New Prepper Email Questions [With Answers]

All-  I received this email from KD and wanted to share my thoughts.  See below in red and feel free to add your comments and advice in the comment section!

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Hello – I appreciate your website re: EMP (which I just became aware of).  My husband and friends think I’m loony for preparing for it.  [While it might seem humorous, it truly is best if your family is on board with your prep journey…especially if there is money involved.  Not saying this can happen overnight so it’s best to have the discussions and feel out what is considered reasonable.  Going “all in” right from the jump might not work in your favor.]  I figure if not EMP, *something* is more likely to happen than not and EMP seems like a good template for preparation (whether or not cell phones, computers and cars are non-functional, if I can prepare as if they *would* be, I’d be set for almost all scenarios.  I’m not making a bug-out bag – convince me why I should. [I can’t convince you to do anything, nor should I really.  I can provide you with an opinion but in order for you to embrace something you should be fully on board with the rationale behind it.  While you might not “need” a BOB, a general survival bag (which could double as a BOB) which you keep with you at all times just might come in handy.]

I’m wishing I had a link for:

1- How to stock up for an EMP event *especially* food ideas.  We have two children with special needs (gluten free, dairy free, no tomatoes, eggs, legumes or nuts for one of them).  I’m concerned that if we didn’t have his food for a month, he’ll get really constipated.  We are a family of four otherwise (8 year old and 6 year old).  [Lots of survival food purveyors out there, and since your kids have special dietary needs it doesn’t necessarily mean you can only choose food in buckets with a 25 year shelf life.  You’ll probably have to adapt your plan and FWIW, here is a good article I found on the basics of Gluten Free Prepping.]

2- How to get the kids from school.  Each child attends a separate school, so we’d need to figure out who gets who and how.  I wish I could talk with the teachers about it (that we’d come get Child 1 in particular, eventually, with a stroller – he has Down syndrome/Autism), and to please keep him at school or leave a note on the door of the class saying where they have taken him (a house down the street?)  I wish I could leave some food supplies for him at school but I’m worried they’ll think I’m a wing nut.  Suggestions welcome. [This is a tough one for two reasons: your kids are young and you really have no control of the situation if you are 25 miles away if/when something happens.  I suggest you and your husband have a plan A, B and C which involves defined parameters of who does what if communication lines are down.  If one of you is at home and the other is on one side of town, responsibilities are known and executed.  If both of you are at work and something happens, you move to plan A and if that is squashed you have a secondary and tertiary plan of action.  Planning and rehearsals alleviate anxiety once bad things start to happen.]

3- A link for first aid supplies we might need and why.  We live in Chicagoland area.  It occurs to me that since we live on a huge fault line, an earthquake could occur, causing lots of damage.  People might be hurt.  I’m rusty on my first aid.  What should we make sure to have?  [I have a good friend who often says, if T-SHTF and something happens where you would need a helicopter ride to a trauma center, you’ll probably die anyways.  Let’s face it even the best surgeons need a trained staff and lots of equipment to make things happen these days, and just because some of us own Where There Is No Doctor doesn’t mean that we’re going to extract bullets from a stomach or stitch arteries together.  It is to laugh!  Best thing you can do is prepare for basic field first aid and get a supply kit which would assist with that.  Here is a link to the Combat Lifesaver study guide, and a link to a pretty robust first aid kit.  Consider adding some Quikclot and some Israeli bandages.]

4- Would battery operated flashlights and a short-wave radio work after an EMP?  And would short-wave be the best way to learn news?  Or AM radio? [It really is anyone’s best guess.  I might have some radio equipment stored in what I believe to be EMP proof devices but these items haven’t been tested.  I do believe battery operated devices will function normally.]

Otherwise, here is my list I’ve been working on:

• Light – battery operated flashlights
• Radio – short wave
• Food
• First aid kit
• Bike
• Map of area roads and water sources (rivers)
• Lighters, matches, hand sanitizer
• Cash

I’m thinking we should make a box to keep in the trunk of each car if something happens when we’re on the road/not at home: walking shoes, high-calorie foods, flashlight…what else…?

[Reference the above list, I suggest prioritizing by whatever you feel is necessary first and foremost.  What’s more important if T-SHTF and you could only have one, a bike or food?  Cash or a flashlight?  Additionally instead of a box in each vehicle I revert back to my advice of having a survival / bugout / get home back instead.  Better a pack you can shoulder and walk with if necessary than a rubbermaid 40 gallon tub which is worthless.]

I’d appreciate any help.  And many thanks,

KD

[Thanks for writing in and I hope the answers were helpful!]