The Fat Self-Care Disaster Preparedness List!

Written By Anna Chapman

Hi sweet friends! There was a massive cold front the week before last and Portland, OR was struggling. We had snow, ice, huge power outages, and ice storms. I lost power for over 30 hours and realized that I was missing some vital tools. I also found that I had access to some pretty cool tools that I want to share with you!

So this is the start of our prepping for natural disasters took-kit. I know it can feel hard to think about scary things like natural disasters, but I think it’s important that we prepare because as fat folks we have needs that can be met even without things like power and water. If you have any ideas you want to add to the list, please email them to me: anna@fatselfcare.com

SURVIVING THE END TIMES LIST:

  1. POWER UPPPPP: When the power goes down it can be really scary, you don’t want to be stuck without your CPAP or other medical devices that need power, and you will want to use your phone for emergencies as well as entertainment!

  • Eco Flow River Portable Power Station (base version)

  • Eco Flow River PRO Portable Power Station (More capacity version)

  • Solar Panel (uses sun power to recharge the power station)

  • Higher Watt Solar Panel (Also uses sun power to recharge power station)

  • Portable backup power bank for phone

    I have the first one and it worked awesome. I was able to use my phone for media and recharge it quickly as well as use it to make coffee, use my air fryer, and then use my C-PAP all night long. You can purchase solar panels to recharge the power station or recharge with an outlet takes about 1.5 - 2 hours. I had a friend help me charge my station, the Eco Flows include a car adapter for charging. This is an upfront investment, and not accessible to everyone. I’m currently saving up for the solar panel piece! P.S. They also works for camping!

2. We Feast: You don’t want to be stuck in the dark without access to your electric stove, microwave, or air fryer. Consider getting one of these to be able to cook, and make hot bevies!

  • Single stove top burner (safe to use indoors)

  • Double stove top burner (safe to use indoors)

  • Tripple stove top burner (better to use this one outdoors)

    These can be used with propane or butane make sure the one you get works best for what you need and that it’s safe to use inside if you are cooking indoors. Having a camping stove will eliminate the need to use your backup power for cooking.

3. Let there be light: There is nothing worse than sitting in the dark when the power goes out. Be prepared with rechargeable lighting, candles, and flashlights (PS don’t forget to charge your rechargeable stuff!)

4. Hot & Cold but always safe: The power can go out in heat waves as well as winter storms so here are some tools for staying warm or cool depending on what you need and the situation you are in.


5. Portable potty time: Not having access to a working toilet or running water is never fun, but let’s prep some solutions for if this does happen to us!

I’ll keep growing the list as I think of things, and get suggestions from yall! Please know that I’m using amazon as it’s an accessible source for folks to find things, and I’m able to use affiliate links. Feel free to source them locally or however, works best for you.

I also want to remind you of the power of community care. Check on your friends, meet your neighbors, and look after each other. We can support each other, share meals, and power banks. Even though disasters can feel isolating, we can lean in and ask for help when we need it, you are not alone!

With Care,
Anna

Anna Chapman
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