I’m always asked how much water should be stored for the average family.  My answer is, however much you’ve stored, double it if you can.  The average American uses 80-100 gallons of water per day.  Of course, that’s for cleaning, washing, watering the garden and drinking.  You may think that you’ll use a lot less during an emergency, but have you ever lived through a kitchen or bath remodel?  Going without running water for all the tasks we do each day is painful.  It’s automatic, we turn the faucet and water comes out.  We rely on it.

The early western pioneers used to get by on one bucket of water a day – sometimes less.  They used this for drinking, cooking, washing dishes, bathing their children and their clothing.  They also died of dysentery, cholera and other diseases fairly often.  Not something I want to experience.

Humans cannot live without water.  Clean drinking water should be your #1 priority during any emergency.  Next is hygiene – keeping our bodies, food and eating utensils clean can also mean life or death.  Store enough water for your family to survive – don’t forget your pets.  Have extra for hygiene.  55 gallon tanks are handy and can be stored outside.  Know where to get more water.  Know how to clean water and sterilize it.  It’s easy if you have the knowledge.

Water is life.  Plan on surviving.

Provisions had a soft opening on December 17th.  We are still celebrating and now you get to participate!  The postcard below entitles customers to $10 off their purchase of $50 or more – this is good in store, or purchases made from this site.  See below for full details and get prepared!

Provisions is located at:

3771 South Plaza Drive

Santa Ana, CA 92707

Hours: Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm and Sat 10am – 7pm

Other hours available if you call ahead!

We’re one block from South Coast Plaza, just down the street from Morton’s

Get your grab-n-go bag here at Provisions!  If you don’t know what to buy, we have several already built kits.  I’m featuring this one today:

Kit includes:

Medic Bag, Water Filter, 3M N95 Mask, Weatherproof Matches, Carbine with Knife, Magnesium Fire Starter, LED Flashlight, Mountain House Entree, Shovel, Datrex 2400 Calorie Ration and Datrex Water.  A 15-piece set for only $159.99!  This is $75 off retail pricing.

Get this while it lasts!  Email me at:  getprovisions@gmail.com or comment here.

Someone said something interesting to me the other day – that they liked this site because it wasn’t on testosterone overload.  I started Survivallady.com because I too was frustrated that the only prepping sites were heavy on the weapons and religion.  While those things have a defined place in people’s lives, there was little out there for the Modern Mom.

Who is the Modern Mom?  She’s me.  I’m almost 40, have 3 kids and a mortgage.  I worked in corporate for over 15 years and juggled the family, house and career.  I remember the first time I read a prepping blog, it touched a cord with me.  I guess my parents were always the live in the country, take care of yourself, mind your own business kind of people and that rubbed off on me, even though I live in a big city.  My parents are conservative religious people with no political affiliation.  I’m almost the opposite being agnostic and a registered independent – but the one thing this gave me was tolerance for others and their beliefs.

So, when I see a bunch of guys going on and on about how they have to “make it fun” or “trick” their wives into preparing for disasters, I get irritated.  I have a mind and will of my own and when it comes to something this important, I’ve learned to lead.  Being prepared for disasters is a must for any mom.  We are the official healers, chefs, drivers of our children.  We multi-task like no one else.  We make up a group of the number one purchasers in the world.  If you’re selling something, you figure out how to sell to women.

So women, don’t wait to protect your children and your family.  Make a grab-and-go bag for each member of your household.  Stock up on food and water and essentials.  Teach your kids what to do in an emergency.  Have a plan.  Be prepared.

As my regular readers know, I’ve opened a retail store – Provisions – here in Southern California.  Stop by and see us!

I know a lot of you just don’t know what you need.  I’ve put together a complete First-Aid Kit and Evacuation Kit.  If you’re interested in purchasing either one, send me an email at getprovisions@gmail.com.

First-aid Trauma Kit

This kit comes complete with 107 items including trauma bandages and dressings – all for $99.99!  A $125.00 value!  Shipping is free!

Evacuation Pack

Evacuation Pack features:  Littlbug Junior Stove, The Amazing Tough Traveler Super Cay Pack, Coleman Microlantern, Hydroroller and much more!

All yours for $435.00 a $575.00 value!  Shipping is free!

It’s easy to be prepared!  Have a plan and be ready!

Have you ever taken care of an open wound?  If not, you may not realize that adhesive bandages are only good for small, surface scrapes and cuts.  Anything deeper will require an absorbent dressing.  Think trauma bandage or hospital dressing.  Adhesive tapes and bandages aren’t much use because you’ll notice after just a few changes, the skin around the wound is red, torn and painful.  Enter gauze.

Rolls of gauze, wrapped around the body or appendage will secure the wound dressings, while being gentle on your skin.  Wounds seep as they heal – they will need air to help the process, but you’ll want to keep it covered at times to keep dirt and bacteria out.  Once you’ve placed a dressing, wrap gauze around the entire area and secure with tape.  Much better than ripping your delicate skin off!

How much gauze do you need?  As much as you can afford to stock up!  If you’re out in the wilderness, use thin strips of smooth bark to cover your dressing.  You do carry a first-aid kit with you at all times right?

I learned the benefits of gauze the hard way.  Now I always carry several rolls in my kits.

Knowledge is power – prepared and be ready!

It’s 2012 already!  Remember when we were kids and the summer seemed so long?  Now, at this age, the months just fly by.

A lot has been written about happenings in 2012.  Frankly, I fear people more than any natural or unnatural disaster happening.  Part of your family emergency plan should be a list of people you would want to shelter with you for comfort and support.  I never thought my in-laws would ever be the type to prepare, but since I’ve opened Provisions I can see their sense of survival emerging.

What is your sense of survival like?  There are certain things in life that are far beyond our control – our eventual death being one of them.  Even me, with no particular religious faith – I know life is precious and we should do everything we can to prolong it as much as possible.  I look at my boys and I know that I want them to exist.  The thought of them not having a full life breaks my heart.  So – I prepare.  That’s the best future investment I can give my kids.

Following the disaster in Japan, I saw many pictures of people surviving the devastation.  One stands out in my mind of an elderly lady sitting in front of her fire tending a soup pot.  She was surrounded by piles of debris, her house toppled behind her.  Through all the pain and suffering her instinct was to cook for the two grandchildren sitting beside her on a makeshift seat.  How she lighted the fire is beyond me, but she found a way.  Maybe she had a flint and steel.  Maybe she coaxed her embers with a waterproof match.  However she did it – the fact that she was doing it – surviving through insurmountable odds proved to me that everyone has a desire to survive.  It’s there, you just have to look.

If you don’t prepare for yourself, prepare for your family, your friends, those that take comfort from your presence.  Give them the gift of you!

I’m so happy to announce that Provisions has officially opened for business!  If you’re looking for emergency water, food, BOB bags, build your own first aid kits, trauma bandages, pandemic supplies, heirloom seeds, or anything else prepper related, we have it!

I have lots of stuff coming in after Jan 1st too!  Loomis water barrels, bulk wheat, grinders, generators, etc.  Most of my products are made in the USA, so you know you’re getting quality.  I also have a vast network of suppliers – so I can order just about anything you need.

Stop by and seem me if you’re in Orange County, CA.

Provisions

3771 South Plaza Drive

Santa Ana, CA  97204

714-641-3009

Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm and Saturdays 10am – 7pm

I apologize to my readers and those that link to my blog.  I’ve been so busy that I just haven’t had time to write.  I have not given up on prepping, in fact I’m taking the next step in my journey to bring women information and supplies for surviving disasters.  If you live in the Southern California area, very soon you’ll be able to visit:

Provisions, located in Santa Ana near South Coast Plaza, carries all the items you’ll need to build a comprehensive survival kit, bug-out-bag or safe room.  EMT Medical Supplies, Long-term Storage Food and Water, Heirloom Seeds; it’ll all be there for you to see and feel before you buy.

I, like most of you, usually buy my prep items online or at a local store like Target or Home Depot.  The problem with buying online is I can’t see the item to judge for myself the quality.  I’ve also been frustrated with only finding items made in China.  There’s no way to tell if it’s up to my standards.  Sure, I could head out to the nearest Army Navy Surplus – there are several in my area.  But you know what?  I really don’t feel comfortable shopping there.  Military based items are not made for women.  Just because I like to prepare doesn’t mean I want to look like a man, or shop in a store designed for men.  We’re different.  From how we shop to why we shop.

Men have been fighting to protect us for centuries, doing a good job overall, but also causing conflict.  I read stories for men telling them how to convince their wives/girlfriends/mothers about the importance of being ready.  Now it’s our turn.  Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases in the United States.  It’s about time we establish our own supply of preparations, and a safe and reliable way of purchasing them in a comfortable environment.

80% of the items Provisions carries are Made in the USA by small, local companies when possible.  Of course we carry items that come from China – medical supplies are no longer made in the US, along with clothespins – go figure.  I will however continue my commitment to support our economy by providing you with quality, US made products.

We’re getting close to opening, hopefully by September 1st.  Updates will be posted over the next few days.

Thank you all for your continued visits to this blog even though I haven’t posted in forever.

When I was young, my Dad had one of these in the garage:

If you’ve never seen one before, it’s a corn sheller.  You feed the corn through the hole while turning the crank and a naked cob comes out the other side – the shelled corn falls out the bottom into a bucket.  The machinery inside is cast iron and the gears inside strip the corn off with very little work.  Here’s a picture of a more modern, cast iron sheller:

So, I was thinking about this last night and how hand a tool like this would be.  A hand grinder is on most true preppers lists, but what about shelling corn?  I do not want to spend my evenings breaking the kernels off corn cobs.  This could be a good job for the kids, but why do it manually when the technology has been around since the 1700′s?  We used to run walnuts that still had the outside hull on them through and then dry them to eat.  I’m sure there are 100 other uses for this handy crank.  The newer, all iron version is available for just under $100 and to me is probably an essential piece of equipment if you want to raise your own food.  Corn is a North American staple, but you have to be able to get it from field to table as efficiently as possible.  You could probably scout some antique sales and craigslist for antique versions – if they’ve lasted 100 years, they’ll probably last 50 more.  I think my Dad picked his up for less than $40 at a flea market. 

I haven’t written much about the tools we’ll need if there is a long-term disaster.  Stay tuned for more!