Active New Top (30 days) Compact Card Activated charcoal – A great item to keep on hand, especially with concerns over water purity. RedneckContributor - February 25, 2021 If you have any concerns over your stored water having an off taste or maybe having become contaminated, this discussion is for you. And yes, I keep several Sawyer Mini water filters, at home & in my get home bag. Such items are great for purifying water. Yes, you can drink pond water thru one of these, but the water will smell & taste nasty. With all the current discussion over water storage, due to the extreme weather conditions many are experiencing, I thought I might suggest a solution to those concerned with the purity of stored water. That would be storing bulk quantities of granular activated charcoal (also referred to as carbon). Granular Activated Charcoal removes harmful elements from water including copper, chlorine, carbohydrates and other dissolved organic materials. It also takes out sulfa drugs, antibiotics, and other medications. I keep a 5 gallon pail, or 15 lbs of this in storage. Keep in mind activated charcoal is a completely different item than regular charcoal. Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is a form of carbon processed to have small, low-volume pores that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions. It is this extra processing of the charcoal that makes this product so adsorbent. Yes, adsorb… not absorb. Absorption is the process in which a fluid is dissolved by a liquid or a solid (absorbent). Adsorption is the process in which atoms, ions or molecules from a substance (it could be gas, liquid or dissolved solid) adhere to a surface of the adsorbent. Our typical water filtration devices, such as Sawyer do a good job of removing harmful things from the water but don’t usually remove the foul smell sometimes associated with standing water. If you add activated charcoal filtration, that will make the water smell better and also helps remove some additional toxins from the water. I keep some of these cartridges on hand, as they are refillable and can easily be attached to your portable water filters. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007U0184/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=prepperforumsconvert-20 I get my 5 gallon pail of the activated charcoal here. That site is loaded with great info. https://buyactivatedcharcoal.com/buy-bulk-activated-charcoal/granular-activated-charcoal.html Read More 14 14 Advice An introduction to threat modeling Matt Black - February 24, 2021 Preface This isn’t an ‘ultimate guide’ -not by any stretch of the imagination. It is a work in progress and, as I see it, the concept of threat modeling underpins all we discuss here on The Prepared’s forums. I welcome any and all comments and constructive criticisms. Okay, here we go. Here’s my conversation starter about threat modeling. An Introduction to Threat Modeling Although it has its roots in IT security, threat modeling is, at its core, the foundation for the mindset that you and I call prepping. The purpose of a threat model is to examine your preparedness by identifying assets, threats, defenses, and vulnerabilities. In short, the process answers the questions, “What am I preparing for?”, “What do I have?”, “How can I protect it? “, “What could go wrong?”, and “What am I missing, overlooking, or not seeing?”. As we identify the various aspects of threat modeling -this way of thinking and prepping- use this opportunity to re-examine your planned scenario and responses. Take this opportunity to correct any potential issues, shortcomings, or vulnerabilities. Identifying Assets Assets are people, places, property, equipment, skills, and other resources you have access to or at your disposal. An asset might the med kit you have in your GO bag; it could be the pistol you keep at your side; an asset can be a person with a specialized set of skills (eg., medical training, combat experience -who can be a member of your team or can train you); an asset could also be place such as a bug-out location, a series of fallback positions; egress routes and transportation; or assets can be your significant stockpile of rations, water, weapons, ammunition, skills; or, items for trade and barter. Identifying Threats Threats are people, places, events, or conditions that have the very real potential to impact, disrupt, obstruct, impede, undermine, injure, maim, damage, or destroy assets and objectives. Below are some sample categories and their corresponding threats, which I’ve drawn from a few of my personal models. By specifically identifying threats, we can better bolster our defenses while help us to prepare smarter, not harder. Natural: earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, fire, flooding, landslide, blizzard, stellar flare, etc. Biological: injury, illness, disease, outbreak, pandemic, abuse, rape, murder Environmental: polluted resources, water scarcity, breathable air Infrastructure: electricity, water, gas, cellular communications, gps Chemical: pollution from manufacturing, plant accident/failure Socio-Economic: financial collapse, civil unrest, theft Radiological: fallout, power plant accident/failure Political: discrimination, inequity, inequality, polarization, radicalized ideologies Wartime/Insurrection: biological, chemical, & nuclear weapons, munitions, artillery, unexploded ordinance, terrorism, dirty bombs Threats EVERYWHERE Thinking about threats can be especially easy if you have a low threshold for what you might consider a threat. It can also be downright daunting -almost to the point of paralysis- if you’re not careful. Threats can be found everywhere, if you look hard enough. The trick, as it were, is to abide by the sane prepper mantra and be sane and rational. Prioritizing is additional way to mitigate a runaway list of threats. Prioritizing Threats Probably the simplest way to keep yourself sane and from being overwhelmed by all these threats is to put them into one of two basic categories: low-risk or high-risk. Some of you may decide to go with risk levels that resemble something like our current Terror Threat Levels. How you prioritize is ultimately up to you, just do it. Doing so will force you to closely examine situational reality versus possibility and probability. For example, those living on the west coast of the US (or along the ring of fire) are right to consider earthquakes, tsunami, or volcanic activity (along with the threats to life, safety, and infrastructure that come with those events) high risk threats. Although it’s not out of the realm of possibility, someone living in the middle of the US (for example) might not consider these high-risk threats. Instead, they’d likely list tornadoes. By prioritizing threats you can prioritize your preparedness and, when that threat appears, you can prioritize your response(s). What does a threat model look like? A threat model can be as simple as simple as a Word document, as complex as spreadsheet, or as visual as an illustration. In creating an actual model, not only do you get it out of your head, but you can share this information with members of your household, trusted team, or community. Below are a few examples of threat models to help familiarize you with the concept of threat modeling: [See? Even Batman has a threat model. Classic IT security threat modeling. A sample of my consolidated threat modeling spreadsheet (a perpetual work-in-progress).] That’s All I’ve Got The time you invest in developing, understanding, and evaluating your threat model(s) is time you’re investing in your own preparedness and, ultimately, your success. Read More 27 19 AdviceGearMetaScenariosSkills Leather care Robert LarsonContributor - February 24, 2021 My wife has a conceal carry purse by a company called Gun Tote’n Mamas. While the design is great, the build quality is not the best. She got the purse two years ago and the leather faded extremely quickly and didn’t even look a nice worn look, but just looks ugly. The zipper is also a weak point on the bag and the zip keeps coming apart. All this within a year. We called them up and they sent us a new one. The new bag had the same issues of poor zipper quality and leather fading quickly after just a year. This time we have contacted them multiple times and they won’t get back to us. So we are trying to make due the best that we can with what we have. I used some pliers and crimped the zipper and it now zips shut properly, so that problem is solved, but we still have some really ugly faded leather. What do you do for your leather gear? Gun holsters, knife sheaths, purses, belts, etc… How do you keep it hydrated, prevent cracking, and keeping it look nice? -Be Prepared- Read More 9 8 AdviceGear Can you make a better BOB than those cheap pre-made ones on Amazon? Robert LarsonContributor - February 23, 2021 My sister sent me a link to a 72 hour kit on Amazon by Ready America, asking me if that is a good emergency bug out bag for her and her husband. My first reaction was NO! Those cheap pre-made emergency kits are made with subpar materials, are easily marked up more than double, and you can easily make a cheaper bag with higher quality items on your own. Right? Well, I tried to piece together a cheaper bug out bag for them, and it was actually pretty hard. Click on the “View Full Kit” button below to read more about what I learned while trying to copy this 72 hour bag. My challenge for you guys is: Can you make a cheaper bug out bag with similar items? Also, what other cheap items would you add to this? Sure you can easily put in a solar panel, stove, and many other expensive items. But try and keep it cheap and very very beginner to prepper or not a prepper at all friendly. Read More 9 1 GearScenarios How has your prepping evolved? UbiqueContributor - February 23, 2021 I remember the exact moment my prepping took an evolutionary jump. I was listening to CBC news at work when the news broke on September 11, 2001 that our friends and neighbours to the South had been attacked. As news spread through our office, people stopped work, many of us wept, mostly, we were in shock. When I arrived home, my Mom who lived with me after Dad died, was watching the news on TV. She had been crying, too. We exchanged looks and I knew exactly what she was thinking. “The world has changed Mom. Be ready at 5. We’re going shopping.” When I picked her up after work, Mom had a list ready. She survived the Nazi occupation in the Netherlands along with 12 siblings. She knew what was important. We shopped that night to increase our supplies and expand our preps. My ex-husband and I, along with Mom, made emergency plans. If he was out of town, we knew where we would initially meet up and that I would get Mom. Despite being raised to be prepared, I had at various times in my life drifted away from it. I always had a large pantry and some items, but there were times that I lost the mind set and focus to be better prepared. I wasn’t practising certain skill sets. Life happens and sometimes we get distracted or diverted from what is important to us. Sometimes, it takes events in other people’s lives to bring us back to what is important. We began to practice preparedness at various points in time and for a variety of reasons. How has your prepping evolved? Have your reasons for prepping changed during the time you have prepped? How have your planned responses in various scenarios changed, if at all?Do you feel it has become simpler with time or more complicated? Read More 11 15 Pros and cons of special diets Jonnie PekelnyContributor - February 23, 2021 It seems that for most of my adult life I’ve had frequent periods of experimenting with my diet. Not weight loss diets, but various diets that purport to improve my health and well being. I’m not sure if my health has thereby improved or not, but that’s a little bit of a tangent. Fortunately or unfortunately, I’m not a person who must follow a specific food regimen or get very sick. E.g. I don’t have Celiac disease, so I can experiment with eating or not eating gluten. Lately, for example, I’ve been thinking of trying to eat significantly fewer carbs as a way of addressing a few physical issues. I think one reason I experiment with diets a lot is it’s kind of an interesting project for me. Plus there’s always the hope that something will change significantly for the better. But there are a few tradeoffs to following a designer diet. One is that special diets are often more expensive than conventional diets, especially if you buy organic. Another is that these special foods often become less available or even more expensive during times of crisis or shortage. I usually try to buy certain things organic but when the pandemic hit last year all thought of organic food or special food went out the window. My focus was on just making sure I had enough to eat at a relatively affordable price. Oh, and also there was comfort food. Now I’ve noticed that I feel stable enough in my food supply to stat thinking about experimenting again, but the lesson is that if food shortages really do come along it will be harder to make the adjustment with a special diet. The transitions to and from a special diet can add extra stress to a crisis. Even when I travel to my home town in Russia, I often have a pretty rude dietary adjustment there. My dear friends, with whom I stay, are all about sugary snacks, simple carby potatoes and porridges, plus cold cuts and hot dogs. It’s a shock to adjust to that. Then, when I get back to the States it’s a shock to adjust back. This makes me wonder about the viability of designer food diets when I’m trying to live with crisis preparedness in mind. My emergency food certainly doesn’t reflect my more esoteric food interests. So, if the food supply breaks down I’m going to have to have a wallop of an adjustment, in addition to any other stresses of the emergency. Is it worth sustaining that extra stress? Does it make more sense to eat more conventionally and simply? I’m not sure I’m ready to give up my food experimentation yet, and I do think there are health benefits to customized diets. What do you think? Read More 8 3 Domestic Intel Gathering (early warning) Bill Masen - February 23, 2021 Intelligence Gathering The preppers home in normal times as well as during a crisis needs to help you obtain vital intelligence on events going on in the outside world, you should consider fitting a new wide band high gain TV aerial to access analogue and digital TV stations (even foreign ones). If you have a satellite system then consider a satellite tracking system that allows you to access other satellite broadcasters. And of course last but never least an AM/FM/LW Radio aerial to greatly boost your reception of distant radio stations. Some people also have Citizens band / PMR and Amateur radio systems set up at home as an extra communications system. Try if possible to conceal as best you can any antenna you use. And whilst it lasts a good fibre optic broadband internet service can be very handy in finding out what going on with relying on state controlled or politically biased mainstream media services. Subscriptions to digital news sources oten get breaking new out quicker and cover issues in greater depth than the MSM. During times of raised concern its wiser to not listen to music radio and switch to news broadcasts. Forewarned is forearmed as they say. Read More 8 6 Excerpts from the Family Prepping Guide booklet on making your home better prepared Bill Masen - February 22, 2021 The Preppers House (v3) from the Family prepping guide booklet As preppers we have a great need for our homes to be fitted out or uprated to help meet our enhanced needs. Increased storage capacity across the board features highly in our plans as does extra water, food, fuel, clothing and equipment storage etc all are something we ideally need more of stored and cached. And just like our non-prepping neighbours we need as much energy efficiency, privacy and security as we can get from our homes. Food, Clothing and Kit Storage We need extra storage space that is preferably cool and dark to be able to store extra food supplies in for long periods of time without it spoiling. Ideally some of it should be concealed storage in places where the average person would not think to look. I know of people who have fitted discrete hinged lids under the carpet on the stairways allowing them to hide extra food in the cavity under the stairs, people have kitchen units with false back panels fitted allow more concealed capacity. In houses with timber floors rather than concrete slabs some folks hide plastic tubs under the floorboards in the sub floor cavity. A false wall made from plasterboard in a garage gives an extra 1 foot deep storage space for one prepper I know, and false panelling in a bedroom provides extra storage for another. At the very least we need extra larder space for our increased food stocks, very often this can be as simple as shelving units in the garage or utility room if you have them. Some of us just keep extra food and kit in large plastic storage boxes under the bed and in the bottom of the wardrobes whilst others turn over the smallest bedroom into the prep store (the door that is always closed and locked when you get visitors) Water We will always need extra water storage capacity, for some more wealthy folks it could be a garden pond, swimming pool, Jacuzzi etc. But for most of us it used to be simply swapping out the 50 gallon cold water tank in the loft for a bigger tank or adding extra tanks linked in series to the original 50 gallon tank to give extra capacity (roof joist re-enforcement needed). Others like me simply keep a good number of extra 20 or 30 litre polyethylene food grade water containers in the garage along with a high quality gravity fed water filter like a British Berkfield. (Remember a gallon of water weighs 10 pounds before you put loads of full containers in the roof spaces) Some UK preppers store IBC 1000 liter containers in or around their properties to hold large amounts of water, they can be bought quite cheaply used from companies that recycle them, Only buy IBC’s that contained food stuffs not chemicals and clean them out thoroughly before use.. As well as extra emergency water storage systems you can reduce your reliance on the mains system by fitting rainwater catchment systems that capture the rain from your roof and direct it into large rainwater storage butts in your garden or yard. Heating A problem has arisen for preppers in the UK in the last 15 years with the introduction of the condensing combination boiler (furnace US) for the domestic supply of hot water and central heating. These very energy efficient devices have two massive drawbacks for preppers. Firstly they dont use water storage tanks in the attic for their cold water feed, they are fed directly from the mains supply, and thus you lose the valuable cold water tank and expansion tank from your attic. Secondly they dont use a gas pilot light for the boiler ignition system, they are now electrically ignited so if the power to your house goes off you lose power AND heating and hot water all at once. Preppers with Combis need auxiliary methods of storing extra water, and alternative methods of heating the home and providing hot water with. Preppers can enhance their self-reliance by taking steps to further reduce their reliance on the mains utility system by fitting secondary or backup systems. Heat Emergency heating can be supplied by portable bottled gas heaters using propane or butane gas in 7 or 15 KG bottles ( or European equivalents), but a more long term investment you should consider if fitting a wood or multi fuel burning stove in the living room or kitchen (or both). Even many modern houses can now be retro fitted to house a wood burner with the advent of insulated flexible stove chimney pipes systems often made from double skinned stainless steel. A modern stove can be up to 80% efficient compared to 7 to 10 % efficiency for an open fire and a well sited stove can also double up as a cooker. Buying a house with a chimney and fireplace is becoming ever more difficult as many modern homes no longer are built with them, so be aware of what you are getting when buying from plan. Dont forget to plan for extra storage space to accommodate your firewood log pile ( you need at least 8 by 4 by 4 ft A CORD of wood) or bags of Coalite. If you are collecting your own firewood remember that it needs to be less than 18% ( 9% better) moisture content before being used, so a shed or outhouse may be needed to ensure it dries out thoroughly. Mine is shared out between the garage and conservatory!!), Either way your fuel supply needs to be dry and kept VERY secure. Light Short term emergency lighting can be provided by various means from candles, paraffin lanterns, light sticks etc, but more long term you really need to consider at the very least a solar system connected to a battery(s) that will provide you with a low powered 12 volt LED lighting system for essential areas. If space and other constraints allow you may be able to supplement the solar system with a micro wind turbine. Footnote, Ensure your home / retreats windows are totally blacked out after dark during any crisis Energy Saving We must ensure we waste as little energy as possible in our preppers home even in normal times without staring Armageddon in the face. A fully insulated house is a must, walls and loft area fully insulated, under floor as well if possible. Well maintained and fitted double glazing or even triple glazing will help massively in keeping your home warm if the power goes off for any length of time. A double glazed or laminated wood / steel front and rear doors will enhance the houses insulation as well as provide improved security than an old style door fitted with a single old style door lock. The Scandinavian nations lead the way in energy efficient windows and homes. Dont forget the very low energy requirements of LED Lightbulbs compared to Filament or flourescent tubes, a 6 watt LED bulb generates as much light as a 100watt filament bulb. Privacy and Security Ensuring our privacy and security during a crisis is vital, so its very important that we control approach and access to our homes and reduce light pollution that advertises our independence from the national grid power supplies. Blackout blinds and curtains (or window shutters) are an absolute must for every window and door to stop light escaping thus advertising your self-reliant position. Multi point locking on doors and windows is a must even in normal times, but after a crisis develops you may wish to add self-adhesive laminating security film to your windows which makes gaining entry to your home via a broken window far more difficult and noisy for the intruder. It is also essential that you keep some pre-cut marine grade ½ plywood boarding to secure any windows that do get broken. In recent years a new design of door called the COMPOSITE door has gained massive popularity in the UK, it is made of colour resistant / fire resistant polycarbonate, over wood and foam and metal core, it utilises over engineered hinges (often three or four) and much more robust multi point locking than used in UPVC doors. The door frame is of aluminium cored UPVC or Composite material and again is much more substantial than the older UPVC systems. The best versions are the government / home office APPROVED BY DESIGN types that have passed vigorous testing. Some people have fitted security bars that pivot or swing over the doors to re-enforce the entry points. Apparently it is remarkably easy to kick in the bottom panel on most older UPVC doors made in the UK as they were designed this way to make access for firefighters easier. Equally the locks and hinges even on expensive double glazed doors do not stand up very well to police officers using a slide hammer to gain entry to execute a search warrant, so extra security devices, bars and hinges should be considered. Note* Very often modern double glazed doors external frames are only secured to the building wall with a couple of mild steel screws in each side, this makes it very easy to simply bash the entire door and frame out with a sledgehammer, its well worth getting high tensile steel self-tapping bolts fitted which massively increase the doors security strength. Intelligence Gathering The preppers home in normal times as well as during a crisis needs to help you obtain vital intelligence on events going on in the outside world, you should consider fitting a new wide band high gain TV aerial to access analogue and digital TV stations (even foreign ones). If you have a satellite system then consider a satellite tracking system that allows you to access other satellite broadcasters. And of course last but never least an AM/FM/LW Radio aerial to greatly boost your reception of distant radio stations. Some people also have Citizens band / PMR and Amateur radio systems set up at home as an extra communications system. Try if possible to conceal as best you can any antenna you use. And whilst it lasts a good fibre optic broadband internet service can be very handy in finding out what going on with relying on state controlled or politically biased mainstream media services. House buying for preppers Amendments In the older editions Retreat Survival booklet I refer in various chapters and sections to modifying your home or adding prepper specific requirements to your selection criteria, in this short article I thought I would just make a check list of desirable options if you are looking to move. 1. Rural or Suburban location away from major conurbations, city centers and industrial developments, 2. A south to south west facing position in order to get maximum natural light for food production and to drive a solar panel array (Northern Hemisphere). 3. Legally permitted to have double glazing, cavity wall insulation, PV panels fitted, conservatories built etc without have to get special planning permits passed because the building is listed or close to an SSSI or National Park 4. Large enough gardens to provide a reasonable percentage of your own food 5. Reasonable access to as many natural resources as possible EG woodland for firewood, healthy local water ways for fishing and obtaining water if necessary, access to open cast coal deposits, access to the coast etc one is good, any two is great, three and you are rocking. 6. A kitchen suitable for retro fitting with wood/coal/charcoal powered cookers and water heaters, preferably with a nice cool larder room or cellar. 7. Concealed or obscured veg gardens, garage and outhouses where stockpiles of timber, coal, fuel and B O Vehicles can be stored / loaded / unloaded without being viewed from the road outside. 8. Suitable out houses, lean-to’s and sheds away from the main house in good order for storing diesel, gas bottles, coal, timber etc safely. 9. Well above all known flood risks and far away from known land slip areas. 10. Not along any route, highway or track that may end up being an escape route from the city for refugees 11. A documented record of having a decent air flow most of the year that could drive a wind turbine for making electricity or lifting water from well / stream 12. Perhaps a passing stream that can be made to drop 2 meters at one spot to power an Archimedes screw hydro-electric unit. 13. Reasonable access to pasture and allotments for keeping food small breed food animals and extra growing space for crops 14. Multiple routes along various compass bearing that you can bug out along if necessary. 15. Local village has facilities of the type required by your family, IE small friendly school, local mechanics garage, blacksmiths forge, petrol station, hardware shop, extra garages for rental, sub post office, working train station etc 16. Neighbours who clearly are “into” growing their own crops and animals 17. Low reported crime figures 18. No annual or regular events that could expose you to risk such as living next door to a farm that holds 5 day Rock Concerts, No “travellers” regular stop off points etc. 19. Good radio signal reception not in a radio blind spot 20. Not near electricity pylons, gas pipe distribution pipes etc. 21. Being NOT too far away from a wind farm or PV farm COULD be beneficial in the long term as could being not to far from a workable open cast coal mine. Add your own requirements to list list and good luck with your home buying plans. Read More 8 5 Domestic Privacy and Security Bill Masen - February 22, 2021 Privacy and Security Ensuring our privacy and security during a crisis is vital, so its very important that we control the approaches and access to our homes and reduce light pollution that advertises our independence from the national grid power supplies. Blackout blinds and curtains (or window shutters) are an absolute must for every window and door to stop light escaping thus advertising your self-reliant position. Multi point locking on doors and windows is a must even in normal times, but after a crisis develops you may wish to add self-adhesive laminating security film to your windows which makes gaining entry to your home via a broken window far more difficult and noisy for the intruder. It is also essential that you keep some pre-cut marine grade ½ plywood boarding to secure any windows that do get broken. In recent years a new design of door called the COMPOSITE door has gained massive popularity in the UK, it is made of colour resistant / fire resistant polycarbonate, over wood and foam and metal core, it utilises over engineered hinges (often three or four) and much more robust multi point locking than used in UPVC doors. The door frame is of aluminium cored UPVC or Composite material and again is much more substantial than the older UPVC systems. The best versions are the government / home office APPROVED BY DESIGN types that have passed vigorous testing. Metal clad doors are also gaining popularity in urban areas. Some people have fitted security bars that pivot or swing over the doors to re-enforce the entry points. Apparently it is remarkably easy to kick in the bottom panel on most older UPVC doors made in the UK as they were designed this way to make access for firefighters easier. Equally the locks and hinges even on expensive double glazed doors do not stand up very well to police officers using a slide hammer to gain entry to execute a search warrant, so extra security devices, bars and hinges should be considered. Note* Very often modern double glazed doors external frames are only secured to the building wall with a couple of mild steel screws in each side, this makes it very easy to simply to pry or bash the entire door and frame out, its well worth getting high tensile steel self-tapping bolts fitted which massively increase the doors security strength. Read More 14 14 Fit feel and familiarity (Getting to know your kit) Bill Masen - February 22, 2021 FIT, FEEL AND FAMILIARITY (Getting to know your kit) So you have done the research, bought the kit, developed your plans and stockpiled everything including the assault systems kitchen sink. Now what are you going to do Wait for Armageddon? I hope not. It’s no good at all having a great piece of kit if you are not totally familiar with its feel and fit, and you need to be very comfortable about using it. Why buy an all singing all dancing tactical folding knife then put it away until it is needed? Does it open and close smoothly, can you cut a rope, fillet a rabbit, defend yourself with it, sharpen it or is it too big or to lightweight for the task? Does it sit comfortably on your hip or in your pocket now? What about after 8 hours with your rucksack pressing it into your hip, can you unleash it, open it and use it with cold, wet, tired hands? Your expensive flashlight with its lifetime warranty, can you strip and replace the self-cleaning switch, Is it big enough powerful enough to do the job for a full evening in your blacked out camp site or retreat, or is it always getting in the way, pulling your belt down, and eating batteries faster than a kids toy? Be honest, if you were stressed out, scared stupid and fleeing for your life along with your family, Could you put your hand straight to your compass, flashlight, map, knife or whatever in your bug out vest or bag without having to unpack or rummage about for it. What about the vest / bag itself Is the vest up to the job? Is it comfortable? not going to slide up or down, ride up into a knot or disintegrate at the first time its put to use. It’s the same with the BOV’s super duper tyres you paid a premium rate for, and what about the PV unit or wind generator you have obtained, will the tyres give the traction you seek or are you going to end up with terminal wheel spin in the inevitable piece of swamp along the route to your destination. Or the PV and turbine working flat out simply don’t provide enough energy to stop your freezer from thawing out. What if for example the turbine produces so much noise it lets the residents of the next county home in on your secluded retreat? You have the will, you have the need, and now you have the kit to enable you to survive, so get familiar with it use it, get comfortable with it, reassure yourself that it will be up to the task, Why not for example wear your vest for a few days at a time partially loaded, so you get used to it, let it find its shape, find out the best way to load it with your kit. You don’t need to go into town looking like you are ready to start a war, but it will do you no harm at all to use your vest as a gillet carrying your knife, flashlight, compass, first aid kit, Para cord, wallet etc for a few days. Perhaps you could make it your car coat or your dog walking jacket. It’s the same care that is needed with the new boots you have recently invested in. Now you have realised that bugging out in a vehicle is going to be almost impossible and have purchased those 200 dollar boots, are they up to the job? To stiff? Poor fit? Not broken in? Not water resistant? Do they take forever to dry out etc? You need your bug out boots, clothes and kit to be snug, comfortable and familiar at hand, and up to the job. I got myself what I thought would be an ideal garment to use as a bug out vest, I bought it, loaded it up, then put it away whilst I waited for Armageddon. Then one day I thought I would take the mutt for a good long hard walk and decided to try out the vest…………………………. It is now into its third set of alterations and modifications to make it more comfortable and better suited to the task I designed it for. Read More 10 4 Advice Where to carry your CORE EDC ESSENTIALS Bill Masen - February 22, 2021 Some years ago the IRA detonated bombs on the tube and on a bus in central London,(7/7) My associate was en-route to a conference. Six points I ask people to consider. 1 As soon as everything kicked off the authorities turned off all the cell towers cutting comms for central London leaving millions comms blind for hours. Many buildings were ordered to evacuate, including the one my colleague was visiting. the Cops told them in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS to LEAVE THEIR BAGS. (suspecting more bombs) 2 In the US on 911 as the towers burned then fell and people were fleeing blinded by thick ash and smoke, Most had NO OPPORTUNITY to grab their bags, AND also many surviving police hero’s on that day were telling people or even ordering people to leave there bags behind and to just run. 3 On the Madrid train bomb the travellers bags and luggage was stored at the end of the carriages, or in overhead racks. When the train blew up much luggage was destroyed, more was inaccessible because of structural damage, and more bags were simply scattered when the train screeched to a halt. Equally on the high speed trains that crashed in Spain ( Train went too fast round a bend) the baggage and luggage was again scattered or crushed or trapped. In the German high speed train that crash when it ploughed into a concrete overbridge the story was the same. 4 When the big ferries capsized and sank in the English channel ( Herald of Free Enterprise plus another in the Baltic) the lights failed quickly as the vessels began to role, most bags and luggage could not be grabbed as people tried to climb out of the sinking vessels. 5 When terrorists attacked the Bataclan Theatre in Paris and the Westgate Shopping center in Nairobi most people HAD to abandon their bags and packs as they scrambled to hide and escape, some climbing out of toilet windows or jumping from car park roofs. 6 During the recent wave of civil unrest in the US on multiple occasions drivers were ambushed by gangs of extremists and protestors, many people were forced to abandon their vehicles and flee with just what they were wearing, Few could recover their bags or packs. When the dreadful multiple mass shootings in schools occurred most students had to flee or were ordered to leave WITHOUT their bags and their hands above their heads. I respectfully suggest that the best and possibly ONLY place for your CORE ESSENTIAL EDC gear is ON YOUR PERSON and not in a bag, The USEFUL EXTRAS but not essentials obviously can go in bags because it makes sense. But I ask folks to think hard about likely scenarios you MAY face and how easy it is to get separated from your bags. Read More 7 2 Are you seeing more supply chain jankiness? Josh CentersContributor - February 22, 2021 I had an odd experience the other day, and I’m wondering if you might be seeing other weird stuff. We grabbed lunch at Sonic and my son complained that someone had eaten his sweet and sour sauce. I took a look and the container was half empty. I then opened a fresh container, and it was half-empty as well! Of course, we’ve all been dealing with various shortages like toilet paper, cleaners, and ammunition, but this is the first time I’ve seen a sauce container not even half-filled. I’m wondering if it’s an anomaly or a sign of supply chain issues. Read More 16 28 Creating a suture kit chopper20ss - February 21, 2021 Im creating a suture kit. I have noticed that the absorbable sutures are very expensive, but the PGA absorbable dental ones are very affordable. So I’m wondering if the dental sutures will absorb/dissolve for outside skin? Read More 7 11 GearSkills Glacier / Primo refill station for long term water storage opeepingtomo - February 20, 2021 I’ve been reading regarding storing water for longer than the recommended rotation of six months and it usually talked about bottled water or water from tap. What would the consensus be regarding taking my own sanitized containers to a primo or glacier refill station, filling them up and putting them away for storage? When I say container I mean an actual water storage container not a primo bottle. Could they then be kept for years without the need to treat it later? Would this water need to be treated before storing it long term? Thank you. Read More 10 2 Keeping your BOB / GHB Fresh Bill Masen - February 19, 2021 Keeping your BOB / GHB Fresh Bags are one of the keys to our survival in any given crisis or disaster, it is vitally important that our BOB’ / GHBs are up to the job we require them to do. That means keeping it ready and effective. We can and do leave our BOB’s untouched for months and some of the items within the BOB’s can be left for years. That in itself could be a problem if we do actually have to bug out in a hurry. Basically there’s not much point in having a BOB if its contents don’t work when we need them to, so we must keep the contents checked so that we are not left with a bag of junk instead of an effective survival system. I keep a check card on top of my BOB that lists expiry / use by and best by dates for the time sensitive items in the kit. When they get close to their best by / use by / eat by dates I change them for fresh supplies. EG Batteries (radios, flashlights, electronic sights, GPS devices) Medical dressings (lose sterility after certain time frame) Medical lotions (lose effectiveness after time) Eye Glasses and Contact Lenses (your eyes age making the kit lenses useless) Water Purification tablets (lose effectiveness Food Stuffs (dry out, lose nutritional value, spoil etc) Butane and petrol lighters drying out Water filter Elements Hygiene kit (toothpaste / deodorant etc) Clothing (have you grown out of it?) Wet wipes (they do dry out) Vitamin supplements (lose strength) In some cases during long term storage items such as switches on radios and flashlights can stick, radio receivers can simply refuse to work, magazine springs fail, medicinal potions can settle out etc It’s always worth checking on how mechanical and electrical as well as medical items function when you check your kit over. Remember to keep your batteries separate from the devices they are meant to power, there is a Sods Law that demands the more expensive your kit is the more likely the batteries in it will leak catastrophically. Make sure when you do bug out the kit is going to do what you want it to do, first time and reliably. Read More 10 5 OUR Water security Bill Masen - February 19, 2021 Gideon, I dont know if video links is permitted.Please remove if not. Water is the one essential we cannot have enough of as a resource, and personally I think THIS video is probably one of the best and most informative I have ever read. Please take time to view it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2DHGUMBwkg Read More 9 9 A definition of what prepping is. Bill Masen - February 18, 2021 Disasters can be roughly defined as natural, political, environmental or social in origin. They can be triggered by natural disasters, terrorism, military and police actions, political and social unrest etc. Though you can do little or nothing about disasters happening you can through planning and preparation minimise the effects on your family. The main objectives are to survive the initial disaster then to continue to flourish after the event. What do you need to be prepped? The answer to this question depends entirely on what event or contingency you are planning on surviving through. It could be that you only want to prepare to survive a winter power cut, so in this case flashlights, candles, matches and warm clothing may be all you need. Most preppers are concerned about much larger or prolonged events such as food shortages, civil unrest, major earthquakes, economic collapse, etcetera and feel driven enough to at least attempt to be self-sufficient in all the essential needs for at least 3 months or longer if necessary. In this brief review I will attempt to list the GROUPS you need to deal with rather than specific amounts and individual items, other ARTICLES and LISTS from this forum will help you fill in the gaps. But please note this is a GENERIC article and you must adapt and adjust the subject matter to meet your own individual needs. The PRIMARY groups you need to consider are (not in order of priority) basically Shelter Heat Light Fuel Food Water Communications Medical Reference Transport Planning Logistics Security From here each group will be sub divided as required EG Shelter will divide into Primary (your home or retreat) Mobile (tent or improvised shelter) and Temporary (a place of safety other than your permanent home. So are you planning on weathering the event in your home, if so what improvements must you make to adapt the house to your needs, or are you planning on bugging out to a secondary location, and what does that place need to function the way you want to? So for example if you have decided to stay at home during the crisis you need to ensure that your home can sustain you independently of the national grid, utilities, supermarkets and authorities for the length of time you feel you need to plan for. Most preppers keep an absolute minimum of 72 hours emergency supplies, the general accepted norm for UK preppers with families is believed to be 3 months supplies but 6 / 9 and 12 months stockpiles and caches are very common. It is also well noting that since around the year 2000 more and more preppers are making steps to produce at least SOME of their own food and many preppers now have allotments whilst others have converted flower beds into vegetable plots. Others now keep and breed small animals such rabbits, chickens, miniature breeds of pigs and goats etc. Moving on to look briefly the other PRIMARY groups, you need to build up as your finances allow and as time permits enough food, fuel and water in order to provide your family with a healthy balanced diet of foodstuffs you family is already familiar with and actually likes to eat. Do not waste money on buying foods in because of the cheap price buy only the foods your family is familiar with and like. What you are attempting to do is to make sure that if something major goes wrong with society that you have independence from the vulnerable grid or chain of supply; Food to sustain you for the duration of the crisis Water for drinking, cooking, washing and cleaning Heat for warmth and heating water for cleaning Light for vision after sundown (Lanterns, Solar systems, Flashlights etc) Fuel to power lights, cookers, heaters, stoves and generators Clothing to sustain you for the period heavy duty outdoor gear recommended) Bedding, sleeping bags, towels etc Medical supplies and prescription medicines (and dentures, eyeglasses etc) Emergency medical kits for dealing with injuries and traumas Books / Maps for reference and information Logistics such as garden tools, DIY repair materials, spare batteries etc Radios for monitoring radio broadcasts Transport for bring in supplies, bugging out or patrolling. Weapons for self-defence and security These are the PRIMARY groups and the sub groups and LISTS of kit can be found listed here and almost any other Prepper or Survivalist forum. Other issues you will become aware of quickly is the extra equipment and plans preppers make to be able to respond almost instantly to an event, crisis or disaster occurring, you will see frequent reference to Bug out Bags and Get Home Bags, these are pre-packed items of luggage containing essential tools, food, water, clothing, maps and supplies keep by the front door of the office or home to allow them to simply grab the bag and go immediately the incident happens. They may be called various names from bug out bag, get home bag, commuter escape kits, get out of Dodge bags or whatever. But they all serve the same purpose and that is to sustain the prepper on his or her journey home or to their retreat. Other items of note are the vehicle choice of many preppers with modified panel vans fitted out as stealth campers, discretely uprated 4×4 vehicles, mountain bikes and even Kayaks in some cases being selected for their utility and durability to get to a destination when ordinary vehicles would get stuck or bogged down. Imagine getting up one morning and finding the gas, electricity, water, sewage, phones, street lights etc were out of service and the shops did not open. Most of your neighbours will be floundering around not knowing what to do, unable to cook a meal or even get washed or showered, no lights, no television, just confusion. Everyone except the prepper who has back up lighting, auxiliary cooking equipment, caches of food and fuel and a well sorted plan to work from. That’s Prepping. Read More 7 1 Rural preparing – manual well pump backup? pwocken - February 18, 2021 I’m newer to prepping (starting lurking on The Prepared in March 2020 after realizing I was woefully underprepared when COVID lockdowns hit). I’m looking for advice on prepping in a rural location. We already live in a rural area in Minnesota, which is great, so I don’t have to worry as much about bugging out. But, I’m trying to figure out what steps to take to bolster our shelter-in-place plan. We already have a dual-fuel generator that is wired to our house to run core services like septic/well pump/appliances/HVAC/etc., large on-site propane stores, spare fuel for the generator, a bunch of 5-7 gallon Reliance water containers, extra food stores, personal/home protection gear/supplies, and some moderately equipped bug out bags in case we do need to leave. I have a question that I haven’t yet been able to resolve. We have a private well on our property that uses an electric pump to draw water into the house. The well pump is set up to be able to run on the backup generator, so we’d certainly be able to grab a bunch of fresh water if we lost power for any length of time. Is a manual pump necessary as a fail-safe? I’m semi-handy, so I feel like I could figure out setting up the manual pump as a backup, but is that overengineering it? Is it worth the effort? Thanks in advance!! Read More 11 25 Advice 1 image to show that difficult weather can happen anywhere Bill Masen - February 18, 2021 Read More 6 12 Various back up ideas to our everyday utilities – don’t be without when they are interrupted Bill Masen - February 17, 2021 Backing up back ups ( Belt and Braces) Just a few points to ponder about your preps, If we rely on mains utilities etc we overly expose ourselves to unnecessary risk, We can mitigate against this with assorted back ups ( budget and circumstances permitting) So first and foremost our domestic utilities even in first world nations they can be very vulnerable. So can you back them up. EG Central Heating, Back up Wood Burning Stove and (or Wood / Coal Combo) / or Bottled Gas Fire. Domestic Water Supply, Back up Berkfield / Berky Filter and or Stored water / Water Catchment System/ Domestic Well or Borehole / Pool. / Extra tanks in Attic. Mains Connected Toilet, Back up Portable Camping Toilet plus bio chemicals/ Soak Away Hole in garden. Mains Lighting, Back up 12vdc LED lighting ( battery powered) and or Candle and Lantern Refrigeration Back up 12vdc / Propane Fridge Combo , Root veg Cellar, Water Immersion. Domestic land line phone, Back up Cell phone and or Ham / CB radio (Battery / PV powered) Authority Trash Collection Back Up Garden Incinerator and Compost Bin / Waste fed food critters Motor Vehicle, Back up Motorcycle or Quad and or Bicycle with endless chain and puncture proof tyres (Skidoo in the cold zone, Boat in wet zones) Read More 9 15 Clothing Considerations Bill Masen - February 17, 2021 Clothing Considerations When we talk about Prepping Supplies the normal focus in on stockpiling food, fuel and medicines, plus ammo if you live in the US of A. But nearly as important in our plans we need to think about what we will WEAR or USE in the period between a crisis and normal commerce starting up again. That interim period could be many years long and we must plan for that as well if we can. Let us think about this issue whilst many items of clothing are still very affordable and easily available , If you feel the threat to your own situation could involve a long term disruption what sort of things could you buy now and set aside for future use. Not only could you ensure you have some of the clothing essentials you need but you may end up with a valuable commodity for bartering. We will focus primarily on personal clothing but will briefly look at other items you may wish to obtain. The sort of items you may consider worthy of bulk buying could be many and varied but try and think about think you may need that will no longer be easily available. T Shirts / Undershirts * Polo shirts* Vests / Bras / Sports tops * Underwear briefs / Panties* Socks* Cargo pants or work jeans Micro fleece Shirts / Cotton shirts Cargo vests Fleece sweaters / Hoodies Woollen sweaters if they are what you like Fleece jackets Cotton canvas Work Jackets (Fatigues) Water proof outdoor jackets Winter Parka / Coat Work gloves Leather belts Head Scarfs / Bandanas / Baseball caps etc Work / Hiking / Walking shoes boots and spare insoles. Sandals / Clogs / Flip flops *= Multi Packs I tend to buy “Value” packs from Tesco, Matalan, Makro etc then try them out to see if they are durable, comfortable, and good value for money. You need to check because at times stores will try and sell off some real substandard junk as bargains. For Example I once bought two packs of Polo Shirts from a well-known store, and even when washed on a low temperature and room dried instead of tumble dried they still shrunk so much they would have fitted my youngest son instead of me. On a similar point I bought some budget range of walking / approach shoes (UK made as well) from a national retail outlet, they wore out in weeks and had such little internal foot bed support they rapidly become useless. Kids Let us not forget the children and their expensive but necessary habit of growing. Hand me downs may become the norm like fleeces etc but some items such as underwear and footwear really need to be obtained in multiple sizes to allow for growth as will maintaining some level of personal dignity for the children. When the kids grow out of items post collapse do not discard clothing as once washed and cleaned these clothes probably will have much barter value for families with kids who did not prepare as well. Cleaning and personal hygiene materials are covered in the stockpiling and caching lists. The list of items above is not absolute everyone will have their own list of requirements but can use this list to work from. Read More 7 7 How y’all doing with the unexpected cold? Grey Lady - February 17, 2021 Friends in the southern U.S., how are you doing with the cold/snow/power outages? Read More 9 3 News US Federal Government advice for power outages Bill Masen - February 17, 2021 As per header, hope it helps. https://www.ready.gov/power-outages Read More 5 5 Urban Personal Equipment. Bill Masen - February 17, 2021 URBAN Personal equipment I believe the kit and clothing requirements will match those or even surpass those of rural preppers especially the need for extra protection from pollutants and toxins in an urban environment after TSHTF. Any foraging or movement that could kick up or disturb toxic particles from burnt or decaying buildings will require eye and mouth/nose protection (goggles and face mask) gloves and closed hems, draw cord, cuffs etc is also likely to be an important consideration. Work gloves are likely to be essential in urban areas with its inevitable large amounts of broken glass and sharp fractured bricks and stonework. One piece of feedback I received from an urban prepper suggests that preppers buy as much clothing as possible for foraging and recce roles made from RIP-STOP fabric as its very very likely the damaged buildings and debris is likely to cause very heavy wear on clothing. He also added that the soles of boots MUST be inspected after each foray out to ensure nail, tacks, glass, wire, stones etc are not greatly shortening the life of the boots, (he also suggested that after TSHTF when streets are badly littered with debris that air filled footwear like Dr Martens or Nike Air Max are NOT used) Extra protective clothing is likely to mean greater thirst caused by getting too warm whilst working so extra drinking /washing water is likely to be required. Tools for prying open doors, hatches, windows, lift shafts, water tank covers, manholes etc is likely to become standard kit for long term urban preppers. Feedback from established urban preppers I have received suggests that a “Spring Loaded Centre Punch” will be a useful addition to kit for safely shattering toughened glass windows and doors in abandoned structures when out foraging. I think that in the long term preppers determined to utilise every possible resource left in the city are likely to need climbing gear, ropes and harnesses to access some locations where staircases are no longer accessible and to assist in escaping if the prepper falls through a decayed surface into a void. A couple of Urban preppers have also pointed out the increased risk in cities after a disaster from packs of feral dogs and suggest other Urban preppers consider measures to keep them at bay (preferably QUIET measures for OPSEC) Aerosols of bright coloured paint will assist in marking routes in dark subterranean locations as a means of retracting the route out or marking areas that have been checked out. I also guess (and it is a guess) that urban preppers are likely to end up relying on bicycles for most transport needs as its likely to be the only truly viable swift and cargo capable vehicle for travelling through clogged abandoned streets. Urban preppers in situ now should consider obtaining AT bikes with puncture proof tyres NOW whilst they can still obtain them through normal means. I think the mantra of the Urban prepper is going to be “Don’t just look left and right, look up and down as well” and at night the Mk 1 Eyeball is definitely going to be at a disadvantage and your hearing is likely to be the most useful way of detecting approaching trouble, So ensure your URBAN BOL does not have any extraneous noises at night from things like wind chimes, rattling gates, busted windows rattling, curtains or abandoned washing flapping about. A few handfuls of broken glass and gravel on the approachs to your BOL should give notice of people approaching on foot. Urban preppers should be able to rule the night in the cities providing they remain unseen and unheard but even simple recceing is not going to be so easy in a large city. Preppers wanting to find out what is going on in a new neighbouring area are likely to have to move quietly into the area at night and set up an OP/LP and spend the daylight hours watching, listening and noting what is going on for at least 24 hours before moving into the area to access resources. Read More 11 14 < Prev 1 2 3 … 49 50 51 … 60 61 62 Next > Recently Active News for the week of 2025-07-07 - 4 days agoFun ways to teach kids outdoor/survival skills - 1 week agoNews for the week of 2025-06-30 - 2 weeks agoNews for the week of 2025-06-23 - 3 weeks agoNews for the week of 2025-06-16 - 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

Activated charcoal – A great item to keep on hand, especially with concerns over water purity.

RedneckContributor - February 25, 2021

If you have any concerns over your stored water having an off taste or maybe having become contaminated, this discussion is for you.  And yes, I keep several Sawyer Mini water filters, at home & in my get home bag. Such items are great for purifying water.  Yes, you can drink pond water thru one of these, but the water will smell & taste nasty.

With all the current discussion over water storage, due to the extreme weather conditions many are experiencing, I thought I might suggest a solution to those concerned with the purity of stored water.  That would be storing bulk quantities of granular activated charcoal (also referred to as carbon).  Granular Activated Charcoal removes harmful elements from water including copper, chlorine, carbohydrates and other dissolved organic materials. It also takes out sulfa drugs, antibiotics, and other medications.

I keep a 5 gallon pail, or 15 lbs of this in storage.  Keep in mind activated charcoal is a completely different item than regular charcoal. Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is a form of carbon processed to have small, low-volume pores that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions. It is this extra processing of the charcoal that makes this product so adsorbent. Yes, adsorb… not absorb. Absorption is the process in which a fluid is dissolved by a liquid or a solid (absorbent). Adsorption is the process in which atoms, ions or molecules from a substance (it could be gas, liquid or dissolved solid) adhere to a surface of the adsorbent.

 Our typical water filtration devices, such as Sawyer do a good job of removing harmful things from the water but don’t usually remove the foul smell sometimes associated with standing water. If you add activated charcoal filtration, that will make the water smell better and also helps remove some additional toxins from the water.  I keep some of these cartridges on hand, as they are refillable and can easily be attached to your portable water filters.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007U0184/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=prepperforumsconvert-20

I get my 5 gallon pail of the activated charcoal here.  That site is loaded with great info.

https://buyactivatedcharcoal.com/buy-bulk-activated-charcoal/granular-activated-charcoal.html

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Advice

An introduction to threat modeling

Matt Black - February 24, 2021

Preface

This isn’t an ‘ultimate guide’ -not by any stretch of the imagination. It is a work in progress and, as I see it, the concept of threat modeling underpins all we discuss here on The Prepared’s forums. I welcome any and all comments and constructive criticisms. Okay, here we go. Here’s my conversation starter about threat modeling.

An Introduction to Threat Modeling

Although it has its roots in IT security, threat modeling is, at its core, the foundation for the mindset that you and I call prepping.

The purpose of a threat model is to examine your preparedness by identifying assets, threats, defenses, and vulnerabilities. In short, the process answers the questions, “What am I preparing for?”, “What do I have?”, “How can I protect it? “, “What could go wrong?”, and “What am I missing, overlooking, or not seeing?”.

As we identify the various aspects of threat modeling -this way of thinking and prepping- use this opportunity to re-examine your planned scenario and responses. Take this opportunity to correct any potential issues, shortcomings, or vulnerabilities.

Identifying Assets

Assets are people, places, property, equipment, skills, and other resources you have access to or at your disposal. An asset might the med kit you have in your GO bag; it could be the pistol you keep at your side; an asset can be a person with a specialized set of skills (eg., medical training, combat experience -who can be a member of your team or can train you); an asset could also be place such as a bug-out location, a series of fallback positions; egress routes and transportation; or assets can be your significant stockpile of rations, water, weapons, ammunition, skills; or, items for trade and barter.

Identifying Threats

Threats are people, places, events, or conditions that have the very real potential to impact, disrupt, obstruct, impede, undermine, injure, maim, damage, or destroy assets and objectives. Below are some sample categories and their corresponding threats, which I’ve drawn from a few of my personal models. By specifically identifying threats, we can better bolster our defenses while help us to prepare smarter, not harder.

Natural: earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, fire, flooding, landslide, blizzard, stellar flare, etc. Biological: injury, illness, disease, outbreak, pandemic, abuse, rape, murder Environmental: polluted resources, water scarcity, breathable air Infrastructure: electricity, water, gas, cellular communications, gps Chemical: pollution from manufacturing, plant accident/failure Socio-Economic: financial collapse, civil unrest, theft Radiological: fallout, power plant accident/failure Political: discrimination, inequity, inequality, polarization, radicalized ideologies Wartime/Insurrection: biological, chemical, & nuclear weapons, munitions, artillery, unexploded ordinance, terrorism, dirty bombs

Threats EVERYWHERE

Thinking about threats can be especially easy if you have a low threshold for what you might consider a threat. It can also be downright daunting -almost to the point of paralysis- if you’re not careful. Threats can be found everywhere, if you look hard enough. The trick, as it were, is to abide by the sane prepper mantra and be sane and rational. Prioritizing is additional way to mitigate a runaway list of threats.

Prioritizing Threats

Probably the simplest way to keep yourself sane and from being overwhelmed by all these threats is to put them into one of two basic categories: low-risk or high-risk. Some of you may decide to go with risk levels that resemble something like our current Terror Threat Levels. How you prioritize is ultimately up to you, just do it. Doing so will force you to closely examine situational reality versus possibility and probability.

For example, those living on the west coast of the US (or along the ring of fire) are right to consider earthquakes, tsunami, or volcanic activity (along with the threats to life, safety, and infrastructure that come with those events) high risk threats. Although it’s not out of the realm of possibility, someone living in the middle of the US (for example) might not consider these high-risk threats. Instead, they’d likely list tornadoes.

By prioritizing threats you can prioritize your preparedness and, when that threat appears, you can prioritize your response(s).

What does a threat model look like?

A threat model can be as simple as simple as a Word document, as complex as spreadsheet, or as visual as an illustration. In creating an actual model, not only do you get it out of your head, but you can share this information with members of your household, trusted team, or community.

Below are a few examples of threat models to help familiarize you with the concept of threat modeling:

[See? Even Batman has a threat model. Classic IT security threat modeling. A sample of my consolidated threat modeling spreadsheet (a perpetual work-in-progress).]

That’s All I’ve Got

The time you invest in developing, understanding, and evaluating your threat model(s) is time you’re investing in your own preparedness and, ultimately, your success.

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AdviceGearMetaScenariosSkills

Leather care

Robert LarsonContributor - February 24, 2021

My wife has a conceal carry purse by a company called Gun Tote’n Mamas. While the design is great, the build quality is not the best. She got the purse two years ago and the leather faded extremely quickly and didn’t even look a nice worn look, but just looks ugly. The zipper is also a weak point on the bag and the zip keeps coming apart. All this within a year. We called them up and they sent us a new one.

The new bag had the same issues of poor zipper quality and leather fading quickly after just a year. This time we have contacted them multiple times and they won’t get back to us. So we are trying to make due the best that we can with what we have. 

I used some pliers and crimped the zipper and it now zips shut properly, so that problem is solved, but we still have some really ugly faded leather.

What do you do for your leather gear? Gun holsters, knife sheaths, purses, belts, etc… How do you keep it hydrated, prevent cracking, and keeping it look nice?

-Be Prepared-

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AdviceGear

Can you make a better BOB than those cheap pre-made ones on Amazon?

Robert LarsonContributor - February 23, 2021

My sister sent me a link to a 72 hour kit on Amazon by Ready America, asking me if that is a good emergency bug out bag for her and her husband.

My first reaction was NO! Those cheap pre-made emergency kits are made with subpar materials, are easily marked up more than double, and you can easily make a cheaper bag with higher quality items on your own. Right?

Well, I tried to piece together a cheaper bug out bag for them, and it was actually pretty hard. Click on the “View Full Kit” button below to read more about what I learned while trying to copy this 72 hour bag.

My challenge for you guys is: Can you make a cheaper bug out bag with similar items? 

Also, what other cheap items would you add to this? Sure you can easily put in a solar panel, stove, and many other expensive items. But try and keep it cheap and very very beginner to prepper or not a prepper at all friendly.

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GearScenarios

How has your prepping evolved?

UbiqueContributor - February 23, 2021

I remember the exact moment my prepping took an evolutionary jump.

I was listening to CBC news at work when the news broke on September 11, 2001 that our friends and neighbours to the South had been attacked. As news spread through our office, people stopped work, many of us wept, mostly, we were in shock.

When I arrived home, my Mom who lived with me after Dad died, was watching the news on TV. She had been crying, too. We exchanged looks and I knew exactly what she was thinking.

“The world has changed Mom. Be ready at 5. We’re going shopping.”

When I picked her up after work, Mom had a list ready. She survived the Nazi occupation in the Netherlands along with 12 siblings. She knew what was important.

We shopped that night to increase our supplies and expand our preps. My ex-husband and I, along with Mom, made emergency plans. If he was out of town, we knew where we would initially meet up and that I would get Mom.

Despite being raised to be prepared, I had at various times in my life drifted away from it. I always had a large pantry and some items, but there were times that I lost the mind set and focus to be better prepared. I wasn’t practising certain skill sets.

Life happens and sometimes we get distracted or diverted from what is important to us.

Sometimes, it takes events in other people’s lives to bring us back to what is important.

We began to practice preparedness at various points in time and for a variety of reasons.

How has your prepping evolved? Have your reasons for prepping changed during the time you have prepped? How have your planned responses in various scenarios changed, if at all?
Do you feel it has become simpler with time or more complicated?

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Pros and cons of special diets

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - February 23, 2021

It seems that for most of my adult life I’ve had frequent periods of experimenting with my diet. Not weight loss diets, but various diets that purport to improve my health and well being. I’m not sure if my health has thereby improved or not, but that’s a little bit of a tangent. Fortunately or unfortunately, I’m not a person who must follow a specific food regimen or get very sick. E.g. I don’t have Celiac disease, so I can experiment with eating or not eating gluten.  Lately, for example, I’ve been thinking of trying to eat significantly fewer carbs as a way of addressing a few physical issues.

I think one reason I experiment with diets a lot is it’s kind of an interesting project for me. Plus there’s always the hope that something will change significantly for the better. But there are a few tradeoffs to following a designer diet.  One is that special diets are often more expensive than conventional diets, especially if you buy organic.

Another is that these special foods often become less available or even more expensive during times of crisis or shortage. I usually try to buy certain things organic but when the pandemic hit last year all thought of organic food or special food went out the window. My focus was on just making sure I had enough to eat at a relatively affordable price. Oh, and also there was comfort food.

Now I’ve noticed that I feel stable enough in my food supply to stat thinking about experimenting again, but the lesson is that if food shortages really do come along it will be harder to make the adjustment with a special diet. The transitions to and from a special diet can add extra stress to a crisis. Even when I travel to my home town in Russia, I often have a pretty rude dietary adjustment there. My dear friends, with whom I stay, are all about sugary snacks, simple carby potatoes and porridges, plus cold cuts and hot dogs. It’s a shock to adjust to that. Then, when I get back to the States it’s a shock to adjust back.

This makes me wonder about the viability of designer food diets when I’m trying to live with crisis preparedness in mind. My emergency food certainly doesn’t reflect my more esoteric food interests. So, if the food supply breaks down I’m going to have to have a wallop of an adjustment, in addition to any other stresses of the emergency. Is it worth sustaining that extra stress? Does it make more sense to eat more conventionally and simply? I’m not sure I’m ready to give up my food experimentation yet, and I do think there are health benefits to customized diets. What do you think?

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3

Domestic Intel Gathering (early warning)

Bill Masen - February 23, 2021

Intelligence Gathering

The preppers home in normal times as well as during a crisis needs to help you obtain vital intelligence on events going on in the outside world, you should consider fitting a new wide band high gain TV aerial to access analogue and digital TV stations (even foreign ones). If you have a satellite system then consider a satellite tracking system that allows you to access other satellite broadcasters. And of course last but never least an AM/FM/LW Radio aerial to greatly boost your reception of distant radio stations. Some people also have Citizens band / PMR and Amateur radio systems set up at home as an extra communications system. Try if possible to conceal as best you can any antenna you use.

And whilst it lasts a good fibre optic broadband internet service can be very handy in finding out what going on with relying on state controlled or politically biased mainstream media services. Subscriptions to digital news sources oten get breaking new out quicker and cover issues in greater depth than the MSM. During times of raised concern its wiser to not listen to music radio and switch to news broadcasts. Forewarned is forearmed as they say.

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6

Excerpts from the Family Prepping Guide booklet on making your home better prepared

Bill Masen - February 22, 2021

The Preppers House (v3) from the Family prepping guide booklet

As preppers we have a great need for our homes to be fitted out or uprated to help meet our enhanced needs.

Increased storage capacity across the board features highly in our plans as does extra water, food, fuel, clothing and equipment storage etc all are something we ideally need more of stored and cached. And just like our non-prepping neighbours we need as much energy efficiency, privacy and security as we can get from our homes.

Food, Clothing and Kit Storage

We need extra storage space that is preferably cool and dark to be able to store extra food supplies in for long periods of time without it spoiling. Ideally some of it should be concealed storage in places where the average person would not think to look.

I know of people who have fitted discrete hinged lids under the carpet on the stairways allowing them to hide extra food in the cavity under the stairs, people have kitchen units with false back panels fitted allow more concealed capacity. In houses with timber floors rather than concrete slabs some folks hide plastic tubs under the floorboards in the sub floor cavity. A false wall made from plasterboard in a garage gives an extra 1 foot deep storage space for one prepper I know, and false panelling in a bedroom provides extra storage for another.

At the very least we need extra larder space for our increased food stocks, very often this can be as simple as shelving units in the garage or utility room if you have them.

Some of us just keep extra food and kit in large plastic storage boxes under the bed and in the bottom of the wardrobes whilst others turn over the smallest bedroom into the prep store (the door that is always closed and locked when you get visitors)

Water

We will always need extra water storage capacity, for some more wealthy folks it could be a garden pond, swimming pool, Jacuzzi etc. But for most of us it used to be simply swapping out the 50 gallon cold water tank in the loft for a bigger tank or adding extra tanks linked in series to the original 50 gallon tank to give extra capacity (roof joist re-enforcement needed).

Others like me simply keep a good number of extra 20 or 30 litre polyethylene food grade water containers in the garage along with a high quality gravity fed water filter like a British Berkfield. (Remember a gallon of water weighs 10 pounds before you put loads of full containers in the roof spaces)

Some UK preppers store IBC 1000 liter containers in or around their properties to hold large amounts of water, they can be bought quite cheaply used from companies that recycle them, Only buy IBC’s that contained food stuffs not chemicals and clean them out thoroughly before use..

As well as extra emergency water storage systems you can reduce your reliance on the mains system by fitting rainwater catchment systems that capture the rain from your roof and direct it into large rainwater storage butts in your garden or yard.

Heating

A problem has arisen for preppers in the UK in the last 15 years with the introduction of the condensing combination boiler (furnace US) for the domestic supply of hot water and central heating. These very energy efficient devices have two massive drawbacks for preppers.

Firstly they dont use water storage tanks in the attic for their cold water feed, they are fed directly from the mains supply, and thus you lose the valuable cold water tank and expansion tank from your attic.

Secondly they dont use a gas pilot light for the boiler ignition system, they are now electrically ignited so if the power to your house goes off you lose power AND heating and hot water all at once.

Preppers with Combis need auxiliary methods of storing extra water, and alternative methods of heating the home and providing hot water with. Preppers can enhance their self-reliance by taking steps to further reduce their reliance on the mains utility system by fitting secondary or backup systems.

Heat

Emergency heating can be supplied by portable bottled gas heaters using propane or butane gas in 7 or 15 KG bottles ( or European equivalents), but a more long term investment you should consider if fitting a wood or multi fuel burning stove in the living room or kitchen (or both). Even many modern houses can now be retro fitted to house a wood burner with the advent of insulated flexible stove chimney pipes systems often made from double skinned stainless steel. A modern stove can be up to 80% efficient compared to 7 to 10 % efficiency for an open fire and a well sited stove can also double up as a cooker.

Buying a house with a chimney and fireplace is becoming ever more difficult as many modern homes no longer are built with them, so be aware of what you are getting when buying from plan.

Dont forget to plan for extra storage space to accommodate your firewood log pile ( you need at least 8 by 4 by 4 ft A CORD of wood) or bags of Coalite. If you are collecting your own firewood remember that it needs to be less than 18% ( 9% better) moisture content before being used, so a shed or outhouse may be needed to ensure it dries out thoroughly. Mine is shared out between the garage and conservatory!!), Either way your fuel supply needs to be dry and kept VERY secure.

Light

Short term emergency lighting can be provided by various means from candles, paraffin lanterns, light sticks etc, but more long term you really need to consider at the very least a solar system connected to a battery(s) that will provide you with a low powered 12 volt LED lighting system for essential areas. If space and other constraints allow you may be able to supplement the solar system with a micro wind turbine.

Footnote, Ensure your home / retreats windows are totally blacked out after dark during any crisis

Energy Saving

We must ensure we waste as little energy as possible in our preppers home even in normal times without staring Armageddon in the face. A fully insulated house is a must, walls and loft area fully insulated, under floor as well if possible. Well maintained and fitted double glazing or even triple glazing will help massively in keeping your home warm if the power goes off for any length of time. A double glazed or laminated wood / steel front and rear doors will enhance the houses insulation as well as provide improved security than an old style door fitted with a single old style door lock. The Scandinavian nations lead the way in energy efficient windows and homes.

Dont forget the very low energy requirements of LED Lightbulbs compared to Filament or flourescent tubes, a 6 watt LED bulb generates as much light as a 100watt filament bulb.

Privacy and Security

Ensuring our privacy and security during a crisis is vital, so its very important that we control approach and access to our homes and reduce light pollution that advertises our independence from the national grid power supplies. Blackout blinds and curtains (or window shutters) are an absolute must for every window and door to stop light escaping thus advertising your self-reliant position.

Multi point locking on doors and windows is a must even in normal times, but after a crisis develops you may wish to add self-adhesive laminating security film to your windows which makes gaining entry to your home via a broken window far more difficult and noisy for the intruder. It is also essential that you keep some pre-cut marine grade ½ plywood boarding to secure any windows that do get broken.

In recent years a new design of door called the COMPOSITE door has gained massive popularity in the UK, it is made of colour resistant / fire resistant polycarbonate, over wood and foam and metal core, it utilises over engineered hinges (often three or four) and much more robust multi point locking than used in UPVC doors. The door frame is of aluminium cored UPVC or Composite material and again is much more substantial than the older UPVC systems. The best versions are the government / home office APPROVED BY DESIGN types that have passed vigorous testing.

Some people have fitted security bars that pivot or swing over the doors to re-enforce the entry points. Apparently it is remarkably easy to kick in the bottom panel on most older UPVC doors made in the UK as they were designed this way to make access for firefighters easier. Equally the locks and hinges even on expensive double glazed doors do not stand up very well to police officers using a slide hammer to gain entry to execute a search warrant, so extra security devices, bars and hinges should be considered.

Note* Very often modern double glazed doors external frames are only secured to the building wall with a couple of mild steel screws in each side, this makes it very easy to simply bash the entire door and frame out with a sledgehammer, its well worth getting high tensile steel self-tapping bolts fitted which massively increase the doors security strength.

Intelligence Gathering

The preppers home in normal times as well as during a crisis needs to help you obtain vital intelligence on events going on in the outside world, you should consider fitting a new wide band high gain TV aerial to access analogue and digital TV stations (even foreign ones). If you have a satellite system then consider a satellite tracking system that allows you to access other satellite broadcasters. And of course last but never least an AM/FM/LW Radio aerial to greatly boost your reception of distant radio stations. Some people also have Citizens band / PMR and Amateur radio systems set up at home as an extra communications system. Try if possible to conceal as best you can any antenna you use.

And whilst it lasts a good fibre optic broadband internet service can be very handy in finding out what going on with relying on state controlled or politically biased mainstream media services.

House buying for preppers Amendments

In the older editions Retreat Survival booklet I refer in various chapters and sections to modifying your home or adding prepper specific requirements to your selection criteria, in this short article I thought I would just make a check list of desirable options if you are looking to move.

1. Rural or Suburban location away from major conurbations, city centers and industrial developments,

2. A south to south west facing position in order to get maximum natural light for food production and to drive a solar panel array (Northern Hemisphere).

3. Legally permitted to have double glazing, cavity wall insulation, PV panels fitted, conservatories built etc without have to get special planning permits passed because the building is listed or close to an SSSI or National Park

4. Large enough gardens to provide a reasonable percentage of your own food

5. Reasonable access to as many natural resources as possible EG woodland for firewood, healthy local water ways for fishing and obtaining water if necessary, access to open cast coal deposits, access to the coast etc one is good, any two is great, three and you are rocking.

6. A kitchen suitable for retro fitting with wood/coal/charcoal powered cookers and water heaters, preferably with a nice cool larder room or cellar.

7. Concealed or obscured veg gardens, garage and outhouses where stockpiles of timber, coal, fuel and B O Vehicles can be stored / loaded / unloaded without being viewed from the road outside.

8. Suitable out houses, lean-to’s and sheds away from the main house in good order for storing diesel, gas bottles, coal, timber etc safely.

9. Well above all known flood risks and far away from known land slip areas.

10. Not along any route, highway or track that may end up being an escape route from the city for refugees

11. A documented record of having a decent air flow most of the year that could drive a wind turbine for making electricity or lifting water from well / stream

12. Perhaps a passing stream that can be made to drop 2 meters at one spot to power an Archimedes screw hydro-electric unit.

13. Reasonable access to pasture and allotments for keeping food small breed food animals and extra growing space for crops

14. Multiple routes along various compass bearing that you can bug out along if necessary.

15. Local village has facilities of the type required by your family, IE small friendly school, local mechanics garage, blacksmiths forge, petrol station, hardware shop, extra garages for rental, sub post office, working train station etc

16. Neighbours who clearly are “into” growing their own crops and animals

17. Low reported crime figures

18. No annual or regular events that could expose you to risk such as living next door to a farm that holds 5 day Rock Concerts, No “travellers” regular stop off points etc.

19. Good radio signal reception not in a radio blind spot

20. Not near electricity pylons, gas pipe distribution pipes etc.

21. Being NOT too far away from a wind farm or PV farm COULD be beneficial in the long term as could being not to far from a workable open cast coal mine.

Add your own requirements to list list and good luck with your home buying plans.

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5

Domestic Privacy and Security

Bill Masen - February 22, 2021

Privacy and Security

Ensuring our privacy and security during a crisis is vital, so its very important that we control the approaches and access to our homes and reduce light pollution that advertises our independence from the national grid power supplies. Blackout blinds and curtains (or window shutters) are an absolute must for every window and door to stop light escaping thus advertising your self-reliant position.

Multi point locking on doors and windows is a must even in normal times, but after a crisis develops you may wish to add self-adhesive laminating security film to your windows which makes gaining entry to your home via a broken window far more difficult and noisy for the intruder. It is also essential that you keep some pre-cut marine grade ½ plywood boarding to secure any windows that do get broken.

In recent years a new design of door called the COMPOSITE door has gained massive popularity in the UK, it is made of colour resistant / fire resistant polycarbonate, over wood and foam and metal core, it utilises over engineered hinges (often three or four) and much more robust multi point locking than used in UPVC doors. The door frame is of aluminium cored UPVC or Composite material and again is much more substantial than the older UPVC systems. The best versions are the government / home office APPROVED BY DESIGN types that have passed vigorous testing. Metal clad doors are also gaining popularity in urban areas.

Some people have fitted security bars that pivot or swing over the doors to re-enforce the entry points. Apparently it is remarkably easy to kick in the bottom panel on most older UPVC doors made in the UK as they were designed this way to make access for firefighters easier. Equally the locks and hinges even on expensive double glazed doors do not stand up very well to police officers using a slide hammer to gain entry to execute a search warrant, so extra security devices, bars and hinges should be considered.

Note* Very often modern double glazed doors external frames are only secured to the building wall with a couple of mild steel screws in each side, this makes it very easy to simply to pry or bash the entire door and frame out, its well worth getting high tensile steel self-tapping bolts fitted which massively increase the doors security strength.

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14

Fit feel and familiarity (Getting to know your kit)

Bill Masen - February 22, 2021

FIT, FEEL AND FAMILIARITY (Getting to know your kit)

So you have done the research, bought the kit, developed your plans and stockpiled everything including the assault systems kitchen sink. Now what are you going to do Wait for Armageddon? I hope not.

It’s no good at all having a great piece of kit if you are not totally familiar with its feel and fit, and you need to be very comfortable about using it. Why buy an all singing all dancing tactical folding knife then put it away until it is needed? Does it open and close smoothly, can you cut a rope, fillet a rabbit, defend yourself with it, sharpen it or is it too big or to lightweight for the task?

Does it sit comfortably on your hip or in your pocket now? What about after 8 hours with your rucksack pressing it into your hip, can you unleash it, open it and use it with cold, wet, tired hands?

Your expensive flashlight with its lifetime warranty, can you strip and replace the self-cleaning switch, Is it big enough powerful enough to do the job for a full evening in your blacked out camp site or retreat, or is it always getting in the way, pulling your belt down, and eating batteries faster than a kids toy?

Be honest, if you were stressed out, scared stupid and fleeing for your life along with your family, Could you put your hand straight to your compass, flashlight, map, knife or whatever in your bug out vest or bag without having to unpack or rummage about for it. What about the vest / bag itself Is the vest up to the job? Is it comfortable? not going to slide up or down, ride up into a knot or disintegrate at the first time its put to use.

It’s the same with the BOV’s super duper tyres you paid a premium rate for, and what about the PV unit or wind generator you have obtained, will the tyres give the traction you seek or are you going to end up with terminal wheel spin in the inevitable piece of swamp along the route to your destination. Or the PV and turbine working flat out simply don’t provide enough energy to stop your freezer from thawing out. What if for example the turbine produces so much noise it lets the residents of the next county home in on your secluded retreat?

You have the will, you have the need, and now you have the kit to enable you to survive, so get familiar with it use it, get comfortable with it, reassure yourself that it will be up to the task, Why not for example wear your vest for a few days at a time partially loaded, so you get used to it, let it find its shape, find out the best way to load it with your kit. You don’t need to go into town looking like you are ready to start a war, but it will do you no harm at all to use your vest as a gillet carrying your knife, flashlight, compass, first aid kit, Para cord, wallet etc for a few days. Perhaps you could make it your car coat or your dog walking jacket. It’s the same care that is needed with the new boots you have recently invested in.

Now you have realised that bugging out in a vehicle is going to be almost impossible and have purchased those 200 dollar boots, are they up to the job? To stiff? Poor fit? Not broken in? Not water resistant? Do they take forever to dry out etc?

You need your bug out boots, clothes and kit to be snug, comfortable and familiar at hand, and up to the job.

I got myself what I thought would be an ideal garment to use as a bug out vest, I bought it, loaded it up, then put it away whilst I waited for Armageddon. Then one day I thought I would take the mutt for a good long hard walk and decided to try out the vest…………………………. It is now into its third set of alterations and modifications to make it more comfortable and better suited to the task I designed it for.

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4

Advice

Where to carry your CORE EDC ESSENTIALS

Bill Masen - February 22, 2021

Some years ago the IRA detonated bombs on the tube and on a bus in central London,(7/7) My associate was en-route to a conference. Six points I ask people to consider.

1 As soon as everything kicked off the authorities turned off all the cell towers cutting comms for central London leaving millions comms blind for hours. Many buildings were ordered to evacuate, including the one my colleague was visiting. the Cops told them in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS to LEAVE THEIR BAGS. (suspecting more bombs)

2 In the US on 911 as the towers burned then fell and people were fleeing blinded by thick ash and smoke, Most had NO OPPORTUNITY to grab their bags, AND also many surviving police hero’s on that day were telling people or even ordering people to leave there bags behind and to just run.

3 On the Madrid train bomb the travellers bags and luggage was stored at the end of the carriages, or in overhead racks. When the train blew up much luggage was destroyed, more was inaccessible because of structural damage, and more bags were simply scattered when the train screeched to a halt. Equally on the high speed trains that crashed in Spain ( Train went too fast round a bend) the baggage and luggage was again scattered or crushed or trapped. In the German high speed train that crash when it ploughed into a concrete overbridge the story was the same.

4 When the big ferries capsized and sank in the English channel ( Herald of Free Enterprise plus another in the Baltic) the lights failed quickly as the vessels began to role, most bags and luggage could not be grabbed as people tried to climb out of the sinking vessels.

5 When terrorists attacked the Bataclan Theatre in Paris and the Westgate Shopping center in Nairobi most people HAD to abandon their bags and packs as they scrambled to hide and escape, some climbing out of toilet windows or jumping from car park roofs.

6 During the recent wave of civil unrest in the US on multiple occasions drivers were ambushed by gangs of extremists and protestors, many people were forced to abandon their vehicles and flee with just what they were wearing, Few could recover their bags or packs. When the dreadful multiple mass shootings in schools occurred most students had to flee or were ordered to leave WITHOUT their bags and their hands above their heads.

I respectfully suggest that the best and possibly ONLY place for your CORE ESSENTIAL EDC gear is ON YOUR PERSON and not in a bag, The USEFUL EXTRAS but not essentials obviously can go in bags because it makes sense. But I ask folks to think hard about likely scenarios you MAY face and how easy it is to get separated from your bags.

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2

Are you seeing more supply chain jankiness?

Josh CentersContributor - February 22, 2021

I had an odd experience the other day, and I’m wondering if you might be seeing other weird stuff. We grabbed lunch at Sonic and my son complained that someone had eaten his sweet and sour sauce. I took a look and the container was half empty. I then opened a fresh container, and it was half-empty as well!

Of course, we’ve all been dealing with various shortages like toilet paper, cleaners, and ammunition, but this is the first time I’ve seen a sauce container not even half-filled. I’m wondering if it’s an anomaly or a sign of supply chain issues.

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28

Creating a suture kit

chopper20ss - February 21, 2021

Im creating a suture kit. I have noticed that the absorbable sutures are very expensive, but the PGA absorbable dental ones are very affordable.  So I’m wondering if the dental sutures will absorb/dissolve for outside skin?

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11

GearSkills

Glacier / Primo refill station for long term water storage

opeepingtomo - February 20, 2021

I’ve been reading regarding storing water for longer than the recommended rotation of six months and it usually talked about bottled water or water from tap.

What would the consensus be regarding taking my own sanitized containers to a primo or glacier refill station, filling them up and putting them away for storage?  When I say container I mean an actual water storage container not a primo bottle.

Could they then be kept for years without the need to treat it later?  Would this water need to be treated before storing it long term?

Thank you. 

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2

Keeping your BOB / GHB Fresh

Bill Masen - February 19, 2021

Keeping your BOB / GHB Fresh

Bags are one of the keys to our survival in any given crisis or disaster, it is vitally important that our BOB’ / GHBs are up to the job we require them to do. That means keeping it ready and effective.

We can and do leave our BOB’s untouched for months and some of the items within the BOB’s can be left for years. That in itself could be a problem if we do actually have to bug out in a hurry.

Basically there’s not much point in having a BOB if its contents don’t work when we need them to, so we must keep the contents checked so that we are not left with a bag of junk instead of an effective survival system.

I keep a check card on top of my BOB that lists expiry / use by and best by dates for the time sensitive items in the kit. When they get close to their best by / use by / eat by dates I change them for fresh supplies.

EG

Batteries (radios, flashlights, electronic sights, GPS devices)

Medical dressings (lose sterility after certain time frame)

Medical lotions (lose effectiveness after time)

Eye Glasses and Contact Lenses (your eyes age making the kit lenses useless)

Water Purification tablets (lose effectiveness

Food Stuffs (dry out, lose nutritional value, spoil etc)

Butane and petrol lighters drying out

Water filter Elements

Hygiene kit (toothpaste / deodorant etc)

Clothing (have you grown out of it?)

Wet wipes (they do dry out)

Vitamin supplements (lose strength)

In some cases during long term storage items such as switches on radios and flashlights can stick, radio receivers can simply refuse to work, magazine springs fail, medicinal potions can settle out etc

It’s always worth checking on how mechanical and electrical as well as medical items function when you check your kit over.

Remember to keep your batteries separate from the devices they are meant to power, there is a Sods Law that demands the more expensive your kit is the more likely the batteries in it will leak catastrophically.

Make sure when you do bug out the kit is going to do what you want it to do, first time and reliably.

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OUR Water security

Bill Masen - February 19, 2021

Gideon, I dont know if video links is permitted.Please remove if not.

Water is the one essential we cannot have enough of as a resource, and personally I think THIS video is probably one of the best and most informative I have ever read. Please take time to view it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2DHGUMBwkg

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A definition of what prepping is.

Bill Masen - February 18, 2021

Disasters can be roughly defined as natural, political, environmental or social in origin. They can be triggered by natural disasters, terrorism, military and police actions, political and social unrest etc.

Though you can do little or nothing about disasters happening you can through planning and preparation minimise the effects on your family. The main objectives are to survive the initial disaster then to continue to flourish after the event.

What do you need to be prepped?

The answer to this question depends entirely on what event or contingency you are planning on surviving through. It could be that you only want to prepare to survive a winter power cut, so in this case flashlights, candles, matches and warm clothing may be all you need. Most preppers are concerned about much larger or prolonged events such as food shortages, civil unrest, major earthquakes, economic collapse, etcetera and feel driven enough to at least attempt to be self-sufficient in all the essential needs for at least 3 months or longer if necessary.

In this brief review I will attempt to list the GROUPS you need to deal with rather than specific amounts and individual items, other ARTICLES and LISTS from this forum will help you fill in the gaps. But please note this is a GENERIC article and you must adapt and adjust the subject matter to meet your own individual needs.

The PRIMARY groups you need to consider are (not in order of priority) basically

Shelter

Heat

Light

Fuel

Food

Water

Communications

Medical

Reference

Transport

Planning

Logistics

Security

From here each group will be sub divided as required EG Shelter will divide into Primary (your home or retreat) Mobile (tent or improvised shelter) and Temporary (a place of safety other than your permanent home.

So are you planning on weathering the event in your home, if so what improvements must you make to adapt the house to your needs, or are you planning on bugging out to a secondary location, and what does that place need to function the way you want to?

So for example if you have decided to stay at home during the crisis you need to ensure that your home can sustain you independently of the national grid, utilities, supermarkets and authorities for the length of time you feel you need to plan for. Most preppers keep an absolute minimum of 72 hours emergency supplies, the general accepted norm for UK preppers with families is believed to be 3 months supplies but 6 / 9 and 12 months stockpiles and caches are very common. It is also well noting that since around the year 2000 more and more preppers are making steps to produce at least SOME of their own food and many preppers now have allotments whilst others have converted flower beds into vegetable plots. Others now keep and breed small animals such rabbits, chickens, miniature breeds of pigs and goats etc.

Moving on to look briefly the other PRIMARY groups, you need to build up as your finances allow and as time permits enough food, fuel and water in order to provide your family with a healthy balanced diet of foodstuffs you family is already familiar with and actually likes to eat. Do not waste money on buying foods in because of the cheap price buy only the foods your family is familiar with and like.

What you are attempting to do is to make sure that if something major goes wrong with society that you have independence from the vulnerable grid or chain of supply;

Food to sustain you for the duration of the crisis

Water for drinking, cooking, washing and cleaning

Heat for warmth and heating water for cleaning

Light for vision after sundown (Lanterns, Solar systems, Flashlights etc)

Fuel to power lights, cookers, heaters, stoves and generators

Clothing to sustain you for the period heavy duty outdoor gear recommended)

Bedding, sleeping bags, towels etc

Medical supplies and prescription medicines (and dentures, eyeglasses etc)

Emergency medical kits for dealing with injuries and traumas

Books / Maps for reference and information

Logistics such as garden tools, DIY repair materials, spare batteries etc

Radios for monitoring radio broadcasts

Transport for bring in supplies, bugging out or patrolling.

Weapons for self-defence and security

These are the PRIMARY groups and the sub groups and LISTS of kit can be found listed here and almost any other Prepper or Survivalist forum.

Other issues you will become aware of quickly is the extra equipment and plans preppers make to be able to respond almost instantly to an event, crisis or disaster occurring, you will see frequent reference to Bug out Bags and Get Home Bags, these are pre-packed items of luggage containing essential tools, food, water, clothing, maps and supplies keep by the front door of the office or home to allow them to simply grab the bag and go immediately the incident happens. They may be called various names from bug out bag, get home bag, commuter escape kits, get out of Dodge bags or whatever. But they all serve the same purpose and that is to sustain the prepper on his or her journey home or to their retreat.

Other items of note are the vehicle choice of many preppers with modified panel vans fitted out as stealth campers, discretely uprated 4×4 vehicles, mountain bikes and even Kayaks in some cases being selected for their utility and durability to get to a destination when ordinary vehicles would get stuck or bogged down.

Imagine getting up one morning and finding the gas, electricity, water, sewage, phones, street lights etc were out of service and the shops did not open. Most of your neighbours will be floundering around not knowing what to do, unable to cook a meal or even get washed or showered, no lights, no television, just confusion. Everyone except the prepper who has back up lighting, auxiliary cooking equipment, caches of food and fuel and a well sorted plan to work from.

That’s Prepping.

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1

Rural preparing – manual well pump backup?

pwocken - February 18, 2021

I’m newer to prepping (starting lurking on The Prepared in March 2020 after realizing I was woefully underprepared when COVID lockdowns hit). I’m looking for advice on prepping in a rural location.

We already live in a rural area in Minnesota, which is great, so I don’t have to worry as much about bugging out. But, I’m trying to figure out what steps to take to bolster our shelter-in-place plan.

We already have a dual-fuel generator that is wired to our house to run core services like septic/well pump/appliances/HVAC/etc., large on-site propane stores, spare fuel for the generator, a bunch of 5-7 gallon Reliance water containers, extra food stores, personal/home protection gear/supplies, and some moderately equipped bug out bags in case we do need to leave.

I have a question that I haven’t yet been able to resolve. We have a private well on our property that uses an electric pump to draw water into the house. The well pump is set up to be able to run on the backup generator, so we’d certainly be able to grab a bunch of fresh water if we lost power for any length of time. Is a manual pump necessary as a fail-safe? I’m semi-handy, so I feel like I could figure out setting up the manual pump as a backup, but is that overengineering it? Is it worth the effort?

Thanks in advance!!

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Advice

1 image to show that difficult weather can happen anywhere

Bill Masen - February 18, 2021

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Various back up ideas to our everyday utilities – don’t be without when they are interrupted

Bill Masen - February 17, 2021

Backing up back ups ( Belt and Braces)

Just a few points to ponder about your preps, If we rely on mains utilities etc we overly expose ourselves to unnecessary risk, We can mitigate against this with assorted back ups ( budget and circumstances permitting)

So first and foremost our domestic utilities even in first world nations they can be very vulnerable.

So can you back them up.

EG

Central Heating,       Back up Wood Burning Stove and (or Wood / Coal Combo) / or Bottled Gas Fire.

Domestic Water Supply,         Back up Berkfield / Berky Filter and or Stored water / Water  Catchment System/ Domestic Well or Borehole / Pool. / Extra tanks in Attic.

Mains Connected Toilet,     Back up Portable Camping Toilet plus bio chemicals/ Soak Away Hole in garden.

Mains Lighting,     Back up 12vdc LED lighting ( battery powered) and or Candle and Lantern

Refrigeration       Back up 12vdc / Propane Fridge Combo , Root veg Cellar, Water Immersion.

Domestic land line phone,      Back up Cell phone and or Ham / CB radio (Battery / PV powered)

Authority Trash Collection   Back Up Garden Incinerator and Compost Bin / Waste fed food critters

Motor Vehicle, Back up Motorcycle or Quad and or Bicycle with endless chain and puncture proof tyres (Skidoo in the cold zone, Boat in wet zones)

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Clothing Considerations

Bill Masen - February 17, 2021

Clothing Considerations 

When we talk about Prepping Supplies the normal focus in on stockpiling food, fuel and medicines, plus ammo if you live in the US of A. But nearly as important in our plans we need to think about what we will WEAR or USE in the period between a crisis and normal commerce starting up again. That interim period could be many years long and we must plan for that as well if we can.

Let us think about this issue whilst many items of clothing are still very affordable and easily available , If you feel the threat to your own situation could involve a long term disruption what sort of things could you buy now and set aside for future use. Not only could you ensure you have some of the clothing essentials you need but you may end up with a valuable commodity for bartering.

We will focus primarily on personal clothing but will briefly look at other items you may wish to obtain.

The sort of items you may consider worthy of bulk buying could be many and varied but try and think about think you may need that will no longer be easily available.

T Shirts / Undershirts *

Polo shirts*

Vests / Bras / Sports tops *

Underwear briefs / Panties*

Socks*

Cargo pants or work jeans

Micro fleece Shirts / Cotton shirts

Cargo vests

Fleece sweaters / Hoodies

Woollen sweaters if they are what you like

Fleece jackets

Cotton canvas Work Jackets (Fatigues)

Water proof outdoor jackets

Winter Parka / Coat

Work gloves

Leather belts

Head Scarfs / Bandanas / Baseball caps etc

Work / Hiking / Walking shoes boots and spare insoles.

Sandals / Clogs / Flip flops

*= Multi Packs

I tend to buy “Value” packs from Tesco, Matalan, Makro etc then try them out to see if they are durable, comfortable, and good value for money. You need to check because at times stores will try and sell off some real substandard junk as bargains.

For Example I once bought two packs of Polo Shirts from a well-known store, and even when washed on a low temperature and room dried instead of tumble dried they still shrunk so much they would have fitted my youngest son instead of me.

On a similar point I bought some budget range of walking / approach shoes (UK made as well) from a national retail outlet, they wore out in weeks and had such little internal foot bed support they rapidly become useless.

Kids

Let us not forget the children and their expensive but necessary habit of growing.

Hand me downs may become the norm like fleeces etc but some items such as underwear and footwear really need to be obtained in multiple sizes to allow for growth as will maintaining some level of personal dignity for the children.

When the kids grow out of items post collapse do not discard clothing as once washed and cleaned these clothes probably will have much barter value for families with kids who did not prepare as well.

Cleaning and personal hygiene materials are covered in the stockpiling and caching lists. The list of items above is not absolute everyone will have their own list of requirements but can use this list to work from.

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How y’all doing with the unexpected cold?

Grey Lady - February 17, 2021

Friends in the southern U.S., how are you doing with the cold/snow/power outages?

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News

US Federal Government advice for power outages

Bill Masen - February 17, 2021

As per header, hope it helps.  https://www.ready.gov/power-outages

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Urban Personal Equipment.

Bill Masen - February 17, 2021

URBAN Personal equipment

I believe the kit and clothing requirements will match those or even surpass those of rural preppers especially the need for extra protection from pollutants and toxins in an urban environment after TSHTF. Any foraging or movement that could kick up or disturb toxic particles from burnt or decaying buildings will require eye and mouth/nose protection (goggles and face mask) gloves and closed hems, draw cord, cuffs etc is also likely to be an important consideration. 

Work gloves are likely to be essential in urban areas with its inevitable large amounts of broken glass and sharp fractured bricks and stonework. One piece of feedback I received from an urban prepper suggests that preppers buy as much clothing as possible for foraging and recce roles made from RIP-STOP fabric as its very very likely the damaged buildings and debris is likely to cause very heavy wear on clothing. He also added that the soles of boots MUST be inspected after each foray out to ensure nail, tacks, glass, wire, stones etc are not greatly shortening the life of the boots, (he also suggested that after TSHTF when streets are badly littered with debris that air filled footwear like Dr Martens or Nike Air Max are NOT used)

Extra protective clothing is likely to mean greater thirst caused by getting too warm whilst working so extra drinking /washing water is likely to be required.

Tools for prying open doors, hatches, windows, lift shafts, water tank covers, manholes etc is likely to become standard kit for long term urban preppers. Feedback from established urban preppers I have received suggests that a “Spring Loaded Centre Punch” will be a useful addition to kit for safely shattering toughened glass windows and doors in abandoned structures when out foraging.

I think that in the long term preppers determined to utilise every possible resource left in the city are likely to need climbing gear, ropes and harnesses to access some locations where staircases are no longer accessible and to assist in escaping if the prepper falls through a decayed surface into a void.

A couple of Urban preppers have also pointed out the increased risk in cities after a disaster from packs of feral dogs and suggest other Urban preppers consider measures to keep them at bay (preferably QUIET measures for OPSEC)

Aerosols of bright coloured paint will assist in marking routes in dark subterranean locations as a means of retracting the route out or marking areas that have been checked out.

I also guess (and it is a guess) that urban preppers are likely to end up relying on bicycles for most transport needs as its likely to be the only truly viable swift and cargo capable vehicle for travelling through clogged abandoned streets. 

Urban preppers in situ now should consider obtaining AT bikes with puncture proof tyres NOW whilst they can still obtain them through normal means. I think the mantra of the Urban prepper is going to be “Don’t just look left and right, look up and down as well” and at night the Mk 1 Eyeball is definitely going to be at a disadvantage and your hearing is likely to be the most useful way of detecting approaching trouble, So ensure your URBAN BOL does not have any extraneous noises at night from things like wind chimes, rattling gates, busted windows rattling, curtains or abandoned washing flapping about. 

A few handfuls of broken glass and gravel on the approachs to your BOL should give notice of people approaching on foot.

Urban preppers should be able to rule the night in the cities providing they remain unseen and unheard but even simple recceing is not going to be so easy in a large city. Preppers wanting to find out what is going on in a new neighbouring area are likely to have to move quietly into the area at night and set up an OP/LP and spend the daylight hours watching, listening and noting what is going on for at least 24 hours before moving into the area to access resources.

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