If you live a mobile lifestyle, space is limited even in the largest Class A RV. If you are a van-dweller or pull a 14-foot travel
trailer, you have extremely limited space for everyday essentials.
So how can you be prepared for both short-term and long-term
emergency situations?
Because you live in your RV, van or trailer – whether for a two-week vacation or
full-time – you already have the advantage of shelter, bedding, communications
(cell phone and emergency radio), clothing, one or more methods of cooking, and
some quantity of food and water.
You also likely have on hand more and possibly better
essential items that would go in a home emergency “bug-out” bag:
- knives
- matches,
lighters and other fire starters
- pots
and pans
- water
containers
- can
opener
- first
aid kit
- lighting
(hopefully including a headlamp)
- emergency
radio with hand-crank for power
- leather
work gloves
- insect
repellent
- sewing
kit
- copies
of your most important documents
- area
and regional maps
- pen
and pencil
What if you become stranded through an act of nature, a
mechanical failure, or a major calamity in the vicinity? Do you have emergency
supplies to sustain yourself? The two primary needs beyond keeping yourself safe
from temperature extremes are water and food. Your mobile dwelling won’t have a
large pantry or root cellar for stockpiling supplies, so what can you do?
One answer is to have a dedicated emergency food stash such
as a “bucket” that holds a 30-day supply of dried foods. These can be a good
deal more expensive than regular food, may be full of excess sodium and empty
“survival” calories, and have a shortened shelf life because of the likelihood
of hotter storage temps than are recommended. Yet, these may be right for you
if you shop carefully.
Another solution can be to keep extra stock on hand of foods
you eat anyway that are excellent “emergency food” selections. If a jar of
peanut butter will last you through three or four weeks of intermittent use, then
keeping an extra two or three jars for emergency nutrition needed on a daily basis
won’t be too much of a hassle. Write the date you buy each jar on the lid or
label so you can use up the “oldest” each time you need to open a new one.
You won’t want to live on peanut butter alone, so look at
other foods you normally use that you can rotate in the same way. Oatmeal is a
hearty comfort food that uses few resources to prepare. Stir in a flavorful
glop of peanut butter, and you’ll up the protein of each serving.
Freeze dried or dehydrated fruit can be a welcome snack
anytime. Buy extra packets to build your emergency food supply and rotate them
into your normal usage. Dried fruit chips dipped in peanut butter or dropped
into hot oatmeal? Both good variations. More and more places (including
Target) carry Mylar pouches of crispy lentils and green pea pods (check
expiration dates for longevity) and freeze-dried veggies.
Canned soups, meats, fruits and veggies in rotation may take
up more space, but if you’re buying what you usually eat, you’ll always be able
to keep your supply fresh. There are usually nooks and crannies where a few
cans will fit; just remember where your backup stashes are located!
What can you do to be prepared for a temporary emergency that
might keep you isolated for more days than your emergency water and food supply
will last?
For water, the answer is to be capable of sterilizing water
from natural sources around you using one or more methods such as: filters that
clean to NSF specs, boiled or pasteurized water, iodine drops or tablets,
chlorine bleach, and even clear plastic bottles that can be set in the sun to
irradiate clear but questionable water. If you are boondocking in the desert,
this is a much greater challenge. Desert survivalists recommend always having
about three feet of pencil-thick, flexible tubing so you can reach into small
puddles that might form in rock cracks and crevices after a rain. Know the
nearest sources of water anytime you camp in extremely dry country.
To extend your food supplies in a severe emergency, have
resources to obtain food in your surroundings. An edible plant identification
book can provide a fun hobby in normal times and be a life-saving resource in
disasters.* To obtain other foods, you can keep fishing equipment, wire for
snares and/or weapons for taking game. Of course, all of these require proper
knowledge. At the least, keep a couple of common-sense survival books in your
dwelling.
If you truly believe that a major catastrophe or societal collapse
is coming, then you probably should be prepping in a secured location or always
be within a gas tank’s drive of your retreat.
What if you need to hike out to get help or get to
a better location? See a future post for tips on making the trek with the
essentials you’ll need.
* Know the procedures for “testing” wild edibles even if you
are sure you have the right plant.
