Being organized or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the list

   If you find yourself in an emergency situation everything is going to be in different states of chaos. Some situations less so than others, but it's an emergency, so there's still going to be some level of stress involved. Whether it be a simple nighttime power outage during a snow storm or a full scale evacuation due to a catastrophic event, there are items you will have to rely on so you need to know if you have them where they are. You don't want to be fumbling around in the dark for a flashlight you think is in that drawer, that may have working batteries in it. Or, more seriously, be looking for copies of important documents that you thought you packed in your "go bag", but may still be sitting on your computer desk in your abandoned home.
   It's for these "maybe" situations organization is invaluable. In an emergency you shouldn't have to question your preparedness, you depend on it, there will be enough "maybe's" thrown your way that you have no control over. When your safety is at hand you should be able to relieve some stress from the situation knowing you have what you need and you know where it is. In saying "organization is key" there are tons of ways people organize themselves, my favorite is the list. More specifically, lots of lists.
   lists are a big part of my life, being a professional cook I use them multiple times a day at work, and being a person who likes to be organized I use them all the time at home. That's the beauty of lists, you can use them for anything. From basic bullet point, to more in-depth lists referencing lists, you can organize pretty much anything. This is an important part of prepping because it gives you an easy to read, yet thorough, inventory of supplies. Since you're likely to have resources in different bags or areas of your home, you can see what's stocked and cross reference from different caches.
   Any time I switch supplies in my bags, which is multiple times a year, I pull everything out and re-catalog what's going back in. Not only does it help you keep track of what's in your pack and what's in reserve, it helps to keep the inventory fresh in your mind so you shouldn't have to check your list all of the time. Keeping mental lists works great for regular use bags, but for less often rotated caches like: food, water, medical supplies, ammunition, etc. You should keep well detailed lists.
   Important information to include isn't just the item and where it's stored, but also details such as: units of measurement (each, pound, liter, etc.), cost per unit, expiration date, current stock, par stock (how much you should have). All this information helps you see where your stuff is, how much you have, and how much you need. It also helps track the cost of supplies to have a better idea of what you've put in and how much you still need to spend.
   When it comes to list making it's all about personal choice of how detailed you feel like being and how much time you're willing to put in. A piece of scrap paper with bullet points works well when updating a pack. A more detailed spreadsheet, done in Excel or the likes, is very useful for large stores or all of your prepping work as whole. I'm a person who likes to be well organized and have detailed information ready at hand, so I lean more towards the spreadsheet.
   Just recently I downloaded a new app for my phone that makes the inventory and tracking of supplies very easy, Prepper by Duckbone Apps is a fantastic organizational tool. It gives you the ability to not only list your items, you can also create par stocks, track the amount of supplies you have, denote the unit size, price items, and organize each item into categories and areas of storage. It's a pretty well rounded app for people interested in prepping.
   Like I said in the beginning, organization is invaluable, and lists are a great way to get and stay organized. Even with minimal effort put in you will still hold an advantage in an emergency, when everything else is working against you. I hope this post has been helpful and put into perspective just how easy it is to get organized, hopefully you will start making lists when you're done reading. If you have any questions about how to organize your inventory, or any other questions at all, please feel free to drop a comment below. As always, thanks for reading, and until next time. Be Prepared. Be Safe. Have Fun.

Importance of Being Prepared

   This week is emergency preparedness week; a time when the Emergency Management Office, RCMP, Fire Departments, and every other emergency service tries to inform the general public on the importance of being prepared. It's a great time filled with useful information and the announcement of new initiatives - Nova Scotia just launched a new Arabic language brochure on the use of 911 and emergency preparedness. That's the good news for the week.
   The bad news is that, while we ramp up efforts to get people informed on being prepared, there are wild fires raging on the other side of the country forcing thousands of people to be evacuated from their homes. The forest fires have been burning for a few days, but in a matter of a few hours it went from sitting on the city limits to jumping a highway and river to set the city of Fort McMurray ablaze. Neighbourhoods had started to be evacuated early in the day, but by the end of it the entire city, over 80,000 people, were placed under mandatory evacuation.
   Unfortunately this isn't an isolated incident. British Columbia is currently fighting forest fires, and five years ago there were evacuations due to the Slave Lake fires - also in Alberta. Unfortunately, if you have a forest in your country and you get a bout of hot and dry weather, you're susceptible to wild fires.
   I wish I could avoid using Fort McMurray to illustrate my point to try and be more sensitive to their current situation, but if not there it could be any other part of the country. Even here in coastal Nova Scotia, this time of year in 2009, 1,000 people had to be evacuated in my area due to forest fires. I know people who were effected then, and are being effected now.
   This all leads in to the main point I want to get across: you need to be prepared. When a disaster strikes you won't always be able to stay with your main resources, you may have to evacuate. When you're placed under mandatory evacuation you have minutes, mere minutes, to grab what you can and get out. When you're not sure when you will be back, or if your home will still be there, that creates serious chaos. Trying to decide on what to bring and what to leave can eat up valuable time. That's why it's important to have a bug out bag ready to go, you know that you have all of the necessary items already packed. Including all forms of ID, deeds, and insurance information.
   However, having a bag packed will only get you so far, you also need a solid plan. With the fires in Fort McMurray everyone was evacuated in a very narrow window of time. Though emergency services have been doing a great job of directing people and maintaining a safe evacuation, it had still caused serious gridlock outbound from the city. Another side effect is that gas stations started running out of fuel. That's not a great situation for people on the tail end of the evacuation who may have empty tanks. This is why planning is the base of the prepping pyramid. If you have a plan that takes into account the strain on traffic and resources you will be much better off. Having stores of food and fuel ready or in your vehicle can save you a lot of hassle. Having a plan to get you out of danger and to safety before everyone else can save your life.
   Unfortunately we have too many examples of why we should be prepared for anything, but that's exactly why we do. It can happen any time, any place, and it can happen quick. Take the time to read up on sites like Emergency Management Office, or other prepping blogs. Watch videos, borrow or buy books on the subject. The more you learn the better off you'll be.
   I wish the best to all the people dealing with disasters at home and abroad. I hope this post makes everyone think about preparedness more seriously and has been some amount of help to someone. As always, until next time. Be Prepared. Be Safe. Have Fun.