. One gallon per person, per day is the general rule of thumb, but I found that seriously wanting. Especially since your physical activity is likely to increase, and no air conditioning/fans, etc.

Thank you, good points here, I appreciate you taking the time to share these tips, am looking up Goal Zero

nakedonmygoat@reddit

If you want a power source you can plug a nebuliser into, you need a power station. It's a big thing, like a big battery you can charge up with an ordinary wall socket or with a solar panel. Popular brands on this sub include Bluetti, Anker, Ecoflow, and Jackery. There are various types at various price points. Some are more powerful than others, so what you need really depends on how often you use the nebuliser.

How are you set for fans? If you get a power station, an ordinary fan will work, but you can also get battery-powered ones so that everyone has their own. Sometimes they're called camping fans. Don't get the little personal ones, get the larger variety. You can get some that are as much as 25 cm in diameter.

If it's an extended outage due to a storm, be aware that internet and even cell service might be out or unreliable. If your family is online a lot, save some movies on a laptop, or consider a dedicated DVD player with plenty of battery time, a screen, and some DVDs of funny movies so you can have movie nights. The kids in particular might struggle with a 24/7 analog lifestyle if it comes on them suddenly, and once the novelty has worn off, they'll really like a movie as a treat.

These are great suggestions, thanks so much