Ready for Anything?

Over the past weekend, Old Man Winter proved himself to be a spry old man, reinforcing winter forecasts that, because of La Niña, we were in for some brutal weather this year. Well, Old Man Winter didn’t come limping through with a dusting of snow…

…he gave the Northeast a smackdown, with communities in western Massachusetts receiving upwards of 27 inches of accumulation. Three deaths were reported and New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and parts of New York were under declared states of emergencies.

It’s not like people in these states aren’t used to snowfall. However, in October the most they’ve usually had to contend with is an overzealous dumping of leaves by the local vegetation. Leaf dumps…yes, wind gusts…yes, 27 inches of snow? Not so much.

In fact, it’ll be a few days before the more than 3 million without electricity see any hint of restored power.

However, lest you think this was strictly a Northeast phenomenon, Amarillo, Texas received almost 3 inches of snow from Friday night into Saturday. Yep, Old Man Winter is an equal opportunity giver of snow!

I imagine folks up North are about like folks all over the United States when it comes to being prepared for inclement weather. Our survival plans usually amount to making a dash to Walmart at the last minute, hoping that we can come out of there with something we can eat. Even despite the tornadoes and hurricanes, the snowstorms and ice storms, the floods and mudslides, we still get that deer-in-headlights look whenever anyone asks us if we were prepared for whatever disaster we just came through.

Then we come out with the excuses…

“I haven’t had time to think about it.”

“I was going to stock up, but then there was the fishing tournament and I just never got around to it.”

“The dog ate my shopping list.”

And every time we make those New Year resolution-like vows, the ones that go something like “next time, by golly, we’ll be ready!” And just like those New Year’s resolutions, in about three weeks, they’re forgotten until the next year (or the next disaster) rolls around.

But being prepared isn’t just about storm weather readiness. It’s much more than that. For example, the USDA is predicting soaring food prices for the end of 2011 and going into 2012. According to the USDA, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.8 percent between 2009 and 2010. (I really have a hard time believing it was that low.) However, for 2011 alone, the CPI is forecast to rise a whopping 3.5 to 4.5 percent.

Heating costs for this winter are also expected to take a hit. Natural gas prices will rise 3 percent, propane prices 7 percent, and heating oil is expected to rise 8 percent. When President Obama said that Americans will just have to get used to higher energy prices, he wasn’t kidding. In fact, he and the Democrats have done everything they can to make sure that forecast becomes a reality.

When you see and hear all these predictions, when you see your Northern neighbors struggling to make it through possibly weeks of power outages so early in the fall and winter seasons, do you feel spurred at all to begin making preparations for yourself?

And if you do, do you even know where to begin?

I know where to begin, but that’s because I’ve purchased this excellent resource from Solutions From Science… Ready for Anything: The Ultimate No B.S. Survival Manual for Ordinary People.

In the first 72 hours after a crisis, what would you do if you couldn’t:

• Access your bank account?
• Put fuel in your car… (or use your car at all)?
• Make a phone call?
• Heat (or cool) your home?
• Get vitally needed prescription drugs?
• Cook on your stove?

Don’t think that tossing a few boxes of macaroni and cheese in the cabinet is all you need to do to make it through a crisis situation. There are so many other things to consider in order to actually be prepared. For instance:

• Do you know the number one survival need in any situation? (Page 24 of the Ready for Anything manual will tell you.)
• Do you know the 6 often overlooked sources of water in an emergency? (Page 28 tells you which sources are safe for drinking.)
• The 12 most valuable barter items you could have in an extended crisis? (Page 193 lets the cat out of the bag.)
• How to turn one pound of food into seven pounds of food in as little as 3 days? (Page 71 reveals this secret.)
• And so much more…

You see, in a disaster—whether it’s a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, or civil unrest—there are so many variables that you really don’t take into consideration when you’re making your preparations. And most of the time, these events aren’t kind enough to forewarn you that they’re coming along. One minute you’re in a normal world, and then BAM! … suddenly you’re on your keister and don’t know where that freight train came from that just bowled over you!

That’s why it’s so important to have a resource like the Ready for Anything manual. In this guide, you’ll learn how to plan for 3-to-7 day emergencies, emergencies that last for several weeks to a month, and then those situations that are long-term for the foreseeable future.

For instance, if you find yourself cut off from the amenities of life, would you know:

• How much water is needed for each person in the household?
• The natural substance that purifies water?
• How to have back-up power to run some basic needs (like phones, lights, chargers, sump pumps, etc.)?
• What medical and dental supplies would be invaluable?
• What food stores you should consider to maximize your emergency budget?
• What to pack if you plan on leaving the disaster area?

As with anything, knowledge is power. The more you know, the more you prepare, the less likely that strange weather, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or civil unrest will knock you for a loop. There’s a certain peace of mind in knowing that no matter what happens, you’re ready to face it. It’s a feeling that money can’t buy and that government can’t give you.

The skills you hone and the supplies you set aside today may very well make the difference in life or death tomorrow. Click here to order your copy of Ready for Anything: The Ultimate No B.S. Survival Manual for Ordinary People and see what peace of mind being prepared brings.