Prepping In The City

Get your urban dwelling ready for trouble

- Jonathan Kilburn

Imagine this: You’re at home and the power goes out. Checking your cellphone, you see it’s dark and dead. You’d swear it just had a charge. A quick glance at your smartwatch reveals it has stopped. Slowly the reality sinks in; something big is awry. Running out to the car, you discover it won't start and realize you’re now forced to begin emergency preparations.

While this scenario is rare, it is one of many possible situations in which someone — or a family — might be stuck inside their home, especially if they live in an urban area. Not all emergency circumstances allow for easy evacuation or bugging out. Natural disasters that catch people off guard can leave them without the proper essential items to keep themselves and their families fed, warm and safe.

MI CASA ES ... MI CASA

Your home is your castle, and a castle should be both well-stocked and well-fortified. During a disaster, and lacking access to utilities, it’s paramount to have previously acquired the items required for the house to continue to function. All the things we consume on a daily basis will be exhausted in a disaster of any length. During Katrina, many families who were able to remain at home were without utilities for months.

Household necessities are not always portable. The kitchen sink is stationary for good reason. Likewise, other items used daily are shared by members of a family or by household members who depend on their availability. Bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and such are some of the facilities that others in the home need to be able to access.

FOOD, WATER AND COOKING