Active New Top (30 days) Compact Card Water Preserver replacement MarcusAurelius - October 11, 2023 It’s time to refresh some of my water storage again. Last time, I used a product called Water Preserver Concentrate from 7C’s Safety & Environmental Inc. I think that I bought it from Water Brick or from Ready Store. From what I can tell, that product is no longer sold for whatever reason. Does someone have a recommendation for a similar product? Read More 1 1 What are my fellow urban Canadians doing different about prepping? Here’s some of what I have done and worked. Frozen22 - October 11, 2023 I hope I’m not duplicating an existing thread, but I thought it would be useful to have some discussion specific to Canadian members, given differences in laws, available products, climate, infrastructure, etc. I’m a newish prepper and am interested in how others are setting themselves up. I live a in a city in Western Canada, in a condo, so I don’t have land, a garage, or tons of storage space. Given those limitations I’m still better set up than most people in my city. First, my perspective. I really only focus on a two-week scenario. I’m assuming my plan would involved (1) bugging in, (2) assisting three elderly family members, (3) contending with overloaded public services, and (4) no “societal breakdown,” partly because that is such a vague concept. I have no problems with guns but don’t own any and don’t plan to (though I might get armor). There are very different laws here regarding weapons, self-defense, etc., and it would be good for Canadians to be aware of those. My main scenarios are (1) loss of power during extreme cold or heat, (2) water system breakdown, (3) air contamination largely from fires. I’ve developed my plan by asking, what would I need to get by, and what shortfalls/losses would I find demoralizing. So I’ve planned on the high end for maintaining hygiene and related items. If the water system went down, the prospect of 00s of 000s or millions of people pooping in their yards or plastic bags (ineptly and in a panic) raises concerns about air and water contamination, and obvious panics about supplies. I have food and water preps, medical, and air filtration, so far. I’m investigating solar generators and am debating which one I should get (affordable but also useable over 14 days), as well as a panel. I’d prefer to get a large unit and two smaller ones for elderly family members. For the elderly family I’ll be assisting, the first question is whether they’re safe to remain at home, or join me. In general, I’ll want to stay away from hospitals and any emergency public service centers as they’ll be chaotic and unpredictable, so psychological and medical aid on site is preferable. Because I have limited space and am not planning for a very extreme scenario, I’m not going into my preps in detail because they’re pretty standard. But I’m curious what other Canadians, especially urban dwellers, are doing. Read More 9 3 AdviceScenarios News for the Week 2023-10-09 The Prepared Support - October 9, 2023 Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news. Read More 0 1 News News for the week of 2023-10-02 The Prepared Support - October 7, 2023 Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news. Read More 2 7 News Lets see your EDC Bill Masen - October 7, 2023 As the header says, how about a threat showing each other your typical EDC daily loadout varying by gender, age, geography, profession etc, that way those of us with similar interests may pick up ideas as to how improve your own gear. Read More 20 59 Prepping victories: When has prepping paid off for you? Alicia - October 4, 2023 I had prep victory this weekend. What prep successes have you had? A 18-wheeler truck that was driving next to me in a construction zone on a highway either lost a tire tread or kicked one up right in front of my car. With traffic on my left and the truck on my right, I had no option but to hit it (with seconds to decide). The cars behind me had a similar scenario except that the loose tire tread emerged from my car. The construction had closed several exits so I had to drive for a few miles before I could inspect it all the while monitoring my tire pressure (the car has that option). No tire damage. The front bumper was disconnected and drooping on the right side with only the fog light wiring keeping it from being completely free, and a bottom aerodynamic plate was dragging on the ground on the right side. Obviously I couldn’t drive it like this. Because I had prepped for car emergencies and a GHB, I wasn’t stuck for too long. Items that were put to use: Cell phone and non-emergency number for Highway patrol: I called to get the obstacle removed so others didn’t have this issue. There were shoulders or side in the construction zone. Bonus is that I now have a police report of the incident for insurance which wasn’t necessary. Paracord to tie the bumper to the body of the car. Paracord was strong enough and thin enough to not mess up the hood or panel when I closed it. It was in a survival type bracelet. A bit more to tie in more than one place would probably be better in future. Knotting Skill: how to tie that paracord so it didn’t slip. Small sharpie: used as plumb bob to get the twisty paracord down through the hood to the bumper on the inside the side clip held the cord. Leatherman Wave+ multi-tool to remove the dragging bottom panel. Flathead screwdriver to pop the plastic rivet connectors and the serrated knife blade to cut it free at the axle. Headlamp – even in daylight, that panel was black and in shadow. I would not have seen how to cut it and certainly not while I was cutting it. I could barely reach it. Alcohol wipes: These are in the car for pandemic reasons and were used to clean my hands and the tool of all the black soot from that bottom panel. I used about 6 of them. Large Sheet – in the car by chance and wrapped that large panel before putting it inside the car. It was coated in brake dust and exhaust fumes from nearly 5 years on the road. Read More 28 120 Framework for Prepping Carolyn - October 3, 2023 I’ve always loved survival stories. It’s fun to see how people face adversity. Then I started prepping, and, just like that, I was overwhelmed. Each expert, class, or book had great advice for making things work under this circumstance or that. There were ideas on how to run away if necessary, and how to build a compound to run to. It was all very authoritative, and intense. As a suburban mom of preschoolers, I was more than a little intimidated. I looked for a unifying framework. Prepare by scenario? Focus on the immediate crisis or the aftermath? How long will the aftermath last – forever? How will I learn all those survival skills? Then, yesterday, I watched a video on YouTube by Dr. Emily Schoerning of American Resiliency. Her message is: be alert for challenges and opportunities, then let’s get ready! She suggests three levels of preparedness: three days, three weeks, and three months. First, get ready to be stuck at home, without help from the grid, for three days. It’s easy to imagine and we probably already have most of the stuff we’ll need. Have extra water, food, baby formula, diapers, flashlights, etc. on hand. Then think about getting by for three weeks. This takes a bit more forethought. A longer food list, more first-aid supplies, more awareness of what’s most likely to happen in the local neighborhood, city, or region. Create go bags that will be useful whether bugging in or out. Finally, three months (and longer). At this point, it isn’t about rugged individualism anymore. It’s about surviving as a community. The question is, have you found or built a community ahead of time? How will you contribute to the well-being of your fellow survivors? Preparation at this level is, yes, about having a water source, food, and supplies. It’s also about knowing how to work with folks, playing to your strengths, and supporting theirs. If you’ve already worked with these folks before, all the better. This is the best strategy I’ve found for organizing my approach to getting ready. Do you have a framework that really works for you? How do you organize your thoughts around preparing? Read More 2 3 Meta News for the week of 2023-09-25 The Prepared Support - September 30, 2023 Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news. Read More 3 8 News Mountain House freeze dried food – Sep 2023 30% off pouches, Limited Time sale 50% off #10 cans wildfireexpert - September 30, 2023 Mountain House #10 can sale Wonderful prices on the #10 cans. Examples: Ground Beef $44.67 Diced Chicken $36.59 (lowest prices on #10 cans ground beef/chicken in about 8+ years) Mountain House pouches Pouches 30% off, but this isn’t a huge deal like the #10 cans. Read More 3 1 Prepping books Winston Smith - September 28, 2023 I enjoy reading and collecting prepping books (nonfiction). I’m also making a prepping journal (supplies, gardening, what to do kind of stuff). I have collection of magazines (Mother Earth News, Grit, Country Side). Hardcopies are beneficial for me and my grandkids in case we ever loose power for an extended period of time, i.e., SHTF. The below pic is most of my books. Please recommend books you find useful. Thanks very much. Read More 18 15 Advice News for the week of 2023-09-18 The Prepared Support - September 22, 2023 Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news. Read More 1 4 News Do you include a Communication Board/Cards in your prep? xyz - September 21, 2023 I’ve been thinking about adding communication board or cards in my Level 3 first aid kit. Does anyone have any experience with them, and if so, what are you using? Read More 3 4 GearSkills News for the week of 2023-09-11 The Prepared Support - September 19, 2023 Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news. Read More 1 12 News Prep to be fit and be fit to be prepped UbiqueContributor - September 19, 2023 The state of our physical fitness impacts our ability to survive and cope with a crisis. When I met my husband, he was 6′ 5″ and 400 lbs. Medication side effects, illness and inactivity had taken him to that point. He was so large that when requiring an MRI, he was referred to a veterinary clinic as veterinary equipment could accommodate a person of his size. For anyone horrified by that, don’t be. It is common practice to refer persons to veterinary clinics who are larger than hospital or clinic MRI’s can handle. Just like railway scales are used to weight people who are unable to get an accurate weight otherwise. What matters is getting the results be it for life threatening conditions via a MRI as was my husband’s case or finding a way to become more fit. He was so physically unfit that he was unable to make the short walk to the street from his home and frighteningly out of breath. In a crisis, how could he move fast enough or long enough to save his life? The situation took a horrible turn when he ended up in cardiac ICU and was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. He was placed on insulin and oral medication for the diabetes and had developed a cardiac arrhythmia which required another medication. I didn’t care what he looked like. I already decided that I really cared for him because of the person he is and I was terrified he could die early because of the morbid obesity. Here’s how he became fit. First, we worked as a team and together were educated by the diabetic nurses in a two session information and management course. We learned that diabetics with high sugar experience ravenous hunger. It is very real to them, but is a phantom hunger created by the high blood sugar. We formulated strategies to deal with high blood sugar hunger. He drank water. I distracted him when he said “I’m so hungry” and I knew it was his sugars. We put his diabetic healthy eating chart front and centre on the fridge door. It listed how he should build each meal with protein, carbohydrates, starches, and fats. It also showed him how many servings of each category were allowable for each meal. I met with dieticians and received recipe booklets for healthy eating for diabetics. Most of the booklets were based upon legumes and healthy grains. I learned to cook healthy meals using the new methods they gave me. He loved the food!The legumes and brown rice also are a big part of our pre staples today. Next, we had to tackle his physical conditioning which would be the other component of managing his blood sugar aside from achieving better fitness. When we began, it was hard for him to walk far. He had been crushed in a work related accident years before, and there was residual effects from that. His feet hurt, and he was easily fatigued and out of breath. I found a way to make movement fun for him. There was an empty lot not far away at the end of a road. I would drive us there sometimes and we would waltz under the moonlight, very slowly. But he was moving and having fun. Getting fit should be fun, not a chore! After we moved into our house, we adopted our first dog, a Samoyed, and she became his walking buddy. He could only make it to the end of the block, but the two of them kept going. Little by little, they went farther as they could manage and soon he was walking over an hour twice a day. When she passed, our rescued border collie took her place at his side on his walks. His cardiovascular improved. He wasn’t so winded at the slightest exertion. And the best part, the weight was coming down as was his insulin dose. It didn’t take long until he was off insulin and the oral medication! Our family doctor was amazed and told him that he was the first patient he had who had actually followed the medical advice for managing diabetes. My husband’s diabetes was in remission! About a year later, he was off the cardiac medication. He also got a new wardrobe as his weight decreased. There was no magic formula to how he achieved fitness. It was determination to survive that kept him motivated. His feet hurt at the beginning when he walked, but he pushed through that pain because he understood why it was happening and that once his weight was down, the foot pain would be eliminated. He went from a size 56″ waist to a size 38″ waist and he did it in a healthy, sensible way. He went from 400 lbs to 225 lbs. He became fit. He had to have another MRI, only this time, he had no problem getting it done at the hospital. I told you how my husband became fit, because it is a part of prepping. We talk about possibly having to walk in a disaster or carry packs. We may have to defend ourselves in hand to hand combat. We may have to forage for food or haul water. Many disasters invoke the need for labour intensive tasks. A physically fit prepper can do it. A physically unfit prepper can hurt themselves or worse, give themselves a heart attack. I shared my husband’s journey to become fit to help anyone here who is struggling with achieving fitness. It can be done sensibly. Get educated, get resources, make the changes you need to make. Last year, my husband hand dug and lowered a berm on the front of our property. People stopped and commented how fit he was and couldn’t believe his age. He became a healthier person. He became fit. And if you are struggling, you can do it, too. Read More 18 31 Evaluating information – a prepper skill July LewisContributor - September 18, 2023 Evaluating information is a really important prepper skill! I would love to see The Prepared do an in-depth article on it. Would anyone else like to see that? While I’m not the person to write it, here’s an outline of what could be covered just to get the idea out there! WHY IT MATTERS: There are many threats and crises where correctly evaluating conflicting sources of information can be vital. Is this a real threat or hype? Is this rumor or fact? What sources can I trust? How reliable is this recommendation? Do I believe this politician, or this government agency, or my cousin on Facebook? Do I act on this information or should I wait?This is the case in particular for situations that develop over time, like a pandemic, economic or political crisis, civil unrest or war. During these times misinformation and rumor are everywhere, and trust in institutions declines. But even in very fast moving situations (“Is the fire heading my way or not?”) it can be very relevant. BEING AWARE OF COGNITIVE BIAS. Understanding things like normalcy bias and confirmation bias and how they affect our own thinking are very important. Be aware of our own ways of tripping up and recognize when others around you are doing it. MEDIA LITERACY. Understanding the reliability of different sources, how to fact check, what the motivations of different sources are (are they invested in journalistic integrity, or are they sensationalist), being willing to look at sources from opposing views and different countries, and also seeing the limitations and biases of traditional journalism. Social media literacy is an important subset – understanding its strengths and weaknesses, the motivations of those who spread misinformation and how and why fake news spreads faster than the truth. SCIENCE LITERACY. Understanding how science builds knowledge (peer review, it’s not about one study, and it can be slow in response to a fast moving situation), that studies can be flawed, that science-y language doesn’t make it science, what cherry-picking is, that expertise is real and the serious limitations of “doing your own research”. TRUSTING INSTITUTIONS. We are in an era of increasing mistrust of institutions (the government, the police, the CDC, journalism). These are all reliable sources of information to varying degrees but none are at all perfect, and it is valuable to have a nuanced understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. Examples are the slowness with which they react because of bureaucracy, the challenges of messaging, the mission to communicate correct information but also shape public behavior (e.g. avoid panic), and the influences of politics and profit. WHEN AND HOW TO RELY ON FAST INFORMATION. Science and journalism take time and in a fast moving situation, sources like early scientific studies, Twitter, and first hand accounts may give you an essential edge if you can evaluate them correctly. UNDERSTANDING POLARIZATION. The more politically polarized we are, the more misinformed we tend to be. When we are politically or culturally at war, we distrust anything the “other side” says simply because they said it, we believe everything “our side” says without question, we believe everything bad about the other side and good about our side because it feels right and we are emotionally invested, and things that ought to be neutral somehow get drawn into it when they become vaguely associated with one side or another. All of this can lead to being poorly informed and vulnerable to blind spots, misinformation, and conspiracy theories. SHORT CUT RECOMMENDATIONS. It’s great to learn all the above stuff about evaluating information but it is a lot of work. An article like this could conclude with some shortcut recommendations on specific trustworthy sources and strategies. Those are my thoughts! Read More 29 35 Skills The Pandemic is Only Beginning: The Long COVID Disaster Hardened - September 18, 2023 I just ran across this article and offer it here as food for thought: The Pandemic is Only Beginning: The Long COVID Disaster The ideas are still percolating in me and I’m curious to hear other people’s reactions to it. Read More 2 17 Best survival knife all purpose IYO? marrah - September 16, 2023 I’d like to know the current, best IYO (in your opinion) survival knife/tool. I’d like to keep this under $100, and less is good! To me, I’m thinking the Rambo knife is still the best option for everything. I’d like to see any options, pros and cons, best deals, and tell me what you’d depend on for outback living in the wild. Your best finds and prices for the “Rambo” knife are greatly appreciated. @Marrah Read More 13 43 Online survival/prepping courses? Jon StokesStaff - September 11, 2023 I’m doing some research for an article, and I’m wondering if anyone here has a favorite online course related to prepping or survival that they’ve taken? If so, I’d love to check out whatever you’ve found useful. Thanks! Read More 19 19 News for the Week 2023-09-04 The Prepared Support - September 11, 2023 News for the Week 2023-09-04 Read More 1 5 Experience using confit? Adriaan - September 10, 2023 Does anyone have experience making confit? I read it can last 6 months in the fridge. Any advice/resources would be appreciated 🙂 Read More 1 1 300 Blackout SBR (short barrel rifle) RedneckContributor - September 8, 2023 It is Christmas Eve, the sun is out & the temp is 70 degrees. I’m home alone, as my wife stays with her 100 year old mom several days a week. So what to do? How about head down to my home range & do some shootn’! Today I’m shooting my favorite rifle… my 300 Blackout. So to begin with, it is a SBR… short barrel rifle. The barrel is 11.5 inches long, as opposed to a standard 16″ carbine barrel. To have such a barrel, I had to apply to the government, the ATF, to get checked out & approved. The approval form is called a stamp & it costs $200 to apply for one. I like to shoot SBRs because I also shoot with a suppressor. The added length & weight of a suppressor to a carbine length barrel is just excessive for me. The gun just isn’t balanced. But put a suppressor on a SBR & it just feels & looks natural to me. Oh, by the way, you have to get a stamp for each suppressor too. 300 Blackout ammo is relatively new. What I like about it is that it shoots a much larger & heavier bullet than a standard 5.56 AR. This gives it really good knock down power. This ammo also burns all its powder completely when shot thru a short barrel. And best of all, when using subsonic ammo with a suppressor, the gun is rather quiet. Not silent by any stretch… but quiet enough you don’t need hearing protection. The down side is that this ammo is not well suited for long range shooting. At my age, I won’t shoot anything past 100 yards, so that is a non factor for me. I mostly shoot subsonic ammo as it is much quieter than high velocity ammo. With high velocity ammo, you get a very loud crack as the bullet passes thru the sound barrier. By using ammo that stays below the speed of sound, you don’t get that loud crack… plus the ammo itself is a bit quieter. This rifle, as with any AR styled rifle, is exceptionally easy to shoot. There is almost no kick, it is very quiet with the suppressor attached, and it is simple to aim. I use an Aimpoint Pro red dot sight with backup iron sights that fold down when not in use. The Aimpoint will run for around 3 years on a single battery, but if the optic were to fail in a crisis, the backup sights pop up & you can see them thru the nonfunctional Aimpoint. This is called a co witness. In the pics below, note the backup sights down and then up. For this rifle, I use a Saker 7.62 suppressor with quick detatch. Since 300 Blackout ammo & 5.56 ammo is so similar, I use solid black magazines for my 5.56 and use the translucent (see thru) magazines for 300 Blackout. And with the 300 Blackout, I use 20 round magazines for the subsonic ammo & use 30 round magazines for high velocity ammo. The upper is an AAC SBR 300 Blackout upper. I use a Stag lower. And below, is pictured my home range located in my bottom pasture. Read More 17 34 Navigating the healthcare system in the USA EzlyAmuzzed - September 6, 2023 Looking for any advice or learned lessons on navigating our healthcare system when you have something more than a minor illness. I know many of us have gone through this and would like to hear some of the things you have learned. Any trustworthy apps to keep track of your medical records so you have it on hand for each doctor? How to deal with the insurance company when the code given is ineligible or incurs extra cost? How to not eat through your savings? When to recognize a test is necessary or unnecessary? How and when to get second opinions? How do you research doctors you are referred to so that you get one of the best for your case? Anything I haven’t mentioned please feel free to offer ideas. Read More 11 19 Advice News for the Week 2023-08-28 The Prepared Support - September 5, 2023 Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news. Read More 2 21 News News of the week 2023-07-24 The Prepared Support - August 30, 2023 Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news. Read More 2 13 News Interview participants undergraduatediss - August 29, 2023 Hi! I’m currently doing my undergraduate dissertation on the role of women within the prepping community. My project aims to celebrate the contribution of women and highlight their significance. I am looking for participants to interview. The interview will be held over microsoft teams and last no longer than 30 minutes. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested. Thanks so much. Read More -3 2 < Prev 1 2 3 … 5 6 7 … 58 59 60 Next > Recently Active News for the Week 2024-09-30 - 5 days agoNews for the Week 2024-09-23 - 2 weeks agoTime to Replace Smoke Detectors-Looking for Recommendations - 2 weeks agoHow to avoid losing your entire digital life in an instant - 1 month agoNews for the week of 2024-08-26 - 1 month 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

Water Preserver replacement

MarcusAurelius - October 11, 2023

It’s time to refresh some of my water storage again.

Last time, I used a product called Water Preserver Concentrate from 7C’s Safety & Environmental Inc. I think that I bought it from Water Brick or from Ready Store. From what I can tell, that product is no longer sold for whatever reason. 

Does someone have a recommendation for a similar product?

Read More

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What are my fellow urban Canadians doing different about prepping? Here’s some of what I have done and worked.

Frozen22 - October 11, 2023

I hope I’m not duplicating an existing thread, but I thought it would be useful to have some discussion specific to Canadian members, given differences in laws, available products, climate, infrastructure, etc. I’m a newish prepper and am interested in how others are setting themselves up. I live a in a city in Western Canada, in a condo, so I don’t have land, a garage, or tons of storage space. Given those limitations I’m still better set up than most people in my city.

First, my perspective. I really only focus on a two-week scenario. I’m assuming my plan would involved (1) bugging in, (2) assisting three elderly family members, (3) contending with overloaded public services, and (4) no “societal breakdown,” partly because that is such a vague concept. I have no problems with guns but don’t own any and don’t plan to (though I might get armor). There are very different laws here regarding weapons, self-defense, etc., and it would be good for Canadians to be aware of those.

My main scenarios are (1) loss of power during extreme cold or heat, (2) water system breakdown, (3) air contamination largely from fires.

I’ve developed my plan by asking, what would I need to get by, and what shortfalls/losses would I find demoralizing. So I’ve planned on the high end for maintaining hygiene and related items. If the water system went down, the prospect of 00s of 000s or millions of people pooping in their yards or plastic bags (ineptly and in a panic) raises concerns about air and water contamination, and obvious panics about supplies. 

I have food and water preps, medical, and air filtration, so far. I’m investigating solar generators and am debating which one I should get (affordable but also useable over 14 days), as well as a panel. I’d prefer to get a large unit and two smaller ones for elderly family members.

For the elderly family I’ll be assisting, the first question is whether they’re safe to remain at home, or join me. In general, I’ll want to stay away from hospitals and any emergency public service centers as they’ll be chaotic and unpredictable, so psychological and medical aid on site is preferable.

Because I have limited space and am not planning for a very extreme scenario, I’m not going into my preps in detail because they’re pretty standard. But I’m curious what other Canadians, especially urban dwellers, are doing.

Read More

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AdviceScenarios

News for the Week 2023-10-09

The Prepared Support - October 9, 2023

Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news.

Read More

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1

News

News for the week of 2023-10-02

The Prepared Support - October 7, 2023

Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news.

Read More

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News

Lets see your EDC

Bill Masen - October 7, 2023

As the header says, how about a threat showing each other your typical EDC daily loadout varying by gender, age, geography, profession etc, that way those of us with similar interests may pick up ideas as to how improve your own gear.

Read More

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Prepping victories: When has prepping paid off for you?

Alicia - October 4, 2023

I had  prep victory this weekend.  What prep successes have you had?

A 18-wheeler truck that was driving next to me in a construction zone on a highway either lost a tire tread or kicked one up right in front of my car.  With traffic on my left and the truck on my right, I had no option but to hit it (with seconds to decide).  The cars behind me had a similar scenario except that the loose tire tread emerged from my car.  The construction had closed several exits so I had to drive for a few miles before I could inspect it all the while monitoring my tire pressure (the car has that option).  No tire damage.  The front bumper was disconnected and drooping on the right side with only the fog light wiring keeping it from being completely free, and a bottom aerodynamic plate was dragging on the ground on the right side.  Obviously I couldn’t drive it like this.  Because I had prepped for car emergencies and a GHB, I wasn’t stuck for too long.  Items that were put to use:

Cell phone and non-emergency number for Highway patrol:  I called to get the obstacle removed so others didn’t have this issue.  There were shoulders or side in the construction zone.  Bonus is that I now have a police report of the incident for insurance which wasn’t necessary. Paracord to tie the bumper to the body of the car.  Paracord was strong enough and thin enough to not mess up the hood or panel when I closed it.  It was in a survival type bracelet.  A bit more to tie in more than one place would probably be better in future. Knotting Skill:  how to tie that paracord so it didn’t slip. Small sharpie:  used as plumb bob to get the twisty paracord down through the hood to the bumper on the inside the side clip held the cord. Leatherman Wave+ multi-tool to remove the dragging bottom panel.  Flathead screwdriver to pop the plastic rivet connectors and the serrated knife blade to cut it free at the axle. Headlamp – even in daylight, that panel was black and in shadow.  I would not have seen how to cut it and certainly not while I was cutting it.  I could barely reach it. Alcohol wipes:  These are in the car for pandemic reasons and were used to clean my hands and the tool of all the black soot from that bottom panel.  I used about 6 of them. Large Sheet – in the car by chance and wrapped that large panel before putting it inside the car.  It was coated in brake dust and exhaust fumes from nearly 5 years on the road. Read More

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Framework for Prepping

Carolyn - October 3, 2023

I’ve always loved survival stories. It’s fun to see how people face adversity.

Then I started prepping, and, just like that, I was overwhelmed. Each expert, class, or book had great advice for making things work under this circumstance or that. There were ideas on how to run away if necessary, and how to build a compound to run to. It was all very authoritative, and intense.

As a suburban mom of preschoolers, I was more than a little intimidated.

I looked for a unifying framework. Prepare by scenario? Focus on the immediate crisis or the aftermath? How long will the aftermath last – forever? How will I learn all those survival skills?

Then, yesterday, I watched a video on YouTube by Dr. Emily Schoerning of American Resiliency. Her message is: be alert for challenges and opportunities, then let’s get ready!

She suggests three levels of preparedness: three days, three weeks, and three months.

First, get ready to be stuck at home, without help from the grid, for three days. It’s easy to imagine and we probably already have most of the stuff we’ll need. Have extra water, food, baby formula, diapers, flashlights, etc. on hand.

Then think about getting by for three weeks. This takes a bit more forethought. A longer food list, more first-aid supplies, more awareness of what’s most likely to happen in the local neighborhood, city, or region. Create go bags that will be useful whether bugging in or out.

Finally, three months (and longer). At this point, it isn’t about rugged individualism anymore. It’s about surviving as a community. The question is, have you found or built a community ahead of time? How will you contribute to the well-being of your fellow survivors? Preparation at this level is, yes, about having a water source, food, and supplies. It’s also about knowing how to work with folks, playing to your strengths, and supporting theirs. If you’ve already worked with these folks before, all the better.

This is the best strategy I’ve found for organizing my approach to getting ready.

Do you have a framework that really works for you? How do you organize your thoughts around preparing?

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Meta

News for the week of 2023-09-25

The Prepared Support - September 30, 2023

Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news.

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News

Mountain House freeze dried food – Sep 2023 30% off pouches, Limited Time sale 50% off #10 cans

wildfireexpert - September 30, 2023

Mountain House #10 can sale 

Wonderful prices on the #10 cans.   Examples:   Ground Beef $44.67    Diced Chicken $36.59

(lowest prices on #10 cans ground beef/chicken in about 8+ years)

Mountain House pouches

Pouches 30% off, but this isn’t a huge deal like the #10 cans.   

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Prepping books

Winston Smith - September 28, 2023

I enjoy reading and collecting prepping books (nonfiction).  I’m also making a prepping journal (supplies, gardening, what to do kind of stuff).  I have collection of magazines (Mother Earth News, Grit, Country Side).  Hardcopies are beneficial for me and my grandkids in case we ever loose power for an extended period of time, i.e., SHTF.  The below pic is most of my books.  Please recommend books you find useful. Thanks very much. 

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Advice

 

News for the week of 2023-09-18

The Prepared Support - September 22, 2023

Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news.

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News

Do you include a Communication Board/Cards in your prep?

xyz - September 21, 2023

I’ve been thinking about adding communication board or cards in my Level 3 first aid kit.  Does anyone have any experience with them, and if so, what are you using?

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GearSkills

News for the week of 2023-09-11

The Prepared Support - September 19, 2023

Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news.

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News

Prep to be fit and be fit to be prepped

UbiqueContributor - September 19, 2023

The state of our physical fitness impacts our ability to survive and cope with a crisis. 

When I met my husband, he was 6′ 5″ and 400 lbs. Medication side effects, illness and inactivity had taken him to that point.

He was so large that when requiring an MRI, he was referred to a veterinary clinic as veterinary equipment could accommodate a person of his size.

For anyone horrified by that, don’t be. It is common practice to refer persons to veterinary clinics who are larger than hospital or clinic MRI’s can handle. Just like railway scales are used to weight people who are unable to get an accurate weight otherwise.

What matters is getting the results be it for life threatening conditions via a MRI as was my husband’s case or finding a way to become more fit.

He was so physically unfit that he was unable to make the short walk to the street from his home and frighteningly out of breath.

In a crisis, how could he move fast enough or long enough to save his life?

The situation took a horrible turn when he ended up in cardiac ICU and was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. He was placed on insulin and oral medication for the diabetes and had developed a cardiac arrhythmia which required another medication.

I didn’t care what he looked like. I already decided that I really cared for him because of the person he is and I was terrified he could die early because of the morbid obesity.

Here’s how he became fit. 

First, we worked as a team and together were educated by the diabetic nurses in a two session information and management course. We learned that diabetics with high sugar experience ravenous hunger. It is very real to them, but is a phantom hunger created by the high blood sugar.

We formulated strategies to deal with high blood sugar hunger. He drank water. I distracted him when he said “I’m so hungry” and I knew it was his sugars.

We put his diabetic healthy eating chart front and centre on the fridge door. It listed how he should build each meal with protein, carbohydrates, starches, and fats. It also showed him how many servings of each category were allowable for each meal.

I met with dieticians and received recipe booklets for healthy eating for diabetics. Most of the booklets were based upon legumes and healthy grains. I learned to cook healthy meals using the new methods they gave me. He loved the food!
The legumes and brown rice also are a big part of our pre staples today.

Next, we had to tackle his physical conditioning which would be the other component of managing his blood sugar aside from achieving better fitness.

When we began, it was hard for him to walk far. He had been crushed in a work related accident years before, and there was residual effects from that. His feet hurt, and he was easily fatigued and out of breath.

I found a way to make movement fun for him. There was an empty lot not far away at the end of a road. I would drive us there sometimes and we would waltz under the moonlight, very slowly. But he was moving and having fun. Getting fit should be fun, not a chore!

After we moved into our house, we adopted our first dog, a Samoyed, and she became his walking buddy. He could only make it to the end of the block, but the two of them kept going. 

Little by little, they went farther as they could manage and soon he was walking over an hour twice a day. When she passed, our rescued border collie took her place at his side on his walks.

His cardiovascular improved. He wasn’t so winded at the slightest exertion.

And the best part, the weight was coming down as was his insulin dose. It didn’t take long until he was off insulin and the oral medication!

Our family doctor was amazed and told him that he was the first patient he had who had actually followed the medical advice for managing diabetes. My husband’s diabetes was in remission! About a year later, he was off the cardiac medication.

He also got a new wardrobe as his weight decreased.

There was no magic formula to how he achieved fitness. It was determination to survive that kept him motivated. His feet hurt at the beginning when he walked, but he pushed through that pain because he understood why it was happening and that once his weight was down, the foot pain would be eliminated.

He went from a size 56″ waist to a size 38″ waist and he did it in a healthy, sensible way. He went from 400 lbs to 225 lbs. He became fit.

He had to have another MRI, only this time, he had no problem getting it done at the hospital.

I told you how my husband became fit, because it is a part of prepping. We talk about possibly having to walk in a disaster or carry packs. We may have to defend ourselves in hand to hand combat. We may have to forage for food or haul water. 

Many disasters invoke the need for labour intensive tasks. A physically fit prepper can do it. A physically unfit prepper can hurt themselves or worse, give themselves a heart attack.

I shared my husband’s journey to become fit to help anyone here who is struggling with achieving fitness. It can be done sensibly. Get educated, get resources, make the changes you need to make. 

Last year, my husband hand dug and lowered a berm on the front of our property. People stopped and commented how fit he was and couldn’t believe his age.

He became a healthier person. He became fit. And if you are struggling, you can do it, too.

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Evaluating information – a prepper skill

July LewisContributor - September 18, 2023

Evaluating information is a really important prepper skill! I would love to see The Prepared do an in-depth article on it. Would anyone else like to see that? While I’m not the person to write it, here’s an outline of what could be covered just to get the idea out there! 

WHY IT MATTERS: There are many threats and crises where correctly evaluating conflicting sources of information can be vital. Is this a real threat or hype? Is this rumor or fact? What sources can I trust? How reliable is this recommendation? Do I believe this politician, or this government agency, or my cousin on Facebook? Do I act on this information or should I wait?This is the case in particular for situations that develop over time, like a pandemic, economic or political crisis, civil unrest or war. During these times misinformation and rumor are everywhere, and trust in institutions declines. But even in very fast moving situations (“Is the fire heading my way or not?”) it can be very relevant. 

BEING AWARE OF COGNITIVE BIAS. Understanding things like normalcy bias and confirmation bias and how they affect our own thinking are very important. Be aware of our own ways of tripping up and recognize when others around you are doing it.

MEDIA LITERACY. Understanding the reliability of different sources, how to fact check, what the motivations of different sources are (are they invested in journalistic integrity, or are they sensationalist), being willing to look at sources from opposing views and different countries, and also seeing the limitations and biases of traditional journalism. Social media literacy is an important subset – understanding its strengths and weaknesses, the motivations of those who spread misinformation and how and why fake news spreads faster than the truth.

SCIENCE LITERACY. Understanding how science builds knowledge (peer review, it’s not about one study, and it can be slow in response to a fast moving situation), that studies can be flawed, that science-y language doesn’t make it science, what cherry-picking is, that expertise is real and the serious limitations of “doing your own research”. 

TRUSTING INSTITUTIONS. We are in an era of increasing mistrust of institutions (the government, the police, the CDC, journalism). These are all reliable sources of information to varying degrees but none are at all perfect, and it is valuable to have a nuanced understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. Examples are the slowness with which they react because of bureaucracy, the challenges of messaging, the mission to communicate correct information but also shape public behavior (e.g. avoid panic), and the influences of politics and profit. 

WHEN AND HOW TO RELY ON FAST INFORMATION. Science and journalism take time and in a fast moving situation, sources like early scientific studies, Twitter, and first hand accounts may give you an essential edge if you can evaluate them correctly.  

UNDERSTANDING POLARIZATION. The more politically polarized we are, the more misinformed we tend to be. When we are politically or culturally at war, we distrust anything the “other side” says simply because they said it, we believe everything “our side” says without question, we believe everything bad about the other side and good about our side because it feels right and we are emotionally invested, and things that ought to be neutral somehow get drawn into it when they become vaguely associated with one side or another. All of this can lead to being poorly informed and vulnerable to blind spots, misinformation, and conspiracy theories.

SHORT CUT RECOMMENDATIONS. It’s great to learn all the above stuff about evaluating information but it is a lot of work. An article like this could conclude with some shortcut recommendations on specific trustworthy sources and strategies. 

Those are my thoughts!

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Skills

The Pandemic is Only Beginning: The Long COVID Disaster

Hardened - September 18, 2023

I just ran across this article and offer it here as food for thought:

The Pandemic is Only Beginning: The Long COVID Disaster

The ideas are still percolating in me and I’m curious to hear other people’s reactions to it.

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Best survival knife all purpose IYO?

marrah - September 16, 2023

I’d like to know the current, best IYO (in your opinion) survival knife/tool. I’d like to keep this under $100, and less is good! To me, I’m thinking the Rambo knife is still the best option for everything. I’d like to see any options, pros and cons, best deals, and tell me what you’d depend on for outback living in the wild. Your best finds and prices for the “Rambo” knife are greatly appreciated.

@Marrah

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Online survival/prepping courses?

Jon StokesStaff - September 11, 2023

I’m doing some research for an article, and I’m wondering if anyone here has a favorite online course related to prepping or survival that they’ve taken? If so, I’d love to check out whatever you’ve found useful. Thanks!

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News for the Week 2023-09-04

The Prepared Support - September 11, 2023

News for the Week 2023-09-04

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Experience using confit?

Adriaan - September 10, 2023

Does anyone have experience making confit? I read it can last 6 months in the fridge. Any advice/resources would be appreciated 🙂

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300 Blackout SBR (short barrel rifle)

RedneckContributor - September 8, 2023

It is Christmas Eve, the sun is out & the temp is 70 degrees. I’m home alone, as my wife stays with her 100 year old mom several days a week. So what to do? How about head down to my home range & do some shootn’! Today I’m shooting my favorite rifle… my 300 Blackout.

So to begin with, it is a SBR… short barrel rifle. The barrel is 11.5 inches long, as opposed to a standard 16″ carbine barrel. To have such a barrel, I had to apply to the government, the ATF, to get checked out & approved. The approval form is called a stamp & it costs $200 to apply for one. I like to shoot SBRs because I also shoot with a suppressor. The added length & weight of a suppressor to a carbine length barrel is just excessive for me. The gun just isn’t balanced. But put a suppressor on a SBR & it just feels & looks natural to me. Oh, by the way, you have to get a stamp for each suppressor too.

300 Blackout ammo is relatively new.  What I like about it is that it shoots a much larger & heavier bullet than a standard 5.56 AR.  This gives it really good knock down power.  This ammo also burns all its powder completely when shot thru a short barrel.  And best of all, when using subsonic ammo with a suppressor, the gun is rather quiet.  Not silent by any stretch… but quiet enough you don’t need hearing protection.  The down side is that this ammo is not well suited for long range shooting.  At my age, I won’t shoot anything past 100 yards, so that is a non factor for me.  I mostly shoot subsonic ammo as it is much quieter than high velocity ammo.  With high velocity ammo, you get a very loud crack as the bullet passes thru the sound barrier.  By using ammo that stays below the speed of sound, you don’t get that loud crack… plus the ammo itself is a bit quieter.

This rifle, as with any AR styled rifle, is exceptionally easy to shoot.  There is almost no kick, it is very quiet with the suppressor attached, and it is simple to aim.  I use an Aimpoint Pro red dot sight with backup iron sights that fold down when not in use.  The Aimpoint will run for around 3 years on a single battery, but if the optic were to fail in a crisis, the backup sights pop up & you can see them thru the nonfunctional Aimpoint.  This is called a co witness.  In the pics below, note the backup sights down and then up.

For this rifle, I use a Saker 7.62 suppressor with quick detatch.

Since 300 Blackout ammo & 5.56 ammo is so similar, I use solid black magazines for my 5.56 and use the translucent (see thru) magazines for 300 Blackout.  And with the 300 Blackout, I use 20 round magazines for the subsonic ammo & use 30 round magazines for high velocity ammo.

The upper is an AAC SBR 300 Blackout upper.  I use a Stag lower.  And below, is pictured my home range located in my bottom pasture.

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Navigating the healthcare system in the USA

EzlyAmuzzed - September 6, 2023

Looking for any advice or learned lessons on navigating our healthcare system when you have something more than a minor illness. I know many of us have gone through this and would like to hear some of the things you have learned.

Any trustworthy apps to keep track of your medical records so you have it on hand for each doctor?

How to deal with the insurance company when the code given is ineligible or incurs extra cost?

How to not eat through your savings?

When to recognize a test is necessary or unnecessary?

How and when to get second opinions?

How do you research doctors you are referred to so that you get one of the best for your case?

Anything I haven’t mentioned please feel free to offer ideas.

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Advice

News for the Week 2023-08-28

The Prepared Support - September 5, 2023

Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news.

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News

News of the week 2023-07-24

The Prepared Support - August 30, 2023

Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news.

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Interview participants

undergraduatediss - August 29, 2023

Hi! I’m currently doing my undergraduate dissertation on the role of women within the prepping community. My project aims to celebrate the contribution of women and highlight their significance. I am looking for participants to interview. The interview will be held over microsoft teams and last no longer than 30 minutes. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested. Thanks so much. 

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