Beer... so I have something to do while watching everyone else panic shop.

Given enough warning (weeks not days) I might top off a few things but most likely, you won't catch me anywhere near a store if there is an impending disaster.

 

True. I usually have most stuff on hand, I am just topping off.

 

Amazon prime days just started, some nice stuff though I don't know how good the prices on battery power packs and solar are. Several on offer.

 

Thats a good list,and Cannon beat me to beer.I'm in SWFL,Milton starting to hit.

Been thru many,haven't left the house for 2 days,just been organizing.
I'm not perfect,I try to learn something from every storm,and address after to avoid last minute.
I just realized my knee high rubber boots are at work,oh well.

 

Go w sandals brother they are easy to wash off just wear boots on piles of debris . Gl see ya in a couple weeks.

 

Prepared food, snacks and luxuries. A new video game, movie, etc.

Stuff I normally never buy.

I have all the basics. Food, water, energy, to see through any disaster short of TEOWAWKI. The last thing I need is more flour, or beans, or canned food. I have power to last weeks using it normally, or years if I think its going to be that long, so no worries about refrigerated food. I have lifetimes of cooking fuel.

But danger is stressful, and sometimes boring, at the same time....and sometimes you get very busy working the crisis, so I get stuff that I don't have to cook, and that I would want to eat even if I wasn't hungry....and things to relax, even when I don't feel like relaxing.

I get stuff I ordinarily wouldn't waste money on, but that can be nice, when other things are not, and I can use the excuse of the disaster to get away with.

 

We like a lot of you already have the basics but will buy some extra canned meats, TP, snacks and such. Make sure the truck is full of gas and we have cans full for the generator and wood splitter.

 

We are pretty well stocked on things so no need to panic buy. However, if it were a foreseeable expected long term issue we may go top off a few things. I keep a list on my phone of things to get.

 

I have been topping off with the election coming. Mainly non perishable foods. I was low on canned chicken and low sodium spam.

Got some quality first aid items I was low on. Batteries too. I picked up Bic lighters and some barbecue lighters.

I'm keeping the cars topped off and have extra gas around.

 

@cannonfoddertfc beat me to it. Beer! And for the same reason.

Seriously though, we're well stocked at all times. We don't need to do disaster shopping, but may top up on some things to make life more comfortable.

If we know there's a big winter storm coming (which is the most likely disaster in my area), I'll check the propane for our house generator, and call for a top off it's a bit low. I'll also top off diesel and gasoline (for our portable generator if the home one fails/runs out of propane), though I generally keep a good supply of both on hand at all times. Virtually every big storm (or even a stiff breeze) we lose power for hours to days. It's just a fact of life around here. Most houses around my area have either a home generator or a portable one to keep the fridges and freezers from thawing. It's not uncommon for our valley to be without power for several days when all of the surrounding areas don't even have a blip in their power. The population density is low enough here that it's just not a priority for the power company. That's more than a fair tradeoff for not having many neighbors!

I'll also make sure that all of our power bricks are topped off, download some movies for if the internet goes down, and we might buy some perishable foods if we're running low, but that's about it.

 

I don't stock up before an impending storm or disaster. I'm always stocked up. last thing I want to do is have to go shopping last minute hoping for the best.

I might move the generator out of storage and into place so I don't have to do it in the rain, but that's about it.

 

Ever clear (Fuel, fire starter, drink), Devils Spring 151 Vodka, same use as Everclear. Spice mix (Mexican), or flavored rice, just a top up, have at least 2, 750 Mil. bottles of the alcohol, on hand always. Juice' Orange, apple. Hot drink packs coco, spiced cider, water enhancer from PurAqua different flavors (0Surgar) again a top up. Most on hand at all times, OHIO winter storm warning then inventory and top up. BUT, but no panic buying. Lived here long enough to know it happens.

 

PS: Forgot to mention. Pet supplies both wet and dry foods mostly dry. Also, some baby formula incase the grands get stuck here, also baby supplies.

 

Usually just top off the gas tanks in the cars.
We keep propane and gas stocked.
If I know a big one is coming I will obviously make a round of supplies and make sure I am not missing anything, but usually it's more of pulling things out and setting up. Pre staging lanterns and flashlights, that kind of thing.

I'll throw this out there. Food for thought for urbanites. Wife's cousin in Ashville. They have a propane generator, but it was in storage... where they couldn't get to it. So, no power for two weeks. 🙁

 

I don't stock up before an impending storm or disaster. I'm always stocked up. last thing I want to do is have to go shopping last minute hoping for the best.

I might move the generator out of storage and into place so I don't have to do it in the rain, but that's about it.

Quite similar, for a "known" impending more likely short term disaster. Days/weeks, up to a month. We'd just make sure the SUV & pickup tanks are topped up.

For an unknown time frame / complete end to normalcy as we know it? -AND- a magical trouble free "last shopping" that can be done safely? Many threads on such, however all should be mindful of #1 on @nveagle list!

We are pretty well stocked on things so no need to panic buy. However, if it were a foreseeable expected long term issue we may go top off a few things. I keep a list on my phone of things to get. View attachment 587157

Anything else? Depends really on what you have, & what you need, that you can store well. Then what you want, that you can store well.

Never assume there will be a magical trouble free "last shopping"...

 

Quite similar, for a "known" impending more likely short term disaster. Days/weeks, up to a month. We'd just make sure the SUV & pickup tanks are topped up.

For an unknown time frame / complete end to normalcy as we know it? -AND- a magical trouble free "last shopping" that can be done safely? Many threads on such, however all should be mindful of #1 on @nveagle list!



Anything else? Depends really on what you have, & what you need, that you can store well. Then what you want, that you can store well.

Never assume there will be a magical trouble free "last shopping"...

We don't assume we WILL be able to shopping and thus as I said we are well stocked. I did say MAY, we may go depending upon circumstances, then again we may stay home depending upon circumstances.

 

I may top a few things off, online or local store, and make sure all the gas cans and vehicles are full.

 

Spring storms and the occasional winter storm here. I make sure vehicles are full and generators are in working order. Only thing I might go to the store for would be milk, as for any other food items, we are in good shape.

 

Nope. Not me.
I keep a good stock of stuff, there's no reason for me to go to the store and fight for stuff.
Buy on sale, not when it's top dollar, shelves are almost empty, and those who aren't able or too lazy to plan ahead may actually need it.

 

If shopping happens to be easy, gallon of milk and whatever is on the "get it eventually" list for my current hobby projects.

If shopping is not easy, the canned milk and other projects will do me just fine.

 

Not going shopping three or less days of a projected disaster ...

Someone mentioned filling the bathtub for flushing, good idea, but to add on to that ... Get a 55 gallon drum with either the small 3/4" bung, and or the bigger 2" bung which has the smaller 3/4" knock out in the center of it ...pick up a 3/4" pipe thread "NPT" or" MPTP" the "M" designates "male" shutoff valve or hose bib fitting, fill with water ... The bathtub won't last forever. . .

There are still a lot of people without water that went through Helene ... You will not want to drink the water out of the 55 gallon drum, but use it to flush the toilet(s) as I'm sure you don't want to use the limited bottled water to flush with!

I have my own well, and whole house standby generator, plus two portables, and a creek ... If I'm home, I'll be flushing!!!

Along the same lines, kinda ... While living in Arizona on limited water ... We had a saying ... "If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down"!

 

I think shopping just before a disaster is nuts, As part of Prepping life "we" tend to buy stuff when ever we see a good deal and rotate our supplies as we use them, Fuel and disposable batteries are most commonly cycled item because fuels don't have a long shelf life compared to Canned Foods and Batteries,

I think most of the people you see filling trollies at the store just before a disaster are not preppers and are more of a case panic buying who think they know what they want but just grab anything that ain't Nailed Down.

Back in Oct 2021 I bought and reviewed a few Coleman LED Lanterns they have turned out to be the Best money can buy, At the time I bought 1 of them and it's Brightness and Burn time was Double what Coleman Claimed them to be so I ordered another one and then my Brother went and ordered 2 of them and then someone from SB asked me about them and they bought one and tonight I just bought another 2 of them, I am still using the first one I bought and it has had over 1200/1500 hours of use in that time and I even use it as a bedside Lamp,

Lighting / Power are very important when it comes to disasters as is food and fuels and water, At a guess I would say 99.9% of SB members are not like the Guy and his Mrs on the News with 3 Trollies full of crap they don't need every time a disaster comes calling, And the thought of a disaster like Grid down or Storms don't really bother me as long as I am safely tucked up somewhere and I think most of us are the same.

Knowing we have made the effort in advance takes away the worry and panic buying from our lives which is something the general public don't seem to understand, For us as a whole a disaster is just another day and all we have to do is change how we do things, Beit power the house from the Genny or Cook on a Camp Stove or break out the backup heaters,

When the SHTF in a disaster our thoughts go to thinking about where we stashed things and defrosting food cussing to find the Can Opener, On the whole our lives don't change much unlike Mr & Mrs 3 Trollies doing battle at the Checkouts and once the SHTF passes they are left wondering why they bought have the crap now their Credit Card is Pleading for Mercy.

Nope, I don't think we do Disaster Shopping.

 

My "last minute" is generally well in advance. I top the gas cans in June at the beginning of hurricane/mowing season.
If I'm at home, and a hurricane enters the Gulf (rarely, I'm usually away on a project somewhere), I'll top the in use gas can, pick up fresh produce, milk (lactose free milk lasts about a month), eggs, and a couple cases of bottled water. When it looks like I might get hit (still a few days out) I'll top the gas tanks in all the vehicles and maybe grab a fresh bottle of french vanilla creamer (no sense in roughing it if I don't need to). I don't wait for the masses to figure out they need to go shopping.

Everything else I already have, and if I don't have it, I must not need it.

If I'm not going to be home, I will remind the girls they need to do the above (which will fall on deaf ears), then brace for the aftershocks that happen because they didn't listen.

(also if I am not home, I will have to rely on them to put the solar panels in the garage, then bring them back out after the storm. If (when) they don't listen, they will be hot and the food will spoil, more that will somehow be my fault)