Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (7 page)

When we think about home safety, it’s easy to jump into the really intense stuff—panic rooms, home defense, moats and alligators (well, maybe not the last one). While it’s important to consider strategies for serious disasters or social upheavals, assessment of your home’s safety and security should start with the basics. Carbon monoxide monitors may not be very exciting in the moment, but “essential” and “exciting” aren’t always the same thing.

In other words, it’s important to take a good hard look at the safety of your home, even if you’re not preparing for a disaster. Fire, injury, and other emergencies can happen at any time. While we cannot control many of the things that happen in our lives, we can at least take control to make our residence a safer place to live.

Being able to call for help in an emergency situation can mean the difference between life and death. So many of us rely on our cell phones for everything these days, but you might want to consider keeping that landline. When mobile service goes out, the landlines may well still function. If you do go this route, be sure to have a corded phone—that cordless will lose power quickly and be as useless as your cell.

You’ll also want to get a battery-powered cell phone charger (and be sure you have a car charger in every vehicle). A solar phone charger is a nice option, but of course you’ll need sunshine in order to use it.

Wherever you live, you probably think that you know what you need to worry about. But do you really? Especially if you’re a recent arrival, it makes sense to do some research. For instance, if you live in California, you know to be well prepared for earthquakes. But did you know that the state has also been hit by tsunamis? Or that earthquakes often lead to fires? Similarly, Missouri residents know to prep for tornadoes—but many may not know that their state has also experienced powerful earthquakes in the past. Luckily, there is a lot of overlap in the supplies and survival priorities you’d need to make it through most natural and manmade disasters. In preparing for one potential disaster, you end up preparing for most scenarios.

An easy way to think of life after a disaster is to imagine living in the 1800s. You have some comforts, but most tasks are accomplished with a lot more work than in modern times. Assuming you didn’t have to abandon your home in a disaster, you’d only need the basics for that home to remain livable. You still have your clothes, bedding, and pots and pans, though the utilities could be out for a while.

WATER
Since water may be unavailable or possibly contaminated after a disaster, keeping a supply of safe, drinkable water is key to survival. A few factory-sealed water cooler jugs will stay safe for a year or more, ready to drink if needed. One 5-gallon (20-l) jug per family member is a good start. Also, plan to resupply with a water filter or disinfection tablets.

FOOD
You’ll need some no-cook or easy-to-cook food. Keep at least a week’s supply of nonperishable food per family member, and throw in a manual can opener. Have a way to cook, like a camping stove with abundant fuel, if you have a safe place to operate it; a hot meal can be morale-boosting and easier to digest.

EXTRAS
What else? Check this handy checklist. Stash everything except the water in a big plastic bin, so you can transport it if you have to evacuate your home.

Last, don’t forget things like a favorite treat, good book, or inspirational item to help keep your spirits up.

Okay, full disclosure. You can’t disaster-proof your home, at least not against
every
disaster, no matter how drastic. That said, there’s a lot you can do to ensure that it comes through relatively unscathed. And a lot of this is basic stuff you really should be doing anyway.

It’s a law-enforcement truism that criminals look for easy targets. If your home appears badly defended, you’re making it that much more likely that something might happen. A few simple steps can make a world of difference in your home and family’s safety.

BEWARE OF DOG
Even if you don’t have a dog, or your dog is pocket-size, get a large dog bowl and large chew bone to leave by your back door or other ground-level entrances. Write a thief-frightening name on the dish, such as Killer, Diablo, or something else that implies great size and bad temperament. Just the idea of an “attack” dog will change many burglars’ minds.

INSTALL SENSORS
Lights or even water sprayers that are motion-sensitive can surprise both burglars and pests who might wander through your property at night. These are typically affordable and easily installed, but they won’t help if the power is out.

HIDE THE KEY
Don’t just slip a spare key under your front doormat. Hide the key in a spot where no one would ever look for it, far away from the door. Loose rocks and bricks, hard flower pots and lawn gnomes can also be used as window-breaking “keys” to gain entrance. Reconsider landscaping and decoration, and get rid of things that looters could use to break windows or doorknobs.