Apartment Dweller Prepping- Part 2

from Survival Blog:

When I relocated to the big city and moved into a shared apartment, I began to simultaneously look at prepping and consider how to make this work– living with others and trying to be prepared for a disaster.

What I’ve Learned From Experience (continued)

I’m writing about what I’ve learned over year’s of experience of living through power outages and disaster, including Hurricane Sandy. In covering topics for apartment dwellers, we have taken a look at storage, food, and water.

Security

When I was moving out from my childhood home, I tried to figure out how I could get my 12 gauge, Mosin-Nagant, revolver, Glock, and accompanying ammo and kit to my new tiny apartment. According to everything I had seen, I needed to cover all of my bases to be well prepared. It wasn’t until I had everything laid out that I realized how ridiculous this was going to be for my situation.

I put everything, except the Glock, in the safe at the family home. In the event I would need to use my firearm in a defensive situation, I had it. If you are in an area where your 2nd Amendment rights aren’t restricted or you’ve jumped through the necessary hurdles to access them, my feeling is having a secured firearm is a great tool to have. I’m putting an emphasis on “secured”, especially so if you are living with roommates. If a firearm is out of the question, be sure to have a means to defend yourself. Whether you feel more comfortable with a baseball bat by the door or a can of pepper spray on your person, be sure to have a means to protect yourself, if need be.

Security and Situational Awareness

Aside from the security a gun in a nightstand can bring, be sure to put an emphasis on the little things like locking doors and windows and maintaining good situational awareness. I’ve used these everyday and been thankfully never to be in a situation where I needed anything more.

Security Section Summary: Be secure in your place and person by having a means to protect yourself and keeping your living space safe.

Finances

With even junk silver outside the reach of most recent graduates, financial security can be tricky. Tackling debt and bills takes priority to long-term security things like precious metals provide. When Hurricane Sandy hit and the power went out, all of a sudden cash was king. ATMs were inaccessible, and credit cards became useless pieces of plastic. This wasn’t a TEOTWAWKI situation where people were reduced to bartering or precious metals were in play as a new currency. The power was coming back soon, and people still needed the power to buy and sell.

A Financial Plan For What Feels Insurmountable

While many sources recommend keeping three months of living expenses in the bank for times of need, that can feel like a pretty insurmountable task to those who may not have a goose egg sitting in their savings accounts. And even if they have that money, if it is in the bank it’s difficult to access with the power out. Keeping cash on hand is a great way to be prepared for an emergency. If money is tight, start with an achievable goal. Try to save enough money in a month to put $50 aside for emergency use. Put it in an envelope and sock it away somewhere where it won’t get mixed up with grocery or fun money.  Then the next month, try again. Repeat during the following months, and when you can, try to save a little bit more here and there.

This system worked well for me and has been a lifesaver when the power goes out and I need to buy something locally. Some helpful advice I discovered was to keep some small bills on hand. During Sandy everyone seemed to have $20 bills floating around, but no one could break them.

Finances Section Summary: Keep cash on hand that is designated for use only in an emergency.

Energy

I would have loved a generator to keep things humming when the power went out. But with no money or way to store the generator or gasoline, this is another pipe dream that doesn’t help someone in an apartment. For those that have a car, an inverter and some extension cables can turn your car into a generator. But idling a car unsupervised on a street with 200 feet of extension cables running into an apartment building isn’t a realistic option. This is doubly so, if you don’t have a car, like many folks who live in a densely packed city.

My first instinct was to figure out how to power my fridge. The reality is this is a lost cause. The power demands were beyond what I was capable of fueling. During an emergency, I now look at my fridge as a giant cooler. Most of what I keep in the fridge or freezer will be good for 48 to 72 hours without worry. Minimizing opening and closing and adding extra insulation, like blankets, can help preserve the cold trapped inside.  If you have fresh or frozen food in the fridge or freezer, plan on eating it first before you break into your dry goods.

Energy for Cell Phone

I found my biggest need for energy during an emergency has always been my cell phone. It allows me to stay connected to friends, family, and emergency personnel. It also is a great source of information about what is happening near me. If I had to focus on one thing to power in an emergency it would be my phone. Having a portable cell phone charger that can charge your cell phone multiple times can be lifesaver. By minimizing your phone use and having access to one of these beefed up batteries, you can stay connected through most extended emergency situations.

Energy Section Summary: Have the means to charge your mobile device, such as a portable charger, so you can stay connected and informed.

Bug Out Bag

A grab and go, get out of dodge pack or bug out bag (B.O.B.) has got to be one of the founding pillars of the prepping pantheon. A quick search of “bug out bags” on YouTube yields 1.3 million plus results. Google yields 9.3 million results. There are all sorts of different takes on what you need and what you don’t need. It is incredibly easy to get lost in the woods with the volume of information available, not to mention all of the pre-made packs for sale that seem to be more sizzle than steak.

I can honestly say I had to stop and start over several times during my initial forays into putting together a bug out bag because I was second guessing nearly everything. One trusted source on YouTube would say this item is a must have and another respected blogger would say you don’t need to bother with it. It was classic “paralysis by analysis”. The “Ah-Ha!” moment for me was when someone simply said to think of your bug out bag as what you would personally need if you were going on a week long trip but might not be able to come home.

What Goes In A Bug Out Bag

A week’s worth of clothes and basic travel toiletries is a good start. Be sure to have any vital personal documents you use regularly (passport, social security card, birth certificate, et cetera) in one place so they can be packed in it on the fly. An extra cell phone charging cable or a portable charger dedicated to the bag is a great addition (and commonly forgotten during non-stressful times!). A way to entertain yourself and others, like a book, camp games like Farkle, or a deck of cards is a nice bonus.

Snacks like protein or candy bars can provide a boost of energy and some comfort in a pinch, while not taking up too much room. Storing your emergency cash in your B.O.B. means if you have to leave you have it with you. And from there you can fill out the rest, based on your specific needs or preferences.

Now, what I described is certainly a bug out bag, but it’s also the same packing list I have used for recent vacations and road trips. You don’t have a quest to find the perfect bug out bag. Just determine what will work for you and get it packed. Just having something ready to go puts you ahead of the pack.

Bug Out Bag Section Summary: Figure out what you would need for a week long trip and take along anything you feel you would need if you could not come back home.

Read More @ SurvivalBlog.com