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HomePosts Tagged "Prepping" (Page 38)

 

When you live in an area of North America that is prone to blizzards, you must take it seriously and prepare accordingly. The Blizzard of ’77 is a prime example of why you should be prepared. We live in Southern Ontario, and it crippled this area and Western New York state. Although I did not live through it first hand – my entire family did! Their stories have shaped my desire to be prepared in case this was to ever happen again. These stories were passed down to me through parents, coworkers and grandparents, as I was not born yet.

The Blizzard began the last week of January, 1977. My dad said they closed his high school as soon as the blizzard was in full swing. He recalls walking home on top of the snow and passing by peoples’ chimneys. That’s how high off the ground he was from the accumulated snow. He told me he was actually one of the lucky ones. He heard later that in neighboring towns they didn’t close the schools early enough and children were stuck there for days! Everyone’s power was out for days, and the stores were wiped clean within hours of the first day.

A coworker told me she was stuck in her house with her baby that was less than a year old, and she ran out of milk. There was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Other people tell me they were stuck in their vehicles in the freezing cold, no one could get to them. There were no cell phones at this time. You were stuck there until someone found you. If you left your car, you risked freezing to death in the elements. All of Southern Ontario and Western New York was declared as a ‘state of emergency’ by the government. Police, Fire and Armed forces were called in to help from neighboring communities to supply food, water and medical aid. My Grandmother’s friend tells the story of her whole family huddling in the kitchen with the gas stove lit for warmth. They shut all the doors and hung blankets in open doorways just to keep the heat in the room they were in.

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When a crisis like this hits, emergency services are limited. There is only so much they can do when there is 5-8 feet of snow on the ground. If they can’t get to you, they can’t help you! This is why it is so important to have emergency supplies at home and in your vehicle. It could save your life. You have to take the safety of your family into your own hands, and be prepared for winter. At the bare minimum you should have a candle and lighter, a blanket, a few food items, a flare, basic first aid kit and a supply of water in your vehicle at all times. Some people also like to have sidewalk salt/sand on hand, as well as a collapsible shovel… you may just be able to dig yourself out if you have the right tools. I have personally had to use the salt/shovel combo many times!

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My parents told me that the people who had generators and snowmobiles were the best off, and they were actually helping with the rescue mission of getting others out of their buried cars. It was the only suitable mode of transportation during the storm. The cars were completely buried in the snow, you could not even see the tops of them. My family witnessed people driving right over top of buried vehicles.

If you live in an area prone to any type of storm you should have a generator and gasoline stored away, at the very least. Living without power, when you are not accustomed to it, is not fun!

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People nicknamed the Blizzard of ’77, The White Death. Many people died from freezing to death in their cars, having heart attacks from shoveling snow etc. People had frostbite on their hands and feet from being out shoveling for hours so that they could actually get out of their houses. Most people don’t think of snow storms as being deadly like hurricanes and tornadoes, but they can be if they are severe enough! It is imperative to have stored food, water & medical supplies in your house in case you are snowed in and cannot leave! You may not only lose power, your water may be turned off, or you may have to deal with pipes bursting. So be sure to have an adequate amount of water to see you and your family through several days. There are actually articles on this site that help you figure out how much water and food to store for the size of your family. It is not that expensive to stock up on a few survival necessities, and you will be so thankful that you did if you ever faced a natural disaster.

Some of the bare necessities may include, but are not limited to:

  • Extra blankets
  • Food that is easily prepared if you have no electricity
  • Water
  • Medical Supplies to treat wounds
  • Extra pet food
  • Baby Supplies (if you have one) Diapers, Food, Formula
  • Tools
  • Generator/Gasoline
  • Flash Lights
  • Candles and Lighter
  • Games/Toys to pass the time
  • Shovels and Salt
  • Snow blower (especially if you are over 50) the combination of heavy lifting and extreme cold is very hard on the heart, many people die every year in the North from Heart Attacks while shoveling snow.
  • Snow gear – Hats, Gloves, Scarf, Boots, Winter Coat, Snow Pants and even snow shoes if you can get them
  • Seasoned, chopped wood if you have a fireplace

If you happen to be stranded outside when the snow storm hits try to find the closest building for warmth. If you do not have that option there are many videos on YouTube that instruct you how to stay alive in a blizzard. They are informative and practical.

One of the most important parts of prepping for a natural disaster of any kind is having the knowledge and skills to carry you through hard times. It is also important to never have the attitude that ‘oh that will never happen to me.’ A natural disaster can strike anywhere, any time. Mother Nature does not discriminate.

Hope this helps someone prep a bit for the coming winter! It will be here before we know it!

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  When you live in an area of North America that is prone to blizzards, you must take it seriously and prepare accordingly. The Blizzard of ’77 is a prime example

 

There’s a little tool called a health wheel I learned about as a victim’s advocate forever ago. Another variant is called a wellness wheel. They’re not complete and total bunk since they can help keep our lives more balanced, but the real reason I bring them up is that as soon as I saw one, I immediately thought of the preparedness application. It’s not about the mental and emotional health. It’s about the balance. When wheels are balanced, we roll much more smoothly through life’s up and downs. Converting a wellness wheel to a preparedness wheel gives us an easy visual of where we’ve concentrated our efforts and if the rest of our preparedness needs and goals are in balance.

Anybody who’s dealt with a broken wagon wheel or a bent or flat bike, cart, or dolly tire can tell you how much harder they are to deal with. In preparedness, leaving one wedge of our wheel empty while another bulges can have serious implications – like watching crops and gardens we were counting on fail for lack of the pest control we usually buy, or having whole bedrooms of firearms and ammo but watching them disappear because we had a lack of smoke detectors and fire control mechanisms.

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Health & Wellness or Happiness wheels can be found in many formats, but all were designed to help people self-assess the balance in their lives. The same can be applied to preparedness to ensure we aren’t overly concentrating on one aspect while ignoring another.

 

Working in stages isn’t a new concept. Tweaking a health or happiness wheel into a Preparedness Wheel just allows us to visualize our progress, increasing the chances that we truly are well prepared for the small stages, and haven’t wasted time, money and space for lack of focus on another area
prp-wheelPotential categories for our Preparedness Wheel include:

Some of them lend to being grouped together for easy comparison. Some have less direct impact on each other. Some things like basic tools might cross between categories and thus rate their own wedge. Whether we want to only track physical items or want to include training and skills development is just one of the ways we can tailor a wheel to our own uses.

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We can tailor our wheel however we want – to include only supplies, or the skills we’ll need to use them. We can also create separate wheels for all phases of preparedness – like the skills we want to acquire – so we can visualize our progress.

 

One of the reasons we’d use a preparedness wheel instead of just a list is that it allows at-a-glance progress evaluation, like other pie charts. That means the items on it do need to be measurable. Those measures can take place in our heads, however, or on a list. If I wanted to include a wheel for my dairy produce use, I might start with an add-a-dollop yogurt or cheese, and my progression toward 100% might be harder, more difficult, longer-storing cheeses made from powders or homemade rennet.

Customize your preparedness wheel to the best fit for you

Modifications to this are endless. There are reams of variants of the health and wellness wheel it’s taken from – no reason our spinoff can’t be the same. Go wild.

Make your preparedness wheel four or six primary wedges if inclined, and have other wheels that represent each of those categories in more detail.

For example, I could call it food & water, security, health & hygiene, and interactions. Then I could have a wheel of however many wedges to represent things like: stored foods in days or weeks or by pound, livestock and their various produce, livestock feed, my garden and crop seeds, tools and equipment, my stored water, various water treatments, and the sustainability/backups for my water plan(s). I’d have another wedge to represent each of my other categories as well.

At some point, just making a checklist or Excel/Access doc for the nitty gritty is going to be easier, but you can use those to generate charts as well for visualization and balance in preparedness. For example, my goal is to have no more than 20% of my dry grains be represented by either wheat or corn. As I add various grains and potatoes to my “starches/calorie base” category, I can run a chart to see where I stand with each of my types to keep to those levels.

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We can use any number of wedges that we’re comfortable with to develop our own preparedness wheels.

 

Use a clock template to create twelve wedges quickly and easily. Instead of dividing each wedge into ten to create a percentage, make it twelve there, too, to represent a month of total needs in that category.

Dividing by weeks or months can be especially beneficial in keeping us balanced when it comes to food and the ability to prepare our foods. I will say it as often as I can: It does me no good to have 1-3-6-12-18-36 months of beans, grains, and pasta, 2 weeks of water, and 10K rounds of ammo (unless I also have a well or walkable-distance water source). I can just soak and use passive solar to turn a lot of grains and pastas into something consumable, but there are some things (kidney beans) that really do need to simmer, and if part of my plan is eating my hares or chooks or the abounding small game I’ve bet my survival on, I have to be able to cook them. A trash can of charcoal, a couple of five-pound fuel tanks, five gallons of lamp kerosene, and a shoebox of candles is not going to get me too far, especially if that’s also my heating and lighting fuels.

I also have to be able to have clean enough hands not to be giving myself diseases and having my hard-earned supplies running right through be, and to be able to treat myself should that misfortune occur.

The flip side of that, however, is to keep our wheel from overbalancing the other way, and some of that comes from honest self-assessment. Do I honestly have enough food that I need to cook to invest in timber axes and saws? Do I have enough water to merit diving that way?

Honest self-assessment is vital to how we assign priority even in the food and fuels example listed.

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If I have acres of woods for a family of four, firewood and the tools to collect it are a worthwhile investment.

If I have acres of woods for a family of four, firewood and the tools to collect it are a worthwhile investment. If I live in a suburb with condos on the other side of a 40-foot-deep stretch of woods, I might want to hold off on turning myself into Paul Bunyan and plan for more foods that don’t have to be cooked at all, because others are going to knock on my door or take my wood pile or tools. If I have my target 20 acres but it’s grass pasture and flat farm, with only tendrils of woods and thickets between me and the next and a few fruit and shade trees near each house, I might invest in propane, charcoal and salvage wood instead of planning to compete with the neighbors for those tendrils and trees.

The wheel lets us keep that balance between our food and cooking fuels, just like other aspects of preparedness.

Big Benefits for Beginners

Going the other way, especially for beginners, consider letting the progressive rings or tick marks represent days and make it 7-14. Then make another where the levels represent weeks. Take a relatively quiet day and set a weekly time to fill it in. Sometimes actually seeing the progress helps not only with balance, but with motivation. Beginners – especially those who feel locked in by jobs and living spaces – sometimes feel totally overwhelmed or even worse, inadequate or incapable of ever reaching the levels of the people they’re reading posts and comments from. There’s no reason for that and this version of a pie chart can help mitigate it by making sure that the comparison most at the forefront is against a reasonable goal.

Read More: Prepping 101 – A Step By Step Plan for How to get Started Prepping

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to strive for sustainability, the perfect homestead the perfect distance from the perfect small but accepting and tight-knit community in the perfect climate. However, no Olympian ever popped out of a womb ready to challenge for the gold. They wormed, they crawled, they toddled, they walked, they ran, and then they kept running and training until they were running their trials and winning on the national stage.

We work in increments, ideally in balanced increments, and eventually we get there.

When the Balance Gets Badly Off

Some things just aren’t going to work for a weekly or monthly wedge, which is where having our targets written down and using the percentage-based measure comes into play. The wheel is not intended to suggest that there should be a one-for-one stockpiling of aspirin, canned beans, candles, tarps, ammo, and bandages, and that’s where filling in a wheel with percentages can help. Even so, there are priorities that shift.

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Beans, Bullets and BandAids….

I want my wheel to roll smoothly. I have this goal for a full companion animal and human dental and surgical suite, biohazard containment, and decon setup. Percentagewise, my goals might be in the neighborhood of $5-10K and nearly at zombie-ready at 60 percent. However, if 60 percent of, say, my food storage, is only 4 months … Would I be better served just to be able to handle standard first aid, sprains, a loose filling, stomach illnesses, everybody in the house to have a 10-day flu, and allergies, and applying the budget to becoming more financially resilient or bringing in the equipment/supplies to decrease my irrigation needs?

A lot of medical is like that, even beyond the fact that post-surgery dressing and bandage needs are enormous. Another common category that doesn’t always work out well purely by percentage is ammo and security.

Security is much like medical. There are some things we are each going to decide are far more important than the wife’s tampons for another month or a week of doggy chow. Other things … maybe not so much.

Firearms and ammo, however, we might assess a higher priority because we can’t manufacture them ourselves, and expect that they’ll disappear from stores way, way, way faster than plumbing connections for water barrels, chickens at the Human Society/ASPCA, baking soda, socks, or hammers and roofing paper.

Those are cases where we might be better served by assigning an outside priority rating. We’d like X amount of food, Y amount of water, and Z amount of other items before we increase our ammo stockpiles or pick up backup parts for something. We make note elsewhere, or we can assign a bare-minimum level to compare to the rest of our chart instead of our ultimate goal.

Exceptions to Balance

There are some exceptions to balance, as mentioned. Another exception is personal or family crises. These include things like injury, job loss, and big bills. They also include the loss of power or water during daily life.

Those are times when we could easily foresee grabbing some paper plates and a few small solar chargers so Moms can still have music while she makes dinner and phones can stay charged, and where we might have two weeks or three months of groceries without also planning to have enough water and fuels to cook, clean, and wash up before and after those meals.

Our goals for those aren’t quite as far reaching as a hurricane evac with four dogs, three kids and two horses where we’ve made arrangements to camp at a farm 150 miles inland, or any of the major events various preppers foresee. They might exist as a separate lists, since we’re not looking at being as utterly dependent on ourselves and our supplies as a big event. Since it doesn’t take as long to reach those goal (or involve as much memory of what we do and don’t have yet) there might not be as much benefit to a visual tool like the wheel.

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  There’s a little tool called a health wheel I learned about as a victim’s advocate forever ago. Another variant is called a wellness wheel. They’re not complete and total bunk

While many want to avoid the pitfalls that come with Murphy’s Law, not many know the origin of the famed mid-20th century adage.

As the story goes, Capt. Edward A. Murphy prevented a potentially devastating mistake from happening at Edwards Air Force Base by a technician and muttered, “If there was a wrong way to do something, the technician in question would find a way to do it.” This utterance has evolved into the adage many of us know today: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” At the completion of the project, the project manager attributed its success to “avoiding Murphy’s Law.”

In a sense, all prepping and survival work is an attempt at avoiding Murphy’s Law, and to successfully circumvent the ever present threat of what can go wrong, you have to stay two steps ahead in planning.

When stocking your hideout bunker, anticipate every need that may arise in a state of emergency or natural disaster. Every good prepper knows you will need food, water and first-aid supplies, so let’s skip ahead to some of the supplies you may not have considered to help you counter Murphy’s Law. What you do now before an emergency happens to stock your bunker or even your home could help you survive.

Potassium Iodide Tablets

A rather frustrating aspect of prepping for a full-on disaster is that you really don’t know what type of disaster may be coming your way. In the event of nuclear fallout, it’s crucial to have a plan for surviving radioactivity. Explosions from a nuclear source generate massive amounts of radioactive iodine. In this scenario, potassium iodide tablets may be your only hope.

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The Secure Home – If you want to build your own bunker, this is a great resource.

Upon learning of the explosion, take one of these tablets immediately, as they can protect your thyroid from radioactive iodine, which causes cancer. Once radioactive iodine is airborne, you run the risk of inhaling or ingesting it. But if you consume the tablets before or immediately after exposure, your thyroid will be flooded with potassium iodide, thereby reducing the risk of your thyroid absorbing the toxic element.

The tablets are fairly in expensive and can be purchased over the counter at any drug store or online.

Five-Gallon Buckets

If the disaster at hand is not nuclear, there are still items for survival you may have overlooked. Sure, it’s gross to think about, but where exactly do you plan on going to the bathroom in a bunker? Chances are you won’t have any indoor plumbing, but all members of your survival party will eventually have to go “see a man about a horse.”

Five-gallon buckets have other uses for storage and transport, but no other purpose is of as much importance as substituting for a toilet. Be sure you also have trash bags on hand to line the bucket in order to minimize the mess when it comes time to empty the latrine.

You can find them at your local hardware store.

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Old tires have a lot of uses if you are creative.

Spare Tires

Not only are heavy-duty tires necessary to keep your wheels in motion, but they also have many applications within the bunker as well. Tires can easily be fashioned into tables and chairs, and can serve as an excellent material for barricading doors. If the stack of tires is thick enough, it can withstand or ricochet certain shells in the event of an attack. Stock up early from an online retailer like tirebuyer.com.

Don’t let Murphy’s Law take you by surprise. If anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, then be sure you have the supplies you need to deal with it. As another popular adage goes, “Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.”

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While many want to avoid the pitfalls that come with Murphy’s Law, not many know the origin of the famed mid-20th century adage. As the story goes, Capt. Edward A. Murphy

What are you afraid of? These are the words that I hear often from friends, strangers and the media. What was once normal has become “absurd” and self-reliance is now seen as “fringe” behavior that either needs to be legislated out of existence or shunned in public. In some cases prepping is a sign of radicalism that needs to be viewed as potentially deviant social behavior.

There are many reasons to prepare and the motivating factors behind each individual’s decision process change with the event or scenario you are preparing or “prepping” for. There are those who are planning for an EMP attack that would wipe out all or part of our electric grid, others for a global pandemic or a currency collapse. Some families are preparing for more organic threats like hurricanes or snow storms or even something as relatively normal as the loss of a job. Regardless of the reason, the logic behind preparing is sound. Maybe some of the scenarios to prepare for are a little far-fetched in terms of probability – but the main goal, to be prepared to take care of yourself and your family – is valid, logical and in this day and age rare. When did it become crazy to want to be able to protect and care for your family if something bad happens?

As I write this the world appears to be not so slowly trudging toward events that could dramatically affect our lives for generations. Our world economy is in shambles and the pieces are lying in a pile on the edge of a metaphorical cliff while the “experts” speak of recovery. Governments are seizing power and reducing liberties in the name of safety. Our health is in jeopardy with viruses, genetically modified food and resistant bacteria. How could anyone not be at least a little concerned with what the future holds or think from time to time about where we are headed? I believe that each person has a gut instinct or an awareness of what is happening around them. Some are more in tune with this awareness and others are choosing to block it out entirely.

For me, this awareness for lack of a better word started to become more prominent around 2008. There was no event that triggered any type of awakening but a lifetime (still relatively short) of seeing events in my life certainly influenced me. My personal history didn’t have anything catastrophic in it, but I was aware of tragedies – even just natural occurrences that ripped lives apart. I wasn’t concerned in the least about Y2K, but I did hold my breath just for a second at midnight on Jan 1, 2000. Earthquakes, Tornadoes and Hurricanes are easy to ignore if you don’t live in areas prone to that type of calamity but it does make you wonder. Ice storms and floods seem to cause similar havoc so you can understand in most cases the perspective of someone you know who has been affected by some type of event that disrupted their lives completely.

What if a hurricane Katrina type of event happened where I live? What if an ice storm cut power to our house for three weeks? What if I lost my job? What if there was a gas-shortage or a trucking strike and I couldn’t get food from the grocery store? What if my bank closed and all of my money was tied up and unavailable to me?

When I started to think about things in this way as the “What if?” type of scenario I looked around at my own personal situation and realized just how in trouble we would be if anything like this happened. We had no spare cash. Our food in the pantry would probably last a week if we were lucky and in the end it wouldn’t be the best meals we could think of. Spaghetti sauce and Black olives anyone? We didn’t have any backup power, no backup heat, and no stored water. We did have a gas fireplace, but what if the gas went out or the lines were broken? We routinely ran our tanks in the cars down to E and we didn’t have any money on hand not to mention our savings weren’t really that significant either. Loss of a job would quickly get us in a bind.

So I started doing research and beginning to list all of the things I would need to be completely prepared for whatever happened. I started reading blogs and books from one side of the spectrum to the other. From people who discussed growing a few tomato plants to full on bomb shelter plans with castles and moats (my own personal favorite). There is so much information and opinion out there to digest. Like others, I started to buy a little more food and water, obtain firearms and make plans for how to protect my family just in case something happened. We have come a long way since 2009 but we have a ton more that we need to do. Nobody can prepare for everything but covering as many of the bases as possible will help you out more than it hurts.

My hope for this blog is two-fold. I want to inform and inspire people to prepare for whatever you feel is most pertinent to your situation. I also want to help people learn from my mistakes and trials and learn from your stories as well. Every day we will be posting news, articles, reviews and advice on Prepping. I hope to be able to cover all of the topics with enough variety and a little humor so that finalprepper.com will become a resource you visit daily.  Thank you for visiting and I look forward to starting down this road with you.

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What are you afraid of? These are the words that I hear often from friends, strangers and the media. What was once normal has become “absurd” and self-reliance is now

When you consider the events that preppers all over the world seem to prepare for, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, government collapse, economic collapse, rioting, hurricanes and on and on – if you are honest, you have to contemplate how you will act when faced with death. When whatever situations we are storing supplies for happen, inevitably in the worst disasters there will be death. There always is. In the most disastrous to us personally, it will be people we know and love.

I think all of us fear that possibility in the back of our minds and we deal with that in some ways by prepping. The more prepared we are, we figure, the less we have to worry about anyone we care for being adversely affected by disaster. That is the whole reason behind prepping, right? It is and while I can’t think of a better defense against bad things happening, still we all know they will. That is if we are being honest.

I say that again because I think some of us aren’t truly grasping the enormity of a situation that we would collectively call a SHTF. We have a pretty cavalier attitude about it sometimes and illustrate our plans to pick bad guys off at 300 yards before they can sneak through the woods to harm our women and children. We talk about repelling the worst of society and stocking away enough provisions to feed a platoon of highly skilled friends for years but are we just kidding ourselves and walling off discussion of something we all fear? Are we avoiding conversations that we may need to consider now that involve the very real prospect of death?

Giving up hope

I was prompted to write this article after listening to a podcast interview of the author Sheri Fink who has written a book entitled, Five Days at Memorial. In this book, she describes the events during hurricane Katrina that happened at Memorial Hospital.

To cut to the most compelling story, one which you may already know, many patients were found dead in Memorial Hospital immediately following Katrina and there were charges that they had all died from lethal doses of drugs. Mortuary workers eventually carried 45 corpses from Memorial, more than from any comparable-size hospital in the drowned city. I won’t ruin the podcast or the story for you. It’s tragic on many levels, but the point that stuck out to me was that for all intents, these people in this story only lasted 5 days after a SHTF event before someone gave up.

I am not debating the various sides to the story, that is something you can do if you like. What is incontrovertible is that this one hospital lost power and utilities really on the day after the hurricane passed through. Only 4 days really after that, decisions or circumstances led to the death of 45 patients. In an ecosystem ostensibly set up and more than capable of preserving life in normal circumstances, death still happened in only 5 days after a loss of power.

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Memorial Medical Center

How long will you last without power?

Some of you may be reading this and thinking that these patients were very sick and near death anyway. They couldn’t possibly survive without power running their various systems. The heat was intense (reports are over 100) and if a lethal combination of drugs was administered to them, that is merciful.

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Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital

OK, so if that is your argument, place yourself in that same situation. The power has gone out for 5 days in the summer due to some force outside your control. Now add to that, your toilets are filling up with sewage and your mother who is nearly bed-ridden is feeling the effects of age and her ailments more so in the heat. Are you going to put her out of her misery? Would you wait another 5 days? A month? How long would you last?

These questions I am posing, I honestly don’t have the answers for myself, but it did start my wheels turning. At its most basic, in this story, for the people in this hospital, this was a power outage. Yes, it was more chaotic than that, but the water didn’t push them from their location. They were dry, not counting the sweating they must have been doing and still with all their training, despite the Hippocratic oath… people were dying after only 5 days. This was in a hospital. What will happen everywhere else with people who aren’t trained to preserve life?

What could I do any differently?

The story of what happened in Memorial hospital reinforced for me just how quickly our society will unravel in a true crisis. After only four days’ critical patients in hospitals died. You have to expect similar things in nursing homes, assisted care facilities and regular homes or apartments of senior citizens everywhere if they are dependent on medicine or power to survive. Now add people who are on prescription medication (at least 60% of Americans) or who are bed-ridden, confined to an electric wheel chair type of device. Sure some of these people can survive without medication, but many will not be able to. What will be the scale of death with a larger event that takes power out for months or years? How many people will die when the power goes out and all of the ability to refrigerate food is gone? What will happen when there is no more air conditioning and temperatures raise higher and higher without any relief? When the bodies start to pile up, what will you do?

Will you be looking at ending the suffering of your family? The people you have been entrusted with caring for? How long will you be able to last before you give up and say to yourself, I am making them more comfortable?

Stories like this prompt me to action in a couple of ways.

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Many dead were found in the chapel.

Refocus on prepping – Even if this is National Preparedness Month, hearing real life stories like this motivate me in a way that no stupid national declaration could ever do. These people were in a hospital so their lives to a great extent were in the hands of the medical practitioners, but you will likely not be in a hospital. Do you have supplies to last if the power goes out for 5 days? Do you have enough food and water for 30 days? Can you last longer than that? Have you ever experienced that much time without power?

Have redundant power sources – Additional backup power for me is a luxury, but for people who need this to survive, it’s a different story. I have several alternative sources of power from small solar panel systems to generators and power inverters. I have enough to get me by but not in sufficient amounts and not for long. Unless you have a significant source of solar power, in the worst disasters anything will eventually run out. Generators will run out of fuel no matter how much you store.

Consider medical issues – My family is all healthy but our extended family has a couple of people who require prescription medicine daily. Two are diabetic and I need to work with them on both acquiring more supplies just in case and to my previous point, making sure they have a way of keeping their insulin cool. Does your family have medical needs that you can handle if the power doesn’t come back on?

Remember what SHTF really means – SHTF isn’t really just some cool letters we strung together to sound hip. It is an idea that should conjure the worst scenarios in our mind. If we truly do live through a SHTF event, we can expect miserable conditions. This won’t be like the movies. People will die and tragedy will be in our faces, on our streets and impacting people we really know.

Plan to survive – Above all else, my motivation for prepping is that I plan to survive and I am taking as many people with me as I can. It is important to remember that well after I am forced out of the comfort of my office chair. When all hell breaks loose, that is when it matters and everything I have planned for up until this point will need to be put into action.

Don’t give up – I realize that at some point preserving life is no longer feasible or wise. I can’t say what I would have done in the case of the people in New Orleans for sure, but I do hope I would have been able to last longer than that. Suffering is never fun, but we were never promised a life without suffering. I will try to hold on as long as I can and do what is in my power to help others. That is all any of us can do.

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When you consider the events that preppers all over the world seem to prepare for, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, government collapse, economic collapse, rioting, hurricanes and on and on –

It’s like a bad scene out of a disaster movie mixed with your worst nightmare. Some event forces you and your family to leave your home with only your bug out bags on the backs of you and your family. The good news is you are prepared and have set aside provisions and planned for the trip. You also have a destination 50 miles away at a relative’s house that is waiting for you with plenty of security and supplies. You expect the trip to take 3 days of walking back roads. Not ideal, but certainly doable.

The trip starts out normally enough but you were forced to travel in almost constant rain. At the end of day one everyone’s feet are sore, most have blisters and your younger children are starting to act like they can’t go on another mile.

Our bug out plans eventually come down to relying on our feet in a worst case disaster to carry us to safety. Sure we have options and my personal first option is staying in my home. When that fails me I have a bug out vehicle, but if that isn’t an option we strap packs to our backs and hit the trail. Injuries to your feet can incapacitate quickly so it is important to care for these modes of transport that would be crucial in a disaster scenario. One main issue with walking long distances is blisters. Another topic that is a little less discussed is trench foot.

What is trench foot?

Trench foot is caused when your feet are wet for long periods of time and as it advances, blisters can easily form in the skin that is first pruned and wrinkled. Left untreated these blisters can become infected, your skin begins to slough off. You can also experience swollen feet, cramping and numbness. Severe cases of trench foot can cause skin and muscle damage so this is something we want to get in front of quickly before it keeps someone from being able to walk.

Trench foot has been a problem as long as we have had feet and shoes, but it came to prominence in the trench warfare of WWI where soldiers would spend days with their feet covered in water and mud. While this likely won’t happen to your little survival group, minor effects of trench foot could cause issues and can be relatively easily prevented with some quick and simple tips.

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Severe trench foot can cause tissue and muscle loss. This man will never have to worry about clipping his toenails again.

How can you prevent trench foot?

The key to preventing trench foot is simple in theory. Keep your feet dry. The hard part is doing this as a habit and may be even more difficult if you are on the run or being pursued. Here are a few tips you can employ to help you.

  • Keep your feet dry and clean – Easier said than done. When you are hot, your feet sweat. When you have to cross water, your feet get wet or if you are forced to hike through rain, snow or wet grass. Assume your feet will get wet, but you can buy footwear and socks that help that condition. You can purchase waterproof boots and moisture wicking socks. When you stop, make sure you take your socks off and check your feet. If your socks are wet, allow your feet to dry Use foot powder if you have it and treat any blisters before they get worse.
  • Change your socks often – This simple act could do more good than almost anything else. Put on dry (a different pair) socks when you stop to take a break. You can hang the wet ones on your pack to dry out. Some people recommend two pairs, but I would say three are better so you can hopefully clean one pair too. Roll your socks inside out so you can keep up with what has been worn.
  • Let feet air out – Allow your feet to breathe and dry as long as possible especially if you are experiencing symptoms. Lying down will help with circulation. Again, if you are in a pursuit/combat situation, you don’t want to go to sleep with your shoes off, but for the rest of us, keeping your feet dry and healthy is easier than dealing with injury and infection. If the weather is very cold, you will have to adjust this, because you don’t want frostbite either.
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Early signs of possible trench foot if left untreated and the feet aren’t dried out.

What should you have in your bug out bag?

There are a few simple supplies you can have in your bug out bag that will help you prevent and treat trench foot if you are forced to bug out.

  • 3 pairs of wicking socks
  • Foot powder to remove moisture
  • Moleskin or blister block to address blisters before they get worse
  • Antibiotic cream
  • Good hiking boots or shoes that allow your feet to breathe should help them dry faster. Waterproof boots should keep them dryer. Either has benefits depending on the conditions. I prefer heavy-duty hiking boots that take a beating.

Part of planning to bug out has to extend to more than just the necessary contents of your bug out bag. There is the health and well-being of the people you are bugging out with too that should be considered. Proper foot care will keep people healthier and keep them moving longer.

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It’s like a bad scene out of a disaster movie mixed with your worst nightmare. Some event forces you and your family to leave your home with only your bug

 

When we think of rugged individualism, we might think of men like John Wayne in old-time Westerns or we might think of places like Fort Worth, Texas, where the idea of rugged individualism was a way of life for the cowboys who lived there. What has happened to the American psyche? Why has the idea of rugged individualism, a strong mind, and a noble character become unfashionable? Today our politicians whine about how bad things are because the very infrastructure of the country that built the first modern transcontinental railroads in the world is crumbling faster than we can raise the money to put it all together again.

Today, we seldom think of the fictional courage of John Wayne or the real life mental strength of the hardcore men who drove cattle in the state of Texas. John Wayne has faded into a parody of the cheesy plot lines of early Westerns and while Fort Worth is still called a cow-town by tourists and locals, it’s best known as a place where Hispanic and Latino youth habitually abuse illicit drugs. Here is how Greenhouse, an AAC facility, describes Fort Worth:

“The rate at which this demographic abuses illicit drugs is high, especially among youths — Fort Worth’s most at-risk demographic. Between 2008 and 2011, past-year rates of illicit drug use among Hispanic and Latino teens rose by 20 percent, with marijuana use alone rising by 25 percent and ecstasy use by 36 percent.”

What America needs to be great again is not more disingenuous promises of reform made from political platforms or more media spin about how certain nations, ethnic groups, or religious persuasions are out to get us. What it needs is mental strength, rugged individualism, backbone, and character.

The Importance of Mental Strength

How important is it to be mentally strong in the face of disaster? How should you as a prepper overcome the things that hold you back like addiction and mental illness? What does it take to build your character before you hit a crisis? These are questions we seldom ask ourselves. If there should be an economic meltdown tomorrow because the national debt is $19.3 trillion and European Banks are in deep trouble, it is a collective return to character building alone that will help us maintain morale in a crisis.

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When you are courageous, you realize that waiting will only make the situation worse, that now is the best time to take action, and that you are the best person to resolve the pressing calamity.

The 3Cs of Mental Toughness

Mental toughness can’t simply be defined as machismo, which is more an act than an actuality. It’s much more complex, perhaps a combination of courage, confidence, and commitment.

Courage – No one is born courageous. It’s not a gene some of us inherit and that others miss out on. Instead, it’s a learned behavior. Courage is taking proactive action despite shaking in our boots. Courage is the assumption of inner strength from facing the reality of difficult circumstances before you. It’s about reaching within even when the situation seems hopeless.

A well-known image of courage comes from Shakespeare’s King Henry V. When the young English king was addressing his small army of knights and archers to stand up against the overwhelming number of heavily armored, battle-seasoned French knights at the battle of Agincourt, he advised them to “Imitate the tiger: Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood.”

When you are courageous, you don’t run and you don’t hide. Instead, you face the situation without panic because you believe you can do what needs to be done as soon as possible. When you are courageous, you realize that waiting will only make the situation worse, that now is the best time to take action, and that you are the best person to resolve the pressing calamity. Although you still feel fear, you don’t let it stop you. Instead, you use it to strengthen your resolve. You don’t crumble in the face of obstacles, but feel resolute in the face of a challenge.

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Building confidence doesn’t happen as a giant leap of faith in yourself, it happens in small steps.

Confidence – Confidence does not come naturally to us. Throughout our lives, we have been criticized far more often than encouraged. This is why confidence is more like a muscle than an innate tendency. We build confidence by taking small steps in the right direction. Small steps may seem trivial at the time you do them, but they will help you make incremental improvements. Small steps lead to small successes. These tiny victories build up, slowly creating a permanent change in your self-appraisal.

Building confidence doesn’t happen as a giant leap of faith in yourself, it happens in small steps. These small steps are tangible. These small steps are like each sure-footed ascent up a steep mountain. Each small step eradicates a chunk of self-doubt while each act of courage and commitment eradicates a piece of irrational trepidation. It’s wise to celebrate each step to lock it into your memory.

Commitment – Without commitment, nothing happens; with it, anything is possible. Enough said.

If America is to save itself from chaos, it has to stop listening to talking heads who merely express canned political agendas. Instead, it has to reach back into its deep past to a time when courage, confidence, and commitment were a way of life. You as leaders in your family and community will be forced to take action one day. To step out of your comfort zone and act. No one knows now the time, place or situation you will be faced with, but we are all pretty much assured that day is coming. Are you ready?

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  When we think of rugged individualism, we might think of men like John Wayne in old-time Westerns or we might think of places like Fort Worth, Texas, where the idea

 

I am always being asked for my advice about what equipment should be taken on trips to out-of-the-way places. My initial response is to take as little as possible. The more you know, the less you need right? With the below items you should be able to operate for extended periods of time. The below items should fit into a medium size day sack that should be able to carried onto a plane.

Items like pocket knives etc. would need to go checked or found at location. This is a guide and not all these items will be required on all trips, do your threat assessments and plan all trips properly before you travel.

Operational Deployment Equipment List – Personal kit

Additional Considerations

  • Sources of food and water
  • Accommodation and electricity
  • Laundry service
  • Where can you change currency
  • Additional operational equipment

Emergency Vehicle Kit

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  I am always being asked for my advice about what equipment should be taken on trips to out-of-the-way places. My initial response is to take as little as possible. The

 

How ready are you for your children’s life after a disaster? Are they going to have the food they need? Will they get bored? These are things I started asking myself when I became a father. Since then, I have always taken my children into account when I plan. In this article I’m going to mention some things I have done that may help you prepare for taking care of your children after SHTF.

Obviously, your child’s age will also determine a lot. If you are expecting a five-year old to go from preschool and video games to protecting the house and growing a garden then you are very mistaken. You have to understand that children of all ages will take time to adapt to change. If you’ve never taken your child camping or hiking, how do you expect them to hike twenty miles to your bug out location? Children also are likely to mimic the attitude of their parents. When the lights suddenly go out, do not let them see you panic. If they see you being brave then they are likely to at least act brave.

Your level of preparedness will determine a lot about how to prepare stuff for your children. I am going to base most of this off of my plans which are to bug in. However, I will offer some input on bugging out with kids. We plan on a three-month bug in. That is three solid months of not going outside. This obviously depends on planting seasons and the threats in our area. My boys like being active so this plan presents a multitude of problems. Here is a list of simple things I have gathered for a two and ten-year old to occupy their time.

  • A stack of coloring , word search, maze and other entertainment books.
  • Three boxes of crayons.
  • Two boxes of colored pencils.
  • A case of blank, white paper.
  • Several spiral notebooks.
  • At least ten different board games.
  • Playing cards and other card games.

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This stuff is all that I have packed away in my supplies. My sons have other things to play with but I want them to also have brand new stuff to entertain them during our three months.

You can’t just rely on coloring and card games to entertain kids though. Kids will go crazy if they are expected to suddenly go from video games and TV shows to coloring books. I picked up an older pocket DVD player at a pawn shop. It works great on my rechargeable batteries and I have a solar-powered charger that I can charge my batteries with. We have headphones and splitter. This allows them both to quietly watch a movie when the power is off. Normally they don’t like the same movies but we always work it out. This way my sons can still enjoy some form of electronic entertainment, even if we have to bug out.

 What help can you expect from your children during a disaster? Honestly, not as much as you want. Yes, a couple of teenage hunters with strong backs would be great but that’s not what I have so that’s not how I’m prepping. My ten-year old can hike at a slow pace for a couple of hours but not my two-year old. I found a shopping cart at yard sale and snatched it up for less than twenty bucks. This is our mode of transportation, if we have to walk. It may not be comfortable but with a sleeping bag for a liner, it’s at least better than bare metal. We played with it a little and I can put both of them inside it, our packs clipped to the outside and a tarp over it all to keep them warm and dry. This is obviously our last resort for traveling. I may be strong but walking for eight hours, with a two-year old in my arms, is not an option I want to consider. I would be limited to two or three hours a day.

What about security?

I can not and would not expect my ten-year old to stand guard for any longer than it takes for me to use the bathroom or change a diaper. The only way I can think to provide security at night, while traveling, is to use traps. I have one of those tripwire traps that will trigger a shotgun shell. I plan on relying on this and some 550 cord with a couple bells attached. I fully realize that this is a poor nighttime defense but it’s my last resort for traveling with just my children. I’ll also be sleeping with my weapon in hand and our campsite will be hidden.

I just mentioned changing a diaper. That is something for a lot of people to think about. How many do you have? Do you have a single cloth diaper? I bought several inexpensive packs at Walmart. I tested them out on my son. They are a pain to clean. It took me a minute to figure out the right way to use them and my son kept playing with them but we finally got adjusted to them. The best part was that they didn’t make my son break out. Think about stuff like that.

Do you have feminine products for your daughter? Do you have enough formula for an extended disaster? What about over the counter baby medicine? I would have been almost as miserable as my son without his gas drops. Are your children diabetic? If so, have you looked online for how to make insulin? I saw an article a few months ago. It was complex looking. I would not want the first time I tried making it to be when my child is dying and the power is out. Print stuff like that out and practice it a few times. Your children should be the reason you prep.

Keep them happy, healthy and alive!

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  How ready are you for your children’s life after a disaster? Are they going to have the food they need? Will they get bored? These are things I started asking

Everything around us is getting smarter: phones, television, brands, and now our homes and our home security. The “smart revolution,” anchored on emerging technologies and connectivity, is clearly taking over. The objectives of such innovations are generally noble. The smart trend aims to make living easier, more practical, and more intelligent. Don’t forget cooler, of course.

Let us zoom in on the smart home revolution. It sounds like a really hi-tech and romantic concept. Unfortunately, while people hear it all the time, the majority of homeowners do not know what it is about. Based on a white paper from Consumer Electronics Association and Parks Associates, nearly two-thirds of heads of households are not familiar with smart home security concepts.

What makes a home smart? It’s when a home is equipped with lighting, heating, and electronic devices that can be controlled remotely through the Internet. This also includes home security systems that have greatly evolved to better ensure home safety, whenever and wherever.

Simplisafe2 Wireless Home Security System 8-piece Plus Package

Home security trends of the year are clearly moving towards smart home security. It’s when you can monitor, access, and control security devices such as alarms and cameras remotely through a phone or computer. Sounds too technical for you? Let’s make it simpler with an ultimate list of everything you need to know about smart home security systems.

Easy installation for Smart Home Security systems

It does not take a master technician to install smart home technology. Most of the brands available are wireless so you should not worry about running wires and cables throughout the house. All you need to do is to identify a location for the panel. The central control unit of the system will make contact with the several area detectors such as infrared or motion that are mounted around the house to raise alarm when necessary. DSC alarm systems usually come with a video of how to install the technology so you won’t have to go through technical manuals. For example, it is a breeze to install DSC Powerseries Neo in your home as you only need to mark, mount, and connect.

Personally program your smart home security system

People have different security preferences. Smart home security technology gives you different options to program your home and personalize settings. For example, you can set alarm verification to reduce the number of false alarms. You can even do this remotely.

Connecting to the Internet of Things

network

The Internet of Things or (IOT) is an essential concept of smart home technology. This simply means that the Internet will be working with many appliances and devices, including security, at home. IoT is an area of endeavor that makes a home “smart” since it makes possible the networking of objects and security. Smart home security basically requires a reliable Internet connection so that all of the things around the house can be connected to each other.

Z-Wave Control

When you go shopping for smart home alarm systems, you will likely come across Z-Wave. Don’t bother with the letter “Z” because all you need to know is that it is a wireless communications unit that makes home automation possible. Most DSC alarms have a built-in Z-Wave unit that will let you control your home’s temperature, lighting, and door locks.

Control via a security app

iphone

So you wonder: how can I access and control my security panel when I’m in the office. As for everything else in the world, there’s an app for that. You will be provided with a security app, such as Alarm.com or Canary, which will be installed in your phone. Most apps are compatible with iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, tablets, and other web-enabled devices. It is through this app that you can access, monitor, and control your home security real-time and on-the-go.

Arm and disarm your security system remotely

You don’t need to physically be at home to arm and disarm your alarm. Gone are the days when you set an alarm and hope it works. With smart security, you can arm and disarm it via your mobile device. If you need to reconfigure settings and disarm it for a while, you can do so from the palm of your hand.

Alerting authorities

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When an alarm is raised, can the authorities or the police know about it? They will. Modern home alarm systems allow your chosen security provider to listen in via built-in microphones and through a two-way audio alarm verification system. Once a threat is verified, appropriate authorities will be notified.

Power vs. false alarms

The propensity for false alarms is among the issues with traditional security systems. But with a smart home security, you have the power to reduce false alarms with enhanced verification features. The most common are the two-way voice alarm verification system and dual verification features that allow officers and providers to see and hear what is happening on your premises before sending help.

Real-time alerts

The beauty of smart home security is the capability of alerting you through push notification emails and text messages. You just need to program your unit to provide you with these alerts.

Building a comprehensive system

You might think that you are limited to door and window sensors. Well, entry-level systems typically include just a few sensors and detectors to be connected to your home Wi-Fi network or other wireless protocols such as Z-Wave. But over time, you can add an extra door sensor to provide coverage—including locks, surveillance cameras, smoke detectors, and water sensors—for the entire household.

You won’t believe the level of comfort that a smart home technology provides. It is like having a Jarvis to your own Iron Man. Of course, coverage depends on how extensive you want your home security to be. This is why it is important to know your preferences and priorities. Do you want minimal or absolute control? Do you want a network system where everything is connected? What are the things that you want to be able to control remotely? These are the things that you need to ask before making that purchase. Do not let the technicalities fool you because the main premise of technology is to make life simpler and better.

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Everything around us is getting smarter: phones, television, brands, and now our homes and our home security. The “smart revolution,” anchored on emerging technologies and connectivity, is clearly taking over.

 

With unpredictable natural disasters, do you wonder if your condo is a safe renting and living environment in the event of an earthquake? Fortunately, according to studies, taller buildings like most condos today are designed to be safer than low-rise structures during calamities and disasters. While this is great news for you, it’s no reason to be complacent. Increase your survival chances with these 20 dos and don’ts for surviving in your condo during earthquakes.

10 Must Dos in Your Condo During Earthquakes:

1. Stay Calm

Although this sounds cliche, staying calm is one of the important things to do during an earthquake. It may sound difficult because earthquakes are indeed scary, but you have to muster the courage to keep calm and focus on the situation. It will help you do the necessary condo safety steps to protect yourself and your family.

2. Go Under a Sturdy Table

table

Photo courtesy of Unsplash via Pixabay

Look for a sturdy table and always remember this formula: “Drop, Cover and Hold on.” First, drop down on your arms and knees as this position will enable you to move without falling. Second, seek cover under a sturdy furniture. Lastly, hold on to the furniture to secure yourself from being moved around.

3. Count Aloud to 60

Apart from calming you down, counting aloud to 60 is an important step to help you monitor any immediate aftershocks. It will also allow people nearby to know your presence.

4. Wait it Out

clock

Photo courtesy of steinchen via Pixabay

It is crucial that you wait for all the shaking to stop until you get out of cover. Aftershocks can occur seconds after the first quake, depending on the magnitude. Small and medium earthquakes can last only for a few seconds, while large earthquakes can continue for several minutes.

5. Go to an Interior Wall

When there’s no immediate cover, seek shelter near an interior wall. It’s one of the best earthquake safety tips for those living in a condo. The reason is that condo nowadays are stronger and better designed. Remember to use your arms to cover your head and neck.

6. Grab the First Aid Kit

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Photo courtesy Hans via Pixabay

If you or a family member is injured, use the interval between quakes to quickly grab the first-aid kit. But do this only if it’s within your reach. Take action quickly, calmly, and safely. Check also for other injuries and damages that need immediate attention. Again, stay inside your condo during this time until the shaking stops. Never move anyone seriously injured unless there’s immediate danger.

7. Stay Inside

Staying inside your condo will protect your from falling debris and panicking people outside. Your space is one of the safest places during an earthquake. Modern high-rise condos are designed to withstand shocks and seismic motions. Because of their sturdy construction, as compared to very old high-rise buildings, modern high-rise condos are safer. That condos are safe and great living spaces justify the increasing demand for condo rental.

8. Stay Away from Windows

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Photo courtesy of Republica via Pixabay

Windows are hazards during an earthquake because they are usually the first to break or collapse. Stay away from this danger zone, as well as from facades, hanging objects, and mirrors.

9. Reach for the Flashlight

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Photo courtesy of Cezary Borysiuk via Flickr

Flashlights are important during earthquakes because electrical power will likely be disrupted. As a preparatory measure, make sure that flashlights are within reach or strategically placed in your condo. Keep one in the  drawer near your bed or the living room table to make them easily available.

10. Be Alert

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Photo courtesy of DariuszSankowski via Pixabay

Many things can happen during this uncontrollable situation, but your best compass for an appropriate action is staying alert throughout.  If using your phone is possible, text or call a family or friend that is out of the area. Tell them where you are and then stay off the phone to conserve battery.

10 Must Don’ts in Your Condo During Earthquakes:

1. Don’t Rush to Go Out

Many injuries occur when people rush outside, not only because of the possible chaos but also of falling and flying objects. Don’t rush outside during an earthquake, only do when the shaking has stopped.

2.Don’t Seek Out Power Lines

light-bulbs

Photo courtesy of ColiN00B via Pixabay

Power lines are dangerous during earthquakes because of the electrical current. When the power goes out, let it be. Rely instead on battery-operated devices like flashlights or even your smartphone.

3. Don’t Go Under a Doorway

A doorway isn’t a safe place during earthquakes because you can easily get trampled. Doorways also leave you vulnerable because they cannot withstand earthquake tremors as better as a table or a bed.

4. Don’t Get Out of Bed

bed

Photo courtesy of Quin Stevenson via Unsplash

Earthquakes can strike anytime, even while you’re asleep. Your bed can protect you when the shaking starts. Use your pillow to cover your head. Only leave your bed when there is a ceiling fixture that might fall.

5. Don’t Hide in the Kitchen

As much as possible, do not hide in your kitchen for various reasons. First, the kitchen cabinets can open and drop things like plates, knives, and glass. Second, the stove or any electrical appliance can cause fire. Third, larger appliances like the fridge or exhaust can fall on you.

6. Don’t Use Matches, Candles or Any Flame

candle

Photo courtesy of Gadini via Pixabay

As there might be damaged gas lines, don’t use matches or any flame during and immediately after the earthquake.

7. Don’t Shout for Help

Yelling during earthquakes can only be a good idea if you’re helping someone who’s experiencing anxious paralysis and cannot seek cover. Otherwise, shouting can make you inhale dangerous amounts of dust. A better option if you want to call the attention of a rescuer is to use whistles, if one happens to be on hand.

8. Don’t Go to Your Car

key

Photo courtesy of kaboompics via Pixabay

If the earthquake strikes while you’re inside your condo, never attempt to go to your car to escape or seek shelter. Again, it’s better to protect yourself inside your condo.

9. Don’t Ride the Elevator

elevator

Photo courtesy of StockSnap via Pixabay

Don’t ever ride the elevator if you have to get out of the building. When the electrical power goes out, you can get trapped inside the elevator. Use the stairs instead.

10. Don’t do the “triangle of life”

The “triangle of life” has attracted attention as a formula to survive during earthquakes. But some reports reveal that it’s not exactly reliable because it hasn’t been tested during actual earthquakes. For now, at least, stick to the must-dos backed by evidence listed here.

Because of building codes, better design, and the lessons of past disasters, modern condos for rent are much safer and better than low-rise structures. It has also become a trend for developers to make condos earthquake-resistant. Make sure to inspect your condo to know its safety features during disasters. Also, while knowing what to do during an earthquake in a condo is important, it’s equally, if not more important, to prepare for earthquakes in any scenario. Prepare your emergency plan, medical kit, and join disaster preparedness workshops so you can better protect yourself and loved ones during earthquakes.

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  With unpredictable natural disasters, do you wonder if your condo is a safe renting and living environment in the event of an earthquake? Fortunately, according to studies, taller buildings like

 

There are a lot of articles out there about building “budget” bug out, GOOD or get home bags, but this one actually provides some alternate sources that anyone can tap into, and builds the complete bag (less EDC items) for under $50.

I was out roaming around the neighborhood, stopping at garage sales a couple of Saturdays ago, and ran across a US Army medium Alice pack with frame for $5. Courtesy of Uncle Sam, I have many miles carrying and quite a few days and nights of experience in the field with Alice packs. While I don’t think they work as well as higher end commercial packs that I use backpacking, they are still decent bags, especially if you keep your load down to 35 pounds or (preferably) less.

The Alice pack was introduced right at the end of the Vietnam War. It is made of heavy nylon, with a divided main compartment, three exterior pockets and a cover flap that has a flat pocket for copies of orders, maps, etc. It also has external attachment points for other Alice gear or for the older style gear with the wire bails that dates back to WWI and for strapping on a sleeping bag at the bottom. It can be carried with or without a frame. With the frame, it has a quick release shoulder strap so you can drop the pack in a hurry in a combat situation or if you get into trouble crossing a stream.

usedmediumalicepack

Military Surplus Alice Packs are the first Bug Out Bag for many because of cost and durability.

At $5, this was a great buy, the problem was that I already have a couple of them as well as a large Alice pack, and that’s after I gave away two other packs to my son. I am trying to be a bit pickier when it comes to bargains, and was going to pass on this one until I thought it might make a good starting point for an article on putting together a budget Get Home Bag for the Final Prepper picked up two US surplus canteens with carriers at the same sale for $1 each, one of them was a WWII vintage 1943 Stainless canteen. They also came with one canteen cup, stove for the cup, and an unopened bottle of water purification tablets.

The budget get home bag challenge

I decided to sit down and make some “rules” for my challenge.

  • Minimize costs, if this gets stolen from my car trunk I don’t want to be out much.
  • This bag needed to support three to five days traveling by foot
  • It was OK to include footwear, underwear and socks I already own, but I would try to purchase or find whatever else I needed, rather than rely on stuff I already had
  • Cost of food would not count against total
  • Should be more grey man than tacticool
  • Quality stuff
  • Cheaper the better, but reliability trumps price
  • Minimize on-line purchases
  • Bag should support three seasons — spring, summer, fall. May do another article on winter additions
  • Need to be able to shoot, move, communicate, eat, water, shelter

Places I would try first to look for bargains are:

  • Dumpsters
  • Garage sales, estate sales, tag sales
  • Thrift stores (goodwill, Salvation Army, DAV, St Vincent De Paul, etc.)
  • Bargain stores (Dollar stores, Harbor Freight, etc.) I normally don’t shop at these stores, but have seen some folks talk about prepper bargains they got on Facebook
vintage

Yard sales are tremendous sources for cheap, gently used gear. You just have to be willing to look.

First, I took stock of my EDC (Every Day Carry) items, so I would know what I had and what I needed to supplement.
My edc includes:

  • Key ring with Photon micro lite, p-38 can opener that I got in basic training back in 1976, Swiss Key folding scissors/knife, and Craftsman four in one screwdriver
  • Gerber Applegate covert automatic tactical knife (legal in my state, if I am traveling in another state, I switch to a different lock blade non-automatic knife, non-gravity knife)
  • Sig P229 DAK in .40 S&W with spare mag. (My carry permits are valid in most states, however if I am driving through somewhere like the socialist republic of Illinois, I unload and store in a locked case in the trunk)
  • Swiss Army Knife
  • Wallet with emergency cash, ID and credit cards
  • Sunglasses
  • Bandana
  • Laptop and bag including small first aid kit (bandages, tweezers, triple ointment antibiotic, needle, hand cleaner), aspirin, and pseudo-ephedrine, Maglite 2AA cell flashlight (doubles as impact and compliance tool, like a kubotan), cell phone external battery pack (free at a trade show), sewing kit, glasses repair kit with screw driver and spare screws (also free), pens, pencils, notepad, Password protected thumb drives with various files including scans of important personal papers and “survival” manuals

EDC stuff kept in-car that would help with getting home

  • Case of water (replaced every three months)
  • Box of breakfast bars
  • Magnesium flares
  • Tool kit
  • 50 feet ½ inch rope
  • Highway maps
  • GPS

Building the get home bag

I gave myself a month to put this kit together and decided to try to keep it under $50 all told, less than some preppers pay for a knife. Here is what I picked up from each source:

Garage sales $20.25

  • Alice pack and two canteens $7
  • Surefire flashlight (CR123) $1
  • Package of four plumbers candles $.25
  • Frog Toggs rain gear jacket and pants $2
  • 8×10 plastic green/brown tarp $1
  • 2 – One liter water bottles (in free stuff box)
  • Boy scout compass and signal mirror $1
  • Army mountain sleeping bag $5
  • Ski poles $3 (make great trekking poles)

Dumpster / Free $0

  • Broken sledge-hammer handle (use as self-defense baton)
  • Strip maps of route (print out free from Internet)
  • Tooth brush/paste (free from dentist)
  • Old stained tennis shoes (put them in the bag instead of throwing them away)
  • Ball cap from a local business
  • Soap (free from hotels)
  • Duct Tape (wrapped about 15 feet around one of the water bottles)
  • Two pair underpants
  • Three pair wool socks
  • Two wicking t-shirts
  • Hiking boots
  • A couple of books of matches (free from store)

Estate / Tag sales $13.50

  • Older Plumb hand ax $2 (handle was loose, but easily fixed)
  • Folding pruning saw $1
  • Pack of 5 new Bic lighters $1
  • Hand cranked Eton AM/FM/weather radio with cell phone charger and light $5
  • A dozen hand warmers $.50
  • First aid kit $2 (various Band-Aids, gauze pads, triangle bandages, burn ointment, antibiotic ointment, tweezers, scissors, scalpel, alcohol wipes, surgical tape)
  • Two bath towels $2

Thrift stores (goodwill, Salvation Army, DAV, St Vincent De Paul, etc.) $10.69

  • Finnish hunting knife $.50 (it was mixed in with the kitchen knives)
  • Zip up fleece shirt/jacket $1
  • North face windproof jacket $4
  • Columbia hiking pants (Polyester to dry fast) $2
  • Watch cap $.50
  • REI two person three season tent $2.99 before veteran’s discount, $2.69 final price

Bargain stores $4.50

  • Work gloves $1
  • Magnesium fire starter $2.50
  • Toilet paper $1

So excluding the food, total cost for the Get Home Bag was $47.94. It is well within the abilities of almost anyone to put together a bag like this.

Food $20

  • Two pounds rice and two pounds dried beans (stored in one liter water bottles) $5
  • Bouillon cubes $1
  • Three packs tuna $6
  • Two cans Spam $4
  • Misc. spices and salt $4

Weapons

Although beyond the scope of this “challenge”, I also checkout out some local pawn shops, a gun show and some Facebook firearms buy sell trade pages to see how cheap I could pick up guns to leave in the car. The best deals I picked up in each category during this time frame were:

  • Center-fire rifle – Refinished Spanish Mauser in .308 for $100 (I also picked up a “sporterized” Spanish Mauser in 7mm for $50, but it had no sights, and would have been more that $100 total after adding the sights)
  • .22 Rifle – Marlin/Glenfield model 60 spray painted green – $45
  • Defensive handgun – S&W 909 with two magazines and holster — $125
  • Backup handgun – WWII Nazi marked Mauser HsC in .32 Auto — $35 (it was in rough shape, and I had to straighten the frame, but it shoots great now and is also the ugliest gun I have)
  • Stevens 12 ga. pump with barrel cut off crooked at 20 inches and spray painted black stock $75 (I cut the barrel back to 18.5 inches and added a bead)

What bargains have you found for your Get Home Bag and how far were you willing to go to save some money?

2 Comments

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