We’re starting to understand Covid-19 a little better now than a couple months ago. It’s proven to be a versatile virus that can either create an asymptomatic host—or kill the host. We know it’s highly contagious and seems to be everywhere. What we don’t know is how it will interact with the influenza virus.

As we approach flu season during a pandemic, preparation and readiness might be a good idea, just in case the world falls apart. We now know we can survive as a country in times of crisis—we are doing it every day. As flu season approaches, let’s concentrate on basic life support items and always assume it’s only going to get worse. Basic life support includes but is not limited to: food, water, medical gear, sanitation, and awareness. Here are some doomsday goodies to hoard in your shed.

FOOD

mountain house adventure meals mre

I have operated, maintained fitness, and basically survived on MREs for months at a time. Not exactly delicious, but they provide the calories to sustain life. They’re perfect for long-term storage, easy to heat and eat, and designed specifically for combat and/or chaos. There are lots of commercial options, some better, some worse.

TASTES BETTER: Mountain House Classic Bucket, 24 servings, $190.

RELIABLE: MRE 2020 Inspection Date Case, 24 meals, $260.

WORTH A TRY: XMRE BLUE LINE Food Packs, 12 meals, $120.

WATER

Sawyer Products MINI Water Filtration System

The odds of complete water loss are extremely low. Like food, however, it never hurts to plan for the worst-case scenario. Cases of bottled water are unrealistic for the long haul. But today's water filters can clean hundreds of thousands of gallons of water.

MUST-HAVE: Sawyer Products MINI Water Filtration System, $20.

GOOD TO HAVE: MSR MiniWorks EX Microfilter Water Filter, $90.

MEDICAL GEAR

MARCH EDC Survival Kit

Ideally, you should have two weeks of your prescriptions and basic OTC medications like Tylenol, ibuprofen, and Benadryl, plus masks and gloves. Trauma gear is never a bad idea. Use the acronym MARCH—Massive Hemorrhage, Airway, Respiratory, Circulation, and Hypothermia—to build your kit.

SIMPLE & AFFORDABLE: Shop March EDC Survival Kit, $40.

READY FOR ADVENTURE: Adventure Medical Kits Trauma Pak with QuikClot, $24.75.

SANITATION

Prime Guard Alcohol Anti-Septic Liquid Instant Hand Sanitizer

We are all experts at this point. Just remember, rubbing alcohol is the main ingredient in hand sanitizer. You can make your own or just use alcohol by itself. But it will go a lot further when mixed with aloe and essential oils.

KILL EVERYTHING: SuperHandy Fogger Machine Disinfectant, $350.

CLEAN HANDS: Prime Guard Alcohol Anti-Septic Liquid Instant Hand Sanitizer (2-pack), $72.

MASK UP: Disposable Face Mask, 50-Pack, $24.

AWARENESS

BaoFeng BF-F8HP 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio

Staying in the know is important and allows you to make educated decisions in times of crisis. Whether it’s the location of the next set of protests or bad weather on its way, knowing is better than not.

ALL-IN-ONE, ALL YOU NEED: BaoFeng BF-F8HP 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio, $70.

Sightline Media Group, LLC writes about products and services to help our readers navigate when shopping online. Sightline Media Group, LLC may receive a share of revenue from our affiliate partners if you purchase products or contract services through our links.

Clint Emerson is a retired Navy SEAL, the best-selling author of "100 Deadly Skills," and the founder of Escape the Wolf, which focuses on crisis management for global companies.

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