I'm in the process of taking bids for the concrete pad and apron for my backyard workshop/garden shed. I've decided to get that in first thing, so concrete in February and shed built in early March. I plan on putting a greenhouse on the South side of the shed. Perhaps a good use for it would be to grow herbs. If elderberry is poached by birds then having it in a greenhouse, with glass panels that could be replaced by screens, might make sense.

Feb 4-10 is probably too short a time period to make decisions. Typical sub-pandemic outbreaks come in several waves over 4-6 months, as people get it and either die or recover. People who recover are typically immune going forward unless unexpected mutations happen.

My red line at the moment is a confirmed case in my general area (St Louis). Till then I'm not that worried. I will continue to increase my preparations and add to my stores of food and other supplies.

One worry I do have is the reports that this virus does not cause fevers until it you are really sick. Up until then you are still contagious though and can spread it via coughs or sneezes (airborne water droplets). The lack of a fever means that you can't spot it with the infrared cameras that were used to screen arriving travelers with the SARs outbreak in 2003.

A friend who is a nurse said she's more worried about this year's flu. Its looking like its a two strain season.

Though if the current panic about the Corona virus gets people to take simple precautions like washing their hands and using hand sanitizer, then that will cut down on the flu as well.

Though a big difference in price. Surgical masks tend to be in the pennies range, while N95 masks run around a dollar.

Surgical masks as good as respirators for flu and respiratory virus protection

"It was a huge and important study—the largest ever done on this issue in North America," Dr. Perl said.

In the end, 207 laboratory-confirmed influenza infections occurred in the N95 groups versus 193 among medical mask wearers, according to the report. In addition, there were 2,734 cases of influenza-like symptoms, laboratory-confirmed respiratory illnesses, and acute or laboratory-detected respiratory infections (where the worker may not have felt ill) in the N95 groups, compared with 3,039 such events among medical mask wearers.

"The takeaway is that this study shows one type of protective equipment is not superior to the other," she said. "Facilities have several options to provide protection to their staff—which include surgical masks—and can feel that staff are protected from seasonal influenza. Our study supports that in the outpatient setting there was no difference between the tested protections."

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I should note that wearing a mask is more useful to prevent your infected water droplets from spreading than you catching an infection from others. The biggest way you get infected is to get the virus on your hands from a contaminated surface like a door handle, and then rubbing your eyes or nose.

A good habit to get into now is to learn not to touch your face with your hands unless you have sanitized them. That's why rubber gloves provide a false sense of protection. You think you won't get it on your skin but then do something stupid like scratch your nose or face with them on.

Also adopt a habit of using just one hand to touch surfaces and saving the other one to adjust your glasses or such. You could practice now while its safe by wearing a large bandage on one hand to remind you which one is unsafe. No one would question you if you had a bandage across the back of your hand. Just say you cut yourself.

One thing to consider going forward, is that even if the Corona virus does not morph into a world wide pandemic, it is already beginning to impact global economics. China, the world's second largest economy is for all purposes shut down for business. While the Stock Market is still trading at all time highs, the profit outlook on most global and national sized businesses is going to take a serious hit next quarter. And supply chains of products originating from China will soon begin to experience shortages.

This has the possibility to cause recessionary pressures just before the American election.

Also remember that many of the pharmaceutical products American health care uses come out of China. If you rely on a medicine for your daily health, now might be the time to ask your doctor to prescribe addition supplies.

Here is a picture of the Chinese city of Shanghai at the moment

I've been using the Peak Prosperity site as a prime source of news. Recently in this thread

Coronavirus Update: The Calm Before The Storm

a difference of opinion developed in the comments. Chris the PP author of the post and Andy, who I believe said he was a ER nurse have been arguing whether it is better to take the position that things could be very bad, or where such talk simply encourages "fear and panic".

Its been summed up as the difference between fearing the unknown and respecting the unknown.

If you can see just how bad it could get, does this cause you to make unwise decisions (panic) or no make any decisions at all (fear). Or does being informed as to just how bad it could get, make you respect the danger and make prudent decisions on preparations and contingencies?

I certainly am watching the situation closely, and yet I'm still living my life pretty normally. I have looked at where my emergency preparation has slacked off and lacks but I'm not running up my credit card balance buying N95 masks online at outrageous prices, or filling my grocery cart with tons of food and water.

I think we all should do the same.

I expect that tomorrow the US Senate will NOT vote to allow witnesses and move quickly to vote to acquit Trump before the scheduled Feb 3rd State of the Union address.

Allowing for a few days of talking head BS from both sides of the political spectrum, I predict the Main Stream Media will immediately pivot head first into the nCov news. Unfortunately the MSM makes their money on hype and sensationalism. It sells ad space.

Beware the spin from both Right and Left, as well as the Establishment push to marginalize the concerns of regular people, to keep the stock market and the financial industries humming right along making money for the 1%. That's not to say this isn't worrisome. It is, but don't let it panic you into unwise actions.

Even worst case, we all have a cushion of time in which to evaluate our personal options, check our preparedness and take prudent actions.

Follow the news but don't let it take over your day.

Clare, if you click "Add A Reply" under the first post, it will put your post at the bottom of the list, just under the last post like this.

It can be deceptive with the set back because of the size of your avatar photo though.

Lots of talk about buying food and stocking up. Here’s one suggestion I don’t see, pay your rent and utilities one month in advance.

I try to keep at least my utilities paid one month in advance, with rent being sometimes done. I’ve been lax about the rent this year. It comes in handy when you have an emergency. Two years back, I broke a wrist. Wasn’t able to work for 6 weeks. I’d just had to pay for some car repairs and my emergency cash fund was light. Didn’t have to worry about the landlord knocking on my door. I also had about a month of food in the cabinets, as usual. Only had to go out for beer, lol.

If the virus only ends up being a double the flu like disruption, your landlord may still hound you if you don’t make your rent. Be bad to have the sheriff show up trying to evict you, and you’re family is sick. You can cut back on your food if need be, but can’t do without shelter.

There has been a lot of articles posted in the main stream media, as well as comments in videos and forum posts that are along the lines of "But the everyday flu is much worse / kills more people, so we shouldn't be worried about the Corona virus."

This argument is very deceptive, and imo doesn't address the actual facts.

Yes, the flu infects and kills a much greater number of people in total, than what is being reports for the Corona virus if you believe the numbers coming out of China are accurate. There is evidence that the actual numbers maybe several larger. Still in total, there are less people having been killed than the flu this season.

Where the argument is deceptive is first, the total number of people who are infected with the flu. According to the CDC they estimates that influenza (the flu) for 2019 has resulted in between 19 million – 26 million illnesses, between 180,000 – 310,000 hospitalizations and between 10,000 – 25,000 deaths.

Current deaths from nCov are estimated at 440.

Big difference, yes?

Here's why those numbers don't address the facts. The Corona virus has been active for about 2-3 months, in a relatively small region. CDC Flu statistics count the entire United States. Now that means comparisons are not possible yet for overall severity based sheerly on overall fatalities.

What can be compared, and what makes nCov scary are these numbers:

R0 numbers (basically how many people each infected person infects themselves)
Flu - 1.28
nCov - 2.5 to 3, with a recent study estimating it as high as 4.8

Serious Complication Rate (requires an ICU bed or extensive medical intervention)
Flu - 1%
nCov - estimated at 20%

Case Fatality Rate
Flu - 0.1%
nCov - 3.0%

If you do the comparison, with 19 - 25 million illnesses, nCov could kill 570 - 750 thousand individuals, with an estimated 3.8 - 5 million people needing serious medical intervention or a ICU bed.

This would overwhelm our medical resources and up the death rate. That is why the argument that the flu is worse than the Corona virus is not valid.

Now the statistics may well go down once we have accurate numbers from the rest of the World. There is a recent study that finds nCov attaches itself to a cellular receptor that is 5 times more common in Asian men. Which may have made the outbreak particularly bad in China. Details are sketchy.

The fatality numbers may well go up too as nCov infects Africa, which has a large number of Chinese immigrant workers and has very poor medical infrastructure.

Time to panic, no. Time to be concerned, yes. Make decisions based on the facts.

I did see one person today wearing a mask at the grocery store.

For people who are sneezing or coughing. They do a good job of containing your droplets from getting into the public air space. I've started carrying a couple of the real cheap disposable ones in my hoodie's inside pouch to pull out and offer to anyone I see who is coughing in public without wearing one. Not gonna go the whole shaming route.

LOL I also plan to give them one of my Green Wizards business cards. Never miss an opportunity to recruit.

Sorry I've been a bit quiet, things have been progressing fast for those of us watching the shadows. I'll try and do a update this weekend. For now please check your food stores and prep and if you need something get out in the next couple of days to stock up. You might not have a chance in a week.

I've been following the news on the Corona virus, or as its now been named Covid-2019, pretty intensively.

One of the Youtube channels that I've found informative is "Medcram".
https://www.youtube.com/user/MEDCRAMvideos

His latest video discusses how important sleep is to the immune system and how the best preventative medicine for this virus, and any virus for that matter is sleep. Especially the first few hours of it. You should make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep in your day.

Check the video out, it has a great explanation of how our immune system works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqZYEgREuZ8&t=620s

Earlier information seemed to indicate that Asian men were especially susceptible to Covid-2019 due to increased amounts of ACE2 receptors in their lung cells. The virus seems to latch onto these cellar receptors to hijack your cells for reproduction and spread. The earlier study that indicated a higher level in Asian men has since come into question (due to small sample size).

What has been shown is that past lower lung damage makes you more likely to have a severe reaction from the virus and an elevated risk of pneumonia. Men in China smoke a lot, almost 50% of them do. Also air pollution levels are much higher than in the Western countries. Both of those can do long term damage to your lower lungs.

I do not know, but suspect that if you have had past cases of pneumonia, whether that causes damage?

This preference to infecting the lower lungs points to a diagnosing difference between Covid and typical colds and mild flu. Covid seems to begin with cough and fever once symptoms show, while colds typically start with running noses and sneezing. Something to be aware of if you begin to feel ill.

Very little evidence that Covid is in the general population yet here in America. If you feel sick, you most certainly have a cold or flu.

I've been getting much of my news and information from Chris Martenson over on Peak Prosperity, and in the discussions I wrote up this tutorial on things I thought would help a person prepare.

Please note, the audience over there is a bit more of the prepper and survivalist crowd than here. Some of the suggestions are a bit more militant and gun friendly. I do think the general tone and slant of the article is well done.

Best guess from people who know a whole lot more than me, this crisis won't get particularly disruptive until mid-March.

Economic disruptions, since basically the World's second largest economy and the major manufacturer of way too much of everyone's stuff is closed down, will be severe.

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Preparations By Categories:

Several of you have asked for suggestions and recommendations on what to buy to fill out your deep pantry and hopefully help get you though this crisis.

Rather than give a list of specific supplies for those of you new to preparing and stockpiling a deep pantry, I want to offer a list of supplies by categories, in the hopes this will make you think about your own personal situation and choose wisely, as well as see where you have overlooked a needed supply.

Very few of us can go out and spend thousands of dollars just before an emergency to create a deep pantry. That is why we recommend you do it in stages and over the course of months before a crisis hits. Unfortunately this isn’t the case now.

In this case, given the rapidly growing threat of a global pandemic, you will need to prioritize what you stockpile, and consider how quickly you can do it. Not all of us are in the same danger as others.

Pandemics go through a time progression which looks something like this:

1) Localized Outbreak:
2) Small Regional Spread
4) Large Regional Outbreak
4) Trans-Regional Spread
5) Mass Infections Across National Boundaries
6) Hot House State/Global Infection
7) Outbreak Burnout (either within regions or globally)
8) Post Outbreak Aftermath

9) Possible Second Wave – More Severe Than The First?

Each of these phases has preparation that you need to do, progressing and building on the ones before it.

They also are not universal. Not everyone is going to need to go completely bonkers yet stocking up.

The Large Regional outbreak in China, which is now progressing into a Trans-Regional Outbreak in the Asian Rim requires certain drastic preparations that for someone in the rural portions of the United States does not yet need. They can take their time and acquire supplies over a much longer prep time than someone in China right now.

And yet, China is the manufacturing center of the global economy. So someone in a phase that doesn’t need a measure of preparation later phases do, like that rural person, may still need to up their own preparation because resources are going to be scarce soon.

But you should remember, YOU HAVE AT LEAST A LITTLE TIME TO GET READY.

Let’s look at some categories then.

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1) Life Critical Medicines:
These are supplies you need to keep yourself alive normally, ignoring the current crisis. As Chris has pointed out, China is the World’s medicine chest. They supply raw materials and finished products which are rapidly running out. This will effect everyone.

Are you diabetic? Do you take medicines on a regular basis? Does any of your family take them? If so, then you need to schedule an appointment with your doctor or pharmacist and talk to them about prescribing a larger supply of your current medications. Also stockpile any equipment you need to give those meds, like syringes, or test strips.

Importantly, are you or your partner pregnant?

Giving birth in a pandemic can be particularly challenging. Consider how you might stockpile if you think you may have to do a home birth during a period of self quarantine. Rather than a hospital deliver, investigate midwife services. Consider birth control and stockpile for it. Its a given that any self quarantine may be boring, and people bored sometimes choose to entertain themselves in a more personal nature. Seek additional supplies of birth control pills or a supply of condoms.

Think not just about yourself but also any elderly family members who don’t live with you. You may decide to bring them into your home with you for protection. They may not see the current crisis as worrisome, and ignore or downplay the need to stockpile but you can always address it as a supply problem. Imports from China, including medicines are being impacted by their national quarantine. Important medications may not be there if they wait.

—

2) Children and Their Needs:
I’m not a parent, nor do I have children, so I’m going to offer this section from an outsider’s perspective.

Children and their needs depends a lot on their ages. Those who are pre-kindergarten, have different requirements from those who are in grade school, as do those from children in their teens.

While children, like any of us needs food, to me children in particular have a need for distraction. That is, they may have varying levels of understanding of the crisis and the reason they must stay inside and not go out. Entertainment and educational resources will go a long way to keeping young children happy and distracted.

Older children with an honest discussion between you and them can and will help out if given the opportunity, if you explain the importance to them. Consider devoting in the opening phases of your stockpiling, a portion to buy supplies that keep your children busy and entertained. Look to what books, games or DVDs you have on hand.

Don’t forget educational supplies. If conditions worsen schools will be one of the first things closed. Take some time to speak with your children’s teachers and ask them if there are plans to address school closures. I doubt there are but your questions may prompt teachers and school administrators to put plans in place.

Get a library card from your local public library. Most have online catalogs and allow you to request books that way. You can then walk straight in, pick up your requests and walk out with minimal exposure. This also allows for variety in your childrens’ entertainment and education.

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3) Pets:
Don’t forget your non-human companions. Stockpile meds if needed. You might think that you could just give them table scraps in a dire situation, but their health will suffer. Look for pet food on discount if money is tight but be aware changing foods can cause diarrhea and digestion problems. Make food changes slowly. Pets can help tremendously in lowing stress and providing comfort. Don’t neglect their welfare.

Don’t have a pet? Consider volunteering at a nearby shelter. People will get sick and be unable to help out. Nothing more sad than to imagine animals slowly dieing for lack of food or water because no one is there. Consider being a foster too. Having a new animal in the house can provide distraction and help with boredom and stress. And as a foster, after the crisis passes, you can return the animal.

AND NO: Animals do not carry or transmit this virus, unless someone infected sneezes on their fur and you stick your face in it right afterwards.

—

4) Transportation:
Beginning tomorrow, fill you car’s gasoline tank at 3/4. Yes, that means you will be stopping to fill a lot. Get used to it.

Transportation is your lifeline to supplies and support. In a city wide lock down, there will be no ambulances, no mass transit. While I don’t expect electrical service will be disrupted beyond minor blackouts, remember both ATMs and gas pumps don’t work without electricity. If you have the money, consider stockpiling one tank’s worth of gasoline with your deep pantry. Remember you will need to use and rotate any stored fuel if kept more than a few months.

Consider too cooking fuels. You may at some point need to consider cooking on an alternative method that your normal one. A small barbecue with a bag of stored charcoal, or something bigger like a small camp stove with propane or liquid fuel may need to be factored into your prep.

—
5) Water and the Toilet:
Begin by putting a large plastic tote in the shower and fill it. This can provide a small source of usable water to flush with if needed and can be stepped around to take a shower. Be careful, falls and slips can injure you as easily as the virus can.

Remember, you have 20-30 gallons in your water heater, which you can access if you need to. Do a Youtube search and watch how to open and drain your water heater. In many cases domestic water heaters have a build up in mineral scalings, which may drain with the water. Best consider this a source of water for flushing your toilet and not for drinking.

If the water does temporally shut off, remember to conserve. Many people forget that, and flush as they would normally, wasting precious water. Put a bottle of common bleach in the bathroom. After you use the toilet, pour a small amount into the soiled water and only flush when waste becomes a problem. Just because it smells a little doesn’t mean it can’t sit for a bit.

Pick up a few bottles of toilet cleaner too, then before you go to bed, flush and pour some in the bowl to help sanitize and keep bacteria from growing.

Something else, buy lots of toilet paper. You can go hungry but if you can’t wipe your butt, you are not going to be happy. Stock up on feminine hygiene products too if needed.

Consider buying at least some sealed drinkable water containers. Humans need about a gallon a day, either through food, juices or water. Plan for that. Most grocery stores have fillable water jugs and it runs about $1 per gallon. Remember though, water is heavy. Don’t stack too much in one place in your home.

1 gallon milk jug size water containers, prefilled and sanitized are available at the grocery store. Personally I went a size larger. My store has 2 1/2 gallon prefilled containers, which each have a spout for use. I like them because they are not too heavy to carry and if needed can be traded or given to an off site family member or friend. At a minimum, I would stockpile 20 gallons a person.

If you have the money pick up one or two plastic 55 gallon drums and fill them with drinkable water. Remember water weighs about 9lbs per gallon, a 55 gallon drum weights around 450lbs. Put them in your basement, garage or where the weight won’t matter.

—
6) Heat, Cooling and Lighting:
For those of us in North America, we are headed out of the Winter. Heating except in an unexpected cold snap will be less of a problem, one that heavy blankets on the bed and a sweater worn inside may solve. For those of you in the South Hemisphere, you need to consider what the approaching Winter will do to your home and preparations, if power and fuel is interrupted. We can actually live in unheated environments, and our ancestors did so.

Same with cooling, though its likely that the Corona virus will decrease when warmer weathers become common.

For lighting in a electrical disruption, candles may seem romantic but there are many newer led camp lights which last a long time on batteries. Get one, and get at least one replacement of batteries. Get half a dozen small flashlights too. Put them at doors, bathroom especially and have everyone in the household keep one on their person.

Don’t forget getting some matches and a few lighters.

IMPORTANT: Buy a couple of fire extinguishers if you don’t have one. Put one in the kitchen and another next to each person’s bed. Talk about how you will exit the house in an emergency and where you will all meet up with your family.

Change the batteries in your smoke detectors this week. Stock up on replacement batteries for your common devices. Consider rechargeable batteries and a solar charger too.

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7) Money and Capital Resources:
A lot of us have several credit cards, and they should be considered a usable resource if needed. Don’t hesitate to rack up some debt if you have to in this crisis. Just be wise about it, remember you are going to have to pay it back eventually.

Consider putting at least a few hundred dollars in cash at home, in small denomination bills. If you can, up that to $500 or more. While I doubt it might happen, a very serious crisis could cause bank runs or government interventions which make your savings and financial resources unreachable.

Its quite possible that during this crisis there will be computer disruptions and your cards, both credit and debit, may be declined. Have with you an amount of cash will allow you to buy needed supplies. An yet, be careful and don’t flash large amounts of easily stolen cash. Put a smaller amount ($20-30) in a pocket that you can access, and the rest safely hidden.

Also consider paying your utilities and monthly bills in advance at least one month. I’m not sure how this crisis will effect billing and such things. I would hope that services would make allowances for people in need but then they may not. More and more, computers are in charge of who gets their services turned off. Don’t let a illness put you in the dark or sends the sheriff to your door to evict you.

If you haven’t move yet, your 401K or other investments into cash options NOW. This crisis will probably bring on a recession and cause a serious correction in the Market. Don’t survive and end up poor because you were focused on the real world and ignored the financial one.

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8) Security and Protection:
If you own a firearm, check it, clean it and put it somewhere you can get at it. If you don’t own one, consider putting some sort of protection where its handy. Also have something with you if you go out.

I remember when I worked as a security guard in college, the police instructor who trained us said this, that carrying a billy club was illegal, but one of the longer and heavy flashlights wasn’t. If we had to use that for protection then it was ok. Likewise, I have in my car as 4 way tire iron, for changing tires. I also have a hollow steel pipe which fits over one arm of that, to provide leverage to unstick frozen wheel nuts. That four foot pipe can be just as easily used to defend myself.

If your family members are uneasy with firearms, then consider non lethal means like pepper spray. Hang one or two on the back of any entrance door so that if there is someone trying to force their way into your home, its handy. Put a baseball bat at the door too.

Don’t forget your car either. Put a can of pepper spray inside where each occupant can use it thru the window if need be.

No, I don’t think we will see roving bands of MadMaxian thieves assaulting our homes. And yet, in many Third World countries you can be attacked and robbed in the few feet from your car to your front door. Become situational aware. Watch your environment. Crises like these bring out the best in people but also bring out the worst.

—
9) Virus Related Medicinals:

We covered life critical medicines in section one. A second section must be those medicinals related to the crisis.

You may not be able to cure the underlying illness but often being able to handle the symptoms can go a long way to keeping you alive. Look at the symptoms that this virus has, cough, fever, diarrhea and find over the counter medicines to address each of them. Stock up, its going to be rough. Don’t forget simply instruments. A good thermometer and oximeter can tell you when its time to brave the line at the local hospital or end up dead.

Buy some comfort foods for the sick, like frozen popsicles or ice cream. This virus causes sore throats and coughs. Being able to just sit and eat something cold and tasty will go a long way to making the ill comfortable.

Attitude is going to be critical in recovering from this virus.

Consider your self quarantine measures as well. One of your household is certainly going to be sick. Your job is to see that all of you don’t. Personal protection equipment (PPE) to prevent the virus from spreading inside your home and to protect you when you have to go out for supplies, is critical. Buy what you can but don’t hoard. Others out there will need supplies too. Read up here on how you can extend the life of your PPE and masks. Protect yourself and don’t put yourself and your family at risk if you can help it.

Don’t over look less traditional medicinals, like herbals and supplements. You need to strengthen your bodies immune system and stay healthy and well. Read where you can. Knowledge is your friend.

Also don’t over look the way that a good 8 hours of sleep can increase your resistance to infection and boost your immune system.

Dr Seheult on the Medcram Youtube channel has a host of good detailed and informative videos that compliment Chris’s here on Peak Prosperity. He has a series on how sleep helps too.

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlbM6VVkVZM&t=1s

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE4pBkslqS4

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10) Food:
I put food at the end of this list because it is often the first thing people think of when they begin to prepare and it is probably one of the least important things to stockpile. I know most people will take issue with this, but its true. You can survive a long while on little food. You can’t if you are diabetic and don’t have insulin.

Food is important but you must approach it with some smarts. Food is a supply you can easy go overboard on and waste your money.

Lets consider some key points to outfitting your deep pantry with food.

10a) Buy what You Eat:
Too many new people to stockpiling will see the ads for survival food and buy into a bulk purchase of foods which do provide the needed nutrition but which are completely useless as additions to their deep pantries.

Simply this, if you don’t eat rice or beans on a regular basis, buying 20 pounds of either as a basis for your deep pantry is wrong. Either of those staples may keep you alive, but you aren’t going to enjoy it.

Purchase the food which you eat in your pre-crisis life. Deep pantries aren’t something you buy and then store in the basement never to touch unless it gets bad. Deep pantries are really just buying your normal groceries that you eat from day to day, but buying them a few months out. One hint, as you buy stuff and build up your deep pantry, date each item with a magic marker, then try and choose the oldest food item in the pantry when you need to eat.

That also means deep pantries aren’t static. You need to set up a schedule of weekly menus so that you don’t end up with supplies that are years old. Second hint, buy and put up a small white board in your kitchen, both to plan a menu and to remind yourself of any needed additions.

This virus outbreak isn’t going to cut off our access to food. Some things may get out of stock. There may be food runs too, where local stores empty out. You though, know enough to plan ahead and not let panic dictate your actions.

10b) Consider How Its Stored:
Most of your deep pantry will need to be stored for a while, at least weeks if not months. When you purchase and fill out your deep pantry, be aware of that fact.

The majority of the food you buy will be in cans or packaging which allows room temperature, dry storage. If its one thing modern grocers have perfected, its making food that lasts. That’s good.

Some things may require electrical cold storage. I own a 7 cubic foot freezer and its almost always filled to the top. If power goes out though, that food will quickly turn to unusable garbage unless I cook it and eat it. Electrical cold storage though is very useful and as I’ve pointed out, at least in the US, during this crisis, electrical supplies of power should be constant.

Try though to buy those foods that store at room temperature.

10c) Plan For Foods While You Are Sick:

A portion of your food prep should be foods that are easy to make (think 2 minutes in the microway), can be eaten cold (most soups or canned meat), or are nutritious and easily digested (think teas, broths, juices). Don’t forget electrolyte replenishers like Gatoraid.

Diarrhea can be a symptom of this virus, which will deplete important minerals, salts and sugars from your body. If we can’t cure the virus, then we have to survive the symptoms.

10d) Buy A Few Comfort Foods:
Nothing cuts stress like a couple of cookies.

Its tempting when you first outfit a deep pantry to focus just on the basics and the core supplies. That is a mistake. We aren’t just animals eating that which we need. We are emotional beings that sometimes just want to have a hot cup of coffee and some chocolate. Remember that when things are hard, its helpful to be able to step back, recenter our thoughts and let the stress go for a moment, before getting back into the fight is critical to your survival.

10e) Start Growing Something:

Even if its just a few sprouts. Or a bucket of microgreens. Start now to gain at least a small amount of control on where your food comes from.

You can check out this tutorial on the forum here on how to make a low cost ($10) self watering planter for patios or balconies.

https://www.peakprosperity.com/forum-topic/self-watering-garden-containers/

Growing some of your own food is also a great way to keep children focused and entertained. The act of caring for a plant and watching it grow, to then harvest from it and see it on the table is a powerful way to help your children through this trying event.

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Optional: 11) Things That You Can Trade:
Unfortunately, for every one of you reading Peak Prosperity and preparing for an emergency, there are 99 who don’t. Some of them may be your friends and neighbors.

Think about what you can spare and where you need to say no. And what you might have extra in the case you have forgotten something, or need more of an important supply, like medicines, that you can use in trade. Be careful to only trade with people you know and then to guard yourself. Never let on that you are a juicy target that someone desperate might want to rob. Trade small and walk away.

—

Note on where to get supplies: Don’t over look non-conventional sources. Its natural to think grocery stores or big box retailers, but places which sell to retailers and businesses often have a larger supply of goods, and a lower price. I recently stopped by a restaurant supplier looking for a 55 gallon drum. They didn’t have them but they had a box of rubber gloves which I had just paid $9 at a hardware store for $5. And they had another 50 boxes of those gloves on the shelf. Think outside of the box.

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Ok, that’s some thoughts and suggestions.

I suspect I’m missing a whole lot of things but at least it gets you thinking. Remember, developing a deep pantry and preparing for hard times isn’t just going out and buying a whole lot of canned food.

For every dollar you have to supply a deep pantry, unfortunately you are going to have 3-4 things that you think you need to buy. Take your time, think though your options and even if you later think you chose wrong, don’t worry about it too much. You will make mistakes. This isn’t a situation with right or wrong but a situation where you can only choose what is best for you.

Be safe.