Do you have a magic tool box to help you weather the apocalypse? What about your nearest neighbor? Are they ready for TEOTWAWKI? I am not an expert survivalist, I am a student as much as I am a practitioner. My ideas and skills benefit from the collective experience and shared knowledge of my predecessors and I am grateful for their generosity.
One of the next steps in the evolution of this project is the creation and dissemination of "WTTNSHTFK's" or Welcome-to-the-Neighborhood-SHTF-Kits.
The idea is simple: I plan to design a simple and inexpensive preparedness kit and distribute one to each of the houses on my block. The items contained in the kit would aid the neighbor(s) in a short-term crisis, and help the neighborhood band together and endure a long-haul crisis. In a perfect world, the neighbor might bury the kit in the garage and never think about it again. If a crisis arose...the distributed kits would be ready, and my most local community would be stronger as a result. The action of gifting this resource and knowledge may also lead some neighbors to explore self-reliance and preparedness independently.
Ideally each kit would be $25-50, and the shelf life is indefinite. Items in this kit may be intended for combination with common household items, or they may be rare items that will quickly become scarce following a societal collapse.
Here is a short list of items I am considering for the WTTNSHTFK:
- a solar or kinetic flashlight
- inexpensive water filtration device
- signal mirror
- flint
- waterproof matches
- a propane tank valve adapter
- a neighborhood resource map
- a single 2 way radio tuned to a neighborhood band with extra batteries
- seeds for climate appropriate vegetables
- a slingshot
For the first time since I launched RECESS, I am asking for your direct comments*. Please consider posting your suggestions for the WTTNSHTFK. What would you include in the kit? What's a reasonable financial investment to make (per kit or total)? How would break the ice with your neighbors?
Comments will remain open on this post indefinitely.
*Please post respectfully. I will delete bigotry, irrelevant remarks, and anything meant to bring harms to others.
I would like to ask for the shelf life (indefinite is too broad) of the kit and climate and area you intend to distribute the kit over.
After Hurricane Ike hit our neighborhood, everyone in the area rotated duty's over watching out for looters and sharing tools (Shovels,Axes, Flashlights, and generators). We took turns barbecuing in charcoal/wood grills and set up grocery lists together so relatives that were out of town could bring in extra gas and ice from out of county.
We were all prepared for a hurricane but a few notable additions for the gulf coast include a emergency snakebite kit, hatchet, shovel, gloves, matches in a waterproof case (more important than alternative fire starting methods) a fire pit/charcoal grill, and extra coolers.
Personally my family keeps our kit in a Colman cooler because unlike the ammo can pictured, it can float, is water tight, and can be used for the storage of food and water.
Also solar/hand power electronic devices are not very efficient as they usually only hold a charge for two or less hours and are very weak for use in physical activity's as a group. I would recommend adding D cell or 9 cell powered flashlights because modern L.E.D. work lights have improved the light output while driving down energy consumption. Also as a not lithium ion battery's have a shelf life of 15 years while alkaline battery's have a life of 7-8.
Alejandro-
Great ideas and suggestions. I'm in the desert Southwest, climate is fairly stable and dry. The Cooler kit is an outstanding idea. I have empty coolers already in my garage. If I dropped a self-contained kit into each, we'd be much more prepared without sacrificing unused storage space.
Thanks for adding your ideas!
Fantastic idea!
I would suggest some pamphlet detailing other items they might want to add to their kit along with other preparedness suggestions.
This is a great idea, and in my opinion it would make a great welcome to the neighborhood present to new home buyers. (We don't have a high rental rate in our area, the homes are older and usually have a family that has been there for years.)Rental properties seem to be the chink in the armor as they seem to swap people as often as every few months.
Perhaps a less complete kit and a list of what they may need to add to personalize it?
Don't forget first aid supplies, at least enough for one serious trauma and other odds and ends for minor injuries (band-aids, triple antibiotic, etcetera). I'd also suggest to add a collapsible water container that would work with the water filter.
To add to what Bill K said, encourage the person you are giving the kit to to THINK about survival and give them ideas so they can personalize and stock the kit themselves. Whatever container you decide to use make sure it's "too big" to allow the recipient to add to it and personalize it for themselves.
@Alejandro, I really like the cooler idea. Enough in fact that I am going to incorporate it into part of my kit since I also have unused coolers in the garage lol. Although the way Chad is talking, I'm not sure it would be a great idea for one of these giveaway kits. A little big, more cost and I would be afraid of the "Gee, thanks" reaction, then dumping the survival supplies and using the cooler at the lake. Just my humble 2 cents. More serious survival people - YES!