Good, Better, Best

"This porridge is too hot!" she exclaimed.
So, she tasted the porridge from the second bowl.
"This porridge is too cold," she said
So, she tasted the last bowl of porridge.
"Ahhh, this porridge is just right," she said happily and she ate it all up.
- from Goldilocks and the Three Bears

After three days of introspection and the inability of some to accurately "know thyself" let's return to an actual preparedness topic.

SurvivalBlog.com has a post called Preparedness Provisioning (Good, Better, Best), by Bill L.  It captures an idea that I have long struggled with - the ideal list. Everyone wants a list. This month at church we are handing out a list for making your own first aid kit. We thought long and hard over what to include; it should be more than bandaids but less than a "professional" kit. It was not easy creating a list that was "just right."

What the SurvivalBlog posts suggests is that there is not one list that is a perfect fit for everyone.

"When beginning ... it can be overwhelming as to what and how much would be needed to provide for simple survival. ... Without a plan you will be tempted to start gathering an unorganized pile of “stuff” that has value, but does not ensure that you are prepared."

The author breaks planning into three necessities with three phases. The three necessities are food, water and shelter. The three phases are Good, Better, and Best. It does not make sense to buy the world's best food storage system and then have no heat and no water. Instead families should obtain a Good stockpile of all basic necessities. Then move on to Better for all three. And then if so motivated, try to assemble the Best.

The Good level of preparedness used to be called the 72-hr kit but now everyone recommends one week of supplies for local disasters:

FOOD:

• A one week supply of usable non-perishable nutritious food
• A means of cooking without power or natural gas, i.e. propane stove, wood, etc
• A grab and go kit of food in case you have to evacuate

WATER:

• Clean stored water equivalent to 2 gallons/day per person to last one week
• Knowledge of secondary water sources (e.g. your 40 gal water heater)
• Means of water purification (pump, chemical, or UV light)

SHELTER:

• Keep your home warm and lit when the grid is down
• Quality tent and sleeping bag ( as part of your grab and go kit)

If you've at the Good level and want to do Better, check out the full post at http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/01/preparedness_provisioning_good.html

Bottom Line

Next time I'll apply this concept when I create a list. There will be a Good section that everyone should have. Some Better items for those who want to go further, and a Best section for the super dedicated.

Not everyone desires or sees the need for the Best. And some never get started when the goal is set at Better or above. So think of Goldilocks and remember that there are different preferences for what is "just right".