Ten things I find necessary for personal security…
1) A proven supply of fresh water, provided by a well (with a manual pump backup); a swimming pool; a clean, fast-running stream; a lake with a good filtration system; or a cistern.
2) A full-house generator fueled by piped-in natural gas.
3) A large and efficient freezer, stocked with grass-fed beef and pork, locally raised free-range organic chicken, and wild-caught fish.
4) A year’s worth of cash, mostly in $20 bills.
5) A year’s supply of prescription medicine (where possible) and contact lens essentials.
6) Firearms to suit your skill level. I strongly advise an NRA safety course. Semi-automatic shotguns are always my first choice. Personally, I’m not keen on handguns.
7) A Faraday cage enclosure, stocked with a crank radio, pre-paid cell phone, satellite phone, computer, and backup controller for your generator. Certain crank radios will, with some effort, allow you to charge your cell phone.
8) A complete family emergency kit.
9) A store of essential consumer goods staples-paper goods, toothpaste, canned and bottled foods, dry foods, batteries, candles, and matches, for starters. And of course, don’t fail to check your wine supplies. What an awful omission that could be!
10) Items for barter and exchange. In times of outages and closings, you may require assistance on many fronts, and such items always come in handy. I find that 12-packs of aluminum Bud cans rarely fail to make friends of tradesmen, whose help you may find necessary.
I have assembled all the above resources for my own personal security, and wish you and your family the peace of mind, comfort, and security that accompanies being prepared.
