Real talk here – the Coronavirus threat and our government’s reactions are getting real – real fast! As a Prepper you have already contemplated times like this and likely prepared. You have freeze-dried food in your home – ideally enough for 30+ days, water storage for a week, OTC medication, emergency cash, and tons of other prepper items to keep your family safe. Now that travel bans are being issued and quarantines instituted, what should a Prepper do?
Several stores are limiting the amount of in-demand items customers are allowed to buy as folks stockpile supplies amid the spread of the new coronavirus.
At Wegmans, customers are being limited to four one-gallon jugs per order of water or three per order of hand sanitizer and hydrogen peroxide. The same goes for one per order of disinfecting wipes and one per order of bath tissue. At ShopRite, shoppers can buy up to four disinfectant sprays, fever-reducing medicines, gloves/masks, bleach, soap, bottled water or household cleaning wipes.
Public health officials have generally been recommending against stockpiling items. David Damsker, director of the Bucks County Health Department, told The Philadelphia Inquirer ”folks should buy the things they normally buy because otherwise, it causes a domino effect that then leads to more stockpiling”.
They hope at some point people will depend on the government for even the basic necessities.
Imagine yourself stuck in your home for weeks and possibly a month or two. Granted we will probably have the option to leave a getting food (like in Italy), but do you really want to if you don’t need to? I would advise everyone to think about their limiting factors during an extended stay and let’s find the most cost-effective way to be prepared.
Most of the standard supplies we would recommend are either sold out online or the prices have increased to ridiculous amounts!
Let’s look at some of the common items to keep at your home for bugging in during a pandemic quarantine, and good options right now considering the shortages and price gauging.
What Happens With A Pandemic During A Collapse?
While many may look at these recent examples of pandemics or outbreaks, as something that was just a blip on their radar, unfortunately, it can get much worse.
What happens when a disease like COVID-19 shows up that we cannot control?
When you walk through the steps leading up to a pandemic disaster, it can start rather benign and then, quickly, get out of control.
After the first 10,000 people are sick we saw headlines everywhere. We saw that when it came to the Ebola in the past and we see this every year in America with the flu, and we see it now when an uncontrollable disease is infecting our world.
After 10,000,000 people are sick you are going to be looking at a new disease that could rival the number of people who get sick each year from the flu. This will be particularly true if we have not created a cure for this illness and if it is highly communicable.
Beyond that number, the question arises: When do we reach a point when essentials services become affected by the number of people who are ill and dying?
- Trash Collection
- Water Treatment
- Electricity
- Gas and Heat
- Police and Fire
Just these few essential services will have a detrimental impact on society and can cause chaos. Before long we will be facing not only the sickness but also the desperate people who are looking for food, clean water, medicine for their kids and any other number of items that might be necessary for a person to sustain themselves and their families.
Food For Your Family
The prevalence of grocery stores in our lives makes people a bit complacent when it comes to adequately prepare their emergency food supplies. Many Preppers choose to have only a 72 hour supply of food and essentials in their home, relying on the hope that they will be able to access outside resources soon after a disaster.
Unfortunately, that is often not the case. It is essential to have a 30 day supply of survival food instead of a 72-hour supply and Freezed Dried is far superior to canned
My go-to food prep is the Augason Farms 30-day bucket. It’s effective, lasts for up to 30 years, stores very easily in my closet, and up until now was very cost-effective! With the Coronavirus outbreak, others have gotten wise and either the buckets are sold out, or they are priced at a crazy level.
I would NOT recommend buying these buckets until things get back to normal and the prices go down. For now, you don’t need food that can last 30 years, you need food to possibly last through spring or summer.
Here is how I would suggest you consider your food preps.
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Immediate Food in the Pantry and Fridge (2 weeks) – Eat this first
Keep buying your groceries like you normally would. Buy your eggs, milk, bread, fruits and veggies, and other normal perishable items as if it was a normal week. This should be your go-to food while things are still functioning.
I would envision your normal weekly groceries covering about a week’s worth of eating, then possibly another week when you clean out the freezer and pantry.
Food in the Back Closet (1-2 weeks) – Eat this next
Given that things may be a bit crazy for weeks or months, I would advise you to immediately get some groceries that last longer and are nutrient-dense. Think about things like peanut butter, beans, rice, apple sauce, pasta, and sauce.
Food items that your family certainly uses, but you could put in a back closet for weeks or months in case you really need them. I would target stockpiling a few weeks worth of this food as quickly as you can.
Survival Food in the Closet (4 weeks) – Eat this last!
Finally, to the Prepper staple – the MRE or freeze-dried food. As mentioned, all Preppers should already have some of this, but if you find yourself without – I would consider buying what you can to cover your family in case things get really bad.
The 30-day bucket is out of the question given the price, so what are the other options?
Consider buying smaller packages 10 cans instead. These come in a wide variety of food and flavor options as well as brands. It will take more work to put together a selection that provides quality nutrition while also tasting okay enough to keep up moral. I would add the following as an alternative to the 30-day bucket – go pick your favorite foods of course. Consider meal planning to an extent and plan for approximately 2,000 calories per day for each person.
Water Storage
In a pandemic type scenario, water security is of less concern than food. The water should still flow and be okay to drink Unless somehow the plant went down or the power was out for an extended period of time or course.
5-7 Gallon Storage
I would normally recommend that everyone use large 5-7 gallon storage containers to keep enough water for everyone in the house for a week (1 gallon per person per day – plus a little extra for good measure). For my family of 5, I have 5 containers that each holds 7 gallons. Prices for these have gone up too much though, so let’s think about what else we could use.
Emergency Bathtub Storage
In addition, I would advise Preppers to also have the bathtub water storage options to secure 100+ gallons right before things get really bad. This is more applicable for hurricanes or something major that you can see coming ahead of time. Not completely applicable in this case, but not bad to consider keeping handy.
Unfortunately, with the Coronavirus scare, these items are both either sold out or priced way higher than they were a few weeks ago.
Other Water Purification Options
In addition to good old fashion boiling, I would suggest everyone has at least 1 alternative way to filter and purify their drinking water. Who knows if the power or gas may be out for some time. It’s best to always have a backup and for now, since there is not a high demand for them they are at their regular price. Don’t wait until the demand will skyrocket and prices as well.
OTC Medications
In the early days of a serious outbreak, (like the one we are facing right now) there may be lots of help and you might even be able to find a doctor. If so, you will be lucky. What you need is to be able to survive without a doctor.
Preppers and people with kids in the house should always have a ready stock of OTC medications to dispense as required. We have found your OTC stash to be incredibly valuable and in the case of Benadryl, it could be nearly life-saving for allergic reactions.
Lucky for us, there is still a ready supply of OTC medications available these days. If you have a prescription – I would consider trying to get extra to have as much at home as possible.
With Coronavirus, you should prepare as if everyone in your household is going to get sick at some point. You could go out and get supplies then, but why risk it. Buy what you need now and have a supply just in case. I promise you will use them at some time, so nothing will go to waste.
In my state, you must buy Sudafed from a pharmacy – get some of that while you can and consider adding the following as well.
It May Sound Extreme, But Be Prepared Now!
I don’t want to come off as extreme or alarmist. No one knows if this will all blow over in weeks or months and life will get back to normal. In the meantime, I would much rather be prepared ahead of time instead of scrambling to provide for my family!
Consider your situation and make sure you are ready for an extended time in your home! Also, make sure you have some good books or other things to keep you busy while you should be “working!”
Also, I highly recommend this book to everyone. 300 pages, color paperback. The Lost Book of Remedies is helping Americans achieve medical self-sufficiency even in the darkest times using the time-tested methods of our grandparents without spending lots of money on toxic drugs and without side effects. A great asset when doctors and hospitals won’t be available anymore. You may not be Claude Davis, but you can make use of his procedures and techniques to increase your chances of survival!
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