Active New Top (30 days) Compact Card Prepping in small apartment in the NorthEast? Clare - October 4, 2021 I’m living with my elderly parents in a small apartment. Due to their health, we are going to have to “bug in”, not out. I’m stocking up on food, water and other basics, but I’m most worried about heat if we lose power. I read the gear review on space heaters but I’m not comfortable running a gas-powered heater indoors. Has anyone tried it? Or does anyone have any other suggestions for heat if the building loses power? Thanks Read More 10 33 Radioflash – post EMP strike PAW movie Illini Warrior - October 3, 2021 https://youtu.be/QntqNiccTtE 2019 movie that didn’t garner much buzz – recognizable cast – lower budget but not basement Read More 4 3 How to desensitize myself to be able to kill and process an animal Pizza Ninja - October 2, 2021 Hi everyone. I am hoping I can get some advice from you all on how to get over the squeamishness I have about killing an animal. I know, I know, I can already hear the comments coming of where do you think your food comes from at the store. That’s why I want to try and overcome this and be okay with having to kill and eat an animal if I needed to. A friend invited me to go fishing with him and I had just seen that The Prepared had put out an article on survival fishing. I read over it and watched the YouTube videos and it just got me all squeamish, uncomfortable, and sad to see the once alive fish end it’s life and be cut open and processed like that. I am a big animal lover and enjoy just watching them live their lives and being happy so I bet watching a video or even in person the killing of something like a rabbit or a deer would be even harder on me. I have read from others that being respectful of the animal’s life is an important step to feel alright about killing it, and using every piece that you can. Do I just need to go out and do it? -Tim Read More 9 27 Advice Liquid fuel vs. propane bottles for lanterns and cook stoves Waldog - October 2, 2021 I’m new to this website and just thought I’d throw in my two-cents worth. I have noticed on most prepper websites there is a general disdain for “white-gas” lanterns and cook stoves. I have been using Coleman lanterns and stoves for decades. (I guess I just leaked my age as a ole coot, LOL!) I truly believe that liquid fuel light and cook sources are a better option for prepping. Here’s my reasons why 1) A double mantle Coleman gas lantern will provide you with about 40 hours of BRIGHT light per gallon of gas. If you need light 4 hours per day, one gallon will work for 10 days. Cost at Walmart is $7.64 for one gallon of Crown White Gas Camp Fuel. One gallon of gas for a 2 burner Coleman gas stove will provide about the same time. In order to achieve 40 hours of operation with 1 lb. propane bottles, that will require a case of 6 bottles at a cost of $45.00. Both Walmart, AND Amazon are sold out! Propane lanterns and stoves are easier to light but, much less effective when they are operated in cold temperatures. White gas is slightly different to light, not harder, just different. And, white gas is not effected by cold temperatures. One other positive note is that Coleman gas lanterns put out a LOT of heat! 2) Many people will be concerned about carbon monoxide Anything that burns is going to give off CO. The there will be no difference in CO between propane and gas lanterns and stoves. Millions of homes have gas cooking ranges that are used daily with no ill effect. You just have to use common sense. When I was kid, we had a power outage that lasted about 4 days. My Dad got out Coleman lantern and stove to use in our house. The lantern was shuffled between the living room and kitchen while cooking. Although inconvenient, we had plenty of light and hot food. No one got sick or suffered with CO due to the sized of the house and limited daily use. 3) The older Coleman lanterns and stoves are a MUCH HIGHER QUALITY than what is available new. I have found good serviceable lanterns and stoves at garage sales and antique shops. I have purchased lanterns and stoves on eBay that were reasonably priced and just like new. HOWEVER, over the last two years the prices on Coleman Lanterns has skyrocketed! A run-of-the-mill Coleman 220 Lantern used to cost about $20. Now, they are selling for $50+ with some collectible ones selling for several hundred dollars. Coleman gas stoves are still pretty reasonable as most people want propane. I outfitted all three of my kids families with multiple lanterns and stoves for their prepper/camping needs. My son-in-law wanted nothing to do with a gas lanterns, He felt they were dangerous and outdated, UNTIL my daughter used hers on a desert camping trip. Now, he uses that lantern all the time and really likes it. He doesn’t have to deal with empty propane bottles and 1 gallon of Crown Fuel take up a lot less space. 4) Solar is wonderful but costly and bulky compared to gas lanterns. I use solar on some of my HAM equipment. Read More 12 38 N95 could help reduce hospitalisation from wildfire smoke Bill Masen - October 1, 2021 another good reason to keep N95s to hand https://www.foxnews.com/science/n95-respirators-could-reduce-hospitalizations-from-wildfire-smoke-study The masks offer a ‘promising means’ to reduce inhalation of particulate air pollution N95 respirators could offer robust protection from wildfire smoke, researchers say. According to an August study in the AGU journal GeoHealth, the regulatory standard masks offer a “promising means” to reduce the inhalation of particulate air pollution and reduce the risk of negative health effects. Read More 3 5 News Book review: The Resilient Farm and Homestead Josh CentersContributor - September 30, 2021 As a homesteader, I often worry about just how prepared my homestead is for hard times. We use electric heat and air, city water, and fiber optic broadband. As much as I let my chickens graze and eat scraps, I still have to feed them a good deal of storebought feed (from a local Mennonite community at least). I use mostly organic amendments for the garden, but again, they’re storebought. Figuring ways to make myself less dependent on the outside world is always in the back of my mind. Jason Snyder on Twitter recommended a couple of books on the topic. One of those is The Resilient Farm and Homestead by Ben Falk. It serves as an introduction to permaculture with the backdrop of Falk anticipating a large-scale civilizational collapse. The book touches on numerous topics you should be thinking about if you want to homestead or run a homestead, such as: Designing a landscape Recycling nutrients Developing non-grid water sources Scything Raising animals Growing food Preserving food Heating your home with wood There aren’t many topics the book goes in-depth about. A couple of notable exceptions are landscape design and wood heat, which he details at length. It’s not going to explain much of the how, like how to sharpen a scythe or build a fence, though it has many useful tips. It’s more of an introductory text that should spark your interest and lead you to more in-depth sources. Despite that, it’s full of useful knowledge and clues you in on things you should be considering for your homestead. I strongly encourage you to buy the physical version, as it’s a graphics-heavy magazine-style format that you’ll want to flip through. It’s not a book I’m strictly reading from cover to cover, but rather flipping through and stopping at interesting sections. Every time I do so, I take away something new. If you’re homesteading or considering it, I highly recommend it. Read More 16 25 Advice Looking for prepping community in GSO, NC GSOPrepper - September 30, 2021 Can anyone recommend a resource to hook up with other preppers in Greensboro, NC (or surrounding areas) without using social media platforms? It seems word of mouth only goes so far. I am looking for decent, sane preppers and survivalists, not political extremists nor conspiracy theorists. Thanks and stay safe! Read More 6 11 Sanitizing the rain tank Barb LeeContributor - September 30, 2021 Mr. Dogpatch drew the rain tank down for the first time since installation this last week. Our guide to installation said to leave the tank alone to allow the biofilter to develop, but we thought it was time. So he dumped a gallon of bleach in, let it set for a day, then opened the valve. It got a thorough pressure washing and some of the intake plumbing was taken down and cleaned. No sooner did he get finished than this fabulous two day rainstorm hit, delivering over 600 gallons of fresh rainwater (so far). The tank has saved us a few times when the power went out and we couldn’t pump the deep well (hopefully the new generator will alleviate that problem). We bring the water into the house in five gallons jugs, treat with a tablespoon of bleach, then run through a sediment filter and a Berkey tabletop filter. The horses drink it straight! We were both very nervous, pouring that resource onto the ground to clean the tank! Read More 6 4 Review: Ertupe rechargeable hand warmer and power bank Robert LarsonContributor - September 30, 2021 With all of the supply chain issues, I am starting to think about things that I will want in a few months and buy it before everyone else does and then I am not able to. Fall is already coming where I live and I’ve had a few days of cold hands in the morning and at night. I do already have a Zippo hand warmer that is powered by lighter fluid, but that takes many steps to activate, heat up, and is just a lot of work for when I want instant heat for a short period of time. I have heard of electric rechargeable hand warmers but never had used one before. Looking on Amazon, there was this kind that I have seen over the years, but there was also a new contender that looked to have many more features and capabilities at a cheaper price.The problem was that it didn’t have any reviews yet, so was this real or not? I thought I would give it a try! The Ertupe hand warmer is a 10,000mAh power bank that can heat up your hands and charge your phone. I like dual capability items. It is charges by USB C, which is something I hadn’t seen in other electric hand warmers. And I like that it has a tiny screen to show the battery percentage instead of just 4 dots. It has three heat settings to provide between 104-140 degrees F (40-60C). Now this isn’t very scientific but I used a medical laser thermometer for checking a child’s temperature and did a bit of testing. The hand warmer started out at 92 degrees after being on the charger for about ten minutes and then I turned it onto the highest setting. In two minutes it rose to 103 degrees, and at four minutes it went beyond what my thermometer was able to calculate. I held it in my hands and it was indeed warm. My cold clammy hands (Mrs. Robert Larson knows of these hands too well), quickly sucked out the heat and I measured the temp again and it was around 96 degrees. This seems to be normal though with hand warmers, because even my lighter fluid powered Zippo hand warmer would do something different when I sucked out it’s warmth, it needs a bit of time to heat up the metal again. So far I’m very pleased. It feels very sturdy, comes with a charging cable and little carrying sack, and does it’s job. I wanted a hand warmer that I could power off of my small portable solar panel in case there was a power outage.This is a great unit for warming up your hands before going to work on the computer, or after being outside for a while. It doesn’t warm up while it is charging, but that’s a minor nit pick. Let me know if you have any particular questions about it and I’ll see how I can answer them. What are you planning on doing to stay warm this winter? Read More 8 2 Gear Urban bugging out Jonnie PekelnyContributor - September 30, 2021 I’ve been thinking lately about the typical scenarios for bugging out. They often seem to assume that the person will be camping out in the woods, or something. I know that our BOBs are meant to serve us in a wide variety of bug out situations, but somehow or other wilderness camping and survival often play into the formula. And, hey, I find the idea of wilderness camping and skills to be as romantic as the next guy. But, how applicable is it really to a lot of people’s situations? I will use my own case as Exhibit A. First of all, I’m not in wonderful physical shape. My health is okay for daily living but I have some mobility issues, including foot problems, and I don’t have great endurance. So, in a bug out scenario I need to plan to lighten my load and minimize my travel as much as I can. Then, I live in an urban environment. We are fortunate to have access to large swaths of green space around here, for example some very nice regional parks, but why would I seek them out in case of an emergency? In fact, these days, the biggest danger to us is wildfires, so, the woods is the last place you want to head in that situation. The second biggest danger is earthquakes. But still, no reason to go the woods, which are several miles away. Realistically speaking, if I wind up camping after a disaster, it’s more likely to be in some place like a Walmart parking lot or in some other urban encampment. I still consider myself very much a prepping beginner, though I’ve been at it for several years. I’ve assembled a good bit of gear, but I don’t have a lot of skills or versatility or practice in using it yet. Realizing that I’m probably not headed for a wilderness in a crisis, and also that I can’t realistically expect myself to hike for miles and sleep in the rough in a pile of leaves, makes me think that whatever skills I learn need to be adapted to my actual, real world. Read More 18 136 Selfish selfish selfish UK panic buying Bill Masen - September 29, 2021 From a small very localised shortage of fuel tanker drivers on Thursday last week affecting only approx seven service station, to total nationwide panic buying over the weekend and today. Fuel stations report increased demand of 500%, others report that demand has risen from a typical station being refilled twice a week to them now needing refilling three times daily. UK government has had to suspend competition laws and is trying to deploy the military to deliver fuel supplies.. And stocks of bottles of propane currently appear non existant. Fights and arguments in service stations between drivers, thefts of fuel increasing. Localised shortages of bread, milk, flour, chicken, pork, beef, lamb in the supermarkets. This ARTIFICIAL crisis is being engineered by the media who took a small localised supply issue and inflated it until it has become a national crisis. I see none of this milk of human kindness many of you lovely folks keep referring to. Read More 8 18 How to prepare for the loss of a loved one Gideon ParkerStaff - September 29, 2021 I was on Facebook today and saw in another prepping group a nice older lady with a sad message — “My partner in crime, my biggest fan, my prepper leader lover, my husband passed away a week ago. I did not prepare for that… I feel rudderless. Now what??” This got me thinking about the loss of a loved one and how that can affect the survivors. Let me ask a few questions to spark some conversation: What are your thoughts on how a death can affect people? Mentally, emotionally, etc… Think about what it would be like for your spouse or children if you died, or how would it affect you if they died? What things do only you/they know how to do and your/their death would leave them/you in a bad position? How can you comfort those who have lost a loved one? What can we do now to prepare ourselves to not be hit as hard when someone dies? Because it will happen. I hope this topic doesn’t come off as insensitive, but death and loss will happen and we/others fill a vital role in lives of people, and when that is taken away it is damaging and hard to recover. Read More 12 25 “Tamper resistant” door lock Barb LeeContributor - September 28, 2021 Oregon has just passed (without a public vote) a law requiring guns to be stored with trigger locks, in a locked container or room. In order to comply with the letter of the law, we decided to put a lock on the linen closet door and store the guns in there. A closet qualifies, but it’s the tamper resistant part that needs to be addressed. I’m not coming up with a good solution for a tamper resistant lock. Or hasp/lock, doorknob, whatever. Not so much concerned about security as complying with the new law. Any suggestions? Thanks. Read More 7 9 Gear Urban preps for the concrete jungle: what are your hacks? SeaBee - September 28, 2021 NYC prepper here, wanting to open up some space for those of us who don’t have rural, off-grid locations or New Zealand villas in which to ride out ailments of the universe. What preps are you most proud of or what are some cool hacks you’ve figured out in dealing with small-space prepping? How have you adapted some of the standard prepping protocols for your own unique situation? Would be nice to have ongoing sharing and discussion. Read More 29 60 Scenarios Crime prevention: RCMP in Okanagan asking citizens to adopt 9 p.m. routine Thekaren - September 28, 2021 RCMP in Okanagan asking citizens to adopt 9 p.m. routineAnd no, it’s not ‘go indoors and bolt the shutters’. Saw this and thought, dang, some of my neighbors ought to look into this because where I live, we’re out beyond the sidewalks, mostly residential, some acreage, and regularly people report on Facebook or Nextdoor that something’s gone missing or the like. Read More 7 6 September is National Preparedness Month – Share your preparedness tips here! Alisa Felix - September 28, 2021 HEY EVERYONE!!! According to ready.gov, it is National Preparedness Month! I thought that this could be a great forum topic for everyone to post their random and small preparedness tips, tricks, and life hacks that otherwise wouldn’t fit anywhere else or be enough to be it’s own topic. So as you go through this month, if you think of ANY little prepping tip, come post it here and help everyone be more prepared this month. Just little things like: Check your oil and windshield washer fluid every time you fill up gas. Use rubbing alcohol on your wiper blades to get the road grime off and make them work smoother. Look around your house when it is raining to make sure water isn’t pooling up where it shouldn’t. Rub candle wax on stubborn zippers to make them run more smoothly Check your power cords to your devices to make sure they are plugged in properly and there is no fraying or wearing out to prevent shock and electrical fires. Ask family members about their preps and offer to help them out to be more prepared. Always keep your phone charged above 50% Read More 19 59 Looking for natural insect repellent Bigwig - September 28, 2021 I’d like some suggestions for natural insect repellent. I’d rather avoid chemicals like DEET if I can. Something that can be put in bug-out bags. Read More 8 19 Advice How do you safely store an emergency kit in a pickup truck? Thomas Dakan - September 27, 2021 I, like a lot of folks, drive a pickup truck. Specifically a Nissan Frontier. I don’t have a trunk, and there isn’t a ton of extra room in the cab for a locking cabinet. I’m not planning to keep any firearms in my car kit, but I worry that an obviously full backpack will be an extra tempting target. How do folks store their car kit to prevent theft? I have a wire rope bag and I guess I could padlock that to one of the seats, but I can see potential disadvantages to doing that. I didn’t find any articles that talked about it. Maybe everyone just brings their kit inside when they aren’t driving? Read More 19 29 AdviceGear How do you filter air when the electricity is low or non-existent? Jonnie PekelnyContributor - September 27, 2021 In trying to figure out how to power my CPAP machine in an extended electrical outage, I started thinking about what other essential, electrical gadgets I might need to run. Mostly I’ve been assuming that I’ll just make do with portable battery-driven devices for things like flashlights and solar powered power banks for my cell phone and tablet. But then I thought, it would be really good to be able to run my fan in hot weather. And… I thought, I might really need to run my air filter. Here, in Northern California, we’ve been having power outages instigated by our power company. Most of these happen in fire season to, supposedly prevent wildfires from happening, but they do anyway. Really bad fires lately. So, it’s entirely possible to have a scenario where the electricity is out, but we’re supposed to keep our windows closed and are supposed to be filtering the air which is full of unhealthy particulates. How do you filter the air if there’s no electricity? I recently measured how much power my air filter uses and it’s kind of a power hog. It uses nearly as much as my CPAP, but, unlike a CPAP I would have to run the air filter either all day or at least for 12 or so hours a day. I can’t really afford a battery that keeps both my CPAP and my air filter running every day. I’m wondering whether any of you out there have any suggestion for how to approach this problem. Read More 22 29 What are some valuable tools to have on hand? Olly Wright - September 27, 2021 I’m talking about things like shovel, rake, hammer, drill, air compressor…. I am wanting to build up the tools that I have on hand for day-to-day repairs and living, but also for an emergency if high winds comes through and knocks some shingles off my roof, or a window breaks. I don’t want to have to run to the hardware store as my roof is leaking and buy a hammer and nails, I want to be prepared and ready. Read More 22 85 AdviceGear 9 best egg substitutes in cooking and baking Thekaren - September 27, 2021 I’m not at the point where I can raise chickens and all, so to be prepared for baking, I’ve tried to be on top of egg subs. My container of flaxseed meal apparently isn’t the best like I thought. Instead, it’s all about chickpeas (buy them bulk to save) 9 best egg substitutes in cooking and baking https://www.salon.com/2021/09/26/9-best-egg-substitutes-in-cooking-and-baking_partner/ Read More 8 5 Social media and its place in your plan? brekke - September 27, 2021 With these fires in Oregon, many agencies are referring the public to their social media sites for the most up-to-date information. However, I’m finding it to be counterproductive due to the sheer amount of false information and rumors being spread. Where do you, as a part of being prepared, draw the line between the value of obtaining verified information on current and potential emergency information on social media, versus unfollowing social media entirely and seeking facts from local, regional and national organization sites exclusively? I’m literally ready to walk away from social media, but part of me wonders if I would be giving up a necessary news resource as a part of my being aware of current and evolving situations. Read More 18 18 Advice Where do you keep your car fire extinguisher? pnwsarahContributor - September 26, 2021 Feels like an exceedingly mundane thing to post about under the circumstances, but: I was digging back through the blog archives over the holidays and read somewhere (either on TP or in a linked article) that one should keep one’s car fire extinguisher within reach of the driver’s seat. Makes sense, but after driving around for a few days with my fire extinguisher rolling around in the passenger side footwell, I can’t help feeling like it would be a super dangerous projectile in an accident. Does anyone have a good method or approach for safely securing their fire extinguisher within reach of the driver’s seat? And note I don’t have one of those yawning cavern center console bins with a locking lid, so I’m thinking about strapping the thing to the seat somehow. Read More 17 32 AdviceGear Is the blog being retired? Stephen Besch - September 26, 2021 Does anyone know if the Blog portion of this site is being retired? There were 2-3 entries per week before, but nothing has been posted there for almost 2 weeks now. Hopefully it’s just the staff taking vacation time over the holidays, because the Blog was the main way I connected with and used the site. Hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. Read More 20 33 Meta < Prev 1 2 3 … 36 37 38 … 61 62 63 Next > Recently Active Mylar Bags - 1 month agoShot Show 2026 recap - 2 months agoNews for the Week 2026-1-12 - 3 months agoNews for the Week 2026-01-05 - 3 months agoNews for the Week 2025-12-29 - December 29, 2025 RULES This forum is heavily moderated to keep things valuable to as many people as possible. Full community policies are here. The basics: 1. Be nice to each other. 2. Stay focused on prepping. 3. Avoid politics, religion, and other arguments. 4. No unfounded conspiracies, fake news, etc. 5. Debate ideas, not people. FILTER Show all Advice Gear Meta News Scenarios Skills

Prepping in small apartment in the NorthEast?

Clare - October 4, 2021

I’m living with my elderly parents in a small apartment. Due to their health, we are going to have to “bug in”, not out. I’m stocking up on food, water and other basics, but I’m most worried about heat if we lose power. I read the gear review on space heaters but I’m not comfortable running a gas-powered heater indoors. Has anyone tried it? Or does anyone have any other suggestions for heat if the building loses power? Thanks

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Radioflash – post EMP strike PAW movie

Illini Warrior - October 3, 2021

https://youtu.be/QntqNiccTtE

2019 movie that didn’t garner much buzz – recognizable cast – lower budget but not basement 

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How to desensitize myself to be able to kill and process an animal

Pizza Ninja - October 2, 2021

Hi everyone. I am hoping I can get some advice from you all on how to get over the squeamishness I have about killing an animal. 

I know, I know, I can already hear the comments coming of where do you think your food comes from at the store. That’s why I want to try and overcome this and be okay with having to kill and eat an animal if I needed to.

A friend invited me to go fishing with him and I had just seen that The Prepared had put out an article on survival fishing. I read over it and watched the YouTube videos and it just got me all squeamish, uncomfortable, and sad to see the once alive fish end it’s life and be cut open and processed like that. I am a big animal lover and enjoy just watching them live their lives and being happy so I bet watching a video or even in person the killing of something like a rabbit or a deer would be even harder on me. 

I have read from others that being respectful of the animal’s life is an important step to feel alright about killing it, and using every piece that you can. Do I just need to go out and do it?

-Tim

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Advice

Liquid fuel vs. propane bottles for lanterns and cook stoves

Waldog - October 2, 2021

I’m new to this website and just thought I’d throw in my two-cents worth.  I have noticed on most prepper websites there is a general disdain for “white-gas” lanterns and cook stoves.  I have been using Coleman lanterns and stoves for decades. (I guess I just leaked my age as a ole coot,  LOL!) I truly believe that liquid fuel light and cook sources are a better option for prepping.  Here’s my reasons why

1)  A double mantle Coleman gas lantern will provide you with about 40 hours of BRIGHT light per gallon of gas.  If you need light 4 hours per day, one gallon will work for 10 days.  Cost at Walmart is $7.64 for one gallon of Crown White Gas Camp Fuel.   One gallon of gas for a 2 burner Coleman gas stove will provide about the same time.  In order to achieve 40 hours of operation with 1 lb. propane bottles, that will require a case of 6 bottles at a cost of $45.00. Both Walmart, AND Amazon are sold out!  Propane lanterns and stoves are easier to light but, much less effective when they are operated in cold temperatures.  White gas is slightly different to light, not harder, just different.  And, white gas is not effected by cold temperatures.  One other positive note is that Coleman gas lanterns put out a LOT of heat!

2) Many people will be concerned about carbon monoxide  Anything that burns is going to give off CO.  The there will be no difference in CO between propane and gas lanterns and stoves.  Millions of homes have gas cooking ranges that are used daily with no ill effect.  You just have to use common sense.  When I was kid, we had a power outage that lasted about 4 days.  My Dad got out Coleman lantern and stove to use in our house. The lantern was shuffled between the living room and kitchen while cooking.  Although inconvenient, we had plenty of light and hot food.  No one got sick or suffered with CO due to the sized of the house and limited daily use.

3)   The older Coleman lanterns and stoves are a MUCH HIGHER QUALITY than what is available new.  I have found good serviceable lanterns and stoves at garage sales and antique shops.  I have purchased lanterns and stoves on eBay that were reasonably priced and just like new.  HOWEVER, over the last two years the prices on Coleman Lanterns has skyrocketed!  A run-of-the-mill Coleman 220 Lantern used to cost about $20.  Now, they are selling for $50+ with some collectible ones selling for several hundred dollars.  Coleman gas stoves are still pretty reasonable as most people want propane.  I outfitted all three of my kids families with multiple lanterns and stoves for their prepper/camping needs.  My son-in-law wanted nothing to do with a gas lanterns,  He felt they were dangerous and outdated, UNTIL my daughter used hers on a desert camping trip.  Now, he uses that lantern all the time and really likes it. He doesn’t have to deal with empty propane bottles and 1 gallon of Crown Fuel take up a lot less space.

4) Solar is wonderful but costly and bulky compared to gas lanterns.   I use solar on some of my HAM equipment. 

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N95 could help reduce hospitalisation from wildfire smoke

Bill Masen - October 1, 2021

another good reason to keep N95s to hand

https://www.foxnews.com/science/n95-respirators-could-reduce-hospitalizations-from-wildfire-smoke-study

The masks offer a ‘promising means’ to reduce inhalation of particulate air pollution

N95 respirators could offer robust protection from wildfire smoke, researchers say.

According to an August study in the AGU journal GeoHealth, the regulatory standard masks offer a “promising means” to reduce the inhalation of particulate air pollution and reduce the risk of negative health effects. 

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News

Book review: The Resilient Farm and Homestead

Josh CentersContributor - September 30, 2021

As a homesteader, I often worry about just how prepared my homestead is for hard times. We use electric heat and air, city water, and fiber optic broadband. As much as I let my chickens graze and eat scraps, I still have to feed them a good deal of storebought feed (from a local Mennonite community at least). I use mostly organic amendments for the garden, but again, they’re storebought.

Figuring ways to make myself less dependent on the outside world is always in the back of my mind. Jason Snyder on Twitter recommended a couple of books on the topic.

One of those is The Resilient Farm and Homestead by Ben Falk. It serves as an introduction to permaculture with the backdrop of Falk anticipating a large-scale civilizational collapse.

The book touches on numerous topics you should be thinking about if you want to homestead or run a homestead, such as:

Designing a landscape Recycling nutrients Developing non-grid water sources Scything Raising animals Growing food Preserving food Heating your home with wood

There aren’t many topics the book goes in-depth about. A couple of notable exceptions are landscape design and wood heat, which he details at length. It’s not going to explain much of the how, like how to sharpen a scythe or build a fence, though it has many useful tips. It’s more of an introductory text that should spark your interest and lead you to more in-depth sources.

Despite that, it’s full of useful knowledge and clues you in on things you should be considering for your homestead. I strongly encourage you to buy the physical version, as it’s a graphics-heavy magazine-style format that you’ll want to flip through. It’s not a book I’m strictly reading from cover to cover, but rather flipping through and stopping at interesting sections. Every time I do so, I take away something new.

If you’re homesteading or considering it, I highly recommend it.

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Advice

Looking for prepping community in GSO, NC

GSOPrepper - September 30, 2021

Can anyone recommend a resource to hook up with other preppers in Greensboro, NC (or surrounding areas) without using social media platforms? It seems word of mouth only goes so far.

I am looking for decent, sane preppers and survivalists, not political extremists nor conspiracy theorists.

Thanks and stay safe!

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Sanitizing the rain tank

Barb LeeContributor - September 30, 2021

Mr. Dogpatch drew the rain tank down for the first time since installation this last week.  Our guide to installation said to leave the tank alone to allow the biofilter to develop, but we thought it was time.  So he dumped a gallon of bleach in, let it set for a day, then opened the valve.  It got a thorough pressure washing and some of the intake plumbing was taken down and cleaned.  No sooner did he get finished than this fabulous two day rainstorm hit, delivering over 600 gallons of fresh rainwater (so far). 

The tank has saved us a few times when the power went out and we couldn’t pump the deep well (hopefully the new generator will alleviate that problem).  We bring the water into the house in five gallons jugs, treat with a tablespoon of bleach, then run through a sediment filter and a Berkey tabletop filter.  The horses drink it straight! 

We were both very nervous, pouring that resource onto the ground to clean the tank!

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Review: Ertupe rechargeable hand warmer and power bank

Robert LarsonContributor - September 30, 2021

With all of the supply chain issues, I am starting to think about things that I will want in a few months and buy it before everyone else does and then I am not able to. 

Fall is already coming where I live and I’ve had a few days of cold hands in the morning and at night. I do already have a Zippo hand warmer that is powered by lighter fluid, but that takes many steps to activate, heat up, and is just a lot of work for when I want instant heat for a short period of time. I have heard of electric rechargeable hand warmers but never had used one before. 

Looking on Amazon, there was this kind that I have seen over the years, but there was also a new contender that looked to have many more features and capabilities at a cheaper price.The problem was that it didn’t have any reviews yet, so was this real or not? I thought I would give it a try!

The Ertupe hand warmer is a 10,000mAh power bank that can heat up your hands and charge your phone. I like dual capability items. It is charges by USB C, which is something I hadn’t seen in other electric hand warmers. And I like that it has a tiny screen to show the battery percentage instead of just 4 dots.

It has three heat settings to provide between 104-140 degrees F (40-60C). 

Now this isn’t very scientific but I used a medical laser thermometer for checking a child’s temperature and did a bit of testing. The hand warmer started out at 92 degrees after being on the charger for about ten minutes and then I turned it onto the highest setting. In two minutes it rose to 103 degrees, and at four minutes it went beyond what my thermometer was able to calculate. 

I held it in my hands and it was indeed warm. My cold clammy hands (Mrs. Robert Larson knows of these hands too well), quickly sucked out the heat and I measured the temp again and it was around 96 degrees. This seems to be normal though with hand warmers, because even my lighter fluid powered Zippo hand warmer would do something different when I sucked out it’s warmth, it needs a bit of time to heat up the metal again.

So far I’m very pleased. It feels very sturdy, comes with a charging cable and little carrying sack, and does it’s job. I wanted a hand warmer that I could power off of my small portable solar panel in case there was a power outage.This is a great unit for warming up your hands before going to work on the computer, or after being outside for a while. It doesn’t warm up while it is charging, but that’s a minor nit pick.

Let me know if you have any particular questions about it and I’ll see how I can answer them. What are you planning on doing to stay warm this winter? 

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Gear

Urban bugging out

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - September 30, 2021

I’ve been thinking lately about the typical scenarios for bugging out. They often seem to assume that the person will be camping out in the woods, or something. I know that our BOBs are meant to serve us in a wide variety of bug out situations, but somehow or other wilderness camping and survival often play into the formula. And, hey, I find the idea of wilderness camping and skills to be as romantic as the next guy. But, how applicable is it really to a lot of people’s situations?

I will use my own case as Exhibit A. First of all, I’m not in wonderful physical shape. My health is okay for daily living but I have some mobility issues, including foot problems, and I don’t have great endurance. So, in a bug out scenario I need to plan to lighten my load and minimize my travel as much as I can.

Then, I live in an urban environment. We are fortunate to have access to large swaths of green space around here, for example some very nice regional parks, but why would I seek them out in case of an emergency? In fact, these days, the biggest danger to us is wildfires, so, the woods is the last place you want to head in that situation. The second biggest danger is earthquakes. But still, no reason to go the woods, which are several miles away.

Realistically speaking, if I wind up camping after a disaster, it’s more likely to be in some place like a Walmart parking lot or in some other urban encampment.

I still consider myself very much a prepping beginner, though I’ve been at it for several years. I’ve assembled a good bit of gear, but I don’t have a lot of skills or versatility or practice in using it yet. Realizing that I’m probably not headed for a wilderness in a crisis, and also that I can’t realistically expect myself to hike for miles and sleep in the rough in a pile of leaves, makes me think that whatever skills I learn need to be adapted to my actual, real world.

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Selfish selfish selfish UK panic buying

Bill Masen - September 29, 2021

From a small very localised shortage of fuel tanker drivers on Thursday last week affecting only approx seven service station, to total nationwide panic buying over the weekend and today.  Fuel stations report increased demand of 500%,  others report that demand has risen from a typical station being refilled twice a week to them now needing refilling three times daily. UK government has had to suspend competition laws and is trying to deploy the military to deliver fuel supplies..  And stocks of bottles of propane currently appear non existant. Fights and arguments in service stations between drivers, thefts of fuel increasing.

Localised shortages of bread, milk, flour, chicken, pork, beef, lamb in the supermarkets.

This ARTIFICIAL crisis is being engineered by the media who took a small localised supply issue and inflated it until it has become a national crisis.   I see none of this milk of human kindness many of you lovely folks keep referring to.

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How to prepare for the loss of a loved one

Gideon ParkerStaff - September 29, 2021

I was on Facebook today and saw in another prepping group a nice older lady with a sad message —

“My partner in crime, my biggest fan, my prepper leader lover, my husband passed away a week ago. I did not prepare for that… I feel rudderless. Now what??”

This got me thinking about the loss of a loved one and how that can affect the survivors. Let me ask a few questions to spark some conversation:

What are your thoughts on how a death can affect people? Mentally, emotionally, etc… Think about what it would be like for your spouse or children if you died, or how would it affect you if they died? What things do only you/they know how to do and your/their death would leave them/you in a bad position? How can you comfort those who have lost a loved one? What can we do now to prepare ourselves to not be hit as hard when someone dies? Because it will happen.

I hope this topic doesn’t come off as insensitive, but death and loss will happen and we/others fill a vital role in lives of people, and when that is taken away it is damaging and hard to recover.

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“Tamper resistant” door lock

Barb LeeContributor - September 28, 2021

Oregon has just passed (without a public vote) a law requiring guns to be stored with trigger locks, in a locked container or room.  In order to comply with the letter of the law, we decided to put a lock on the linen closet door and store the guns in there.  A closet qualifies, but it’s the tamper resistant part that needs to be addressed. I’m not coming up with a good solution for a tamper resistant lock.  Or hasp/lock, doorknob, whatever.  Not so much concerned about security as complying with the new law. 

Any suggestions?  Thanks.

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Gear

Urban preps for the concrete jungle: what are your hacks?

SeaBee - September 28, 2021

NYC prepper here, wanting to open up some space for those of us who don’t have rural, off-grid locations or New Zealand villas in which to ride out ailments of the universe. What preps are you most proud of or what are some cool hacks you’ve figured out in dealing with small-space prepping? How have you adapted some of the standard prepping protocols for your own unique situation? Would be nice to have ongoing sharing and discussion.

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Scenarios

Crime prevention: RCMP in Okanagan asking citizens to adopt 9 p.m. routine

Thekaren - September 28, 2021

RCMP in Okanagan asking citizens to adopt 9 p.m. routine
And no, it’s not ‘go indoors and bolt the shutters’. Saw this and thought, dang, some of my neighbors ought to look into this because where I live, we’re out beyond the sidewalks, mostly residential, some acreage, and regularly people report on Facebook or Nextdoor that something’s gone missing or the like.

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September is National Preparedness Month – Share your preparedness tips here!

Alisa Felix - September 28, 2021

HEY EVERYONE!!!

According to ready.gov, it is National Preparedness Month! I thought that this could be a great forum topic for everyone to post their random and small preparedness tips, tricks, and life hacks that otherwise wouldn’t fit anywhere else or be enough to be it’s own topic. 

So as you go through this month, if you think of ANY little prepping tip, come post it here and help everyone be more prepared this month. 

Just little things like:

Check your oil and windshield washer fluid every time you fill up gas. Use rubbing alcohol on your wiper blades to get the road grime off and make them work smoother. Look around your house when it is raining to make sure water isn’t pooling up where it shouldn’t. Rub candle wax on stubborn zippers to make them run more smoothly Check your power cords to your devices to make sure they are plugged in properly and there is no fraying or wearing out to prevent shock and electrical fires. Ask family members about their preps and offer to help them out to be more prepared. Always keep your phone charged above 50% Read More

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Looking for natural insect repellent

Bigwig - September 28, 2021

I’d like some suggestions for natural insect repellent.  I’d rather avoid chemicals like DEET if I can.  Something that can be put in bug-out bags.

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Advice

How do you safely store an emergency kit in a pickup truck?

Thomas Dakan - September 27, 2021

I, like a lot of folks, drive a pickup truck. Specifically a Nissan Frontier. I don’t have a trunk, and there isn’t a ton of extra room in the cab for a locking cabinet. I’m not planning to keep any firearms in my car kit, but I worry that an obviously full backpack will be an extra tempting target.

How do folks store their car kit to prevent theft? I have a wire rope bag and I guess I could padlock that to one of the seats, but I can see potential disadvantages to doing that. I didn’t find any articles that talked about it. Maybe everyone just brings their kit inside when they aren’t driving?

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AdviceGear

How do you filter air when the electricity is low or non-existent?

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - September 27, 2021

In trying  to figure out how to power my CPAP machine in an extended electrical outage, I started thinking about what other essential, electrical gadgets I might need to run. Mostly I’ve been assuming that I’ll just make do with portable battery-driven devices for things like flashlights and solar powered power banks for my cell phone and tablet. But then I thought, it would be really good to be able to run my fan in hot weather. And… I thought, I might really need to run my air filter.

Here, in Northern California, we’ve been having power outages instigated by our power company. Most of these happen in fire season to, supposedly prevent wildfires from happening, but they do anyway. Really bad fires lately. So, it’s entirely possible to have a scenario where the electricity is out, but we’re supposed to keep our windows closed and are supposed to be filtering the air which is full of unhealthy particulates.

How do you filter the air if there’s no electricity?

I recently measured how much power my air filter uses and it’s kind of a power hog. It uses nearly as much as my CPAP, but, unlike a CPAP I would have to run the air filter either all day or at least for 12 or so hours a day. I can’t really afford a battery that keeps both my CPAP and my air filter running every day.

I’m wondering whether any of you out there have any suggestion for how to approach this problem.

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What are some valuable tools to have on hand?

Olly Wright - September 27, 2021

I’m talking about things like shovel, rake, hammer, drill, air compressor….

I am wanting to build up the tools that I have on hand for day-to-day repairs and living, but also for an emergency if high winds comes through and knocks some shingles off my roof, or a window breaks. I don’t want to have to run to the hardware store as my roof is leaking and buy a hammer and nails, I want to be prepared and ready.

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AdviceGear

9 best egg substitutes in cooking and baking

Thekaren - September 27, 2021

I’m not at the point where I can raise chickens and all, so to be prepared for baking, I’ve tried to be on top of egg subs.  My container of flaxseed meal apparently isn’t the best like I thought.  Instead, it’s all about chickpeas (buy them bulk to save)

9 best egg substitutes in cooking and baking https://www.salon.com/2021/09/26/9-best-egg-substitutes-in-cooking-and-baking_partner/

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Social media and its place in your plan?

brekke - September 27, 2021

With these fires in Oregon, many agencies are referring the public to their social media sites for the most up-to-date information. However, I’m finding it to be counterproductive due to the sheer amount of false information and rumors being spread. Where do you, as a part of being prepared, draw the line between the value of obtaining verified information on current and potential emergency information on social media, versus unfollowing social media entirely and seeking facts from local, regional and national organization sites exclusively? I’m literally ready to walk away from social media, but part of me wonders if I would be giving up a necessary news resource as a part of my being aware of current and evolving situations. 

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Advice

Where do you keep your car fire extinguisher?

pnwsarahContributor - September 26, 2021

Feels like an exceedingly mundane thing to post about under the circumstances, but: I was digging back through the blog archives over the holidays and read somewhere (either on TP or in a linked article) that one should keep one’s car fire extinguisher within reach of the driver’s seat. Makes sense, but after driving around for a few days with my fire extinguisher rolling around in the passenger side footwell, I can’t help feeling like it would be a super dangerous projectile in an accident. Does anyone have a good method or approach for safely securing their fire extinguisher within reach of the driver’s seat?

And note I don’t have one of those yawning cavern center console bins with a locking lid, so I’m thinking about strapping the thing to the seat somehow.

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AdviceGear

Is the blog being retired?

Stephen Besch - September 26, 2021

Does anyone know if the Blog portion of this site is being retired?  There were 2-3 entries per week before, but nothing has been posted there for almost 2 weeks now.  Hopefully it’s just the staff taking vacation time over the holidays, because the Blog was the main way I connected with and used the site.  Hope everyone is staying healthy and safe.

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