Preparing in advance for the upcoming winter is important for those who live in areas where blizzards and the subsequent power outages occur frequently. It is vital to have some stored food and water just in case you’re left without power and there is no way to get out and about, but make sure you take a few other things into consideration as well.
Some of the best foods to store for this are those that pack a nutritional punch. The foods should be filling and you should think about having enough for at least one week for each member of the family (shoot for two weeks of food if you live in an area that is regularly snowed in and the temperatures reach sub-zero). This is a short term plan that will ensure you’ve got enough quality food to get your family through a weather disaster in the winter – without digging into your long term prepping supplies. The following foods will be a good start:
- Canned tuna, salmon, Spam, etc.
- Canned Soup
- Dried Fruit
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Remember, if you lose power and you have a wood-burning stove, you will keep your home warm and heat up some canned soup, however, the food in your refrigerator will slowly begin to go bad. Eat what you can from that first, and take your particular situation and the storm at hand into consideration. You may be able to place things outside to freeze so don’t lose all of your food. If you decide this is the right thing to do, don’t forget to take into account any wildlife, such as bears or raccoons either! Put your food in containers that animals cannot get into.
Depending on the length of the power outage and just how bad things can get outside, the water you have stored may not be enough. While water bricks are a great space saver and will hold a lot of water, it is possible that you could still run out in your particular situation. If you need water, melting snow will work in the aftermath of a blizzard, but a water filtration system or a Life Straw could also come in handy if you are unable to get the water to boiling.
If you lose power in the winter, you may lose your source of heat as well. If you don’t have an off the grid solution (such as a wood-burning stove), you will need to make some preparations to ensure your family will stay warm. Learn the best way to layer your clothing so you can stay warm. Make sure everyone in your home has a few warm hats, mittens and/or gloves, and a winter coat. High-quality winter boots and warm socks should also be available for everyone in the family. Stock up on wool blankets and make sure they are easily accessible. You can also make sure you’ve got plenty of hand warmers. These could really help keep everyone warm are great to have for a short term event. I also like to keep a bunch of foot warmers ready too. These are effective if you have to do chores when it’s below zero outside and will most definitely make a difference.
Stock up on candles and some lighters or flashlights so you will be able to see. If the power goes out, so does your light source.
Hopefully, this will help give everyone some ideas to get a short term winter prep plan in place. You never know when that blizzard could hit and how long it could last!
Reprinted with permission from SHTFplan.com.
