Short Term Preparedness List

As an american preparedness website I wanted to cover some ideas specific to people living in the United States. The freedom for the individual to protect themselves and their family is one of the things that still make this country the greatest on earth. We don't yet have draconian laws that are so restrictive we can no longer stand up for ourselves and our own. Although it is becoming so riddled with cancer that it might soon die, we still have the Second Amendment in most states that allows us to Keep and Bear Arms in the defense of loved ones.

Individual preparedness is a simple concept: Take care of yourself, always. Take responsibility for everything you do and know that your life is in your own hands. Take precautions, take action. We don't always know what to do with life when it presents challenges but if we always prepare for the worst we'll usually weather life's multitudes of smaller misfortunes.
Family preparedness: basically the same as the above but with the added responsibility of young and possibly the infirm if one has older parents or special needs children. The family preparedness handbook is a very good resource that is consistently given high reviews for being thoughtful and thorough.

A good preparedness list would have these preparedness items. In addition to the small kit mentioned one should have food storage as well as a means to prepare said food for an extended period of time. The family  preparedness handbook listed above does a good job going in to the extensive methods of keeping oneself fit and hale, but if you were just looking for a list of things to weather a 3 month emergency that could include anything for earthquake preparedness to a "yay I just became one of America's swelling ranks of the unemployed," read on:

Food Storage:
Rice- How can 4 billion Asians be wrong? Any type of white rice, or parboiled. Not brown. Let your tongue be your guide as to which to choose, or get several different kinds for variety. Rice can be cooked in the most humble of means, or it can just be soaked and eaten. Unlike wheat berries it needs no further processing and will stay good almost as long as wheat. A starch is a starch is a starch. You don't need fiber. Choose based on taste and ability to soak up a lot of fats while still tasting good. Get a few 20lb bags depending on how much you eat and how much storage space you have.
Meat- Forget killing and eating Bambi... he's never around when you are hungry. Small birds, rodents, water creatures and even insects if you are desperate. You only truly need meat and fat. Carbs are entirely unnecessary in any form. To this end we want snares and traps. The Amateur Trapper And Trap-Maker's Guide is a good starting place. The importance of traps cannot be made enough: snares and conibear traps work 24/7 unattended. You will have more important things to do. Everyone has time to check a line of traps though. Unfortunately trapping is not as easy as just putting a noose on the ground with a young sapling attached to it ready to pull the hapless victim into the air. Learn now. Poaching wildlife is illegal unless you are in a survival situation however, so keep that in mind.

Survival Gardening: or Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series). Grow a garden now. This is another thing that doesn't just happen on its own. Learn from your mistakes now, don't wait for all the problems to happen at once. This entry is for short term survival in the 3 month time frame however, so sprouting would fit the bill here mainly. If the disaster was looking like it was going to continue longer than a few months this would become more important, so it is a good idea to get it going early and keep it going so the food is there if needed. Also, gardens make great bait if you decide to start eating the furry critters that are constantly helping themselves to the fruits of your labor.

Another thing often forgotten is extra toilet paper, razor and shaving cream, toothpaste, deodorant etc. No one says you need to look and smell like a bum just because you had a bit of bad luck.