Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us
by Dave Robinson


Changing Seasons Originally published October 09, 2013

Summer is grinding to a close and fall is on the way whether we like it or not. With the change of seasons, a lot of folks turn their energies toward the gathering, accumulating, preparing and storage of food. Items foremost in every prepper’s mind. Some of the old-timers have always been preppers after a fashion, after all they’ve been canning, preserving and laying in food for lean times long before the concept “occurred” to the current generation.

When I was a child, my mother read the entire series of “Little House” books to my brother and me as well as to the students in her one-room country school in Nebraska. I have, in turn, read the series to my children and most of my grandchildren. The skills and techniques detailed in those books have served the needs of countless generations who have managed without electricity or refrigeration. I find it mildly amusing that the art of food preservation has come into vogue as almost an alternative lifestyle. I shouldn’t be so surprised given our conveniences and what’s available on the grocery shelves.

As I write this, I’m tending two pressure cookers which are processing the fresh tuna we picked up at the docks today. I need to warn you, once you’ve tasted home-canned tuna, you’ll never be satisfied with store-bought fare again. The down-side is your house smells “fishy” for a few days, although we have learned to do the pressure cooking aspect out on the deck utilizing a crab cooker, thus minimizing the in-house odor factor. There is a nice feeling of satisfaction seeing the pantry shelves full of food, including the canned tuna, peaches and other food set aside.

On another note, we recently received an email from Pacific Power informing of a service they now provide. They have developed an app that sends power outage updates to your smartphone. You can directly report an outage at your home, and also receive information on the cause and expected duration of your outage. Other features of this site give you a list of items to put together for a 72 hour kit, building a plan for your family and even how to override your electric garage door opener. Even if you’re not a Pacific Power customer I don’t think they’d mind if you checked out their website at www.pacificpower.net.

As always send your questions and comments to me at disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.


Note: Dave Robinson is Bandon's Postmaster and has worked for the postal service for 30 years. He has a background in law enforcement, served in the Air Force in Vietnam, worked nine years for the Coos County Sheriff's Department, and serves on the Myrtle Point School Board, where he lives.


additional columns by Dave Robinson