This article was originally published by Joshua Krause at Tess Pennington’s Ready Nutrition. Tess is the author of the widely popular The Prepper’s Blueprint.
This month Ready Nutrition is hosting a contest and giving away 26 awesome prizes worth over $1,000. You can enter to win by clicking here.
One of the things that makes some folks a little uneasy around preppers, is our inherent fear and disdain for the government. I’m sure it’s not like that for everyone, but I’ve yet to meet a prepper who puts a whole lot of faith in the authorities. We know that governments often fail to protect their citizens during an emergency, and we would much rather take our fate into our own hands, thank you very much.
Most people however, have at least a little trust in governing bodies, and believe that when things go bad, some highly trained professional with a badge is going to swoop down and save them. “Isn’t that why we pay our taxes?” they must mutter to themselves. With that in mind, it’s not all that surprising to discover that the average person would find your lack of faith in the government, to be disturbing.
I’ve often suspected that one of the reasons why they still think the government has their best interest at heart, is that on the surface, the authorities love to promote preparedness, or at least their brand of it. Any time there is an impending disaster, the media will often read verbatim, some preparedness checklist of supplies and tips that was put together by some government agency (these basic kits that they want all citizens to have on hand, are often comically underwhelming compared to what most preppers have squirreled away). These government preps often lead people to believe that the authorities just want them to be safe. If they didn’t, as those paranoid preppers often claim, then why would they even bother telling us to stock up on vital supplies?
If you take one look at many of these checklists however, you’ll have every reason to believe that the government doesn’t give a damn about your survival. I was actually a little optimistic before I started searching for these checklists, and thought that maybe, hidden away somewhere on the internet, there was a government document that gave useful advice for long-term survival. Boy was I disappointed.
Let’s start with ready.gov, and their brief checklist of essential survival supplies:
- Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
- Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape toshelter-in-place
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Manual can opener for food
- Local maps
- Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger
That’s actually not a bad list, and if you look at their website you’ll find a few more useful items. However, why do they only suggest a three day supply of food and water? While most disasters don’t disrupt society for more than three days, it’s not exactly unheard of either. Would it kill most people to prepare a month or even a week supply of food and water? I mean, I have more than a week supply of food and it’s hardly a burden. Oh well, let’s move on to the CDC’s checklist.
Food and Water
Electronics
- Flashlight
- Battery powered, solar, or hand crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
- Cell phone with chargers
- Extra batteries
Health and safety supplies
- First aid kit
- Medicine (7-day supply), other medical supplies, and paperwork about any serious or on-going medical condition
- Emergency blanket
- Soap, toothbrush, and other personal care items
You should also keep:
- Family and emergency contact information
- Multipurpose tool
- Copies of important documents such as insurance cards, immunization records, etc.
- Extra cash
- Map(s) of the area
- Extra set of car keys and house keys
Well this sounds like an improvement. They list a few more items like cash and a multipurpose tool, and they suggest a 7 day supply of medication. Still not enough in my book, but it’s a step up. However, they leave the food and water situation open to interpretation. That’s kind of a big deal right? I thought they just wanted you to decide how much you should stock up on depending on the situation, until I read their checklist for pets, which suggests you only stock up on a three day’s supply of chow for your doggie. I can only assume that this applies to humans as well.
Alright, let’s move on to the big leagues: FEMA!
- Three-day supply of non-perishable food.
- Three-day supply of water – one gallon of water per person, per day.
- Portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra batteries.
- Flashlight and extra batteries.
- First aid kit and manual.
- Sanitation and hygiene items (moist towelettes and toilet paper).
- Matches and waterproof container.
- Whistle.
- Extra clothing.
- Kitchen accessories and cooking utensils, including a can opener.
- Photocopies of credit and identification cards.
- Cash and coins.
- Special needs items, such as prescription medications, eye glasses, contact lens
- solutions, and hearing aid batteries.
- Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers
- Other items to meet your unique family needs
Other items to meet my family’s unique needs you say? But what if my family has a unique need FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS OF FOOD AND WATER! My God. Is this a meme among government agencies? Were all of these lists written by the same bureaucrat? Or does the government just not want you to survive on your own for more than three days?
Actually that sounds about right, but let’s move on to NOAA’s checklist. I’ve never heard anything terrible about them. Maybe they have a solid plan.
- Water-1 gallon per person per day (3 day supply for evacuation and 2 week supply for home
- Food-a 3 day supply of non-perishable food for evacuation, 2 week supply for home
Finally. It appears that there is at least one government agency out there that wouldn’t have me and mine starving after three days. This list was actually the best I could find. It’s not perfect, but I give them major kudos for including one really basic item that none of the others would. A knife. Well, a utility knife anyway, which if my memory serves, is just a box cutter. Better than nothing I suppose.
That actually brings me to the biggest problem I have with these lists. None of them ask you to stock up on the tools you need to defend yourself. Now I know that they probably don’t want the masses taking to the streets with assault rifles every time there is an emergency. No government (aside from the Swiss) wants that. But would it kill them to at least vaguely mention the possibility that someone might want to hurt you or steal your stuff during a disaster? I mean, it’s not unheard of.
The NOAA list was the only one that came even came close to preparing you for that possibility with their pathetic “utility knife,” and perhaps the CDC list with their “multitool.” I know that’s not why they listed these items, but at least they wouldn’t send you out into the world with nothing but 3 days of food and your bare hands.
But what can you do? That’s government preparedness for you. For the most part, it seems they want to prepare you to come crawling to them for food, water, and protection after only three days. The thought of you actually surviving on your own for more than a weekend must be abhorrent to them.
Joshua Krause was born and raised in the Bay Area. He is a writer and researcher focused on principles of self-sufficiency and liberty at Ready Nutrition. You can follow Joshua’s work at our Facebook page.
This month Ready Nutrition is hosting a contest and giving away 26 awesome prizes worth over $1,000. You can enter to win by clicking here.
You can also always ask your doc for additional meds you’re on so you’ll have a stash. I know there are websites where you can buy antibiotics for your stash as well. And for those on insulin, great idea to keep some cold paks frozen in your freezer and one of those thermal bags to keep it cool. Even if the power is off you can keep it in the fridge with some effect. Don’t need to add diabetic shock to whatever the general emergency happens to be.
I think Katrina proved that we don’t need to worry, the government will be there to help us.
Prep to be self-sufficient for more than a month and the government now sees you as an “anti-government, survivalist/prepper, and potential home grown terrorist”.
Funny how times have changed. Before the days of the supermarket and when farming was still a large segment of the population, the concept of stocking up during the harvest season to last through the winter months was normal common sense. Essentially one would have roughly a year’s supply of food in order to make it through to the next harvest.
Today stock up a full year’s supply of food and you’re considered some kind of paranoid crazy person.
Back during Hurricane Harvey I had water pipes break and those pipes were buried where the ground was so wet I had to wait for several weeks for the ground to dry enough to get out there and repair them. I can tell you for a fact that one gallon of water per person per day isn’t nearly enough.
ASIG,
No one, and I mean absolutely no one, needs to know what you have.
You get into trouble about what you let people know, not what you don’t let them know.
Those lists are laughable.
It’s possible they suggest a 3- day supply because most people don’t begin to have even THAT much. The idea is to motivate people to make preps necessary for their survival, recognizing that most people would be so daunted by the list of preps required for 2 weeks, or 6 months, or a year, that they wouldn’t bother to do anything at all. The 3 day list recognizes that most people are living so close to the edge economically, that many are lucky they can make their tiny paychecks keep them in food and utilities to the end of the month. Also, many people are space-constrained- think the typical family of 5 living in a small house or apartment- and don’t have the space for more than 3 days worth of stuff for most family members.
One government employee told me that the idea is to get people to do SOMETHING, anything. They know that most people have done nothing at all and figure that if people at least have 3 days worth of everything, that the burden on emergency services will be lessened by that much.
I have about a month’s worth of food, water, and personal supplies sitting around. Most people I know at least are thinking about this and gradually laying in more supplies. But money is tight, and for most, next month’s mortgage payment or layoff looms. When I see what it costs just to keep a family of 2 or 3 kids in food, and see how much 80% of the population earns, I have to figure most are doing well if they can prep for 3 days, let alone a month.
@Anon
“No one, and I mean absolutely no one, needs to know what you have.”
I should have qualified my statement by saying “If anyone were to find out”.
So for sure , no one knows what I have.
Spend the $20 for a small hiking water filter- the Sawyer Mini is nice, just don’t let it freeze.
After the Haitian earthquake, people would probably have killed to obtain a water filter.
This is supposedly an analysis of a video from 2013, but I did not find the original. Kinda of freaky…maybe the fuzzy picture was supposed to be the “Global Coastal Event” predicted by Clif High (halfpasthuman.com) as well as Courtney Brown (farsight.org) that was going to happen in 2013? Sometimes Clif High’s webot predictions are a few years off. Lots of chatter about a tsunami coming to the east coast.
Time to head for the hills?
Go buy a thousand cans of tuna /pork and beans. Do the math you’re see it makes sense.
The .gov is paying lip service. They don’t give a shit about you.
On another note, I’ve mentioned before that I was a long distance mover with United Van lines, and a few other outfits. As a mover, I got a first hand look at what people have in the way of….well, everything. The agency I worked for had us do our own pack jobs and then load the trailer, as opposed to most movers who have one crew for packing boxes, and then an outside driver comes in to load the trailer. So I got to see the pantry and kitchen of thousands of households. Here’s what I discovered.
Most people don’t have enough food stored to feed them for more than 2-3 days, some MAY have something to eat for a week, but their diet will include cat food.. Most of the stuff in the pantry are condiments, and kitchen appliances. The exception was the Mormans. They are supposed to store a years worth of food for every family member, plus a little more for charity. I moved maybe a dozen Mormans, and most did just that, but a couple families just did the minimum they could for show.
BTW, most Mormans have guns, and very, very few executives I moved had guns. Keep in mind that most of the moves were corporate executives or rich people. We didn’t do a lot of working class people.
You know what most of the upper middle class guys had in their home for defense? You guessed it! A baseball bat in the closet or under the bed. That’s it. But just about all of them had two or three sets of golf clubs. The idiots will pay $100 for a putter, but not one cent for a used shotgun that they could buy for $50.
They and their loved ones will be meat on the table for Tyrone, Deshawn and Ray-Ray when they come busting in.
I could tell you a lot more about the “behind the doors” habits of the upper middle class, but not today.