Emergency Disaster Kits (Non-Zombie Apocalypse)

[irvinehomeowner]

I'm not sure about cash stashing.

In all the Apoc movies and Zombie novels I read... money becomes nothing... people will steal rather than buy and people will trade rather than sell.

Precious metals and gems might be a different story... but if you can't eat it or drink it, I think it becomes useless.

Anyone see "Book of Eli"?

 

[davenlei]

I'm not sure about cash stashing.

In all the Apoc movies and Zombie novels I read... money becomes nothing... people will steal rather than buy and people will trade rather than sell.

Precious metals and gems might be a different story... but if you can't eat it or drink it, I think it becomes useless.

Anyone see "Book of Eli"?

Yea, loved the twist regarding the Bible.

 

[WoodburyDad]

You may want to stack as much gold and silver as possible
I didn?t see it on the list.

I plan on trading food rations, water or per minute rates plugged into the generator for gold, silver, precious stones and automobile/watercraft pink slips.  When push comes to shove, basic needs become more valuable than luxury items.  That is what the store fronts during the California gold rush discovered...

Gold and silver will become the new currency.
You?ll need it to buy that Villa in Shady Canyon along with Russian supplied surface-to-air missiles and a rent-a-rebel force to protect your family. 

 

[irvinehomeowner]

If it's truly an Apocalypse... I think currency becomes very low on the totem pole.

Water will be the number 1 item of value (yes... like Rango and Book of Eli), or would it be fuel (Mad Max)?

 

[irvinehusky]

If it's truly an Apocalypse... I think currency becomes very low on the totem pole.

Water will be the number 1 item of value (yes... like Rango and Book of Eli), or would it be fuel (Mad Max)?

If the "Big One" doesn't cause a mini-tidal wave from the community pool and kill us first, I'll be beelining to that pool (with my kids) to get extra water, assuming the water is still there.. 

 

[rkp]

Yes cash is pretty much only useful for burning in true apoc.

Kidding aside, it amazes me how many of my friends dont keep some greenbacks tucked away for emergencies.  I guess they know I am there to help as I have come to the rescue more than once.  Not an emergency but a friend found an amazing rental and in their budget, it was either going to be ghetto or crap shack and this was actually decent.  Unfortunately, banks were closed and he needed to give a cashiers check to seal the deal and in this part of town, deals dont last an hour.  Another friend had their car towed a few days after losing their wallet and couldnt afford to leave it there.  Just a couple examples where having ~$5K in your freezer or wherever you feel safe seems prudent.  I keep some in all the places I frequent like office, car, parents house, inlaws, etc.

I think I got the habit of having a decent amount of cash during the LA riots...my dad is a USC prof and he was still on campus when crenshaw and downtown were going crazy.  He would be driving right past the riots to get home and a colleague of his is a big survivalist.  He handed him $2000 in 10s and 20s that he kept in his office!  Fortunately my dad didnt need to pay anyone to make it home but sure did help to know that he had the ability if it came to it. 

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Yeah... I'm not really a cash on hand guy... I tend to forget where I have it.

 

[irvinenester]

My co-worker used to tuck money away in books.

A couple of months ago, she decided to purge her books and completely forgot to check them before giving them away here at work.  (We have a place where you can dump unwanted things and anyone can pick through them and take what they want.)

Fortunately, an honest soul sent out a company wide email trying to track down the donor of the books, and gave back the $500 she found in the book to my co-worker.

 

[irvinenester]

So really, where do you store your non-monetary emergency supplies? 

Spouse and I are debating where in the house to keep our stash, garage or in the house, and against inner walls or outer walls.  We don't have much closet space, so default is the garage if we want to keep it out of sight.  Wary of outdoor storage sheds because they have even less temperature control than the garage.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

I would think you would have to store it inside the home... first option in the house somewhere on the ground floor, second option, in the garage.

 

[qwerty]

we definitely need to beef up our earthquake kit.  my friend is a man vs wild kind of guy and has everything we could possibly need to shoot our way out of LA/OC replicated in 3 spots.  each has a massive safe and i added some cash, coins, and copies of important docs to each

how many of you fill up your gas tanks at the half way point?  having the ability to get 200 miles out of the area would be a massive boost.  and how many folks have any emergency supplies in the car?

i keep some running shoes with socks, basketball shorts and a little league bat in my trunk. more for when the big one hits where i would not be able to drive, then i can change and start jogging home. i should add a backpack with water bottles and some energy bars.

 

[davenlei]

we definitely need to beef up our earthquake kit.  my friend is a man vs wild kind of guy and has everything we could possibly need to shoot our way out of LA/OC replicated in 3 spots.  each has a massive safe and i added some cash, coins, and copies of important docs to each

how many of you fill up your gas tanks at the half way point?  having the ability to get 200 miles out of the area would be a massive boost.  and how many folks have any emergency supplies in the car?

i keep some running shoes with socks, basketball shorts and a little league bat in my trunk. more for when the big one hits where i would not be able to drive, then i can change and start jogging home. i should add a backpack with water bottles and some energy bars.

So the bat is to ward off the unruly mobs?

The shoes/shorts/water idea is good.  I may need to do that.  Since I live in South County but work in Irvine, I would have to run somewhere near a half marathon distance but that is not too bad.  I already run half marathons so I have the physical stamina to do it.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Qwerty is always carrying around a bat.

We have a fridge in the garage where we always keep about 5-7 gallons of water. That would probably be a good place to store other survival items since fridges are indestructible (anyone watch the last Indiana Jones movie?).

Adding on to Qwerty's running gear, maybe I should put a scooter or foldable bike into the IHOmobile... that could also be useful in non-apocalyptic situations.

 

[qwerty]

So the bat is to ward off the unruly mobs?

you got it.  a little league bat is the perfect size to hold firmly with one hand and swing around in tight spaces as well. its kind of like an extended baton.