A Prepping 101 Guide by Bob Yeager

Friends,

Who are we doing all this for?

For most of us, the answer is family. We prepare to protect the people we love. And when a winter storm hits, when the power goes out and the roads are impassable, the front line of that emergency isn’t at the grocery store. It’s in our own homes. It’s in the homes of our neighbors. It’s wherever a child, an elderly parent, or a person with a disability is counting on us to have thought ahead.

Standard prepping advice is a good start, but it often assumes a healthy, able-bodied adult. This newsletter is different. This is about preparing for the reality of your family. It’s about winter preparedness for the infirm, for children, for those with disabilities, and for anyone with limited mobility. This isn’t about fear. It’s about love, and the practical steps we take to protect it.

The Foundation: Universal Winter Rules

Before we get into specific needs, let’s cover the basics that apply to everyone in your household. During a winter emergency, these are your non-negotiables.

•The Layering System: The golden rule of staying warm is to dress in multiple, loose-fitting layers. This traps air, which is a fantastic insulator. The base layer should wick moisture away (like wool or synthetics, not cotton), the middle layer should insulate (like fleece or down), and the outer layer should block wind and water.

•Hydration is Still Key: It’s easy to forget to drink water when it’s cold, but dehydration makes you more susceptible to hypothermia. Keep a supply of clean water, and don’t be afraid to drink warm beverages to help maintain your core temperature.

•The Invisible Killers: Every home must have battery-operated smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. When the power goes out and people turn to alternative heating sources, the risk of fire and CO poisoning skyrockets. Test your detectors now, and have extra batteries for them.

•The Core Emergency Kit: Your standard kit should be ready: non-perishable food, flashlights, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a first-aid kit, and any personal medications. We’ll build on this for specific needs below.

Section 1: Protecting Our Elders and Those with Low Mobility

For older adults or anyone with mobility challenges, a winter storm doesn’t just bring the cold; it brings the risk of isolation and injury.

The Slip-and-Fall Threat: A fall on the ice can be a life-altering event. Your first priority is to make their environment safe.

•Clear the Paths: Before a storm hits, ensure you have pet-safe ice melt or sand for all walkways, steps, and driveways. If they live alone, create a plan with them and a neighbor to ensure their paths will be cleared. Shoveling snow can cause heart attacks; this is a task for the able-bodied to take on for others.

•Mobility Aids are Tools, Not Decorations: Encourage them to use their cane or walker, even for short trips inside a cold house. A cane with a fresh rubber tip or an ice-gripping attachment can be a lifesaver.

The Battle for Warmth: Older adults often have a harder time regulating their body temperature and may not even feel how cold they are getting.

•Set the Thermostat: Keep the home heated to at least 65-70°F. Block drafts from windows and doors with towels or draft stoppers. If the power goes out, consolidate into one smaller room that is easier to keep warm.

•Know the Signs of Hypothermia: It doesn’t just happen to mountaineers. It can happen in a chilly house. Look for confusion, drowsiness, slurred speech, a weak pulse, and slow breathing. Shivering is a good sign; if the shivering stops, the situation is becoming critical. Get them into dry clothes, wrap them in blankets, and call for help if needed.

The Lifeline of Medication and Support:

•The 30-Day Rule: Aim to have at least a 30-day supply of all essential medications. Talk to their doctor about getting an extra prescription for your emergency kit. A power outage can mean a closed pharmacy.

•Build a Support Network: Have a list of contacts, including family, neighbors, and doctors. Give a trusted neighbor a key to their home. In an emergency, that key could be the only way to get help to them.

Section 2: Winter-Proofing for Our Children and Infants

Children are not just small adults. Their bodies handle cold differently, and they depend on us to notice the danger signs.

Dressing for Success (and Safety):

•Heads, Hands, and Feet: Children lose a significant amount of heat through their heads. A warm hat is non-negotiable. Add waterproof mittens and insulated boots to the mix.

•The Car Seat Rule: Never buckle a child into a car seat while they are wearing a puffy winter coat. In a crash, the coat can compress, leaving the straps too loose to be effective. Instead, dress them in thinner layers (like fleece), buckle them in snugly, and then lay the coat or a blanket over them.

Safe Winter Play:

•Know the Limits: The cold itself can be dangerous. As a general rule, if the wind chill is below 20°F, it’s time for indoor activities. For babies, the threshold is even higher.

•Constant Check-ins: Bring kids inside for regular breaks to warm up. Check their fingers, toes, and nose for signs of frostbite (waxy, pale, or hard skin).

Infant-Specific Preparedness:

•Feeding in a Crisis: If you rely on formula, have a ready-to-feed version in your kit. It requires no mixing and no clean water, which might be scarce in a power outage. If you breastfeed, your preparation is ensuring you stay warm, hydrated, and fed.

•Diapering and Hygiene: Stock more diapers and wipes than you think you’ll need. A winter storm can disrupt supply chains for days.

•Safe Sleep: In a cold house, it’s tempting to pile blankets on a baby. This is a major suffocation risk. Use a sleep sack or wearable blanket to keep them warm and safe in their crib.

Section 3: Preparedness for People with Disabilities and Medical Needs

For many, modern technology is not a convenience; it’s a lifeline. A power outage can turn from an inconvenience into a medical emergency.

•The Power Plan: If you or a loved one relies on electricity-dependent medical equipment (like an oxygen concentrator, CPAP machine, or infusion pump), you must have a backup power plan. This could be a generator or a battery backup system. Talk to your doctor and the equipment company about the best options for your specific device.

•Communication is Critical: For someone who is non-verbal or uses a communication device, a power outage can be terrifyingly isolating. Have a plan B. This could be laminated cards with important phrases, a whiteboard, or simply ensuring that family members know how to communicate without the device.

•The Go-Bag Upgrade: Your emergency kit needs to be tailored. Include extra batteries for hearing aids or other assistive devices. Pack any necessary medical supplies, like catheters or feeding tube equipment. Keep a written list of all medications, dosages, and doctor contact information.

•Service Animals are Preppers Too: Don’t forget to pack food, water, and any necessary medications for a service animal. They are part of your preparedness team.

Conclusion: The Most Important Prep

Winter preparedness is about more than just surviving a storm. It’s about ensuring that the people who depend on us are not just safe, but also comfortable and cared for. It’s about looking beyond our own four walls and thinking about the elderly neighbor down the street or the family with a newborn next door.

This winter, I challenge you to do one more prep. After you’ve checked your own supplies, knock on a neighbor’s door. Ask them if they have a plan. Offer to be their emergency contact. Shovel their walkway. True preparedness isn’t about building a fortress for yourself. It’s about strengthening the entire community, so that when the storm comes, no one is left to face it alone.

Stay warm, and stay ready.

-Bob Yeager