If you prioritize your preparedness, you will be able to cover the most important items first, and then move on to a more rounded supply. Here is a list of the priorities for preparedness.
Water Storage - The first aspect of preparedness is water storage. If you are like me, you might have overlooked water storage at first. Did you know that your body can only survive a few short days without water before suffering internal damage? The human body is over 70 percent water and it is extremely vital to keep it hydrated. All the food storage in the world will do you no good if you have no water to drink. Also, how many of you plan on adding dehydrated or freeze dried food for your food storage? These items need to be reconstituted so it would be wise to have a method of water filtration on hand in addition to the water you store.
Emergency Kits - We always had our 72 hour kits growing up, and I thought they didn’t do much good tucked in the closet next to the front door. But, I remember the day I realized the importance of a 72 hour and auto emergency kit. I was watching the victims of Hurricane Katrina wait and suffer while supplies were being hastily gathered for them, and it dawned on me that if they had a 72 hour kit they would be much more comfortable. These kits should be portable, preferably stored in a backpack or other easy to carry bag, and should contain necessities your family would need for the first three days of an emergency. It should contain water, food, sanitation, along with first aid and other important survival items.
Food Storage - After you’ve stored appropriate amounts of water and have your emergency kits on hand, it is now time for you to work on your food storage. Though many of us imagine using our food storage should a natural disaster occur, there are other emergencies that may require us to use our food storage. With the recent economic uncertainties we’ve experienced, some of us might find ourselves under-employed or even unemployed. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some food storage on hand to supplement or even replace that large “grocery” portion of your monthly budget? Making your family as self-sufficient as possible is a great priority.
I also challenge you to look at your food storage in a whole new light and from a different perspective than you may be accustomed to. In order to maximize nutrition and reap the greatest value out of your food storage, try out the mantra “eat what you store, and store what you eat." Don’t worry, it isn’t as intimidating as you might think. Emergency Essentials has some great tools like the “Food Storage Analyzer” that will help you not only keep track of your food storage, but show you exactly what you need for your families specific needs.