An overview of how our family is prepared

Recorded: Sept. 8, 2026, 3:08 p.m.

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michaelharley.net sysop: michael · est. 2012

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An overview of how our family is prepared
August 29, 2026

4 min read

Reading Dave's post, Prepare (opens in a new tab), has me thinking about my own preps, so I wanted to write down a few things about our own plans and approaches.
Threat model #
In order to plan properly, I took the time to think about the things I felt could affect us. I see a fair amount of people on the preppers subreddit planning for the Shit Hits the Fan type scenarios. That is, societal collapse and zombie apocalypse type events. That's not what we plan for. We plan for things that we feel are likely to happen to us.
We have a strong preference for sheltering in place, so we do not have a go bag or anything like that. We'd shelter in place because that's where all our preps are!
Water outages #
Since moving to Richmond, VA we've had more water outages than power outages, which is backwards from what I'd expect. Since January 2025, Richmond has issued two boil water advisories for us. The first one lasted five days (opens in a new tab) and the other one lasted two (opens in a new tab). During one of them, the water wasn't working at all. Turning on the faucet did nothing. Drinking water wasn't a problem for us, but flushing the toilets was.
Then in July 2026, a 36 inch transmission main broke (opens in a new tab) near the treatment plant and pressure dropped in parts of the city for more than a day. The city chose not to issue an advisory at all (opens in a new tab).
To prepare for water outages, we keep the following on hand:

35 gallons of potable water stored in 7 gallon Aqua-Tainer jugs (opens in a new tab), which gives us two weeks of drinking water.
25 gallons of non-potable water stored in 5 gallon buckets. This is for flushing and lasts about three days. After that, we'd start using the camp toilet.
Camp toilet. This is basically a trash bag lined bucket with a toilet seat. We do our business and add litter over the top like a cat.

Power outages #
We've only had one sustained power outage since we've lived in Richmond. A tree across the street fell down during a storm and knocked some of the power lines down. This is a problem for me specifically because I sleep with a CPAP machine so I need to be able to run it.
Our main solution is the DJI Power 1000 Portable Power Station (opens in a new tab). I purchased this one mostly because one of my credit cards earns REI credits and I had built up enough to have a good discount. Upon researching, I see these are modular and I can add additional capacity and I can charge it via solar.
General preps #
I have a list of general preps.

Mr. Heater Big Buddy (opens in a new tab) - This is a propane heater. I have the hose that allows me to use the 20 lb propane tanks. Some heat, if needed during winter power outages.
Coleman Classic Camping Stove (opens in a new tab) - This is a propane stove and I have the adapter to use 20 lb propane tanks.
20 lb propane tanks - I've collected a number of these. Our gas grill also uses this type of tank so having 3-4 on-hand allows us headroom.

Deep pantry #
To deal with supply chain type issues, either from pandemics or from idiotic tariffs from the government, we use the deep pantry strategy. We try to keep enough food in our pantry, fridges and freezers so that we could stay in our house for one month and have everything we need.
Many preppers like to purchase freeze dried camping meals, or five gallon buckets full of rice with mylar bags and oxygen absorbers and they're planning for like multiple years. That is not our strategy. Instead, we stock up enough of our staples that we could make all the normal stuff we regularly eat for at least a month and we rotate through them so we use up the oldest stuff first.
We use this strategy for non-food items as well, like over-the-counter medication, toilet paper, paper towels, household supplies, cat supplies, batteries, and just everything. If we buy it at the store, we keep one out that we're using, and then the backup is in the pantry. Two is one, and one is none.
So that's basically our plan. How prepared are you? Does your area have unique threats that you must prepare for? I'm thankful that here in Richmond, we do not have to plan for things that would cause an evacuation like wildfires or hurricanes.

Filed under Preparedness, Richmond, Life, Blaugust, Blaugust2026.
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Michael Harley outlines his family's preparedness approach, which is tailored to the perceived threats they anticipate rather than broad, hypothetical scenarios such as societal collapse or zombie apocalypses, favoring a sheltering in place strategy. Regarding water management, the family has experienced local utility issues, including boil water advisories and a transmission main break, leading them to establish specific reserves. They maintain thirty-five gallons of potable water stored in seven gallon containers to cover two weeks of drinking needs, alongside twenty-five gallons of non-potable water in five gallon buckets intended for flushing, which lasts approximately three days before shifting to alternative sanitation methods like a camp toilet system.

In terms of power preparedness, the family addresses potential outages by relying on modular solutions such as the DJI Power 1000 Portable Power Station. This equipment serves as the primary means to ensure essential devices, such as CPAP machines, remain functional during disruptions. For general necessities and heating during winter outages, the plan involves stocking propane resources, including Mr. Heater Big Buddy heaters and Coleman Classic Camping Stoves, supported by an inventory of twenty pound propane tanks to maintain operational headroom for grilling and heating needs.

The approach to supply chain vulnerability is managed through a deep pantry strategy that prioritizes immediate household sustainment over long-term bulk storage of specialized items like freeze-dried meals. Instead, the family focuses on stocking staples in sufficient quantities to endure one month of self-sufficiency, employing a rotational system to ensure older supplies are utilized first. This principle is extended to non-food necessities; critical household items, including over-the-counter medications, paper goods, batteries, and various supplies, are similarly stocked and rotated between readily accessible storage and pantry reserves through a two-one-none system to manage inventory efficiently. The author notes satisfaction that their specific geographic location in Richmond, VA, mitigates the need for preparations related to regional threats like wildfires or hurricanes.