Where Do I Start?

Getting Started

Do you know that you need to get prepared but you're not sure where to start? We can help!

This is a short 5-step tutorial to help you get prepared. Fill out the simple questions and we'll create your preparedness plans.

You'll be able to follow (Ready) Eddy with his friends and family in the image to the side. At the end, you'll have a better understanding of what you need to be prepared.

Step 1: Location

Where you are located has a big impact on how you'll prepare. For example, if you live in a desert, water will be a big priority. If you live in the midwest, tornadoes can be a real danger. Choose your state below:

Choose a State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District Of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

The type of housing you live in can determine the environment and types of disasters to which you might be susceptible. Choose the type of neighborhood you live in.

Choose a neighborhood type City Suburb Country

Step 2: People

Make sure that everyone is accounted for. The amount of food and water you have for emergencies will need to be enough for everyone.

How many people are you preparing for: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

QUICK LESSON: Rule of 3

Being prepared means focusing on the most immediate needs first. If you're not prepared for the next 3 minutes, you won't be ready for the next 3 weeks.

To help you be prepared, we'll use the Rule of 3 to figure out what you need to be prepared with as quickly as possible.

3 Minutes. Your biggest priority will be things that you couldn't survive three minutes without - face masks for breathing clean air, first-aid material, etc.

3 Hours. Next, you'll want to be prepared with items you'll need to survive for three hours. This will include items like blankets, tents or shelter.

3 Days. Your body won't function without clean water for very long. That's why water storage is your third priority.

3 Weeks. You'll need food storage to survive for three weeks or more.

Click "Next" and we'll walk you through items to help you through the Rule of 3.

Step 3: First-Aid and 72-Hour Kits

The most immediate need for emergency preparedness is short-term supplies. This will include items like first-aid kits, face masks, 72-hour kits and bug out bags. Without clean air to breathe, you'll only last a few minutes.

Statistically, Utah is more at risk for disaster such as wildfires. Abbott, Patrick, L. (2005) Natural Disasters; National Weather Service, USA TODAY Research. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/graphics/natural_disasters/flash.htm That means, for 1 person that you'll need items like a 72-hour kit.

The type of kit that you pick will depend on the environment you plan on staying in. Since you are in the city, you'll want to make sure your 72-hour kit will help you in that environment. For example, you probably wouldn't want a lot of hunting gear if you're in the middle of a city.

Here are some supplies that we recommend:

Step 4: Water Storage

Without clean water, you'll only last for a few days. For your location, you can't readily depend on streams, rivers or lakes. For that reason, you need to plan ahead with barrels and containers of water storage.

It's recommended that you have at least ½ gallon of drinking water per person per day for emergencies. Federal Emergency Management Agency recommendation. Ideally, you'd also have water for cleaning and cooking.

Do you want water for:

Drinking
Washing
Cooking

How long do you want your water storage to last? 15 days 1 month 2 months 3 months 4 months 5 months 6 months 9 months 1 year

That means, if you're planning for 1 person, you'll need 15 gallons.

Here are some containers that we'd recommend:

Step 5: Food Storage

Food is vital to your emergency preparedness. Preparing with the right food is essential.

There are different types of food storage including freeze-dried, dehydrated, traditional staple foods and MREs. Click the one below that matches what you feel would be best for your family:

Freeze Dried
These foods will last the longest amount of time and offer the most convenience. They require water to rehydrated but you can choose from fruits, vegetables, meals and more.

Mix of Freeze Dried and Dehydrated
Dehydrated items offer a slightly shorter shelf life but are just as high-quality. They will be slightly less expensive then freeze dried items but aren't as convenient to prepare.

Dehydrated and Traditional staples
These are the items that your parents prepared with - grains, rices, beans, etc. They offer a very long shelf life but are more intensive to prepare. You'll typically need a grain mill for supplies like this.

MREs
Military meals ready-to-eat are dependable and don't require any preparation. You can just eat them straight out of the package. They have a wide variety of meal options but only have a guaranteed 5-year shelf life.

You had mentioned previously that you wanted to prepare for 15 days. To prepare for the same duration with food, you'll want to prepare with 1,300-2,000 calories a day for 1 person.

Here are some supplies that we recommend:

Be Ready, Not Scared!

Now that you have an idea of what you need to prepare, let's get started!

The ReadyQ is an easy way to prepare at your own pace. Simply add products to your ReadyQ, set a budget and we'll ship what you want, when you want it.

If you ever have any questions, we have a team of preparedness experts and a ReadyExpert is ready to talk to you whenever you want! Ask us anything!

To Review

• In the state of Utah, you are more at risk of wildfires.
• For 1 person, you'll need items to help you get through immediate threats of a disaster such as 72-hour kits.
• You've planned for 15 gallons of water storage. For 1 person, this should last you 15 days.
• Lastly, you've planned for a Freeze Dried supply that will also last you 15 days.

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