Self-sufficient

1 : able to maintain oneself or itself without outside aid : capable of providing for one's own needs.

Thank you for your post Aunt Donna; you reminded me of one of the things I wanted to share on this blog, and that is ideas on how to be self-sufficient, self-reliant, independent and prepared. I think in many things, as a society, we've strayed from the basics; and one of the scariest ones for me is just being able to take care of ourselves when push comes to shove.

Not long after we got married my husband got really into making sure we had 72 hour kits (emergency kits). Just in case of an emergency we could survive fairly comfortably for 72 hours, or longer.

We have 3 backpacks (one for my husband, one for me, and one for our children) packed with camping like necessities located near an exit to our home. For some reason this brings a little more security to me. In case of a house fire or earthquake we can possibly grab and run.

My husband spent hours going over lists he found on the internet and deciding what we already had and what we needed. This does not have to be expensive. Try to use what you have.

1. Start with an old backpack (or anything you don't mind carrying) that you are not using anymore, but still works. Make sure you have one for each member of the family. We doubled up because our children are still young.
It doesn't have to be a backpack. I've seen some in 5 gallon buckets.

2. Find 2 or 3 lists and look them over. Decide what you need and could use. One of the lists I had listed books & games. Well I happened to have an extra copy of a book, extra Uno cards and a small travel game that I never remember to take traveling, so they went in.
Condense/combine into YOUR list for you.
There are a lot of lists out there. Here are a few examples: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

3. Pack your backpack/container. Get what you need and try to do it as cheaply as possible, without sacrificing too much on quality. You don't want it to fall apart the first time you try to use it. ;)
Yes I've had that experience.

4. Put it near an exit, yet not in the way. This can be a little tricky; however coat closets work great. Sometimes you can shelter them in your backyard.

5. Change out the food every 6 months, if it is perishable.

I've been given some great advice on keeping a document binder the past couple of weeks, so I'll let you know about that sometime soon.

Remember, have fun doing this!
It is not meant to stress you out. It is meant to make you feel better!