Active New Top (30 days) Compact Card Steps to take to solve a problem UbiqueContributor - March 23, 2021 Coping with a disaster in real time requires response. If we have prepped wisely, then our responses will be appropriate. However, there may be times during a disaster when we are called upon to solve problems that may arise. Even with good preps in place, a disaster may demand much physical and intense labour. We may be forced to push ourselves physically and there is no time to eat, drink or rest. It is possible to become sleep deprived, hungry, dehydrated, injured, ill, or incredibly stressed. Imagine that scenario and then imagine problems cropping up and the need to solve them. There are different methods for teaching problem solving steps. I prefer these steps and wanted to share them with you: Step 1: Identify and define the problem. It isn’t possible to solve a problem if you don’t clearly understand the problem. You need to be able to correctly identify the problem first. Step 2: Brainstorm possible solutions. A brainstorm is simply jotting down any possible solutions that appear reasonable and come to mind. If you do this as a group or family, everyone calls out their suggestions, without stopping to critique or comment upon them. Just keep the momentum going and list the ideas. Step 3: Consider and evaluate the list of possible solutions. Now is the time for discussion if in a group or family or reflection if you are along and doing this. Step 4: Select a possible solution to try. Try the solution. Step 5: Evaluate the solution. Did it solve the problem? Step 6: If the problem is not solved, repeat Step 4. Go back through the list of possible solutions and select another one to try. Step 7: If you try all the possible solutions and the problem is not solved, then a) Go back and review how you identified the problem. Perhaps the problem is not accurately or fully defined. If you discover this has happened, adjust the definition of the problem and repeat the steps. Or b) Accept that the problem may not be solvable at this time. There may be problems that occur during a crisis that are not solvable at that particular point in time. Consider that the problem may be solvable at a different time and then try again later. Read More 9 11 What is your Get Home Plan? UbiqueContributor - March 22, 2021 The issue of bugging out is a much discussed topic. We focus on what gear to put in our BOBs and then load into our BOV. Has anyone made a Get Home Plan, or even considered it? What if you or your family are separated? Do you each know how to work a Get Home Plan? Do your children know? I’m not planning BO, but am prepping for that option just in case. What I haven’t done is make a Get Home Plan and that is now on my get ‘er done list. Read More 11 20 Advice Prepare for a disaster and know the risks UbiqueContributor - March 21, 2021 I posted yesterday about a case of a nasty emergent syndrome that is in New Brunswick. We prep and cover various gear and necessary for life items like water, food, clothing, and shelter. Has anyone considered the risk factors for the scenarios/disasters for which you prep? If so, have you considered changes to any of those risks and changed how you prep or plan to prep going forward? After what I read yesterday, for how long it took to make this progressive and deadly neurological syndrome public, after an internal memo was leaked and for the additional information that I posted on that thread today, that my prepping is never going to be the same. I am prepping now for risk as well as scenario. I am also prepping for what is not being released to the public and will continue my habit of medical research reading. It is how I got ahead on shoring up preps before Covid-19 was front and center in the media. New and emergent diseases, viruses and syndromes. Contaminated food, water and air. The risk has always been there and just got worse because we aren’t always the first to know. I am prepping accordingly. Read More 9 14 AdviceScenarios Today in history – March 18 – The New London School explosion and why natural gas has added odors OldHouseGirl - March 20, 2021 Today is the anniversary of one of the worse disasters in US history that happened in Texas in 1937. Sadly, most people have never heard of it. It’s the reason you can now smell when there’s a gas leak. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London_School_explosion Read More 8 3 Scenarios Under-counter water filters JRoll - March 19, 2021 Hi All, I’ve been researching under-counter water filters after seeing an ad for Hydroviv. I found several articles on other prepping sites that recommend Epic Smart Shield over the Hydroviv. I’m curious if any folks here have experience with either of these filters and could provide some insight? I’m also open to other filter brands if you have recommendations. Background: I live in the Southeast and am on city water. Thanks! Read More 6 6 AdviceGear Staying entertained during a power outage Jay ValenciaContributor - March 19, 2021 If the power were to go out for a week, I think my family’d be able to survive. Definitely need to think up a good way to cook off grid, but besides that, I think we should be fine. I was watching my kids this week and how they entertained themselves, and hey even my wife and I are guilty of this, we all tend to go to electronics for our entertainment. Phones, tv, video games, radio, podcasts, etc… What are some ways to keep the family entertained during a week long power outage? We have quite the collection of board games, which will help some nights. Read More 10 22 Our well was down for a week. General observations. Thomas GomezStaff - March 18, 2021 I live in a rural part of New Mexico, and our well was recently down for a week. Unbeknownst to us, our pressure tank and buried lines were leaking due to the system’s age and were made worse by the recent spate of cold weather much of the country experienced. We currently share a well with our neighbor, and we both have young children and a pregnant spouse. Save for the well shaft and submersible pump, the whole system was torn out and re-done. General observations Last summer, I installed gutters and five 50-gallon rain barrels. This was a good prep! We used this water to flush toilets. Between my neighbor and I, we used about 70 gallons of water to flush toilets. Though we have 55 gallons of clean, potable water in reserve, we elected to purchase water from the store for drinking, cooking, cleaning, coffee and tea. We went into the City every other day to shower. Over the week, we went through several rolls of paper towels. Paper towels were great for wiping down surfaces and drying off hands and cooking implements. Since we didn’t have hot water, dishes stacked up like crazy. Teflon/non-stick pans were a godsend. To clean them after use, we just added some water, heated it on the stove, then wiped it down with a paper towel. I only cooked with our non-stick pans during the week. To get our well back up cost $7,000. My spouse and I regularly contribute to an emergency/rainy day fund, and we have been planning for a well failure for over a decade. We did not feel a burden, because we were financially prepared. Here is an excellent article about financial prepping. Lack of running water generally destroyed my work efficiency. It is hard to concentrate when coordinating with well crews, plumbers, inspectors, neighbors and setting aside time to drive into the city for showers, food, and provisions. If you have a busy life, expect a major setback on all of your projects. Improvements I want to store 100 gallons of potable, clean, readily accessible water. We are going to add an additional 55-gallon drum of stored water to our preps. I am looking into an on-demand system for hot water and bathing. These systems are used by campers. I will probably write an article about these systems in the future. Since we couldn’t easily do dishes, I am going to add some bio-degradable paper plates and bowls to our preps. Our rain barrels quickly fill up. This year I plan on burying a thousand-gallon tank under my deck and building an overflow system to drain into the storage tank. That would give us a 1,250 gallons of stored water. Since we have a septic tank on our property, I am going to design an outhouse that can be quickly built over one of the septic tank access points. This would save a lot of water since we wouldn’t need to flush toilets. Just build an outhouse with a solar light and a hand washing station, and poo and pee right into the septic tank. Certain well components need a heat source to prevent freezing during the winter. I need to find a solar powered heat source to prevent critical well components from freezing in the event of a grid failure. Buying a Big Berkey counter top water filter ASAP. Overall it was a good experience and gave me some data points in the event of a grid failure or catastrophe. Feel free to share your thoughts below. Read More 14 16 The future of prepping UbiqueContributor - March 18, 2021 This morning I sifted through World War II lessons about preparedness and thought about how often I look to the lessons of the past for guidance as I plan and prep. Then my mind drifted back to yesterday when I walked into the living room and happened to catch part of an episode of Battlebots. I stopped and was transfixed by the robots whirring around the arena battling each other with an assortment of weaponry. I thought, hmm, we have restrictive gun laws here. I wonder if a couple of those could be good for exterior security and defence? I could just turn them loose in the yard like a couple of deranged Roomba’s on steroids. Those flame throwers would put more than one intruder on the run if the SHTF. I must have thought out loud, because my husband said: “you’ve been prepping for too long.” So, apparently my prepping mind isn’t all Grandmother stories and history. Why would it be when I love science fiction and would seriously learn Klingon as a second language? I like thinking about the future. And why not, when much of prepping concerns the future and preparing for future crises and disasters? I wondered what preparedness will look like in five, ten, or even a couple of years from now. New products are being developed as technology evolves which could change how we prepare. There are environmental changes that will affect how we prepare. For example, we might have to prioritize water conservation and storage if our area becomes drought prone. It follows that with more arid conditions, the threat of fires could increase. How we garden and the types of crops we grow would also change. Our future needs will change as we age. Those changes will also affect how we prepare whether we are starting a family, or living in our middle or twilight years. What will our prepping look like in the future? The basics will still be there, but how do you think it could change? If environmental disasters worsen, do you see a more expanded concept of preparedness for yourself? Will you store more items and of greater variety? Or will it be better to be more mobile in order to evade disasters? Will more people prepare or will disaster overload cause people to become fatalistic and weary of prepping? Take a walk into the future with me this morning and imagine what the future of prepping might look like for you and for the world. Read More 7 23 Scenarios Hydra Lights Lauren - March 18, 2021 Good morning! I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts/experience using hydra lights? Wondering if they work well and if there is one out there that is better than another. Thank you!! Read More 6 1 AdviceGear Keeping mentally fit while preparing and during a crisis UbiqueContributor - March 17, 2021 We prepare. We plan. We spend countless hours thinking about our preparations, and hours more researching and reading about how we can do it better. We worry. Did I miss something? We compare ourselves with other people. I don’t have the gear that the other people have. Or, I can’t afford what everyone else is buying. We get overwhelmed. There is so much to know and learn. Am I doing it right? Have I made a mistake that will cause a problem later? We witness tragedies elsewhere and our stress levels rise. Some days it feels like we’ll never be able to go from “prepare” to “prepared”. I would like to share a few coping strategies I have used while preparing and also during times of crisis. There are many ways to cope, so any other suggestions are much appreciated. When overwhelmed, remember that you are putting forth your best efforts. Take some time to remember how far you have come. Remember that sound financial management is part of being prepared. Driving yourself into debt “to keep with the (prepping) Joneses” would accrue items or supplies on one hand, but leave you vulnerable, still stressed and unsoundly prepared on the other hand. Mistakes will happen. We are human and not perfect beings. That is why we can take time to review our preps and plans and discuss them with our family members or others who prepare in order to check for possible errors. Take a good, long walk. Walking is a way to do two things: calm down and find solutions. I get my best ideas on a walk or after I have taken a walk and I am relaxed. If walking is not an option for you, then visualize yourself doing a walk through a nice area that appeals to you. It has been proven that athletes who mentally practised through visualization registered the same results on their muscles as those who did so in real time. Our ability to breathe correctly is very important. When stressed, we shift to shallow breathing. The following is a method to breathe more fully. As with any breathing technique, stop if you feel light-headed or faint. You can learn to breathe from the belly up through to the lungs. If you place your hand on your stomach above the navel, your hand should rise as you inhale. It is the way singers are trained to breathe. Then exhale slowly through slightly pursed lips, as if you were going to gently blow a feather away from you. Keep your hand on your belly and let your belly slowly deflate. Repeat, as able, three times. It takes a bit of practice, but is a good way to reduce stress. If a crisis happens, remember that you have prepared. Take some time to assess the crisis. Steady, normal breathing. Don’t hyperventilate. Your brain is your biggest weapon and tool. Think it through before responding. Respond don’t react. Don’t give up. Your instinct is to survive. Use that instinct. Focus on success and survival. You are stronger than you know. Don’t let panic and fear drive the humanity out of you, especially in a protracted crisis. We want to survive, but it isn’t necessary to be cruel. When the crisis is over, you will have to live with your choices. Remember to check on family and friends who may be struggling and watch for signs of stress in them. Help them so that they can remain a stable part of the family or community team. Remember that events, like people, have their season in our lives. The tough times will end, the crisis will pass. When you stand there, after it’s over, stand tall and be proud of yourself. You survived. Read More 18 45 Advice Cross training prepping skills to better prepare the family or group UbiqueContributor - March 16, 2021 I worked in truck transport at one point in my life, staffing, training and managing the office of two trucking companies, in addition to my other duties of load audits. Before I assumed that position, the staff wasn’t cross trained. Only one person could do one job. If someone was away ill, then that position ground to a halt. This wasn’t a good thing for the fast paced environment of truck transport. I had worked my way through various positions, creating a couple of my own positions along the way and finally was asked to step into this management roll, so I understood the demands of various jobs and the skills required. I also knew that with good cross training and training manuals that it would be possible to have that office running smoothly, no matter who was away. The staff loved the idea of cross training. It gave them a chance to learn new skills and relieve some of the job fatigue that can come with doing the same tasks every day. It also was good for morale, because the staff grew closer as a team, because they could empathize with the challenges of each other’s duties. The team work took on a life of it’s own when people, who had time, would call out “anyone need a hand?” Often in families or groups of people that prep together, people assume roles. I do this and you do that. I take care of this and you manage that. Sometimes that happens because people don’t always like to do certain things and are more than happy to have someone else take responsibility for it. But, what happens if, during a crisis or disaster, one of the family or group becomes injured, ill or even dies? What if they are unable to cope with their responsibilities due to stress? That is why training manuals with clear concise instructions are important. The manuals should be printed on paper and organized with drive back up if it is wanted. A binder, however, is not electricity dependent. Every family member should be hands on cross trained to perform critical functions, even children can be trained on a common sense and age appropriate basis. You would be surprised what children can do if properly taught. I drove a tractor at 6 years old. The training binder acts as a back up guide if someone needs to step into a role and forgets or balks because they are unsure of something. You will know that your instructions are clear by how well the person can follow them on their own. Break the task down into steps and order them. Keep the instructions consistent in language and terms used and in presentation or arrangement of how information is presented on paper. Technical communication is not easy to do well. It was one of the toughest writing courses I ever took because it is far more than about the writing. However, you can look up info on how to do it well and get your family cross trained. If everyone is cross trained, as in physical cross training, you and your family become more fit and strong as preppers. Read More 6 13 AdviceSkills War with China – thoughts and how to prepare LNMOt - March 15, 2021 One of the scenarios I am starting to seriously consider for preparedness is a potential war with China. A few questions: Is a potential war with China on your list of what you are preparing for? If no, why not? If yes, why? (looking for additional information to round out my viewpoints) Regardless of whether you agree or disagree this is a scenario worth preparing for, what are some thoughts and suggestions on specifically how to prepare for this scenario? So much of what we rely on in the United States is made in China, or has components that are made in China. There is the cyber-attack potential by China during a conflict. It’s blowing my mind a bit trying to work my way through this scenario and anticipate what shortages of goods there might be and impacts to all things online due to cyberattacks (online banking, the grid, etc). Thanks in advance for your thoughts and perspectives! Read More 9 11 Prepper home safety – how to prevent and avoid accidents in the home during a crisis. UbiqueContributor - March 14, 2021 In a pandemic, many of us prefer not to attend a hospital or medical setting. If going to a hospital or clinic is necessary, fine, but we try to avoid creating situations where we have to go. There are many other types of crisis that would evoke the same response from us. We want to stay safe in our homes and avoid mishaps and accidents. No one wants to compound an already challenging situation with an infection or broken leg or severe burns or medication overdose or interaction. I thought of my grandmother who had caught the side of her leg on a metal washtub. The jagged piece of metal had been there for a while, but no one fixed or did something so that she wouldn’t tear her leg on it and that is exactly what happed. Her leg infected, to the point of being almost gangrenous (as my Dad told it). When he came to the house after meeting Mom, he saw grandmothers’ leg and grabbed his kit. He poured the powdered sulpha that the soldiers carried straight into the hole in her leg. He stopped the infection and when she died later, she still had the leg. Today, I thought about various mishaps that can occur in our homes and property if in a house and decided to become proactive about addressing any areas of concern, but first I had to make a list of potentially hazardous situations. This list does not include every potential hazard or risk. All other ideas, suggestions or discussion welcome. My second office job was in insurance, in the claims department. Most claims for the household were fires and fire and/or smoke damage that originated in the kitchen and were fires started by leaving unattended pots, usually with grease, on the unattended burner. Pot handles sticking out instead of turned so as not to catch someone’s clothing, can cause serious burns if the pot comes down on them or anyone near by. Fire extinguishers and large boxes of baking soda as backup for kitchen fires. Good quality pot holders can prevent burns and the possible complication of infection. Dull knives are dangerous. Sharp knives slice properly and don’t slip the way a dull knife will. Cuts are a vector point for infection or a serious wound where it is hard to staunch the bleeding. Cook food well done. A gut infection is not a good thing to have at anytime. Battery operated carbon monoxide alarm on all levels. Test them monthly and have backup batteries for them on hand. Smoke detectors on all levels and back up batteries for them. Fix any trip hazards such as loose carpets, rugs or other flooring. Solid hand rails on all stairs, preferably a hand rail on each side of stairs. Hand grips in shower and bath areas. A person I know slipped and fell in a glass walled shower and was seriously injured with injuries that would be a challenge in the best conditions. Bath mats for the floor of the shower but watch the mats that can actually float on the tub floor rather then grip it. Be careful the first few times trying a new bath mat. Watch electrical or extension cords laying around or anything that can be a trip hazard. That is not just the domain of the infirm or aged. A broken hip can happen to anyone. Wear eye protection in the home if doing anything that can compromise your vision. Keep your home in good repair and maintenance, including heating systems and plumbing, and electrical. By doing that in the best of times, you will be in a better position to survive the event without something breaking down where parts may not be easily available or an item be easily repairable. If in a damp climate, a good dehumidifier can keep your home at the right humidity and help prevent mould growth. For areas prone to heavy rainfall, grading the yard to slope it away from house is important. The water can flow away from the house in down spouts (or into rain barrels if collecting water for drainage. Also for heavy rainfall, a sump pump to pull water away from the home and a sewer back flow valve keeps overloaded systems from backing sewage up into your basement. Rodent traps in case of rodents driven to other areas by a disaster that could go after your preps and carry disease. Fleas on rats was how the Bubonic Plague happened and mouse droppings can carry the Hanta Virus. Watch for droppings or signs of packages being chewed. If you see one rat, beware because that is how they migrate. If the rat colony gets too large, the older rats send a younger one off to find another place. If that rat returns, then the other rats splitting off from the colony follow the first one back and instantly there is major infestation. If the first rate is prevented from going back, the rats will try another location. Medications, cleaning products and anything poisonous needs to be in locked cabinets or child-proof or in tamper proof cabinets for children or infirm persons in your care or who those who might SIP/BO and remain with you for all or part of the crisis. The same applies to guns and ammo or any other weapons safety. It can get overwhelming SIP/BO and mistakes can happen. People are tired and stressed and can make mistakes. If anyone SIP/BO with you, ensure they know to practice good gun safety also. Read More 11 21 Advice Stages of criminal behaviour during a disaster UbiqueContributor - March 14, 2021 I believe that during a disaster, criminal behaviour will become evident in three stages, as law and order is impaired by the disaster and the effects of the disaster unfold over time. In the first stage, opportunistic criminals with a demonstrated criminal past, or those who have committed crimes but have not been caught, will be the first to react to a disaster occupied law enforcement and society. These persons will encompass a range of everything from thieves to violent or sadistic criminals, including persons who require regular psychiatric medication to control their violent or lethal tendencies. The first stage criminals have no respect for law or boundaries and have proven so by their respective behaviours well before the disaster occurred. The second stage criminals are the persons who do not have an existing criminal record or have not engaged in criminal behaviour prior to the crisis. They are the persons with criminal minds and tendencies toward criminal behaviour who have not acted upon their thinking for fear of imprisonment or other punitive measures. In a disaster, they become the “new criminals” who will act upon the crimes of their fantasies or thoughts for the first time. These persons can devolve quickly and are very unpredictable, especially the range of violence for which they can become capable. The third stage criminals are law abiding citizens who under the duress of survival can become thieves and potentially violent. They are also very dangerous because they are driven by fear. They can kill unintentionally because of a twitchy trigger finger mixed with adrenaline. A desperate parent who wants food for their family is no less dangerous than the criminals of the first and second stage. The third stage criminals, like the first stage criminals, don’t care about the consequences of breaking the law. The only difference between them is motivation. Third stage criminals are people desperate to survive. How would you prepare mentally and physically for handling these stages of criminal behaviour? Read More 4 14 List of 3D Printing files for preppers Supersonic - March 13, 2021 Saw this original list and wanted to share it here, see if anyone has anything to add. Digital sundial: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1468073 Bulk ingredient scoop: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1694615 Bee watering station threaded for 2 liter bottles: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3548569 Mason jar lid: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3468220 Mason Jar juicer: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1427149 Stupidly loud whistle: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1179160 AA / AAA Battery Dispenser: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4739900 Mason jar mug handle: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:559713 Mason jar pour spout adapter: (pouring shots of moonshine made easy!) https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1518308 Seed starter: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4279258 Safety Scalpel: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4752640 Montana mask: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4244641 Pegboard stuff: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:537516 Read More 8 1 How to you start building up a food storage that you could eventually live off of? Jessica Sanders - March 13, 2021 In this forum post: (https://theprepared.com/forum/thread/are-you-new-to-preparedness-ask-whatever-you-want-here) Michelle had brought up how she was able to live off of her food storage during a time of unemployment. I’ve been building up my food storage slowly when I have had some extra money but I would like to take it to the next level and get serious about my food storage. How do I build up a reliable food storage that I could potentially live off of 100% if I ran out of money and couldn’t buy any more food from the grocery store? I like to buy fresh food as much as I can, what should I do about that? I guess I could pick up gardening. Thank you everyone! Read More 12 13 What’s the best get home bag to keep in your car? Jonnie PekelnyContributor - March 13, 2021 I haven’t given much attention to get home bags yet. I am still working on outfitting my BOB and getting my basics together for sheltering in place. I do have a few odds and ends in my trunk, and that’s it. But I’ve been wondering what kind of backpack or bag is best to use for the get home bag. Mine would live in the trunk of my car. For my BOB I have a Kelty Redwing 50 and it’s pretty bulky! If I get a similar backpack for my car and fill it with similar stuff, it won’t leave so much room in the trunk of my hatchback. Plus, if anyone ever breaks into my trunk it will be expensive to replace. I’d love to hear what other people who keep their in the car do. Read More 11 18 Gear Humble Bundle books for prepping Josh CentersContributor - March 12, 2021 Hey folks, I wanted to point out a couple of great Humble Bundle deals on prepping books. Survive Everything Bundle: Sorry for the short notice, but there’s only a couple of days left to claim this one. There are a lot of great books here on survival, homestead, and even home distilling. $1 gets you a bunch of books, $18 gets everything. DIY Home and Hobby: This one has a lot of “Dummies” books, which are usually pretty good. It’s not as preparedness-focused as the one above, but it includes books on gardening, survival, and home repairs. The $1 tier gets you books on hobby farming, winemaking, woodworking and “repairing everything,” which is a pretty good deal. BTW, when you check out, they try to tack on some kind of subscription service. Make sure you don’t get signed up for that by accident. Read More 7 1 News Does vacuum sealing food protect against bugs and extend the expiration date? Kim - March 10, 2021 Can I vacuum seal foods such as flour, cornmeal, rice, and expect the shelf life WITHOUT bugs getting in to the food, to last longer then the expiration date? Read More 10 4 Advice FREE Preparedness Seminar March 20 in Austin, Texas Paul Martin - March 10, 2021 I am putting on a free preparedness seminar in Austin on March 20. You can get the details here. I’m not selling anything – this is a public service to aid people looking to improve their preparedness and network with others doing the same. Feel free to message me using the link above if you have questions. Read More 7 1 My water maker Oldprepper - March 9, 2021 In the event of a SHTF event I keep this for my water supply……… and distillation needs. All it is …..is a 3/4″ pipe running to a 12v submersible pump that goes in a bucket and back to bucket and sealed at ends…. Inside that pipe is a 1/4 inch going from a pressure cooker to drinkable water. Produces far more water than a couple of people would ever drink each day…………………It has many uses….. distillation for alcohol……… and distilled water for battery top ups too. This uses LPG for the burner but could just as easily use wood or charcoal, or even wood-gas….. But trying to stay away from filters. Because with this volume of water they would need replacing often. Read More 8 4 AdviceGearSkills Useful documents to bug out with Bill Masen - March 9, 2021 Useful Documents to Bug Out with If TSHTF and you need to leave home for whatever reason do not forget to take (copies at least) of your families ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS with you, either as paper documents OR as a digital copy on a flash drive. The sort of documentation to take depends on your own situation but as a generalisation 1 National or State Health cards or NHS number cards 2 Driving licences 3 Gun or CCW permits 4 Deeds for property 5 Rent payment records / Local or State TAX records 6 Birth Certificates / Marriage Certificates 7 Service / Discharge documents 8 Professional Qualifications 9 Inoculation Records 10 Passports 11 Personal / House / Car Insurance documents 12 Vehicle Log book / Pink slips 13 Bank and Savings details Others as you see fit or need such as hunting / fishing permits, Medical Licences to practice docs etc Read More 14 7 Tip time, does your vehicle have roof rack or rails and gets noisy in use? Bill Masen - March 8, 2021 As per the header, many of us install lateral roof bars or roof racks on their vehicles for extra load carrying capacity, But many people suddenly find out that they create a booming resonating noise inside the vehicle when its moving. This often is so loud that people remove the rails or racks pretty quickly. But you do not need to, the noise is caused by the passing air causing harmonics that radiate through the rails / rack into the vehicle. This can easily be resolved with either a length of good nylon cord or as I prefer elasticated cord about 4 to 6 mm thick. All you do is wrap it in an open spiral ( like a coil spring) along the from most cross rail / bar, this in turn disrupts the airflow and stops the booming noise. without affecting fuel economy or load carrying capacity. My bars shown below. Read More 8 2 How to prevent injury, illness or death while cleaning up after a disaster UbiqueContributor - March 8, 2021 On the thread “The second survival – How to go on after the crisis is over“, hikermor made a significant comment regarding the fatalities and serious accidents that can occur after the disaster during the clean up and recovery process. What hikermor introduced on that thread warrants it’s own topic and thanks to Gideon who suggested the new topic title above, we now have a new topic started. This is the quote from hikermor: ”Perhaps it is worth mentioning that fatalities and serious accidents resulting from clean up efforts following a hurricane, etc. typically are equal to the total rug up during the storm.” The second survival thread deals with the emotional/psychological aspects of recovery after crisis. This thread is so we can examine safety issues of recovery after the crisis. What kind of safety issues could we potentially face? How do you safely deal with matters of downed power lines or other electrical hazards? How do you prevent a fall from a roof when attempting to repair it? What kind of tools or gear can help keep us safe? What should we do with wet damaged debris? What about mould? How do we prevent infections or waterborne disease because of contaminated surfaces or sewage infested water? This could be an excellent way to share first hand information on how we coped safely in the aftermath of a disaster, or what lessons we learned when we didn’t cope safely. The following is my post from the second survival thread which deals with how to stay safe around electrical hazards. Begin Quote: hikermor and Bob – Excellent points. One should also know how to deal safely with electrical hazards such as downed power lines. Or, if trapped in vehicle and a fire starts, how to safely exit a vehicle where there is risk of electrical hazard. Electrical Safety Also, keep contaminated footwear and gloves out of the house. End Quote Bob also made several excellent comments on safety issues on the second survival thread. I was going to wait longer for hikermor to start this thread, but wasn’t sure how long that would be, so with credit to hikermor for introducing the topic, Bob for his comments on the other thread and to Gideon for the title, I’d like to offer it now. Read More 11 29 AdviceGearScenariosSkills Best considerations for an evacuation or bug-out vehicle UbiqueContributor - March 8, 2021 With recent discussion of evacuation events, I realized we could be evacuated despite our plans to SIP. In that scenario we would need shelter and accomodations which may not be available or affordable if prices go up. We would also need to consider a range of time frames. I can see the wisdom of modifying my existing Chev Astro van into a BOV that can handle all season events. It still must function for normal use. The van sits on a truck chassis so it sits higher and can handle certain terrain that a lower vehicle might not fare so well upon. Seasonal studded tires alread in place. I need to add a set of cable tire chains to carry in the vehicle to handle a winter event. We always have a full tank of fuel plus extra jerry cans. The known gas mileage can be used to calculate the radius that we can travel. It is possible then to pinpoint areas that could be safe to stay until it is safe to return home. I want to calculate a radius as the evacuation event could come from any direction. Currently the van has front bucket seats and two removable bench seats plus floor space behind the last bench seat. I want to set up items in a way that won’t draw attention as a target for a break in. Under the bench seats would work for some of the items. I want to equip a rudimentary sleep area (rolled up foam or sleeping bags). Pail (already in van) and toilet seat ready to use. Kelly kettle and camp gear. Food items/MRE’s in sturdy bags ready to grab and go with BOB. Fishing gear in case it goes longer. Currently the van is white, but if I am not mistaken are there not tarps or nets that can be thrown over a parked vehicle to disguise it? Anything shiny needs to be covered as well. I am looking to keep costs down. I want to be very low key if on the move. Read More 9 33 AdviceGearScenarios < Prev 1 2 3 … 47 48 49 … 59 60 61 Next > Recently Active News for the week of 2025-05-12 - 19 minutes agoNews for the week of 2025-05-05 - 7 days agoNews for the week of 2025-04-28 - 2 weeks agoNews for the Week 2025-4-21 - 3 weeks agoNews for the Week 2025-4-14 - 3 weeks ago 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

Steps to take to solve a problem

UbiqueContributor - March 23, 2021

Coping with a disaster in real time requires response. If we have prepped wisely, then our responses will be appropriate.

However, there may be times during a disaster when we are called upon to solve problems that may arise.

Even with good preps in place, a disaster may demand much physical and intense labour. We may be forced to push ourselves physically and there is no time to eat, drink or rest. It is possible to become sleep deprived, hungry, dehydrated, injured, ill, or incredibly stressed.

Imagine that scenario and then imagine problems cropping up and the need to solve them.

There are different methods for teaching problem solving steps. I prefer these steps and wanted to share them with you:

Step 1: Identify and define the problem.

It isn’t possible to solve a problem if you don’t clearly understand the problem. You need to be able to correctly identify the problem first.

Step 2: Brainstorm possible solutions.

A brainstorm is simply jotting down any possible solutions that appear reasonable and come to mind.

If you do this as a group or family, everyone calls out their suggestions, without stopping to critique or comment upon them. Just keep the momentum going and list the ideas.

Step 3: Consider and evaluate the list of possible solutions.

Now is the time for discussion if in a group or family or reflection if you are along and doing this.

Step 4: Select a possible solution to try. 

Try the solution.

Step 5: Evaluate the solution.

Did it solve the problem?

Step 6: If the problem is not solved, repeat Step 4.

Go back through the list of possible solutions and select another one to try.

Step 7: If you try all the possible solutions and the problem is not solved, then

a) Go back and review how you identified the problem. Perhaps the problem is not accurately or fully defined.

If you discover this has happened, adjust the definition of the problem and repeat the steps.

Or

b) Accept that the problem may not be solvable at this time.

There may be problems that occur during a crisis that are not solvable at that particular point in time. Consider that the problem may be solvable at a different time and then try again later.

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What is your Get Home Plan?

UbiqueContributor - March 22, 2021

The issue of bugging out is a much discussed topic. We focus on what gear to put in our BOBs and then load into our BOV. 

Has anyone made a Get Home Plan, or even considered it?

What if you or your family are separated? Do you each know how to work a Get Home Plan? Do your children know?

I’m not planning BO, but am prepping for that option just in case. What I haven’t done is make a Get Home Plan and that is now on my get ‘er done list.

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Advice

Prepare for a disaster and know the risks

UbiqueContributor - March 21, 2021

I posted yesterday about a case of a nasty emergent syndrome that is in New Brunswick.

We prep and cover various gear and necessary for life items like water, food, clothing, and shelter.

Has anyone considered the risk factors for the scenarios/disasters for which you prep?

If so, have you considered changes to any of those risks and changed how you prep or plan to prep going forward?

After what I read yesterday, for how long it took to make this progressive and deadly neurological syndrome public, after an internal memo was leaked and for the additional information that I posted on that thread today, that my prepping is never going to be the same.

I am prepping now for risk as well as scenario. I am also prepping for what is not being released to the public and will continue my habit of medical research reading. It is how I got ahead on shoring up preps before Covid-19 was front and center in the media.

New and emergent diseases, viruses and syndromes. Contaminated food, water and air.

The risk has always been there and just got worse because we aren’t always the first to know. I am prepping accordingly. 

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AdviceScenarios

Today in history – March 18 – The New London School explosion and why natural gas has added odors

OldHouseGirl - March 20, 2021

Today is the anniversary of one of the worse disasters in US history that happened in Texas in 1937. Sadly, most people have never heard of it. It’s the reason you can now smell when there’s a gas leak. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London_School_explosion

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Scenarios

Under-counter water filters

JRoll - March 19, 2021

Hi All,

I’ve been researching under-counter water filters after seeing an ad for Hydroviv. I found several articles on other prepping sites that recommend Epic Smart Shield over the Hydroviv. I’m curious if any folks here have experience with either of these filters and could provide some insight? I’m also open to other filter brands if you have recommendations. 

Background: I live in the Southeast and am on city water. 

Thanks!

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AdviceGear

Staying entertained during a power outage

Jay ValenciaContributor - March 19, 2021

If the power were to go out for a week, I think my family’d be able to survive. Definitely need to think up a good way to cook off grid, but besides that, I think we should be fine.

I was watching my kids this week and how they entertained themselves, and hey even my wife and I are guilty of this, we all tend to go to electronics for our entertainment. Phones, tv, video games, radio, podcasts, etc… 

What are some ways to keep the family entertained during a week long power outage?

We have quite the collection of board games, which will help some nights.

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Our well was down for a week. General observations.

Thomas GomezStaff - March 18, 2021

I live in a rural part of New Mexico, and our well was recently down for a week. Unbeknownst to us, our pressure tank and buried lines were leaking due to the system’s age and were made worse by the recent spate of cold weather much of the country experienced. We currently share a well with our neighbor, and we both have young children and a pregnant spouse. Save for the well shaft and submersible pump, the whole system was torn out and re-done.

General observations 

Last summer, I installed gutters and five 50-gallon rain barrels. This was a good prep! We used this water to flush toilets. Between my neighbor and I, we used about 70 gallons of water to flush toilets.  Though we have 55 gallons of clean, potable water in reserve, we elected to purchase water from the store for drinking, cooking, cleaning, coffee and tea.  We went into the City every other day to shower.  Over the week, we went through several rolls of paper towels. Paper towels were great for wiping down surfaces and drying off hands and cooking implements.  Since we didn’t have hot water, dishes stacked up like crazy.  Teflon/non-stick pans were a godsend. To clean them after use, we just added some water, heated it on the stove, then wiped it down with a paper towel. I only cooked with our non-stick pans during the week.  To get our well back up cost $7,000. My spouse and I regularly contribute to an emergency/rainy day fund, and we have been planning for a well failure for over a decade. We did not feel a burden, because we were financially prepared. Here is an excellent article about financial prepping.   Lack of running water generally destroyed my work efficiency. It is hard to concentrate when coordinating with well crews, plumbers, inspectors, neighbors and setting aside time to drive into the city for showers, food, and provisions. If you have a busy life, expect a major setback on all of your projects.  

Improvements

I want to store 100 gallons of potable, clean, readily accessible water. We are going to add an additional 55-gallon drum of stored water to our preps.  I am looking into an on-demand system for hot water and bathing. These systems are used by campers. I will probably write an article about these systems in the future.    Since we couldn’t easily do dishes, I am going to add some bio-degradable paper plates and bowls to our preps.  Our rain barrels quickly fill up. This year I plan on burying a thousand-gallon tank under my deck and building an overflow system to drain into the storage tank. That would give us a 1,250 gallons of stored water. Since we have a septic tank on our property, I am going to design an outhouse that can be quickly built over one of the septic tank access points. This would save a lot of water since we wouldn’t need to flush toilets. Just build an outhouse with a solar light and a hand washing station, and poo and pee right into the septic tank.  Certain well components need a heat source to prevent freezing during the winter. I need to find a solar powered heat source to prevent critical well components from freezing in the event of a grid failure.  Buying a Big Berkey counter top water filter ASAP. 

Overall it was a good experience and gave me some data points in the event of a grid failure or catastrophe.  Feel free to share your thoughts below. 

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The future of prepping

UbiqueContributor - March 18, 2021

This morning I sifted through World War II lessons about preparedness and thought about how often I look to the lessons of the past for guidance as I plan and prep.

Then my mind drifted back to yesterday when I walked into the living room and happened to catch part of an episode of Battlebots. I stopped and was transfixed by the robots whirring around the arena battling each other with an assortment of weaponry.

I thought, hmm, we have restrictive gun laws here. I wonder if a couple of those could be good for exterior security and defence? I could just turn them loose in the yard like a couple of deranged Roomba’s on steroids. Those flame throwers would put more than one intruder on the run if the SHTF.

I must have thought out loud, because my husband said: “you’ve been prepping for too long.”

So, apparently my prepping mind isn’t all Grandmother stories and history. Why would it be when I love science fiction and would seriously learn Klingon as a second language?

I like thinking about the future. And why not, when much of prepping concerns the future and preparing for future crises and disasters?

I wondered what preparedness will look like in five, ten, or even a couple of years from now.

New products are being developed as technology evolves which could change how we prepare.

There are environmental changes that will affect how we prepare. For example, we might have to prioritize water conservation and storage if our area becomes drought prone. It follows that with more arid conditions, the threat of fires could increase. How we garden and the types of crops we grow would also change.

Our future needs will change as we age. Those changes will also affect how we prepare whether we are starting a family, or living in our middle or twilight years.

What will our prepping look like in the future? The basics will still be there, but how do you think it could change?

If environmental disasters worsen, do you see a more expanded concept of  preparedness for yourself? Will you store more items and of greater variety? Or will it be better to be more mobile in order to evade disasters?

Will more people prepare or will disaster overload cause people to become fatalistic and weary of prepping?

Take a walk into the future with me this morning and imagine what the future of prepping might look like for you and for the world.

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Scenarios

Hydra Lights

Lauren - March 18, 2021

Good morning! I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts/experience using hydra lights? Wondering if they work well and if there is one out there that is better than another. Thank you!!

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AdviceGear

Keeping mentally fit while preparing and during a crisis

UbiqueContributor - March 17, 2021

We prepare. We plan. We spend countless hours thinking about our preparations, and hours more researching and reading about how we can do it better.

We worry. Did I miss something? We compare ourselves with other people. I don’t have the gear that the other people have. Or, I can’t afford what everyone else is buying.

We get overwhelmed. There is so much to know and learn. Am I doing it right? Have I made a mistake that will cause a problem later?

We witness tragedies elsewhere and our stress levels rise. Some days it feels like we’ll never be able to go from “prepare” to “prepared”.

I would like to share a few coping strategies I have used while preparing and also during times of crisis. There are many ways to cope, so any other suggestions are much appreciated.

When overwhelmed, remember that you are putting forth your best efforts. Take some time to remember how far you have come.

Remember that sound financial management is part of being prepared. Driving yourself into debt “to keep with the (prepping) Joneses” would accrue items or supplies on one hand, but leave you vulnerable, still stressed and unsoundly prepared on the other hand. 

Mistakes will happen. We are human and not perfect beings. That is why we can take time to review our preps and plans and discuss them with our family members or others who prepare in order to check for possible errors.

Take a good, long walk. Walking is a way to do two things: calm down and find solutions. I get my best ideas on a walk or after I have taken a walk and I am relaxed.

If walking is not an option for you, then visualize yourself doing a walk through a nice area that appeals to you. It has been proven that athletes who mentally practised through visualization registered the same results on their muscles as those who did so in real time.

Our ability to breathe correctly is very important. When stressed, we shift to shallow breathing. 

The following is a method to breathe more fully. As with any breathing technique, stop if you feel light-headed or faint. 

You can learn to breathe from the belly up through to the lungs. If you place your hand on your stomach above the navel, your hand should rise as you inhale. It is the way singers are trained to breathe.

Then exhale slowly through slightly pursed lips, as if you were going to gently blow a feather away from you. Keep your hand on your belly and let your belly slowly deflate. Repeat, as able, three times. It takes a bit of practice, but is a good way to reduce stress.

If a crisis happens, remember that you have prepared. Take some time to assess the crisis.

Steady, normal breathing. Don’t hyperventilate.

Your brain is your biggest weapon and tool. Think it through before responding. Respond don’t react.

Don’t give up. Your instinct is to survive. Use that instinct. Focus on success and survival. You are stronger than you know.

Don’t let panic and fear drive the humanity out of you, especially in a protracted crisis. We want to survive, but it isn’t necessary to be cruel. When the crisis is over, you will have to live with your choices.

Remember to check on family and friends who may be struggling and watch for signs of stress in them. Help them so that they can remain a stable part of the family  or community team.

Remember that events, like people, have their season in our lives. The tough times will end, the crisis will pass. When you stand there, after it’s over, stand tall and be proud of yourself.

You survived.

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Advice

Cross training prepping skills to better prepare the family or group

UbiqueContributor - March 16, 2021

I worked in truck transport at one point in my life, staffing, training and managing the office of two trucking companies, in addition to my other duties of load audits.

Before I assumed that position, the staff wasn’t cross trained. Only one person could do one job. 

If someone was away ill, then that position ground to a halt. This wasn’t a good thing for the fast paced environment of truck transport.

I had worked my way through various positions, creating a couple of my own positions along the way and finally was asked to step into this management roll, so I understood the demands of various jobs and the skills required.

I also knew that with good cross training and training manuals that it would be possible to have that office running smoothly, no matter who was away.

The staff loved the idea of cross training. It gave them a chance to learn new skills and relieve some of the job fatigue that can come with doing the same tasks every day.

It also was good for morale, because the staff grew closer as a team, because they could empathize with the challenges of each other’s duties.

The team work took on a life of it’s own when people, who had time, would call out “anyone need a hand?”

Often in families or groups of people that prep together, people assume roles. I do this and you do that. I take care of this and you manage that.

Sometimes that happens because people don’t always like to do certain things and are more than happy to have someone else take responsibility for it.

But, what happens if, during a crisis or disaster, one of the family or group becomes injured, ill or even dies? What if they are unable to cope with their responsibilities due to stress? 

That is why training manuals with clear concise instructions are important. The manuals should be printed on paper and organized with drive back up if it is wanted. A binder, however, is not electricity dependent.

Every family member should be hands on cross trained to perform critical functions, even children can be trained on a common sense and age appropriate basis. You would be surprised what children can do if properly taught. I drove a tractor at 6 years old. 

The training binder acts as a back up guide if someone needs to step into a role and forgets or balks because they are unsure of something.

You will know that your instructions are clear by how well the person can follow them on their own. Break the task down into steps and order them. Keep the instructions consistent in language and terms used and in presentation or arrangement of how information is presented on paper.

Technical communication is not easy to do well. It was one of the toughest writing courses I ever took because it is far more than about the writing. However, you can look up info on how to do it well and get your family cross trained.

If everyone is cross trained, as in physical cross training, you and your family become more fit and strong as preppers.

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AdviceSkills

War with China – thoughts and how to prepare

LNMOt - March 15, 2021

One of the scenarios I am starting to seriously consider for preparedness is a potential war with China.  A few questions:

Is a potential war with China on your list of what you are preparing for?  If no, why not?  If yes, why? (looking for additional information to round out my viewpoints) Regardless of whether you agree or disagree this is a scenario worth preparing for, what are some thoughts and suggestions on specifically how to prepare for this scenario?

So much of what we rely on in the United States is made in China, or has components that are made in China.  There is the cyber-attack potential by China during a conflict.  It’s blowing my mind a bit trying to work my way through this scenario and anticipate what shortages of goods there might be and impacts to all things online due to cyberattacks (online banking, the grid, etc).  

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and perspectives!

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Prepper home safety – how to prevent and avoid accidents in the home during a crisis.

UbiqueContributor - March 14, 2021

In a pandemic, many of us prefer not to attend a hospital or medical setting. If going to a hospital or clinic is necessary, fine, but we try to avoid creating situations where we have to go.

There are many other types of crisis that would evoke the same response from us. 

We want to stay safe in our homes and avoid mishaps and accidents. No one wants to compound an already challenging situation with an infection or broken leg or severe burns or medication overdose or interaction.

I thought of my grandmother who had caught the side of her leg on a metal washtub. The jagged piece of metal had been there for a while, but no one fixed or did something so that she wouldn’t tear her leg on it and that is exactly what happed.

Her leg infected, to the point of being almost gangrenous (as my Dad told it). When he came to the house after meeting Mom, he saw grandmothers’ leg and grabbed his kit. He poured the powdered sulpha that the soldiers carried straight into the hole in her leg. He stopped the infection and when she died later, she still had the leg. 

Today, I thought about various mishaps that can occur in our homes and property if in a house and decided to become proactive about addressing any areas of concern, but first I had to make a list of potentially hazardous situations. 

This list does not include every potential hazard or risk. All other ideas, suggestions or discussion welcome.

My second office job was in insurance, in the claims department. Most claims for the household were fires and fire and/or smoke damage that originated in the kitchen and were fires started by leaving unattended pots, usually with grease, on the unattended burner.

Pot handles sticking out instead of turned so as not to catch someone’s clothing, can cause serious burns if the pot comes down on them or anyone near by.

Fire extinguishers and large boxes of baking soda as backup for kitchen fires.

Good quality pot holders can prevent burns and the possible complication of infection.

Dull knives are dangerous. Sharp knives slice properly and don’t slip the way a dull knife will. Cuts are a vector point for infection or a serious wound where it is hard to staunch the bleeding.

Cook food well done. A gut infection is not a good thing to have at anytime.

Battery operated carbon monoxide alarm on all levels. Test them monthly and have backup batteries for them on hand.

Smoke detectors on all levels and back up batteries for them.

Fix any trip hazards such as loose carpets, rugs or other flooring.

Solid hand rails on all stairs, preferably a hand rail on each side of stairs.

Hand grips in shower and bath areas. A person I know slipped and fell in a glass walled shower and was seriously injured with injuries that would be a challenge in the best conditions.

Bath mats for the floor of the shower but watch the mats that can actually float on the tub floor rather then grip it. Be careful the first few times trying a new bath mat.

Watch electrical or extension cords laying around or anything that can be a trip hazard. That is not just the domain of the infirm or aged. A broken hip can happen to anyone.

Wear eye protection in the home if doing anything that can compromise your vision.

Keep your home in good repair and maintenance, including heating systems and plumbing, and electrical. By doing that in the best of times, you will be in a better position to survive the event without something breaking down where parts may not be easily available or an item be easily repairable.

If in a damp climate, a good dehumidifier can keep your home at the right humidity and help prevent mould growth.

For areas prone to heavy rainfall, grading the yard to slope it away from house is important. The water can flow away from the house in down spouts (or into rain barrels if collecting water for drainage.

Also for heavy rainfall, a sump pump to pull water away from the home and a sewer back flow valve keeps overloaded systems from backing sewage up into your basement. 

Rodent traps in case of rodents driven to other areas by a disaster that could go after your preps and carry disease. Fleas on rats was how the Bubonic Plague happened and mouse droppings can carry the Hanta Virus. Watch for droppings or signs of packages being chewed.

If you see one rat, beware because that is how they migrate. If the rat colony gets too large, the older rats send a younger one off to find another place. If that rat returns, then the other rats splitting off from the colony follow the first one back and instantly there is major infestation.

If the first rate is prevented from going back, the rats will try another location.

Medications, cleaning products and anything poisonous needs to be in locked cabinets or child-proof or in tamper proof cabinets for children or infirm persons in your care or who those who might SIP/BO and remain with you for all or part of the crisis.

The same applies to guns and ammo or any other weapons safety. It can get overwhelming SIP/BO and mistakes can happen. People are tired and stressed and can make mistakes. If anyone SIP/BO with you, ensure they know to practice good gun safety also.

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Advice

Stages of criminal behaviour during a disaster

UbiqueContributor - March 14, 2021

I believe that during a disaster, criminal behaviour will become evident in three stages, as law and order is impaired by the disaster and the effects of the disaster unfold over time.

In the first stage, opportunistic criminals with a demonstrated criminal past, or those who have committed crimes but have not been caught, will be the first to react to a disaster occupied law enforcement and society.

These persons will encompass a range of everything from thieves to violent or sadistic criminals, including persons who require regular psychiatric medication to control their violent or lethal tendencies.

The first stage criminals have no respect for law or boundaries and have proven so by their respective behaviours well before the disaster occurred.

The second stage criminals are the persons who do not have an existing criminal record or have not engaged in criminal behaviour prior to the crisis.

They are the persons with criminal minds and tendencies toward criminal behaviour who have not acted upon their thinking for fear of imprisonment or other punitive measures.

In a disaster, they become the “new criminals” who will act upon the crimes of their fantasies or thoughts for the first time. These persons can devolve quickly and are very unpredictable, especially the range of violence for which they can become capable.

The third stage criminals are law abiding citizens who under the duress of survival can become thieves and potentially violent. They are also very dangerous because they are driven by fear. 

They can kill unintentionally because of a twitchy trigger finger mixed with adrenaline. A desperate parent who wants food for their family is no less dangerous than the criminals of the first and second stage.

The third stage criminals, like the first stage criminals, don’t care about the consequences of breaking the law. The only difference between them is motivation. Third stage criminals are people desperate to survive.

How would you prepare mentally and physically for handling these stages of criminal behaviour?

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List of 3D Printing files for preppers

Supersonic - March 13, 2021

Saw this original list and wanted to share it here, see if anyone has anything to add.

Digital sundial:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1468073

Bulk ingredient scoop:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1694615

Bee watering station threaded for 2 liter bottles:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3548569

Mason jar lid:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3468220

Mason Jar juicer:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1427149

Stupidly loud whistle:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1179160

AA / AAA Battery Dispenser:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4739900

Mason jar mug handle:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:559713

Mason jar pour spout adapter: (pouring shots of moonshine made easy!)

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1518308

Seed starter:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4279258

Safety Scalpel:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4752640

Montana mask:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4244641

Pegboard stuff:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:537516

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How to you start building up a food storage that you could eventually live off of?

Jessica Sanders - March 13, 2021

In this forum post: (https://theprepared.com/forum/thread/are-you-new-to-preparedness-ask-whatever-you-want-here) Michelle had brought up how she was able to live off of her food storage during a time of unemployment. I’ve been building up my food storage slowly when I have had some extra money but I would like to take it to the next level and get serious about my food storage. How do I build up a reliable food storage that I could potentially live off of 100% if I ran out of money and couldn’t buy any more food from the grocery store? I like to buy fresh food as much as I can, what should I do about that? I guess I could pick up gardening. Thank you everyone!

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What’s the best get home bag to keep in your car?

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - March 13, 2021

I haven’t given much attention to get home bags yet. I am still working on outfitting my BOB and getting my basics together for sheltering in place. I do have a few odds and ends in my trunk, and that’s it. But I’ve been wondering what kind of backpack or bag is best to use for the get home bag. Mine would live in the trunk of my car. For my BOB I have a Kelty Redwing 50 and it’s pretty bulky! If I get a similar backpack for my car and fill it with similar stuff, it won’t leave so much room in the trunk of my hatchback. Plus, if anyone ever breaks into my trunk it will be expensive to replace. I’d love to hear what other people who keep their in the car do.

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Gear

Humble Bundle books for prepping

Josh CentersContributor - March 12, 2021

Hey folks, I wanted to point out a couple of great Humble Bundle deals on prepping books.

Survive Everything Bundle: Sorry for the short notice, but there’s only a couple of days left to claim this one. There are a lot of great books here on survival, homestead, and even home distilling. $1 gets you a bunch of books, $18 gets everything. DIY Home and Hobby: This one has a lot of “Dummies” books, which are usually pretty good. It’s not as preparedness-focused as the one above, but it includes books on gardening, survival, and home repairs. The $1 tier gets you books on hobby farming, winemaking, woodworking and “repairing everything,” which is a pretty good deal.

BTW, when you check out, they try to tack on some kind of subscription service. Make sure you don’t get signed up for that by accident.

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News

Does vacuum sealing food protect against bugs and extend the expiration date?

Kim - March 10, 2021

Can I vacuum seal foods such as flour, cornmeal, rice, and expect the shelf life WITHOUT bugs getting in to the food, to last longer then the expiration date? 

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Advice

FREE Preparedness Seminar March 20 in Austin, Texas

Paul Martin - March 10, 2021

I am putting on a free preparedness seminar in Austin on March 20.  You can get the details here.

I’m not selling anything – this is a public service to aid people looking to improve their preparedness and network with others doing the same.

Feel free to message me using the link above if you have questions.

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My water maker

Oldprepper - March 9, 2021

In the event of a SHTF event I keep this for my water supply……… and distillation needs.

All it is …..is a 3/4″ pipe running to a 12v submersible pump that goes in a bucket and back to bucket and sealed at ends…. Inside that pipe is a 1/4 inch  going from a pressure cooker to drinkable water.

Produces far more water than a couple of people would ever drink each day…………………It has many uses….. distillation for alcohol……… and distilled water for battery top ups too.

This uses LPG for the burner but could just as easily use wood or charcoal, or even wood-gas….. But trying to stay away from filters. Because with this volume of water they would need replacing often.

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AdviceGearSkills

Useful documents to bug out with

Bill Masen - March 9, 2021

Useful Documents to Bug Out with

If TSHTF and you need to leave home for whatever reason do not forget to take (copies at least) of your families ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS with you, either as paper documents OR as a digital copy on a flash drive.

The sort of documentation to take depends on your own situation but as a generalisation

1 National or State Health cards or NHS number cards

2 Driving licences

3 Gun or CCW permits

4 Deeds for property

5 Rent payment records / Local or State TAX records

6 Birth Certificates / Marriage Certificates

7 Service / Discharge documents

8 Professional Qualifications

9 Inoculation Records

10 Passports

11 Personal / House / Car Insurance documents

12 Vehicle Log book / Pink slips

13 Bank and Savings details

Others as you see fit or need such as hunting / fishing permits, Medical Licences to practice docs etc

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Tip time, does your vehicle have roof rack or rails and gets noisy in use?

Bill Masen - March 8, 2021

As per the header, many of us install lateral roof bars or roof racks on their vehicles for extra load carrying capacity, But many people suddenly find out that they create a booming resonating noise inside the vehicle when its moving. This often is so loud that people remove the rails or racks pretty quickly.

But you do not need to, the noise is caused by the passing air causing harmonics that radiate through the rails / rack into the vehicle.

This can easily be resolved with either a length of good nylon cord or as I prefer elasticated cord about 4 to 6 mm thick.

All you do is wrap it in an open spiral ( like a coil spring) along the from most cross rail / bar, this in turn disrupts the airflow and stops the booming noise. without affecting fuel economy or load carrying capacity.

My bars shown below.

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How to prevent injury, illness or death while cleaning up after a disaster

UbiqueContributor - March 8, 2021

On the thread “The second survival – How to go on after the crisis is over“, hikermor made a significant comment regarding the fatalities and serious accidents that can occur after the disaster during the clean up and recovery process.

What hikermor introduced on that thread warrants it’s own topic and thanks to Gideon who suggested the new topic title above, we now have a new topic started.

This is the quote from hikermor: ”Perhaps it is worth mentioning that fatalities and serious accidents resulting from clean up efforts following a hurricane, etc. typically are equal to the total rug up during the storm.”

The second survival thread deals with the emotional/psychological aspects of recovery after crisis.

This thread is so we can examine safety issues of recovery after the crisis.

What kind of safety issues could we potentially face?

How do you safely deal with matters of downed power lines or other electrical hazards? How do you prevent a fall from a roof when attempting to repair it?

What kind of tools or gear can help keep us safe?

What should we do with wet damaged debris? What about mould? How do we prevent infections or waterborne disease because of contaminated surfaces or sewage infested water?

This could be an excellent way to share first hand information on how we coped safely in the aftermath of a disaster, or what lessons we learned when we didn’t cope safely.

The following is my post from the second survival thread which deals with how to stay safe around electrical hazards.

Begin Quote:

hikermor and Bob – Excellent points. 

One should also know how to deal safely with electrical hazards such as downed power lines. Or, if trapped in vehicle and a fire starts, how to safely exit a vehicle where there is risk of electrical hazard. 

Electrical Safety

Also, keep contaminated footwear and gloves out of the house. End Quote

Bob also made several excellent comments on safety issues on the second survival thread.

I was going to wait longer for hikermor to start this thread, but wasn’t sure how long that would be, so with credit to hikermor for introducing the topic, Bob for his comments on the other thread and to Gideon for the title, I’d like to offer it now.

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AdviceGearScenariosSkills

Best considerations for an evacuation or bug-out vehicle

UbiqueContributor - March 8, 2021

With recent discussion of evacuation events, I realized we could be evacuated despite our plans to SIP. In that scenario we would need shelter and accomodations which may not be available or affordable if prices go up. We would also need to consider a range of time frames.

I can see the wisdom of modifying my existing Chev Astro van into a BOV that can handle all season events. It still must function for normal use. The van sits on a truck chassis so it sits higher and can handle certain terrain that a lower vehicle might not fare so well upon.

Seasonal studded tires alread in place.  I need to add a set of cable tire chains to carry in the vehicle to handle a winter event. We always have a full tank of fuel plus extra jerry cans.

The known gas mileage can be used to calculate the radius that we can travel. It is possible then to pinpoint areas that could be safe to stay until it is safe to return home. I want to calculate a radius as the evacuation event could come from any direction.

Currently the van has front bucket seats and two removable bench seats plus floor space behind the last bench seat. I want to set up items in a way that won’t draw attention as a target for a break in. Under the bench seats would work for some of the items.

I want to equip a rudimentary sleep area (rolled up foam or sleeping bags). Pail (already in van) and toilet seat ready to use. Kelly kettle and camp gear. Food items/MRE’s in sturdy bags ready to grab and go with BOB. Fishing gear in case it goes longer.

Currently the van is white, but if I am not mistaken are there not tarps or nets that can be thrown over a parked vehicle to disguise it? Anything shiny needs to be covered as well. I am looking to keep costs down.

I want to be very low key if on the move.

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AdviceGearScenarios