Preparing Your Vehicle for Emergencies

Many of us living in suburbia that commute to and from work sometimes take for granted one of the most important preps, YOUR CAR.  It is critical that you remember that your vehicle in a survival situation is your shelter and it will protect you from the elements, insects and predators. There has been case after case of people becoming stranded in their vehicle because of a mechanical breakdown, or they took a shortcut, got lost and their vehicle became stuck.

In many of these cases, individuals left their vehicle to find help, and succumbed to hypothermia, dehydration or from injuries. They simply could not find their way back to civilization. Rescue personnel only managed to find an empty vehicle because the occupants decided to abandon their shelter. One of the reasons they may have left their vehicle is because they did not have any provisions such as food, water and blankets.

Preparing Your Vehicle

Preparing your vehicle is particularly important if you plan to travel outside of your area. People become complacent because they commute everyday using the same routes and nothing ever happens. If their car does break down they call home or a tow service. Once out of your area, and you have a breakdown, are caught in bad weather or your vehicle slides off the highway there may not be anyone to call or there is no cell phone service. At this point, you are stranded miles from anywhere.

Vehicle Essentials

1. Water for three days using the one gallon per day recommendation and if your vehicle is parked outside during cold weather protect the water from freezing by using Styrofoam coolers and surrounding the water with newspaper or clothing inside the cooler.

It is not recommended that you carry extra water for your vehicle’s radiator. You should carry the proper coolant/anti-freeze for your vehicle’s engine.

1. Have at least a three-day supply of foods that can withstand temperature variations, canned goods cannot be frozen and thawed repeatedly.
2. Even though your vehicle is your primary shelter, in hot weather you do not want to be inside it during the day. Have several lightweight tarps that can you can use for shade outside the vehicle during the hot parts of the day.
3. Carry an extra vehicle battery (with heavy-duty jumper cables) and the tools to change out your vehicle’s battery along with tools for minor repairs. Make sure you have a full sized spare tire and the tools needed to change the tire. Carry extra engine oil, funnel to add the oil and hand wipes for clean up. Carry a small fire extinguisher (ABC) for engine fires.
4. First aid kit, and include hand sanitizer and body wipes to conserve water and common over the counter medications. See your health care professional about obtaining an emergency supply of prescription/maintenance medications that must be taken each day.
5. Two Emergency thermal blankets (Mylar blankets) and if room allows carry several wool blankets. Have walking/hiking shoes and cold weather clothing. You have to remember that the weather may be temperate when you leave for your destination but can change as the geography changes.
6. Cell phone and car charger, portable radio and consider a Citizens Band (CB) radio either battery operated or can be connected to your vehicle’s 12v system or 24v if you have a diesel-powered vehicle.
7. Battery operated lights, avoid lights that require your vehicle’s battery to operate because they can drain your battery or your battery may not be operational if you have an accident.
8. Emergency flares and brightly colored signal flags that can be attached to your vehicle. This is particularly important in snowy weather. You want rescue personnel to be able to see your vehicle from the air and ground.
9. Small wilderness survival kit in a backpack that contains a multi-tool, knife, matches, lighters, water purification tablets, spare water carrier, coffee filters for emergency water filtration, compass and maps of the area, state and country. Your kit should also contain insect repellent, lip balm, sunscreen, sunglasses, bandanas, 50 feet of quality nylon rope, work gloves and hat.

You will have to adapt your supplies to your particular situation, room may be a factor but water and food must be a priority, along with cold weather clothing and protection in cold climates. Once you realize you are stranded stay with your vehicle.

If you are stranded in snow, make sure the tailpipe is not obstructed with snow. Run the vehicle for short periods 10-15 minutes at a time every hour for warmth. Heat conducts from warm to cold so to prevent thermal heat loss wrap-up in a thermal blanket. If in whiteout, conditions do not walk away from the vehicle. You can become lost just a few feet away in blowing snow.

Attach signal flags to the vehicle by attaching one on each side of the vehicle by rolling a window up on the flags. If your car has slid off the road, and is not visible to motorists traveling the highway, then attach flags near where the vehicle left the roadway.

If you are involved in a single vehicle accident, (slid off the road, struck a tree) make sure there are no fuel leaks or other dangers. If you cannot stay inside your vehicle set up a shelter close by. You want to stay near the vehicle because that is what rescue personnel will be looking for, make sure they do not find an empty vehicle. Trying to walk out when you do not know how far away help is, is not recommended.

Start a signal fire if it is safe to do so, smoke can be seen for miles during the day and light from the fire can be seen at night.

PREP NOW-PREP HARD

-SP 

The post How To Prepare Your Vehicle For Emergencies appeared first on Suburban Prepper.

Comic Break:

I came across this video of comedian John Tole on Youtube and I wanted to share it with you.  It’s off of todays topic but I think you might enjoy it.

Ok that’s the last of the tangents I promise. Now here’s the article I promised.

The Best Ways To Start An Emergency Fire

There are literally hundreds of ways to start a fire, if you have the time and resources. In an emergency though, time and resources are lacking. However, if properly equipped with knowledge, certain skill sets and some common materials you can start a fire virtually anywhere under any conditions.

Your fire starting materials and methods need to be simple, and easy to carry. Remember you may need to start a fire in the dark, in the rain, snow and when under stress. It is important before you find yourself in a survival situation that you have practiced your fire starting methods in a controlled environment. Practicing will give you the confidence and skills to start a life saving fire using simple tools and materials you carry with you and materials you may find in your environment.

Various Tools and Materials That can Be Used for Fire Starting

Matches and lighters will be purposely left off the list. Matches and lighters are unreliable, and you should never rely on either one as your only means of fire starting.

• Magnesium sticks
• Ferro rods
• Petroleum jelly and cotton balls
• Wet Fire, which is a commercial fire starting tinder
• Steel wool
• Fresh 9volt batteries or various other types of batteries
• Magnifying glass
• Alcohol wipes
• Alcohol based hand sanitizer

The listed items are easily carried in any pack, on your key chains and even in your pockets. The items are inexpensive and can be found in any camping store, and in the camping section of most retail department stores. While there are various other tools and materials that can be used the listed items are common, easily obtained and are very reliable means of starting a fire.

Magnesium Sticks

To use Magnesium sticks simply shave off some particles onto dry tinder or cotton balls saturated with petroleum jelly. Magnesium in mass form is stable and impossible to ignite while the shaved particles are highly flammable and will burn at 4,000ᵒF/2,204ᵒC.

Create a spark using the embedded flint rod by applying pressure downward as you slide the backside of a fixed or locked bladed knife along the flint toward the tinder bundle. Striking the bar will only cause damage and will not create a spark. Use the cotton balls and petroleum jelly when igniting damp or wet tinder by igniting the petroleum jelly and cotton ball first and then slowly feed the small flame with damp tinder.

Ferro Rods

Ferro rods not to be confused with magnesium, sticks or magnesium rods. Ferro rods are made using ferrocerium, which is a manmade metallic material. The spark from a Ferro rod burns at roughly 3,000ᵒF/1,650ᵒC, and the spark is hot enough to ignite dry tinder without using magnesium shavings. To use drag the rod alone the backside of a locking knife blade or any hardened metal. Some rods will include a piece of hardened metal.

Ferro rods and magnesium sticks can be carried on a keychain and in your pockets. Both are impervious to water or temperature changes, so they can be used in any type of environment.

A Survival Situation

Ideally, you would have all of the listed items in your pack or vehicle, but there is the ideal and then there is reality. The reality is that you may be caught in a situation where you have to improvise and make fire from what you can find in your environment or may have on you.

Alcohol Wipes and Hand Sanitizer

Alcohol wipes can be found in most first aids kits, which everyone should have in their backpack or vehicle. The alcohol contained in the wipe is what is used to ignite a fire. Before opening the wipe, make sure you have the means to create a spark and dry tinder at hand. You can use a piece of metal and hard stone, two pieces of metal or create a spark using your vehicle’s battery and “jumper cables”. Connect the cables, red (+) to the positive terminal and the black (-) cable to the negative terminal or to exposed metal on the engine to create a ground. The cables must be long enough to reach the ground once connected. Squeeze the alcohol wipe onto your tinder bundle and then tap the cable ends together to create a spark. The alcohol will evaporate quickly so you have to move quickly as well. Batteries can be dangerous and you should only use this method in an emergency. You can use hand sanitizer that is alcohol based in the same manner as alcohol wipes. Place a small amount on your combustibles and create a spark to ignite.

Steel Wool and Batteries

The battery can be from a cell phone, camera or any electronic device. The wool must make contact with both the negative and positive terminals on the battery at the same time to create an electrical circuit. The small electrical current will ignite the wool and thus ignite any dry tinder you have placed on the steel wool. Make sure you have the tinder in place before making the connections. The battery pictured is a 9volt.

Starting a fire using a piece of glass from a vehicle

The sun’s rays can be used to ignite a fire by using a magnifying glass or other types of glass. This method works best when the sun is directly overhead. Gather your dry tinder into a bundle and place the glass so you can see the small beam being focused on the bundle. This method can take several minutes and you may have to reposition the glass occasionally. The tinder will begin to smoke, and when you see an ember gently blow on the ember until you have a flame.  You may not realize it but your compass may have a magnifying glass built in.

Note the small flip up magnifier

A Lensatic compass includes a small glass for magnifying the compass face, so do not over look this valuable tool. You can also use glass from a broken headlight, or even eyeglasses. Survival is about being able to adjust to your situation and using what is available in your environment.

Fire from Friction

The materials used to create this fireboard and drill can be found on your person and in your environment. Ideally, you would have cordage in your pack or you can use shoelaces or remove the cord used to secure your pack cover, or any lanyards that may be attached to your knives or compass. This method does work but it takes attention to detail and patience. The bow is used with the string to spin the drill fast enough to create friction that in turn creates an ember using the wood itself.

Having a knife/multi-tool, axe or machete makes the job of creating a bow and drill much easier.

The fireboard is the flat piece on the ground with a notch in it. There are numerous instructions available as to how to use a fire drill but it is recommend that once you have an ember in the notch that you move the fireboard and bring your tinder to the ember. Some experts like to allow the ember to drop onto a piece of bark or leaf and then move the hot coal to the bundle. Once you start moving the coal around you can drop it, or the wind can blow it away. Simply move the fireboard and feed the hot coal without moving the ember.

Additional Items You can Include in Your Pack

“Wet fire” packaged usually in small cubes, used to start fires anyway particularly in wet conditions. You can shave a small amount from the cube or ignite the entire cube by match, lighter, or by creating a spark. The cube is a petroleum-based product.

Fire starting material

Place in a small container protected from moisture. It is simply dry tinder, flint and steel, the flint depicted is naturally formed flint found near creek beds and rivers. You can use metal files for steel, or any piece of hardened metal.

Char cloth is usually made by placing pieces of cotton material in a small can that can be sealed; the lid will need one hole in it for the gas to escape. The cloth is heated until it is reduced to its carbon form. Depriving, the material of oxygen is how you reduce it to carbon form without destroying the carbon in the material. Place the container with the cloth in it on or near a flame and once the smoke stops flowing from the hole remove the container and let cool. An ember can be created in the char cloth by a single spark and as you blow on the ember feed it dry tinder.

PREP NOW-PREP HARD

-SP 

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Natural Disaster Threats

Being prepared is critical for surviving any situation and many people work toward being prepared for anything. Realistically however, you cannot prepare for every possible contingency. Therefore, many prepare in a more general sense realizing that many emergency preparations are not disaster specific. There are certain things that you will need regardless of the disaster. Once you have prepared in a general sense such as gathering food, water, medical and other supplies you can begin preparing for specific situations. To prepare for specific threats you must have an idea of what those threats are as determined by a threat assessment. 

1. Indentify

Natural disasters obviously come to mind and you must know what are the ones most likely to occur based on your location. Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the world there are thunderstorms, and while not necessarily predictable experts can determine the likelihood of one occurring based on favorable weather conditions. Hurricanes strike land along coastal regions, as do tropical storms and they can be accurately tracked using satellite imagery. Earthquakes cannot be predicted nor forecasted and experts can only state one could occur based on geography and the fact they have occurred in the past. Seasonal disasters such as blizzards and ice storms are to be expected during certain times of the year based on favorable weather conditions.

Manmade disasters can of course happen at anytime and anywhere. You must stay informed and if you are informed, you will already know that the use of chemical weapons against civilian populations is a very real possibility anywhere in the world. Certain nations have chemical weapons and there are reports that they have been used. Additionally, some countries have unstable governments, which allow terrorist organizations the opportunity to acquire dangerous chemical weapons along with other weapons of mass destruction.

The country and world have lived under the threat of nuclear war for decades. However, in the past, the threat has been minimized by “mutually assured destruction”. Meaning if one country launched nuclear warheads, there would be retaliation strikes, assuring that both countries would suffer greatly. It was always the assumption that those in control used rational thinking and realized that striking first would guarantee their own destruction; this is no longer the case today. A nuclear disaster is a very real possibility anywhere in the world.

Man Made Threats

Localized threats are there threats to you and your family because of where you live? As far as one person or family being a specific target, the threat is minimal to non-existent except in extreme cases. Generally, the threat is to a community, city or geographical area as a whole because of proximity to a particular landmark, building or event.

Large metropolitan areas are always a target for nuclear, chemical and biological attacks because of population density. Large crowds and symbolic events anywhere in the country are also a target, which was proven by recent events in Boston Massachusetts.

Specific targets in your area may include federal prisons or hospitals where terrorist or other high profile individuals are housed or treated. Federal buildings and in particular federal courthouses where trials are being conducted are targets as well. Examples of symbolic targets might be the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Mall of America and so forth.

2. Assessing the Impact

Aside from loss of life and injury to you and your family, the impacts of any disaster can include power/utilities disruptions and damaged infrastructure, which means bridges, highways and roads, may be impassable. You can expect retail/commercial establishments to be closed and if the disaster extends for any period, you can expect civil unrest (demonstrations and riots).

Panic and the urge to flee will be a common reaction and thus must be accounted for. You can expect that any road or highway that is passable will become a disaster area in and of itself because of the sheer volume of vehicles. At some point in the days after a crisis, you are not trying to survive the disaster but the effects of the disaster.

Marshal Law can be enacted by the state or the federal government, which means your city, town or community can be quarantined if there is a biological attack. This means you would not likely be able to evacuate. Travel would be restricted if not denied entirely and federal troops would have the power to enforce local laws.

At some point, the crisis will become less of a danger and your fellow citizens will become the biggest threat to you, your family and possessions.

3. Plan Accordingly

As stated earlier most of your emergency supplies and preparations would not be disaster specific. However, there are materials and equipment you would need to survive certain disasters such as chemical, nuclear or biological attacks.

If you live a rural area then chemical or biological attacks would not be as likely because of less population density. You would however have to deal with the mass exodus of people fleeing the metropolitan areas. You may have friends and family that have to evacuate certain areas so you will have to plan your supplies accordingly. You have to account for friends, neighbors and family not living with you and even strangers needing supplies.

If you feel your area is susceptible to chemical, biological or nuclear attacks you will need a shelter and/or protective clothing that is designed to protect you. Clothing would be protective suits and respirators, and independent oxygen sources. Shelters can include underground bunkers, or buildings designed above ground that can protect you against fallout/airborne contaminates. Nuclear fallout can travel up to several hundred miles if conditions are right. Basements can be used for shelter if they can be sealed off to prevent airborne contaminates from entering.

In theory, anything can happen anywhere but you have to assess the threats to determine what is most likely to happen because you simply cannot prepare for every possible scenario.

PREP NOW-PREP HARD

-SP 

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How To Be Prepared For Any Survival Situation

Those that have decided it is now time to begin prepping may be overwhelmed with information. You may have watched the reality shows, and have researched extensively on the Internet and still find it hard to know where to start. In this article we will cover some of the fundamental knowledge you will need to survive any situation.

First, you must realize that most preparations are not disaster specific, which means that regardless of the survival situation you find yourself in you will need certain tangible items. Once you have gathered these essentials, then you can begin to work on the intangible.

You may have a strong belief that there may be a major volcanic eruption, or you fear a nuclear, chemical or biological attack, civil uprisings or possibly a collapse of the financial markets. There may not be any evidence of such an event occurring but that does not make it any less real in your mind. However, the reality is that there are certain disasters that you know will happen such as seasonal storms that cause power disruptions, flooding, and wind damage. These real events must be the ones you prepare for initially.  

The Basics

Everyone must realize that your standard of living during a crisis will not be what it was during normal times. A crisis will be an emotional time and it is important that you introduce normalcy as quickly as possible. Children and others will still need meals at their regular time clothes need to be laundered, and baths given. You must prepare so that you can perform as many of the same functions during the crisis as you did before the calamity.

You Will Need Shelter, Water, Fire/Energy and Food

It is assumed for all practical purposes that you have a shelter and it will available during a disaster. However, it may be damaged because of the crisis so you should have tools and materials available to make emergency repairs to your home. Sheets of plywood and waterproof tarps can be used to cover openings and holes in the roof to prevent further damage. Sheets of plastic and duct tape can be used to cover glass windows from the inside to prevent injury from flying glass and to cover any openings to the outside. Use plywood to cover windows and to cover holes in the walls or roof as well.

Consider emergency shelters such as family sized or one-person tents that can be set up on your property if your home is damaged to the point you cannot live in it. Have cots and sleeping bags available for everyone.

For natural disaster preparedness, you should have at least a 14-day supply of food and water. Calculate Food Storage For Your Family. Use the recommended one gallon per day per individual to calculate amounts. If you plan to use dehydrated foods, you will need to increase the amount of water needed. If you are preparing for longer than a 14-day period increase the water amount to three gallons per day for laundry needs and cooking. The one-gallon recommendation does take oral care and personal hygiene into consideration.


Planning for any crisis should also include plans for evacuation. Ensure each member has a backpack (bug-out-bag) with 72-hours worth of food, water and other essentials. Any disaster can force you to abandon your home or city. Have supplies in the home for sheltering in place and have the means to carry supplies with you if you leave. You may not have time to gather supplies once you realize you must evacuate so ensure the bags are always packed and ready to go.

Medical supplies are important along with specific medicines for children and any prescription medications. Talk to your health care professional about emergency supplies of maintenance medications such as for the heart, diabetes, high blood pressure and so on. You will need these medications everyday and you may not have access to pharmacies during the crisis.

If you require insulin and have more than a 30-day supply on hand, you will need a way to keep the medication chilled. You can store insulin out of refrigeration up to 28 days between 59 and 86ᵒF according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2012).

Additional Items That Everyone Should Have On Hand for a Crisis

• Illumination such as propane or oil fueled lanterns
• Matches and other fire starting means, never rely on matches alone to start a fire you should have lighters, magnesium sticks and Ferro rods available (carry fire starting materials in you evacuation bags as well)
• Communication devices other than cell phones and landlines, devices can include Citizens Band radios (CB) two-way radios (Walkie-Talkies) and ham radios (carry two-way radios in your bug-out-bags, one for each backpack)
• Portable radios
• Signal flags or brightly colored cloth to signal rescue personnel
• Compass and maps of the area state and country in the event you have to evacuate (in bug-out-bag)
• Emergency thermal blankets for each person and include one in each evacuation bag
• Rain Gear such as rain suits or ponchos and include in your backpacks
• Have all-important documents/paperwork packaged so they are protected against water and other damage. Carry the documents with you if you have to evacuate.

The list of course is not comprehensive and it must be adapted to suit your personal preferences and specific needs. This article assumes you would have the typical household items such as eating utensils, pots, pans and so on.

PREP NOW – PREP HARD
-SP

The post How To Be Prepared For Any Survival Situation: A Guide For Newbies appeared first on Suburban Prepper.

I have been reading a lot of articles lately about the use of drones for public and commercial purposes.  This led me to ask if drones could serve a useful purpose for preppers.  I think they can and I’ll tell you why.

What is a drone?

A drone is defined as an unmanned aircraft that operate autonomously beyond line of sight. In other words, a vehicle controlled remotely with the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and cameras. Today when people hear the word, drones they may think of military operated Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV’s). Military drones can be armed and are usually called predator drones and then there are drones used for surveillance purposes only.

Certain law enforcement agencies other than the federal government in the United States use drones for surveillance purposes. Many civil liberty organizations have protested their use saying they can infringe upon civil liberties denying people the expectation of privacy on their own property.

The advancement of technology has made it so that one person with the proper training can take the place of dozens of people on the ground gathering intelligence. One person with a surveillance drone can cover hundreds of miles a day where in the past this would take days if not longer to conduct reconnaissance of the area.

As a prepper, you must have situational awareness at all times. You cannot be surprised by any threat because then you are reacting to it on someone else’s terms. Having a defensive posture immediately puts you at a disadvantage versus an offensive posture.  

I do not want to delve into the legality or moral issues surrounding drones. It is incumbent upon everyone to properly research and know the laws as they pertain to the use of surveillance equipment in public or private venues. Drones have been authorized for commercial/private purposes, and can be used for photography, monitoring wildlife, shooting films and so forth.

According to legal experts, the monitoring of public and private property from a public place such as airspace is generally allowed and that people do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy if they put themselves in view of persons viewing them in or from a public place.

Small UAV operated by remote-control can be outfitted with camera systems for overhead surveillance.

DJI Phantom Aerial UAV Drone Quadcopter for GoPro

Drones and Preppers

Information is crucial during a disaster, and having a means to gather intelligence without endangering yourself is ideal. Drones outfitted with real time video feed can supply you with vital information about what is going on in your community.

Drones can help you monitor your immediate area for looters and provide real time images of people who may have your home under surveillance. Those that have prepared for the crisis are a target, because of their supplies. Home defense is critical during a crisis and having “eyes in the sky” can give you advanced warning about any threats.

Drones can also be used to convey information back and forth. You can deliver messages and have the receiver of those messages in turn send one back. This is ideal for those concerned about electronics communications monitoring by others.

Surveillance drones can go where humans cannot for example if there is a nuclear, chemical or biological attack you can monitor the situation from a safe distance and make decisions about evacuation or other protective measure to take. The drone can also be used to map out evacuation routes. You would have to avoid bridges, tunnels and elevated highways because you can be trapped in some cases.

The typical drone available for private or commercial use would be battery operated. Gas operated ones are available, but will also require batteries for backup and starting the engine. Weight can be a factor as well as, safety concerns about flying in residential areas with flammable fuel bladders.

The batteries would be rechargeable so access to 115V household current is crucial during a disaster. This means you would need a backup electrical generator. The flying time varies and it is difficult at this time to give an estimate. Head winds as well as tail winds all factor in and the size of the vehicle is a factor along with its payload of cameras, supplies and so on.

Drones in some cases can be used to deliver light payloads such as medical supplies, food and water to remote areas not otherwise accessible.

Considerations

Drones for the most part would be visible from the ground and thus may become a target if someone feels they are under surveillance. The drones can be shot down rather easily by small arms fire. The drones can also be captured if you will and any messages or supplies would be compromised.

Practicing with your drone is vital, so you can perform evasion tactics if your drone comes under attack. You also need to consider the fact that your drone can be traced back to your location, by simply following it. Also in some cases, radio signal triangulation can reveal your location.

The signal to your drone can also be compromised by jamming equipment, weather and other communication devices and of course an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) created by a surface or atmospheric nuclear detonation would render the drone inoperative unless the electronic components where properly shielded.

Are Drones a feasible Component of a Preparedness Plan?

The uses for a drone are only limited by your imagination essentially. In any tactical situation, a drone is your forward observer. Instead of putting humans at risk, you would use the drone. In years past the only way sometimes to discover an ambush was to walk into one.

Anyone can rationalize the purchase of a drone, but you have to keep in mind a drone is not a toy, it is a tool. In an urban setting, you can quite easily feel like you are cut off from the rest of the city or community. A drone can help you gather the facts instead of allowing your imagination to determine your next move. People make fatal decisions based on flawed information, so knowing the facts is important.

Families may evacuate their homes based on what others have told them about a nuclear, chemical or biological attack in their city. If you can determine the facts on your own, you may not have to evacuate. You want to avoid fleeing one disaster and being thrust into another.

PREP NOW – PREP HARD
-SP

The post Here is a Method That is Helping Preppers Stay Better Informed appeared first on Suburban Prepper.

Food is essential during a survival situation, and the right kind of food is critical. Food is comfort, and provides much needed energy and nutrition to help ward off illnesses. Your activity level may very well increase so a crisis is not the time to reduce your caloric intake.

During a crisis, supply chains will be disrupted and your only source of food will be your stockpile and you may lack refrigeration and the means to prepare food. You have to plan carefully and when calculating amounts you must consider, spoilage, waste, damage and friends and neighbors in need.

Types of Food

Families typically turn to canned foods for emergencies because they are relatively inexpensive, can be eaten from the can and are readily available everywhere. To achieve variety and the proper nutrition a family of four would need at least 12 cans daily. Each person needs one can of protein such as tuna or any meat-based soups, one can of vegetables and one of fruit daily. To supplement have peanut butter and crackers along with dried meats for protein.

For suburban preppers having enough storage space for extended periods may be a problem. You can also can your own foods but unless you can produce your own foods at home, there would not be much point in buying the foods to process at home. Expect a one-year shelf life from date of purchase.

MRE

Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s) are another option and there are military issue and civilian versions available on the Internet, at surplus outlets and most camping stores. The meals are self-contained and they include the traditional condiments along with eating utensils. Military issue and civilian versions contain roughly 1,200 calories each. The meals can be eaten cold from the package or immersed in hot water for heating. Adults will require two MRE’s per day. The shelf life out of refrigeration unopened ranges from five to seven years. The cost not including shipping or taxes is approximately $7.00-$10.00 USD for each package.

Dehydrated Meals

Dehydrated foods are also an option, and they are becoming more popular as an emergency food source. The foods have an extended shelf life of up to 30 years if unopened. There is a large variety of foods available including dried fruits, deserts, potatoes and various meat products. Dehydrated foods will require water for reconstitution and an energy source to heat water for preparation. The food typically come packaged in cans if buying large quantities. Some manufactures will offer package deals where you provide the number of days, months or year’s supply you want and the number of people you expect to feed over that period. They will calculate amounts needed based on two meals per day and set a price and then ship the product to you.

Small children and pets will have different requirements and you must have adequate amounts of food available. Children of course can eat what the parents eat at a certain age if properly prepared. You must have a reliable water source for children on formula, unless you can stockpile liquid formula, which will be more expensive and will require more storage space.

Domesticated animals will not be able to hunt for their own food, but can eat what you eat to some degree, as long as they get adequate protein. Dogs and cats are carnivores and need protein from meat products in their diets. Stockpile dried foods and canned wet foods for all your animals. It is never recommended that you allow any domesticated animal to eat wild game that has not been processed properly because of the numerous diseases they can contract to include rabies. Rabies can be passed from your pet to you as well as harmful bacteria and parasites.

The Basics

You will need spices such as salt and pepper, garlic powder, dehydrated onions and so forth. You will also need cooking oils, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and vinegar for basic food preparations and baking.

A family of four for a year would need (approximant values only) 200 pounds of rice, 240 pounds of dried milk, 160 pounds of sugar, 100 pounds of flour and about 120 pounds of dried beans. Expect to use about eight gallons of cooking oil over the course of a year.

Keep in mind that dehydrated foods, canned foods and MRE’s would provide you with all the basics listed without the need for preparation. The products listed can be stored in the recommended quantities or in lesser amounts and used as supplemental food sources.

Food Source Alternatives

If you live in a rural area and have the land, it is recommended you begin developing your own food sources. You have to consider what happens if the crisis extends beyond your supplies. A relatively small section of land, slightly less than a 1/4 acre (10,890 sq. ft.) will quite easily provide your family with enough produce to eat daily while in season with a surplus to preserve for consumption over the winter months.

You can collect rain runoff to irrigate your garden or have a reliable well available on the property. Livestock can also be raised but consider feed and water requirements, along with medical care. Chickens, goats and even geese can be raised on small sections of land and the feed can be stockpiled. You would need a secure and reliable water source for your livestock.

Hunting and fishing is another option but neither one should be considered a renewable nor reliable food source. During a major disaster, others will be hunting as well and the animal population may very well diminish if the crisis is for an extended period. However, if the disaster has reduced the human population by a sizable amount animal populations may increase initially.

Food Safety

All fresh food and in particular meats must be processed and cooked properly. Without refrigeration spoilage will be an issue and according to some studies families and individuals without adequate refrigeration can expect to lose up to 50 prevent of all fresh foods due to spoilage.

Vegetables and meats can be preserved by drying, pickling, salting and canning. Fresh meats must be processed quickly and the drying/smoking/curing of meats must begin within hours of the kill. Produce can be canned or preserved in brines, and certain meats can as well. However, meat products that are not processed properly during the canning procedure can develop bacteria growth months after canning. Unless under pressure you cannot get the water, hot enough to process certain foods for canning so use caution when pickling or canning meats without a pressure cooker. Water under pressure can reach temperatures in excess of 240ᵒF/115.5ᵒC, which may be required for some products.

General Food Storage Requirements

Grains and grain products such as flour, baked goods to include rice must be stored in airtight glass or food grade plastic containers. Weevils can chew through plastic bags and cardboard. Once inside the weevils will lay eggs in grain and grain products. You can store grains under refrigeration if available.

Do not store any food products where they make contact with concrete floors or soil, unless in waterproof containers.

Bread should be removed from its wrapper and allowed to go stale (or you can toast it) to increase the shelf life. The moisture in the bread is what causes it to mold. Allowing it to go stale by exposing it to air will preserve the bread for longer periods.

PREP NOW – PREP HARD
-SP

The post What Every Prepper Ought To Know Part 3: Food and Food Storage appeared first on Suburban Prepper.

According to the United States Geological Society (USGS) the average person uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water per day (USGS, 2013). A single toilet flush can use up to six gallons depending on the toilet. Showering uses two gallons per minute if you have a water saver showerhead, and up to five gallons per minute if using an older showerhead. A clothes washer can use up to 25 gallons per load. Each person also needs at least two quarts/liters of water daily just for hydration.

During a survival situation/disaster, you will need water for cooking, drinking, personal hygiene, laundry and possibly crop irrigation. It is impractical in some cases to try and store up to 100 gallons per person daily so water conservation will be an important part of your survival plan along with ways to store, collect, filter and purify a water source. Knowing how to properly purify and store water is critical and is something every prepper ought to know. In part two of our three part series we will show you some essential strategies for you to be prepared in case of emergency. If you missed part one read it here.

Water Storage

Water if sealed and stored in food grade plastic containers out of direct light is considered to have an indefinite shelf life. It can be stored for years and still be safe to drink. Pre-packaged water sold in retail stores by law has to have an expiration date. This does not mean the water is bad once the expiration date has passed however. The container is what deteriorates over time because of exposure to light. The plastic will become brittle and crack and the container can leak.

Food grade plastic however will not break down nearly as quickly. Some experts estimate, it can take up to 1,000 years for some plastics to deteriorate. You can use food grade plastic barrels specifically designed for long-term water storage. You cannot use jugs that were used to store milk. The plastic is designed to hold up for a specific period under refrigeration. Milk is a perishable so the manufactures used materials in the containers designed for short-term storage.

Food Grade Water Container

If filled using tap water and a hose (marine hose) approved for drinking water no further purification is required. Seal and store out of direct light. Fill the barrels in place unless you have the means to move them once filled. Water weighs 8.5lbs/3.8kg per gallon so a 50-gallon barrel filled with water will weigh 425lbs/192.7kg. The weight of your stored water is a consideration in some cases. Before using for the first time and assuming, the barrels were purchased new, rinse well with a mild bleach solution such as a tablespoon per gallon of water. Swish the solution around so it has made contact with all inside surfaces and rinse well. Ensure your barrels include a hand siphon/pump.

How Much Water To Store

In an emergency survival situation, your main concern is hydration. You cannot go longer than 72 hours without adequate fluid intake. Most experts recommend one gallon per person daily and this considers personal hygiene such as sponge baths and oral care. You would drink two quarts and use the other two for bathing and teeth brushing. This recommendation however, is for emergencies and does not consider laundry or cooking. In a survival situation, you cannot afford to use valuable water for laundry. For short-term water disruptions, the one gallon per day is acceptable. For longer periods, you would need at least three gallons per day for each individual. The two extra gallons would consider water for cooking, and hand washing clothing.

Alternative Water Sources Collection Filtration and Purification

Being properly prepared means, you assume you will deplete your water supply. You must factor certain things into your calculations. Things such as friends and neighbors needing emergency water, damage to a water container along with theft and wastefulness. You must have the means to collect, filter and purify a surface water source to supplement or replace your water supply.

Water sources include rain runoff from your roof, private and public swimming pools, hot tubs, rivers, lakes and ponds along with public water fountains and other public/private water features. These sources must be filtered and purified however, before they are considered safe to drink.

Filtering (depending on the medium) can remove, debris, sediment, waterborne cysts that contain bacteria, certain odors, pesticides, herbicides and certain petroleum products. Filtering will not destroy any bacteria, pathogens or parasites though some may be removed during the process. To destroy bacteria, pathogens and parasites the water must be either boiled or chemically treated.

Filtering or purification methods will not make toxic or otherwise poisoned water safe to drink.

Filtering materials are activated charcoal or charcoal you make yourself, sand, cloth, coffee filters, gravel and cheesecloth. Ideally, you would have a combination of filtering mediums that can be layered for best results.

Multi Layer Water Filter

The finer filtering material is placed in the bottom while less dense material such as gravel is placed in the filtering device last. The coarse material will filter out large debris such as insects, pieces of wood and the micro particles and cysts will be removed by sand, charcoal, cheesecloth, and coffee filters as the water flows through the various mediums. Activated charcoal will remove pesticides, herbicides, fuels and odors from the water along with waterborne cysts that harbor bacteria. You can make the filtering device as large as needed if you have a suitable container. Make sure you elevate large containers so you can collect the water as it filters out the bottom.

Boiling Water for Purification

Boiling is the preferred method of water purification in any emergency/survival situation. To destroy waterborne contaminates you should rapid boil the water for three minutes. There is a lot of debate on the Internet and elsewhere on how long water really needs to boil. Most bacteria, pathogens and parasites will be destroyed at between 145 and 165ᵒF (62.7-73.8ᵒC). However, this temperature range must be maintained for at least one hour, some consider this pasteurization. Three minutes at or close to 212ᵒF (100ᵒC) will destroy the waterborne contaminates.

Water boils at different temperatures depending on elevation; higher elevations have less air pressure, which means water boils at a lower temperature. Boiling for three minutes considers elevations and various water temperatures.

Chemical Treatment for Water Purification

Sodium hypochlorite (liquid chlorine) is probably already in your home. It is common household bleach. The active ingredient for effectiveness should be between 5.25 and 6.0 percent.

When using common household bleach you will need an eyedropper to dispense drops and the bleach must not have any additives such as fragrances. Using 6.0 percent sodium hypochlorite, you would add eight drops of bleach per one gallon of water or two drops per each quart/liter. Shake the container well and wait 30 minutes before drinking. If you cannot detect a chlorine smell from the treated water after waiting the recommended time, double the drops and wait up to 60 minutes.

Household Bleach

Purification Tablets

water purification tablets

Read the directions carefully because the dosage and wait times may vary. Check with your health care professional before consuming iodine treated water if you have thyroid issues or are pregnant or nursing. No one should consume iodine treated water for more than 14 days at a time. Chlorine Dioxide Tablets kill bacteria, viruses and cysts, including Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Water purification tablets provide simple-to-use water treatment in an emergency situation.

PREP NOW – PREP HARD
-SP

The post What Every Prepper Ought To Know Part 2 appeared first on Suburban Prepper.

The rules of three states that shelter is required within three hours of becoming lost or stranded or during any type of crisis. You need shelter for protection from the elements and from animal and human predators. Shelter has a tremendous psychological effect on humans as well. Aside from the crisis itself, your biggest threat during any situation is other humans. You simply cannot survive without a shelter and it must always be a priority.

Bug In

Typically, survival experts will tell you that it is safer to shelter in place. You cannot provide yourself an adequate shelter if you are on the move. Additionally, if there are rescue operations being conducted rescue personnel will search for people at all know addresses. Movement also exposes you to the elements and other risks. You should only evacuate your shelter if your life is in danger. It is recommended that you “bug-in” during any crisis other than a verified chemical, nuclear or biological attack in your area or there is a mandatory evacuation order issued.

However, the disaster may have caused damage to your shelter, so you have to evaluate your home for livability. Just because you home is damaged does not mean that you have to flee for parts unknown. Shelter in place and use the current infrastructure to your advantage. Your home while damaged can still be used to store supplies, provide materials for a temporary shelter, and give you a sense of comfort.

Preparedness

Your home is the ideal shelter and even if damaged can be used during a disaster. To help prepare your home gather up plywood sheets, waterproof tarps, rolls of heavy plastic, nails/staples and duct tape. Use the plywood sheets on the outside of any damaged opening and to cover holes in the roof. You can use the tarps to cover opening in the roof or walls if the weather is temperate. Use mosquito/insect netting/screens if applicable along with the tarps to cover openings to the outside. Plastic and duct tape can be used from the inside to help seal up openings but use with caution around children and do not seal the home to the point it is airtight.

Use plastic and tape to seal openings against certain chemical, nuclear or biological attacks if you are unable to leave. Basements can be used as shelter to help protect you during these types of situations.

Alternative or Backup Shelters

You can erect shelters on your property such as tents or take advantage of outbuildings for shelter. If you evacuate and do not have a destination in mind that can provide you with a shelter, you are much safer bugging-in. Prepare now to shelter on your property by gathering portable shelters or making plans to use a detached garage, barn, carport, workshop or storage building for temporary shelter. Ensure you have cots, sleeping bags and/or blankets available to place in the shelter. Use tarps and plywood to enhance and fortify any temporary shelter.

Picture courtesy of http://www.westwindshelters.com/

Though the pictured shelter is prefabricated, you can easily construct ones that are similar with limited tools and supplies. Use tarps and canvas to cover the top and take advantage of fallen limbs and other damaged structures for material.

Picture courtesy of http://www.portableshelters.com/temporary_buildings.htm

The Ideal Shelter

The ideal shelter provides protection from the rain, snow, cold and animals. You must also be able to defend your shelter against other humans. In the case of defense, it may not be the shelter itself you are defending but the location. You want to limit access to your area by using natural barriers such as lakes, rivers, rock walls and steep terrain. You want to limit and control access to your location by funneling any animal or human through a point you can defend.

Wilderness Shelter Options

Lightweight nylon tarp and choose one with grommets so it can be secured to the ground or trees, this tarp weighs less than 1lb. Connect more than one together to make a larger shelter and use forest debris for support poles or secure between several trees.

Add insect netting or fill in the sides with vegetation to protect against the cold and if using a fire inside the shelter make sure you have a smoke hole. Ensure the top is slanted enough so it does not collect rain or snow and if not put a sapling in place to elevate the material to allow rain and snow to runoff.

Make sure when using natural cover along with a tarp shelter that there are not any dead limbs overhead or vegetation that can collect snow and then drop large volumes of snow onto your shelter.

Snow cave using leaves and snow. Form into a cone shape and then make a sleeping area. Make sure the inside area is large enough so your body does not have to make contact with the sides or top. Use ground insulation to protect the body such as thermal blankets, pine boughs and/or any available loose vegetation.

Use the natural terrain to your advantage along with forest debris and any materials you may have with you.

Be careful using fire in confined spaces and remember rocks with high moisture content can fracture when exposed to heat from a fire.

Construct using forest debris and this particular shelter uses a live tree as the center support. Saplings and vegetation is used to fill in the sides. This shelter can be constructed with limited to no tools using what is available in a wilderness environment.

Steps Material and Tools Needed To Create Shelter Away From Home

The natural shelters depicted above may not be available and to assume otherwise may mean you do not prepare properly by carrying the essentials needed for shelter.

Always carry shelter material and tools to help with construction. You need at least 100 feet of quality nylon rope, machete, small axe or wood saw to construct a satisfactory shelter and to improve upon tarp shelters. Tarp shelters do not provide adequate protection from the cold so they must be fortified.

First, construct the shelter in a secure location. This means you do not set up camp in any dry wash because of flash floods or in an open area close to a water source. Predators begin to hunt at dark and they will hunt near a water source. Make sure you are not on or near a game trail as well.

Concealment may be a factor so if you feel you need to hide your location you have to leave a small footprint. In other words, do not begin cutting vegetation and limbs in the area of your shelter. Use live vegetation to your advantage for screening. You can secure a tarp or saplings between live bushes with heavy foliage for camouflage. If you have to cut, live trees and bushes do so as far away from your camp as practical.

Check back with us next week for Part 2

PREP NOW – PREP HARD

 -SP

The post What Every Prepper Ought To Know appeared first on Suburban Prepper.

Aside from the crisis itself, the biggest threat to you and your family during any disaster is other humans. Friends, neighbors and strangers may be displaced from their homes and desperate for supplies to feed their own families. You simply cannot predict how people will react to a catastrophe because stress affects everyone differently. Some may turn to violence in the name of providing for their families.

The Basics

Virtually anything can be called a weapon and you can in turn use anything to defend yourself. However, when it comes to home defense you also need a deterrent. Intruders will not be impressed by you holding a lamp, but will hesitate and possibly flee if they realize you have a firearm. Just the fact that you have one can deter crime just like video surveillance cameras and even beware of dog signs can. 

Why Preppers Need Guns

People during a crisis will want, and need what you have. Without your supplies, you and your family’s chance of survival is dramatically reduced. You simply must have the means to protect your possessions and your family. Law enforcement will be stretched thin if available at all, so your own defense and that of your family’s is on you.

Keep in mind when deciding on a firearm that it is for home defense. The area of operations (combat) will be in a confined space just feet apart in some cases. The so-called assault weapons are considered by some to be a home defense weapon. You must consider a few things first before purchasing this type of weapon for home defense. In most states, self-defense laws require that you be in immediate danger, and that you do not have any recourse but to use a firearm to save your life. If you have a high powered/long range weapon and are firing at someone fleeing, at let us say 50 yards or more, it may be difficult to prove it was self-defense, so just a few things to keep in mind. Rounds from high-powered rifles can travel great distances and still injure or kill an individual.

Additionally you have to consider round penetration. You are firing in a confined space so you cannot have rounds that penetrate walls and doors, because of possibly injury to family members and even neighbors. Therefore, you have to choose carefully, your firearms as well as your ammunition.

You are responsible for every round fired whether it hits the intended target or not. Even if the crisis has overwhelmed the nation, you will still be called to account for your actions in most cases.

Those that think they need enough firepower to repel an invading army, or their own government are not thinking through the situation.

It does not matter what you have for firepower you will be one person or a small group and you cannot defend your home against an army. At this point, it is escape and evasion time and all the firepower and rounds stockpiled will be lost. Keep things in perspective.

Home Defense Firearms

A 12-guage pump action shotgun with a smooth bore and an 18.5-20 inch barrel is one of the best all around weapons for home defense. There are semi-automatics available but the cycling of shells relies on the energy created from the shell’s propellant. This means low recoil rounds, and light charges that some may use would not produce enough energy to eject and then chamber a round. The weapons are prone to “short strokes” because of this and can jam from dirt and other debris as well. Pump actions rely on you to cycle the rounds and you can work the action to clear a jam caused by a short stroke or debris. You can load whatever ammunition you want such as low recoil rounds and lighter charges.

Remington 870

Smooth bore shotguns allow you to fire any type of shell to include shells for rifled barrels. Whereas, if you fire steel or titanium shot through a rifled shotgun barrel you will wear the rifling off, and slugs not made for rifled barrels will have reduced accuracy and range.

Prices ranges from $229 on up to just over $600 for a new quality pump action shotgun. Manufactures that offer these types of shotguns and prices include Mossberg, Remington and Savage Arms.

Savagearms 320

Savage Arms®320 Price $229-$239

Mossberg Tactical $439-$649

Remington 870 $399-$599

Ammunition

Mossberg Tactical

Slugs, buckshot and birdshot can all be used for home defense but slugs and buckshot have greater penetration and longer range. Birdshot at 30 feet is more than enough to bring any intruder down and you do not have the worry of collateral damage from the shot. Slugs and buckshot can easily penetrate walls and doors, which can of course cause injury to others in the home or even your neighbors.

However, you can alternate rounds in the magazine or do a combat reload. Slide the bolt back by pulling the forend back just enough to eject the shell but do not chamber one from the magazine but instead load a different shell by hand. With practice, you can do this changeover in a matter of seconds. Combat reloading also refers to firing your weapon empty then reloading. At one time, the military and

certain law enforcement agencies taught shooters to fire empty and then reload under cover. Today however, many instructors teach shooters to top off, meaning they fire one round and combat reload one round while maintaining their firing positions.

The combat stance for shotgun firing is the weak foot is forward, feet shoulder width apart, and the body is leaning forward. In this position, you can move and shoot, by swiveling the head and bringing the weapon to bear without shouldering it. You can shoot over the sights (point and shoot) from this position.

Accessories for Shotguns

There can be a case made for and against a sling for your shotgun. However, a sling allows you to shoulder the weapon if you have fired empty and reach for a handgun. The alternative is dropping the weapon. You should never give up your weapon, by dropping it, so a sling is recommended. Some shooters feel the sling is a hindrance in tight spaces and is prone to catching on protruding objects and can be a distraction to shooters as they shoulder the weapon. You can always remove the sling if you feel you do not need it but have one available so you can practice with and without one and make the right decision for your situation.

Flashlight mounted on the barrel is another recommended option. Most encounters in the home will be in low light conditions and you need to be able to see your target. Additionally, a light shined in an intruder’s face can distract them. You can purchase mounting brackets that will take various types of lights and they can be easily removed.

Stock or receiver mounted shell carriers are also a good option because in a combat situation you want your shells as close to your hands as possible for quicker reloading.

Handguns

When people think if home defense they think of handguns. It is recommended that you have a pump action shotgun and a handgun for home defense. Most off the shelf shotguns have a 4+1 configuration meaning one round is chambered and four in the magazine. You have to assume you will miss your target with the first round and once fired empty you may need a backup firearm. Handguns are also ideal for individuals that cannot tolerate the recoil of a shotgun. Ideally, one member of the family will have the shotgun and one will have the handgun.

Revolver or semi-automatic pistol, the decision is based on personal preferences for the most part. Revolvers have less moving parts but the trigger pull on a double action requires more pressure. To load a revolver you release the cylinder and either tap the shell ejector or tip the weapon to eject. There are more steps to reloading a revolver, but you can purchase speed loaders that do require hours of practice to master however. A speed loader is a cylinder preloaded that slips all of the rounds into the handgun’s cylinder at once.

A semi-automatic pistol is loaded by inserting a fresh clip and firing can continue. One trigger pull is one round down range. A single action revolver requires that you pull the hammer back before pulling the trigger whereas a double action you simply pull the trigger and the hammer comes back.

Handgun prices for new models semi-automatics can range from $399 up to well over a $1,000.00. A 9mm semi-automatic is a good choice for home defense. The weapon is lightweight has adequate knock down power and people with smaller hands can fire it quite easily. A .38 special revolver new will cost right around $500 and is an excellent handgun for home defense. It comes down to personal preferences in most cases but a 9mm and a .38 special are some of the most popular and anyone should consider either one of these handguns.

Gun Safety

If the weapon is not in your hands, it needs to be locked in a secure lockbox or safe. Keep the weapon unloaded when locked up and the ammunition should not be stored with the firearm. Tossing a firearm on a high shelf in the closet is not a secure location. Put it in a lockbox or safe when not in use. Talk to your children about firearms and make sure they understand if they ever see a firearm, they are not to touch it, are to leave the area immediately and find an adult. This goes for when they are in someone else’s home as well.

Training

You will only rise to the level you have been trained at, so you need to practice. Simply put you cannot train too much but practically speaking you need to fire your weapon at least once a month at a well run gun range. The range provides structure and gets you accustomed to handling a weapon safely because otherwise you will be banned from the range. Follow the range managers instructions carefully and over time handling a weapon safely will become a habit.

Learn how to clean your firearm and this does not mean wiping it down with an oily cloth occasionally. Know your weapon and know how it works, look the parts over carefully as you clean your firearm. Clean after every firing, and then store properly. Do it the right way every time so there is never any question about safety. Once it becomes a habit, you will not lay awake at night wondering about whether you did something or not, trained individuals know they did it right.

Defense

You have the right to defend your home and family. Things get murky outside the home however. Shooting at a fleeing intruder is not typically considered self-defense so in most situations you have to be defensive.

Make sure you know it is in intruder, and not a family member. Decisions need to be made in seconds. Use the mounted flashlight to light up the target area, and demand whoever is there to get on the floor with their hands out. Giving a warning does make you a target so move your position as you speak so if they fire at the sound of your voice you will not be there. Make sure you are in the combat position so you can absorb the recoil and move while still being able to fire. Always step to the sides and not move forward unless the intruder is down and you still must maintain your firing position.

If they have a weapon and are in your home, you have every right to do what is necessary to neutralize the threat to you and your family.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Tell us what you think in the comment section below.

PREP NOW – PREP HARD

 -SP

The post A Smart Preppers Guide to Firearms appeared first on Suburban Prepper.

Once you determine why you are prepping, you will have a better understanding of what you have to do. Prepping is life assurance and not life insurance; you are preparing to maintain life during and after a cataclysmic event.

What is required for life after the disaster? Surviving the crisis is one thing, but surviving in the aftermath is an entirely different scenario. You have to think outside the box because there really are no rules, and to survive you have to meet the challenges before they meet you because by then it is too late. People have survived natural disasters, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and so forth. However, who out there can say they survived a nuclear detonation in their city, a chemical attack where one drop of nerve agent on the skin is deadly in minutes and is there anyone that has survived a biological attack that spreads diseases and bacteria we only thought lived in nightmares. The next attack or disaster could break new ground in its intensity and devastation.

1. Have a Military Mindset

The military trains their soldiers to be mentaly tough. At some point, it may very well come down to survival of the fittest and of the smartest. You have to be physically able to do the tasks as well as have the metal fortitude to see them through to the finish. One hundred people can beat a large oak tree all day long with sticks and never fell the tree, nor even damage it. One person comes along and decides to put an axe head on one of the stout sticks and the tree is felled in a matter of hours by one person. This is how you must think as you begin to prepare for a disaster.

2. Bring the Heat

You will have to defend what is yours. People that you otherwise thought were not a risk to you will be a risk during a calamity. Parents will be desperate, and will go to great lengths to feed their families. Those parents may be your friends and neighbors. Firearms are vital and you should have them for protection during the crisis. You cannot “shoo” people away like a stray animal they will want, no they will need, what you have and will turn to violence to get it. If you are not prepared to defend your family, yourself and possessions there is no point in even preparing. You will be living in a “new normal” so get up to speed quickly or you will be overrun. Do not let your ideology destroy your chances for survival.

A good feeling is realizing you had a firearm and did not need to use it. That sinking feeling, that total feeling of failure, is when you need a firearm and do not have it. Once at that point, you can only wish. Never get caught in the position where you can only wish you had what you needed to protect your family. Always be in the position where you have what you need when you need it.

Macgyver it

3. Prep Like Macgyver

Everyone has seen the old TV show Macgyver and if you haven’t, it’s about a guy who could make amazing things out of everyday household items. If you stop and think, you will realize much of what Macgyver does is common sense. These are things that you can do, but maybe not to the same extremes.

Inventory your location and you will realize much of what you need is already there aside from the stockpiles of food and water and certain other items.

Duct tape, the uses are endless. It can be used to repair virtually anything temporarily. Use it for rope by twisting several strips together. Use it for fire starting (a small piece will ignite from sparks) binds bandages to wounds and use to hold splints in place to immobilize fractured bone. Use it to restrain people. Twist into string for fishing and use as a fly or other flying insect catcher. Take a one-foot strip, sprinkle sugar on the adhesive side, and hang near doorways and open windows. Flying insects will stick to the adhesive. Flies are attracted by the sugar. Lay a strip on the floor to trap ants and other crawling insects as well. When the power goes out and the doors and windows are open to cool the home, you will need to control insects. Cups of cider vinegar placed about will attract and capture fruit flies and certain other pests that get into your foods. You have to begin to think about the little things such as pest. Things you took for granted and could control with modern gadgets and conveniences.

A crowbar is a multi-tool. You can hammer with it, pry with it and even pull nails. Keep one in your attic and garage at all times. Have you ever thought about what happens if you become trapped in your attic? How do you get onto the roof? Floods and home invaders can force a family to retreat to the attic. You must have a way out. Have an emergency ladder, made of rope or nylon that can be fastened to the roof joists for escaping from the roof. Use the crowbar and other tools to break your way through the roof decking. Crowbars can be used to disable vehicles as well by punching holes in tires and radiators. Make sure the crowbar is one of the larger ones so you have leverage and weight. Not to mention, a crowbar is an ideal personal defense weapon.

Use your imagination when prepping such as cutting a gallon water jug in half. One-half is a usable container for eating out of, serving food out of and so on. The other half with the handle and cap can be used as a funnel by taking the cap off or used as a large glass or water pitcher with a handle. To make a portable shower cut just an inch off the bottom of the jug so you have most of the container that can be filled with water. Bore four holes in the cap and once filled the water will spray from the holes. Hang the jug overhead and stand under the flow for a quick wash. You can use a watering can for the same purpose.

• Use vitamin C tablets to flavor stale water
• Use dental floss for fishing line, binding things together and for stitching up wounds. The floss is relatively sterile but always use a quality topical antiseptic when tending to wounds.
• Use the top edge of your car windows to sharpen knives. The glass along the edge is not polished and will provide a rough surface to hone knives
• No eyedropper for measuring bleach to purify water? Then take a small strip of clean paper and lay one end in a spoonful of bleach. When you pick the paper up it will begin to form drops. Each drop from the paper is equivalent to an eyedropper measurement.
• Condoms can hold up to a gallon of water for carrying and storage in an emergency, wrap in a bandana for easy carrying.

4. You Have To Be Self-Sufficient

You cannot rely on anyone else especially the local, state and federal government. Assume they will be out of operation for the foreseeable future. People tend to prepare with the thought of things getting back to normal in a prescribed time. This actually hampers their preparations because they will hold back thinking help will come eventually, it may not so you have to be ready.

5. Put Your Back Into It

A situation may arise where you will be forced to do some serious manual labor. Digging your own well could be a possibility. This may sound extreme and it is a lot of hard work but you need a water source that you control and one that cannot be contaminated purposely or otherwise. Though it requires hard work, it is not a complicated process. Tools and materials required include a pickaxe, shovel, ladders, bucket and rope along with PVC piping for attaching a hand pump.

6. Mark Your Territory

Locate and mark all farms in your area out to a 50-mile radius. You will naturally have an aversion to using other people’s property but if the farm is abandoned, the produce will rot on the vine and animals will die in their pens. Use the resources before others get to them. People will flee and leave behind valuable items that you must use to survive. Know where to go for resources before disaster strikes.

7. Commercial Opportunities

Local plant nurseries and greenhouses should be located for future use. You have to realize that not everyone will survive the crisis. You have to wrap your mind around the fact things will change, do not become a victim because you refused to do what was necessary, within limits of course. This article by no means condones or encourages, taking from others but merely intends to show you that if the resources have been abandoned you have an opportunity to improve your quality of living and you must take advantage of certain situations.

8.  Stack Your Resources

This only applies in an extreme situation, if the event is of such a nature that life and society has changed forever. Your neighbors may not have survived. You need to do what is required to combine their resources with your own. You have to essentially homestead their property and make it your own. However, this does not apply during tornadoes, and hurricanes and the like but when the world has been turned upside down. If you do not, others will. You have to begin thinking about rebuilding your society around you. You will need resources and time and the only way to gain time is to have the needed things to survive today with. To survive you will need currency for the new society. Currency will be possessions, knowledge and fortitude of mind and body.

9. Forage Like a Pro

Foraging is simply locating and gathering a food source, but you can forage for other items as well and you should be actively be locating items now that you can go to when an event occurs. Car batteries for example, can be used in an emergency as an arc welder and this is only mentioned in passing because it is possible in theory. Amps are what are required to heat the metal and not voltage; car batteries can supply sustainable amperage for various tasks. You would require heavy-duty jumper cables, and welding/brazing rods. It has been stated in various places that a penny was used as a welding rod but logic should tell you that the metal properties of a penny would not be conducive to welding. This is not something you should try unless there is an absolute need to weld metal. This is for informational purposes only. This is only to get you thinking about uses for items that you would not normally consider.

10. Barter Items

Stockpile items even if you do not use them yourself such as tobacco products, alcohol, and non-prescription and prescription medications. Pet food and pet care items will be needed by some that you can use to trade for items they have and do not use. Shoes, clothing, and any household items can be used for barter. Start gathering things now that can be traded when things go bad.

11. Offer Your Knowledge

Do you have any kind of medical training, engineering and even military training? These will be much needed skills during a crisis. Do not be afraid to offer your training to others in exchange for things or information they possess. Sell or trade produce and other things such as eggs if you have chickens, or milk if you have goats or dairy cows.

12. Learn To Be The Silent Type

If people conclude, you have a home and garden store, a grocery store and a mechanical shop all in one at your home, whom do you suppose they will be looking for during a catastrophe. You simply do not know how people will react to the crisis. They may become overwhelmed and will do things in desperation. Do not assume your friends today will be your friends during a crisis. Harsh as it sounds your first priority is to your family and to yourself. Once everyone has settled down then you can decide if you can help or not. People will try to take advantage of your good nature, so be careful about making alliances in the initial stages of the event.

Tricks and Tips

If things have gone bad and there is no recovery forthcoming, you have to start building sustainability such as getting a garden started and raising chickens, goats and even larger livestock.

Tip:

Remove your hot water tank and place it outside. Place it on blocks so you can build a small fire underneath to heat large volumes of water for disinfecting it, for bathing and other uses. The tanks will have a spigot at the bottom for draining so attach a hose to drain off what is needed. This would only work if the tank were metal. Some newer tanks are of formed hard plastics. You can use the non-metal tank for storage of water however, and if elevated onto the back of a truck bed you can use gravity as a way of distributing the water.

Start looking around your home and imagine what things can be used for other than their intended purpose.

Did you know that at about 20 feet ( 6 meters) below the surface the ground temperature is always between 50 and 60ᵒF (10 to 16ᵒC). This is about how deep most wells should be or even deeper so that means the water in the well is also the same temperature and anyone needing to store medications at a certain temperature can do so. Any surface water that is covered and has air flow across the surface will cool the surrounding area. This is the same concept that “swamp coolers” use. Years ago, people built springhouses over natural springs and one reason they did so was for the cooling effects caused by the water evaporating. They kept fresh milk and produce in the springhouse.

PREP NOW – PREP HARD

 -SP

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