HVAC1 - Merle Haggard Appreciator ᛉ 🏴‍☠️

A writeup I did in 2012 for emergency supplies... edit at will. discuss. I have a major responsibility. My family. They have to have food, shelter, water. I started really considering the logistics of how to evacuate the Tampa area in case of a hurricane. What do I need, how much? I found the Food Insurance website and liked the emergency backpack. I sat down and analyzed my needs. three kids, fourteen, five, three and my wife and myself. I came up with some shocking numbers for someone who does NOT know about survival and logistics. Up to 12 liters a day in water alone. That is 12 X 2.2lbs per liter – 26 pounds of water. Up to 15000 calories a day. ** Note, this can be rationed down for me, but not for the youngest kids, they are skinny enough) ** Your essentials kit weighs 21 lbs. and would last all of us for 4 days. What if we are mobile? Notice your essentials kit does NOT include valid emergency fire making gear? Yeah, that is a bad thing. So, below are what I want to have on a daily basis. What have I added to your kits? __________________ Three year old - one liter of water - 1200 calories of three year old food - wipes - milk -vitamins Five year old - 1.5 liters of water - 1500 to 1800 calories - clothes - milk - vitamins ordance 14 year old - two to three liters (call it three for heavy exercise or lots of movement - 2000 to 4000 calories - clothes - milk - vitamins - protein Wife - three liters a day - 2000 calories - clothes - monthly supplies Me - three to five liters a day (depending on the output level and environment) - 4000 to 6000 calories - vitamins - protein bars - clothes - ammo - ordnance I have added the following: 1 Firesticks (self igniting starters ) 2 Matches 3 Instant potatoes in individual packages 4 Ammo in select pouches 5 Vacuum sealed toilet paper 6 Camp washes 7 Camp stove cooking material 8 4 knives 9 Fliet knife 10 Knife sharpener 11 Hydrastorm water bladder (three liters) 12 Two liter water bladders for each child 13 Three liter water bladder for my wife. 14 Forks and knives 15 Trash bags 16 Ziplock bags 17 GRMS radios that also do emergency alerts and weather alerts. 18 Two flashlights per bag 19 Batteries for the lights. 20 Chem sticks WOW. This things weighs in at 43 lbs without the water and ammo. Each kid has a back pack and a water bladder. Again, assume you are mobile. We have a large vehicle. That is only as good as long as we have fuel. That can carry the 12 liters of water per day the family needs. The logistics gets more complicated. No where in here do you see batteries or other types of communications gear, nor ways to charge said gear. Assume one week on the road, seven days. - 21 Liters of water per day * 7 = 147 liters of water. Can you guess? 343 LBS of water. 5 people. One essentials kit will feed us at 4 days. With the extras, call it 6 (ish) - 43 lbs each = 258 LBS of food. That is without adding to the food with what we can barter or trade or hunt. If you want to know why you need an emergency kit? Look at New York. Look at Baton Rouge, look at what happens when you DON’T have one. I know, I know Fear mongering. Yes. I fear that my children will go, " Daddy I am thirsty!" and I am no where near getting clean water. What do I wish you could add to your kits? Hand vacuum pumps and reusable storage bags. I use something and then pump the air out as much as I can. Saves space and if it is sealed, less chance of water intrusion or animal or insect. A real calculator for someone to plan what they really need. Solar systems for 12 volt charging and 5 volt charging Chem sticks – the GOOD ones that really last 8 hours. Water bladders with a pump filter attachment. A NICE bag that will really support the weight needed. A pistol or rifle attachment point Easy access ammo attachment points.