Share your knowledge & learn from experts
Because prepping and community go hand in hand
Items with multiple uses – Lighten the BOB by using these!
Robert LarsonContributor - June 13, 2021 What are some items that have multiple uses which can help cut down on the shear number of items to prep for or lighten a bug-out-bag?
Or what are some modifications you have made to some items to allow them to be used in different ways?
Here are some I have done:
Took a file to the back side of my knife so that it can be used as a ferro rod striker. I have a Glock 22, which is normally a .40 caliber gun. I have a conversion barrel that I can swap out the stock barrel in less than 15 seconds and the gun will now shoot 9mm. 2 different caliber guns in one package! Fresnel lens, can be used to magnify what you are looking at for like first aid or used to start a fire. I have a small credit card sized one in my wallet, and also got a large sheet sized one at Dollar Tree for a dollar. Tarps! I love tarps! I have like a dozen from when Harbor Freight gave them out as a free item with every purchase. Shelter, protect the car seats from pet hair, used to signal, collect water, and so many more uses! I’ve thought about replacing my shoe laces with paracord, but heard that it is too slick of a rope to hold a shoe lace knot well. Have any of you done this? Another one I like is the alcohol wipes in your first aid kit can be used as an extremely flammable fire starter, sanitize your knife, or clean up your eating utensils. I love these little things. Read MoreWhat do you think about a modular bug out bag?
Peter 44 - June 12, 2021 I’m trying to create the perfect system for a bug out bag and was wanting some advice. So tear this apart and let me know what you think. Am I onto something here? Or is there something I’m overlooking that will get me killed?
The Problem:
Current bug out bag recommendations from places I’ve seen tend to lean a bit to the ‘bug out to the woods’ side of things. But I’m thinking that if a hurricane is coming my way, I am more likely to bug out to a hotel in a neighboring city. But then I don’t want to only have a bug out bag set up for hotel living and if a different disaster comes where I do need to bug out to the woods, then I don’t want to have to be rearranging my entire bag to be able to survive that way.
My crazy hair-brained scheme:
I’m thinking about creating a modular bug out bag system. I’ll have my main pack with essentials like toiletries, map, water filtration, and more. But then I’ll have different modules next to it that I can quickly add to my main pack according to the disaster I’m bugging out to. For example, lets say I’m bugging out to a hotel and the weather is on the colder side of the year. I would then grab my hotel module and my cold weather module and stick it in the bag and go.
These modules can be color coded and/or labeled with big pictures of what they are used for and be something simple like a gallon waterproof plastic bag or a small case.
Why this might work:
I know that time is of the essence, but I don’t think that an additional minute of grabbing a module, putting it in the bag, and zipping the bag shut will be that critical. And with this design, I won’t be carrying unnecessary things that I don’t need and have the perfect load out for my situation. I’m not going to be carrying around fire starting and cooking stuff if I’m bugging out to a hotel, or carrying USB cables and other plushy things that would be useless in a camping scenario.
Read MoreArticle: “The M.R.E. Finds a Civilian Fan Base”
Bob - June 11, 2021 Good morning,
In Wednesday’s 9 June 21 New York Times, the Food Section leads off with an article about M.R.E.s. by Priva Krishna. I can’t link article because it’s paywalled. I can guess in a few days, it will be on a web search enging.
It’s a light-reading article leading with a large picture of various components to include the heater.
Intro para startes with mention of a store in Gainesville, Georgia (ATTN: Dog Lover and TITW) that had substantial business expansion due the pandemic.
A couple of good points for research if a student of MREs;
There is a Defense Combat Feeding Division in Natick, Massachuettes. Sometimes these organizations have well=established public information offices where inquiries can be made for your research.
Some of the packed foods in the pouches get an additional infusion of vitamins and minerals and etc. The beef jerky is fortified with caffine and “the applesauce contains maltodextrin, which provides and energy boost”.
“and the flameless ration heater”
For the record, I don’t stock MREs. My foods are tailored to involve different and frequently changing scenarios. Honey, coffee, espresso and chocolate are my base survival foods.
Also for the record, the flameless ration heater doesn’t substitute for coffee-making.
Read MoreStill shooting high even after adjusting my rifle scope
grntrkguy1964 - June 11, 2021 I just put a new VX-3HD scope on my AR15. I got the scope bore sighted, but my first shots at 100yds were really high. I adjusted the scope down and to my surprise, the shots were higher. Now, before someone says, I did turn the elevation knob in the correct direction. Any suggestions?
Read MoreChainlink fencing; Know thy area and beyond
Bob - June 11, 2021 PETROCHEMICAL SECURITY FENCING
Good morning,
Above links to industry association website. Well worth surfing around their entire site. Above is set up (I hope !) to display their security fencing for petrochemical industry. Obviously, it’s for a sophisticated audience of users but link has many useful charts along with their narrative.
Item inventories to install an important fence privides principles good for preppers to rely on … eg have the hardware and tools ready for project.
Look for Table 3 “Mesh Sizes and Gauges”. I believe it’s at petrochem section. Regardless, surf around entire site. The charts are real good.
At different industy section of website there’s a chart listing tennis courts. I can guess they’re up there with nuclear power plants for importance.
Hopefully you find the surfing around time a good learning experience.
Read MoreTP team on break the rest of June
John AdamaStaff - June 10, 2021 Just letting ya’ll know that a few babies are being born over the next few weeks, so our small team is taking the rest of June off to spend time with family after this insane last year and a half.
So there won’t be many new articles until July.
But the twice-weekly news roundups will continue as normal, and forum moderators are still on duty.
Hope you’re enjoying the start of your summer! 🙂
– John, Tom, Gideon, Carlotta, and Josh
Read MoreMedical Alert bracelets
Bob - June 8, 2021 https://www.medicalert.org/product/catalog/medical-ids
Good morning,
Above links to the Medical Alert Foundation. Clicking on above hyperlink brings you to page of the pictures of the various types of bracelets they sell. Am only posting this for the exposure to the different types and their logo, a modified caducous … the snake and the shaft.
This basic info is good to know about. The only big headache I’ve ever run into is what MedAlert Foundation calls the “Advanced Directive/DNR (Do Not Recisitate) bracelet. Virginia’s name is “DDNR” – Durable Do Not Resesitate. “Advanced directives can be viewed as a different topic. It is a messy matter here to prepare both. Was told Virginia does not recognize out of state bracelets.
Besides knowing about these types of bracelets – and following one’s health care provider … or a Paramedic friend’s recommendation … I recommend carrying in one’s wallet business card or even old appointment card of one or more of your health care providers (eg doc, DDS, optical, VA).
Definitely staple a current business card of one’s health care providers into CDC 731 – the yellow shot/jab pamphlet for documenting certain specific-important types of shots/jabs like Yellow Fever. The CDC 731 pamphlet is somewhat internationally standardized since it’s an international requirement for travel to certain destinations. If you glance at your COVID card, you’ll see a similiar frontal format of logo.
The origins of these medical alert bracelets go back to 19th century but common to use the World War ! trench warfare era of identification bracelet with name only. Later, especially in US World War II participation, blood type and Rh factor added but placed on a dog tag around a neck chain.
Foot Note: Don’t look for or wear a bracelet with “I am an alcoholic. In case of emergency get me a beer”. Some aspects of life are inherently understood. Avoid information overload.
Read MoreMinimizing bug out bag weight
CamilleContributor - June 6, 2021 I’m interested in any tips or advice others would like to share about minimizing bug out bag pack-weight without sacrificing the quality and usefulness of gear. While I really appreciate the gear reviews, basic no-nonsense information and the kit builder feature on this website I also know that the pack-weight of 41.7lbs listed for a bug out bag on this site isn’t realistic for me to carry. I’m a farmer and very active but carrying something that weighs a quarter of my body weight over any distance more than 5-10 miles would most likely result in some type of soft tissue damage or other complications that would be disadvantageous in an emergency situation where I would have to bug out farther than that distance to be safe (and I like to play on the safe side and assume I would have to bug out at least part-way if not all the way on foot). Currently my bug-out bag which contains the essentials I feel I need weighs about 27lbs (not including a full 2L water reservoir) because I look mainly at ultra-light camping gear for traditionally heavy items (ultra-light gear can be pricier to obtain the same high quality but it is worth it for me in the weight savings category).
There is a lot of discourse on how to reduce pack-weight for long distance hikers that I read before building my kit since I knew pack-weight would be a concern but only some of that can translate to a bug out bag because the expectations for the kits are incredibly different. I have never seen any discourse by preppers about reducing pack weight despite the fact that if you can’t actually carry it-you aren’t getting out of an emergency situation anytime soon with the things you need to bug out with the most. Thank you in advance for any suggestions or tips!
Read MoreSome basic disaster alert news sites
Bob - June 5, 2021 Good morning,
A couple of days ago was discussing with LBV of New Zealand, their current major alert re floods and evacuations.
Had mentioned that “… had been following … “.
News like the New Zealand emergency is not something I sought scanning the world news. I just have some automatically-generated emails from web sites I enrolled in (all no-cost). Much can be learned by following our industry news on these events.
Here’s some sites I’m involved with:
– relief web – This is a UN office for coordination of humanitarian affairs. Surfing around their overall site will introduce one to the varios and many responder organizations.
– Devex . com – This site provides much news re disasters and the tangents like governmental funding.
Both above sites do have a clearly allocated space on the political spectrum. Please avoid the politics and just keep up with the locations, countries and types of disasters. The UN’s “relief web” site is NYC-based. Devex is based in Washington, D.C.
Not a responder type site but my favorite for “real world operations” is – insurance journal . com – . These are the folks who work the real resiliency matters, the insured claims and business commentary to the authorities. It is my favorite.
Read MoreDoes an off-grid future exist?
Molly - June 5, 2021 Hello pepper community. I have recently taken a great interest in prepping and how prepping is a way future-proof ourselves.
Like many others, the development of AI concerns me. I often idealise going off-grid today to live in tune with nature. I am interested to know if you think this idealisation will exist in the future. I imagine more and more land becoming privatised for other peppers and borders being drawn. Maybe we will have to make applications to go to these privatised areas which are removed from AI. What do you imagine?
No wrong answers! I am keen to hear from how others imagine a future off-grid life to look like.
Thanks!
Read MoreThe need to be self sufficient and not rely on others. How to take your home off-grid
Robert LarsonContributor - June 5, 2021 My wife and I have been looking at houses recently, and our desire to be off-grid and self reliant is a major factor we are considering. We declined a house that was pretty nice because it wasn’t able to be made off-grid and we would always have to be reliant on someone else and their prices and supply. Got me thinking about this topic and I wanted to brain storm some ideas.
There may come a time when gas (propane, natural gas), electricity, gasoline/diesel, and even water are in short supply. As we have seen in the news over the past year prices and supply is very fragile and can’t always be relied on to be available and at a low cost. Take Texas just this year where electricity was unavailable for many during the middle of winter, and if it was the prices were jacked up 10,000% leaving people with a $9,000 electricity bill for the month. That is just wrong…
We need to look at our lives especially when we see it happening to others on the news, and know that it can and probably will happen to us. Call your power company and ask what your rates are. Are they locked in? Or will you have a couple thousand dollar electricity bill with no warning if there is a shortage?
What happens if there is a gasoline shortage and you have to still keep up your 45 minute commute everyday or risk losing your job and then your home?
How will you cook if the natural gas is out because someone crashed into a pipeline and you can no longer use your stove or oven?
Or even worse, what if an EMP or other SHTF disaster happens and water, gas, and electricity are all knocked out at once for everyone? Are you just going to freeze, not be able to eat, or live in darkness?
Lets do something about it and not be a victim! Please contribute your thoughts on each section and lets come up with some real solutions for people. Share what your utility setup is like and how you would like to make it more self reliant, others can then give feedback and help you out.
Gas (propane, natural gas)
The house we were looking at this week had the furnace and oven/stove ran on natural gas that had to be pumped in from the city on demand. The question we had is, is there a way to convert a house to run on propane? We would like to get one of those 1000 gallon propane tanks that we fill up once a year. That way we wouldn’t be as reliant on the grid and could possibly have a couple months worth of fuel for cooking and heating, hopefully enough time for things to settle down and supply to get back to where it was. Does anyone know if you can convert a natural gas home to propane? What does that process look like? All new piping and appliances? Or can you just buy an adapter and screw your pipe lines into a propane tank? A propane grill, propane space heater and a month’s worth of propane can help you to keep cooking and stay warm Look into alternatives for cooking, heating, and light with kerosene. Solar oven for cookingElectricity
Getting a generator to keep your fridge and lights on. Having solar panels, portable solar chargers, battery banks, etc… Have heat and cooking sources that don’t rely on electricity Lanterns, flashlights, and headlamps Maybe something like a large portable battery like the Jackery? Has anyone tried something like this?
Gasoline and Diesel
Water
Rain catchment Storing water Using baby wipes instead of showering
I’m not prepared for any lack of supply of my utilities, but want to do something about it
Who is off-grid? What did you do to get there?
Who wants to be off-grid? What is something you can do to be a bit more self reliant?
Read MoreHow to overcome differences in opinion with your partner on food storage
Pops - June 2, 2021 Usually the title of this thread is “How do I get my spouse on board?” or similar. I wanted to go at the topic a little differently this time and talk a little about how my wife and I over years have learned to complement each other WRT food storage and hear how you all do it.
We are a “traditional” one income family. I’ve been working from home for 25 years or so and she’s been mopping around me. Our kids are raised and gone. Temperamentally I worry about things and the future and she worries about people and the present. I’m a ‘buy one good thing’ type and she is a budget-minded, needs-based, lowest-price shopper. I’m also of a “stock-up” mindset while she is more of a “just-in-time” shopper. It isn’t that we have philosophical differences as much as she is a creature of habits and schedules and I’m a little less ‘structured’ shall we say.
Take our groceries. I could harp and carp endlessly about stock what you use and first in – first out and believe me I did in the younger days, but it just doesn’t stick because that just isn’t how she thinks. She doesn’t reject the premise of having a pantry, she in fact likes the benefits: fewer trips, cheaper in bulk, and of course, in the past year bragged that our shelves have what the store doesn’t— but, it just isn’t her natural mode to buy three cans of peaches if we’re only going to use one before she goes to the store again on Monday.
So I just do my thing and she does hers. She shops once every couple of weeks just like clockwork and every so often I tag along. When she puts in a can of peaches I add 2 more. When we get home I do the shelf stocking, rotating, etc. No biggie, in fact it is as soothing to me as hay in the barn.
Long term food storage is my thing alone. We have a good amount of canned foods and staples good for a few months to a year. But because we eat a lot of fresh food there is only so much one can reasonably stock and still rotate. My wife is an awesome baker but the bakery is pretty convenient so we just don’t use as much flour for example as we might if baked goods were not available. In a long term situation we’d run low within months using up regularly rotated staples. So we have some long term storage.
We store seeds, sugar, pasta, dehydrated milk, potato flakes (yuck) and various “chemical” things like salt, soda, pickling lime, etc for long term emergency. I have used several different means over the years but now mostly use mylar zip-locs with O2 absorbers heat sealed with an iron. I have some amount in ‘one gallon’ sizes and a larger amount in 5 gallon size I call the Deep Bunker. The smaller bags are in small aluminum garbage cans and the plastic pails are well guarded by cats, traps and poison. I’ve been happy with these people on Amazon (I’m not affiliated) for heavy bags and O2 absorbers.
I use an outfit called Azure Standard (not affiliated with them either) who sell all manner of bulk food. They specialize in non-GMO organics but I use them because of price. They have a nationwide truck delivery system (not sure about Canada) that delivers orders to hundreds of location monthly. You can probably find one nearby, it is usually in a public parking lot at a park or church near the highway. I can buy and bag bulk foods for half what the “survival” stores sell it for—before they ship it.
The LDS church (I’m not affiliated with any religion or denomination, BTW) are the past masters of food storage. Their FAQ and pamphlet are simple, direct, budget conscious and not overly proselytizing.
I got a little sidetracked there. But it kind shows that with both of us doing what we do we get it done. Without her being willing and able to learn how to cook from scratch—from seeds actually, all my squirreling would be worthless.
So how do you and the significant other work your plan?
Read MoreTownsend’s homestead videos – homesteading like it’s the 18th century
Josh CentersContributor - June 2, 2021 I’m a big fan of John Townsends’s YouTube channel. He LARPs as though he lives in the 18th century and his channel focuses on him cooking a lot of recipes from around that time. He was one of my main sources for our recent hardtack guide.
I recently discovered a series he did last summer, in which he built a cabin and homestead from scratch. After he builds the cabin, he builds an outdoor workshop with a pole lathe, shaving horse, and a forge. If you’re interested in those sorts of traditional crafts, I encourage you to check out the series.
Read MoreYour prepping time line and other dimensions in prepping
UbiqueContributor - June 1, 2021 I wanted to become as prepared as circumstances would allow.
Self-sufficiency was another goal, although I understood that the same circumstances would influence the degree of self sufficiency that would be realistically achievable.
Gardening and seeds are part of that self-sufficiency, but I learned quickly that it is necessary to have food stored. Food storage is a part of self-sufficiency for me.
I assembled resources like timeless, solid reference books. The items included in my preps were meant to cover obscure, but important possibilities that could occur in a disaster, like eyeglass repair kits.
Disaster duration was another factor that influenced the way I prepared. How long could I survive for?
History and current events, both of which exist on entirely different time lines equally impacted how I prepared.
The Covid-19 pandemic taught me much about how other people can react in a crisis, and further, how their reactions can impact my preparedness.
Certain items became very hard to get and even today the supply chain can be erratic. Prices skyrocketed as well which affected the ability to purchase, as did limits placed on various items during the pandemic.
Shopping became a high risk venture. Pick and pay grocery shopping had it’s limitations. I would pick up my order, check it, run into the store for missing items that weren’t there when the order picker assembled my order.
There was a time long ago when I was elated to finally have three months of key nutritional foods in storage. Three months became six months, then a year. Today, I store three years of key foods and am working on expanding this to five years or longer.
A freeze dryer is on my priority list. I want long term food storage.
My prepping time line is progressively increasing as the world changes and evolves in ways that worry me.
Circumstances change over time. How has the affected your preparedness?
As your preparedness has evolved, how has this impacted your prepping time line?
Read MoreNew cars are using capless fuel tanks, but normal funnels and fuel cans might not work in an emergency
Barb LeeContributor - June 1, 2021 This may seem an odd subject but here goes. I’ve been busy staging gear for potential wildfire evacuation this coming season. We recently bought a new truck with a capless fuel tank (which we just discovered) and the last thing in our preps is buying a new gas can for it so we can carry extra gas. We went through half a tank in the old truck last year waiting to get through ONE intersection, and this truck has only one tank, where the other had two. After exploring the filler tube we realized that no ordinary gas can would work to get fuel into the tank, so I thought aha! We need a funnel. Only what funnel?! As it turns out Mopar has a designated fuel funnel for this vehicle! (It’s a Ram 1/2 ton). The array of funnels available is mind boggling, and there’s no way to know if “any old” funnel would work.
Just sharing in case this might be relevant to others with newer vehicles. You might want to check if you can get fuel into your vehicle from an ordinary gas can!
Read More“Their ‘I told you so’ moment” prepper article
Bob - June 1, 2021 https://dailypreppersnews.com/not-exactly-gloating-stockpiling-preppers-have-a-moment-2/
Good morning,
It’s a light-reading article on preppers in the self-reliant category and not the “doomsday” ones. When I just read the article a few minutes ago, the beginning section was a little jumbled. Might get editorial review when reading it. Still, it’s a good article.
Article illustrates theme by telling of a 32 member Ohio group.
I only recognized one name in article and a prepper site: John Ramey, the founder of “The Prepared”. On a daily basis, I’m here at TP.com.
Thank you, John !
Read MoreFlooding in New Zealand causing evacuations and road closures
LBV - May 31, 2021 This weekend the metservice put out a Red Warning (definition below). A state of emergency was declared.
Red Warning – When an event is expected to be among the worst that we get – it will have significant impact and it is possible that a lot of people will be affected.During a Red Warning, Act now! Immediate action is required to protect property, people and animals from the impact of the weather. People should also be prepared to follow the advice of official authorities and emergency services.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/300320443/canterbury-floods-more-stress-for-communities-already-hit-by-fires-quakes
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/300321551/the-big-wet-receding-waters-untold-damage-and-rescuing-swimming-piglets
Read MoreCooling towel technology
Bob - May 31, 2021 https://www.towelspecialties.com/understanding-cold-front-cooling-towel-technology
Good morning,
Safe Memorial Day. Hope all experiencing a SAFE Memorial Day holiday week. My well-wishes for your safety.
Above link provides the basics of this somewhat new technology for keeping cool. Per the above site, the fabric “is engineered to absorb water, not for it to evaporate”. For any planned hot weather this material can be important.
,,,,,,,
Another website … nothing to do with cooling fabrics but appropriate for learning.
In a current Smokey Bear catalog of merchandise just sent me, it’s mentioned somewhere buried in the catalog about the Forest Fire Lookout Association http://www.firelookout.org. I’m linking it just for info. There’s a $15.00 annual cost and I usually hold to only doing volunteer work for no-cost. It’s just that this organization does do some important work – and not just watching for fires.
A parallel to lighthouses and their preservation for their history, this Association has a history section where there are efforts to preserve the records – and surely pictures – of our no longer used forest fire lookout towers.
For those new to prepping and especially new to the outdoors … not the picnic in the park: the real outdoors, worth glancing at this site.
Again, have a SAFE Memorial Day !
Read MoreWhen the crisis becomes prolonged, how do you survive?
UbiqueContributor - May 30, 2021 Come with me again and let’s look at a different scene. It is late September 2023. The trees are wrapped in warm golds, oranges and browns. Leaves are beginning to reach for the earth. The air is scented with a spicy decay.
The world is a different place in September 2023.
Covid-19 never went away because transmission between humans continued. Each time the virus transmitted from person to person, it copied itself between 10,000 and 1,000,000 times. Each time, those copies carried a risk of variant creation.
The emerging variants became the wild cards in a new and deadly game of survival.
In 2021, during the third wave, everyone saw how younger people were now being infected. No one could have imagined what life in 2023, less than two years away, would become.
Vaccines had been developed and at one point, people relaxed and thought it was over and that life as they had known it would soon get back to normal.
That was before two variants quietly merged to form the first recorded ‘recombinant’ virus. The event was reported in the media on February 17, 2021. Two variants, B.1.1.7 from the U.K. and B.1.429 from California combined.
B.1.1.7 was more transmissible and B.1.429 was able to resist some antibodies. It had researchers worried but not panicking. They felt that the future might focus on booster shots to workaround any pesky new variants.
But, the last paragraph was one that contained the warning that was buried at the end of the article:
“There are a variety of factors that impact the transmissibility of a virus, including human behavior, population structure and immunity levels, if some deadlier recombinant strain spreads or not.”
The world played the wrong hand by not changing the one thing they had control over: their behavior.
Two more variants again quietly merged in the winter of 2022, only this time both variants were highly transmissible and both antibody resistant. The event was a biological marriage made in hell.
Their union unleashed a variant that was highly lethal and easily transmitted upon a world that was exhausted from coping with a pandemic since 2019.
Leaders from the civic through to the national level all struggled to find solutions and ways of navigating through a situation that had become much worse and more taxing of their already strained resources.
Researchers, who had so quickly developed vaccines in 2020 for SARS-Cov-2 now labored fruitlessly to arrive at an effective vaccine.
Control of the new variant was just beyond their reach, and more variants were occurring because a pandemic fatigued world had tired of mask wearing and social distancing.
Those who had been doing what they could do to stop the spread of Covid grew tired and fatalistic. Those who refused to do anything to help stop the spread, said “I told you what you were doing wouldn’t work.”
Many people were beginning to show signs of mental instability from the ongoing and worsening stress. Homelessness was increasing. Murder suicide, domestic violence, addiction and child neglect skyrocketed.
Theft, vandalism and acts of violence further drove the crime statistics up.
People wanted to wake up from the nightmare or escape it. It was a groundhog day, endlessly repeating and from which there was no escape.
As the death rate climbed, health care was over run. People died alone and suffering badly for a lack of drugs and other supplies that would have helped them have an easier passing. Mass graves became commonplace as they had in the Spanish flu and other disasters.
Those who could still work, worked from home. Children were home schooled. Still others lost their jobs and relied on their wits. Start up businesses failed for the most part because no one had any money.
Gardens became gold. People tilled their entire yard and planted everything. Elaborate security systems were devised to protect these precious crops. Hungry people were shot at for reaching into a yard to pick a tomato. The lucky gardeners could electrify their fences.
Hunters hoping to use venison as a food source discovered a chronic wasting disease in deer that also affected other animals such as bovine and sheep, a form of mad cow disease. Eating the meat was not recommended.
People began to fish instead, but instead of setting up fish farms, most of them over fished and soon the fish populations were decimated.
People who didn’t understand safe stewardship of rabbits contracted diseases that required treatment and medical intervention such as pasteurellosis, ringworm, mycobacteriosis, cryptosporidiosis and external parasites through scratches and bites.
Unfortunately, medical intervention and treatment now consisted of field hospitals where the ill and dying are laid on cots and administered what little medications are now available. There isn’t enough equipment to go around.
The factories that produced ppe’s, sanitizer and other items fell to the economic tsunami caused by the prolonged and worsening effect of Covid and the new variant. There weren’t enough people to run the factories, or to supply them with raw materials, or to ship and transport what they needed.
Many people adopted a vegetarian diet and sought protein in increased legume crops.
We are preppers. We were ready for this, at least in the beginning we were, or so we believed. Were we as prepared as we thought?
Now, we are all only one bad gardening season away from starvation.
It feels like the world we knew is being de-constructed.
Look around you. This is our world as we stand here on a crisp autumn day in September 2023. There is no one outside. Many are ill, some are too afraid to come out even if they have a mask. In the distance we can hear coughing, crying and death rattles.
We look at the road ahead of us on the street where we are standing. Where do we go from here? Do we bug out and go back to nature and throw ourselves on her mercy?
What do we do now to survive?
Here are the links for factual references in this scenario:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/two-variants-merge-to-form-first-recorded-recombinant-virus-1.5312679
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/wildlife/wildlife-health/wildlife-diseases/chronic-wasting-disease#:~:text=Chronic%20Wasting%20Disease%20(CWD)%20is,and%20even%20plants%20and%20soil
https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/distribution-chronic-wasting-disease-north-america-0
Read MoreFEMA’s latest shelter in place pictogram
Bob - May 29, 2021 https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_shelter-in-place_guidance_5-25-2021.pdf
Good morning,
Per the title, the pictogram arrived yesterday.
At FEMA’s active shooter “Fight as a last resort”, I will not comment on “Throw objects … a stapler”.
Remember not to swim through flood waters.
Read MorePrepping and risk
UbiqueContributor - May 29, 2021 Dad was a Canadian soldier who had planned to stay in The Netherlands after the war ended. He knew the Dutch would rebuild and he was going to start a taxi service with old army vehicles.
Dad had spent seven years slogging his way through Europe in the war. He liked Europe and imagined he would like it much more in peacetime.
He didn’t want to take Mom away from her family. He was willing to give up his country so she would be happy. While Dad was dreaming of the life he was going to build for them in The Netherlands, Mom had other ideas.
My Mother wanted out of The Netherlands, and it couldn’t be fast enough for her. She recognized how vulnerable they actually were in a disaster. Canada represented safety and abundance to her.
The war had been the final straw. Her young life had been pretty tough before the war started. She had been removed from school in Grade 4 so she could help care for her rapidly growing brood of siblings.
Her father was an alcoholic, unpredictable and violent when drunk. Her mother had neither wanted nor expected the life that unfolded with him.
Mom decided that she was never going to end up like her mother. She would be the Captain of her ship and she was sailing it straight out of Europe.
Mom and Dad had some language issues to contend with early in their relationship, which could have accounted for some of the confusion about their future plans. However, they sorted it out and Mom made it to Canada.
My Mom said when she got off the ship as a war bride, she expected Gene Autry to come riding along any minute. She wondered where all the cowboys and Indians were. Movies were her escape and had influenced her expectations as a child.
To the Dutch of that era, Canada was “cowboys and Indians.” Apart from that, most Dutch people didn’t have a clue as to what was in store for them here.
The long ship ride across the Atlantic was a chaotic journey full of vomiting pregnant war brides, vomiting sea sick war brides and screaming infants in need of a diaper change.
The Red Cross nurses ran from one room to the next caring for the women and their infants. Mom who had given birth to my brother in The Netherlands, was sea sick and caring for her roommate, who also had an infant.
She refused to ever set foot on another ship or boat again. Forty years later, we still couldn’t get her off dry land for a paddlewheel dinner cruise on a river.
After the ship docked, she had to get on a train and travel from Atlantic Canada to Winnipeg, Manitoba. This was another challenge for the exhausted and still nauseous war brides.
The expanse of the Canadian landscape was highlighted on the long train journey west. The infamous Canadian winter weather was also emphasized after the train landed in Winnipeg. My Mom, who was holding my brother in her arms, descended the train and was greeted by the icy blast of a Winnipeg winter.
It was a quick, awkward hug because Dad’s arms were full of winter gear. He was trying to get parkas, hats, mittens and footwear on both of them. Mom recalled that she had no idea that anywhere on Earth could be that cold.
Yet, here she was, after her recent war experience and Atlantic crossing, wondering what fresh Hell this was as they travelled across the frozen Manitoba prairie to their temporary home with my Aunt Grace on the farm.
She accepted the cold and embraced Canada as her new home. The cold was a small price to pay for the safety she felt in this immense new land.
My Dad had tried to explain how large Canada is by telling her you could put The Netherlands into Lake Manitoba and still have plenty of room left over.
She didn’t really understand the vastness of Canada until they began to travel across it later in their lives.
This brings us to another young couple who decided to embark upon a self-sufficient lifestyle in the Canadian wilderness.
In the early 1970’s a young couple decided to join the “back to the land” movement. We’ll call them “Charlie” and “Susie” (not their real names).
Charlie and Susie had emigrated to Canada from The Netherlands. Like many of their countrymen, the young couple had wildly unrealistic ideas of what Canada is really like to live in.
They decided to purchase a cabin unseen in a place and a country they had never visited.
Charlie and Susie arrived in Prince Rupert, British Columbia with a suitcase full of dreams and some clothing geared for Dutch weather.
They prepared for their GREAT CANADIAN HOMESTEADING ADVENTURE by purchasing canned goods, a couple of axes and some hand tools. They were so excited! Guess what? That was all they bought! Whoo Hoo! Let the homesteading begin!
Not to put the cart before the horse (they didn’t have either one), you can begin to see where this is going.
The young and exuberant couple hired a truck and travelled as far as they could go Inland from the North Coast of British Columbia.
When they arrived at the cabin, they discovered it was indeed, remote. They also discovered they were the proud new owners of a very old and ramshackle cabin.
Charlie and Susie had a great time until their canned food ran out and winter set in. They decided to walk out.
Five months later a man found the young couple, lost, starving and stark raving mad. They were approximately two hundred and fifty miles from where they had been attempting to homestead.
They spent many months in hospital recovering physically and mentally from their adventure. Susie returned to The Netherlands after she recovered.
Charlie decided to stay in Canada and returned to live near where they had attempted to homestead. This time, he chose a less risky path to wilderness living. He became a logger and learned how to live in the wild without killing himself.
He built a beautiful chalet style home and remarried. Indigenous land claims forced Charlie and his wife out of their home and off their land. The stress ended his marriage with his second wife.
Charlie had spent thirty years as a logger in The Queen Charlotte Islands (now Haida Gwaii). He had survived an incredible lesson in unpreparedness with his first wife, Susie. He had gone on to find a way to have the lifestyle he dreamed of, only to lose it all again thirty years later.
This time, Charlie returned to The Netherlands. He had reached his limit and refused to start over again.
Frankly, with this much time invested in Canada and a lifestyle he loved, I don’t understand why he quit when he did. There are so many other beautiful places in British Columbia (and in Canada) that he could have lived.
Risk aversion and risk tolerance are two sides of a very important coin. It can take time and experience to understand the risk of each choice and decision we make. Impulse can lead us to a good result as easily as the best laid plans can go awry.
A wise prepper understands that this coin can test one’s mettle and resourcefulness, regardless of which side it lands upon.
We can turn our prepping dreams into a realistic, practical lifestyle if we know our limits, skills and abilities.
Read MoreShould you regularly check the space weather forecast like you do the weather forecast?
Mensch - May 28, 2021 I recently came across the website for NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/) that includes space weather forecasts (and potential on-the-ground impacts), and it got me thinking—should we regularly check the space weather forecast like we do the weather forecast?
I imagine people in certain fields (e.g., power grid operators, satellite controllers) or with certain hobbies (e.g., ham radio) already know about NOAA’s space weather forecasts.
But does it make sense for the general (prepared) public, who would most likely only be affected by the most severe space weather events, to check these forecasts daily?
Although I’m by no means an expert, from what I understand, our ability to predict space weather is quite limited, and the on-the-ground effects are even more difficult to predict. With that, I wonder if checking these forecasts frequently might provide a false sense of security.
What do you all do? Is it part of your preparedness routine?
—–
P.S. For what it’s worth, there’s a (minor to moderate) geomagnetic storm watch from May 25–27. Those in northern parts of the U.S. might get to see some auroras.
Read MoreHoverGlide floating backpacks
UbiqueContributor - May 27, 2021 Has anyone tried this backpack? It looks like it would reduce fatigue.
https://www.hoverglidepacks.com/
Read MoreComplete preparedness and the importance of inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement of items
UbiqueContributor - May 26, 2021 Here’s a few examples of what can happen if preppers don’t practice routine inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement of their items.
An emergency alert is issued. You and your family, which includes two young children under seven years of age and a six month old infant are ordered to evacuate immediately.
You are prepared and grab your BOB’s and other gear and load the family into the vehicle in record time. You don’t make it out of the driveway because you have a flat tire. When you attempt to change your flat tire, you discover that your spare is also flat.
A spare tire should be checked for inflation at least twice a year.
I do the “trucker’s walk” around my vehicle each and every time I drive it. I walk around my vehicle and check for fluid leaks, anything hanging down or situated below the vehicle, the tires and their condition.
I also visually check for small animals or children crouched down behind the vehicle who may be playing or hurt. This happened to someone I knew. There was a child behind his truck and he didn’t check. The two year old boy died when he backed over him. The child was in his blind spot.
Lights and their function are checked regularly, at least once per month. It would be more often, once a week, if I drove more frequently.
If you are alone, you can check the lights yourself by aiming them at night against your house or other building. You should be able to see if your head lights are on or off, the high beams work, and if the turn signals, hazard lights and brake lights function properly.
I keep a couple of spare headlights in case one burns out and fuses for other vehicle function.
Here’s another example of not paying attention to routine maintenance.
You go to work one day in late August and find out that your company is downsizing. You are now unemployed. You have a mortgage and other bills to pay.
When you relay the news to your family, you discover that all your children have dental problems, require dental appointments and will need dental work done. You are also told that the children require footwear before school starts in a few weeks. Additionally, your oldest needs a new winter coat and glasses.
All of this happens just after you bought new living room furniture. You have less than three hundred dollars in a savings account and no emergency fund to handle these urgent family expenses in a time of reduced income.
Preparedness can seem like the pursuit and acquisition of a long list of items.
Becoming prepared is much more than acquiring the items. It is about how you look after them once you get them and how you manage the replacement of them.
It extends further into the care of possessions that we don’t consider as prep items, but are items we need or want as part of our quality of life.
In order to care properly for your possessions, it helps to have a routine for inspection. It helps more if you develop the habit of noticing signs of wear or need for repair or replacement of your items.
You need to know what to look for that could be sign of a problem and that takes all your senses.
Visually, it can be icicles hanging off your roof, signalling an ice dam that needs to be addressed. It can be something dripping beneath your vehicle’s front end that needs to be checked.
I routinely check my canned goods for signs of bulging cans or rusting cans.
Sometimes, it can be a sound of a fridge motor not running right or the noise your brake pads make when they begin to wear.
I check the plumbing under my kitchen sink and bathroom vanity every time I open the cabinet doors.
You also check by touch. If the walls in the house feel tacky or damp, then you need a dehumidifier to prevent mould.
If you run your hands along the inside of your tires and feel a bulge, then you know the tire is failing, can blow out and needs to be replaced immediately.
Smell can tell us if there is mould in the house or a gas leak. Certain smells can indicate failing electrical wiring.
I have a routine for repair and maintenance and a trained eye that notices issues outside of my routine inspections.
I also plan for the replacement of items by understanding the usual life span of each of them.
This part of preparedness is applicable to everyone who preps regardless of whether you live in an apartment or own a home on an acreage.
Recently, I made another list of things in and around my home and property that need to be addressed. This list includes clothing and footwear. Those items were put on the list as I noticed them while I worked on chores in and around the house.
Some of the items that made the list weren’t that old, but they were what I refer to as “bad buys.” For example, I purchased an expensive pair of winter boots for my husband. They are a very well known brand and had excellent reviews. A good fit in footwear is a challenge for his feet and these boots fit great and were comfortable.
The boots started to fail after the first year he wore them. The boots failed just after the warranty ended. When I searched for information, I was shocked to find that this company had customers with similar complaints. Of more concern, was the poor response from the company. So much for relying on glowing reviews.
Their product was failing due to shoddy third party outsourcing. The chance to fix the problem failed at the front lines of their customer service and their poorly designed software.
Complaints containing certain key words or with time lines indicating an early failure of their product should have triggered a referral and further action higher up the corporate ladder. They could have dealt swiftly with a supplier issue and salvaged their reputation and customer base.
I used Shoo-goo to repair them, and he can wear them as a pair of chore boots. But now, I have to research and replace them with a new pair of winter boots suitable for our extreme climate, his size 15 feet and our budget.
What if the SHTF and that was all he had for a long period of time? He would be entering a crisis without sound footwear and perhaps no chance of replacing the boots for some time. Many of our parts or actual products in North America are outsourced. It doesn’t take much to throttle that supply chain.
Footwear is a major necessity and an equally important prep item. This is an example of how we may think we have a certain amount of time before the new item will need to be replaced, but in reality the time frame is much shorter.
I have had the same experience with a brand new washer and dryer set. I still have the dryer, but the washer failed just after the one year warranty expired.
I knew someone who worked in an agricultural machine production plant. The parts on those very expensive pieces of equipment were engineered to fail after a certain time, often in three years.
Deliberately engineering the premature failure of items, in whole or in part, is unfair considering what we pay for these items. It is now a part of life that we need to be aware of, especially as preppers who organize and put items away for future need.
It wasn’t always like this. There was a time when items were built to last.
My parent’s were strict about the care and maintenance of our property, possessions and personal items. I was raised to understand that everything would last longer if you treated it properly and with care.
I was also taught the importance of organization and to be aware of items would be outgrown or worn out. I grew up in a household where certain items were stored in anticipation of replacement.
We were able to farm with old equipment because Dad practised routine inspection and maintenance of his equipment.
As in the fable of the ants and the grasshopper, other farmers played the role of the grasshopper at the end of harvest as they lingered over coffee and pie at the local coffee shop.
Dad played the role of ant, and continued to labor long after harvest to ensure that the equipment was maintained, in good repair and ready for next spring. Even in winter, he repaired anything that wasn’t working correctly.
His care extended to every part of our farm and home. He examined the house and outbuildings to see if something needed repair. He walked endless miles on our land to check fence lines. This was in addition to twice daily milking and care and cleaning of our cows, barn and dairy equipment.
Routine repair and maintenance can seem like boring chores and mundane tasks. Let’s face it, checking, cleaning and repairing things aren’t generally considered fun. Now, with early failure to consider, this aspect of prepping has become even more important.
New living room furniture doesn’t happen without an emergency fund. Throw a blanket or a slip cover on the sofa and teach your family to treat items more gently.
Dental, optical and any other medical needs should be written out and organized. If you know that the family has dental checks done in August, then you also know that is a month for potential dental expenses.
If you are putting money away each month to cover possible dental expenses, then you are prepared for them.
Expenses such as clothing and footwear for children should never be a “surprise.” It is understood children need footwear and clothing replaced more rapidly due to their growth.
A smart shopper and prepper recognizes the opportunity for thrift store shopping. You can find clothing and footwear in excellent condition for all ages.
I have seen teens happily shop at thrift stores. There is always some kind of retro fad happening. They also seem to enjoy the originality of thrift store shopping, as well as the social and environmental contribution that comes with it. Good causes are supported and perfectly good clothing doesn’t end up in landfill.
In a financial crisis such as job loss, pride is a vulnerability. When the tags are off the garment who really knows how old a garment is or where you bought it from unless you tell them?
A budget binder is a must for routine financial management and maintenance. For privacy and security reasons, there is no way I will ever rely on computerized record keeping again.
A binder is tangible and can’t be ignored. I see it on my desk as I write. I can grab it for a family finance meeting if there is something that needs to be addressed.
I write out budget sheets for two future years and I keep two years of past monthly financial data. The loose leaf sheets are enclosed in page protectors for longevity and also hold additional information that is relevant to future expenses.
The monthly budget sheets itemize income, savings and regular monthly expenses. Amounts that are variable like utility bills are forecast in pencil and then entered in ink once the amounts are confirmed.
Based on forecasted income and expenses, I have a reasonable understanding of our disposable income. Annual expenses can easily be repeated in the future year sheets. I can slot projects or swap them on the fly if necessary because the budget information is well organized and accessible.
Beneath the financial information is a record of medical appointments and vehicle or home repair and maintenance and any associated costs.
A budget is a guide. On the back of each monthly budget sheet, I record every cent spent in this household. I balance to the penny because hackers will test bank accounts by taking small amounts to see if you pay attention.
I note the amount, where it was purchased, a short list of the item(s) and any important sale information for future reference when planning future shopping. I can look back at each month and see exactly where our money went for groceries, clothing, personal items and spot trends or problems.
This process may seem involved and time consuming. It isn’t. It takes little time to keep an ongoing record. I refer to these records frequently for a variety of reasons. They are invaluable to the inspection, repair, replacement and maintenance of a huge number of items in my household and property.
Other items must be factored for replacement. What about shingles? Roofs must be re-shingled every so many years. That includes underlay, ice guard (if you are in a cold climate) and installation.
Most communities only allow a certain number of shingle layers before the roof has to be stripped completely of shingles before it can be re-shingled. This makes sense because after a while the roof would not be sound if shingles just continued to pile up in layers.
When I did my roof five years ago, I paid extra to have it stripped clean of shingles. I didn’t need to do it that way. I wasn’t at the limit for layers. But I chose to do the best maintenance by having the roof done from the base up.
The roofers checked for any pieces of plywood that need to be replaced. There was one small piece. Then they re-shingled with the latest materials to prevent water infiltration and also ice-guard. I chose excellent quality shingles and made sure the roofers were certified to install that type of shingle. They did an excellent job and now, I have a roof that will last much longer before needing more maintenance.
I could have gone a cheaper route, but a roof is a huge part of the protection of a home. There is no way I will skimp on that cost or the quality of materials and workmanship.
I find it amazing that people see their roofs every day and tolerate the condition of them. Imagine a shoddy roof in a major storm. How long might it last in a natural or financial disaster? There could be a chain reaction of damage done that will cost more than if the roof was properly done in the first place.
A fully prepared household doesn’t just buy preparedness related items and stash them away. They routinely inspect, maintain, replace and repair the items that they will need to count on in a disaster.
They do the same thing for their home, property and other items that are not prep specific, but are also part of their ability to survive.
It can be overwhelming for those who don’t currently practice this, but with a bit of organization and time invested, it can become easy to do and just another aspect of prepping.
When was the last time you checked your tires for wear or if they were properly inflated? Did you get the brakes fixed when you heard the sound of brake shoes starting to squeal as you braked?
Have you organized regular replacement of your children’s clothing and footwear?
How old is the food and water in your bug out bag?
What about those loose boards in the fence or the unreliable security camera that needs replacement?
The time to notice and do something about it is now and like other aspects of prepping, it is time well invested.
Read MoreRunning a 55 gallon drum of water into household pipes
George - May 26, 2021 I’m on a well, so when the power goes out, I don’t have any water. The power company shut off the power to work on the lines today, so I decided to test out my backup water scenario. I installed a water faucet in the side of a 55 gallon barrel, at the bottom. The drum had been used for food previously. I sanitized it with bleach and water, emptied it out and then filled it with water from the well. (For long term storage, I’ll use 5 drops of bleach per gallon in the water according to this site’s recommendation.) I closed the valve between the well and the house and connected a 5/8″ RV water hose to a faucet on the outside of the house. I opened the faucets on both the tank and the house. The bottom of the barrel is 4′ above the level of the house. I wasn’t expecting lots of pressure, but the toilet tank takes about 3 hours to refill, yet I can get a gallon of water from the bathroom sink, which is about 6″ higher, in about 3 minutes. I can fill a bucket from the sink to flush the toilet, but why does the toilet take so long to fill? By the way, with the hose not attached to the house, I get a very strong flow out of the barrel.
Read More