A Prepper Survival Manual

2010-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Introduction

Chapter One: Thinking

Chapter Two: Air

Chapter Three: Shelter

Chapter Four: Water

Chapter Five: Food

Chapter Six: Medical

Chapter Seven: Guns

Chapter Eight: Information

Chapter Nine: Clothing

Chapter Ten: Transportation

Chapter Eleven: Finances

Chapter Twelve: Communications

Chapter Thirteen: Power/Power Production

Chapter Fourteen: Emergency Evacuation Kits

Chapter Fifteen: Kit

Chapter Sixteen: Further Reading

Warning

Introductions

2009-12-25T07:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome to

A Prepper Survival Manual

Please bookmark the table of contents page and return in the coming days and weeks.

I am currently...

... rewriting these posts to better fit a book format

In most survival situations a prepper will encounter common priorities. They are (in order of importance) air, shelter, water, then food.

It takes less than five minutes for a person to suffocate. Less than 5 hours for someone to die from exposure, and a little under 5 days from dehydration. Lastly, it can take close to 5 weeks to die of starvation.

Now, some people will disagree and mention that thinking should be the very first priority because making a bad decision, especially while driving, could get you and your family killed in less than 5 seconds.

I agree.

The 3 to 5 Rules of Dying

You will die within

3 to 5 seconds without thinking

3 to 5 minutes without breathing

3 to 5 days without water

3 to 5 weeks without food

The beginning of each chapter has a recommendation that most folks can do to improve their family's chance of surviving a disaster.

The end of each chapter and section will have a list of links that will cite sources, links to information the author did not include, but may feel is relevant to that chapter, and include links to other authors to provide alternative viewpoints.

Prepping

2009-12-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

What Prepping Is

Prepping is simply getting prepared for emergencies. It is thinking about possible disasters and taking action to reduce their effects on you and your family.

What Prepping Isn't

Being a prepper isn't about being the richest family in town after a financial collapse because you had a stash of gold and silver. It isn't about being the local warlord because you had more bullets then the rest of the other citizens in town. Prepping is about you and your family surviving until the next morning, the next day, the next week, or the next year.

If you're unlucky, prepping might be about you and your's surviving the next few minutes of an emergency.

References:

Prepper.org - Home

http://www.prepper.org/

Chapter One: Thinking

2009-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Contents

Section One: Mindset

Section Two: Mindset
Getting Informed

Section Three: Mindset
PACE
OODA Loop

Section Four:

Chapter One - The First Priority: Thinking

2009-11-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

Mindset

The first priority in prepping is a proper mindset.

Most preppers, this includes you, already have a proper mindset

Don't believe me.

Do you avoid walking in unlit alleyways? How about buckling your children in a carseat ? How about locking the house up before you go to bed? Checking on your kids when they're at a friends house? Filling the gas tank when you get to half a tank of fuel in the car?

Then you have the proper mindset because you and your family avoid danger.

Most people follow this, but being a Prepper requires a slightly different mindset. The first difference is a healthy dose of paranoia.

A healthy dose of paranoia means that you understand that folks (that includes neighbors) may steal your preps before, during, and after a disaster.

Think about it.

If you get really prepared, you will have thousands of dollars invested in food, equipment, and other stuff that your family will need during a disaster. This is stuff that criminals look to steal, everyday. So, be cautious about what you say or tell your neighbors your preps.

Now, if you start thinking that these United States’ federal government agencies are flying black helicopters over your house spying on you because of your legal preps, you have a problem. So get some help, before you give Preppers a bad rap.

The second difference that you’re going to need to know is your limitations. Yes, just like Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) said in Magnum Force “A man's got to know his limitations.” This includes you too womenfolk.

As much as you would like, you don’t have unlimited time, money, and other resources to get prepared. This includes famous Preppeer like James Dakin, Commander Zero, Riverwalker, and George W. Bush. Just like you, they have to prioritize what they are going to accomplish.

The last thing about mindset you’re going to need, as a Prepper, is to understand that most disasters have common solutions.

During a hurricane, you’re going to need shelter, water, food, personal protection, and medical attention. Lost in the woods, you’re going to need shelter, water, and maybe medical attention. Same with sectarian violence and many other disasters, the list is the same just the priorities are different.

Threat Analysis

The next priority is to make a "Threat Analysis." It is a list of all of the bad stuff that could happen to you and your family. The threat analysis is an important mental exercise. It helps you and your family to stay focused on the threats you feel are important to prepare for.

To start on a threat analysis, you and your family take a piece of writing paper and draw a line down the middle of the paper long-ways. On the left hand side of the line, you list all of the bad things that could happen to you and your family. Things such as drought, laid-off, house fire, divorce, car accident, drowning, hurricane, flat tire, chemical spill, fire at work... keep listing.

Remember, this list is in no particular order. Just keep listing.

Once, you’re finished; add the disasters you think you and your family need to prepare for. These are the disasters that might wake you in the middle of the night like a zombie apocalypse, nuclear war, or losing all of your money in a stock market collapse.

Once you have listed all of the disasters that could happen to you and your family, you move to the other side of the line and prioritize the disasters from most likely to happen to least likely to happen.

Once you and your family have completed prioritizing your list of disasters. Take another sheet of paper and write down all the disasters you and your family are going to prepare for.

This last step is important because you and your family may not feel the need to prepare for some disasters.

References:

Wikipedia - Mindset

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindset

The Widening Gyre: Nick P. Norwood - Threat Assessment FAQ by Richard De Castro

http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/prepared/faq.html

Section One - Mindset

2009-11-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

Note: "Thinking" is the first item on the list. It is the most important. Don't believe me; browse through the Darwin Awards.

Some people have already survived/died in certain situations. Take Steve Irwin, an injury that was survivable killed him because he made the wrong choice. Others, such as Lise Bohannon, made decisions that saved their lives, and we can learn from all of these choices.

Now, there are many, many people expressing their opinions on how to prepare to survive. James M. Dakins, James W. Rawles, Ragnar Benson, Kurt Saxon, and Andrew Zarowny are just a few. They all have their opinions.

Because they have been getting ready longer then you, doesn't mean they are right. This includes me. You have to decide what is going to work for you.

Before you go, let me tell you a story.

There was a young man and he wanted to go and seek his fortune. He asked his father what he should do.

The father said, "Son, every morning walk in the direction of the rising sun. At noon, eat your lunch and rest for an hour. Then get up and walk in the direction of the setting sun."

The next morning, his mother and father hugged him and bid him farewell. He did as his father had advised, walking all morning and stopping for lunch, even resting under a shady tree as his father had suggested. After his rest, the son got up and followed the setting sun, arriving home just in time for dinner.

A little surprised, he was welcomed home by his family.

At the dinner table, he asked his father why he had given him such bad advice.

His dad replied, "Not everyone will give you good advice as you make your own path"

So work on your Threat Analysis.

Links:

Darwin Awards

http://www.darwinawards.com/

Wikipedia - Steve Irwin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin

*scroll down the page to "Death"

Nova Online - Escape! Survivor Stories

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/escape/survivors.html

FEMA - Learn About the Types of Disasters

http://www.fema.gov/hazard/types.shtm

Section Two - Mindset

2009-11-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome,

This is the second half of the post about thinking. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

Survival Podcast - What if Nothing Goes Wrong

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/what-if-nothing-goes-wrong

Survival Podcast - Watch Out for Combined Threats

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/watch-out-for-combined-threats

Today's Survival Show - Complacency is Reckless and the Positive Benefits of Preparing

http://www.todayssurvival.com/?p=908

Getting Informed

FEMA has a book called "Are You Ready?" It is a free book. You can download it for free or order a copy. FEMA will even send you multiple copies, for free, to give to your friends and family. Just call the FEMA publications warehouse at 1.800.480.2520 to order your copy/copies.

So, why did I tell you that?

Because the book has a section on identifying possible hazards you and your family might need to prepare for.

Links:

FEMA - Are you Ready?

http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/index.shtm

FEMA - Are You Ready? Getting Informed

http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/getting_informed.shtm

Other Information:

Remember last post when I wrote about people that have been getting prepared for a long time may not have the right answer. I am right, and I am wrong.

I am right because they aren't a single parent with two school-aged kids, live in Baltimore, or stationed overseas with the military. In other words, they are not in your situation. But I am also wrong. These people have made many mistakes, common mistakes, that you can avoid.

One of these mistakes is thinking guns are the answer. If you plan to take food from your neighbor, you are going to die.

I can say this with a reasonable amount of accuracy.

Do you know why? There is one gun for every man, women, and child in these United States of America. With 27 million adult Americans being veterans (trust me, they all know how to shoot. Some of them even know how to make War), you don't have a chance.

Still don't believe me.

Research about the Wild West. Everybody carried a gun, including preachers.

Don't forget posses.

Let government break down and people will step in. You screw with the neighbors; the other neighbors will step in, and they have guns. So should you.

Another mistake is thinking you can go this alone. You can't. There are too many skills and not enough life-time. That is the reason for waving to the neighbors. They may not prepare as much as you will, but you can tell them about the money you saved gardening this year. Then help them when they ask to borrow the tiller and learn about food storage.

Take the teenagers shooting and their moms and dads, too. Get them interested in guns and have your spouse talk to them about how better protected he/she feels with having a loaded gun in the house and the self defense course he/she just completed, so she/he can use it, too.

If you go hunting, take them along. Before you go, get the neighbors to buy some basic camping equipment. If not hunting then semi-primitive camping.

Suggest everybody, during Halloween, sit on the front porches to give out treats and watch over the neighborhood. If it works, then suggest having a neighborhood watch every other Friday night, next summer?

Don't preach, don't make jokes about it, use the soft sell.

And buy extra food for the neighbors, just in case.

Another common mistake, even made by the federal government, is the idea of "Surging." No, I am not talking about Iraq. I am talking about the concept of waiting to just before the emergency happens to do something about it.

We see this every time there is a winter storm, hurricane approaching or other "disaster." People rush to the grocery store to buy milk, eggs, and bread. Usually within 6 hours the store shelves are stripped bare of bread, eggs, and milk. It's called the "French Toast Phenomenon" by some preppers.

Surging doesn't work, except for the first few folks. Truthfully ask yourself, "Where am I, in line, during these past surges for basic supply?"

If you answered front, middle, or even the back, surging doesn't work for you. I say this because what happens when someone not in line wants the stuff someone in line has? If you're in line, how is your family being protected?

What do you do if there are no supplies for you? Some more things to think about.

Links:

Merriam Webster Dictionary - Posse

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posse

St. Louis Today.com - Bread, Milk, and Eggs

http://interact.stltoday.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=8064985

Section Three - Mindset

2009-11-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

PACE

I had never heard of it before, until I read a book by Gerry Schumacher (To Be a US Army Green Beret).

PACE is an acronym to help organize your thinking on your preparations.

Primary - What is the first way that you are going to solve a problem.

Alternate - What is the second way that you are going to solve the same problem

Contingency - The third way

Emergency - The very last way before you have to improvise a solution to your problem.

Let us look at an example.

Your problem, opening cans of food.

Primary - an electric can opener

Alternate - a manual can opener

Contingency - another manual can opener

Emergency - a P-51 can opener

Yes, I know an electric can open won't work in a power outage. That is why you have three other methods of opening canned food. It could be worse; you could have lost electricity and broken the manual can opener. Don't worry though, you still have the other manual can opener and the P-51. All of these methods have to fail before you start stressing about how to improvise a method to safely open your canned food.

Links:

Gerry Schumacher - To Be a US Army Green Beret

http://books.google.com/books?id=IY0CtB4fXF0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=To+Be+a+US+Army+Green+Beret&source=bl&ots=1FkVNkucfB&sig=eXoCgNU48PAhszrqAilv91aRMLo&hl=en&ei=YqCBS4HAN42MNqehybMJ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false

The OODA Loop

I have heard of this decision-making process before. It helps you to focus on your problems/situations

Observe - make Observations about a problem

Orient - Orient yourself to the problem. What do you see as the problem/What information do you have about the problem

Decide - Decide what you are going to do about the problem

Act - Act on you decision

Then you go through the loop again until the problem is solved. There is an article at Wikipedia that explains the OODA Loop

I can use the OODA Loop to explain how this blog has evolved.

My problem/situation; I know I can't go it alone. I don't have time or money to be a doctor/nurse, welder/pipe fitter, farmer/rancher, and pull security 24/7/365.

Observe - no money, lack skills, people to join with, friends/family are starting to see the various situations happening and want to prepare. I am a doomer and a gloomer, this turns people off. Folks don't want to go over the basics, I think are necessary, in their survival-type blogs.

Orient - People don't have time because of 9 to 5 jobs to learn the basics of surviving a long-term emergency

Decide - I'll write a one entry per week for 16 weeks preparedness blog so people can take the time they need to learn about preparedness

Act - write the blog and get family/friends to read it.

Now I look at the results. I am unsatisfied, so ...

Observe - I have a lot of knowledge. The one entry per week for 16 weeks blog isn't working, for me. Low readership. Not enough people "taking the course"

Orient - I need to provide more information. Not advertising with others

Decide - I will ask some of the survival-type blogs for a plug, and I'll write more

Act - E-mail Ryan at Total Survivalist Libertarian Rantfest and James Dakin at Bison Survival Blog. Write an additional post for the week.

Again, I look at the results. I'm not satisfied, so I...

And the process continues until an acceptable outcome occurs. The OODA Loop can also be used in a tactical situation. I think this is the original idea behind the OODA Loop's development. It may help you to defeat your opponent, so read about the OODA Loop at the link.

Links:

Wikipedia - OODA Loop

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_Loop

Chapter Two: Air

2009-10-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Check and Test your smoke alarms and change the batteries if you didn't when daylight savings time began.

Don't have fire alarms. Even if you rent, go buy one for each floor of your home, and install according to the directions, today.

Contents

Section One:

Section Two:

Section Three:

Section Four:

Chapter Two - Section One

2009-10-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

We take it for granted, until you need it. Struggling to reach the surface of the lake as your lungs beg to exhale and breath fresh air, choking on the smoke as you crawl from your burning home, or dry land drowning as your lungs fill with fluid as a toxic cloud drifts through your work place from a terrorist attack.

Air and the oxygen it contains is important to our survival, so how do you obtain air in an emergency?

You are going to have to spend some money and/or learn some techniques to use when you need air.

The first technique is use by swimming underwater. As you swim underwater, CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) builds up in your lungs. If enough carbon dioxide enters your lungs, your body sends a signal to your brain to breath. If you slowly exhale, a little bit of the air in your lungs and some of the excess CO2 is released. The body's mechanism for breathing will be temporally overridden, so you can swim a little farther underwater.

There is a similar method that SCUBA divers use, but this keeps their lungs from bursting. As the diver gets closer to the surface, the air in her lungs expand. The air must be exhaled to keep the lungs from over expanding and bursting. Remember this technique if you ever have to come up from a submerged wreck.

Your laying in bed and all of a sudden a loud noise sounds.

What's that noise? It's the fire alarm!

Roll out of bed to the floor. Don't sit up because the hot, toxic smoke from the fire raises to the ceiling. This smoke can disorient you or cause you to pass out. Quickly leave the building.

There is more to surviving a fire, but this section is about air.

With that said, you can purchase a smoke hood. These hoods protect you from the toxic gases produced by a house or workplace fire. No matter the type, you want one that has a hood that will cover your head, is compact, and easy to use.

When I researched this a couple of years ago. The Evac-U8 was the best smoke hood. It had a hood that was totally clear. Filtered out carbon monoxide, and was easy to put on and seal.

Some of the masks have a hood that has a small viewing area, once the mask was on. Since hoods can shift, your view may be blocked as you try to escape. The Evac-U8 has a clear hood. If it shifts, you can still see.

Some masks have a head harness to place the filter by your mouth and nose. The head harness takes practice to use quickly. The Evac-U8 has no head harness. It has a nose piece to close your nose, and the filter that goes in your mouth.

Some smoke hoods don't filter carbon monoxide or are only good for 5 minutes. The Evac-U8 is good for 15 minutes.

Lastly, the Evac-U8 has a training hood for 1/3 to 1/2 the price of an actual smoke hood, so you and your family can train with the mask.

With all that praise for the Evac-U8. It has recently been recalled, by the manufacturer, for all models sold September 2000 to March 2006.

Remember those opinions.

Smoke hoods are only good for chemicals produced in a fire. If there is a chemical spill or a chemical weapons attack, you will need a protective mask.

Protective masks are designed to protect the respiratory tract, your esophagus and lungs, and the eyes. Avoid the ones that lack protection for the eyes. Some chemicals, like chlorine, will damage your eyes.

A protective mask protects you by using a filter. The filter traps the dangerous chemicals. Some filters are contained in the mask (internal) and some filters are external. The United States military M17 series (M17, M17A1, and M17A2) protective mask and the soviet M10-M mask have an internal filter. The British S10 and the US M40 protective masks have external filters.

The internal filters are very hard to change. There is also the chance of damaging the mask when changing the filters. You will also need another mask if you plan to change filters in a contaminated environment. The reason, you have to take the mask off to change the filters.

If you know any US military vets; ask her/him how hard it was to change the filters on a M17 series mask. It will be the same for a soviet M10-M protective mask.

The external filters are the easiest to change. Hold your breath, unscrew the filter, screw a new filter on, and clear the mask. 45 seconds and you're done.

You can spend varying amounts of money for a protective mask anywhere from $10 for a surplus Israeli civilian mask to $300 for a new MSA Millennium CBRN protective mask.

Some people will tell you to totally avoid surplus masks. Some people, I'm one of them, will tell you that surplus masks are OK. They are reasonably safe if you know what to look for.

To determine if a protective mask is still usable you will have to inspect the mask.

Warning:

Make sure you can return the mask. If not, don't buy the mask. If you can't return the mask for a complete refund, don't buy the mask.

This is the first sign that a surplus protective mask is unserviceable (not usable).

First, look the mask over. Is everything there? Is it dirty? Smell like mold, mildew? If it does, send the mask back to the company where you bought it.

How old is it? 20, 30, 40, 50 years old, send it back.

Is it a Russian/soviet model? Send it back!

Next gently pull on the tabs that holds the head harness. The head harness is the thing that goes behind your head. It holds the mask to your face. If you see any cracks, rips or tears, send the mask back.

Check the buckles, if the mask has them, for bent, broken, and/or proper function (should not slip when holding the head harness straps) If not, send the mask back.

Next check the face piece. This is the mask itself. Any holes, cuts, rips, tears, splits, soft or sticky spots, send the mask back.

Next check the outlet valve disk. This disk closes when you breath in and opens when you breath out. You will usually find it around the mouth area on the outside of the mask. Make sure the outlet valve is present then gently take your finger and make sure the valve spins/does not stick. The outlet valve should also be flat, not curled or distorted. Some outlet valves are shaped like a cup, so be careful looking at the shape of the valve. If the outlet valve is curled, distorted, cut, and/or missing, send the protective mask back.

Next check the inlet valve. The inlet valve is usually near the nose. Make sure the outlet valve is flat, not curled, distorted, cut and/or missing. If the inlet valve is curled, distorted, cut, and/or missing. Send the mask back.

Next check the lens. The lens allow you to see when you are wearing the mask. Any scratches, broken lens, discoloration and/or missing lens, send the mask back.

The last item I will tell you to check is the head harness. Some head harnesses have nets, and some have pads with 6 to 8 straps coming off the pad. These straps attach to the tabs on the face piece. Insure the head harness has an even number of straps, free of cuts, tears, missing straps, and/or loss of elasticity. If you can't get a replacement, send the mask back.

Check any of the equipment that came with the mask. Does it have a hood? The hood should be free of holes, tears, rips and/or falling apart. Does it have a carrying bag? The bag should be free of holes, rips, tears, frays, and any other damage. If you can't get replacements, send the mask back.

This is a basic inspection of a mask. If any mask new or surplus fails any of the above requirements, immediately return the mask to the company you bought the mask from. Don't use this as an excuse to return a mask that has been in your possession for a year or that you screwed up.

The next thing you want to do is check the filters. Masks with internal filters are difficult to check. Be careful! Removing the filters from a M17 series mask and a M10-M mask can destroy the face piece; additionally, the filter may have mold and mildew from being wet.

No matter what, you will need new filters.

Why? Filters, once opened, are only good for a few days or weeks. The M17 series and M10-M protective masks are over 20 years old; the filters are at least that old.

External filters will also need to be changed, before you use the surplus mask. To check an external filter, make sure the can is free of dents, cracks, rust, and is still sealed. Once a filter is opened; it is only good for few days or weeks. (I am trying to find a source for a better estimate)

As you can tell, by now, finding a serviceable surplus mask is almost impossible because they are almost impossible to find.

This includes the Israeli German-made protective masks.

Generally, the Israeli masks you see for sell are returns/surplus. The Israeli government supplies masks to its citizens in time of emergency. Once the emergency is over or the mask is returned; they are put into storage. Once the shelf-life is reached, the masks and filters are sold.

So, what is a person/family to do?

Buy brand-new protective masks. You will need to replace these masks every 15 to 20 years and possibly sooner, depending on the mask's shelf-life. Same with the filters, but filters last only about 10 years.

OK. You don't have lots of money. You could buy an escape hood. These hoods are basic, bare bones protective masks. They get you out of the area.

And that is the idea. As a civilian, if a terrorist chemical weapon attack happens, you protect yourself and get out of the area. Leave the clean up for the trained expert. This includes chemical spills.

And this brings up my next point. You don't need to buy a protective mask or a smoke hood. You just need to know the behavior of smoke and chemical agents. (Chemical agent is the military term for the small group of chemicals that militarise use to cause death)

Smoke will rise to the top of a room. If you crawl on your hands and knees or do a belly crawl, you can avoid breathing the smoke. If you are outside, you can move away from the smoke.

Chemical agents behave differently. They are heavier then air, so they will sink to the bottom of a room. If the attack is on the first floor, move to the top floor. The higher the better. If you are in a warehouse, climb the ladder towards the roof or get on a scissor lift and raise the lift to its highest position.

Don't go into the basement, subway, or other below ground area during a chemical attack because the chemical agents will settle to the lowest area.

Recently, in the last 20 years, a group of school children were visiting a World War One battleground, I think in Belgium or France. Some of the school children entered a foxhole/below-ground bunker; they died or were injured from chemical weapon residue, from WW 1.

Some chemical agents have a certain smell. I heard a joke one time. "If you smell new mown hay, you're going to die anyway."

This is true and false. Chemicals must be at a certain concentration to harm you, but you will also have to use your other senses to detect a chemical attack/spill.

Rand has a report called "Individual Preparedness and Response to Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological Terrorist Attacks." This report has some suggestions on surviving a terrorist's chemical weapon attack.

If you're outside and start seeing people start falling over for no reason, Run!

But where do you run to? The Rand corporation suggests moving to the closest building, close off the outside air by closing all window and doors and turning off the heating and cooling system and if possible move to a higher floor in the building, find an inside room or office and seal the room. You can use rags, rugs, paper towels, toilet paper, even your clothes (Better to be naked then dead. Save your shoes. You will probably need to walk to get help after the attack)

Remember what I wrote in Week Two-Shelter. Use plastic sheeting and duct tape to seal the room if you have it.

If you hear a load "Pop" and see smoke or vapors, Run! If you are outside follow the recommendations above.

If you are inside, Chapter 3-"An Individual's Strategy" on page 25 suggests some actions on your part. Make sure you read the report.

Guess what; there is a problem. The expensive mask you bought or didn't buy might not protect you from an industrial chemical spill, because filters are design for certain chemicals.

Guess what, again. The chemical spill may be so concentrated the mask and filter are overwhelmed by the chemicals. If you live near a gas pipeline, railroad tracks, a rail yard, interstate highway, chemical plant, or other industrial area, you might need to buy a self-contained breathing apparatus for everyone in the family.

The protective mask will also protect you from biological weapons or the flu, but a $200 mask is slightly expensive for protection from the flu virus. There are inexpensive masks such as the N95 mask by 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing).

The recommendation is to use a new N95 mask everyday, so everyone who leaves the house needs a mask. Do the math and buy them now, if you are preparing for a flu pandemic, because once a flu emergency starts there will be no masks at any price.

There are some homemade or other methods of providing air for you and your family. These methods lack certain criteria needed to totally protect you from a chemical spill/attack.

One is called extra air. It is used by scuba divers in emergencies if their air tanks run out. This lacks a hood/protection for the eyes. These tanks also have a limited air supply, usually counted in minutes.

Another method is a dust mask described in "Nuclear War Survival Skill." The dust mask is a soviet design to protect a person from breathing radioactive fallout after a nuclear strike. They offer no protection from chemical agents or industrial chemicals; however, the dust mask may protect you from dust from an explosion or building collapse.

I call them respirators. They are protective masks that only cover the mouth and nose. They have no eye protection. Wearing goggles or other eye protection will still leave your eyes exposed to chemical agents or industrial chemicals.

Lastly, I provided links to companies selling protective masks. I have never used these companies. I provided links to them for the pictures or the information on their sites. So read the links and I'll ...

See you , next week!

Links:

Fire Safety for Kids:

http://www.firesafety.gov/kids/flash.shtm

Consumer Product Safety Commission - Smoke Alarms

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/smokealarms.pdf

CPSC - Alarms: Why, Where and Which

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/559.pdf

Jesse Hunting - Gas Mask Page:

http://www.jesseshunting.com/gas-masks.html

Approved Gas Mask - Masks

http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/mask-gas.htm

Approved Gas Mask - Filters

http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/gas-filters.htm

Approved Gas Mask - Defective Masks

http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/defective-masks.htm

Approved Gas Mask - Buying Guide

http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/buying-guide.htm

The Travel Insider - Review of Evac-U8 and Training Unit

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/travelaccessories/evacu8smokehood.htm

Rand - "Individual Preparedness and Response to Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological Terrorist Attacks"

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1731/

Rand - Chapter 3- An Individual's Strategy

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1731/MR1731.ch3.pdfh3.pdf

FDA - Respirators for Public Health Emergencies:

http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/respirators061107.html

SCUBA Suppliers - Extra Air Source

http://www.scubasuppliers.com/site/1408308/product/EAS6-KY

Chapter Two - Section Two

2009-10-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

Second Half - Air

Welcome,

This is the second half of the blog about air. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

M17 US military gas mask - A 30 to 40 year old mask to avoid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm3E6xbAmm0

New M9A1 Gas Mask - a 40 to 50 year old mask to avoid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlZPVIAY1Cc

My Gasmasks - 50 to 60 year old masks to avoid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC0QgTZXzLQ

Russian Gas Mask! - 50 to 60 year old mask to avoid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMsWF0BScxM

M95 Gas Mask - Instructional Video - Short Version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DhU4Br2KmM

The above video is a great infromational video. You can use this video as a reference on how to use other protective masks.

Instructions:

How to evacuate a group of people with one mask and external filters for everyone else

One person wears the protective mask. Everybody lines up single file behind her. Everyone else puts the screw end of the opened filter in their mouth and holds the filter with one hand.

Their other hand holds on to a long rope, belts hooked together, or sheets torn into strips to make a long rope. Everybody, except the person wearing the protective mask, closes their eyes.

No breathing through the nose. You have to breath, using your mouth, through the filter, so you may want to plug your nose with something that doesn't allow you to breath through your nose. The person wearing the mask leads everyone out of danger.

A variation is to form a single line and hold on to the shoulder or belt of the person in front of you. But, if a person in line dies, that person will release their grip on the person in front of them. Anyone behind the dead person will lose contact with the person wearing the mask.

I would do this only as a very, very, very, very last resort. It sounds scary just typing about this technique.

Other Information:

On January 6th, 2005 two trains collide releasing a toxic cloud of chlorine gas. Nine people died

On July 3rd, 2007, a man climbed into a manure holding pit. Think of it as a very big septic tank that is uncovered. The methane gas, in the pit, displaced the oxygen. The man was overcome by the gas. His wife, two daughters, and another man tried to rescue him. They all also died.

In the winter of 2007-2008, a man was using a gasoline powered concrete saw to cut a hole in a basement floor. He built a plastic sheeting enclosure to reduce the amount of dust in the basement. He was overcome by a build up of carbon monoxide from operating the gas-powered saw. He died.

Some of these deaths could have been averted by using a protective mask with the proper filter or practicing proper enclosed space procedures.

When buying a protective mask, you are going to need to buy the proper filter for your anticipated emergency. If you live near a chlorine gas pipeline, you need to have a filter rated for chlorine gas. If you are planning for a chemical weapons attack by a terrorists or foreign military, you will need a filter rated for the military chemical weapons.

Filter size and duration of protection

Some obsolete masks use a 60 mm opening for their filters. The International standard is now 40 mm. There is an adaptor that reduces the 60 mm opening in the mask to a 40 mm opening for new filters. If your mask requires this adapter, return your mask or replace it with a new mask.

Protective mask filters only last so long once exposed to chemical agents. The size of the filter will determine how long the filter will protect you. Most filters will have a different rated time for different chemicals.

Wrap Around Visor or Individual Eye Lens

When choosing your protective mask, you will need to decide which one to get. Some masks have eye lens, each eye has its own lens to look through, or a visor, a large wraparound lens both eyes see through. I prefer having separate eye lens. Early in their development, protective masks with visors lost the seal around the mask and the visor allowed air to leak in.

Where to Buy

I was amazed when I found out that firefighting supply stores may have protective masks for sell. Instead of the internet, you might be able to use the phonebook and a telephone to find a protective mask near you.

I also learned that the local police/fire departments have protective masks for responding to chemical weapons attacks. If you know a police officer/fire fighter, you might ask them the type and brand their department purchased, and how do they like it.

When I was looking for protective masks for my family, I did an internet search. I read a lot of information about the various types of masks, over the course of a few months. I also ordered a few surplus masks.

One mask was the Israeli German-made civilian protective mask to check it out. I can tell you, there is a difference between a bare bones mask and a more expensive mask.

I finally decided on the M-95 protective mask. The mask has a shelf-life of 20 years. Large eye lens and the ability to mount a filter on either the left or right side for use of a rifle. Uses the common/standard 40 mm filter. Easy to wear for a long time and the ability to verbally communicate.

There is a down side to this mask. The family must practice using the M-95 mask. It is not a escape hood that requires little or no practice to use. A M-95 mask is a military-type protective mask; it has a distinctive look. An escape hood comes in a nondescript package that can be carried in a backpack or large purse.

Remember your threat analysis when choosing your type of mask and filter.

It is getting time to order new masks for my family. I will buy the same type of mask. I will save one of the old masks as a trainer, so my family and I can train putting the mask on and taking the mask off. I will also save the others as backups for unexpected guest that don't have masks or as mask to be stored at likely attack sites.

Additional Equipment and Supplies

If you buy a protective mask, you will need a carrier and spare filters. Remember the filters last only so long when you are in a chemical environment. You might need to change the filter as you evacuate the area. You will aslo need a carrier big enough to hold another filter or two.

I also suggest, as you look for a carrier, to buy a carrier that is easy to open. The quicker you can put your mask on, the better.

Enclosed Space Policies:

http://www.uottawa.ca/services/immeub/eng/cspace.htm

http://www.wwu.edu/depts/ehs/Safety_Information_Book/15%20Confined%20Space%20Rev%20Approved%2011-07-05%20ds.pdfhttp://www.okanagan.bc.ca/Page9379.aspx

Section Three - Air

2009-10-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Third Half - Air

Welcome,

This is the third half of the blog post on guns.

Oxygen or Air

When I was doing some research about building and supplying a blast shelter, I looked at supplying air to a closed air tight shelter. One of my sources suggested using oxygen cylinders to supply oxygen (O2). The cylinders would be stored under the floor of a steel tank.

I thought, a good idea because I can obtain O2 cylinders from a local welding supply house, cheap.

Until, I was watching television, one night.

The show, I was watching, was about the early United States space program. During the show, the narrator talked about the Apollo One disaster and the resulting accident review board.

According to the review board, one of the reasons LTC Virgil I. Grissom, USAF; LTC Edward H. White, II, USAF; and LTC Roger B. Chaffee, USN died was because 100% oxygen was used as their air supply. This 100% oxygen atmosphere allowed fire to spread rapidly in the command module.

So, guess what?

No, pure oxygen as a shelter air supply. We will use regular air, just like most SCUBA divers.

Chapter Three: Shelter

2009-09-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Quickstart

Buy a small family-sized tent, a wool blanket for everyone in the family, and store these items in a place where they can be gotten to if the house collapses or is destroyed.

Contents

Section One:

Section Two:

Section Three:

Section Four:

Chapter Three - Section One

2009-09-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

Shelter protects us from the elements, but in emergency preparedness, shelter must provide protection from so much more.

Now take out your threat analysis list. Read through it. Anybody have hurricanes or tornadoes on their list? How about wind storms? Terrorism? Wildfire? Now, how do you protect yourself from these hazards?

You do research.

One place is FEMA, the United States of America's Federal Emergency Management Agency. It has many resources for learning about the various natural and technical disasters that will confront you. They even have suggestions on how to mitigate (reduce the effects) hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and terrorism.

You are going to learn a lot from the FEMA site, so check them out. They even have a kids page.

But don't stop there because there is more to shelter then what FEMA has on its website.

Let me explain.

Suppose, you have to leave your home, or you are stranded in the wilds. If you are stranded, you might have to improvise a shelter. Do you have a tarp? How about some string? Read M4040's tarp shelter page for some how-to on tarp shelters.

If you don't have these items, you can build a dugout shelter or a debris shelter. Out in winter's cold, you might need to build a snow shelter. Outdoor Action has a "Guide to Snow Shelters." Another article about snow trenches can be found in the links section, also

If you need something more permanent, you could build a log cabin. Mother Earth News has an article about a $100 cabin. Watch out for inflation, the article was written in 1981.

I know, I know. We will never need these shelters because you don't go into the woods, but just in case, read the links. But what happens if you home is damaged.

You will need to keep a few blue tarps on hand to cover any holes in the roof. A few sheets of plywood with some double-headed nails to protect windows. A roll of clear plastic to cover broken windows also helps. Don't forget the hammer, staples, and the staple gun.

The craftsman stapler called the "Easy Fire" seems to be easier than the older model of staplers to use.

Having clear plastic also allows you to form a safe room from a chemical spill or attack. During Gulf War One, the Israelis showed us how to make a safe room for chemical attacks by using the highest room in our homes. The one with no exterior opening such as windows or doors. Don't forget skylights. For most people, this is a hallway bathroom.

If you plan to have a safe room from chemical attack, you can pre-cut the plastic sheeting to cover all of the openings in the room. Doors, windows, and heating vents. You don't have to cover the sink and bathtub faucets in the bathroom. Once you cut the plastic, all you need is duct tape to tape the plastic around the opening, and seal.

If you don't pre-cut the plastic sheeting, you will need scissors. A small supply of towels or rags to help seal under the door will also help to stop or slow down the chemicals from entering your chemical attack safe room.

If you shelter in a bathroom, you could use the water and the toilet during your brief stay. A radio for information and card games, coloring books, or other low-activity games to help keep the children occupied are also important.

If possible, pre-position all of these supplies in the room you will use as a safe room.

Remember those opinions, the CDC has a recommendation for using a master bedroom as your shelter in place for a chemical emergency. If you have some kids and a few pets, it sounds like a good idea. Plus, there is more air to breath.

RAND has a a report on some scenarios that might happen during a biological, chemical and radiological attack. Download the PDF. Save it. Read it. Think about the report then act.

With more countries building nuclear weapons and having the means to launch these weapons, the possibility of a nuclear attack increases. I'm talking about the "big one." The 10 to 100 nuclear weapons coming in from Russia, China, Britain, France, India, Israel, or someone else.

To hear some people talk, you would think you need to buy a $2,000,000 former ICBM site to survive a nuclear war. Nope, you don't even need to buy the $260,000 site.

You do need to get a copy of Nuclear War Survival Skills. The book is available for free as a PDF; additionally, you can view the book online.

Be warned, there is this effect from an exploding atomic bomb called electromagnetic pulse (EMP); it can fry computers and other electronics, so you might need to buy a hardcopy of the book from Amazon.com or the folks in the links.

If you have more money, and you don't want to move; you can buy a shelter. There are two types of nuclear war shelters, a blast shelter and a fallout shelter.

A blast shelter can be a fallout shelter, but a fallout shelter can't be a blast shelter. This has to do with the effects of a nuclear weapon. The fallout will travel farther than the blast. So, if you are in the blast radius, a fallout shelter will not protect you from over-pressurization effects.

If you understood that statement, cool. If you didn't, make sure you read Nuclear War Survival Skills.

There are three shelter builders that I know of, Radius Engineering, Safecastle, and Utah Shelter Systems. Radius produces fiberglass blast shelters. Safecastle builds square/rectangle steel blast shelters. Utah Shelter Systems builds round steel blast shelters. All three will be expensive.

An alternative is to build your own shelter. There are many plans on the internet. The website from Rad Shelters For You has a round up of the various nuclear war shelters.

A mini blast/fallout shelter can be manufactured locally if you are on a tight budget, and you want to prepare for a nuclear war. As you can see the topic of shelters is a long and varied one. You need to think about what you are going to do and practice those techniques you have decided to use.

Links:

FEMA - Hazards Index:
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/index.shtm

FEMA - For Kids:
http://www.fema.gov/kids

Equipped To Survive - Tarp Shelters - An Introduction
http://www.equipped.org/tarp-shelters.htm

M4040's - Tarp Shelter
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Skills/Shelter/TarpShelter.htm

M4040's - Survival Shelter Building Skills
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Skills/Shelter/Shelter.htm

Wild Wood Survival - Debris Hut
http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/shelter/debrishut/dn2006/index.html

E-How - How to Build a Debris Hut
http://www.ehow.com/how_12578_build-debris-hut.html

Outdoor Action - Guide to Snow Shelters
http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/winter/wintshel.shtml

Survival Topics - Snow Trench Shelter
http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/snow-trench-shelter/

Build Your Own Log Cabin
http://www.outlands.tripod.com/farm/logcabin.htm

Stormloader - Plainsman's Cabin
http://www.stormloader.com/plainsman/PlainsmansCabin.html

Mother Earth News - $100 Cabin:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/1981-05-01/a-100-log-cabin.aspx

CDC - Chemical Emergencies
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/planning/shelteringfacts.pdf

RAND - Report MR1731
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1731/

Former Missile bases for sale
http://www.missilebases.com/

Nuclear War Survival Skills - Free PDF: http://www.nukepills.com/docs/nuclear_war_survival_skills.pdf

Nuclear War Survival Skills - To Read Online
http://www.oism.org/nwss

Nuclear War Survival Skills - To Buy
http://www.oism.org/nwss/s73p908.htm

Radius Engineering International
http://www.bomb-shelter.net/

Safe Castle
http://www.safecastle.com/

Utah Shelter Systems
http://www.disastershelters.net/

Rad Shelters For You
http://www.radshelters4u.com/index3.htm

Rad Shelter For You - Mini Blast/Fallout Shelter
http://www.radshelters4u.com/mini-blast-shelter.htm

Section Two - Shelter

2009-09-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

Second Half - Shelter

Welcome,

This is the second half of the post about shelter. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

Rigging a Tarp: Bushcraft

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjMmla9DSzo

Debris Shelter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8OuP0jDgo8

BBC - Ray Mears World of Survival: Mongolian shelter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcHQRq4JXsg

Instructions:

Other Information:

Travel Trailers

There are a group of people that suggest buying a small pop-up travel trailer as an alternative shelter. If disaster strikes, you and the family temporarily move out to the trailer. Supplies are pre-positioned in the trailer, so all you have to do is evacuate the house.

The pop-up trailer group mentions that the trailer can be parked by the house for storage, if the subdivision rules allow it. During an emergency, the family can stay in the trailer and discourage looters.

This might not work during the aftermath of a tornado, hurricane, or windstorm. The house and the trailer could both be wiped out, at the same time. Some people respond to this problem by renting a spot in a secure storage facility, but this adds additional costs to the solution.

These travel trailers can be simple or elaborate. The simple trailers have a pop-up roof, a small toilet, sink, stove and built in beds. The more elaborate travel trailers, some people call them 5th wheels, have showers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and other amenities not found in a smaller model.

Now notice, I did not call one cheaper then the other. There is a possibility to get one of these trailers for free. Check Craig's List and ask friends and relatives for contacts that might have one.

We had a family member buy an older Airstream travel trailer on E-bay and complete a total-gut and rehab. It was a project for people handy with tools.

There is another group of people that have converted school buses to travel homes. There are many sources/references on the internet, some free, some not. Once again another project for handy people or people who know handy people.

Having a travel home is more convenient then a trailer. No hooking up the trailer to the truck; everything is already in the bus, ready to go.

Junk Land

There is another group of survivalist that advocate buying a small piece of rural property, junk land they call it. The property is cheap enough and small enough to own with only one or two years of payments.

The idea it to put a travel trailer on the property, so you have a place to stay. Even in a severe economic crisis, you have a roof over your head. The best advocate for this method of dealing with the shelter issue is James Dakin at "Bison Survival Blog."

There are two blogger, that I know about, that are also living the travel trailer/low cost shelter life. They are Big Bear at "Bear Ridge Project" and M.D. Creekmore at "The Survivalist Blog."

Nuclear War Shelters

Be careful using the US government nuclear war shelter plans that you find on the internet. The designers under planned/engineered the ventilation systems.

Nuclear War Survival Skills and the steel tank shelter plans from Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine are the best, in my opinion, for the do-it-yourselfer.

Ki For You has a page showing all of the nuclear targets and a possible fallout pattern/concentration map for a large scale attack.

Tents

OK, enough nuclear war "WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!" stuff. Let me talk about tents.

There are many types of tents. The US military's 1940s era canvas pup tent is good if you have a nylon tarp to put over it to protect the tent during the rain. Remember, The US solider still uses it for a reason. It is inexpensive and lasts for decades in storage.

But wait until mosquito season. You will need a mosquito net to keep the bugs away.

You can also tie a poncho liner/blanket to the inside of the tent to create a tent liner. The middle of the poncho liner is tied to the tent poles (the six green wooden poles that get put together to make two longer poles) and the four corners are tied to the tent pegs (the nine orange or green metal stakes). Basically, you make a tent inside the canvas pup tent. This is a good idea in cold weather. You don't bump up against the cold canvas, in the morning.

Another modification is to make four long poles, out of branches, to replace the two center poles. Two of the four poles are tied together creating an "A" frame. The top of the "A" is placed in the hole normally used of the tent poles. The other set of two long poles are centered in the other hole used for the tent poles. This opens up the inside of the pup tent for easier movement in the tent.

If you are going to stay in one place for a long time, you will need to put a can, rock, or other similar object under the bottom of the poles. This keeps the poles from sinking/digging into the ground and prevents the tent from sagging.

Remember, the canvas pup tent is a two man tent; only you, your spouse, and a small amount of gear will be able fit inside the tent. The majority of your gear will have to stay outside, so you will need another nylon tarp.

You hear them called Hex Tents, GP Mediums, GP Larges, or Command Posts, these are the large military canvas tents. They are big, some running close to a $1000, shipping not included. Army Tents.com has pictures of some of the military tents available. Always check around for the cheapest price.

Cabela's, Gander Mountain, Bass Pro are a few places to find more modern tents. If you get a big tent, you will want cots.

Cots keep you off the ground. The most durable cot around is the US military nylon cot. If you are going to use it for any length of time in the winter, you will need a foam insulated sleeping pad.

Therm-a-rest, Cabela's store brand, a US military sleeping pad, a few sheets of cardboard/newspaper, or even some salvaged foam padding will provide insulation when the sleeping bags insulation becomes compressed giving you a cold back.

The cot trees are pretty cool. You can make your own out of tree branches or dole rods and 2X4s. The cot pockets work well, too.

If you want an inexpensive cot pocket, get your husband to sew up a few using some type of heavy cloth like denim. If you make them, you can customize to your likes. I use zip ties and double-sided velcro to hold them to the cot.

Native Shelters

Tipis, yurts, goahti, and kohte are a few of the names for these native shelters. These shelters are/were used by native people from many parts of the world. I have included some links for you to start your research.

Alternative Shelters

Straw bale homes and earthships are two of the alternative shelters I know about. You are going to have to do an internet search on straw bale houses. Go ahead and include earthships in you search, too.

Underground Homes

If you are planning to build an underground home, Davis Caves is the place to start. Don't forget to watch the You Tube on Ben and Toni's Earth Sheltered Home.

Links:

Bison Survival Blog

http://www.bisonsurvivalblog.blogspot.com/

Bear Ridge Project

http://www.bearridgeproject.com/

The Survivalist Blog

http://thesurvivalistblog.blogspot.com/

Army Tents.com

http://www.armytents.com/

Ki for You

http://www.ki4u.com/webpal/d_resources/list.htm

Cabela's - Cot-Side Nightstand™

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0006425513358a.shtml

Cabela's - Heavy-Duty Army Cot and Accessories

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0006425.shtml

Yurtinfo.org - Yurt FAQ

http://www.yurtinfo.org/yurtinfo.php

Wikipedia - Tipi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipi

Davis Caves - Main Page

http://www.daviscaves.com/index.shtml

Performance Building Systems, Inc. - Main Page

http://www.earthshelter.com/

Ben and Toni's Earth Sheltered Home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycQc5EWNzIU

Section Three - Shelter

2009-09-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Third Half - Shelter

Welcome,

This is the third half of the blog on shelter.

Being a Refugee

Most people will agree becoming a refugee is a very poor idea, but what happens when your home has been destroyed by fire, tornado, war, or another reason.

Where do you go? Who do you stay with?

Can you leave your home? Is it safe to move?

Can you stay on your property? Is it safe to stay?

How about a local hotel or motel? What about neighbors, family, or close friends?

Do they know you might show up? What happens if they were affected by the disaster?

How about out-of-state family and friends? Did you preposition some supplies such as shoes and clothing?

Can you even leave the state? What about your job?

Lastly, are there Red Cross or other shelters available?

In a large disaster, organized shelters may not be available for the first three days after a disaster. Are you able to hold on that long?

Many questions for you and your family to answer. Below are some of my family's answers, my wife and I came up with.

Routes To and From Home

Using PACE, we pre-identified four routes to and from our home. We identified hazards that needed to be avoided and anticipated hazards that might occur during a specific event like a earthquake, chemical spill, or traffic accident.

This hit home twice. Once when there was a fire in the area. The fire trucks blocked one of the routes keeping us from getting home. We had to pull out the local street maps to find a different way home.

There wasn't one. Yep, we didn't have a map.

Now, we keep a local street map, state maps from our state and surrounding states, and a national atlas in our cars.

Some people would say to buy new maps every time they come out. I have found; if we get new maps whenever we find free state maps and buy new local maps when the old maps get really outdated, we are adequately prepared.

We also drive our alternate routes, every once in awhile, to see what is going on in the area of the route. With this stimulus package, there may be a lot of roadwork, so make sure you check your routes to and from home.

The second time, we had trouble, was when we had severe local storms with some flooding. The flooding wrecked one culvert, closing the road. Temporarily, flooded another road, and trees were blown down closing another road.

We decided to stay home. If we had needed to leave, we could have walked out or used the chain saw to cut our way clear, with the neighbors' help.

Staying with Family or Friends

As an extended family, we have talked about having to evacuate. We have agreed to put up with each other for a few days in an emergency. I would suggest pre-position supplies such as clothing to decrease the need to pack or go back home to get things. I figure a footlocker, 4 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet tall, would hold enough clothes and shoes for a few days, without washing, for a family of four.

I have been using open-head steel drums as storage containers for extra blankets and extra clothing, after a mouse got into my house, for out-of-state friends that might show up with nothing but the clothes on their back.

I find almost new clothes at swap meets, garage sales, and relief society stores. I stock new underwear because most people will reject used panties or briefs. I also buy extra coats, hats, gloves, and sweaters in earth tones because of my threat analysis.

Make sure you check with expected guest for allergies to wool and ask the ladies to send you slightly used bras.

Staying in an Emergency Shelter

I have done some reading and had a little experience staying in a medium-sized camp with a group of people, so here are my opinions.

First, get your back up against a wall and find several escape routes out of the area. I say this because being up against a wall gives you one less route for trouble to approach. The several escape routes will allow you and your family to leave, quickly if needed.

Remember, fires happen at shelters, too.

You have probably heard about "Safety in Numbers," so form an impromptu group, if you need to. You can do this by getting like minded families to sleep together in the same area. This allows responsible teens and adults to watch each other's stuff and younger family members.

Safety in numbers also includes moving around and visiting others. Always move in groups of two and three, four at the maximum. Remember, children never go to the bathroom without an adult or older teen.

Women and men should also always travel together. Yes, for protection but also to give the guys a "softer" look. Which looks more threatening: Four guys walking together or two guys and two gals? Yes, you can imagine a particular skin color.

About that visiting, make an effort to talk to other people. You want to find out what they know about the situation. Confirm those rumors, too.

Third, understand that the staff at the shelter are people. Treat them with kindness and respect. Talk to them, make a connection with them, and if possible give them a hand. Also understand the shelter staff may have different priorities then you and your family have.

Lastly, find a happy medium between being too far from the bathrooms and too close to the bathrooms. They begin to smell after a few days. Oh, make sure to try and get your own roll of toilet paper.

Links:

Wikipedia - Safety in Numbers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_in_numbers

Wikipedia - Refugee camp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugee_camp

Oxfam: Cool Planet - Life as a refugee

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/world/afghan/camp.htm

The Guardian - Militia, bandits, one meal a day

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/apr/27/healthandwellbeing.foodanddrink

Section Four - Shelter

2009-09-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

Forth Half - Shelter

Welcome,

This is the forth half of the post on shelter. You will find links to other bloggers and websites about the subject for this week.

Blogs:

The Survivalist Blog - Mel Tappan was Wrong

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2009/10/retreats-and-relocation.html

The Survivalist Blog - Label: Trailer Homestead

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/search/label/Trailer%20Homestead

Stealth Survival - Preppin' 101: Part 4, tents

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2008/10/preppin-101-part-4-tents.html

Stealth Survival - Preppin' 101: Part 4, The Purpose of Shelter

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2008/11/preppin-101-part-4-purpose-of-shelter.html

Stealth Survival - Label: Temporary Shelter

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/search/label/Temporary%20Shelter

Be A Survivor - Jayco Jay Series 1007 Pop-up Camper

http://beasurvivor.blogspot.com/2008/07/jayco-jay-series-1007-pop-up-camper.html

Be A Survivor - Label: Shelter

http://beasurvivor.blogspot.com/search/label/shelter

Virginia Preppers Network - Survival Retreat vs Neighborhood Survival

http://virginiapreppersnetwork.blogspot.com/2009/02/survival-retreat-vs-neighborhood.html

Secret Lives of Scientists - Zen and the Art of Shooting: Welcome to the Dollhouse

http://secretlivesofscientists.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/zen-and-the-art-of-shoothing-welcome-to-the-dollhouse/

Be A Survivor - Importance of Neighbors

http://beasurvivor.blogspot.com/2009/07/importance-of-neighbors.html

Stealth Survival - Security Landscaping - Part 1 - An Introduction

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2009/11/security-landscaping-part-one.html

Websites:

Wikipedia - Retreat (survivalism)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retreat_%28survivalism%29

Cob Cottage Company - What is Cob?

http://www.cobcottage.com/whatis

Terra Dome - Earth Sheltered Buildings

http://www.terra-dome.com/

Firmitas.org - Shipping Container Architecture

http://firmitas.org/

Thanks to Sh*t Hit The Fan blog for the above link

Joel Skousen - The Secure Home

http://www.joelskousen.com/Secure/secure.html

Bill Qualls - Survival Shelters

http://www.caliberdt.com/~bill/shelter/index.htm

Note:

You might want to check out Bill Qualls' other page.

Bill Qualls' Wilderness Survival Page

http://www.caliberdt.com/~bill/survival.htm

The Survival Center - Underground Shelters

http://www.survivalcenter.com/UG.html

Note:

To see the pictures better, open them in a new window.

Section Five - Shelter

2009-09-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Friday - Town or Country

It's Friday!

The end of the workweek and another original post about what's going on in the world/my life.

Town or Country

This argument/decision has been debated for over six decades. I remember reading a short story by Isaac Asimov. In the story, he writes of how the United States could prevent a nuclear war. His main idea, the US would need to forcibly resettle most of the people living in the major cities to rural areas of the country. Remember this is in the 1950s ish. (I'm trying to find a copy so I can link to it or give you the name of the story)

In the late '70s, Mel Tappan starts to advocate for survivalists to move to small towns in the United States.

Since then, emergency preparedness writers have been telling everyone to move to isolated retreats in the vast unpopulated states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

In all of my readings, I have only found one or two works where the author advocates staying in the city. To be truthful, it is only recently that the peak-oil folks have started seriously questioning the popular philosophy of moving to a wilderness retreat.

One writer John Michael Greer of "The Archdruid Report" has even moved to a former mill town in Maryland. His thoughts, ... you'll have to read his post in the links. It's worth the time. Check the comments, too.

Either way, you have to make the decision which one is going to be best for you and your family. Please make sure you include your family in this decision.

Country

Lack of or shortage of basic service providers

* none or only one or two mechanics, doctors, and other skilled occupations

Need to be a Generalist

* have to be able to do-it-yourself or it probably won't get done

Limited Job Opportunities

* no need for two or three of most occupations

Long Distances from Neighbors/Family

* no neighborhood watch if you can't see your neighbor's home

Higher Prices for Everything

* businesses don't buy in bulk, increased shipping expenses

Last to Receive Help After an Emergency

* Who would you help first? The city with 50,000 people or the town with 3,000 people or the rural home at the end of the electrical line?

Cliques

* not a local, from the big city, or wrong religion

Town

Centralization of Needed Services

* no individual water wells or septic tanks or burning trash

Greater Government Intrusion

* building codes, permits, and other government paperwork

Lack of Food Production

* no farms within walking distance, no livestock allowed within city limits

Cliques

* not from the neighborhood, from the country, or wrong ethnic group

Now, don't get me wrong, both the town and the country have many problems and benefits, but you have to decide which one is going to be best for you and your family.

Links:

Wikipedia - Mel Tappan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Tappan

The Archdruid Report - Betting on the Rust Belt

http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2009/08/betting-on-rust-belt.html

Crime

You will notice that I didn't mention anything about the crime rate because crime is a problem in the country and the city.

Think about it.

If one percent of a population are criminals, in an area of 1000 people, there would be 10 criminals. 10 criminals running around the vast countryside ripping you and your, not so close, neighbors off. Plus, there are less good folks running around, so less people to witness a crime.

In a city of 10,000 people, there would be 100 criminals. This group size could possibly organize and cause great damage/chaos in one area of the city.

Links:

Noolmusic.com - Crime Spree ends for One Man Police ...

http://noolmusic.com/utube/crime_spree_ends_for_one_man_police_believe_the_man_robbed.php

WSMV.com - Neighbor Helps Bring End To Crime Spree

http://www.wsmv.com/video/22734214/index.html

Casino Watch - Latest News, Missouri 1/11/09 to 1/17/09

http://casinowatch.org/this_weeks_news_briefs/news_1-17-09/mo_news_1-17-09.html

*Read about the Superintendent's theft and Glendale/Rock Hill Robberies*

South County Times - Charges Filed Against ...

http://www.southcountytimes.com/Articles-i-2009-01-09-84352.113117_Charges_Filed_Against_Spain_Dominick_Bady_In_GlendaleRock_Hill_Robberies.html

Bill O'Reilly and Janet Napolitano

Mr. O'Reilly suggested on one of his shows that it would be allowable to confiscate legally-owned guns during a declared state of emergency.

Let me get this straight. A commentator on a "conservative" program shown on a "conservative" network suggests that it is OK for a local, state, or the Federal government to confiscate firearms that might be used to protect their owners during a time of reduced law enforcement services.

That's one of the reasons why I listen to National Public Radio (NPR) at work. At least, I know where NPR is coming from. Plus, it's fun to talk to the radio when someone says something I disagree with. ; > )

Well, guess what?

Diane Rehm interviewed the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. About 1/3 through the March 10th interview, she said that there is a possibility of another terrorist attack in these United States.

Now, chill for a moment because the United States (and any other country) has to be 100% successful and the terrorists only have to be right once, so she's right.

It was an interesting interview. So listen to the interview, at the link, it was informative on many levels.

Links:

NRA-ILA - Bill O’Reilly On Citizens Maintaining ...

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=5452

WAMU: Diane Rehm - 10:00 Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

http://wamu.org/audio/dr/10/03/r1100309-30595.asx

Science Friday

Ira Flatow hosts a show called "Science Friday" on National Public Radio every Friday. He interviews many people about what's going on in the world of science. To me, it is very interesting because the show talks about science information that, as a survivalist, I am interested in such as genetically modified crops, sustainable living, dinosaurs, and other stuff.

Well, this Friday, they had a show on a "living" building in St. Louis, Missouri at the Tyson research center. The show and an internet video talked about the designing of the building so that it produces no waste, including poop.

As a survivalist, I am trying to develop systems to survive a multi-year disaster...

I have to go to dinner, so check out the links.

Plus, who knew NPR was a radio station for survivalists.

Links:

Science Friday

http://sciencefriday.com/

Science Friday - About

http://www.sciencefriday.com/about/show/

Science Friday - Green Building

http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201003123

Science Friday - Creating A Living Building

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10285

Note:

As always, I can't create links until I get to the library, so you will have to cut and paste the url into a new window.

Chapter Four: Water

2009-08-30T00:30:00.000-07:00

Quickstart

Obtain 1, 2, or 3 liter plastic soda bottles from your friends and/or family. Rinse well inside and out with tap water, make sure you rinse the bottle cap too. Then fill with tap water. Put the cap back on the bottle then store in a cool, dark place, like a closet or basement. You need six 2-liter bottles, for one person, for a three day supply.

Contents

Section One:

Section Two:

Section Three:

Section Four:

Chapter Four - Section One

2009-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

O.K., you did your homework and made a threat analysis. Now look at the list; you will notice most of the situations/problems will require the same basic supplies to survive.

The most important is breathing. I will be covering this subject in a couple of weeks, so I will be writing about the next most important, water.

Humans are made up of about 75% water. Start losing water and you begin to feel thirsty. If you lose more water, you feel lousy, run-down, irritable, etc. Lose enough and you die.

Depending on the weather, how hard you are working, and other conditions, you have about 3 to 5 days before you die from lack of water.

One way to prevent this untimely death is to store potable water. Potable water is just a fancy term for water that you can drink and put in a pot to cook with.

One way to store water is to throw money at the situation/problem. The way to do that is go to the local store and buy a few cases of bottled water.

Another way is go to a discount retailer or sporting goods store and buy water containers.

You will need at least one gallon of water for each person; each day you are planning to have supplies for an emergency. An example: One person preparing for a 3 day emergency needs at least 3 gallons of water.

Remember me writing about opinions. FEMA says you should have supplies for at least three days. Some people advocate having enough supplies for at least two-weeks. Me, I say to have 30 to 60 days of water for each person, but this amount depends on how much space and how much money/effort you are willing to spend.

A second method of storing water is to save your money and use recycled containers. The preferred containers are 1, 2, and/or 3 liter soda bottles. These bottles work great, easy to carry by almost everybody, rugged, and easy to obtain. Avoid using plastic milk jugs.

Don't believe me.

Take a water-filled milk jug and a filled 2-liter bottle, hold at head height, and drop. Make sure you do this outside on the concrete and backup real quick.

Another recycled container you can use is used 5-gallon buckets. Many different items come in these buckets like cake icing, berries, pickles, sauces, and other food items. You can get these buckets from school cafeterias, bakeries, or grocery stores.

Do Not, Don't, Never use buckets that have contained non-food items like asphalt, paint, and chemicals. The same goes for buckets that you don't know what has been in the container.

Another used container for water is the 55-gallon barrel. They come in a variety of colors. I try to stay with the blue, white or natural plastic colors.

No matter which type of container, new or used, you use; you will need to clean the container and treat the water.

To clean the bottle, bucket, or barrel just rinse with tap water using a garden hose and spray nozzle or your kitchen faucet. Insure all solids and residue are removed from the inside and outside of the container, don't forget to clean the lids.

Some people say to use a power washer for cleaning your containers.

I disagree!

Unless it is your brand new, never used, power washer, unknown chemicals such as soaps, waxes, or other cleaners have been used in the power washer.

Some used 55-gallon barrels have had soda drink syrup in them. Try as hard as I can; I can't initially remove the taste. I have found rinsing then filling the barrel with water and letting sit for a few weeks then emptying then rinsing and filling again helps.

Make sure you store your water supplies in a dark place or covered with a tarp, this prevents algae growth in the water.

To pretreat the water, I use unscented chlorine bleach. Clorox brand bleach with at least 5.25% sodium hypochlorite has been the standard for years, but Clorox changed the formula. I now use a different brand, but it still has at least 5.25% hypochlorite with no scents or soaps. You will have to read the label to find this information.

Note:

Read "New Information from American Red Cross"

Using bleach, that is newly purchased, with at least 5.25% hypochlorite, to treat your water.

4 drops per liter/quart
An example: one 2-liter bottle gets 8 drops of bleach

1 teaspoon/5 mL per 5 gallons
An example: one 5 gallon bucket gets 1 teaspoon of bleach

1/4 of a cup/50 mL per 55 gallon barrel
An example: A 25 gallon barrel gets 1/8 of a cup of bleach

The above recommendations are used to pretreat the water for storage. Some people will tell you it is unnecessary to pretreat tap water. Remember the opinions.

Storage water should be rotated at least once a year. Rotating insures that you have a reasonably fresh supply of water. I like to do this in the summer. It is warm outside and there is extra chlorine in our municipal water supply (tap water).

The next step is to decide on what type of storage containers you are going to use. The #1 plastic, the recycle code found on the bottom of plastic containers, soda bottles are lightweight and anyone can carry one, even small children. 5-gallon jugs or buckets weight about 40 pounds/20 kilograms, and a 55-gallon barrel weights over 400 pounds/200 kilograms when full.

I have found placing 2-liter bottles in cardboard boxes is a great way of storing water. The boxes allow me to easily stack the bottles and protects the water from light.

Some of the 5-gallon water jugs you buy at the sporting goods store have little stacking ridges on the top and bottom of the jug to allow them to be stacked one on top of the other.

The 55-gallon barrels allow me to store a lot of water, but once you decide where they will be stored and are filled, you have to empty the barrel before you can move it again.

If you decide to store water in a 55-gallon barrel, you will need a way to remove the water, remember 400 ponds of water! If you decide to buy a pump for the barrel, there are a variety of them.

One pump, least expensive, is the siphon pump which is a piece of plastic hose with a small colored finger pump on top to start the siphon. There is a faucet pump; it looks like a faucet with a push down handle. This pump screws into one of the opening on top of the barrel. The last one I know about is the pitcher pump. The type you see next to the sink in older rural homes.

If you don't get a pump, you can siphon from the barrel using a length of garden hose. Cut a piece about 6-8 feet long. Place one end of the hose in the barrel and suck on the other end. When the water starts to flow, quickly move the end you were sucking on to the container on the floor. Make sure you put the running water in another clean container like a bucket. If you plan to do this, make sure you practice, and you have a dedicated piece of water hose for using to siphon water.

All of your storage water should be placed on pallets. Pallets allow air to circulate around you storage items. For water, the pallets also allow you to see if a container is leaking. I put a piece of cardboard with a layer of aluminum foil over the cardboard on the pallet before placing my bottles/barrels of water on the pallet. Just because.

Before I start writing about collecting water, I want to tell you about water bladders. Bladders are flexible containers that hold anywhere from 30 ounces to thousands of gallons. Some people know about water bladders because they use Camelbacks or Platypus bags. I have used bladders that held about 500 gallons.

Yes, just like barrels, you set the bladder in place and don't move it until the bladder is empty. I tell you this because you could put a bladder under your bed; additionally, there is a bladder that will fit into a bathtub. It is to be filled during the early stages of an emergency.

Another way to prevent dying from lack of water is to collect it. There are many ways to collect water, solar stills, plastic sheets catching rain, dedicated rain catchment systems, etc. I will write about a few of them. If you do a key-word search on the internet, You can find other unique ways of collecting water.

One method of collecting water is to collect water from sources within your home. These sources are your hot water heater, toilet tank, not the bowel, and the water pipes.

To collect water from your hot water heater, turn off the heating element (electric or gas) and your water at the main shut-off. Let the water cool; it can be hotter than 120F. Open the spigot and catch the water in a clean container.

To drain the water from your pipes, turn off the main water shut-off valve, then open a faucet at the highest point in the house. Find the lowest water spigot in the house and open, allowing the water to run into a clean bucket or other clean container.

If you have a water bed, to bad, the plastics used make the water non-potable. You will have to treat the water, but there is only one way I know of to treat this water. You will have to construct a water condenser/distiller.

The water bed's water is removed and the water is heated. The water evaporates leaving behind the chemicals as water vapor is produced. The water vapor condenses on a piece of glass, smooth metal, or plastic sheeting. The water runs down the collector and is collected in a clean bucket or other container. The set up is similar to a solar still.

Solar stills are a classic way of collecting water. You have probably seen it in most survival manuals. You dig a hole. Put a container to collect water in the bottom of the hole, then form a piece of plastic sheeting into an inverted cone that covers the hole. The sun shines and evaporated water collects on the plastic. The water very slowly runs down the plastic and drips into the cup.

The survival manual usually forgets to tell you to put a small stone in the bottom of the plastic to hold the plastic in a cone shape over the cup and a length of clean tubing, rated for potable water. The tubing sits in the cup and runs out of the solar still. This set up allows you to drink the collected water without disturbing the solar still.

Solar stills work, but you have to remember; you are looking to produce one gallon of water a day, just for you. I have heard it takes about 20 of these for one person.

The solar still can be supercharged by urinating into the hole, avoid peeing into the drinking cup, adding green plant material in the bottom of the hole, or putting non-potable (can't put in a pot to cook with or drink it, the opposite of potable) water in the hole before covering with the plastic.

If you supercharge the solar still insure the non-potable water or plants never touch the plastic. If it does, the water collected will be contaminated.

I can't urge you enough. Don't contaminate your clean equipment and potable water. One drop of non-potable/dirty water can cause severe medical problems.

A modified method is skipping the hole and just putting green plant material in a plastic bag. Set the bags in the sun and water will form on the plastic. If you use this method, make sure you use food-grade bags and avoid poisonous or harmful plants like Poison Ivy.

Another method of collecting water is from rain. The simplest method is putting out plastic sheeting just before a rain shower. The rain collects in the plastic and you put the collected rain in a container. If everything is clean, before you start, you don't have to treat the water, Maybe. Remember about opinions. I have used this method. I didn't get sick, but maybe you will.

So you should treat the water you drink. "Emergency Water Purification" in the links below has the accepted methods of treating collected water.

Lastly, you can purchase a water filter. Below are pages of evaluations on portable water filters. The best portable filter, in my opinion, is the Katadyn Pocket. It has problems, but it filters almost everything, for a price.

The best, once again in my opinion, base camp type filter is the Katadyn Drip Ceradyn. The Swiss designed it, manufactured it, and tested it. They planned to use the filter to help survive a nuclear war. Need I say more.

Second up is the British Berkefeld filter. It works on the same principle, but doesn't filter as well as the Katadyn filter, according to test results.

If you don't want to spend the money to buy a Ceradyn or a Berkefeld, you can jerry-rig a work around.

First, buy two to four Katadyn Ceradyn filters, the British Berkefeld filters also work. Next, take three food grade buckets and three lids. Cut out a hole in one lid so a bucket will fit a litle less than half way in the lid. Put the bucket through the hole then caulk, using food-grade silicon caulk, around the seam of where the bucket goes through the lid. Let dry. Label this set up, on the bucket, Untreated/Dirty water.

Next put the lid and bucket combination on a bucket. Label the bottom bucket Potable Water, Treated Water, or Clean Water.

Now here comes the hard part. Take the untreated/dirty water bucket and drill two to three hole in the bottom of the bucket. (Depending on how many filters you are going to use) The holes should be the same size as the treads on the filters.

Put a tight gasket, from a hardware store, on the treads of the filter then screw the filters into the holes of the bucket. Put another gasket on the treads sticking through the bottom of the bucket then a washer to compress the gasket and then add a nut to tighten everything up.

Test for leaks using potable water! If it leaks redo the washers and gaskets.

Label the third bucket Non-Potable/Dirty Water. The third bucket and lid are used to settle and/or transport collected water to the filter. The extra lid is used to cover the clean water bucket when filled with treated water.

To use, fill the third bucket (Non-Potable/Dirty Water bucket) with dirty water and let the water settle. Pour the settled water into the top bucket, don't let the junk in the bottom of the third bucket get out.

When you are pouring the water into the top bucket, make sure you don't overfill the top bucket, it may spill over contaminating the clean water bucket; additionally, fill the top bucket one-quarter to halfway full. This prevents the filtered water from touching the bottom of the top bucket.

Once the non-potable/dirty water goes throught the filters, the water is ready to drink. Some people say to put a few drops of bleach in the filtered water, just in case.

When the bottom bucket is full, remove the top bucket with the caulked lid and cover the bottom bucket with the lid for that bucket. Use a dipper or ladle to take water out of the potable water bucket.

When pouring water into a drinking container, such as a glass or canteen, don't let the water fall back into the water bucket because the water might get contaminated from a used glass or cup.

Make sure you read and download the rain water catchment manuals. After you do that, I'll ...

Links:

Dehydration:
http://www.saferchild.org/dehydrat.htm

Fact Sheet: Water Storage Before Disaster Strikes:
http://oldweb.uwp.edu/admin/safety/h2ostore.htm

New Information from the American Red Cross:
http://www.rense.com/general2/watrpur.htm

An Example of Some Water Bladders:
http://www.interstateproducts.com/water_bladders.htm

A Source for Water Tanks:
http://www.watertanks.com/

A Source for Buckets, Barrels, and Other Plastic Items:
http://www.usplastic.com/

Hawaii's Rain Catchment Manual:
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/rm-12.pdf

Texas' Rainwater Harvesting Manual
http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/rainwaterharvestingmanual_3rdedition.pdf

Emergency Water Purification
http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cphl/practice/water.htm

Portable Water Filter Reviews
http://www.thebackpacker.com/gear/water_filters/

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Water%20Treatment/Filters/

http://usachppm.apgea.army.mil/WPD/CompareDevices.aspx

Section Two - Water

2009-08-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

Second Half - Water

Welcome,

This is the second half of the blog about water. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcast:

Disaster Preparedness-Water Supply

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZJ6TwGjqgA

Water in the Wilderness - Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQSF9BhmnQM&feature=related

Discussion on Water Filters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-zqsR2NMyQ

How to Build a Rain Barrel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGFDlkJOdaM

Rain Barrel-Three Minute Gardener

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4zoPm2Eu2Q

Instructions:

Make a Funnel out of a 2-liter Bottle

Take a sharp knife and cut around the outside of the bottle. Ta Da! You have a funnel to fill smaller containers from bigger containers.

Boiling Water with a Piece of Plastic

First, you need to build a fire.

Next, place rocks that you can easily lift with a forked stick or two sticks into the fire. Make sure the rocks were collected from a place that does not hold water or is covered with water. The rocks will exploded if taken from a stream, river, pond or lake.

Let the rocks heat for awhile.

While the rocks are heating, dig a hole then line the hole with a piece of plastic. Next, fill the plastic-lined hole with water that has been allowed to settle.

Once the rocks have been heated; take the rocks out of the fire with the sticks. Be careful, the rocks are very Hot!

Place the rocks in the water, and step back real quick. Once the rumbling has stopped the water should be boiling hot.

Make sure the hot rocks do not touch the plastic sticking out of the water. It will melt the plastic. The reason the hot rock doesn't melt the plastic, below the waterline, is because the boiling water keeps the rock off the plastic until it has cooled.

Other Information:

Another Method of Making a Water Filter

Alpha Rubicon has an article on making a Home-Made Berkey Water Filter by Daire. It is a variation of the gravity filter; I talked about in Week Four-Water. The article can be viewed at http://www.alpharubicon.com/kids/homemadeberkeydaire.htm

Daire's pictures are excellent. Notice the nuts to hold the filters tight while the filters are still laying on the bucket lids. Two changes I would make, would be to put blocks of wood between the upper and lower buckets. I would do this because I don't want the nuts to have to hold 40 pounds of water. The second change would be to run a bead of caulk around the holes that she drilled in the lid to make sure none of the dirty water could flow into the clean water bucket.

Flavorings

Drinking plain water can become boring, especially for younger members of your family. To help them, and you, to drink enough water, you want to store some drink mixes like Kool-Aid, Crystal-Lite, Propel, Gatorade, and hot chocolate.

We are not coffee drinkers, so we don't store coffee even for barter. If you are, you might want to store some for youself and other coffee drinkers in the family.

Section Three - Water

2009-08-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Third Half - Water

Welcome,

This is the third half of the post on water

Primitive Methods of Finding Water

Some folks are planning to bugout. Depending on the threat, that might be a good or bad choice. Either way, you are going to have to have water.

Since water weighs 8.5 pounds (18 kilograms) a gallon, you can't carry all of your water for a multi-day trip, if you're walking, so you are going to have to find water on your journey.

Hopefully, you have preplanned routes, so you can get a map, ahead of time, for your route. These maps will show you ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers.

If the maps don't, you will have to find the stream/ponds/lakes then mark them on the map. Once you know where these water features are located, you will be able to use them as you travel.

Now, some folks aren't going to plan ahead, so they will have to find water on the way. You will have to use your observational skills to find water, then.

Streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes will be easy to find. You just look for low spots. Rivers and streams run in valleys, so you have to go down hill. Ponds and lakes will also be in low spots.

You can also find water in dry stream beds. You want to find the lowest spot in the stream bed. Usually the low spots are in the outside bends of the stream bed. Dig down until the dirt starts to become damp then stop. The hole will fill up with water. You want to wait and allow the silt and dirt to settle before dipping the water out of the hole.

As always make sure you treat the water, and read the links to learn some more about finding water in the wilderness.

Links:

How Stuff Works - How to Find Water in the Wild

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/survival/wilderness/how-to-find-water.htm

Wikibooks - Outdoor Survival/Water

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Outdoor_Survival/Water

Wilderness Survival Skills - How to Find Water in the Wild

http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/how-to-find-water.html

E-How - How to Find Water in the Wilderness

http://www.ehow.com/how_2025908_water-wilderness.html

Section Four - Water

2009-08-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Forth Half - Water

Welcome,

This is the forth half of the post on water. You will find links to other bloggers and websites about the subject for this week.

Blogs:

Everyday Prepper - Water Storage

http://everydayprepper.com/2008/10/01/water-storage/

Everyday Prepper - Water Purification

http://everydayprepper.com/2008/09/30/water-purification/

Wretha's Adventure Living 100% Off Grid - Pix of the Water System, Concrete Walls, ...

http://wretha.blogspot.com/2008/02/pix-of-water-system-concrete-walls.html

Websites:

Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E. - How to Find Water and How to Make Water Safe to Drink

http://www.grandpappy.info/wwater.htm

Emergency Treatment of Drinking Water at Point-of-Use

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/envsan/treatmdrwat.pdf

Oregon State University - Chlorine Disinfection

http://wellwater.oregonstate.edu/chlorine-formulas

Scribd - Importance of Water in Survival Situations

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19208594/Water

WELL - Fact Sheets

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheets.htm

Well - Household Water Treatment, Storage and Handling

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheets-htm/Household%20WT.htm

Chapter Five - Food

2009-07-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Quickstart:

Buy more of the canned and boxed food that you normally eat.

Blog Post:

In this post about food, I am going to write about preparing for a short-term to a very long-term emergency situation, so let us begin.

For a short-term emergency, buying more of the food that you normally eat is the best way to prepare. Now this food should be boxed food such as macaroni & cheese and crackers, and canned food such as fruits, soups, and meats.

I caution you against using glass jars because an earthquake could break some or all of your glass jars. Plus, it would also be another mess to clean up.

While you are making a list of the canned and boxed food you and your family will eat, I want you to think about how you are going to cook this food? Are you going to heat the food? Do you need water to prepare the food? How are you going to clean up afterwards?

For a short 3-day emergency, paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils and cups, and other picnic supplies might be a good idea. You'll need to have enough for each person to have a clean set of utensils for each meal, this includes plates. To save on cups, write the person's name on the cup and have everyone reuse their cup. Make sure to have extra cups, kids and some adults seem to always throw their cups away.

If you are going to need water to prepare the food, you will need to add to your water supplies. An example: Mac & Cheese takes 6 cups of water, according to the directions, to make. That is 6 more cups of potable water you will need to store. If you are going to wash the plates and utensils, you will need even more water.

You can probably get away with eating directly out of the can/box for three days, but warm meals will be needed during the winter.

There are many ways of heating your food. If you have barbecued, cooked over a fire, or have a wood stove, you can heat your emergency food for eating. Remember, you will need fuel to last during the emergency you are planning for.

Charcoal must be kept dry, same with wood. With wood, you will also need kindling. Propane lasts as long as the container, but you will need a propane stove/grill. Liquid fuels, such as Coleman gas, are flammable. Store your gas and liquid fuels away from the house. Lastly, remember the matches.

I put my matches, about 2500 strike-on-the-box matches, in a small 30 caliber ammo can. This protect the matches from humidity, and if they ignite the ammo can keeps the fire contained.

Now cooking inside the house can be dangerous. Do not, Don't, Never use a charcoal stove inside the house or enclosed building or tent. The burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide (CO). This stuff is deadly.

Don't let the list of things keep you from preparing for a short-term emergency because you probably already have all the needed stuff, except for the extra food.

I need to stop for a moment. While I take a break, I want you to read "Seven Mistakes of Food Storage" by Vicki Tate.

Preparing to have food for a longer emergency, two to four weeks, is a matter of storing more canned, bottled, and boxed food, but you can't put this amount of food in a box and forget it. You will need to start rotating your food.

There are a few ways of rotating your storage food. One method is to buy all the food at once and put it on your shelves in the basement. When you need something, like a can of pears, you go to the store and buy a can of pears. Go down to the basement, take a can of pears off the shelf, and put the can that you bought in the back. This insures you always have fresh canned food, if there is such a thing as fresh canned food.

This method insures that you have food now; additionally, this method also insures that you have food that you eat, but it has at least one problem. Most people don't have $500 to immediately drop on food plus their normal food bill.

A variations of the above method is to buy one or two extra of the canned and boxed foods you normally eat every time you go to the store. Put the extra food on the shelf and rotate as mentioned.

Another method of rotating your food is to build special shelves. The shelves are a set of ramps. As a can is removed, all of the cans immediately roll one spot down the ramps. If your grocery store has the new Campbell's soup displays, open up the display and observe. Some refrigerators have soda can dispensers with the ramps. Just use a can, then buy another can and add to the top of the ramp as needed.

This method is OK, but you have to know how many cans a set of ramps hold, and it wastes a little space. Each set of cans needs its own supports for the ramp, more money and more complicated to build.

To save money, I watch for sales and stock up then, and I buy store brand products instead of the major name brands. Be careful, some store brands taste slightly different from the national brands of food.

Some people will tell you to buy your food in bulk at the warehouse store, I usually don't recommend this because you have to pay extra money up front for membership; the sizes of cans could be too big, wasting food; and you and your family might not like the food.

Another thing to avoid, remember the opinions, is MREs. Meal Ready to Eat are specialized meals developed for the military. They have greatly improved since the meals first came out; however, you have to like them. At about the same price as two cans of fruit, 2 cans of vegetables, three cans of tuna, and a bottle of water, you get one MRE. MREs are expensive but convenient.

If you have decided to store food for only a couple of weeks, stop here and read the first four links. I invite you to continue reading even if you are only preparing for a short-term emergency.

If you have decided to prepare for a longer emergency, such as hyper-inflation, civil or nuclear war, or a multi-year emergency, this section is for you.

Storing enough food to last a year or longer is going to take a lot of preparation on your part; additionally, you are going to spend some money. Your choice is going to be how much?

The Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), as a group, are probably the experts on storing food for a long-term emergency. They have many quotes, teachings, and other recorded lectures on the importance of storing food. As individuals, the record isn't so good, so don't expect an individual Latter-day Saint or their family to have any food storage.

The Mormons command their members to store a year supply of food. They have central storehouses, called Bishop Storehouses, where members can get their food. If you know some Latter-day Saints that are willing to help you, you are in luck. The available food is centered on the basic four. Basically, the Latter-day Saints store wheat, sugar, salt, and dried-milk.

Heed Ms. Tate's warnings in "Seven Mistakes in Food Storage."

If you don't know any Mormons, you are going to have to do this on your own. The Mormons use to use only steel #10 cans; the cans hold a gallon of product. The Mormons started to switch to mylar bags placed in cardboard boxes in the late 1990s.

Both containers have their advantages and disadvantages. Steel cans are rodent proof, but they rust. Mylar is rust-proof, but the bags and boxes don't resist rodents very well. The steel can method also requires bulky cans and a special machine to seal the can. The can sealing machine can be expensive.

Because of these extra expenses, I am going to write about using mylar bags and food-grade 5-gallon bucket for you food storage program. I like this method. If you want different methods of storing your food, read Alan Hagan's "Prudent Food Storage FAQ version 4.0" for other options.

First, you need to order your mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and 5-gallon buckets. I use new buckets because I only have a local source for new buckets. These buckets are #2 HDPE plastic, food-grade buckets. Supposedly food-grade and non-food-grade buckets use a different mold releasing agent when the bucket is manufactured.

Just so you know; a mold releasing agent is a chemical the manufacturer puts on the equipment to make it easier to remove the bucket from the equipment when the bucket is made

It is OK to use used-buckets. The rules for using used-buckets for food storage are the same as water storage, clean and only had food in them.

Second, you have to buy your food. There are different places to buy your food. Whole food stores, organic-food stores, feed stores, warehouse stores, and ethnic-food stores are a few of the places to buy food. Depending on your source of food will depend on if you have to pay any extra shipping cost.

Whole food and organic-food stores will have a variety of grains and beans fit for human consumption. Their products will range from organically-grown grains and beans to traditional farm-grown grains and beans. Warehouse stores may have only one type of grain and one type of bean. The feed store usually must order grains fit for human consumption, and an ethnic-food store will only have bulk food specific to that ethnic group. Call or visit to ask about their policy on ordering and availability of food.

When you are putting up your own bulk food, you have to plan in advance. All of the materials must be on hand before you get your food. Food in paper sacks are a poor storage container, but an emergency might dictate your getting food before the canning supplies. I would rather have 3 sacks of rice and beans and no canning supplies during a food emergency then all of the canning supplies and no food.

Next, you have to decide if you want your food in big mylar bags or little mylar bags. If you decide little bags, you will need to cut up the big mylar bags and make small bags. To make a big bag into smaller bags: take a big mylar bag and fold in half. Cut along the fold. Fold and cut as needed to make smaller bags.

Once you are finished cutting, you need to seal the edges of the bag. Make sure to leave one edge unsealed.

To seal, take an electric clothes iron, set on high, and iron the edge, flip over and iron the edge again. I usually iron one-inch seams. This is an easy skill, but it takes a little practice.

When using small mylar bags, I fill all the bags first with food. I put in one or two oxygen absorbers, then seal the bag with the iron. Then I put the sealed bags in a box or 5-gallon bucket.

For large bags, I put the big bag in the 5-gallon bucket then fill with food. I put in four 500cc oxygen absorbers, push some of the air out then seal the bag with the iron. Once you open the bag of oxygen absorbers, you have to move quickly.

I always have all the food, I am doing that day, placed in bags first. Then I open the oxygen absorber's bag and put in the absorbers, push the air out, then seal. If you have two irons and a helper, it goes a lot quicker.

I usually get 35 pounds of wheat, rice, and sugar; 50 pounds of salt; and 25 pounds of beans in their own separate bucket. I put my beans in smaller mylar bags before I put them in the buckets.

For all my food in mylar bags, I label the top of the bag, where I sealed the bag, with the item's name. An example is "Black Beans." Before I seal the bucket, I write the name of the item and how many pounds are in the bucket, on the lid. An example is "Black Beans, 25 lbs." Once I seal the bucket, I place a label with the item's name, the weight, the package date, and the expiration date on the side of the bucket. An example is "Black Beans, 25 pounds, Nov 2008, Nov 2016."

If you use a bucket opener, you are able to reuse the bucket and lid. You could probably reuse the bucket and lid even if you use a knife and screwdriver to open the lid.

Bucket openers/lid lifters come in plastic and metal. I have given plastic openers to friends and family. I have about 5, 3 plastic and 2 metal. (Remember PACE)

All of the food gets stored in a cool, dry, and dark place, the basement. If you don't have a basement, you will have to get creative in your storage. There are many creative ways, a table made of buckets, just add a table cover; under the bed as a bed frame; staked along a wall with a curtain covering the stack.

One outside storage method I have seen was called a pallet root cellar.

Don't put your food storage in a hot place like the garage or attic.

Now there are ways to reduce your cost. You can use animal/feed-grade food. You can omit the mylar bag, and use metal 55-gallon open head drums for your storage containers.

If you use animal feed, make sure you are getting animal feed with nothing mixed in. No molasses, no minerals, no vitamins, no mixes of different grains, or cracked grain. Cracked grain will not last as long as whole grain.

Do Not, Don't, Never get seed for your food storage. Seed is treated with chemicals to resist rot, fungus, and other nasties. These chemicals will harm/kill you.

Omitting the mylar bag in the 5-gallon bucket will allow water vapor to enter the food. Yes, it takes a little while, but the food will not last as long.

There are two types of metal drums, open-head and closed-head. A closed-head metal drum has two small holes in the top. Soda syrup usually comes in a closed-head drum. The top of an open-head metal drum is totally removable. The top has a grove and a seal that seals the drum tight.

To use the cleaned drum, open the top and put your sealed mylar bags inside. When filled or finished, close the drum using the provided clamp. Just like the water barrel, these weight 350 pounds or more when full.

OK, you have 350 pounds of wheat, 150 pounds of rice, 125 pounds of various beans, 70 pounds of sugar, 35 pounds of salt 356 multivitamins for every man, woman, and child in your family. What do you do with it?

Eat it! You have to get use to using these foods. You have to use these foods in recipes. Learn the spices that your family likes then add the spices to your food storage. You have to learn to use the machines needed to use it, and buy the wheat mill and the corn mill, the pasta maker, and etc. The local library is a great source for information on baking and cooking using whole food such as wheat, corn, rice, and beans.

You will also have to learn how to use different cooking methods solar ovens, slow cookers, pressure cookers/canners, hay boxes, and masonry ovens just to name a few because electricity and propane may not be available.

The above advice includes the dehydrated and freeze-dried foods that are available. As far as I know, Mountain House is the largest supplier of these dehydrated and freeze-dried foods.

They sell from their website and they have many retailers. You have to shop around to find the best deals. Different retailers have different prices for the same product, some include shipping and some don't.

Just like MREs, these foods can be expensive, but the freeze-dried foods have a 25 to 30 year shelf life. So if you want, you can feed a family of four for about the price of an economy-size sedan.

For really long-term food security, you will need to learn how to grow, raise, and can your own food. Once again the local library has a wide variety of books on gardening, raising sheep, chicken, goats, and other animals for food. The library also has books on organic gardening, making compost, and other chemical-free vegetable and fruit growing techniques.

So start your food list, give some folks a call, check out a few books from the library, and I'll ...

See you, Monday!

Links:

Be Prepared with a Three Day Emergency Food Supply:

http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/9006.htm

Food and Water in an Emergency by the American Red Cross:

http://www.redcross.org/images/pdfs/preparedness/a5055.pdf

Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/keeping_food_safe_during_an_emergency/index.asp

Seven Mistakes of Food Storage by Vicki Tate:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/tate55.html

Viking Preparedness - Cannd Food Shelves

http://vikingpreparedness.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

You will need to scroll down to "Canned Food Shelves"

Mormon Basic Four - Appropedia:

http://www.appropedia.org/mormon_basic_four

Mormon Basic Four and Other Food Storage Plans:

http://www.standeyo.com/News_Files/Hollys.html

then click on "Food Storage" on the left hand side of the page

then click on anything under "Food Storage Programs"

Such as Ester Dickey's 40+4, Mormon table of 4, or Kearny's Survival Food Plan

Prudent Food Storage FAQ version 4.0 by Alan Hagan:

http://athagan.members.atlantic.net/PFSFAQ/PFSFAQ-1.html

Prudent Food Storage FAQ version 2.5 by Alan Hagan:

http://www.captaindaves.com/foodfaq

Oxygen Absorbers:

http://www.honeyvillegrain.com/

http://www.nitro-pak.com/

http://www.waltonfeed.com/

http://www.usplastic.com/

Plastic Buckets:

http://www.usplastic.com/

Pallet Root Cellar:

http://theepicenter.com/tow1102.html

Cooking With Food Storage Ingredients

http://extension.usu.edu/cache/files/uploads/Cooking%20with%20Food%20Storage%20Ingredients%206-07.pdf

Cooking With Food Storage Ingredients: Dry Beans

http://extension.usu.edu/duchesne/files/uploads/FCS/Cooking%20with%20Food%20Storage/dry%20beans_plus.pdfd%20Storage/dry%20beans_plus.pdf

Grain Mills:

http://countrylivinggrainmills.com/

http://www.waltonfeed.com/

Solar Ovens:

http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/

Mountain House:

http://www.mountainhouse.com/

Section Two - Food

2009-07-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Second Half - Food

Welcome,

This is the second half of the blog about food. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

Long Term Food Storage-Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW7_cTn6YpE

Long Term Food Storage-Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PylQCiFBtH4

How to Seal Mylar Bags with a Clothes Iron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk9b0dAtJ80

Mormon Women Teach About Food Storage-Part One

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBt0pw3J2lk

Mormon Women Teach About Food Storage-Part Two

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPyNgOMfVWk

Dry Pack Canning (No Music)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbDUR7Xb2KQ

Packing Buckets with Wendy Mae-Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pal88fR5COI

Packing Buckets with Wendy Mae-Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq4zpLfOSfE

Survival Podcast - Container Gardening for the Urban Survivalist

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/container-gardening-for-the-urban-survivalist

Instructions:

How to Open a Can without a Can Opener

First, find a rough piece of concrete, like a sidewalk or driveway.

Second, turn the can upside down then rub the top of the can on the concrete. Rub until you have worked through the seal on top of the can.

Be very careful as you rub the can on the concrete, you don't want to unexpectedly open the can spilling the contents on the ground.

Just so you know, someone else worked this idea out.

Other Information:

Can Openers

If you are going to have canned food in you emergency food storage, make sure you have enough manual can openers to last the duration of the emergency plus one more can opener, just in case you break them.

Please, don't plan to use P-38s or P-51s can openers as your primary, alternate, or contingency can openers. If you don't believe me, buy a P-38 (the can opener not the pistol) and use it to open all of your cans for a few days. However, the P-51 can opener is an OK opener as your emergency opener.

More Internet Resources

Her name is Susanne, and she is known as the Hillbilly Housewife. I don't know if she is a real person or a group of extension service folks, but she has great information on preparing healthy and delicious meals for the family and stretching your food dollar, too.

Hillbilly House Wife

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index.htm

Their names are Abs and Hannah. Do they have a blog!!! They walk the walk then talk the talk. If you are preparing for a long-term food emergency using basic food, you need to read their blog "Safely Gathered In." Then you need to add their posts, With Pictures!!!, to your survival bible.

Safely Gathered In

http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com

Food Network is a great resource for recipes, or just type in "recipes" in any search engine.

Food Network

http://www.foodnetwork.com/

State and County Extension Offices:

Another internet, payed for by your taxes, resource is the state extension services. Go to your favorite search engine and type in your state then extension service. An example is "Utah State Extension Service."

You will have many publications specific for you state. If you don't get what you want, you can contact the local county extension office for help. They will provide help on selecting the best varieties of fruits and vegetables, gardening tips for your area, money management, business information, and much more. Some states even offer a program called Master Gardener to assist you in your gardening efforts.

By the way, on the internet, no one asks you what state you're from, so feel free to look at other states for more information.

Section Three - Food

2009-07-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Third Half - Food

Welcome,

This is the third half of the blog post on food

Consumer's Guide: Preparing an Emergency Food Storage Guide

Dr. Elizabeth Andress and Dr. Judy Harrison have an informative guide on, what else but, emergency food storage. Their guide can be found at:

http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-34-CS.html

Latter-day Saints' Distribution Center

If you are lucky enough to live near a Latter-day Saints' Distribution center, you can buy a limited selection of long-term food storage to save money on shipping.

Go to http://www.ldscatalog.com/ click on "Find A Store" at the very top of the web page.

You can also order online, and shipping is free.

Starting a Planned Food Buying Plan

You may have heard of dollar cost averaging. It is a financial term. You buy the same dollar amount of stocks/bonds every month.

Using the Latter-day Saint's Distribution centers or another food storage retailer, you could start a plan for buying long-term storage food, such as wheat, beans, and oats.

Using the plan, you would buy one or two case of long-term storage food every month, until you have the amount of food you need. You could buy more or less food depending on your desired amount of food storage.

This idea can be even be used at the local grocery store. You set aside say $20 a payday to buy the extra canned, boxed, and bottled food you and your family like. You do this every payday, until you have the extra amount of food you have determined to store for emergencies.

Rotating Your Food Storage/Charity

I would like to eat all of our food and rotate the food that way, but we have a problem in my family. We don't eat all of the food, I have in storage, by the food's expiration date. Instead of throwing the food out, I donate the excess food, before its expiration date, to a local food pantry.

If you itemize on your taxes, you can take some of you food storage off of you taxes when you donate it.

Insuring Adequate Nutrition during an Emergency

I didn't know whether to put this under food or medical, so I stuck it here.

In an emergency, you will need to make sure that you and your family are eating right. One way of doing that is taking a daily multivitamin.

From my research, an inexpensive multivitamin is as good as an expensive one. The secret is to chew it. This breaks up the multivitamin, so it will be digested.

I learned this from a buddy who empties port-a-potties. He tells me; he finds a lot of hard vitamins, like calcium, in the bottom of the holding tank when he cleans them.

Another method is planning your emergncy food menu to insure adequate nutrition. The Later-day Saints have an article in the Ensign magazine giving an example for this method.

Ensign: Random Sampler - Adequate Nutrition during an Emergency

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=68be52605a4e3210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Just so you know, satiety means that you fill full after you have eaten.

So read the links, and I'll ...

See you, on Friday.

Section Four - Food

2009-07-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

Forth Half - Food

Welcome,

This is the forth half of the post on food. You will find links to other bloggers and websites about the subject for this week.

Blogs:

Bison Survival Blog- Earthquake Food

http://bisonsurvivalblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/earthquake-food.html

Viking Preparedness - BOB Food

http://vikingpreparedness.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html

Survival Podcast - Modern Survivalism Tenet Number Five

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/tenet-five

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/spirko7.1.1.html

*To me, this one is easier to read*

Grain Storehouse - Bulk food storage containers: Pails, Buckets, Cans and Glass

http://www.grainstorehouse.com/?p=243

Survival/Special Cooking

http://www.survival-cooking.com/

Websites:

University of Maine - Be Prepared with a Three-Day Emergency Food Supply, #9006

http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/9006.htm

Meal Time

http://www.mealtime.org/index.aspx

Meal Time - What Should Your Emergency Pantry Look Like?

http://www.mealtime.org/uploadedFiles/Mealtime/Content/emergencypantrychart_color.pdf

Heirloom Seeds

http://www.heirloomseeds.com/

Colorado State University - Food Safety and Storage for Emergency Preparedness

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/Pubs/emergency/fdsf.html

Westside Gardener - How to Build a PVC Hoophouse for Your Garden

http://westsidegardener.com/howto/hoophouse.html

Home Front: Thirsk - Your Food in War-Time

http://www.homefrontthirsk.org.uk/readable.php?title=Your%20Food%20in%20War-time%20leaflet&readableimages=3&imagename=yourfoodinwartime&current_page=1

Armand O. Deblois - Make a fully functional cold storage pit/mound ...

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/deblois47.html

GeoPathfinder - Energy Efficient Food Preservation - Counting Calories in Food Processing

http://www.geopathfinder.com/9473.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val*

Articlesbase - Healthy Portion Sizes for Vegans and Vegetarians

http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/healthy-portion-sizes-for-vegans-and-vegetarians-507758.html

USDA - Index to USDA Home and Garden Bulletins

http://www.nal.usda.gov/ref/USDApubs/hgb.htm

Life After the Oil Crash - Doomer Food Production: Prepare to Garden

http://www.doomers.us/forum2/index.php/board,21.0.html

The Survival & Self-Reliance Studies Institute - Food Storage & Cache

http://www.ssrsi.org/sr1/Cook/stor.htm

SleekFreak - GTZ - Solar Cookers in the Third World

http://sleekfreak.ath.cx:81/3wdev/CD3WD/APPRTECH/G12SOE/INDEX.HTM

Canning USA.com

http://www.canningusa.com/

Livestock Research for Rural Development - Home

http://www.lrrd.org

FAO - Small Scale Dairy Farming Manual

http://www.fao.org/ag/AGAinfo/resources/documents/Dairyman/Dairy/content.html

University of Minnesota - Small-Scale Poultry Production

http://www.ansci.umn.edu/poultry/resources/small-scale_production.htm

Christina Pirello - Christina Cooks: Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Whole Foods But ...

http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1557884234&id=IN8PW0wYubsC&pg=RA2-PA44&lpg=RA2-PA44&ots=BDtPc5zsDa&dq=Whole+Foods+for+the+Whole+Family&sig=NUt8yADTCq-ORRZmwyP6QKXzO5U#v=onepage&q=Whole%20Foods%20for%20the%20Whole%20Family&f=false

Christina Pirello - Cooking the whole foods way: your complete, everyday guide to healthy ...

http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1557882622&id=Xmxom3umBMIC&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5&ots=nQB4FoNWdB&dq=Whole+Foods+for+the+Whole+Family&sig=8TmJ171vigMppnncG2lRilZii4Y#v=onepage&q=Whole%20Foods%20for%20the%20Whole%20Family&f=false

Rhonda Barfield - Feed your family for $12 a day: a complete guide to nutritious, delicious ...

http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0806523557&id=i0ilZQsDL-AC&pg=RA1-PA200&lpg=RA1-PA200&ots=OIyJXpab2K&dq=Whole+Foods+for+the+Whole+Family&sig=_YinzaAOtItEXRJM_XkzpSR7Oyo#v=onepage&q=Whole%20Foods%20for%20the%20Whole%20Family&f=false

Elisa Vergne, Pierre Desgrieux and Valerie Lhomme - Moroccan Cafe: Casual Moroccan Cooking at Home

http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1930603568&id=FG45hjebI4YC&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=Chicken&as_brr=1&sig=t8rw95g0HPQ9EMCLuUQU7H9geCI#v=onepage&q=Chicken&f=false

Douglas Gunnink - Sustainable Farming Guide Book

http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0788101951&id=HT7M7hodjTQC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&ots=3fvy2Lo_j2&dq=Guide,+Farming&as_brr=1&sig=gxN1D-qTqFIwaNtqWs2dwy2VbLo#v=onepage&q=&f=false

United States Peace Corps - Small Scale Bekeeping

http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/small_beekeeping/homepage.htm

Penn State - "Search" Agricultural Alternatives

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/PubSubject.asp?varSubject=Agricultural%20Alternatives

USA Emergency Supply - All About Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)

https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/information_center/all_about_textured_vegetable_protein.htm

Restel - Grain Mills

http://www.retsel.com/

Chapter Six - Medical

2009-06-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Quickstart:

Buy a first aid kit. If you already have some first aid supplies, put them together, inventory, and/or organize your first aid supplies in a centralized location.

Blog Post:

In all the wars, humans have had, infection, disease, and accidents are the number one killers. So the best way to prevent a medical problem/emergency is through prevention.

Let us look at an extreme example.

If you hangout with drug using/dealing felons, you are more likely to be shot. If you live in a neighborhood with rival gangs that deal drugs, you are more likely to be shot.

So to prevent being shoot, hangout with law abiding citizens in a decent neighborhood.

OK, let's come back to reality, for most of us.

To prevent being sick from the cold; wash you hands. Avoid people who are sick, and the surfaces they have touched. Keep your fingers out of your nose, eyes and mouth.

To prevent catching the flu, wash your hands. Avoid people who are sick. Keep your fingers out of your mouth, nose, and eyes. Get a flu shot.

The washing of your hands is a common factor in preventing most diseases. Use the bathroom; wash your hands. Shake hands; wash your hands. Sneeze; wash your hands.

Another common factor is keeping your fingers out of your nose, mouth, and eyes. If you shake hands, and can't wash your hands, keep your fingers away from your face.

The last common factor, I will mention, is to avoid sick people and their things.

There is another way, of preventing diseases, it is to get vaccinations.

The US military has a long list of standard immunizations that all soldiers receive. If a group of soldiers are deploying overseas, they may receive other specific immunizations for the overseas area.

Another method of preventing diseases, is to control disease by controlling vectors. Vectors are the animals and insects that carry a disease.

One example, that most people have heard about, is the bubonic plague that wiped out 1/3 of Europe's population from about 1350 to 1400 A.D.

To recap the bubonic plague, fleas living on rats carried bubonic plague. The fleas bit the rats; the rats died of plague. The fleas, looking for a new host, jump on humans and bite the person. The person, most likely, dies of plague.

A more recent example is malaria. A mosquito carrying malaria bites a person; the person comes down with malaria. The person may or may not die. Either way, life will suck for anyone catching malaria.

Now, there are various ways of controlling vectors. One method is to prevent the vector from living.

You can do this by interrupting the vector's life cycle. For mosquito's, you make sure every container holding more than a teaspoon of water is empty of water. This works because the mosquito larva can only survive in water.

Another way to interrupt a vector's life cycle is to kill it. You set a trap. The trap kills the rat; keeping the rat population under control. This reduces the number of fleas.

You have to be careful using traps. The bigger traps can break your fingers, if they are caught in the trap. Traps with dead animals in them also expose you to the diseases carried by the dead animal, so you have to have a safe way of disposing of the dead animal.

You can do this a number of ways. One method is to design the trap, so the trap is disposable. The inexpensive mouse traps you see in the home/farm stores, usually 2 for $1 are designed to be thrown away when they kill a mouse.

To dispose of this trap, put on a pair of medical gloves, pick up the trap, place it in a piece of newspaper and dispose of it in your outside trash can.

Another method is to design the trap to dispose of the critter for you. One trap is the bucket trap. Basically, you take a 5-gallon bucket, fill it with water, get a board to act as a ramp to the top of the bucket, and bait the trap with peanut butter.

To empty, all you have to do is take the bucket and throw the water and dead critters out by your property line.

Another method, of protecting yourself from vectors, is to prevent vectors from biting you.

You can do this in a variety of ways.

One example is using a sleeping net. The net protects you from mosquitoes as you sleep. If global warming is actually happening, the changing climate may increase tropical diseases in the southern maybe even the whole United States. Some of these diseases are carried by night-time mosquitoes.

Another method of protecting yourself, from biting insects, is to wear DEET. DEET is the active ingredient in bug spray.

Preventing medical emergencies is not limited to preventing diseases. It also includes preventing accidents, and there are many ways to prevent accidents.

Don't store medicines next to candy, and don't tell your kids that medicine is candy. Because when they want "candy," they may eat all of your medicine as candy. Just like you said.

Don't store fuel, gasoline, diesel, and/or propane, in your home.

Don't smoke in bed. Heck, just quit smoking.

Don't put power cord under rugs.

The don'ts could and do continue forever. There are many of them. You will need to use common sense and do research on your specific situation.

Just like the "Don'ts," the "Dos" are endless.

Do wear the proper safety equipment when using any equipment. Goggles and safety glasses are needed to protect your eyes. Ear plugs or ear muffs protect your hearing, Gloves protect your hands, and a hard hat protects your head. Climbing harnesses protect you, if you fall from your roof. But all of this equipment will only protect you, if you are wearing and using the equipment properly.

Sleep is also important. Get enough sleep, so you are rested before doing something potentially dangerous.

OK, you have taken steps to prevent accidents. What happens if there is an accident. What do you do?

Call 911. Cool

What happens if emergency services are too far away?

You could provide "First Aid." Don't know first aid!

That's OK. The Red Cross will teach you first aid for a small fee.

Don't have any money. You can download the U.S. Army's first aid manual, and you and some friends can practise on each other. If you don't know how to get the U.S. Army first aid manual, read the "Second Half-Health/Medical" for instructions.

If you are going to provide first aid, you are going to need a quality first aid kit. Now, don't go to the store and expect to buy a quality first aid kit for $19.95.

The inexpensive kits are ok, if you are expecting to only treat minor cuts and scraps. If you expecting to treat broken bones, severe bleeding, gunshot wounds, and other severe injuries you are going to need a better kit.

There are several different ways of getting a better first aid kit.

One way is to buy it. When buying a prepared kit, you are paying someone to assemble the contents of the kit. This cuts into the amount of supplies you have. Plus, you don't know the quality of each individual item in a prepared kit.

Another way is to prepare the kit yourself. Do some research and buy the equipment and supplies, you think you need.

Another way is to make or improvise the items you need. Some things, you will have to buy. Some things you can make, such as backboards from plywood and bandages from bed sheets; additionally, you can improvise wound compresses from maxi-pads.

So you have a first aid kit, but you feel the need for something more. You can obtain further medical training.

Usually, people check out the local community college. The community colleges offer classes on becoming an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Paramedic, Nurse, and beginning courses for people later transferring to medical school to become Physician Assistants (PA) or Medical Doctors (MD).

Avoid "Doctor Assistants" schools. They usually teach people to be paper pushers for doctors.

So get your first-aid kit together, learn some first-aid skills, and ...

I'll see you, Monday!

Links:

Common Cold

http://www.commoncold.org/prevent.htm

American Lung Association: The Common Cold

http://www.lungusa.org/site/c.dvLUK9O0E/b.35873/k.A28F/Cold_and_Flu_Guidelines_The_Common_Cold.htm

Kid's Health: Infections-Common Cold

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/common/cold.html

Hands On Health-South Carolina-How can you prevent influenza?

http://www.handsonhealth-sc.org/page.php?id=1300

Mouse Bucket Trap

http://www.kountrylife.com/content/gal1017.htm

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Mouse-Trap

Women: Stay Healthy at Any Age

http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthywom.htm

Men: Stay Healthy at Any Age

http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthymen.htm

Preventive Care Timeline

http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/timelinead.pdf

Hooah For Health-Deployment Immunization:

http://www.hooah4health.com/deployment/immunizations.htm

Deployment Medical Information Sheets:

http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/dmis/

Public Health Pest Control Manual

http://vector.ifas.ufl.edu/manual.htm

U.S. Navy - Shipboard Pest Control manual

http://www-nmcphc.med.navy.mil/od/documents/us_navy_sbpc_manual_sep03.pdf

Armed Forces Pest Management Board Technical Guide #36

http://www.afpmb.org/coweb/guidance_targets/ppms/tg36/tg36.pdf

DEET

http://www.deet.com/

DEET - Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.deet.com/faqs.html

Accident Prevention

http://www.noah-health.org/en/healthy/home/index.html

Accident Prevention

http://www.preparedness.info/npi/accprev/default.htm

First Aid Kit

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/firstaidkit.html

http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/lifeline/fakit.html

Wilderness Medical Systems

http://www.wildernessmedical.com/

Survival Unlimited-Expedition First Aid Kit

http://www.survivalunlimited.com/firstaidkits/expeditionamk.htm

Doctors for Disaster Preparedness: A Basic Medical Kit for a 10-20 person Shelter

http://www.ddponline.org/medkit.htm

Section Two - Medical

2009-06-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

Second Half - Health/Medical

Welcome,

This is the second half of the blog post on health/medical. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information on the subject this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

How To Wash Your Hands:

http://www.ehow.com/video_12779_wash-hands.html

Treating Minor Injuries with Basic First Aid: First Aid Kits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkWH8vYmWQs

Treating Minor Injuries with Basic First Aid: How to Clean a Wound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evgkXI2Pepw

Treating Minor Injuries with Basic First Aid: Using Adhesive Wound Closures

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypHM8x92Xy0

Treating Minor Injuries with Basic First Aid: Applying a Sling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pMy8n6HD-8

Treating Minor Injuries with Basic First Aid: Treating Abrasions at the Scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfQHSxcuSZU

Treating Minor Injuries with Basic First Aid: How to Treat a Strained Muscle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlXHHYM9umQ

Treating Minor Injuries with Basic First Aid: How to Treat a Bee Sting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCtln78Io2Q

Treating Minor Injuries with Basic First Aid: How to Stop the Bleeding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-ZqULDWAH8

Treating Minor Injuries with Basic First Aid: How to Treat Blisters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=086cqlwjUic

Basic First Aid: Tips for Calling 911

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8llWt9nh--U

Basic First Aid:Controlling Bleeding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2zwU2c-HZo

Basic First Aid: How to Create an Anatomical Splint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I-EonUDI4M

Basic First Aid: Treating Blistering Burns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwpkrkWrXVI

Basic First Aid: Treating Chemical Burns and Victims of Electric Shock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB8kTdbzzpo

Basic First Aid: How to Treat Burns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87HW7OQqDtQ

Basic First Aid: Checking the Pulse, Breathing & Airway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaUzTNdrGpE

Basic First Aid: Using Rubber Gloves to Treat a Patient

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trTvIlniqF4

First Aid for Splints & Bleeding Wounds : How to Use a Tourniquet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCXYkral5zg

I am going to stop here. There are many, many more videos on first aid at YouTube. Make sure you practise your new skills.

The Humanure Hacienda - Humanure Compost Bins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXcU-JQFdms

Starting a New Humanure Compost Pile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BWc-RjuWbs

Emptying Humanure Toilet Receptacles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZTZTVv6kYs

Humanure Compost Bin - Active Side

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzvBZImkH0s

Instructions:

Washing Your Hands:

Turn on the water. Warm water that is a comfortable temperature for you is the best.

Get the soap on your hands. Don't worry if the soap isn't antibacterial. Any soap works, even the cheap stuff.

Rub your hands together. Lathering up your hand (lots of soap bubbles) for about 30 seconds. Count from 1 to 30, sing Happy Birthday, twice, any way you want but rub your hands together for 30 seconds.

As you wash your hands, wash between your fingers and under your finger nails.

Rinse the soap off.

Dry your hands, and turn the water off with your towel.

The hardest part is to remember to turn the water off with the towel. The reason for turning the water off is because you just turned the water on with your dirty hands.

Obtaining the U.S. Army First Aid Manual

Go To http://www.train.army.mil/

Click On (It is green, top left corner)

Public Access to Reimer Digital Library (RDL)

Click On (Make the Dot Turn Blue)

Official Departmental Publications

Under Type:Click On (Turn it Blue)

Field Manuals

Under School:Click On (Turn it Blue)

Medical

Click On

Submit

You are looking for FM 4-25.11 First Aid

If you click on the little anchor, all the way to the right of the page, it will take you to the .pdf download page for this manual.

Click On (It is green)

FM 4-25.11 (2,398KB)

The manual should start to download

You might want to download the two other manuals while you are there.

FM 21-10 Field Hygiene and Sanitation

FM 4-25.12 Unit Field Sanitation Team

Other Information:

Obtaining Prescription Medicine:

Prescription medication is controlled for several reasons. One reason, it can be used by druggies to get "high." Another reason for prescription medicine being controlled is because it can do great harm if used improperly. There are other reasons, but I'm not going to discuss them, here.

Now, one way to get prescription medication is to explain to your doctor why you want the extra medication for your current condition. You have a heart condition, and you think it would be a good idea to have a 90 day supply, just in case.

Another way would be for you to discuss with her that you are a survivalist, (Don't use the word survivalist; to many negative connotations. Try preparing for a long-term emergency, instead.) and you would like to have some antibiotics on-hand, just in case. You might even offer to have her store the antibiotics for you in her office.

Another method is to use drugs designed for animals. This way is starting to be/has been closed, so you may need to get a veterinarian to sign a prescription for you.

Another method is to buy them from oversea/out of country pharmacies. Be careful, there have been reports of scams. The buyer gets sent fake, ineffective, or even deadly fake drugs.

One report I saw, talked about a pharmacist receiving antifreeze as cough syrup. Another received a toxic chemical as an anti-malarial drug.

Don't, Do Not, Never take less then the medication that your doctor has prescribed. The antibiotics have been designed to be taken in the amount and the time indicated by your doctor. If you take less or stop before you are suppose to, you can cause the disease you are fighting to get stronger.

This has been happening with tuberculosis (TB) and other diseases.

What to do with your Poop:

During an emergency, you may lose the ability to flush your toilets.

There are several ways to deal with this problem. One way is to have extra water to place in the tank. Filling the tank will allow you to flush the toilet. You can even cause the toilet to flush by adding extra water to the toilet bowl; however, you may not be able to do either, if the sewer lines are broken.

If you are out in the woods, you can use a method used by many military forces. It is called a cathole. A cathole is a 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide hole dug in the ground. You squat over the hole and poop. Once you wipe your butt, the paper goes in the hole, and the hole is covered.

If you have a folding shovel, you can rest your butt on the blade of the partially folded shovel.

Another way is to buy a port-a-potty. These come in a variety of styles. One style is a seat with a plastic bag. Another style is a 5-gallon bucket with a snap-on toilet seat. Another style is the portable toilet.

The portable toilet is good for a few days maybe even a few weeks. You will need to store water (non-potable is ok), the fluid that the toilet uses, and toilet paper.

Don't forget water to wash your hands! You will need soap and water. The hand sanitizers are not as effective as soap and water.

If you don't have a lot of money, you can poop in a plastic shopping bag and pee in a large mouth bottle. The poop is covered with sawdust, shredded paper, or other absorbent material. The bag is loosely tied shut and placed in your outside trash can. The trash can lid is placed tightly on the can. The pee is poured on your garden.

If the emergency continues for a long time, you may need to build an outhouse. Basically, you build a small building over a deep hole.

If you don't like that idea, try this one.

There is a group of people that advocate using human poop as fertilizer. There is even a book written about it called The Humanure Handbook. It can be downloaded for free.

This idea could be adopted for use in a long-term emergency.

There are more methods, but I am stopping here. If you would like more ideas, do an internet search about poop!

Links:

Sanitation and Hygiene During an Emergency

http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai=15&name=Sanitation%20And%20Hygiene%20During%20An%20Emergency&bhcd2=1219790295

Portable Camp Toilet:

http://armynavyshop.com/prods/rc560.html

Honey Bucket Style:

http://www.iprepare.com/100pp33.html

VISA 268 Portable Toilet:

http://modocars.com/visa-268-deluxe-portable-toilet-sanitation-equipment

Want a Great Garden? Pee On It!

http://www.greenthumbarticles.com/article/Want-a-great-garden-pee-on-it--a719.html

Think Green-Urine for Fertilizer

http://my.gardenguides.com/members/bsmitch/blog/2008/04/18/Think_green_Urine_for_fertilizer_repost

Wikipedia-Outhouse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outhouse

Outhouse-Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.jldr.com/faqs.html

The Humanure Handbook

http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/humanure.html

Section Three - Medical

2009-06-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Third Half - Health/Medical

Welcome,

This is the third half of the post on health/medical.

Many months ago, I read a disturbing post by Michael Panzner at Financial Armageddon.

In "More Than Just Numbers" Mr. Panzner provides an article by Nick Turse titled "Meltdown Madness: The Human Cost of the Economic Crisis." Please take time to read the article.

Terrible isn't it. People taking their lives, robbing banks, committing other crimes, or just acting crazy. Yeah, people like you and me.

Some of us, maybe most of us, would dismiss this behavior as no big deal. I think it is a big deal. We are under a lot of stress in these times. People losing their jobs, homes, and financial security.

In the Links: I have provided some links, of course, about mental health. I urge you to seek help if you are having difficulty.

If you can't afford a professional, you need to find an ear to bend. Someone you are comfortable talking to about your feelings. This person could be a friend, priest, or family member.

If someone seeks you out to talk about their problems, take time to listen. You don't need to help, just listen. My wife and I call this "venting."

Since we have been venting (no venting about each other, by the way) for a few years, I have learned to recognize when she does this. I would suggest that you explain to your friend or family member what you want to do. Tell them upfront that you are not seeking help, just someone to listen.

If you are seeking help for a problem, tell your friend upfront, so she/he knows that you are seeking assistants to solve this problem. This is important; you have to let people know that you are seeking help to get help.

Yes, network! People have the answers you are looking for.

Always ask if there are questions you should have asked. As government budgets get smaller, you will need to turn to family, friends, and neighbors for assistance.

Now, some of us are going to try to work this out on our own. For me, I remember the Serenity Prayer. When I am feeling tough, I recite the Commando Prayer.

Links:

Financial Armageddon - More Than Just Numbers

http://www.financialarmageddon.com/2009/01/more-good-news-not.html

The National Institute of Mental Health

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/

click on "Publications (also en Espanol)"

next to "Jump To" - Select a Topic -click on the arrowsscroll down to "Depression" or "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" (PTSD)

It will take you to some pages that have .pdf documents about these mental health illnesses

MedlinePlus: Mental Health

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mentalhealth.html

Suicide: Top Health Concern of Men

http://womenshealth.gov/mens/health/suicide.cfm

Women's Web - Suicide and Depression

http://www.womensweb.ca/mental/suicide

The Serenity Prayer

http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/special/serenity.html

Andre Zirnheld - The Paratrooper's Prayer/Commando Prayer

http://iwvpa.net/zirnheldala/index.php

Section Four - Medical

2009-06-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

Forth Half - Health/Medical

Welcome,

This is the forth half of the post on healh/medical. You will find links to other bloggers and websites about the subject for this week.

Blogs:

Stealth Survival - Homemade First Aid Kit

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2009/01/homemade-first-aid-kit.html

Stealth Survival - First Aid Kit for Treatment of Burns

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2009/06/first-aid-kit-for-treatment-of-burns.html

Stealth Survival - Pocket First Aid Kits

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2009/06/pocket-first-aid-kits.html

Stealth Survival - Home-made First Aid Kits, Additions

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2009/10/home-made-first-aid-kit-additions.html

Surviving in Argentina - Mosquito Repellent as Part of Your Preps

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2009/03/mosquito-repellent-as-part-of-your.html

Surviving in Argentina - Preparing for Flu and Other Diseases

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2009/06/preparing-for-flu-and-other-diseases.html

Surviving in Argentina - Swine Flu

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2009/04/swine-flu.html

Of Two Minds - Overcoming Depression in a Depression

http://www.oftwominds.com/blogdec09/depression12-09.html

Many More Later.

Websites:

United States of America - Flu.gov

http://www.flu.gov/

Pandemic Influenza Preparation and Response: A Citizen’s ...

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/upload/InSTEDD%20Influenza%20Manual%20v1-5%20Master-EDR.pdf

Chapter Seven - Guns

2009-05-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

Quickstart:

Find someone to teach you the safety rules of using guns. The NRA, Pink Pistols, and former combat arms military veterans will be able to help you.

Blog Post:

This is the part where most people get confused about preparing for an emergency. They think a lot of guns are all they need, or a lot of guns are needed.

They're wrong, very wrong.

Now, don't get me wrong, guns are needed to defend yourself, obtain meat, protect livestock, kill elected/unelected government officials (The reason for The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United Sates of America), and as nauseam. Just don't confuse a gun hobby with having guns for emergency preparedness.

Before we start, I need for you to get something straight.

Gun, Weapon, Pistol, Revolver, Shotgun, Rifle, Air Rifle and all the other words to describe these various instruments/tools are interchangeable with firearm for this portion of the blog.

A firearm is designed to send a projectile down the barrel towards a target. The firearm does not care about the target; a paper target or a living being, all the same to the firearm.

A loaded firearm, pointed or un-pointed, when the trigger is pulled sends a projectile down the barrel. Almost all projectiles will go through a human body. Don't believe me. Check out the video in the links. Make sure you watch part 2/3 and part 3/3 of the video.

So unless you are superwoman, you, your spouse, your child, the cat/dog and anything else in the way of the bullet will get hurt, broken, or killed.

Got It. Good.

If You Don't, Stop Reading, and Come Back Next Week To Read About Air.

So, with that said, let us continue.

The first thing you need to do is get safety training. The NRA is the best source for this training. State conservation departments may have firearms safety training, usually staffed by NRA trained instructors. Gun ranges may also have instructors, so you can ask there. Infantry soldiers/veterans or other types of soldiers might also be a good source for safety training. As a last resort, you can ask friends and family to teach you. Be careful, some folks are not that safe.

Avoid police officers and armed security guards, most of them don't get that much training. It's a shame but true. They carry a gun for 8 to 12 hours a day and might get to the range four times a year or less. Some never pull their gun out of the holster, unless training or cleaning it, their entire career.

Some of you live outside the United States. You might be able to get training from current military members, military veterans, family, or friends in that order. Once again, avoid the police/security forces.

NRA Gun Safety Rules

1. Always Keep the Gun Pointed in a Safe Direction

2. Always Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger Until Ready to Shoot

3. Always Keep the Gun Unloaded Until Ready to Use

http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp

As a responsible adult, you will need refresher training as you see fit.

Now some people suggest you get more training. This depends on what you are preparing for, check your threat analysis. If you decide to get additional training, there are many fine firearms training schools and firearms instructors in the United States.

Outside the United States, you are going to have to ask friends, family, current military, and military veterans to help you.

Whatever you do

Make Sure You Get Firearm Safety Training

Most people will tell you get this gun, get this, and leave that one alone without telling you why; additionally, these people won't show you how to make an informed decision.

The first thing is why are you getting the gun? Food or Defense?

First, Food specifically meat.

The best way to obtain meat is through trapping. The traps are on 24 hours/7 days a week, however you may be in an emergency that trapping isn't going to work or is prohibited.

So, you will have to hunt. A shotgun in 12 or 20 gauge is usable for deer, pig, turkey, and duck. A 20 gauge is best for most people. A 12 gauge is usable by most people, but not all people.

To find out which one is best for you, get out and hunt. Some hunters have a loaner gun for a friend, so try to borrow before you buy.

Before you go hunting, you will need to get a hunting permit.

Even during an emergency, police, game wardens, and other law enforcement personal will be working. You need to make sure all of the required permits are in order before you go hunting.

Now which barrel type/length will you need? Depends on what you are hunting. For deer use a 18 to 20 inch slug barrel. Shooting duck, you will need a 24 to 30 inch long barrel. Don't forget the chokes. Don't know what I'm talking about; ask your family member/friend the hunter because I don't know.

The same for hunting with a rifle or a pistol. I don't hunt, yet.

You need to find someone to teach you because these are skills that you will need to learn and practice, before the emergency, to be good enough to bring home the bacon, turkey, deer, or ... Same goes for trapping.

I do know some things though.

Avoid uncommon calibers. Most people really mean uncommon cartridges. A cartridge is the combination of a bullet and a cartridge case. The cartridge case holds the powder, the primer and the bullet. An example is .257 Roberts. This cartridge has a bullet .257 inches in diameter (the caliber) and a cartridge case based on the 7X57 Mauser; this means the cartridge is 56.7 millimeters long.

Calibers or cartridges which one is it? This is one of the problems with guns. A lot of people think they know about guns and throw around terms that they really don't know what the term means. This is one of the reasons why guns are a popular hobby.

You get to learn about different words, their exact meaning, and shoot guns. What's not to like!

So I will have to explain to you what is right, as far as I know, and what you will hear.

The easiest way to find which common cartridges are in your area is go to a gun store, sporting goods store, Wal-Mart, or ask a friend. At the gun-store and sporting goods store ask which calibers are most popular in the area or just look at what is on the shelf. At Wal-Mart look behind the counter and see what they have the most of on the shelf. When asking your friend, ask which calibers him and his friends use? The type of bullet? And, who makes it?

In the US, 22LR (LR means Long Rifle), 30-30, 308, and 30.06 are the most popular calibers for hunting. 20 and 12 gauge are the most popular for shotguns. There are regional variations because of terrain, density and type of vegetation, and the type and size of animals hunted. You will need to get experience to learn the most popular cartridges for your area. Remember cartridge is the whole thing, bullet, cartridge case, powder and primer. The caliber is just the diameter of the bullet.

Just so you understand. There are probably 100 different types of cartridges for a .308 diameter (caliber) bullet.

Let us talk about defense.

There are two philosophies for handgun defensive cartridges. Small and fast or big and slow.

In the small and fast category is the 9mm (said 9 millimeter or 9 mill). In the big and slow category is the 45 ACP. 45 ACP is usually just called 45. Now "mm" means millimeter, a unit of measurement for diameter. ACP is an acronym for Colt Automatic Pistol. The diameter for a 45 ACP bullet is .45 inches in diameter or about 11.43 millimeters in diameter.

The 9mm travels from 1,100 feet per second to 1,200 feet per second and weights 123 grains. Small and fast.

The 45 ACP travels at about 900 feet per second and weights 230 grains. Big and slow.

Some people won't talk to each other because they disagree over which one is the "best" caliber for defense.

Guest what? They both work. They are both good defensive calibers, so is the 40 caliber. The 9mm is easier on the hand, less recoil. The 40 caliber is next, and the 45ACP has the most recoil. Some people are sensitive to recoil.

Recoil is how hard the gun "kicks."

It is the same way for how expensive the cartridges (remember bullet, cartridge case, powder, and primer) are 9mm is usually the least expensive, 40 cal (short for caliber) is next and the 45 is the most expensive when using the same type of powder, primer, and type of bullet.

Now different cartridges will be more or less expensive. Using a better powder (it propels the bullet to the target) increases the cost. Using a different type of bullet can increase the cost, and quality control by the manufacture will increase costs.

I am not going to discuss quality control. All of the manufactures (avoid, like the Plague, Indian .308/7.62 NATO) have generally good quality control. I am not going to write about powder, either because you can do that research on your own.

However, I am going to talk about bullets.

FMJ means Full Metal Jacket; it has a metal cover over all of the lead part of the bullet except for the very bottom of the bullet. This type of bullet is mainly used by the military. The bullet does not expand or get bigger.

SJ means Semi Jacketed; its metal cover just covers the bottom 1/2 of the bullet. People use a variation of this bullet for defense. The bullet will expand.

Then there are the non-jacketed bullets. They are usually just lead. I don't know how they expand.

Now bullets come in various shapes. Solid nose and hollow point. A solid nose bullet can be round, flat or another shape, but the nose is always filled with material. A hollow point has a hollow point. The abbreviation for hollow point is HP. I have provided three links, if you want to read more.

With all that said, you want to buy cartridges with a FMJ or SJHP bullet. Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) to practice with and Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) to shoot people with. Why?Because the best round for one-shot-stops, the bad person stops attacking, is the 125 grain SJHP .357 Magnum cartridge; additionally a brand-new FMJ is usually less expensive then SJHP.

Before you start asking about the 125gr. SJHP 357 Magnum round (round is interchangeable with cartridge). I want you to remind you about opinions. The wikipedia "Stopping Power" article offers some opinions; just like I did in the paragraph above. You have to get out there and talk to people, read articles, and make up your mind on this stuff. Be careful though defensive shooting is a multi-million dollar a year business, same with hunting.

The .357 Magnum cartridge is used in revolvers. They are the guns that look like they have a wheel. They are also called wheel guns. Below are two links showing some folks shooting revolvers.

Revolvers are relatively simple to operate and maintain. They come in single action, cowboys carried these types. You have to pull the hammer back every time you want to shoot, the video with Lenka. Double action revolvers you can squeeze the trigger to cause the hammer to come back and fire the gun, or use it single action, like the Colorado video.

I can recommend Colt, Taurus, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and others. There are lots of different manufacturers. Remember ask friends to take you to the gun store. This gives you a chance to see the quality of workmanship. Workmanship will cost you money.

While you are at the gun store, check out the other type of handguns, the pistol. A pistol is a handgun that will fire then automatically reload an unfired cartridge. These come in single and double action just like revolvers, but there is a difference. A single action pistol requires you to pull the hammer back once, from then on you squeeze the trigger and the pistol automatically reloads a new round, you squeeze the trigger again; the gun fires and reloads and this can continue until the magazine is empty. A double action pistol requires you to only squeeze the trigger to make the gun fire. Just like the double action revolver, a double action pistol can be fired like a single action pistol.

Once again, I can recommend Taurus, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Colt, and Springfield Armory. All of these and others make good guns.

Before I continue, let me tell you a story.

There was an cowgirl drinking in a bar. A drunk bumped into her. She said something; the drunk said something back, then the drunk hit the cowgirl. The cowgirl hit the drunk back.

After a few more hits, the drunk suggested they take the fight outside. As soon as the drunk stepped outside, the drunk pulled out a big'ol knife. The knife was 3 feet long and razor sharp; it still had blood on it from the last fight.

The cowgirl whipped out her gun and shot the drunk. As the dead drunk hit the ground, she turned around and said "Stupid drunk bringing a knife to a gunfight."

When all is said and done, the choice of a pistol or a revolver, a 9mm or a 357 magnum, blued or stainless steel. The gun you have with you is the gun you will have to use. You need to practice, practice, and practice some more because that is what really makes the difference in a gunfight.

Enough about handguns, lets talk about rifles. There are various types of rifle operating systems. I am going to limit my writing to just two, the bolt action and semi-automatic action; eventhough, there is a third, called the lever action.

Bolt action is just like it says. You manipulate a bolt to get a round in the chamber to shoot the gun. Most hunting rifles use this operating system.

A semi-automatic rifle is just like a pistol. Gases from the first fired cartridge puts an unfired cartridge in the chamber ready to shoot. Most military rifles use this system.

The bolt actions are rugged. I have seen bolt action rifles, that can still be safely fired, over 110 years old. Bolt action rifles use different cartridges. The 22LR is used for hunting small game, squirrels and rabbits. 308 is used for medium game, deer. 30.06 is used for larger game like elk. The common cartridges found in bolt action rifles for killing humans are 30.06, .303, 7.62X54R and 8mm Mauser.

8mm is used in the German Mauser rifle of World War 2 fame. 30.06 was the cartridge used by the US in World War 2, and the .303 was used by the British in World War 2. 7.62X54R is special.

The Russians have been using this round for over a hundred years. 7.62 is the diameter of the bullet, in millimeters. 54 is the length of the cartridge, in millimeters, and the R means it has a rim.

If you are interested in the rim issue, do some research. The bolt action rifles that use this cartridge are rifles used by the soviets and others during WW1 and WW2. They are called Mosin-Nagant. You can get one for about $125.

Another WW2 rifle is the German K98, sometimes called a Mauser. It uses the 8mm Mauser round. These rifles go for about $250 to thousands of dollars. Some are collector rifles, most aren't. Mitchell's rifles aren't.

The Lee-Enfield rifle uses the .303. It has a removable magazine that was intended not to be removed. You can get one for about $250. James Darkin swears by these rifles as the inexpensive survival rifle.

The bolt action rifle in 30.06 that you will commonly see is a civilian rifle not a rifle designed for war. The bolt action war rifles in this cartridge have become collector items. These are expensive when compared to the other rifles, costing over $700.

If you are going to get a bolt action rifle as your primary killing people rifle you need to stay focused on the .303, 8mm, and the 7.62X54R because you can buy inexpensive military-grade rifles for these cartridges. That is important because you need a rifle that will shoot and shoot and shoot some more every time you need it to, a quality military rifle will do that.

Semiautomatic rifles are finicky. They have to be better cleaned, better cared for, and have detachable magazines, something most bolt action do not have.

The common semiautos, short for semiautomatic, are 5.56mm, 7.62 NATO, 30.06, and 7.62X39.

The 5.56mm cartridge is used by the US and a few allies. The most common rifle is the M16 series. I say series because the US has been using this gun for over 40 years. There has been the AR-15, XM-177E2, M-16, M-16A1, M-16A2, M-16A3, M-16A4, and the M-4. Civilians will normally see a semiauto copy of the M16 series rifles. These are one of the "assault rifles" some people want to ban.

The 7.62 NATO round is used in the FN-FAL, G3/HK-91/CEMTE, M-14/M1A. Some people will tell you .308 and 7.62 NATO are interchangeable; nope. See the "Third Half-Guns" for the reason why.

The classic 30.06 cartridge was used in the M1 Garand rifle. General Patton called the M1 "the greatest battle implement ever devised." This was probably true for WW2 but time marches on.

Time and Mikhail Kalashnikov give us the AK-47. With over 10,000,000 manufactured in the last 50 years; you won't see one in your local gun store. The rifles you see are a semiauto version of this famous gun. Just like the M-16 series rifle, we have had the AK-47, AKM, AKMS, and AK-74. There are many manufactures of this type of rifle; some good, some not so good. Like the SKS, the AK-47 uses the 7.62X39 cartridge.

Any of the mentioned rifles are fine. Some are better then the other because their magazines are cheaper. So which one should you get?

I am going to let you pick based on a partially informed decision. How far do you want to shoot someone? Are you going to shoot through something to hit them? Remember the video? How much money do you have? How many are you going to buy? How many magazines are you buying?

-Magazine Prices-

Price -- Rifle

$0 -- K98, Mosin-Nagant, SKS (No Detachable Magazines)

$1 -- M1 en-bloc clips (the famous "ping")

$3 -- HK 91 magazine

$8 -- FN-FAL magazine

$8-$20 -- AR-15/M-16 magazine

$30 -- Lee-Enfield magazine

$20-$50 -- M1A magazines

Magazine prices have come down, since the election in 2008. But, as we have seen in the past, prices can quickly rise or a ban of ownership enacted.

-Rifle Prices-

Price -- Rifle

$125 -- Mosin-Nagant

$250 -- K98, Lee-Enfield

$300 -- SKS

$400 -- AK series

$500 -- M1 Garand from CMP

$850 -- AR-15 by Olympic Arms base model

$1,000 -- HK 91 clone PTR-91, FN-FAL by DSA model STG-58

$1,300 -- M1A by Springfield Armory base model

$2,000 -- AR-15 by Colt

$2,000 -- HK-91 by Heckler & Kock

$2,000 -- FN-FAL by DSA model G1

$3,000 -- M1A by Springfield Amory super match grade

These prices are a general beginning price range. As prices go up, you are paying for better material, tighter tolerences, and collectable rifle status. You can also pay less by looking around.

Remember: If it sounds to good to be true, it probaly is.

-Maximum Effective Range-

range -- cartridge -- rifle

300 meters -- 5.56mm -- AR-15/M-16 series

300 meters -- 7.63X39 - SKS, AK series

800 meters -- .303 -- Lee-Enfield

800 meters -- 7.62 NATO -- FN-FAL, HK-91, M1A

8oo meters -- 7.62X54R -- Mosin-Nagant

8o0 meters -- 30.06 -- M1 Grarand

Maximum effective range is how far away an average person can hit a target, and the bullet still has enough energy to kill the person that is hit by the bullet.

After all is said and done, none of these rifles are perfect. The FN-FAL is a very long rifle. The AR-15/M-16 shoots a round that doesn't go through big, thick trees or bricks. The AK series won't reach out to 500 meters with any accuracy. The Mosin-Nagant is a bolt action, and bolt actions can be slow to use if you are attacked by a large group.

Once you have bought your guns, you are going to need stuff.

Cleaning kits, patches, bore brushes, gun oils, ear and eye protection, ammo cans, ammo, slings, holsters, belt for the holster, gun locker/safe, common spare/repair parts, magazines, magazine pouches, belt for the magazine pouches, and other stuff as you see fit.

Remember, this is a multi-million dollar business for a reason.

Lastly, once you learn to shoot, even the basics. You need to take people shooting; from work, church, home or school doesn't matter, teach them shooting. This gets people involved and they might start to prepare. The more prepared people are the better off for us all. So go to the gun store and I'll ...

See you, Monday!

Links:

National Rifle Association - Home Page

http://home.nra.orp/#/home

http://www.nra.org/home.aspx

Pink Pistols - Home Page

http://www.pinkpistols.org

Military Shooting Test-1/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSqdTLLZBWw

Bullet Basics 1-Materials:

http://www.firearmsid.com/Bullets/bullet1.htm

Bullet Construction 2-Shapes:

http://www.firearmsid.com/Bullets/bullet2.htm

Modern Handgun Bullets:

http://world.guns.ru/ammo/bullets-e.htm

Grain and Grain! What is Grain?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_/ai_70650314

Stopping Power:

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/stopping_power

Video of a Revolver-For the Gentlemen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFwfRrj6pJM

Video of a Revolver-For the Ladies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEKVu7qzeW4

George Carlin-Stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn1u6tzwRxA

Special Note:

Thanks to Say Uncle for looking over this post to make sure I didn't screw-up, too bad. Thanks again!

Say Uncle:

http://www.saysuncle.com/

Section Two - Guns

2009-05-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Second Half - Guns

Welcome,

This is the second half of the blog about guns. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

Teach Childern Firearms Safety

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBMioFUxZms

NRA - Learn Gun Safety with Eddie Eagle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlEBrb_wRYc

Nuke1Show - Gun Safety

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5uxp5KDLGA

limalife - Choosing Your First Handgun: Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RLpiKFWYOU

limalife - Choosing Your First Handgun: Part 2.. Calibers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYexVILFOIE

limalife - Holster Talk Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6id83qgQVic

limalife - Holster Talk Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46EktyGjfY4

limalife - Holster Talk Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv-9jjRFutc

limalife - Holster Talk Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1r_JhFl8pM

NRA - The Untold Story of Gun Confiscation After Katrina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taU9d26wT4

Survival Podcast - Thoughts on Basic Survival Firearms

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/thoughts-on-basic-survival-firearms

Survival Podcast - Solid Values in Firearms for the Survival Minded

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/solid-values-in-firearms-for-the-survival-minded

Today's Survival Show - Episode 45: Guns on a budget, Shoestring Survivalism

http://www.todayssurvival.com/?p=969

Instructions:

How to Store Ammunition

The first option is to store the ammunition in its original cartons. If you have a dry place away from extreme heat, this will work for a short time. Usually months to years. However, if you have humidity, there is a danger of the ammo, interchangeable with ammunition, corroding or rusting.

To increase storage life, place your ammo in US military ammunition cans. These cans will protect the ammo from humidity and water. The cans will also make your ammo easier to transport.

You need to make sure you inspect the cans before you buy them.

Look on the outside of the can. There should be no major rust. If there is rust, make sure it has not eaten a hole in the can. Minor rust can be sprayed with a rust converter paint then painted over.

On the inside, check the rubber seals around the inside top of the can. The seal should be present and pliable. If the seal is missing, the ammo can will leak.

Other Information:

NRA's Safety Rules and More

Remember me writing about the NRA's Gun Safety Rules at http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp There is so much more information at that link. You need to go back and read some more of the website.

Recommendations on What to Buy

Very Small Budget

* M-91 Mosin-Nagant Rifle, 7.62X54R

* 12/20 gauge single shot Shotgun

* Model 10 Smith & Wesson Revolver, .38 special

* 22LR single-shot Rifle

Small Budget

* Lee-Enfield Rifle, .303

* 12 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun

* M-65 Taurus .357 magnum Revolver

* 10/22 Ruger Rifle, .22LR

Another Small Budget

* SKS Rifle, 7.62X39

* 12 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun

* P90 Ruger Pistol, 45ACP

* 10/22 Ruger Rifle, .22LR

Medium Budget

* AR-15/M-16 series Olympic Arms Rifle, 5.56mm

* 12 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun with 18 inch rifled slug barrel w/rifle sights and a 28 inch barrel

* 1911A1 Springfield Armory Pistol, 45ACP

* 10/22 Ruger Rifle, .22LR

Large Budget

* M1A Springfield Armory Rifle, 7.62 NATO

* 12 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun w/18 inch rifled slug barrel with rifle sights, 28 inch barrel

* 1911A1 Springfield Armory Pistol, 45ACP

* 10/22 Ruger Rifle, 22LR

The above recommendations are firearms picked based on price. You will have to do the research to see if the various guns fit your needs and your budget.

Yes, all of the "Very Small Budget" and "Small Budget" recommendations should be/are used guns. You can also buy used guns to reduce you costs for a "Medium Budget" or "Large Budget."

Remember your spouse and children will also need guns for protection and hunting.

If I was limited to two guns for protection, I would buy a 357 magnum revolver and a SKS rifle. The .357 revolver would be my carry gun; additionally, the .357 will also shoot .38 special rounds. The SKS is a short and handy, semiautomatic rifle perfect for the suburbs. Some people would substitute a Remington 870 shotgun for the SKS rifle.

These two guns also limit the additional equipment you need to buy. A holster and belt for the revolver, and a sling, ammo carrier and stripper clips for the SKS. You will need a cleaning kit and ammo for both weapons.

Many people will recommend having 1,000 cartridges for the rifles and 500 rounds for the handguns. If you are on a limited budget, 250 cartridges for the rifles and 100 rounds for the handguns, I think, would be OK. Remember your threat analysis.

There are some people that have over 10,000 rounds for their rifles, 2500 rounds for their pistols, and around 20,000 cartridges for their 22LR rifles. I assume, their threat analysis includes a possible ammunition ban, civil war/invasion, or other threat requiring lots of ammo.

Others' Opinions

Survivalist Blog - The Poor Man's Arsenal

http://thesurvivalistblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/poor-man-survival-arsenal.html

Sh*t Hit The Fan Blog - Top Ten Best Guns for Survival

http://www.shtfblog.com/shtf-blogs-top-ten-best-guns-for-survival/

Bison Survival Blog- Rimfire Arsenal

http://bisonsurvivalblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/rimfire-arsenal.html

Surging Again

Remember me talking about "Surging" a couple of weeks ago. Here is another example about surging not working.

During the 1992 riots in California, after the trial of four police officers for violating a citizen's constitutional rights, people tried to immediately buy guns. The gun dealers turned them away because they didn't have the necessary permits and hadn't completed the proper waiting period.

Section Two - Guns

2009-05-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Second Half - Guns

Welcome,

This is the second half of the blog about guns. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

Teach Childern Firearms Safety

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBMioFUxZms

NRA - Learn Gun Safety with Eddie Eagle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlEBrb_wRYc

Nuke1Show - Gun Safety

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5uxp5KDLGA

limalife - Choosing Your First Handgun: Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RLpiKFWYOU

limalife - Choosing Your First Handgun: Part 2.. Calibers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYexVILFOIE

limalife - Holster Talk Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6id83qgQVic

limalife - Holster Talk Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46EktyGjfY4

limalife - Holster Talk Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv-9jjRFutc

limalife - Holster Talk Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1r_JhFl8pM

NRA - The Untold Story of Gun Confiscation After Katrina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taU9d26wT4

Survival Podcast - Thoughts on Basic Survival Firearms

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/thoughts-on-basic-survival-firearms

Survival Podcast - Solid Values in Firearms for the Survival Minded

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/solid-values-in-firearms-for-the-survival-minded

Today's Survival Show - Episode 45: Guns on a budget, Shoestring Survivalism

http://www.todayssurvival.com/?p=969

Instructions:

How to Store Ammunition

To increase storage life, place your ammo in US military ammunition cans. These cans will protect the ammo from humidity and water. The cans will also make your ammo easier to transport.

You need to make sure you inspect the cans before you buy them.

Look on the outside of the can. There should be no major rust. If there is rust, make sure it has not eaten a hole in the can. Minor rust can be sprayed with a rust converter paint then painted over.

On the inside, check the rubber seals around the inside top of the can. The seal should be present and pliable. If the seal is missing, the ammo can will leak.

Other Information:

NRA's Safety Rules and More

Remember me writing about the NRA's Gun Safety Rules at http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp There is so much more information at that link. You need to go back and read some more of the website.

Recommendations on What to Buy

Very Small Budget

* M-91 Mosin-Nagant Rifle, 7.62X54R

* 12/20 gauge single shot Shotgun

* Model 10 Smith & Wesson Revolver, .38 special

* 22LR single-shot Rifle

Small Budget

* Lee-Enfield Rifle, .303

* 12 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun

* M-65 Taurus .357 magnum Revolver

* 10/22 Ruger Rifle, .22LR

Another Small Budget

* SKS Rifle, 7.62X39

* 12 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun

* P90 Ruger Pistol, 45ACP

* 10/22 Ruger Rifle, .22LR

Medium Budget

* AR-15/M-16 series Olympic Arms Rifle, 5.56mm

* 12 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun with 18 inch rifled slug barrel w/rifle sights and a 28 inch barrel

* 1911A1 Springfield Armory Pistol, 45ACP

* 10/22 Ruger Rifle, .22LR

Large Budget

* M1A Springfield Armory Rifle, 7.62 NATO

* 12 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun w/18 inch rifled slug barrel with rifle sights, 28 inch barrel

* 1911A1 Springfield Armory Pistol, 45ACP

* 10/22 Ruger Rifle, 22LR

The above recommendations are firearms picked based on price. You will have to do the research to see if the various guns fit your needs and your budget.

Yes, all of the "Very Small Budget" and "Small Budget" recommendations should be/are used guns. You can also buy used guns to reduce you costs for a "Medium Budget" or "Large Budget."

Remember your spouse and children will also need guns for protection and hunting.

Others' Opinions

Survivalist Blog - The Poor Man's Arsenal

http://thesurvivalistblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/poor-man-survival-arsenal.html

Sh*t Hit The Fan Blog - Top Ten Best Guns for Survival

http://www.shtfblog.com/shtf-blogs-top-ten-best-guns-for-survival/

Bison Survival Blog- Rimfire Arsenal

http://bisonsurvivalblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/rimfire-arsenal.html

Surging Again

Remember me talking about "Surging" a couple of weeks ago. Here is another example about surging not working.

Section Three - Guns

2009-05-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Third Half - Guns

Welcome,

This is the third half of the blog post on guns.

Interchangeability of Ammunition

Ammunition is specifically designed. A .308 rifle cartridges will not fit in a 380 caliber pistol. One reason is the cartridge is too long. Another reason this doesn't work is the caliber is wrong; additionally, some cartridges are designed to produce a higher pressure when the round is fired. Some/Most guns can't handle these higher pressures of a different cartridge.

One of these exceptions is a .38 Special cartridge in a revolver designed for the .357 magnum. These is an excellent article, explaining this interchangeablity, by Richard Malay at http://www.recguns.com/Sources/IIIB4.html

Rangy Lyman produced a chart showing the cartridges that are interchangeable. The chart is at http://yarchive.net/gun/ammo/cartridge_interchange.html

But what about the lack of interchangeablilty between the .308 and 7.62 NATO cartridge?

The .308 cartridge can be loaded for a higher presure than a 7.62 NATO round, so if you fire a 308 round in a gun designed to shoot 7.62 NATO, the rifle could be damaged.

Another danger is the 308 round is shorter then a 7.62 NATO cartridge. If you use a 308 cartridge in a rifle designed to shoot 7.62 NATO, the cartridge could rupture. A ruptured cartridge case would send very hot gases, from the burning powder, back into your eyes, face, and hands.

Scopes

Chris Byrne, of The ArchAngel blog, has an excellent post on buying a scope for your rifles. His article is archived at http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html You will have to scroll down to "Scoping Out." It is his August 4th post.

Shotguns

Remember me taking about more experienced survivalists making mistakes. One of these mistakes is thinking the 12 gauge shotgun is the best shotgun.

It isn't if you are a young teenager, a petite woman, a slightly-built gentleman, a recoil sensitive person, or ...

Yeah, the list is a lot longer, but you get the point. The 12 gauge shotgun isn't for everybody.

So, you might want to look at the 20 gauge shotgun for protection/defense and food gathering for you and your family.

Section Four - Guns

2009-05-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

Forth Half - Guns

Welcome,

This is the forth half of the post on guns. You will find links to other bloggers and websites about the subject for this week.

Blogs:

The Firearm Blog - How to Handle AK-74M

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2008/01/05/how-to-handle-ak-74m/

NSSF - Aiming for Accuracy: Two Major Newspapers, Which One Got It Right?

http://blog.nssf.org/2009/09/two-major-newspapers-which-one-got-it-right.html

Shots Across the Bow - Self Defense 101

http://www.shotsacrossthebow.com/index.php/site/comments/self_defense_101/

The Defensive Handgun Blog - George the Travelling Salesman and the Joy of Go-Pants

http://defensivehandgun.blogspot.com/2009/08/george-travelling-salesman-and-joy-of.html

Random Nuclear Strikes - Buyin’ Guns — the Free Way

http://www.softgreenglow.com/wp/?p=6690

Home On the Range - Home Security - Something all Families Should Read

http://mausersandmuffins.blogspot.com/2008/09/video-for-gun-control.html

InSights Training Center - Selecting Equipment

http://insightstraining.com/blog/index.php/2009/11/selecting-equipment/

Websites:

Stability For Our Time - Why We Follow the Four ...

http://www.stabilityforourtime.com/index.php/stability/comments/why_we_follow_all_four_rules_for_gun_safety/

Scribd - Places to Stash Firearms

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19335613/Places-to-Stash-Firearms

Alpha Rubicon - Expedient Firearm Repair

http://www.alpharubicon.com/leo/emrgsmithing.htm

Survival Plus - Kurt Saxon: Fantasy & Weaponry

http://survivalplus.com/defense/page0001.htm

Chapter Eight - Information

2009-04-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Quickstart:

Go to your local library and get a library card.

Same for your husband and kids.

Blog Post:

Information, we are surrounded by it.

Radio; tv; internet; newspapers; what you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste; and many others. But what happens if it stops. I'm talking about something simple, like an electrical outage.

How will you get your information? What if the emergency lasts longer than three days? Three weeks? Three years?

Remember PACE? For me.

Primary: Electronic Files on my computer

Alternate: A Laptop Computer and Compact Disks (CD) I am switching to an archival brand, when I can find one. A switch to DVD when I buy my next computer.

Contingency: Paper Files and Printed Books

Emergency: Microfiche and doubles of selected books packed for long-term storage.

While I was reading some archived blog posts, I found a post by Selous Scout on creating "The Survival Bible" for yourself. You need to read the post.

Selous Scout lays out a great method of building a 3-ring binder, or sets of binders, to hold important emergency preparedness information for you and your family.

What is really neat about this idea, is that the binders can be as simple or as in-depth as you want. Preparing for a multigenerational emergency, you will need, oh, 100 binders. Preparing for an earthquake, maybe, 2 binders.

And this leads to the next point. Do you have an inventory of your home and its contents for insurance purposes? Stored at an off-site location such as a friend/relative's home, safety deposit box, or lawyer's office?

How about copies of the insurance policies themselves? Contact information for your agent?

How about those (evil, vile, despicable, and useful) credit cards? Do you have copies of the account number, procedures for dealing with a stolen card, and account policies?

Birth certificates, passports, marriage licences, divorce decrees; water, sewer, electric, gas, oil, and other regular bills; and tax records to name a few more.

Yes, all possibly stored off-site in a safety deposit box. If you don't like that idea, how about your own safe. Bolted to the floor, of course.

Now remember your threat analysis. The files you create are specific to you. Don't let the threats that I'm/others are preparing for distract you from your preparations.

As you do research for your Survival Bible, you will read about other people preparing for various emergencies, Peak Oil, Collapse of Society, Race Wars, Nuclear War, Economic Disasters, and many others. If you come across something that you think you need to add to your threat analysis, go ahead and add to your list. Just, make sure you prioritize the new threat, OK.

Links:

Selous Scout - The Survival Bible

http://selousscouts.blogspot.com/2008/04/survival-bible_28.html

Advisory:

I suggest you don't purchase "Rawles Gets You Ready" offered by Arbogast Publishing LLC and advertised on Survival Blog.

I say this for a few reasons.

First, the cost. I bought a copy for $80. Now, the manual is $150. That is expensive, very expensive.

For about $150 you could buy:

Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage

The New Passport to Survival: 12 Steps to Self-Sufficient Living by Rita Bingham

Cooking With Home Storage by Vicki Tate and Peggy Layton

Country Beans by Rita Bingham

Nuclear War Survival Skills, 1987 edition by Cresson H. Keary

Additionally, there is free survival information on the web.

Captain Dave's Survival Guide, I highly recommend it!

http://www.captaindaves.com/guide/

Nuclear War Survival Skills

http://www.ki4u.com/webpal/d_resources/survival/books/books.htm

American Red Cross Publications

http://www.redcross.org

click on "Preparing and Getting Trained"

Then click on any of the links on the left such as

Get Trained

Prepare

-Home & Family

-Workplace & Employees

-School & Student

Preparedness Fast Facts

United States Army Publications

https://rdl.train.army.mil/soldierPortal/soldier.portal

click on "Official Departmental Publications" to get to the manuals than

click on submit to get all of the stuff. Over 80 web pages of military information.

Second, I felt the manual was lacking in How-To information. How-To information that is easily found on the internet.

Now don't get me wrong, I think "Rawles Gets You Ready" sucks. It is a waste of money; however, Survival Blog is a great site. James Rawles and lots of other people providing free information for you to use; what more could you ask for?

Section Two - Information

2009-04-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Second Half - Information

Welcome,

This is the second half of the blog about transportation. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

Loading Microfilm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IubMlnzVKSE

Loading Microfiche

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1A2K4osqM4

Microfiche Copier 101

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2AWcFIqlaE

Coin Operated Microfiche Copier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZF81x0pOyQ

Instructions:

Long-Term Storage of Books

I have two copies of certain books. One copy is kept out and is used as needed. The other copy is placed into long term storage.

To store these books, I place them in a mylar bag with an oxygen absorber and some moisture absorber. After I seal the bag, I write the title and author of the book on the seal. I then place two or three other sealed books in another bag with an oxygen absorber and more moisture absorber. This bag is sealed and labeled with titles and authors. I take two to three of these bundles then place the bundles in a heavy-duty trash bag. The trash bag is taped shut and stacked in a metal (preferred method) or wooden (alternative method) box.

Other Information:

Obtaining Information

My favorite place to get information is the internet.The second place is the local library. The library has magazines, books, and videos on a variety of subjects. Just go to the card catalog, probably a computer now a days, and enter your search query. If that doesn't work, there is a librarian to assist you.

Most local libraries are a member of a inter-library loan program. Under the inter-library loan program, the local library is able to borrow a book from another library. The library will be able to get you a copy of a book; they don't have for free or a small fee.

I have used my local library and the inter-library program to read many books that I normally couldn't afford. Once, I find a book that I think I want to own; I check local and national booksellers for used copies. We also have a local library sale every year. I am able to buy books for about 1/10 to 1/100 their original price. One year I was able to buy a set of Encyclopedia Britannica for $20.

Be careful, I have accidentally bought five copies, over the years, of Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. I keep a list, now. For the ambitious, the librarians will be able to help you set up a card catalog for your book collection.

The Dan Forrester Project

In the book Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, the character Dan Forrester attempts to save information that might be useful to a society recovering from a catastrophic event.

In the pouring rain, he loads books, double sealed in zip-lock bags, into an old steel tank. After hooking up with other survivors of the asteroid strike, they are able to recover the contents of the tank.

This is a good idea; however, zip-lock bags will leak. Loading the tank during a pouring rain was also a poor idea.

So why did I tell you about a very minor part in a great survival/science fiction book? Because, I would like you to join the "Dan Forrester Project."

The idea is to save books that can be used by you to teach or by others to learn your profession/expertise. If you would like to add more books to the project, please do.

Now, don't go out and buy two new copies of every book you own, that is a waste of money. Just the ones that you would use to teach someone, from the beginning, your area of expertise.

Section Three - Information

2009-04-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Third Half - Information

Welcome,

This is the third half of the post on information

Blogs

There comes a time in everyone's life where we have to seek out like minded others to help learn a piece of knowledge or a specific skill. One of these places are other folk's blogs.

Be warned, not everyone is getting ready for the same set of emergencies. Some have more money but less time then you and your family, so they throw money at a problem. Other folks may believe things differently then you and your family do.

So, as you go through these blogs; think about if these folks "fit" into your preparedness plans, but don't forget, make sure you listen to the folks that might disagree with your views; they might have something for you to think about.

With that said, you will find links to numerous blogs, below.

Some are exclusively about emergency preparedness and survivalism, others are about freedom issues with survival mixed in, and others are a mix of guns, politics, freedom, survival and whatever the writer wants to write.

Be warned. These folks have their opinions. What has worked for them may not work for you.

Additionally, some of the writers are trying to make back a little of their expenses. They have pamphlets, books, and other items for sale. Some even take donations.

Just so you know, if a site has ads by Goggle or others, and you click on the ad, the site owner will receive a small remittance from the advertising company.

Abraham's Blog

http://hotdogjam.wordpress.com

Aspiring Survivalist Blog

http://theaspiringsurvivalist.blogspot.com/

Be A Survivor Blog

http://beasurvivor.blogspot.com/

Bear Ridge Project Blog

http://www.bearridgeproject.com/

Bison Survival Blog

http://bisonsurvivalblog.blogspot.com/

Boniface's Treatise Blog

http://bonifacestreatise.blogspot.com

Casaubon's Book

http://sharonstyk.com/

Circle of the Oroborous Blog

http://circleoftheoroborous-dragon.blogspot.com/

Code Name Insight Blog

http://codenameinsight.blogspot.com/

Coffee with the Hermit Blog

http://hermitjim.blogspot.com/

The Coming Depression Blog

http://thecomingdepression.blogspot.com/

Comrade Simba Blog

http://www.comradesimba.com/blog/

Daily Survival Blog

http://daily-survival.blogspot.com/

Degringolade Blog

http://mightaswellliebackandenjoyit.blogspot.com/

Down in the Hills-The Survivalist Way Blog

http://blog.linnabary.net/

Everyday Prepper

http://everydayprepper.com

La Ferme de Sourrou Blog

http://lafermedesourrou.blogspot.com/

The Field Lab Blog

http://thefieldlab.blogspot.com/

Food - Learning from the Poor’s Blog

http://food-learningfromthepoor.vox.com

Food Storage... A Necessary Adventure Blog

http://adventureinbloggingtoo.blogspot.com/

Food Storage Made Easy

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/

Frugal Canning Blog

http://frugalcanning.blogspot.com/

Grain Storehouse

http://www.grainstorehouse.com

How to Pack Food for Long Term Storage Blog

http://howtopackfood.blogspot.com/

I'd Rather Be...The Pursuit of an Off Grid Life Blog

http://idratherbe-ginger.blogspot.com/

Hunter-Gather: Wild & Fresh Food Blog

http://huntergathercook.typepad.com/huntergathering_wild_fres/

Journey in the Woods Blog

http://journeyinthewoods.blogspot.com/

Keep it Simple Survival Blog

http://mayberry-keepitsimplestupid.blogspot.com/

Little Homestead in the City Blog

http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/

Living for End Times

http://www.livingforendtimes.com/

No BS Survival Blog

http://sunfightergunfighter.blogspot.com/

No Nanny State - Molon Labe!

http://nonannystate.blogspot.com/

Notes From the Bunker Blog

http://commanderzero.com/

Off-Grid.Net Blog

http://www.off-grid.net/

Off Grid Survival Blog

http://offgridsurvival.com/

Patriots Against the NWO Blog

http://patriotsagainstthenwo.blogspot.com/

Peak Oil Hausfrau Blog

http://peakoilhausfrau.blogspot.com/

Prepare! Tips To Survive The End Of The World Blog

http://survivalism.blogspot.com

Prepared For Survival Blog

http://preparedforsurvival.blogspot.com

Preparing for Tyranny Blog

http://pft2009.blogspot.com/

Preparing Your Family Blog

http://preparingyourfamily.com/

Prepper Podcast

http://www.prepperpodcast.com/

Ready. Set. Plan. Blog

http://readysetplan.blogspot.com/

Real Self Reliance

http://www.realselfreliance.com/

Safely Gathered In Blog

http://www.safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/

Scoutinlife's Homestead and Preparedness Blog

http://scoutinlife.blogspot.com/

Self Sustained Living Blog

http://selfsustainedliving.blogspot.com/

She Survives Blog

http://shesurvives.blogspot.com/

Sh*t Hit The Fan Blog

http://www.shtfblog.com/

Simple Green Frugal Co-op Blog

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/

Something Wicked Comes Blog

http://selousscouts.blogspot.com/

Staying Alive Blog

http://wwwstayalive.blogspot.com/

Stealth Survival Blog

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/

The Suburban Prepper Blog

http://suburbanprepper.wordpress.com/

Survival Acres Blog

http://survivalacres.com/wordpress/

Survival Blog

http://www.survivalblog.com/

Survival Lady Blog

http://survivallady.com

The Survival Mom Blog

http://thesurvivalmom.com/

The Survival Podcast

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/

The Survival Report Blog

http://www.survivalreportblog.com

Survival/Special Cooking

http://www.survival-cooking.com/

Survival Spot Blog

http://www.survival-spot.com/survival-gear-equipment/

Survival Strategies Blog

http://survivalstrategies.blogspot.com/

Survival Topics

http://www.survivaltopics.com/

Survive the Worst Blog

http://survivetheworst.blogspot.com/

Survivalist Blog

http://thesurvivalistblog.blogspot.com/

Survivalist.info

http://www.survivalist.info/

Survivalist News

http://www.survivalistnews.com/

Surviving in Argentina Blog

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/

TEOTWAWKI Blog

http://teotwawkiblog.blogspot.com

TEOTWAWKIAIFF Blog

http://teotwawkiaiff.blogspot.com/

Texas Woman Prepper's Blog

http://texaswomanprepper.wordpress.com/

Today's Survival Show

http://www.todayssurvival.com/

Total Survivalist Libertarian Bitchfest Blog

http://tslbf.blogspot.com/

Total Survivalist Libertarian Rantfest Blog

http://tslrf.blogspot.com/

The Urban Survivalist Blog

http://theurbansurvivalist.blogspot.com/

Viking Preparedness Blog

http://vikingpreparedness.blogspot.com/

Wolf Tracks Blog

http://jimshywolf.blogspot.com/

Woodcraft in Poland

http://woodcraftinpoland.blogspot.com/

Wretha's Adventures Living 100% Off Grid Blog

http://wretha.blogspot.com/

You will notice, some of the blogs are no longer updated or updated on an irregular basis. Most of these blogs still have an active archive, so make sure you read their archives. Even though they may no longer be posting, the authors still might have information for you on their blog.

If you have a survival/emergency preparedness blog, and you would like to be included in this list, e-mail me at gsiep.blogspot(at)gmail.com. Put "Blog List Addition" in the heading, so I don't automatically delete the e-mail. I usually check this e-mail box once a week.

Since you have hung around this long, If you have a question, feel free to e-mail me at the same address.

Section Four - Information

2009-04-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Forth Half - Information

Welcome,

This is the forth half of the post on information. You will find links to other bloggers and websites about the subject for this week.

Blogs:

Abraham's Blog - Learn your area of operations

http://hotdogjam.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/learn-your-area-of-operations/

Websites:

WikiHow - How to Keep a Notebook

http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-a-Notebook

Chapter Nine - Clothing

2009-03-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

Quickstart:

Insure everyone has a coat, hat, and gloves warm enough for the winter.

Blog Post:

Clothing is very important. It protects us from the extremes of this planet and outerspace. Yes, outerspace.

Think about the effort that the various space programs take to protect an astronaut, cosmonaut, or taikonaut. Extreme cold, heat, and the almost absolute vacuum of space.

Lucky for you, you are only preparing for an emergency on this planet, but that is still a big challenge.

Depending on where you live will depend on the clothing you will need for your emergency preparations. The Pacific Northwest will require an entirely different set of clothing preparations then in the American Southwest. This also goes for the urban, suburban, or rural resident.

Let's look at some of the similarities for all of these locations.

A hat

Everybody needs a hat. I suggest a wide brim hat that has a brim about 3 inches wide all the way around the hat. The full brim will protect your ears, neck and face from the sun's harsh rays. The hat will also reduce the amount of body heat escaping from you in the cold.

If it is really cold, you will need a second hat.

A US military pile cap, a close fitting cap with flaps that cover the ears; a wool watch cap/beanie; or a towel wrapper around your head will help retain some of your body heat.

A scarf

Yes, a scarf even for the desert. In the winter/cold areas of the the world, you will want a wool scarf. Make sure, the scarf is long enough to wrap around your face to protect your face from the wind. If you/a family member is allergic to wool, acrylic scarves work pretty well. You also might want to check out merino wool items. I hear they don't get scratchy like regular wool.

Back to the scarf for the desert. This scarf should be long enough to warp around your head to protect your neck, face, and eyes from the intense sunlight found in the desert. The Bedouins call them kufiyya; theirs are made out of wool. I suggest a cotton one; additionally, a cotton scarf can hold an ice cube at the base of your neck to help keep you cool in the summer.

A shirt

You will want a long sleeve shirt. The long sleeves will protect you from various dangers such as sun, wind, and biting insects. Depending on the climate, you can layer the shirt with a t-shirt under the shirt and a sweater over the shirt.

Most people will tell you to avoid using cotton in your emergency preparedness preparations. I agree, for the most part. Cotton is a poor fabric for survival. Cotton will hold moisture, doesn't dry fast, and it doesn't retain your body heat as well as wool and the synthetic fabrics, like polypropylene, when wet. If you can avoid getting wet, say when you are indoors, cotton makes an inexpensive clothing fabric.

I own a few cotton sweaters that I wear during the winter to keep the chill off while in the house. I even wear a cotton sweater when I travel around town in the winter. But I keep a wool or performance fabric, such as thermax, shirt handy if I go out into the wild for more than a few minutes.

Long pants

You need long pants not shorts. Just like long sleeves, long pants protect you from the sun and flying stuff if you use a chainsaw or string trimmer.

Now don't get me wrong, shorts are cool, (Yes, the pun was intended.) but you are trying to prevent injuries during an emergency. Just like shirts, wool in the winter and cotton in the summer is OK, but avoid getting the cotton items wet.

Undies or no undies that is the question

From my understanding, undergarments where originally intended to reduce the need to wash your outer clothing. Our sweat and body oils would soil the underwear instead of the outer cloths. The outer clothes could be worn many times before needing to be cleaned. I do this when I am working outside in the summer. I will wear the same jeans and t-shirt for 3 to 5 days before washing them.

Socks

I wear wool socks with my boots all year long. I will add a polypro (polypropylene) or nylon sock liner in the winter to keep my feet warm.

During the summer, I wear sandals. You can also wear sandals in the cold, if you wear socks or other insulating material around your feet.

Gloves

You will need gloves for every climate. Warm ones for winter/the cold, tough ones for when you work in the garden or heavy labor, and specialty gloves for those specialty tasks such as welding, painting, or operating on someone.

Footwear

The last similarity is the need for sandals, shoes, and boots. I suggest getting the best footwear you can afford. If all transportation stops, similar to 9/11/01 in New York, you may have to walk home.

I get my emergency clothing from discount stores, charity stores, department stores, military surplus stores, and specialty stores.

I buy my cotton undergarments and cotton socks, colored t-shirts, and inexpensive boots at discount stores. At department stores, I get my jeans and collared shirts.

I visit charity stores every once in awhile. I buy my used clothes in the "earth tones," green, brown, and black.

Military surplus stores provide a lot of my emergency preparedness clothing. Most surplus foreign military clothing is wool or cotton. The United States military surplus has polypro long johns, gortex jackets, and other more modern fabrics. Former military clothing seems to be more rugged; plus it is in the earth tone colors.

At specialty stores, I buy my expensive boots/shoes, welding gloves, safety glasses, and other hard to find items.

Before I go on, I would like to write about the levels of clothing technology in the US military.

In the 1940s-1950s, the US military used wool and cotton in their field gear/clothing. An example is the arctic parka. It had a cotton shell, a wool liner, and an animal fur hood. This level of technology has its limitation, but all of the gear still works. Be careful, some of this equipment is becoming collectible, so prices are increasing.

In the 1960s - 1970s, the US military was changing to synthetic material for their liners for their clothing. The shells such as field jackets and field pants were still made out of cotton, but the liners would be nylon with a polyester core.

From the 1980s onward, the US military had embraced the synthetic fabrics. Rain jackets are now made out of gortex. Uniforms are a combination of nylon and cotton, and liners are polypropylene. You still see wool and cotton, but it is slowly disappearing.

So what do these last three paragraphs have to do with emergency preparedness? They have to deal with technology levels and how to stretch your limited dollars.

Yes, gortex is great, but you may not be able to afford it. So you buy nylon rain jackets. Can't afford polypro long johns, buy military surplus wool long johns. If you can't afford surplus wool long johns, save your money and buy them. The cotton long johns will not protect you from the cold if they get wet.

Need more rugged inexpensive coats with liners, buy surplus foreign military coats. Need more leather boots, buy used military boots.

So, how much clothing do you need? You will have to decide.

I have 7 uniforms for work, one clean uniform for each day of the week and a spare at work and home. When I say uniform, I mean an actual uniform. For some people, such as office workers, your uniform may be a tie, button down shirt, dress pants, and underwear.

I have 3 coats with liners for everyone in the family. A nice coat for everyday wear and two coats that are surplus foreign military. The two coats are split between the family cars. As we add cars, we will purchase more coats for emergency boxes stored in the truck of each car. (More about that in a few weeks).

I keep many, many pairs of socks on hand. There is nothing like having cold wet feet and changing into a clean pair of dry socks.

In footwear, we have three pairs of work shoes/boots, a few pairs of sandals, and surplus military boots in storage.

From looking at third-world countries and other disasters, I believe that clothing will be available, but comfortable and properly fitting footwear will be in short supply. Don't forget a spare pair of arch supports if you need arch support and shoe laces too.

This is a lot of clothing and footwear. To save money, we buy clothes when they are on sale. I also search the military surplus stores/sites for bargains on boots and surplus clothing. For gloves, hats, and scarfs, we buy at the end of the season when these items are deeply discounted.

I also stock spare clothing for expected guests. I mentioned this in a previous post. The ladies are asked to send gently used bras. The clothing goes in metal drums for secure storage. We had a mouse problem that is the reason for the metal drums.

In my research, I have found two differing opinions on storing bedding, blankets, and clothing. The United States military throws their clothing in a pile. They say this method prevents wear spots that would develop, if the clothing was folded.

Others say that folding allows more items to be placed in the same amount of space when compared to unfolded items. These folks also say the wear spots only develop, if the item is repeatedly folded. You decide.

Links:

NASA - Human Body in a Vacuum

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970603.html

Survival Clothing for Outdoor Emergencies:

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-2-2005-77987.asp

Survival Topics - The Three Layer System

http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/the-3-layer-system/

Jon's Exmoor Bushcraft Blog - Layering Clothing for Comfort and Survival, Part One

http://tracks4life.blogspot.com/2008/01/layering-clothing-for-comfort-and.html

Jon's Exmoor Bushcraft Blog - Layering Clothing for Comfort and Survival, Part Two

http://tracks4life.blogspot.com/2008/01/layering-clothing-for-comfort-and_10.html

Jon's Exmoor Bushcraft Blog - Layering Clothing for Comfort and Survival, Part Three

http://tracks4life.blogspot.com/2008/01/layering-clothing-fpr-comfort-and.html

Jon's Exmoor Bushcraft Blog - Layering Clothing for Comfort and Survival, Part Four

http://tracks4life.blogspot.com/2008/01/layering-clothing-for-comfort-and_17.html

Survival Clothing for Outdoor Emegencies

http://ezinearticles.com/?Survival-Clothing-For-Outdoor-Emergencies&id=78500

Stealth Survival - Boots, Bandanas, and Boxers

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2008/07/boots-bandanas-and-boxers.html

LL Bean - Paddling Tips: Dressing for the Outdoors

http://www.llbean.com/outdoorsOnline/outdoorSports/paddling/tips/dressing.html

Ancestors of Science - Inupiat Clothing and Arctic Winter Survival

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2005_09_30/noDOI.12989321631044737104

Wildwood Survival - Hats

http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/clothing/hats/index.html

Survival Hat with Flaps

http://www.e4hats.com/_e/Extreme_Outdoor_Flap_Hats/product/ef007oh-taupe/Survival_Hat_With_Flaps_Taupe.htm

OSHA Guide - Cold Stress

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/emergencypreparedness/guides/cold.html

Discovery Online - The Skinny on Smelly Sports Clothing

http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970801/skinnyon.html

Section Two - Clothing

2009-03-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Second Half - Clothing

Welcome,

This is the second half of the blog about clothing. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

How to Hand Wash Clothes

http://video.about.com/housekeeping/How-to-Hand-Wash-Clothes.htm

How to Do Laundry : How to Wash Clothes Without a Washer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBNOJJx4Z9k

Hand Sewing Essentials - Intro 1 of 27

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lAyq5D7xJs

Instructions:

How to Blend In

International Business Machines (IBM) has/had a unique philosophy about uniforms for their service personal. They believed a tech should blend in with the office, so a technician would show up for a service call in coat and tie with a brief case.

The briefcase held all the tech's tools. The tech would remove his coat and work on the machine. Once the technician was finished working, the tech would put his coat back on and leave. Unless someone saw the tech working on a machine, they would think he was a mid-level worker for the office.

In Britain, the road workers, delivery drivers, police and many others wear bright neon green vests or jackets. These bright vest are everywhere. Many people don't notice them anymore.

How many delivery drivers or tradesman do you see every day? What did they look like?

What about all the white pick-up trucks and vans you see all day long?

How Not to Blend In

Sometimes you are going to want to stand out. You can do this several ways.

The first way is to move. The human eye reacts to movement. Even if a dark object is on a dark background. If the object moves, you will see it move.

Be bright. No, I don't mean smart; I mean like flashing light bright. Use shiny objects to flash light in the direction of your rescuers, airplanes flying over, or towards inhabited areas.

The military signal mirrors, with the grid, are great. If you don't have one that's ok, you can use any shiny surface like a polished metal candy container lid or plain mirror.

Another method is to be bigger than you really are. Wave a blanket, the bigger and brighter the better. Spread out pieces of wreckage if you have it. I keep a couple of orange space blankets handy just for this reason.

The last method is to contrast. If you are on green grass, you need to be wearing red, blue, orange, pink, and ex cetera. If you are on a pink/orange background you need to be wearing brown, black, blue, and ex ceretra.

Washing Clothing during an Emergency

I have heard of a few ways of washing your clothes during an emergency. One method is to buy a clean, brand-new toilet plunger and a new or used clean 5-gallon bucket with lid.

A hole is cut in the middle of the lid and the plunger's handle is placed through the hole.

The clothes, water, and detergent are placed in the bucket. The plunger is moved up and down.

Do this for a few minutes.

Take out the soapy clothes, ring out, dump the soapy water from the bucket on your garden. Put clothes and clear clean water in the bucket and move the plunger up and down to rinse.

Another method involves a rocking chair and a five-gallon bucket.

Basically, you mount a plastic bucket on the two rockers in the back of the rocking chair. Fill the bucket just like you did in the above method then sit and rock back and forth for a few minutes. Once you think the clothes are clean, remove them from the bucket, and do the same as the above method.

Other Information:

United States' Military Clothing Issue

According to one of my brothers, the United States' military issues 4 sets (shirt and pants) of camouflage uniforms. These uniforms are worn during combat, conducting maintenance on equipment, and many other activities. I even see soldiers wearing their camouflage uniform in the airport when I travel.

The US military also issues every solider two jackets, two pairs of boots, and about seven pairs of socks, underwear, and t-shirts. Plus, they receive an annual clothing allowance to replace damaged and worn unifrom items.

Most people know these facts.

What most people don't realize is that the soldier's shirt last longer then their pants.

I have noticed the same thing at my work. As the guys and gals go about their jobs, the legs of the pants get beat up. Walking through sticker bushes, kneeling down, even walking from place to place in high top boots takes it toll on pants, but shirts stay in good shape.

So what does this have to do with emergency preparedness?

If you are stocking clothing, you need to store more pants then shirts.

Military Surplus Clothing

Depending on your threat analysis, will depend on the color of the military surplus clothing you will buy. I normally avoid the camouflage military clothing. I stick with the green pants, shirts, coats, and other items. Green works in my area of the world. If you live in the desert or urban areas, you may want to focus on the browns.

Now the British Special Air Service, The SAS, have a compromise. They wear green pants and shirts, but wear a loose fitting camouflage pullover or jacket that is about mid-thigh in length.

Foreign Military Surplus Clothing

If you lift weights, the foreign military shirts and coats, except the British military, may be too small in the arms and shoulders. I have heard, the foreign militarise don't put a great emphasise on upper body physical strength like the US military.

Current US Military Clothing

I have heard that the ACUs are delicate. Plus, to me, they don't blend in anywhere.

Spare Parts and Maintenance Items

You will need spare shoe laces, polish for you leather boots and shoes. Thread, needles, scissors, buttons, zippers, snaps, velcro, and other items to repair your clothes. Don't forget the washing detergent to wash your clothes. You will also need to dry them. The low tech solution is to have a clothes line.

Links:

How to Hand Wash Clothes:

http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai=15&name=Sanitation%20And%20Hygiene%20During%20An%20Emergency&bhcd2=1219790295

Electricity Free Clothes Washing

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/07/qa_electricity.php

James Washer

http://www.lehmans.com/jump.jsp?itemID=4084&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C673%2C674

Pedal-Powered Clothes Washer

http://greenbuildingelements.com/2007/05/30/weekly-diy-pedal-powered-clothes-washer/

Wash Day Blues

http://www.sailingbreezes.com/Sailing_Breezes_Current/Articles/July02/washday.htm

Tips on Laundering Flood-Soiled Fabrics

http://www.cleaning101.com/laundry/washflood.cfm

Chapter Ten - Transportation

2009-02-25T10:53:00.000-08:00

Quickstart:

Check everybody's shoes in your family. Are they comfortable? In good shape? Do you and your family have a second pair of sturdy walking shoes or boots? If not, buy everyone a pair of good, comfortable, sturdy shoes or boots.

Blog Post:

The easiest way for a human to move from one place or another is walking. All you need is a pair of shoes, and you really don't need that. A pair of sandals will do in the spring, summer, and fall; add a pair of socks and you might just have winter covered.

The problem with walking, besides seeming to take forever to get somewhere, is you can't carry a lot of stuff. You are limited to how much you can carry.

How many plastic shopping bags can you carry in your hands?

Not many if the bags are full, and the plastic bags are fragile. Plus, you can only use the plastic bags once or twice before they rip.

To increase the amount of stuff you can carry, you can purchase a backpack. In the U.S. Army, soldiers carry anywhere from 40 to 120 pounds of supplies and equipment in her/his rucksack (backpack). Remember, these folks are trained, conditioned, and practise walking carrying this large of a load. Plus, their equipment is designed to carry most of this stuff.

As a note, 80 to 120 pounds is an abnormal load for a soldier. These heavy loads are usually carried for a short time and distance, extreme situations, or are limited to the elite forces. I have heard of rucksack frames bending/breaking and rucksacks tearing from carrying such heavy loads.

Now backpacks range in price from $10 for an inexpensive school book bag to $250 for an extremely lightweight, high-tech, specialty backpack.

The designs also vary. Some are a big sack with shoulder straps, while others have internal and external pockets. Frames may be internal and external, too.

Just like it sounds, an internal frame is encased in the material of the backpack, (you can feel it, but you can't see it) and an external frame you can see and usually easily remove from the backpack.

A frame allows you to carry a heavier load. This may or may not be a good thing. Remember, the heavier the load; the more energy it takes to walk.

If you want to move a lot of stuff you could put wheels on it.

There are a few ways of doing this. One way is to buy an used/old suitcase carrier. The one with wheels, You put your stuff on it and wheel it behind you. Another way is to use a wheeled suitcase. This works especially if you already have this type of suitcase. Be careful though, the wheels have a habit of falling off at the worst time possible.

Another way of "putting wheels on it" is a handcart.

To really increase how far you can travel and your speed; you can use a bicycle. The simple one-speed bicycle will easily double your range and speed. The one-speeds are simple and robust machines.

As you add gears, 3-speed, 10-speed, or 20-speed, the bicycle becomes more complicated. Cables and shifters must be maintained. This complex system of changing gears also increases initial cost, cost for repair parts, and add the number of repair parts you will need to have on hand.

If you have the money or skill, you can add a trailer to the bicycle. Most people use a bike trailer to carry their child on a trip. These carriers can be modified to carry supplies.

If you are willing to walk beside your bicycle, you can carry huge loads. During the 1960s, the Vietnamese used bicycles to carry goods to market.

Motorcycles, just like bicycles, have severe limitations. They are difficult/miserable to ride in the cold and rain, and have severe limits on the weight and number of people it can carry.

Probably the most popular way of moving your stuff is the automobile. This includes cars, trucks and vans in all their variations.

You probably have one. If you are a typical US family, you probably have one for every driver in the house. If you are like me, you are in your car one to two hours a day. A lot can happen in those one to two hours.

Such as 40,000 to 50,000 people dying every year in automobile accidents, in the United States. In fact, automobiles are the number one predator of humans, but they have their uses.

An automobile will move a lot of supplies. They can carry many more people than a bicycle or motorcycle, and the auto can move much faster then walking or riding a bicycle.

Now, you are going to have to go back to your threat analysis because you are going to have to decide what type of/if an automobile is useful for your continued survival.

For me, I commute 70 miles a day from a 250 home subdivision in a medium sized town close to shopping. Parking at work is in a semi-secure lot that I can see from my office window. Work is in an area with low crime, but is surrounded by low-income areas close to the interstate highway. I wanted to be prepared for having to stay over at work, winter driving, earthquakes, and civil unrest.

So, I bought an economy car that I can use to store an extensive survival kit for work. My kit has been personalized for my situation.

If I stayed over at work, I wanted modest and comfortable sleeping clothes, blankets, a pillow, and toiletries to clean up in the morning. Yes, I have to admit; I have bunny slippers in my survival kit, just for fun though.

For winter driving, I carry a spare coat, gloves/mittens, scarf, winter boots with extra wool socks, a little food and water, matches, votive candles, a 13 ounce metal coffee can, two ice scrapers, and ex cetera.

The only thing that I did differently for earthquake preparedness was to avoid parking in a spot that the surrounding buildings could collapse on to, and I bought a backpack.

The backpack was a medium priced model, on sale. I wanted one that would be comfortable enough and big enough for a 50 mile/2 day hike home. I keep it empty because I plan to load the pack depending on the climate/situation.

I always have jumper cables, coarse sand (not cat litter because it turns into mud), warning triangles, local and state maps, and an empty fuel can in my car with $20 in one dollar bills, in the car.

The empty fuel can is in the trunk with the jumper cables, warning triangles, and sand. The jumper cables and warning triangles are in a bag together because I don't want to dig for them, if I help/need help to jump a car. The coarse sand is in a one gallon plastic jug. I learned last year; I will need a lot more sand. The maps are in the passenger area of the car with the twenty dollars.

For civil unrest, I keep a .357 revolver in the car. I have it unloaded and one loaded speed loader with an extra 6 loose rounds. The revolver and rounds are concealed in different parts of the car. If I know about civil unrest before I leave work, the plan is to load the revolver before leaving work with the loose rounds and quickly drive home.

If I don't know about the riots before leaving, I will drive very quickly. I know the above plan sucks, but it is the plan for now.

Except for the winter driving, I am more likely to have an accident/breakdown on my drive. During my research for this blog post, I found out that I do a poor job of preventive maintenance on our vehicles.

I think this is a very important item, preventive maintenance. If we can prevent the problem from happening, we are better prepared. I also believe that defensive driving will increase my chance of survival, so make sure you read all "70 Rules to Live By."

Links:

Make Your Own Tire Sandals

http://www.hollowtop.com/sandals.htm

Boy Scout of America Troop 123 - How to Choose a Backpack

http://www.bsatroop123.com/Documents/How%20to%20Choose%20a%20Backpack.pdf

Backpack Tips

http://www.backpacking.net/gearpack-tips.html

Mormon Handcart Plans

http://handcart-trek.org/buildhancart.html

Meridian Magazine- Pulling Handcarts in Virginia

http://www.meridianmagazine.com/voices/020726handcart.html

Bicycle Universe- How to Buy a Used Bicycle

http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/usedbikes-guide.html

Worksman Cycles

http://www.worksmancycles.com/

The Name Says It All

http://www.bicyclecart.com/

Mother Earth News - "Dime on the Dollar" Bicycle Trailer

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1981-07-01/Dime-on-the-Dollar-Bicycle-Trailer.aspx

Community Bike Cart Design

http://bikecart.pedalpeople.com/gallery.html

Instructables - Bicycle Cargo Trailer 220 lbs capacity $30 for Parts

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bicycle-cargo-trailer--200-lb-capacity,-$30-for-pa/

Vietnam bicycle photo - hard life

http://www.world-of-bicycles.com/vietnam/vietnambicyclephoto3.htm

Vietnam bicycle photo - A very strong boy

http://www.world-of-bicycles.com/vietnam/vietnambicyclephoto11.htm

Defensive Driving: 70 Rules to Live By

http://www.roadtripamerica.com/DefensiveDriving/Drive-Safe-With-Uncle-Bob.htm

Wikipedia - Automobile Safety

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_Safety

Vehicle Survival Kit

http://www.pep-c.org/autokit/

Instructables - Emergency Car Survival Kit

http://www.instructables.com/id/Emergency-Car-Survival-Kit/

M4040 - How to Build a Decent Car Survival Kit

http://www.m4040.com/Survival/CarSurvivalKit.htm

Monthly Auto Maintenance Keeps Auto Repair Bills Down

http://www.autohausaz.com/html/auto_maintenance.html

Section Two- Transportation

2009-02-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

Second Half - Transportation

Welcome,

This is the second half of the blog about transportation. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

How to Make Your Own Sandals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otkIF-74zH8

Patagonia Shoes: Do-It-Yourself Footwear (Moccasins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqn_riEIFBw

Backpack Fitting Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2xL2tDYlAg

Advance Hiking Tips: How to Pack the Right Equipment for Hiking

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd1moZfslWI

Hiking Survival Techniques: How to Make a Hiking Survival Kit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGwXqA8GUHE

Learning to Drive: Basic Car Maintenance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3cIeKmZNqA

Basic Auto Maintenance: Tools to Keep in Your Car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpoBOjnviyw

Convoy Getting Ambushed in Iraq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5XbtOBLvZ0

Ambush Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQhM87cphcg

Instructions:

How to "Put Wheels" on a 5-Gallon Bucket

I heard about this technique from a Latter-day Saint friend. She told me to buy old, used folding luggage carts at garage sales or swap meets. She warned me to make sure they are in good shape.

Open the folding luggage cart. Place the 5-gallon bucket on the cart. Take enough bungee cords to hold the bucket on, and wheel away.

Her and her family kept their emergency evacuations kits in 5-gallon buckets. They planned to attach the folding carts to their bicycles if they had to evacuate by bicycle.

No, she didn't tell me how they attached the carts to the bikes, but she did say that they had practised and it had worked.

Other Information:

Military Manuals

The US military has many manuals that are useful by people who are preparing for tough times. One of these manuals is FM 21-18 Foot Marches. But you have to be careful because these manuals are written to be used by soldiers. Soldiers will have supplies, equipment, and many other items you may not have.

So plan accordingly.

Convoys

You will notice in the videos that the vehicles are spread out from each other. This interval (the distance from each vehicle) allows only one vehicle to be attacked, allowing other vehicles to escape or come to the attacked vehicle's aid.

You will also notice that there is communication between each vehicle and/or communication between the driver and the passengers in each vehicle. In inter-vehicle communication (communication between vehicles), each vehicle is responsible to communicate danger that they see. In each vehicle, the passengers assist the driver in avoiding dangers that the driver may not see. Some passenger might even join the fight to defend the convoy.

Links:

http://blog.nola.com/living/2007/06/hurricane_evacuation_tips_the.html

Read this while the article is still posted. These people lived an evacuation.

Security Driver

http://www.securitydriver.com/

Security Driver - Tactical Convoy Operations

http://www.securitydriver.com/pdf/secveh/convoy_handbook_1.pdf

Security Driver - Tactical Convoy Handbook

http://www.securitydriver.com/pdf/secveh/convoy_handbook_2.pdf

US Army - Convoy Leader Training Handbook

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/other/convoy-leader-training-handbook_8aug03.pdf

Grambo - Convoy Operations

http://grambo.us/rose/convoySOP.htm

Section Three - Transportation

2009-02-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

Third Half - Transportation

Welcome,

This is the third half of the post on transportation.

"The Bike Man"

In our area, there is a gentleman that refurbishes bicycles for the local children. He takes used bikes as donations, and he also collects bikes during big trash pick up day.

He will give these bicycles to children that have gone through a short class, taught by himself, on bicycle safety and maintenance; additionally, he will sell his excess bikes to help fund his project.

He works out of his garage repairing the bicycles as needed. He also salvages parts from bikes that are unusable.

Why, am I telling you this?

Because, this would make a good side business, and this is a way of getting transportation for everyone in the family for free or little cost.

Links:

Observant Bystander - Big Trash Day

http://observantbystander.wordpress.com/2005/04/28/big-trash-day/

Spilled Ink - Big Trash Pick Up

http://spilledsomeink.blogspot.com/2007/05/big-trash-pick-up.html

Nicomachus - Local Bike Man

http://nicomachus.net/2008/01/local-bike-man-makes-national-news-again/

Getting to Work

A total collapse probably won't happen. Yep, I know it's sad but true; no mutant zombie biker gangs, weird looking Mad Max cars, or Car Wars action; just lots of folks needing to get to work, so they can earn the money to buy the stuff their families will need to survive.

James Dakin of Bison Survival Blog suggests using a bicycle to get to work. According to his blog, he rides to work on his bicycle everyday. That's a great idea "if" you live close to work.

Another way would be to "Share the Ride."

If you don't like that idea, how about buying a small scooter. The scooter/Moped have a very small engine. The engine, 49cc, is so small some states consider them a powered bicycle. (No motorcycle license required). They get from 50 to 100 miles per gallon and most scooters maintain, at least, 25 miles per hour.

Lastly, you can look at selling/trading in your old car (low gas mileage) for a higher gas mileage car. We did this when we were looking to replace our cars; however, our mechanic suggested staying away from the hybrids. His reasoning: The hybrids cost more and we wouldn't recoup that extra cost even if fuel went to $5.00 a gallon. Replacing a battery pack is $8,000. So, no hybrids for us.

Links:

Wikipedia - Mad Max

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Max

Wikipedia - Car Wars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Wars

Bison Survival Blog

http://www.bisonsurvivalblog.blogspot.com/

Share the Ride Challange - Share the Ride Challange

http://www.sharetheridechallenge.com/

GS Motor Works - 49cc Scooters

http://49cc-scooters.gsmotorworks.com/

Auto Broker Magic - EPA Gas Mileage Best Cars Ratings

http://www.auto-broker-magic.com/gas-mileage.html

About.com:Cars - Our Ten Favorite Fuel-Efficient Cars

http://cars.about.com/od/helpforcarbuyers/tp/top10_fuel.htm

Hybrid Cars - Behind the Hidden Costs of Hybrid

http://www.hybridcars.com/economics/hidden-costs.html

Section Four - Transportation

2009-02-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

Forth Half - Transportation

Welcome,

This is the forth half of the post on transportation. You will find links to other bloggers and websites about the subject for this week.

Stealth Survival - Simple Survival Tips: Winter Driving Safety Tips

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2008/11/simple-survival-tips-winter-driving.html

Stealth Survival - Fuel Storage and Safety: Fuel Types - Gasoline

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2008/10/fuel-storage-and-safety-fuel-types.html

Stealth Survival - Fuel Storage and Safety: Fuel Types - LPG

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2008/10/fuel-storage-and-safety-fuel-types-lpg.html

Sorry, I didn't get around to adding everything that I wanted, but Riverwalker, over at Stealth Survival, has some great information for us. So, please accept my apologies, and make sure you say "Thanks."

Chapter Eleven - Finances

2009-01-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

Quickstart:

Put a small cup or can next to the place where you undress, everyday. When you empty your pockets/purse. Place all of your loose change in that can; never take any of the coins out of the can.

At the end of the month, convert the coins into bills. Place these bills in an envelope for an emergency fund.

Blog Post:

Money, it makes the world go around. But what is it?

Federal Reserve Notes (FRN), Euros, blocks of salt, beads, shells, donkeys, and many other things have been used for money. But what is it?

If I have a chicken and you have a pair of shoes, and you want my chicken, and I want your shoes. We have a trade. Are chickens and shoes money?

What happens if I don't want your shoes you made? How will you get food for your family if all you have is shoes?

With money, of course!

But what is money?

OK. I will quit playing games.

Money is a recognized medium of exchange.

Your boss gives you Federal Reserve Notes for your work. You give me FRNs for my chicken. I give those same Federal Reserve Notes for a pressure cooker/canner at the discount store, and ex cetera.

So what does this matter to you?

Because during a disaster there is the possibility that the money that we have used all of our lives will be useless. Yep, I said it.

The money in your pocket, savings account, retirement fund, credit cards, and all of the other stashes of cash you own could be worthless. This includes the silver and gold that others advise you to buy.

OK, I am going to stop for now. But before I come back, I want you to read Commanding Heights: German Hyperinflation 1923 on PBS.

OK, remember opinions. Yeah, opinions that everybody has on what to do with your money. In finance, opinions are followed by this warning

"Past Performance Does Not Guarantee Future Success"

What follows are my opinions. If you follow them, we may both die poor and destitute.

First, stock enough food for you and your family to eat during the longest emergency you have planned for.

Second, have an emergency fund. Yes; before getting out of debt, investing, and all the other financial stuff; put aside some of your money for emergencies.

Some people suggest having two to six months of funds to cover your families basic needs. Basic needs such as mortgage/rent payments, insurance, and fuel for heating and getting to work. Not eating out, parties, and other nonsense.

For some families that will be a lot of money. If you can't afford this, save your change. Use this change as your emergency fund. No matter how well-off you are or how poor you are, you need to have money for emergencies.

Next, live below your means. If you make $25,000 a year, live like you make $20,000. If you make $50,000, live like you make $35,000. If you make $100,000 a year, live like you make $50,000. You get the point.

Next, you need to invest for the future, and the way to do that is to invest in your company's 401K plan. Make sure you check the fees each of the funds charge. Some 401K plans have options that will cost you money, watch your fees. These fees take money that you have earned from you.

As you invest in your company's 401K plan , you than need to make sure you are diversified. Diversification is having investments in different "classes" of investments. These classes are stocks, bonds, cash, real estate, and many others I don't know about.

To diversify, some people will tell you, if you are between 25 and 50 years old, to have 70% in stocks and 30% in bonds. The 70% in stocks is split between 50% in US companies and 20% in foreign companies. The 30% in bonds is split between short and long-term bonds.

Even if your company allows you to invest in their stock, don't. Remember ENRON.

If your company doesn't have a 401K plan, put your investments in a Roth IRA. As with the 401k, make sure you are diversified.

All of the above is conventional wisdom, but what about someone preparing for an emergency, specifically a financial emergency.

I suggest the following preparations.

One. Have enough food on hand, in the house, to feed you, your family, and some friends for at least a year. If not more.

Two. Have an emergency fund of cash on-hand in the house. Not in the bank, under the mattress, just like the Depression.

Three. Have a few silver and gold coins on-hand. Yes, take physical possession of this gold and silver. Just in case we have hyperinflation like Zimbabwe.

Fourth. Get out of Debt and stay out of Debt. Yes, this includes your home.

Fifth. Invest in yourself and your spouse. Learn a trade, grow some of your own food, start your own company (even part-time), read and learn new skills

That's it for today, so I will ...

See you next week!

Links:

Wikipedia - Money

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money

Commanding Heights: German Hyperinflation 1923 on PBS

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/minitext/ess_germanhyperinflation.html

Calculating Mutual Fund Fees and Expenses

http://www.sec.gov/investor/tools/mfcc/mfcc-int.htm

Beginners' Guide to Asset Allocation, Diversification, and Rebalancing

http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/assetallocation.htm

FINRA - Smart Investing

http://www.finra.org/Investors/Smartinvesting/index.htm

FINRA - Investor Information-Smart 401(K) Investing

http://apps.finra.org/Investor_Information/Smart/401k/000100.asp

Wikipedia - ENRON Scandal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron_scandal

Roth IRA-Overview

http://www.moneychimp.com/articles/rothira/rothintro.htm

Motley Fool

http://www.fool.com/

Understanding and Controlling Your Finances

http://www.bygpub.com/finance/finance0.htm

Wikipedia - Great Depression

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great-Depression

Wikipedia - Hyperinflation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperinflation

Coinflation.com - Silver Coin Melt Values

http://www.coinflation.com/silver_coin_values.html

Backwoods Home Magazine - Get Out of Debt and Stay Out of Debt

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/campbell67.html

Motley Fool - 60 Second Guide to Getting Out of Debt

http://www.fool.com/personal-finance/credit/60-second-guide-to-getting-out-of-debt.aspx

Section Two - Finances

2009-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

Second Half - Finances

Welcome,

This is the second half of the blog about finances. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

Monty Python - The Money Programme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlS8O257Gi0

Pink Floyd - Money

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hkjkTe5kZE

Today's Survival Show - Episode 30: Live like the Wealthy, and Coping with a Job Loss

http://www.todayssurvival.com/?p=844

Instructions:

Other Information:

Buying Gold and Silver

As you prepare, some people will tell you to buy gold and silver. I disagree, for the family just beginning to prepare. I say this for many different reasons.

One, you can't eat silver and gold.

Silver and gold will offer no nourishment for your family's hunger, only food will do that.

Two, you can't defend yourself with silver and gold.

Silver and gold will offer no protection against the rapist, looters, and robbers, only guns and ammo will do that.

Three, you can't drink silver and gold.

Silver and gold will offer no quenching of your thirst, only water that you have stored or treated will do that.

Lastly, why should I, or any other person, sell you food, water, guns, or the other necessities of life if all I have to do is wait for you to die and then take your silver and gold.

With all that said, a family that has enough food, guns/ammo, medical supplies, power generation equipment, ... and is preparing for a financical emergency might want to buy some silver and gold.

Over at Total Survivalist Libertarian Rantfest, the guys and gals have some excellent advice/thoughts on silver and gold.

September 14th, 2008 - 10 Commandments for Buying Gold and Silver

http://tslrf.blogspot.com/2008/09/10-commandments-for-buying-gold-and.html

September 25th, 2008 - How Much Silver and Gold will Really Make a Difference

http://tslrf.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-much-silver-and-gold-will-really.html

September 22nd, 2008 - Coin Shop Versus Online Dealers

http://tslrf.blogspot.com/2008/09/coin-shops-versus-online-dealers.html

September 16th, 2008 - Purchasing Precious Metals at a Coin Show

http://tslrf.blogspot.com/2008/09/purchasing-precious-metals-at-coin-show.html

Section Three - Finances

2009-01-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

Third Half - Finances

Welcome,

To the third half of the post about finances.

Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports has some advice and a web page on financial survival. Who would have thought that Consumer Reports was a survivalist magazine.

Links:

Consumer Reports - Rebuild Your Finances, ...

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/resource-center/financial-security-guide/financial-survival-guide.htm

College Students

Folks, especially parents, we need to make sure that our children and grand-children don't make the same mistakes, financially, that we did.

Studenomics has an article called "The Ultimate Financial Survival Guide For New College Students." The article has some good advice for all college students, young and old.

Links:

Studenomics - The Ultimate Financial ...

http://studenomics.com/personal-finance/the-ultimate-financial-survival-guide-for-new-college-students/

The Simple Dollar, Again

Trent Hamm has a blog called "The Simple Dollar." I read him about three times a week. He has practical financial advice for you and me.

Check his archives for subjects that you might be interested in, additionally, he has a free e-book called "Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance on One Page."

Mr. Hamm also has a series called "Trent's 14 Money Rules."

Links:

The Simple Dollar - Everything You ...

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/onepage/

The Simpile Dollar - Trent's 14 Money Rules

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/06/19/rule-1-spend-less-than-you-earn/

Section Four - Finances

2009-01-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Forth Half - Finances

Welcome,

This is the forth half of the post on finances. You will find links to other bloggers and websites about the subject for this week.

Blogs:

Surviving In Argentina - Label: Finances

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/search/label/finances

Stealth Survival - Label: Financial

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/search/label/Financial

Today's Survival Show - Catagories: Finances

http://www.todayssurvival.com/?cat=13

Websites:

Suze Orman

http://www.suzeorman.com/

Dave Ramsey

http://www.daveramsey.com/

The Motley Fool

http://www.fool.com/

Google - Finance

http://www.google.com/finance

AOL - Money and Finance

http://money.aol.com/

Yahoo! - Finance

http://finance.yahoo.com/

MSN - Money

http://moneycentral.msn.com/home.asp

About.com - Financial Planning

http://financialplan.about.com/cs/moneyforyouth/a/Advice20s.htm

Chapter Twelve - Communications

2008-12-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

Quickstart:

Have all your family members memorize key phone numbers. Mom and Dad's cell phone and work numbers. Parents, this includes you, too. Memorize the kids school's and the children's cell phone numbers.

If you can't memorize the numbers, then make a business card-sized list of important numbers for each family member to carry.

Blog Post:

Communication, it allows us to exchange information. Stop it, and we know nothing about each other and the outside world.

To communicate during an emergency, you will need to plan.

The first part of the plan is to look at your threat analysis. What are you planning to survive? Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes/extreme weather, civil unrest, financial depression/hyperinflation, EMP attack and/or nuclear war. Each of these emergencies will determine what you will need to do.

Let's start with the simple solutions.

First, buy a weather radio. A weather radio will automatically notify you of flood, high winds, storms, tornadoes, and other extreme weather. They range in price from $20 to $200 depending on their features. For outdoor folks, there are portable weather radio models available.

If you can afford it, I suggest buying a radio with the Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) and battery backup. The SAME feature allows you to program the radio to sound the alert only for the counties you want to know about.

Some organizations suggest purchasing a battery-powered portable radio. This is a good idea. A portable radio will allow you to receive updates on emergencies and other information The radio will also allow you to take it with you if you have to shelter-in-place, evacuate, or listen to the ball game.

This last one is important. You need to listen to your radio, now. This allows you to find the stations that will offer information about your area, find stations that have good reception, and you get to know your radio.

These two radios, some portable radios have weather alert, are all you need for natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and other extreme weather. These two radios will also provide information about other disasters.

Note:

If you live in the United States, forget about buying a radio with the TV audio band 2-13. (TV audio bands allow you to listen to the television stations) The new digital television conversion will stop television stations from broadcasting on those radio stations.

But we know that local and national media doesn't always have the time, money, and/or desire to provide all of the information we might need. This is where shortwave radio comes into play.

Shortwave radio has been a popular method of receiving information for many years. You have to be careful though; some shortwave broadcasts are propaganda.

A radio designed for shortwave listening will cost from $100 to $500. Before you buy make sure you shop around. I have heard Radio Shack has shortwave radios, made by famous names, for less then the famous maker.

Now don't confuse the shortwave radios that you listen to with transceivers. Shortwave transceivers allow you to transmit and receive messages. These transceivers require a licence. In the United States and various other countries, there are different classes of licences. The American Radio Relay League is the source for information if you want to obtain a licence to broadcast on shortwave radio in the United States.

Now, there are other radios that you can use to communicate with your family and/or friends. These radios are called Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radios. They have a range of about 1/2 to 5 miles. The FRS radio does not require a licence; to use a GMRS radio, you will need to purchase a licence.

FRS and GMRS radios can be found in your local discount store and consumer-electronics stores. When buying, look for radios that use AA batteries.

Another popular radio is CB (Citizens' Band). CB radios do not require a licence. These radios have a range of 1 to 5 miles. As far as I know, CB radios require a car-type battery to operate.

The next type of radio is the MURS radios. Multi Use Radio Service (MURS) radios require no licence. According to one source, they are the best radio for local communications.

All of these radios are good; however, you need to make sure you know how to use them and they work. Nothing is more embarrassing then opening the package and the radio failing to work. (Happened at work last year)

Now, radios are pretty good, but they don't have the convenience of cell phones. Heck, my cell phone can call Tokyo, Baghdad, Paris, New York City, and many other places (for a small fee), but an emergency may block local calls from going through.

To overcome this problem, have your family designates an out-of-state contact. An out-of-state contact allows you to bypass local problems. The reason this might work during an emergency, it seem that local and long-distance phone calls are handled on different lines.

An out-of-state contact is someone everyone in the family will call. This person gets information about how the individual family members are doing. The contact gets information such as location, plans, and any problems. The contact can then update family members as needed.

Another cool feature of cell phones is the ability to enter phone numbers and contact information. You have probably heard of ICE numbers. ICE stands for In Case of an Emergency.

In the cell phone's contact list, ICE is entered and the number of the person to contact in case of an emergency is entered. If an emergency responder finds the phone, and you have been in an accident, they can immediately contact that person.

So memorize those contact lists for your family, and I'll ...

See you next week!

Links:

NOAA Weather Radio

http://www.weather.gov/nwr/nwrrcvr.htm

NOAA Weather Radio - SAME Info

http://www.weather.gov/nwr/nwrsame.htm

Radio Shack's Guide to Weather Radio

http://support.radioshack.com/support_tutorials/weather/wr-gde-0.htm

American Red Cross - Personal Workplace Disaster Supplies Kit

http://www.redcross.org/static/file_cont118_lang0_61.pdf

C Crane - What You Should Know Before Buying a Radio with the TV Band

http://www.ccrane.com/tv-alert.aspx

An Introduction to Shortwave Listening

http://www.odxa.on.ca/beginnersguide/swintro.html

Wikipedia - Shortwave Listening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortwave_listening

Wikipedia - Shortwave

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortwave

Wikipedia - International Broadcasting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_broadcasting

Selecting a Shortwave Radio

http://www.dxing.com/swrx.htm

Radios

http://www.ccrane.com/radios/index.aspx

http://www.universal-radio.com/

http://infowars-shop.stores.yahoo.net/shra.html

Wikipedia - American Radio Relay League

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Radio_Relay_League

American Radio Relay League

http://www.arrl.org/

http://www.hello-radio.org/

http://www.emergency-radio.org/

Family Radio Service FAQ

http://www.provide.net/~prsg/frs-faq.htm

General Mobile Radio Service

http://www.gmrs.org/gmrs_information.htm

Federal Communication Commission - FRS

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=family

Federal Communication Commission - GMRS

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=general_mobile

Best Buy - FRS and GMRS Radio Guide

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?guideID=1072288099473&type=page&id=cat12077

Wikipedia - Citizens' Band Radio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens

Federal Communications Commission - Citizens' Band Radio

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=cb

Federal Communications Commision - Multi Use Radio Service

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=multi_use

MURS Radio - Why MURS

http://mursradio.googlepages.com/whymurs

Section Two - Communications

2008-12-20T11:09:00.000-08:00

Second Half - Communications

Welcome,

To the second half of the blog about communications. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.

Videos/Podcasts:

The Tonight Show - Text Message vs Morse Cord

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhsSgcsTMd4

Instructions:

Electromagnetic Pulse Protection

Most preppers will need to protect one or two backup radios from EMP. These backup radios would be used to listen for/gather information after a Nuclear/EMP attack.

The easiest method for protecting a radio is to place the radio in a box padded with bubble wrap or crumpled paper then wrap the box with aluminum foil. If you are like me, you will then place the first box wrapped in foil into another box and wrap that box with aluminum foil, too.

But then you have to unwrap everything to listen to the radio. Another method involves popcorn tins.

Basically, you take a popcorn tin, I get mine from swap meets, and place the radio inside the tin. I place padding between the radio and the tin. This padding prevents the radio from touching the metal canister. Then all you have to do is place the top on the tin and your radio is protected from EMP, supposedly.

Just so you know, I provided a link to the Popcorn Factory to show you the various sizes and graphics of popcorn tins that you might find at flea markets.

Other Information:

Codes and Ciphers

All of the radios I talked about are available to anyone, so people could be listening to your conversations. To keep folks from understanding what you and your family may be talking about, you might want to create a code for your family to use.

As an example, in the book "Alas, Babylon," the two brothers have a code word that signals the possibility of a nuclear war. This code word and the arrival of one brother's family sets into motion a series of preparations by the other brother.

The United States Military used to use a one-time pad, as a code. Basically, it is a sheet of paper with letters representing words such as

IBR = attack DLH = break

FMQ = defend LZE = launch

MPT = report LBD = find

AKY = tomorrow NHG = tonight

so the message "LZE, IBR, AKY" would be decoded as "Launch attack tonight."

Now, a one-time pad is used only once, so the message "LZE, IBR, AKY" would mean something totally different the next day.

The links, below, give a lot more information about codes and ciphers. Some of the information is technical, but it is interesting. So, go read about codes and ciphers; additionally, your local library might have some books on codes, code makers, and code breakers. Check them out, if you are interested.

Links:

Wikipedia - Morse Code

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_code

The Popcorn Factory

http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/

Protecting Yourself from EMP by Duncan Long

http://www.aussurvivalist.com/nuclear/empprotection.htm

Grounding and Bonding in Command, Control, Communications, ...

http://140.194.76.129/publications/armytm/tm5-690/c-5.pdf

Wikipedia - Cipher

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cipher

Wikipedia - Code

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_(cryptography)

Wikipedia - Tap Code

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_code

SparkNotes - Alas, Babylon

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/alas/

SparkNotes - Alas, Babylon: Chapter 1 and 2

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/alas/section1.rhtml

Wikipedia - One-Time Pad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-time_pad

Section Three - Communications

2008-12-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

Third Half - Communications

Welcome,

To the third half of the post about communications

Panic Words

As I have said in the past, I read "Surviving In Argentina" by FerFAL, at least weekly. FerFAL has a certain perspective about living through an economic collapse. Also weekly, I read a blog called "Global Guerrillas" by John Robb. Mr. Robb writes about "... systems disruption, and the emerging bazaar of violence. Resilient Communities, ..." Both blogs are very informative.

Now, both of these blogs warn about the possibility of increased violence as the United States of America and other national governments have difficulty managing the various crises facing their citizens. This violence includes home invasions, kidnappings, and terrorism.

Now, what does this have to do with communications?

Before I explain, let me ask you a couple of questions.

If your wife screams, how do you know to bring a gun or a medical kit?

If your children call, how do you know to come pick them up without them embarrassing themselves?

If a criminal came into your home, and you were going to shoot, how does your husband and family know to "go low" to avoid getting shot as the bullets penetrate their bedroom walls?

I would like to suggest that your family develop a set, a very short list, of innocent words that let other family members respond to emergency situations.

An example might be "Barney" shouted by everyone in the house to let everyone know to get to the safe room because of a home invasion. Another might be "Zombie" to designate an active shooter situation in the mall, as you and your family shop. Lastly, "How is Grandma?" might mean "I'm O.K." in a hostage situation.

Now, remember your panic words cover the threats you are preparing for and are unique to your family. Additionally, remember OPSEC, so remind the kids not to tell anyone their panic words.

Links:

Surviving In Argentina

http://www.ferfal.blogspot.com/

Global Guerrillas

http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/

Wikipedia - Crisis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis

PBS Kids: Barney

http://pbskids.org/barney/

Indiana University Police Department - What To Expect: Active Shooter Situation

http://www.indiana.edu/~iupd/active_shooter.htm

(I don't agree with everything in this article, but it is a plan)

Of Arms and The Law - Thoughts on "Active Shooters"

http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2009/04/thoughts_on_act.php

Center for Personal Protection and Safety - Guidance for Surviving an Active Shooter Situation

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3689992782816273970#

Section Four - Communications

2008-12-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

Forth Half - Communications

Welcome,

This is the forth half of the post on communications. You will find links to other bloggers and websites about the subject for this week.

Blogs:

Avian Flu Diary - Neighborhood Communications

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/12/neighborhood-communications.html

Stealth Survival - Riverwalker's Gear: Eye max Am/Fm/Weather ...

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2008/09/riverwalkers-gear-eye-max-am-fm-wb.html

Surviving in Argentina - Message from Russia: Survival During the Civil War ...

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2009/12/message-from-russia-survival-during.html

The Survivalist Blog - Internet Service While Living Off The Grid

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2009/11/living-off-grid-internet-service.html

Websites:

End Times Report - Communications

http://www.endtimesreport.com/communications.html

The Epi Center - Emergency Communications

http://theepicenter.com/tow08147.html

Chapter Thirteen - Power/Power Production

2008-11-30T11:14:00.000-08:00

Quickstart:

Find the shutoffs valves for your water and gas service and the main circuit breaker for your electricity.

After you do that, identify and label what each circuit breaker will turn off if tripped.

Section One -

Section Two -

Section Three -

Section Four -

Chapter Thirteen - Section One

2008-11-25T16:49:00.000-08:00

Blog Post:

As people living in the First World, we take power for granted. We need light; we flip a switch. Our clothes need washed; we fill an empty basket with clothes, add some washing powder, and push a button. We need to preserve some leftovers for tomorrow or food for next week; we put it in a freezer/refrigerator and forget about the food until we need it.

Take away that power away and things stop.

No gasoline/diesel from the gas station pump, no climate control at work or home, no continuous positive airway pressure machines, no sewage treatment, no water, the list goes on.

What is a family to do?

First, look at your threat analysis. How long would you be without power, if one of those threats happened? One day, two weeks, three months, forever!

I ask you to check your threat analysis for a reason; you could easily spend $25,000 for a solar powered system that doesn't do anything to give you power in an emergency. Yep, 25 grand and no power in an emergency.

So, let us look at some equipment, in order, from a short-term to a long-term power outage.

Short-Term Emergency Power

(A few hours to a week and maybe just a little longer)

A gasoline generator that you buy from one of the big-box home improvement stores or local hardware/equipment stores will easily fill this time frame. All you need to figure out is how big of a generator you need, some extension cords, and oil and gasoline for the generator.

Using this idea, you plug in the appliances as they need power. Plug in the freezer; run it for an hour. Unplug the freezer then plug in the refrigerator for an hour. Need to do a load of wash; unplug the refrigerator and plug in the washer. You get the idea.

There are safety issues though.

A running generator will give off carbon monoxide. This is the number one killer. Every year, people put the generator in their garage, to protect the generator from thieves, and they die from the generator's exhaust fumes.

Another safety issue, the electrical extension cords must be the right size. A too small cord will overheat and possibly start a fire.

Do Not, Don't, Never plug a generator directly into the house wiring. This is called backfeeding; it can kill an electrical worker attempting to restore power.

Lastly, operate the generator on a level, firm, and dry surface/area.

An upgrade to this idea is to have an electrician install a transfer switch in your home. A transfer switch manually or automatically transfers the power source to power your appliances. It will cost about as much as a generator.

Now, you have to remember that you will need fuel for your generator. The longer the emergency, you are preparing for, the more fuel you will need.

Almost all of a generator's fuel usage is figured at half-load. That means, if the generator is rated at 10,000 watts, the fuel usage is calculated with the generator running a 5,000 watt load. Yeah, I know it is misrepresenting/misleading, but now you know.

If you are preparing for more then a few days, you might want to look at generators that use a different fuel then gasoline. Generators can be found that run using diesel, vegetable oil, or propane/natural gas.

The natural gas powered generators can be permanently hooked up to the underground gas lines found in most cities. This allows you to never have to worry about fuel storage because the gas lines are pressurized by the gas company. The gas lines will have pressure as long as the lines and the gas company are intact.

Sorry folks planning to survive an earthquake. Those gas lines might break in an earthquake, so you shouldn't depend on a gas-line fed natural gas generator for power.

But, you might be able to use a natural gas/propane generator hooked up to a 100, 250, 500 gallon or larger tank. You know, the tanks that you see sitting next to houses in the rural areas of the country.

Natural gas/propane will last as long as the tank it is stored in. Gasoline and diesel will need to be rotated. As I empty a fuel container, I buy more. I always put fuel stabilizer in my stored gasoline then use the oldest gasoline first.

Medium-Term Emergency

(A month or two)

For a medium-term emergency, you will need to buy a better generator and store lots of fuel. I can tell you; you will want a transfer switch. Just think, a month of unplugging and plugging in your appliances without a transfer switch.

Long-Term Emergency

(months to years)

For long-term emergencies, you are going to have to become a power company. Albeit, a small power company, but a power company nevertheless.

To supply power for the long-term, you and your family are going to have to conserve power. The reason: The less power you use; the less power you will have to generate, and the less money you will spend.

There are multiple ways of producing this power for the long-term. They are solar, wind, hydro, and methane.

The premier source for information is Home Power magazine. I can not say enough good things about this magazine and their staff. They have walked the walk and can talk the talk, and they have done it for over 20 years!

That's all for, now, so I'll ...

See you next week!

Links:

Wikipedia - First World

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_World

NASA - Earth at Night

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap020810.html

NASA - Earth Lights

http://veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/1438/earth_lights.gif

NOAA - Low Light Imaging of the Earth at Night

Electrical Power Consumption/Infrastructure Prorated by Population Density

http://dmsp.ngdc.noaa.gov/pres/low_light_120701/html/page10.html

Sizing a Generator for Home Use

http://www.gillettegenerators.com/sizing/sizing02.html

Select the Right Portable Generator after a Disaster

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/disaster/490-303/490-303.html

Generator Sizing Calculator

https://www.ch.cutler-hammer.com/generatorCalc/wattshow.jsp

Consumer Product Safety Commision - Portable Generator Hazards

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/portgen.html

Portable Electric Generator Safety Tips

http://www.bereadyescambia.com/pdf/generator.pdf

American Red Cross - Fact Sheet: Using a generator when Disaster Strikes

http://www.redcross.org/static/file_cont3250_lang0_1272.pdf

Selecting an Extension Cord

http://home.mchsi.com/~gweidner/extension-cords.pdf

http://www.csa.ca/consumers/consumer_tips/default.asp?load=electrical_cords&language=english

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/msue/iac/disasterresp/SafetyNews/SN01.pdf

Clatskanie People's Utility District - Generators

http://www.clatskaniepud.com/Generators.htm

Wikipedia - Transfer Switch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_switch

Transfer Switch Guide

http://mayberrys.com/honda/generator/html/transfer.htm

Sta-Bil Fuel Stabilizer

http://www.goldeagle.com/sta-bil/index.htmhttp://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/surv/sta-bil.htm

Home Power magazine

http://www.homepower.com/home

HP Magazine - Getting Started

http://www.homepower.com/basics/started/

HP Magazine - Solar Electricity Basics

http://www.homepower.com/basics/solar/

HP Magazine - Wind Electricity basics

http://www.homepower.com/basics/wind/

HP Magazine - Microhydro Electricity Basics

http://www.homepower.com/basics/hydro/

HP Magazine - Solar Hot Water Basics

http://www.homepower.com/basics/hotwater/

HP Magazine - Home Design

http://www.homepower.com/basics/design/

Methane Digester - Methane Digester Design

http://www.habmigern2003.info/biogas/Baron-digester/Baron-digester.htm

Solar Cooking Archive

http://solarcooking.org/

Chapter Thirteen - Section Two

2008-11-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

Videos/Podcasts:

Solar Electricity Solar Power 101 - How Does Sunlight Turn Into Electricity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFDn6eTV0jQ

Solar Inverters: Turning DC to AC power

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra9gp2lRpDU

DIY Solar Power Solar Panel PV Photovoltaic Harbor Freight Solar Energy Solar Panels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caeEyhJZnTs

Solar Panel DIY Wiring Configurations Solar Power DIY Get Off the Grid Part 2 Solar Power PV Photovoltaic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N86eHRGRJwQ

Solar Panel DIY Wiring Configuration Solar Power DIY Modified SINE Inverter Pure SINE Inverter Deep Cycle 12 V

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTT5Nh1jwys

My Solar Power System

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=steKLCeu1UQ

PV PHOTOVOLTAIC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N86eHRGRJwQ

Survival Report

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW74xYKs048&NR=1

Solar Heating Home Made Solar Air Heater - Update

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBwBxmQ7UDs

Finished

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=173owKST-w4

Clean Power Show Episode 5 - Solar Heater

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NveshAa5qpk

The Great Depression 2 Corrugated Cardboard Solar Forced Air Heater Fight Hign Heating Oil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF_mEoFRSAQ

Solar Hot Water Shower DIY Black Water Hose Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXGlB1kGO5E

Solar Hot Water 2 DIY Using Black Water Hose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBAi_TVNaiM

Solar Batch Water Heater "Part One"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Xe_glVoqc

Solar Batch Water Heater "Part Two"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IDcWbjm7W8

Free Solar Heat "How to Build a Solar Panel" Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ_oQL3NYdM

Passive Solar Heating - Glass is all you need

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzGaLw__kdkSolar

Food Dyhydration Solar Food Dehydration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dyvk8dUabQ

How to Make A Solar Dehydrator

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHh16zGKc-0

Solar Herb Dryer Green-It-Yourself Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-VuV-Y8xtQ

SolarFlex Food Dryer and Solar Heater

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilcMzaUgixU

Instructions:

Building Your Own Generator

Some of us don't have a lot on money. Others look at being prepared as a hobby, and others want to know how to fix the things they will rely upon in an emergency.

The Emergency Preparedness Information Center has several great articles on building a generator. The link below will take you to their Emergency Preparedness Tip o'da Week page. Look on the left hand side of your computer screen and click on Build a Lawn Mower Generator. The other articles are really informative, too.

http://theepicenter.com/tipoweek.html

Protecting a Generator From Thieves

The easiest method of protecting your generator from thieves is to have a piece of chain, a place to chain the generator to, and a good lock. It is also a good idea to place the generator in a location that you can easily see it. If you need to leave, turn off the generator and lock it up in your garage. (Make Sure The Generator Has Cooled Down and is OFF)

Make sure you can see your generator. I read an article about a gang of thieves; they would take old, beat-up lawn mowers, start them up, then replace your generator with the ratty mower.

A more expensive option is to get a dedicated concrete pad poured for the generator and than build an enclosure for it. The generators in these enclosures usually have a much better muffler installed. Another method is to follow the United States military method of concealing a generator.

The military digs a hole a little bit bigger then the size of the generator and a little deeper then the height of the generator. A pallet is placed in the bottom of the hole and the generator is placed on top of the pallet. Sand bags are then used to build a small wall all the way around the hole, about two feet high. A piece of camouflage netting is placed over the finished enclosure. This method will greatly silence a portable generator, additionally; it is a pain to refill the generator. Plus, the military has lots of heavily armed people gruading their stuff.

Other Information:

Standardizing on Battery Size

A few posts ago, I mentioned only buying radios and other electronics that use "AA" or "D" size batteries. I say this for a few reasons. The first, you can walk into any store in the United States and buy AA or D size batteries. Next, you save money if you buy things in bulk, in most cases. (Check prices to be sure) Next, you can switch out batteries to power more important equipment.

Chapter Thirteen - Section Three

2008-11-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

Gobar Gas/Gober Gas

Basically, you collect poop, put the poop in a bag, then collect the gas. If you have seen "Mad Max - Beyond Thunderdome" with Tina Turner, you know about gobar/gober gas.

By the way, it's called methane.

Links:

The Methane Digester for Biogas

http://www.habmigern2003.info/biogas/methane-digester.html

Green Trust - Methane Digesters

http://www.green-trust.org/methane.htm

rmt131 - Simple Setup for Methane Digester

http://www.youtube.com/watc?v=1KJR2hP9nI0

Chapter Thirteen - Section Four

2008-11-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Blogs:

Surviving in Argentina - Things to Look for When Shopping for Flashlights

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2009/06/things-to-look-for-when-shopping-for.html

Everyday Prepper - Wood Gas Stove: Attempt 1

http://everydayprepper.com/2009/10/21/wood-gas-stove-attempt-1/

Everyday Prepper - Wood Gas Stove Success!

http://everydayprepper.com/2009/11/02/wood-gas-stove-success/

The Survivalist Blog - Simple Solar Homesteading

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2010/01/simple-solar-homesteading.html

The Survivalist Blog - 10 Ways to Keep Warm

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2010/01/10-ways-to-keep-warm.html

Be a Survivor - How to Survive The Coming Apocalypse (Part IV)

http://beasurvivor.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-survive-coming-apocalypse-part_20.html

Websites:

Wikipedia - DC Connector: Anderson Powerpoles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_connector#Anderson_Powerpole_connectors

The KB1DIG & KB1GTR Ham Page - Anderson Powerpole Ideas: Get Everyone Connected!

http://home.comcast.net/~buck0/app.htm

Build it Solar

http://www.builditsolar.com/

Chapter Fourteen - Emergency Evacuation Kits

2008-10-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Quickstart:

Call a friend or family member, in the same city that you live, and ask if you could come stay with them during an emergency. Then do the same thing with a friend or family member in a different state.

Now, make sure you call around until you have a definite yes from a friend or family member in town and out of state. If you know some folks outside of the country you live in, give them a call too. You never know how far you will have to evacuate.

Section One -

Section Two -

Section Three -

Section Four -

A Prepper Survival Manual

Table of Contents

Introductions

Prepping

Chapter One: Thinking

Chapter One - The First Priority: Thinking

Section One - Mindset

Section Two - Mindset

Section Three - Mindset

Chapter Two: Air

Chapter Two - Section One

Chapter Two - Section Two

Section Three - Air

Chapter Three: Shelter

Chapter Three - Section One

Section Two - Shelter

Section Three - Shelter

Section Four - Shelter

Section Five - Shelter

Chapter Four: Water

Chapter Four - Section One

Section Two - Water

Section Three - Water

Section Four - Water

Chapter Five - Food

Section Two - Food

Section Three - Food

Section Four - Food

Chapter Six - Medical

Section Two - Medical

Section Three - Medical

Section Four - Medical

Chapter Seven - Guns

Section Two - Guns

Section Two - Guns

Section Three - Guns

Section Four - Guns

Chapter Eight - Information

Section Two - Information

Section Three - Information

Section Four - Information

Chapter Nine - Clothing

Section Two - Clothing

Chapter Ten - Transportation

Section Two- Transportation

Section Three - Transportation

Section Four - Transportation

Chapter Eleven - Finances

Section Two - Finances

Section Three - Finances

Section Four - Finances

Chapter Twelve - Communications

Section Two - Communications

Section Three - Communications

Section Four - Communications

Chapter Thirteen - Power/Power Production

Chapter Thirteen - Section One

Chapter Thirteen - Section Two

Chapter Thirteen - Section Three

Chapter Thirteen - Section Four

Chapter Fourteen - Emergency Evacuation Kits