Home Contents Water Household Cooking Food Special First Aid Hygiene
3. Checklist Notes Back to Index
Food & Beverages .... Remember
these are the contents (or wanna bes) of my food
cupboard. Your preferences may be different. Delete or add to the list as you
like.
If power cuts happen, take ice packs (store in a prime spot for quick removal) from the freezer and use to store important fridge perishables in the chilli bin. Use newspaper to wrap items and as a top layer to conserve the temperature. The refrigerator will lose it's cold quickly, being opened often for drinks etc., whereas the chilli bin should hold it's cold for about 48 hours if un-opened and kept in a cool spot. Don't be stingy with the ice packs either. You could use frozen plastic drink containers, filled of course, with something your family likes, but don't use aerated drinks, or you're asking for trouble.
Bottled mayonnaise, tahini, pasta sauce, tomato sauce or vegetable oil can be used as moist spreads for cracker biscuits, crispbreads or campbread. Margarine and butter will quickly become liquid/rancid in summer heat. Apart from vegetable oils, these items will need cool conditions once opened.
Fresh Produce & Cool Store .... Most of these items will need to be kept cool. Things most of us hate to be without, like margarine and butter. So if you want to be a clever clogs, and continue to enjoy these items without refrigeration, I suggest you think now about an alternative cool store.
An insect proof container placed in a cool spot such as under the house, or under a tree may work. Or you could tie the items up in a plastic bag with weight added and place them in running water, if you are lucky enough to live near some. Lettuce etc., can be revived by soaking in cool water, although storing them this way isn't advisable. If you have alternative refrigeration, you don't have a problem.
Hygiene
.... For a makeshift toilet, put a strong plastic liner inside a
plastic rubbish bin or large bucket. Add a little
chlorine bleach and place the optional plastic toilet seat on top and there you
go. We may not be able to flush toilets, even if we have water available
to pour down the cistern.
Chlorine bleach can be used to disinfect surfaces,
but use caution, dilute with water for use on surfaces where skin may come into
contact with it, otherwise severe irritation may develop. Cheap household
disinfectant is a good alternative.
Cooking Equipment .... Chlorine
bleach can be used to disinfect food preparation surfaces. Use as instructions.
First Aid .... Brand names listed are
my personal tried and true favourites. The following items are the contents of
my first aid kit. Choose the items you feel are likely to be needed by you or
your family, and cross out the ones you don't want.
Next: No. 4: Household Essentials
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