What to include in a vegetarian survival and disaster preparation kit.

Suggested Survival Preparedness For Vegetarians

Of course, food isn't the only thing you need to be prepared for an emergency situation. You should also have a Disaster Supply Kit ready in advance. If you stock up ahead of time on vital ingredients and supplies, you can ensure a more comfortable situation and reduce costly errors from being unprepared. Our supply list includes common-sense things, like bottled water, flashlights, a manual can opener. Also keep your important papers handy. And, of course, enough nonperishable food to last a week or more. Below is our basic list that can be adapted to suit your own needs. We use it more as a basic checklist, with several more specific lists added to this one. Survival Supply List: Potable drinking water - 1 gallon per person per day Radio Flashlights Extra batteries Food--enough non-perishable pantry food for a week Portable butane/propane stove (or other safe way to cook food ) A complete first-aid kit Toilet Paper, Paper cups, plates and mess kits Manual can opener Pots and pans and other kitchen tools (if evacuating) Candles, lamps, and lamp oil Utility knife Matches in a waterproof container Plastic zip-lock bags Aluminum foil Plastic storage containers with lids Needles and thread Plastic sheeting Wrenches to turn off household gas and water Clean dry clothes in waterproof bag Pet supplies: food, water, bowls, collar/leash, litter box, I.D., carriers (if evacuation is necessary) Legal documents, insurance papers, and bank and utility bills in watertight container

Other considerations: Keep recent computer backup discs with your Disaster Emergency Kit. (we also stash one in the safety deposit box at the bank) Keep personal and daily routine medicines together Keep set of supplies in car, including food, water, first aid kit, sleeping bags, blankets, etc. Keep your gas tanks full - Gasoline will be unavailable if the power goes out because the pumps operate by electricity. Therefore, it's a good idea to fill up regularly, especially before an approaching storm.

The best advice is to be prepared. As long as you have a roof over your head and basic supplies, a to prepare food, and a way to boil water, you've won half the battle.

"The Top Ten lessons from a Hurricane Survivor"

Lesson 10: Know your insurance policy The last hurricane season was a costly and puzzling lesson about insurance for millions. Getting prepared for the next season might help keep those costs at a minimum and reduce some of the confusion. Lesson 9: Stock up on the right things When hurricane season started last year, many paid little attention. Those who didn't buy any supplies and continued going about their everyday life suffered. Lesson 8: Trim your trees before the storm hits Preparation is the best protection for trees before the next hurricane strikes, experts say. Lesson 7: Forecasts are not always accurate The forecast maps may show a hurricane heading straight toward some other location, but the hurricane can suddenly swerve toward you.

Lesson 6: Gas up and protect your vehicle You may not be able to get gas after the hurricane hits (no power, no gas, nothing). Lesson 5: Don't flee too far -- or at all, in some cases Follow the advice of the emergency local authorities. Lesson 4: Know your workplace policies If you're thinking of skipping work during a hurricane, think twice. You could lose your job. Get authorization for absences as much in advance as possible. Lesson 3: Don't panic -- learn to cope with boredom Have things for the whole family to do. Prepare games and hobbies that can be done without power. Have plenty to read available. Lesson 2: Do some quick emergency repairs The morning after the big hurricane has blown through, start what you can to protect your property and possessions. Lesson 1: Don't be a fool -- and you'll live to tell the tale Don't take chances. Stay in a safe place until there's no danger in leaving.

"Hurricane Survival Guide"

Before the Storm: General

Listen to the radio, watch television news, or read online news sources to keep abreast of developing tropical systems. Keep close track of storms that may head in your general direction. Don't be caught flat-footed. Know the hurricane evacuation routes for your area. Buy a state map or, better yet, an atlas that can provide you with parallel routes away from an impending storm. Make sure any vital medical prescriptions are filled in advance of an impending storm. Make hotel reservations several days in advance "just in case." Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Before the Storm: Around the House Secure any outside objects. Bikes, toys, plants and other outdoor items can be carried away by wind and water, often at unpleasant velocities. Board up your windows if possible, or tape them with duct tape in an asterisk pattern (*) if that is your only option. This serves to reinforce the glass.

Before the Storm: Transportation Fill your gas tank several days in advance, and keep it topped off. Check your vehicle's fluids, and belts, making sure to top off your windshield washer fluid and coolants. Make sure your tires are in good shape, and make sure your spare tire is inflated. Make sure your tires have adequate tread. See manufacturers guidelines.

Before the Storm: Personal Create a "bug-out bag." This is an emergency evacuation bag of bare essentials you may need in an emergency. In this bag (preferably a backpack) include: 1. small battery-operated AM/FM radio with fresh batteries for same 2. two waterproof flashlights and/or battery operated lanterns with fresh batteries for same 3. cell phone and charger 4. disposable lighter and waterproof matches 5. personal toiletries including toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hand sanitizer, and other personal hygiene products as applicable 6. first aid kit with painkillers, bandages, and band aids 7. duct tape (minimum 2 rolls)

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

sturdy pocket knife hammer and pry bar box of nails blankets (multiple) clothes socks rain gear boots enough non-perishable, ready-to-eat food and water (1 gallon per person per day) for three days 17. last but not least, all insurance information, property, vehicle, life, and medical Create a contacts list. Include an I.C.E. "in case of emergency" number Put an I.C.E. notification with your ID and store it in your cell phone Before the Storm: Evacuation Pack "bug-out bag" and supplies including food and water into vehicle. Make one last check to make sure outdoor items are secured. Cut off all electrical switches, appliances, televisions, lights, etc. Before you leave, contact your I.C.E. person and let him/her know where you are going. Make sure all windows are closed tightly and locked. Lock all doors. Leave. Anticipate high winds and driving rain. Stay calm, drive slowly. Allow plenty of time to arrive at your destination. Beware of standing water. Call your I.C.E. contact when you arrive safely.

During the Storm Moving away from the hurricane will most likely reduce the effects of a hurricane, but it cannot eliminate risks entirely, even hundreds of miles inland.

Duct tape windows in asterisk or "star" pattern (*). Stay away from windows. Draw blinds and curtains, if possible, to contain glass in the event of a break.

Stay inside, away from windows and doors especially during the eye of the storm. Winds restart again quickly with extreme velocities as the eyes pass and the wind shifts 180 degrees. Stay near interior walls. If the winds are very strong, move into an interior bathroom where the building is likely to be strongest. Do not leave unless flooding is imminent or you are instructed to do so by authorities.

After the Storm Stay off the road and away from affected areas until authorities clear the area for your return. Watch for downed power lines and other debris in roads. Be very careful of standing pools of water and, especially, flowing water. Watch for displaced wildlife, poisonous snakes, fireants, and abandoned pets. All can present hazards. Watch for dangerous debris (wear boots). Lookout for injured people and animals. Call authorities if possible. Do not become a tourist. Go home, and stay home. Secure your property. Take stock of any damage. Catalog for insurance purposes.

Again, this list is hardly comprehensive, and cannot anticipate special needs or unexpected situations. It is however, a start.

"Focus on protein sources"

I've thought about a survival kit already, so here's my take:

1. 2.

Have one kit in the car and one at work, as well as ample stocks at home. You may be able to get vegan food in a disaster, but you can count on not getting vegan protein. For that reason your survival kit should focus on protein sources.

My basics for the car and work are canned beans and bean-based soups, tetrapak soup (Imagine), individual packs of soymilk, vegan (Clif) energy bars and crackers. SELECT LOW-SODIUM ITEMS, AS YOUR DIET MAY CONSIST ENTIRELY OF THESE FOODS. Since you may not have access to fresh fruit or vegetables for a while, also keep some vitamin C on hand. I also keep a small bottle of spirits (vodka, brandy, etc.). Sometimes it's just what you (or others) need to relax, and it can be used as an antiseptic. 4. Plenty of water. 5. Remember to rotate the perishable foods every few months. 6. Another item people should store away from home is a can of powdered soy or rice protein. I would assume that for several days, one would have access to bread, crackers, dried and canned fruits etc. from one's work cafeteria, local stores, people's houses, etc. The difficult thing will be vegan protein and vitamin C. I gave just the basics. One could add dried fruits, tea, favorite cereal, premade tea, etc. "Treats" for bargaining would also be good. But with most of these additions one runs into the problem of things getting stale. Canned and tetrapak items last longer.

3.

"Quick meals and plenty water"

I keep on hand some quick vegetarian meals and plenty of water. These can be found at many stores and specially stores. These are single serve meals that I keep in case of evacuation. All are vegetarian and some are even vegan. For emergencies such as being stuck in a snowstorm and unable to go to the grocery store, I have dehydrated and dried food products. These also require plenty of water. That site also has a lot of other emergency items such as camp stoves, which would be useful when there is no power. Of course one also needs a can opener, serving utensils, dental floss, matches (in case one needs to make a fire), etc. I just realized that a thermos is a good idea. When you obtain something warm, get two servings and keep one.

Vegetarian Survival
I now wonder if you have given space to the underlying motivation of those of us who do not eat dead animals, as well as those who do not eat the products of those farm animals or other harvested sentient beings who may have lived in misery and died in pain. Some of our Vegetarian/Vegan community must follow their diets for continued health while others follow special diets from ethics, religious, or political beliefs. Indigenous people, and those of many religions, have often blessed animals prepared for food. With the strength of survival, such a person could carry the to the safety of more resources.

"More Items for Your Survival Kit "

I took both a desert and a winter survival class when I was a kid. I know that's not hurricane territory, but many of the ideas are solid for emergency preparedness kits for use anywhere. plus, many of the items we used were simple to find, cheap, safe and multipurpose. this was many moons ago, but here's some of what's stuck with me: 1. 2. Duct tape -- can be used for everything from patching tents/mosquito nets to shoe repair to making makeshift rope (as well as taping stuff together, of course). Black plastic garbage bags -- keep stuff dry in it, inflate it as floatation device, use it as rain gear/tarp, crawl inside it and (with the aid of your body heat) stay warm. can also use it to construct a very simple solar still so that you can create your own fresh water source. Dryer lint -- robust, lightweight and one of the best fire starters available -- better than kindlng. no wonder they tell you to clean out your lint trap/dryer hose! Date-nut/-seed bars -- high energy and protein food that doesn't go bad, doesn't require adding water or cooking, is easy to store and transport. A roll/ball of twine Mirror, whistle, etc -- signal devices Common sense -- don't be an idiot. man doesn't conquer nature. Pay attention to weather conditions, emergency officials, and intuition. Check other lists for ideas and learn to share before disaster strikes!

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

What About Us Frozen Northern Icicles?

Hi, there. I was reading your page because I started looking for a recipe containing pistachios, and I found you and got diverted. One of the ideas I had concerning natural disasters (and other disasters as well) was that you must live somewhere warm and southern. You don't have any mention of freezing weather and blizzards and nasty power outages and how to prepare for that. I live in Wisconsin and along the way I've learned to keep spare gloves, hats, blankets, jeans and scarves in the trunk of my car because the weather can go from nice to treacherous in nothing flat and to wear layers. Bottled water and food freezes like a rock in the trunk of your car overnight. To have both a shovel and a long scraper back there, too. I've also learned that AAA can be swamped when you are off the road in a ditch buried in snow, where they can't see you anyway even if someone could get to you in the next 4 hours.

Fortuna Favet Paratus (Fortune Favors the Prepared)

Every American should keep a survival kit (including most of the items listed by others above), as well as extra food and water. I saw a couple of suggestions, however, that I think need re-visiting. One was the suggestion to purchase Dried Foods and have plenty of water on-hand. I would suggest that instead of relying exclusively on dried foods that must have water added, stock plenty of heat-and-eat type soups, pastas, etc. Fresh, clean water could be at a premium in a crisis, so you don't want to have to use up all your stored water reconstituting your food. The second suggestion I would re-evaluate was to have "at least a week's worth" of stores on hand. I would seriously suggest that EVERY American should have AT LEAST three month's worth of stored food. As for food, you don't have to buy everything all at once. When you go to the store, buy one or two extra of (non-perishable) food items that you normally buy. It does you no good to buy "emergency food" if you don't normally eat that type of food. You will have enough stress in a crisis to worry about what your food tastes like, or how to prepare it. Make sure you include comfort foods, and foods that are easy to prepare without a great deal of cooking. You're also going to have to have some way to heat/cook food. Perhaps easiest is a propane camp stove. Just make sure you provide fresh air (to avoid CO poisoning), and stock extra tanks of propane. As for water, you should attempt to store as much water as possible, given space considerations. In a crisis situation, every person should have available a minimum of one gallon of water per day. A month's worth of water for a family of four makes that more than 120 GALLONS! Beware those "Three-Day Emergency Packs" that sell you

something like "(6) 4-oz water pouches" per person. This is only 8-oz of water per day per person, which is ONE CUP (or ~236 ml), and the average adult, AT REST, in a comfortable climate, must have about 800 ml per day AT A MINIMUM to drink, this means about 3.5 to 4 cups per day. Strenuous activity or hot or cold conditions could increase this requirement by three or four times. In addition to storing water, store water purification tablets/bleach, water filters (camping-type that removes cysts, etc.), or extra fuel to boil water (worst option). In a cold emergency, don't eat snow, but melt it first. Eating snow can dangerously lower your body temperature.

Here are my items to focus on in a preparedness kit.

In a large box or BACKPACK, stocked and ready to go: lightweight sleeping bag sleep "sack" of cotton or hemp extra t-shirt and sweater, socks, underwear small cotton towel or washcloth emergency candles (like 120 hour Nuwick), matches solar flashlights wind-up/solar radio toothbrush, hairbrush, comb, shampoo, dental floss, tissues can opener a dozen healthy food bars (natural version of Powerbars) raw chocolate dried soup mixes, or, 8 freeze dried meals from a camping store herbal teas packages of coconut water a quart or gallon zip-loc bag filled with natural gorp ( dried friuts/nuts) 6 cans of beans cash $

If you have pets: add 6 cans of vegetarian dog food and/or 5 pounds dry dog food, dog bowls, and a small blanket for a bed To drink: add 3-4 gallons of water or 1 gallon per person per day extra.

If you are preparing to save 3-6 months of items, stock enough food to last for that period. Just have a way to cook without electricity, or be prepared to eat out of a can, or to sprout food. Also, remember to have enough toilet paper!

Environmentally Friendly and Healthier Ideas for the Survival Kit

It is curious that no one has mentioned the Kelly Kettle or fishermens storm kettle for their survival kit. Unlike the stoves mentioned thus far, the Kelly Kettle uses twigs, leaves, small sticks, dry grass, etc. for its fuel. Compared to propane, the advantages of the Kelly Kettle include: No fuel to purchase No fuel to lug along No continued operating costs No fuel lines to get plugged or cracked No igniters to get bent, broken or plugged Works every time without fail--even in extreme weather Can take it with you as you travel on trains, planes and automobiles Boils water in just a few minutes with very little natural fuel Environmental friendly. No canister to dispose of Designed by Irish fishermen more than 100 years ago, the ingenious Kelly Kettle (also known as the Storm Kettle) has been in use ever since. It can boil a quart or more of water within 3 to 5 minutes. And you can add an accessory or two for heating up or cooking simple meals like oatmeal, rice, noodles, and dehydrated meals. Now available in both stainless steel and aluminum, you can now purchase these in the US. Many families have enjoyed using it on camping trips, and it is one of the first items I would include in a survival kit. And I have also given the Kelly Kettle to friends and family members on special occasions as it makes a memorable and useful gift. Nuwick Candles also offer a small folding metal stove support for cooking over the 120 hour candle. I include it in our disaster kit as well. It not only cooks, but also provides warmth and light. The only down side is that it eventually burns all of its fuel, unlike the Kelly Kettle. And it would take much longer to boil water over the Nuwick Candle stove, using up its fuel too soon. One can buy a variety of already cooked dehydrated beans, vegetables, and delicious vegan soup blends. Their diced and sliced dehydrated potatoes are amazing even for noncamping and non-disaster purposes. Modern freeze-dried fruits are exceptional, but a bit pricey. For example, my personal survival kit includes the following freeze dried items: Carrots, Diced Potatoes, Green Peas, Tomatoes Diced, Celery, Cut Green Beans, Sweet Corn, Mixed Red & Green Peppers, Chopped Onions, Black Beans, Lentils, Red Beans,

Pinto Beans. I Just open the pouch, pour the desired amount in my cooking pot, simmer, season, and enjoy! Garbanzo beans are available freeze dried. They are already cooked and then dehydrated, one gallon is about the equivalent of 3 to 4 gallons of fully re-hydrated beans. Freeze dried foods are terrific for making meals quickly with and with minimum use of fuel. Finally, wind-up flash lights and radios seem to be a more useful choice than the battery powered items mentioned by others but many are poorly made or very inconvenient for routine use.