The 4 Pillars of Disaster Preparedness (Part 2)

 3. Shelter

For some people this one might not seem like a big deal. However, if you have ever been in a storm, you know the value of seeking shelter. It can literally save your life. Shelter can also be different things in different circumstances.

For example: Your car might be a good place to seek shelter in a thunderstorm, but a bad place if there is a threat of Tornados.  A tarp might be good in a rainstorm, but not so good in strong winds, or your home is a good place to shelter (in-place) unless it’s threatened by a hurricane.

The problem of course is that we don’t always know which type of disaster we will be facing. That said: You should always have at least a tarp in your Go Bag for shelter, maybe even a small 2- or 3-man tent (remember to consider the weight). These will, in most cases keep you out of the elements.

Out of the elements is the key. What you are trying to prevent is the effects that bad weather can have on you physically. Heat stroke and hypothermia can incapacitate or even kill you.

Part of your Disaster Preparedness Plan will be to identify which type of disasters you will most likely encounter and then plan your shelters accordingly. Even then, you need to know how to use/set up the shelter before needing it. You don’t want to be setting up or building your shelter for the first time when your life depends on it.

4. Food

Of the 4 Pillars of Disaster Preparedness food is probably the one thing you think about the most but can go the longest without. However, food does more for us than provide nourishment. It also provides a sense of normalcy and wellbeing, lifting our morale and mood.

If you are outdoors and engaged in activities that you normally don’t do you will be burning more calories. Replacing those burned calories will help you keep your strength up.

Some Go Bags come with high density high calories food bricks. These are generally light weight, taste okay and will get you by for a few days. They also don’t require any preparation to eat, they are like granola bars. I wouldn’t want to rely on them for more than a few days though. I prefer the freeze-dried dehydrated option. These taste better; however, they take a little more preparation (usually boiling water).

Another advantage of freeze-dried dehydrated food is the variety of food options and their shelf-life. Typically, they are anywhere from 20 to 25 years. That’s a long time! And you can select everything from fruits, vegetables, and meats. They even have Gluten Free options.

I’ve seen where some people put cans of food in their Go-Bag. I wouldn’t recommend that because of the weight and short shelf-life. Freeze-dried dehydrated is more expensive, however, the lightweight feature, variety and extended shelf-life more than make up for the difference.

There you have it. My 4 Pillars of Disaster Preparedness. The foundation on which your Go Bag should be built. I will go into greater detail on all these Pillars in future posts.

If you find this blog informative and would like to support it, you can go to this website’s Resource page and click on our Amazon Associate link. We get a small commission on anything you buy. Also, we are always looking to add other Associate links as they relate to Disaster Preparedness. Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

(These are my personal observations and opinions, yours may differ. Also, I sell and recommend certain products and services here and might be compensated for such recommendations.)