The Prepper Thread

With the coronavirus looking more and more like it is moving towards a pandemic, I thought we could use a specific prep thread to share tips, tricks, lists, and such. After all, few of us have ever experienced something like this so we might as well draw on the group's knowledge and insights.

This is not doomsday prepping, but preparation for quarantines or social distancing measures of anywhere from 2-10 weeks. Society will not end, but it may be suspended for awhile. The best way to deal with a pandemic is to cut off new hosts for the virus. That means reducing human interactions as much as possible.

If you prepare now, you have a little peace of mind. Looking at what's going on in South Korea and Italy, you won't be able to get everything at the last moment. Most of the stuff you get in preparation you will either use in response to the virus or, if nothing happens, over the next several months. Either way, it's not a wasted expense--just an immediate one.

Shelter, of course, is key. Ideally, you can shelter in place for the time frame we're talking about. If you're in an urban environment (apt complex) and have the option to get to a more rural location (relative's home), do it.

To be safe, I'd get enough food stores to last 6 weeks with comfort and 8-10 with a little annoyance. As much as I hate Wal-Mart, they have a decent bulk/emergency food section.

https://www.walmart.com/browse/food/emergency-food/976759_976794_1094144

Best items are the cheese powder, butter powder, and milk powder. These will allow you to keep cooking if you can't get to the store for fresh dairy. They also have lots of dried fruits and veggies available.

Sacks of rice and beans will go really far. Anything that just takes hot water like pasta or oatmeal is a good option.

Peanut butter is a good source of protein. Buy a few jars. You can also get peanut butter powder.

Look at your freezer space and figure out how much room you have for protein, which ideally would be enough for 2-3 times a week or more. The tubes of burger patties from Costco go a long way. You can also crumble them up for other dishes.


Frozen chicken is also a good choice, though be aware that garbage pickups might be stalled, so boneless/skinless will probably cut down on garbage odors.

Block cheese will last a long time in the fridge. If moldy, just slice the mold off and you're good to go.

Bread also freezes well, so if you're a sandwich person, freeze a few loaves.

Condiments and spices will be your best friend.

The trick is giving yourself enough variety. I figure if I have variety for a few weeks, I can make it another few without variety vs going the whole time on the same diet. Get a box or two of protein bars or bags of trail mix and save it so if you're down to rice and beans, you have those too.

Might be good to save some sweets as a reward for later in the process.

If you have a propane grill, consider topping off your tank and getting an extra.

Get a good supply of paper plates and plastic utensils. If electricity or water goes out, you can maintain a clean home easier by just throwing them out. Also, if you have a family member who is sick, just drop those right into a trash bag to cut down on chance of in-home transmission. (If this is the case, isolate the family member and work out protocols for their care and feeding. Ideally, only one person will have interactions with the sick one.)

By most accounts, electricity, water, and sewer should still be operable, but I'd still have 5 gallons or more of water per person on hand. Picking up a good portable water filter is a good idea too.

Get more toilet paper and paper towels than what you think you will need. Tissues too.

If you're worried about electricity going and have a chest freezer, get a cooler, fill it with one inch of water, and freeze it. Do that two more times until you have a 3 inch solid block of ice on the bottom. place already cold or frozen food in the order you'll use it, with the last stuff on bottom. Leave a little room at the top for fresh veggies. Should last a few days depending on how well you pack and how often you open it. For long term cooling, use block ice instead of cubes or nuggets.

If you need regular meds, call your MD and see if you can get a 90 day supply just in case.

Buy enough isoprophyl alcohol, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide to disinfect surfaces regularly. Lots of info on how to make your own cleaning/disinfecting solutions available on the web. A small amount of bleach can also purify water. Or, you can boil.

N-95 respirator masks are the rage these days, but there is great worry about their effectiveness. They have to be fitted just right and that usually takes training. So, get them if you can, but if you can't, then pay attention to your surroundings, don't go hand-to-face, and wash your hands a lot.

If you have facial hair, shave it clean. Masks fit better and there are some studies that suggest facial hair may allow viruses to hang out longer.

With small kids, the mask fit is difficult, so be aware.

If you can't get the good masks, the crappy ones won't stop the virus, but will have some benefit in that they will prevent you from going hand-to-face as often. In fact, everyone should start thinking about how often they go hand-to-face and practice reducing it.

Swim goggles are good for protecting the mucus membranes of the eye. Just wash your hands before removing them and wash them after use.

If you're caring for someone in your home, nitrile gloves are key. You may also want to get some plastic sheeting (and good tape) to cover entry to where the sick person is. Rubber bands can help seal off long sleeve shirts.

Have a good first aid kit with lots of ibuprofen, aspirin, pepto, etc. Oh, and a thermometer. Be able to take care of minor injuries, cuts, abrasions, etc.

Vitamins. Especially vitamin C to help immune system and vitamin D if you'll be inside for a few weeks.

Get a bunch of Q-tips and carry a few everywhere. Use them to punch elevator buttons and open bathroom stalls. Don't touch the escalator rail. (You could start doing this now.) Use knuckles and elbows in place of fingers when you can.

Always good to have a little solar/crank emergency weather radio.

If you're friends with your neighbors, consider getting a walkie-talkie unit to stay in touch and check in.

Don't forget pets. Get more than enough food and litter. Figure out how to exercise them if you can't go to the dog park or out for a walk. One of the constants in a serious pandemic will be abandonment of pets, so if you're an animal lover, get some extra food in case a wayward pup or kitty comes your way.

Don't depend on Amazon. If they are still delivering via FedEx or UPS or USMail, everyone will be ordering so deliveries may be delayed.

Figure out how you'll exercise. Yoga's good, even for fat old guys like me.

Be prepared to be bored. Download movies and games and books now. Streaming may be slow if everyone in the neighborhood is doing the same thing.

If you have kids (schools and daycare will be one of the first things shut down), start planning now. Look for things that don't depend on power/Internet.

Keep your vehicle filled or charged up.

Start conversations with your supervisor about what it all means. Explore telework options if you can. Everyone has to understand that the normal rules will no longer apply. I hope none of you have jerks for a boss.

I hope this is a good start. Good luck everyone.

 

You have to have a big chest freezer with room for a cooler.