How to survive off the Grid for 2 Weeks

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What with today’s technology being so integrated into everyone’s life, could YOU survive for two weeks “without anything”? Do you even have an emergency plan in place? Maybe you don’t ever have to worry about hurricanes and earthquakes where you live, but what if this Ebola thing really does get out of hand and you want to stay safe inside your house for weeks? What about a massive power outage?

What You Need for Two Weeks

  • Canned items: proteins, meals, vegetables, fruits, beans…so many kinds of foods come in cans.
  • Dairy in powdered form; canned evaporated form
  • Other canned and cupped goods like Ensure, instant oatmeal, instant soup
  • Packaged foods like chips, meal replacement bars, etc.
  • As for how much food? Depends on your and your family’s eating habits; there’s no one-size-fits-all, but the idea is to get adequate sustenance, not feast like a king. Feel free to stock up on all sorts of condiments, but for two weeks, is it really necessary to make sure you have bouillon and pickle relish?
  • Manual can opener
  • Sterno stove, though food to stay alive and healthy while two weeks off the grid need not be heated.
  • Each person needs a gallon a day; buy it bottled to eliminate risk of contamination or hassle of decontaminating it.
  • Garbage bags, plastic eating utensils, paper plates/cups, wet wipes and even an N95 mask will prove very useful.
  • Thermal underwear, gloves, hats, ear muffs, boots, blankets, walking shoes, umbrella, sunscreen, toilet paper, women’s sanitary items etc.
  • First aid kit, surplus refills of prescription drugs, OTCs, etc.
  • Flashlights, other battery operated tools like radios, and extra batteries
  • Back up your computers’ data daily if possible. Keep a photo record of all of your vital documents and personal possessions. Keep the negatives of important non-digital photos. Send duplicates of your backups to a trusted individual who lives distantly.
  • Establish a contact person who lives distantly. Each family member should have this person’s contact information (ideally memorized).
  • If your community or neighborhood ever has any emergency prep meetings, attend. If not, speak to people about emergency preparedness. Get ideas brewing.