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My BOB really needs some work…
Gideon ParkerStaff - January 11, 2021 Oh boy… where to start?
The quick lesson of this forum post is to check your preps. And here is why I say that:
About 3 or 4 years ago I decided to make a BOB. I didn’t have much of a budget to put towards it, so I just used things that I had laying around the house and bought a few smaller items. And for the past few years I told myself “You have your BOB, you are prepared in that area and you don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
I finally knew that something was wrong though when I went to go lift the bag and seriously couldn’t lift it. (I am in a wheelchair, and can’t lift too much like a normal person could, but still it was very heavy) And there isn’t much of a point having a bug out bag if you can’t even carry it. So I decided to record a video of me going through my BOB like a time capsule, not knowing what I would find.
My prepping knowledge has increased significantly in the past few years, especially thanks to The Prepared, so I knew what to look out for as I went through my old bag. Here is a summary of what I discovered about myself while going through my BOB in case you don’t want to watch the video:
I had one bag full of all the items for my wife and I. This is something I want to change and make two separate smaller BOB’s for each of us. Distribute the load, and if we ever got separated, we could survive on our own. Back when I built this bag, I kind of just threw old camping gear, extra things I had laying around, bulk first aid items, and old EDC things that I had since found better replacements for. This really is a budget bag and I spent so little on it. I guess I should go easy on myself because I did pretty good with being resourceful and making a step in the direction of making a BOB is better than not having one at all. I really lacked in some areas such as fire making, light sources, and tools such as knives, saws, and multitools. I had a bit too much in some areas such as just throwing all of my extra Mylar blankets in the BOB, and having quite a lot of first aid gear. Some items I just didn’t really need. While they would be nice, they are taking up valuable room and weight. Like the notebook, pen, and pencil. While better than nothing, some of the items really are horrible for a survival situation and should be replaced. Like my all cotton extra pair of jeans, t-shirt, underwear, and socks. These won’t give me much protection and help. I need to think about the most likely scenario for my bugging out. Will I bug out to the woods and camp and make fires? or will I bug out to a hotel and the fire making stuff will be pretty useless? I need to tailor my new BOB a bit more to what I think I will be doing. In the video I say that I want to split the one big bag into two smaller backpacks that I had just laying around. While I still want to do this, the two smaller backpacks that I show in the video are way too small and couldn’t hold the minimal gear I was putting into them. So I need to invest in a slightly larger and better bag.Here are some things that 4 year ago me did pretty good at:
I still like categorizing my things into gallon ziploc bags. So I just need to reach in for the first aid bag, or the shelter bag. I liked how resourceful I was by using things around the house like free sample shampoo in my toiletries kit, but probably should invest in other items not likely to burst in the bag.So I’m going to add a goal this year to improve my BOB. I want to make it more balanced. Weight, size, quality of items, and making sure each category is covered not too much or too little.
I will do an update as I make a new one and will present it in a very nice kit using The Prepared’s kit builder. But for now, I need to go back to square one and really work on figuring out what I want in there, and how to do it.
So what do you think? What would you rate my BOB? I give it a 4/10, better than nothing, but lots of room for improvement.
What are some items you recommend? Have you taken a look at your BOB recently? I think you probably should…
Read MoreDedicated shelter/sleeping bag/pad for BOB — is it a must?
pnwsarahContributor - January 7, 2021 I have a pretty solid/complete BOB at this point, but there is one thing I keep putting off adding to my pack: Shelter, and the Level 2 sleeping apparatus that would go in a shelter like bags and pads. We’re outdoorsy types, so we have (lightweight, good quality) tents, pads, and sleeping bags. I don’t really want to keep backpacking/camping gear we regularly use in our BOBs prepped for an evac: The dude would object, the stuff would routinely not end up back in the BOBs after weekend adventures, and even if it did, it would be bad for our down bags to keep them bunched up in our packs.
So then I think, “Buy duplicates?” That approach has the advantage of allowing me to shop for prepping-oriented items (e.g., no inflatable sleeping pads), but honestly I think our tents and bags are fine for prepping, and we know that things like tents and tarps are “get what you pay for” items where going the cheap route isn’t advisable. And finally, there’s this emotional element: The idea of spending significant money on a second sleeping bag (that will live an unhealthfully compressed life) or a third tent chafes me to a degree that my other prepping expenditures to date have not. Those purchases have felt practical, but this idea just feels inescapably wasteful— even at the level of a good-quality tarp.
Maybe that’s because I have a really hard time envisioning a scenario in which we would be able to grab the BOBs but not the tent, bags, and pads. When I think about what I’m prepping for (i.e., what’s actually likely), I think about camping out in our backyard for a few weeks or months after a major earthquake (which our house is overwhelmingly likely to survive, because of how it’s built, so even if we can’t live in it post-quake, we’ll be able to get things out of it), or having to evacuate due to wildfire. We have a 4WD vehicle with a bed in the back, so most “leave the property” situations that I can envision involve throwing stuff in the adventure/bug out vehicle.
But then I circle back to feeling like I should have something in my BOB to provide shelter and/or warmth, and I start thinking about a cheap bivvy like this one. Then I berate myself for even thinking of buying something so poorly constructed and doomed to fail.
Can you all help me get back to Sane Prepper on this? Am I allowed to rely on my existing high-quality outdoor gear? Should I back it up with a cheap bivvy and call it good? Can you talk me into a tarp? And how do people deal with the fact that sleeping bags aren’t meant to be stored compressed? I figure there have got to be a lot of you out there who have optimized shelter based on similar considerations, so please, tell me what you think!
Read MorePrepping organization (diary / journals / to-do / lists / etc)
10 Canadian Winters - January 4, 2021 I’m fairly new to prepping though I’ve been looking at The Prepared for a while now. There’s a lot going on and a lot of data to take in, and I’m feeling a little bit overwhelmed about how to organize all of it; how to prioritize all of it.
What are your ways to organize all your preps? So far I have some food and water, half constructed bug out bags, some car safety stuff. Not much for winter yet. Different things are stored in different parts of the house. My skills are also a little bit over the place.
Last night I thought about some sort of Prepping Journal, something similar to Gardening Journals, but specifically for prepping. I found a website which recommended making a bullet journal, but otherwise there really isn’t much out there.
I do feel like getting a hold of the organization will help me know where to focus and how to prioritize. I’m happy to hear how everyone organizes all of it.
Read MoreWorried about generator noise attracting attention
Jay ValenciaContributor - January 3, 2021 Was looking at reddit when I saw question about generator noise and wanted to get some advice and your opinion on what I should do.
I have a large whole house generator that I store in a shed, but will pull out and plug into the side of my house if the power goes off for more than a couple of hours. If there was a true disaster and the whole neighborhood goes dark for a week or more, I can see this as a security issue. I don’t want my generator to be the only noise and house the only one lit up on our entire block.
I can see people trying to come and steal it, or think that I have tons of preps(which I do), coming over and asking to charge their phones, or heat something in my microwave.
I want to help others, but also keep my family and our preps safe.
Read MoreGardening books – recommendations and reviews?
C P.Contributor - January 1, 2021 This is a thread to review and recommend (or discommend) gardening and small-scale livestock books. I worked with John Ramsey on revising The Prepared’s books page (the revisions aren’t live yet), but I know that there are many more interesting books than what fit on that list. I thought it would be useful for community members to be able to recommend the books they’ve found most helpful and share about things they are reading.
To keep things organized, I suggest making each book review a separate post (even if it’s just a short paragraph), rather than listing multiple books in one post.
Read MoreHow I built a trellis for grape vines
RedneckContributor - December 22, 2020 IMO, grapes are a great choice for home gardeners and especially for preppers. In the warm areas of the country, such as where I live in North Mississippi, the grape of choice is the muscadine. Below is how I built my trellis a few years ago. First I set my treated posts, where I use 6×6 posts on the ends and 4×4 posts down the line. To attach and tension the 12.5 gauge high tensile wire, I use the Gripple product, which in this case includes the wirevise, the wire joiners, ground anchors and the tensioning tool. With this product, you feed the wire into a slot & the wire can only keep going forward. It can’t be pulled back out, like Chinese finger traps. Makes tensioning the wire exceptionally easy… especially with their tool. You can purchase the product from Amazon but I get my orchard supplies from Orchard Valley Supply. https://www.orchardvalleysupply.com/…ons/trellising
I drilled a hole thru the 6×6 end posts, slid in a wirevise on the outside of the post & fed the 12.5 gauge high tensile wire thru the wirevise, then tensioned from one end & then attached stainless guides on top of the 4×4 line posts. I’m holding a wirevise so you can see how it looks.
Even though all posts are set 2 1/2 – 3 feet deep with concrete, you want to brace the end posts to keep them from leaning under the tension of the wire… especially when the wire is loaded with fruit and vines. On this end, I’m using Gripple earth anchors. They are driven, in this case, 3 feet into the ground, until the loop just barely sticks out. You then pull the drive rod out, slide it thru the loop and then pull up. This causes the anchor to pivot underground and then lock in place. When done the loop is now about 6 inches above ground.
Ready to pound the anchor deep underground.
This is where you pull up the rod, slide it thru the wire loop & pull upward until the end rotates & locks in place.
I then use the end post kit, which includes the Gripple wire joiner & the galvanized wire with a loop on one side, to tension the end post to the ground anchor.
One trellis now fully tensioned and braced.
Three trellises wired, tensioned & braced by myself in about 1 1/2 hours. You can’t get any easier & anytime it needs to be tightened, you simply attach the tool to the end of the wire.
Two years later, here is a variety called Supreme.
And here is Magnolia.
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Gifting preps: What are your top picks for unprepared loved ones?
pnwsarahContributor - December 20, 2020 Hi Prepared Friends,
I’m trying to decide what I should gift to my dad and stepmother this Christmas to enhance their preparedness. My dad likes camping and backpacking, so they have that sort of gear, but just for one. They also have one of those pre-packed 72-hour kits that is largely full of garbage (which I bought them a couple of Christmases back in the interest of getting the bases covered quickly and within my budget). They live five miles from the San Andreas Fault in a household that also includes three medium-sized dogs, and they commuted to work in their own cars pre-pandemic. I can spend about $120.
I was going to focus on water, get two Reliance Rhino-pak aquatainers, and then figure out what to do with the rest of my budget, but those now seem to be hard to find, and the 7-gallon aquatainers are far less portable, so now I’m not sure if I should keep the focus on water or start somewhere else.
If you were me, what would you prioritize? What have you prioritized in gifting preps to family members?
Read MoreDo you buy honey locally? How and why?
Liz Klein - December 14, 2020 I have seen plenty of random articles that say honey never expires. But then I heard a few preppers say you should only buy local because some of the cheaper honey you find in stores is fake or has bad chemicals.
Is that true? Do you buy local and if so, how? Is it more expensive?
Read MoreGet home bag for harsh winter conditions
LNMOt - December 14, 2020 Hello! I am relatively new to prepping and I am starting to put together a “get home” bag and was hoping for some suggestions and advice. I live in a rural area in the northeast with very cold and harsh winters and I have a 45 minute commute to work each way. If something happened and I had to make it back home on foot in the winter, or if I had to survive the night in my car due to severe winter weather, what would you recommend I have in my get home bag? Thanks in advance for your help!
Read MorePrepping stocking stuffers
Liz Klein - December 13, 2020 I’m wanting to share the gift of being prepared this Christmas and am having trouble thinking up some $20ish small gifts/stocking stuffers to give to family and friends. What would you recommend?
My social circle is a mix of preppers and non-preppers, so I want something that just about everyone could use.
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What’s the best prepping advice you have ever received?
Gideon ParkerStaff - December 10, 2020 Sharing the best advice that we have received will help new preppers and also teach us what others have found most helpful as they got started.
The best advice my wife has ever received is: “Start with the basics” and “It doesn’t matter how much money you have if you don’t have food”
The best advice I’ve received is the advice found in The Prepared’s Sane Prepping article. It really helped me out at a time when Prepping was overwhelming and stressful. It helped me have a level headed look at prepping and made it seem attainable for me.
Read MoreChild needing regular hospital treatments
Darren - December 10, 2020 Hi. We live in the UK and my 10 year old has recently been diagnosed with leukaemia requiring regular hospital visits for chemotherapy (around a 35 mile round trip each time).
Does anyone have any experience or ideas around planning for this? Instead of getting away from a disaster, we are likely to have to drive into it and into a city to still access life saving treatments.
Read MoreEveryday footwear
matthew.Contributor - December 7, 2020 When I think of my own personal safety and vulnerability, and the absolute “must-haves” in any kind of emergency situation, a good pair of shoes or boots is very high on my list. I know what I’d want to be wearing if and when the SHTF (in my case a good pair of waterproof, lightweight hiking boots) but I am very aware that wearing such footwear all the time simply doesn’t make sense. Some professional and social situations demand for more formal attire, and sometimes you simply want to relax and “put your feet up.” But let’s face it, much formal attire is ridiculous and makes us very vulnerable. I cringe at the idea of ever wearing something that would hinder me from running, walking long distances, climbing a fence, etc.
I know footwear choices are very subjective, and highly affected by one’s gender, style, career, and environment. That said, I’m interested in how others have approached the conundrum of needing to meet formal expectations while not wanting to put themselves in a vulnerable state.
Personally, I am a big fan of Keen’s PTC Oxford series. They may not be the most stylish shoes around, but they get me through most professional and formal situations. I believe they were designed for service-industry workers who need comfortable shoes with good traction, and I find they give me comparable support to a pair of lightweight day-hiking shoes.
Does anyone have any awesome everyday footwear advice? How are you approaching this challenge? I’d particularly like to hear how women are approaching this, as I understand the choices are likely fewer and the societal expectations are (unfairly) more demanding. My wife has really struggled to find an everyday shoe that fits all her needs.
Read MoreGetting started into canning
Zombie Bry - December 3, 2020 Hi Everyone,
I have been leveraging this site for a while now and it has been very helpful with my journey into being more prepared. As I lay here in my food coma from Thanksgiving dinner, I have been thinking about getting into canning. Searching on Amazon for supplies is overwhelming. Any advice for a beginner and which supplies/Brand you prefer that balances cost with quality? Finally, any good websites or articles that you found helpful to get started?
I searched this site and forum for canning information and couldn’t find anything. If I missed something that already exists, please reply with a link. If not, hopefully this thread will help others as well 🙂
Read MoreSituational awareness (digital, near real time?)
Rich DCContributor - November 30, 2020 This is equal parts suggestion, question, and brainstorming – I’m looking for ideas for gathering [near real time] situational awareness.
As I’ve read this site and others I get the impression that different parts of the country are experiencing things in very different ways. I see people sharing images of empty shelves in a store on the other side of the country but down the street things seem “normal.” I realize a lot of online content is more anecdote and less data but I also figure that with a lot of anecdotes you might be able to tease out some data/trends.
One idea (not my favorite) is twitter, there are some interesting advanced searches.
For instance if I want to see tweets within 50 miles of Washington DC, this search term seems to work:
near:”38.901862736383556,-77.0102291245727″ within:50.07mi
https://twitter.com/search?q=near%3A%2238.901862736383556%2C-77.0102291245727%22%20within%3A50.07mi&src=typed_query
likewise if I want to search for recent tweets about “groceries” or “grocery store” this seems to work (and would perhaps work through the end of the year?) this search string appears to work:
(groceries OR grocery store) until:2020-12-31 since:2020-11-15 -filter:replies
https://twitter.com/search?q=(groceries%20OR%20grocery%20store)%20until%3A2020-12-31%20since%3A2020-11-15%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query
It seems I can combine these manually, too:
(groceries OR grocery store) until:2020-12-31 since:2020-11-15 -filter:replies near:”38.901862736383556,-77.0102291245727″ within:50.07mi
https://twitter.com/search?q=(groceries%20OR%20grocery%20store)%20until%3A2020-12-31%20since%3A2020-11-15%20-filter%3Areplies%20near%3A%2238.901862736383556%2C-77.0102291245727%22%20within%3A50.07mi&src=typed_query
I feel like with a few saved search strings you could search your area for recent activity at various distances. You still have to sift through random people on twitter but maybe there are more filters/tips I’m not aware of that others could share.
My only other thoughts on “real time awareness” are things like crime maps, however these often lack context (trends over time, comparisons, etc) so its hard to know what a “normal” amount of crime looks like. These also tend to be specific to certain areas and each area may have different reporting parameters making it hard to gauge changes between jurisdictions.
https://www.crimemapping.com
Not sure how many tech/code savvy people are on here, but this was inspired by a surge in ‘bots’ to scrape retail websites for available stock of PC video cards. I thought it would be neat to scrape data from retailers by store for stock of things like toilet paper or other “in demand” items to get a sense of where demand was spiking, but thats probably a bit niche and beyond my coding skills.
Any other ideas, either different resources or tips for refining twitter searches?
Read MoreMini flashlight recommendations?
matthew.Contributor - November 20, 2020 Hello! Has anyone found a mini flashlight that they love? By “mini flashlight” I mean a flashlight about the size of your index finger. A single AA battery type, or rechargeable, but something that could easily fit in a pocket.
Thanks!
Read MoreSilica gel packets – keeping your preps safe from moisture
Gideon ParkerStaff - November 19, 2020 The disaster is here! But you aren’t worried, because you are prepared. You have food, tools, ammo, and more. Only to open up your preps to find that moisture has destroyed them! Tools have rusted closed, food has spoiled, and you don’t dare shoot that ammo for fear of exploding in your face. If only there was something you could have done… There is my friends!
Enter the Silica Gel Packets! Remember those little bean bags that you got with your new TV that says “DO NOT EAT”? That’s them.
I bought a package of 50 reusable food safe silica gel packets on Amazon back in 2018 . These had the included feature of having a clear window on the little packet and color changing beads inside so you could visually tell when they had absorbed their limit and needed recharged. The packets that I got are a bright orange color when they are dry and unused, but will change to a green color when they are saturated with moisture.
I used these silica gel packets in with my electronics, photo albums, tool boxes, ammo, gun storage, and anything I could think of that I didn’t want moisture buildup. And when I got into that item again and saw that it had changed to a dark green color, I replaced it with a new bright orange pack. Now that I have used up all my packets, it is time to test reactivating, and see if paying extra for this reuseability really was worth it.
There are two ways you can reactivate. Putting it in the microwave for 7-12 minutes on Defrost, or baking it in the oven for 30 minutes – 2 hours.
I started out trying the microwave method. I placed them on a piece of cardboard because I didn’t know exactly what would happen. I didn’t want to have melted plastic all over my wife’s nice dishes.
BEFORE:
After one minute in on the defrost setting, I noticed that the packets were expanding like they were about to explode!
All the moisture in the silica gel was escaping from the beads and was trapped inside of the packet and was visible on the clear plastic window.
There are little perforation holes in the packets though, and this is how they are designed to be recharged, so I decided to keep them going, but watched them a bit more closely. I didn’t need exploded plastic all over my microwave.
After the recommend minimum time of seven minutes, they still had moisture buildup on the inside of the packet so I kept them going in the microwave at two minute increments until the maximum recommended time of 12 minutes. At 12 minutes, they no longer had any visible moisture on the inside of the packet and were no longer a dark green color but now were a dark orange. Still not the bright vibrant orange color like a brand new packet though.
Maybe the oven would fair better. Again, I didn’t want my wife to kill me when I melted plastic on her nice cookie sheets, so I lined it with aluminum foil.
After 30 minutes at 200 degrees, the packets looked a brighter orange than the 12 minute defrost from the microwave and I did not see any moisture on the inside.
But some of the packets still were not that original bright orange color.
I contacted the manufacturer and asked what I could do to get the silica gel packets back to the bright orange color that they originally were at. Their recommendation was to bake them in the oven at 250 degrees for 2 hours, and that should get the silica gel packets back to almost bright orange. The manufacturer also said that they wanted to send me out a package of their newest silica gel packet for free. My email wasn’t complaining or anything, but they just wanted to do something nice for me. A+ customer service.
In hopes to get the packets back to a bright orange color, I put all of them from the oven and microwave test onto the cookie sheet and threw it back in the oven. In my impatience, I turned on the convection setting on my oven, which just blew warm air around the oven during the normal bake setting, thinking this would dry them out faster.
This was a mistake…
In summary, I highly recommend silica gel packets as part of everyone’s preps. Keeping your gear dry and protected is important to increasing it’s life and function when you need it most. If you get the reusable kind, follow the instructions and use the oven over the microwave.
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What to say to kids instead of “be careful!”
Bradical - November 8, 2020 Thought this was worth sharing with any parents. I like the spirit behind this idea – get their brains configured the right way early on! You can see how small differences in wording make the difference between being average and having an aware/prepper mindset.
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Packing a first aid kit, IFAK discussion
Easy - November 5, 2020 After reading the First Aid Kit Article, my first thought was, “How the heck does that all fit in there?”
IFAK first aid kit list
There are a few comments beneath the article asking the same question. Rather than wait on a guide, I figured I’d throw a kit together to see how it turned out. Most of this kit was purchased and assembled in September and October of 2019. The pictures I took last week. The kit is not finished, I’m still missing a few things, and I’m likely to make more changes as time goes on.
Full Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. There are people here with a lifetime more experience than me. Comments and criticism on the components and layout are welcome.
The bag itself was purchased from Amazon, it is an Orca Tactical MOLLE Rip-Away pouch. Nominal bag dimensions are 8″x6″x3.5″. Different bags will pack differently, but I wanted something roughly this size as my own proof of concept for a level 3ish kit.
I may have screwed up the embedded images below, but it’s late, I’m tired, and all the links should be there regardless.
Full post: https://imgur.com/a/oP3vZkv
Full kit laid out: https://imgur.com/7vpFMH4
IFAK packed, open: https://imgur.com/MRyyxRU
Left side, packed: https://imgur.com/r19DIcr
Left side, large items: Shears, Tourniquet, Elastic Compression Wrap, Rolled Gauze: https://imgur.com/NCtnz3Y
Packed flat in the large pocket in the back of the bag. From top to bottom: Emergency blanket, Moleskin, Abdominal Pad (x2), Gauze Sponge (x2), Chest Seal, Steri-strips: https://imgur.com/rlQgiuR
Middle section, on top: Gloves (x2), Coban, Medical Tape, Silk Tape, Z-Fold Gauze. Bottom: Pressure Dressing: https://imgur.com/a4H97ne
Middle section, packed below: Hydrocortisone cream, Petroleum Jelly, Cravat: https://imgur.com/ikPqEct
Right pouch: Tweezers, Syringe w/ 18ga tip, Band-aids (x10), Butterfly Bandages, Alcohol Prep Pads, Non-Stick Pad, Nasopharyngeal airway: https://imgur.com/jOzjDCz
Inner mesh bag: Immodium, Pepto-Bismol, Advil, Benadryl, Tylenol: https://imgur.com/UUe7WuJ
I was surprised that everything so far ended up fitting. The bag is still closing easily. I’m unsure of the long term quality of the bag, but I haven’t noticed any splitting, or stitching coming undone around the zipper. The current weight is about 2.4lbs. (I have a terrible scale, and I’m not sure how accurate that number is.) Everything has stayed strapped in place, but I haven’t tried punting the bag down the stairs yet to test just how secure things are.
IFAK Measurements: https://i.imgur.com/xwaYs34
Here’s the breakdown of items from the level 1, 2 and 3 first aid kits in the IFAK guide, along with what I’m missing.
Level 1
Tourniquet Pressure Dressing Z-Fold Gauze Coban Roll Trauma Shears Acetomihophen Ibuprofen Benadryl Imodium Band-Aids Chest SealsLevel 2
Tweezers Irrigation Syringe Petroleum Jelly Needle and Thread in Alcohol – MISSING Silk Medical Tape Moleskin Rolled Gauze Gauze Pads Plastic Cling Wrap – MISSING Cravat Butterfly Bandages Safety Pins – MISSING Elastic Wrap / ACE Aluminum Splint – MISSINGLevel 3
Emergency Blanket Gloves Saline Eye Drops – MISSING Abdominal Pad Nasopharyngeal Airway Aspirin – MISSING Pepto-Bismol Caffeine – MISSING Hydrocortisone Miconazole – MISSING Doxycycline – MISSING
With regards to the missing items
Needle and Thread in Alcohol: I haven’t found a small bottle I like that I also don’t need to order two dozen of that I also trust to seal tightly. I realize this is a pretty dumb reason not to have this item sorted out, since I do have needle, thread and alcohol on hand. Plastic Cling Wrap – I don’t have a lot of first aid training, so I’m not sure when it would be appropriate to MacGyver something out of cling wrap. This is easy enough to add, it’s in my kitchen now. Safety Pins – Dumb oversight I’m realizing now. Aluminum Splint – I threw this in my car bag rather than the FAK. I might try bending it differently to get it to fit, especially if I move the tourniquet and shears to the outside of the bag. Saline Eye Drops – I was looking at some sterile single use ampoules. Otherwise the smallest bottle I found was 4oz. I also don’t recognize all of the brands for this stuff, which makes me a bit hesitant to squirt it in my eyes. I also have concerns on these freezing if left in my car during the winter. Aspirin – I need to buy some pill pouches for these since I don’t have any of the single dose packets. Caffeine – I bought some NoDoz recently that I could throw in a pill pouch, but I don’t think I’ll ever use them. I’ve only tried a caffeine pill once, years ago, and I hated it. I can drink a litre of coffee without issue, but one pill got me all kinds of jacked up. Miconazole – Still need to buy this. Not a high priority for me, though it does have other uses. Doxycycline – I still need to talk with my doctor about this. I’ve done some travelling in South America in the past, and got prescribed Cipro as a “just-in-case” antibiotic. I want a better understanding of side effects and stuff before adding this or really any broad spectrum antibiotic.Other comments
The bag strikes me as a little “Tacticool” which I’m not a big fan of. I also bought some of those black Talon gloves, and snark aside, they do feel pretty good and I like how they come packaged. The tourniquet could be attached to the outside for easier and faster access, while freeing up room inside. Same goes for the shears. I was unsure of how to do this securely using rubber bands or elastics. I left this kit in my car over most of the winter, so it was below freezing for days or weeks at a time. On returning to room temperature, I couldn’t find any issue with the petroleum jelly or the hydrocortisone cream. They also didn’t burst or leak in the bag, which was nice. Immodium – My general rule while traveling is take double the amount any reasonable person would bring with them, especially if in a group. Someone always forgets it, and someone always needs it. This is morale insurance too. No one has ever been upset they brought too little with them. I think I’m going to add more to my kit. I should have labeled the images with numbers next to each item, corresponding them to the level 1, 2 or 3 lists for reference. I might go back and do this. I’ve thrown in some things that aren’t on the “official” list, but I have some extra and I’ve found them useful in the past. Steri-strips, non-stick pads, woven gauze and alcohol prep pads.So there it is. I’m still figuring this out. I’m planning on making level 1 and level 2 kits at some point as well, but I’m looking for the right bags or pouches.
Cheers
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Basswood Tree (American Linden) – great tree for survival
RedneckContributor - November 4, 2020 One of my favorite trees is the Basswood, or American Linden. It is a large stately tree that is loved by bees at it puts out huge quantities of blooms that bees love & does so later in the year when the bees are hunting nectar & pollen. For that reason it is also called the bee tree. Basswood honey is considered some of the best in the world. My son has a few large basswoods at his house & they can be just loaded with bees. I have planted two on my property.
What many folks don’t realize though is that the leaves and young buds are edible… and quite tasty. They can be eaten raw in a salad or cooked down. The native Americans also used the bark. The Indians soaked the bark for two to four weeks to loosen long fibers. They used the fibers for many of their needs: Bags, baskets, belts, fishnets, house mats, snowshoe netting, ropes, sewing thread and even suturing wounds.
IMO, this is a tree preppers should need to recognize, as there is a lot of leaves on a mature tree. It is also a great tree for our bees, which we need to protect & nuture.
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Caching a tent and sleeping bag – Should I do it?
Jay ValenciaContributor - November 3, 2020 I was browsing through Reddit and saw a post titled: “Advice whether to cache tent and sleeping bag?”
At first glance, this seems like a wonderful idea! Tents are heavy, sleeping bags are bulky. I’m just thinking about how compact and light my BOB will be if I don’t have to carry these two items.
I’m not quite sure how I would create a cache though that would be durable and waterproof.
What are your thoughts? Is this something you can see yourself doing?
Read MoreFirst gun for prepping in California
BankruptSolvency - November 2, 2020 If you were to buy only a single gun for prepping in California (which has the strictest gun laws in the US [0]), what would it be? I’ve been researching what my first gun purchase should be, and it looks like the options at a high level are:
A handgun A shotgun A featureless AR-15, meaning it lacks certain features like a pistol grip or vertical foregrip [1] A maglock AR-15, meaning the top and bottom halves of the rifle have to separate for reloading [2] A “traditional” rifle (for lack of a better term), meaning something that’s not an AR-15, like an M1A [3]I think the ideal would be to not have to choose, and instead have a rifle + a handgun. But that still leads to the question of which type of rifle to have.
My primary worry is worsening civil unrest as the election approaches, but in keeping with the Sane Prepper Mantra [4], it would ideally be a generally useful firearm: home defense, self-defense while bugging out, even hunting. I plan to take multiple classes with whatever I end up getting.
(And if you’re new to guns altogether like me, I highly recommend The Prepared’s guide for basic background knowledge: https://theprepared.com/self-defense/guides/beginners-guide-to-guns/)
[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/CAguns/comments/h03tti/faq_of_california_gun_laws_last_updated_692020/ is a good overview [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/CAguns/comments/9nibj7/here_are_my_california_adultlegos_for_featureless/ [2] https://www.80percentarms.com/blog/the-best-maglock-options-for-california/ [3] https://www.springfield-armory.com/m1a-series-rifles/ [4] https://theprepared.com/prepping-basics/guides/sane-prepper-mantra-common-sense-rules/ Read MoreGood Storage for Prepping with limited space
CarefulClaude - October 28, 2020 I have a one bedroom ~600 sq ft apartment and my kitchen has limited space. I need some more storage space and was thinking good shelving unit – something like this or this . I was wondering what other folks had done and if they had any set ups they reccomended that were reliable, didn’t need to be pinned to the wall and not a pain to set up.
Leaning strongly to get this, which is pricey but looks nicer than some of the others.
Ideally 36 in or less in width as well if that as an option.
Read MoreIf you moved to the country, what do you wish you’d known first?
Josh CentersContributor - October 25, 2020 Hi folks, I just published my guide on things to expect if you’re moving to the country from the city. If you’ve made the move, what do you wish you’d known first?
https://theprepared.com/blog/pandemic-panic-and-moving-to-the-country/
Read MoreDo You Know How a Home Well Works? – Might Save Your Life To Know.
RedneckContributor - October 19, 2020 IMO, the following knowledge could be priceless for many preppers… even if you don’t have a well. Are you planning on bugging out into the country? Out there, most folks will have home wells. You might say, what good is that for me? Let me let you in on something. 99.9% of folks with home wells have no way of accessing their water when the power is out. Do you think maybe if you came with the tools & knowledge to access that water, that you might have made friends? Being friends with a landowner might be the difference between surviving… or not.
Many, if not the vast majority of rural homes & farms get their water from a well, which is nothing more than a pvc pipe in the ground with a submersible pump sitting under the water and a pressure storage tank below the frost line. At my farm, my submersed pump is around 125′ down. This all works fine as long as you have electricity but what happens when there is none… and won’t be for weeks if ever? I live on a farmstead, with a well, & have plans to get to that water during such a crisis. Sure I have my personal water filtration devices but for me that is short term. You really want to live on hot, stinky, filtered pond water? Why use such when cool, pure water is so close by… if you know how & are prepared to get to it?
So this submersible pump hangs in the well from the pitless adapter, which is a two part device (male & female). One part stays in the well casing & the other part is what the well drop pipe attaches to. This device is what keeps the water from freezing in the winter as it redirects the water 90 degrees, so that the water stays underground, below the frost line for the area.
The top of the adapter has female threads, used to pull the pump & attached riser pipe out of the well. DIY folks, like me make a simple tool that allows you to attach to the pitless adapter & pull everything up. Mine is a T made from 3/4″ threaded metal pipe, which anyone can buy the sections in a hardware store. You simply need two short pieces for the handle, a threaded T & a longer piece of threaded pipe to reach the pitless adapter, which will be maybe 2-3′ down inside the well casing… deeper the further north you live. From what I understand, most pitless adapters accept 1″ NPT thread, so I have a series of adapters to go on the end of my 3/4″ pipe. I have 3/4″ – 1″, 1″ – 1 1/4″ and 1/1/4″ – 1 1/2″ just to be safe. All these piece screw together to make the T so obviously can be taken apart & not take up much space.
I’ve never done this before but from what I understand a strong man can pull the pump by himself if it is not real deep, otherwise you will need help and/or some lifting device such as a block & tackle. Once the pump & pipe is out of the way, you now have access to the water & just need rope & a device to get the water out. You can make your own or purchase something commercially. I use the Well Waterboy bucket. I’m sure anyone could rig up some container to get to the water, just might take some engineering to figure it out. There is a great discussion here on building your own.
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