Earlier in the week we had a storm come through. It brought some rain, but was mostly high winds that eventually knocked out the power for three or four hours. It wasn’t long enough to be problematic, in that I didn’t have to hook up the refrigerator to backup power to keep food from spoiling, but it was annoying nonetheless.
Of course, I’ve got a lot of things covered concerning my preparedness, including food, water, and all the other stuff that preppers intuitively understand we need to survive. Granted, it never feels like enough, but that’s a topic for another day.
Today, the problem is the little things that we will surely miss … the little things that make life easier, more comfortable, and that make us feel normal. For me, that’s a fan running while we sleep. I know. It seems silly. When SHTF or whatever, who’s going to care about background noise to sleep with? Get your priorities straight, old man!
Sure, I get it. In the scheme of my survival, some background noise is low on the list. It’s barely on the radar most times. But it’s not nothing. And it got me to thinking about other little things that you or I would miss when times get tough. Here’s my thoughts, in no particular order.
A hot shower
It’s one thing to be able to keep yourself clean, and another to do so happily. We can stockpile water, soap, sanitizer, and the all that stuff, but there’s something about taking a hot shower or bath that makes you feel normal. Besides, have you ever taken a cold shower? It’s horrible! Most of us just wouldn’t stand for it. Add in having to take a cold shower or bath when it’s winter and I guarantee most of us would prefer to remain stinky.
Clean clothing
Have you ever picked up some clothing, sniffed it, and said, “It can go another day!” Admittedly, guys are better than women about this, but even men have their limits. At some point, clothing will be stinky enough that you’re going to want to do something about it.
There are some interesting ways to clean clothing without water, but most ideas I’ve seen only seem to mask the problem or, at best, remove surface dirt. You’re going to want to do laundry at some point, which means you’re going to need to know how to do so without the washing machine and dryer. The same can be said about bath towels, hand towels, washrags, dish towels, and so on. This is where off-grid laundry machines and clothes lines come into play. What’s your plan for laundry if/when it gets to that point?
Coffee or tea (or whatever gets you going in the morning)
I’m not a coffee or tea drinker, but many people are. Thankfully, there are ways to stockpile these items for the long-term, and it’s not terribly difficult to heat a small amount of water. But as with anything else related to preparedness, knowledge will do you little good if you don’t have the supplies and equipment to make it happen.
For my wife and I, we love our morning fruit smoothies, and we would miss them rather quickly if we couldn’t replenish fruit from the grocery store. Same goes for making the almond milk or yogurt that we add to our smoothies most days. It’s why I stockpile bags of almonds and know how to make yogurt. It’s also why I freeze dry foods, including fruit.
What’s your plan to keep your routines going?
Toothbrush, lotions, deodorant, etc.
This list of items could be long, but it’s the basic acts that tend to make us feel normal (or to feel human), and I can’t think of anything more important than feeling normal after a prolonged disaster, assuming you’ve got the basic survival needs covered.
For example, this could include something as simple as being able to brush your teeth. I don’t know about you, but if I skip brushing my teeth, they start to feel fuzzy … and I dislike that feeling very much! Of course, there’s the health aspect of it, too.
Even something like lotion is surely overlooked. As winter draws near, I feel my hands and feet requiring lotion more often. It’s a simple matter, but I would be an annoyance to me if I couldn’t get my hands on lotion for a lengthy period.
Deodorant is an obvious one, but a problem that shouldn’t be ignored. Do you know how to make your own or what you can use to keep from offending everyone within a twenty foot radius?
Add in all the other supplies, like shampoo, conditioner, nail clippers, and whatever else my wife keeps in the bathroom and there’s a lot to consider. Thankfully, most of these items are easy to stockpile for years to come.
Ultimately, this isn’t about brushing your teeth or having deodorant; that stuff is easy to prepare for and to stockpile. It’s about having all those little things that make you feel more normal and civilized. Maybe that’s makeup for women or nose hair trimmers for men; whatever it is ensure the stuff you rely upon is stocked up on while you can.
Privacy
I don’t know about you, but I expect my home to swell in size if/when SHTF since all of my closest friends and family will surely show up, hat in hand. 😉
While some people would be welcome and expected, especially as I age, there could be a point where it’s just too much. Even if you don’t have everyone you know show up, my guess is that things would change for you, too. For example, with winter coming, my family would all gravitate toward the basement where the wood fireplace resides. The basement is typically my in-laws domain, but it would quickly become the place where at least six people will live no matter what anyone wants.
I’d imagine, however, that sleeping and living in the same area would get on people’s nerves rather quickly, and I would suspect that some of us, especially me, would be looking for somewhere else to live and sleep despite frigid temperatures. If this isn’t possible, what’s the plan for ensuring some minimal privacy when everyone is cramped into the same living space?
Entertainment
I won’t belabor the point here, but we’re all accustomed to being entertained constantly. Whether that’s games for kids or news and music for adults, we’re all going to be bored to tears when the power goes out or the internet shuts down for lengthy periods of time.
We’ll adjust, but the transition will either be a slow trudge into a new normalcy or so quick that you’ve got too many other problems to contend with and, thus, haven’t even noticed. I’ll take the former. Regardless, some people just won’t adjust well, especially children. Have games and books and whatnot to keep them entertained when our beloved television and smartphones cease to work.
Calendars and clocks
If a disaster lasted for more than a week or two, would you even know what day it is? Of course, it might not matter much at the time, but at some point you’re going to want to know. Think about all the important days you might miss, like birthdays and holidays, without keeping track of the passing days. I don’t know about you, but sure would be upset to miss Christmas if I didn’t keep track of the dates.
Same goes for a reliable clock. If you’re on a strict regiment of food or medicines, for example, you might be guessing at times and that might not be good. We’re so accustomed to phones and alarms telling us what time it is or when to do something, when they stop working you could have a problem on a daily basis. Maybe a traditional battery-powered wall clock, the kind with a large and small hand, is a good investment? My guess is they’re dirt cheap these days.
Conclusion
This list was never meant to be all-inclusive. They’re merely thought-starters for you and me to consider just what items are often overlooked, especially when us preppers spend so much time focusing on the more crucial items, like food and water, for our survival. Thus, I encourage you to take stock this weekend of whatever it is you might need to make life just a little bit more normal when times get tough … because I’m afraid we’re all going to need more normalcy soon enough.
Leave a Reply