Are You Emergency Ready? - Part Three

Emergencies often come with little to no warning. Not being prepared for an emergency can be disastrous, but by the end of this three-part guide, you’ll have the tools and insights you need to start preparing for the worst. If you’re interested in learning how to take practical steps in getting prepared for emergencies, then this guide is for you. 

Since emergency preparedness is such a broad topic, this is just one part of our “Are You Emergency Ready” series. After this guide, you should be more familiar with our seven sections on essential needs during emergencies: tips about food and water, light, climate control, first aid, cooking, renewable power, and additional supplies. Each guide will contain practical tips on how to make sure you and your family are prepared for emergencies. 

(Read part one and part two)

So without further ado, let’s get started on part three.

Cooking

The ability to prepare and cook food really becomes essential during longer emergencies. What you will need to cook with depends on the food you have stored. We recommend storing some food that doesn’t need to be cooked at all. 

Plan for Different Scenarios

If your main plan is to cook food over a firepit in your backyard, what happens if it’s a blizzard or a rainstorm? Plan to have alternative ways of cooking. If you need to cook inside then you are going to want to do so safely and an open flame isn’t going to be the best idea in that case. 

• Cast Iron Pan: if are cooking over an open flame then your traditional pans won’t hold up. Cast iron pans are versatile and work well. 
• Cooking Utensils: most of these things you might have around your house but it’s important to note that if you leave your home you will want to make sure that you have these things with you. 

Remember to cook and try your food before you get into an emergency situation. You don’t want to get into an emergency situation, have the right tools but not know how to use them. Rotate through your food storage and cook with some of these tools until you and other members of your family feel confident using them. Make sure that they are not solely reliant on you. 

Renewable Power

When it comes to emergencies that last longer periods of time, ideally you should have a source of renewable power. What does this mean? A battery generator that has the capability to recharge through both solar panels and expansion packs is a renewable source of energy. We recommend a fuelless generator with a solar power connection for charging flashlights, powering medical equipment (CPAP machine, etc.), powering your cell phone to contact emergency response teams, and more. You want to make sure you have a renewable power source. 

Now not all generators are created equal. Let’s look at a few things you might consider when purchasing a generator. 

Lead Acid vs Lithium Ion Power

These are generally the two types of battery technology you will see on the market. They each have their own advantages and disadvantages. In the end, we always recommend Lithium Ion power because it is far superior to the lead acid equivalents.

Lead Acid Advantages

• Generally, you can find batteries that have a lower initial price per battery. 

Lead Acid Disadvantages

• You have to use it frequently or it loses its charge.
• Because of inefficiency of the battery, they generally don’t last as many charge cycles.
• The charge times on lead acid batteries are much longer. 
• They are heavier and less portable than other batteries. 

Lithium Ion Advantages

• Doesn’t lose its charge over time. You can have it sitting in your storage room for a year on full charge and it won’t lose its charge. In times of emergency, you don’t want to wonder if your generator has a charge in it. 
• Lithium Ion batteries are more efficient, so they generally require smaller battery sizes to do the same amount of work as a lead acid battery. This makes them more lightweight, more compact, and easier to transport. 
• Lithium Ion batteries don’t lose their efficiency over time. This allows you to have more charge cycles for a single battery.
• These batteries also charge faster making them easier to reuse again and again.

Lithium Ion Disadvantages

• Generally more expensive initially per battery but pay for themselves over a short period of time. 

Overall, Lithium Ion is better for emergencies because they hold their charge and will be ready for you when an emergency comes. It takes about two lead acid batteries to get the same energy usage from one Lithium Ion battery. 

Additional Supplies

Now that we have talked about some of the essential ways to be prepared for emergencies, here are some of the extra things you can think about doing to prepare yourself and your family for anything that might happen. 

Survival Garden

You may not have space for a garden in your yard, but if you do, it can be a great option for supplementing your food storage and weekly grocery list. Starting from a small garden box can be a great and easy way to get started. You’ll want to consider which crops will do best in your climate. You’ll also want to consider different growing seasons for your garden. If you don’t feel like you have a green thumb, don’t worry. There are plenty of crops that are easy to grow. Here are some crops you might want to consider.

Survival Crops to Consider

• Potatoes
• Corn
• Onions
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Beans (Green Beans, Dry Beans) 
• Peppers
• Cabbage

Bug Out Bags

Your first option should always be to stay at home or “bug in”. You will have more supplies and a much easier time during an emergency if you can stay at home. A bug out bag is a baggie essentials that you can grab and take with you in the case it’s too dangerous to stay at home. Below are some items you might put in a bug out bag. 

Bug Out Bag Starter List

• Water
• Water Filter
• Headlamp
• Whistle
• MRE’s
• Snacks
• Compact Cooking Set
• Knife
• Hammock
• Tarp
• First Aid Kit
• Carabiners
• Rope
• Rain Gear
• Emergency Sleeping Bag
• Matches or lighter

Emergency Preparedness Community

It’s great for you and your family to be prepared, but it's better when you have a supportive community working together to be prepared for emergencies. Once your family is prepared for an emergency, you might ask yourself if your extended family is prepared. You can also join online communities of people working to be prepared for emergencies just like you. 

Get Prepared, Stay Prepared

Emergencies can happen at anytime. How prepared you are can make all the difference for you and your family. Start small and grow into being prepared for more extreme emergencies. Start with the basics of food, water, light, climate control, cooking, and renewable power. Here at Lion Energy, we believe in providing the highest quality products for your preparedness needs. It has been our mission to create the best and most useful solutions built on Lithium Ion technology. We hope you have found this book helpful. If you did, we would love for you to come check out what we have to offer at https://lionenergy.com/.