Active New Top (30 days) Compact Card Guide to buying an AR-15? Hardened - October 14, 2020 After reading Armed Neighborhood Groups Form In The Absence Of Police Protection (https://www.npr.org/2020/06/03/868464167/armed-neighborhood-groups-form-in-the-absence-of-police-protection), I find myself highly motivated to buy an AR-15. Ideally I would read a non-yet-extant article on the The Prepared with background information, reviews, and recommendations. In absence of this can anyone point me to the next best thing? Read More 23 69 AdviceGear Basic Medical Guide Kempy - October 13, 2020 Does anyone have a “step by step” or “how to” guide regarding the most common injuries we should expect in a bug out scenario? Obviously I know how to treat a cut or small burn, but I’d love a guide in my pack that would walk me through some of the most common injuries and procedures up to or including gunshot wounds, heavy burns, breaks/sprains, etc. I know it won’t be an exact guide but I’d like to at least have something to go by if someone ingests something toxic, gets shot, breaks a bone, etc rather than me being left to myself trying to fumbile through these scenarios in the wild. What do y’all have?! Read More 15 12 Advice An example of why ham radio is important Josh CentersContributor - October 12, 2020 In wildfire-stricken areas, the fires are taking down cell towers and sometimes even Internet access, and people in those areas struggle to find out when they need to evacuate. There was a particularly heartbreaking story out of Oregon where a couple was very badly burned and their child died because they were entirely off-grid and had no other means of getting information from the outside world. Sadly, that entire situation could have been prevented if they had the skills and equipment to stay in touch off-grid, even a simple shortwave receiver. Get your comms up! Read More 7 2 Advice Getting started in gardening C P.Contributor - October 9, 2020 Developing a successful garden requires some preparation and basic knowledge, but no complex skills. It’s fun – especially if you love cooking or have kids – and it’s pretty cheap, especially if you focus on growing things from seed instead of buying plants from a nursery and if you compost instead of buying fertilizer. Even if you have no tools at all, you can get started for less than $100 (assuming you don’t buy a wheelbarrow). If you own the basic tools, you can get started for $25 or less. A small garden won’t make you food self-sufficient, but it will add variety to your table and it will give you the skills you need to expand your garden rapidly if you do want or need to grow more of your own food at home. I’m writing this post in mid-July, when many people might think they’ve missed the window to start. Good news: you haven’t. There is a fall gardening season starting in a few weeks. Start preparing now and you’ll be ready. I’m writing this post as a Quick Start-style guide. I’ll give you the major points and some details on why they are important and how to do them. I may update and expand it or add supplemental guides as I have time and as the seasons change. Other experienced gardeners should feel free to chime in with their advice. Novices should feel free to post questions. Here are the main steps, each of which are explained in detail below: 1) Pick a sunny spot big enough for two 4×8 foot beds 2) Order your seeds 3) Prepare your soil using double dig or hugelkultur methods 4) Plant seeds 5) Water frequently until seeds sprout, then less often 6) Mulch heavily 7) Thin seedlings as necessary 8) Manage your weeds 9) Harvest or prepare crops for overwintering in the ground 10) Put your beds to rest for the winter 11) Compost Obviously, these are my personal opinions, based on my experiences and reading. I make no claims of professional expertise. Use at your own risk. Quick Start Guide to Gardening 1) Pick a spot in your yard that is sunny all day long and convenient to check on. It should be big enough for two 4×8 foot beds with a 3 foot row between them. Too many people (including myself when I started) assume that the garden will be unsightly or will somehow offend the neighbors, so they try to tuck it into some far corner of the yard where no one will notice. Don’t do this. You need to pick a spot that gets as much sunlight as possible each day. Go out at 7am, 10am, noon, 3pm, and 5pm and look at how the shadows move across your yard. Find the spot or spots that get maximum sunlight. Gardening guides talk about a minimum of 7 hours, but you don’t need to count. Just find the spots that get the most sun. Also, your garden will do best if you visit it every day. Some plants, like peas, actually bear more heavily if they are picked often. Some vegetables, like okra, get tough and inedible if left on the plant too long. So when choosing among your sunny spots, try to put your garden someplace where you will see it and walk by it every day. If you don’t live somewhere with a strict HOA, consider a front yard garden. Most front yards have fewer trees and so more sun, and you’ll see it whenever you open your front door, get the mail, or get out of your car (assuming you’re driving anywhere these days). Yes, the garden can get unruly, especially in summer, but the flowering plants are often beautiful and kids absolutely love a garden, especially if you plant things like sorrel or snow peas that they can pick and eat. It’s a like a treasure hunt for edibles. It will become a conversation starter with neighbors, and may inspire some of them to start gardening too. You may also consider drainage. Being toward the bottom of a hill, where the soil is continually moist, can be good, but don’t pick anyplace that is constantly muddy or gets big flows of water during rainstorms. Select at least two rectangular patches of about 4×8 feet. If they’re side by side, leave at least 3 feet between them to walk and kneel. If you are very ambitious, you can add a third patch, but I would suggest starting modestly and adding beds over time because preparing beds is a lot of work. 2) Order seed. Focus on fall vegetables like carrots, beets, turnips, kale, collards, radishes, mizuna, and green onions. I put seed ordering second on this list because you need to make sure that you actually have a suitable space to garden before you order seed and you may choose to order more if you decide on a bigger garden. As a very rough rule of thumb, a typical packet of seed will fill at least half of one of your 4×8 beds. (We’ll talk more about plant spacing below.) You’ll also want some variety, so with these things in mind I would suggest buying 4-5 packets of seeds for two beds. The key things to consider here are your frost date and time to maturity. You want plants that will produce food before the first frost in your area (you can look this up online ‘first frost in [zip code]’). When you start browsing seed, you will find in the seller’s description (if shopping online) or the seed packet (if you are in a store) a ‘time to maturity’. For most root crops and greens, this is the typical time from planting the seeds until the plant is ready to eat. Pick things that can be ready at least a week or two before your expected frost. A word of caution: things get more complicated if you are growing crops where you eat the fruit of the plant – things like tomatoes or okra. Then date to maturity means the date when the plant starts to produce food. If you want a good harvest, you’ll want another 2-6 weeks or even more to regularly harvest the produce. Also, some plants, like tomatoes and peppers, are typically started in a greenhouse or indoors under grow lamps. (Often the description/packet will mention something about starting indoors.) In that case, ‘time to maturity’ begins from when the juvenile plant is brought outside and planted in the garden. For your first fall garden, I don’t suggest trying anything you need to start indoors, and you will save money if you don’t buy whole plants from a nursery. What to plant? I suggest things like carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, mizuna, kale, collards, or green onions. All of these are fairly simple to grow and come in multiple interesting varieties. I suggest having some fun and picking things you don’t always see at the grocery store (at least where I live): Chioggia beets, Lacinato kale, French breakfast radishes, red carrots, etc. Some people grow legumes as a fall crop, but you may need to build a trellis, so I don’t recommend it for your first garden. You might try garlic, especially if you want to eat the immature green garlic in the spring, but I won’t cover the details here, so you’ll need to find a guide online. Choose hardneck varieties so that you can eat the garlic scapes. Where to buy seeds? You can order from a big nursery company, like Burgess or Gurney. Buying seed packets from your local nursery or big box store is fine too. But far and away, I have had the best results with ordering from Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), which sells heirloom, organic varieties. Their shipping and handling can be higher, but their seed prices are reasonable. 3) Prepare your soil using the double dig method, which will create frameless raised beds. There are many, many ways to prepare garden beds. I like the double dig method because it’s effective, it uses simple hand tools, and it creates raised beds without having to build framing. You can find out more about its benefits here: http://www.growbiointensive.org/FAQ/FAQ_DoubleDigging.html It does require some sweat and effort, but you don’t have to do it all at once. You can do part of the project every day until it is done. I’ve also included a note about hügelkultur (building sharply raised beds over dead tree trunks or branches) below. If you are physically unable to dig or have contaminated soil (e.g., you live in an urban neighborhood where the houses were painted with lead), you can look into bag gardening and straw bale gardening as easy ways to get started without the expense of building framed beds and filling them with clean soil. I don’t recommend using a rototiller. It breaks up the soil structure and doesn’t get deep enough. The double dig method works like this: 1) Read this list all the way through. If you are going to skip step 7, mow your grass really short on the selected patches. If these instructions are unclear, see if you can get a copy of How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons – your library probably has a copy. It has illustrations. 2) If you don’t have them, buy: a. D-handled, square bottomed spade (basically a square-tipped shovel) b. D-handled spading fork (looks like a pitchfork, but isn’t) c. Large plastic watering can (cheap and durable) or a sprinkler and hose d. Optional: Tape measure (you can get by using string or a garden hose or a ruler) e. Optional: Hard rake (bow rake or level rake, not a leaf rake) 3) Water thoroughly the space you have selected for your beds or wait for rain. You want moist soil (moist like a good cake), not mud. If you pour water on the spot and any standing water is not absorbed into the soil within 2 seconds, stop watering. 4) Wait a day, so the water can soak in 5) Use the spade to cut the edges of your rectangle. Go all the way around your 4×8 foot bed, just driving the blade in and taking it out. You can use a tape measure to make sure the dimensions are correct, but I wouldn’t too much worry if it is exactly square; the edges won’t be perfect anyway if you’re not building a frame. (If you really do want it square, you’ll need 4 stakes – scrape wood or sticks work fine – and some string. Use a measuring tape and your eye to get a 4×8 shape (make sure you have two 8’ sides and two 4’ sides), tying the string around each stake so that the lengths of the sides can’t change. Then measure corner-to-corner, diagonally across the bed. Adjust the stakes until the diagonals are equal. Now your bed should be square.) 6) Use the spading fork to break up the top layer of soil. Start about 12” from the short side of the bed, touching one long side. Step on the fork to drive the tines all the way in, and then pull backwards on the top of the handle until the tines come almost out of the ground. Then lift low on the shaft, just above the tines, to pull the head out of the soil. Work sideways until you have gone all the way across, then step back 12” and repeat. Work backwards until you have forked all of the bed. You always work backwards to avoid compressing the soil. Note that you are just loosening up the soil, not ‘turning it over.’ 7) Pull up all of the grass clumps. (Truthfully, I don’t always bother. Sometimes I just cut the grass really short with the mower before I start and leave it there. You may have to deal with more weeds later (grass in the garden = weed) but it saves time and effort at the start.) Set aside the clumps to compost. 8) Dig the bed. Start again at the short side of the rectangle: a. With your spade, dig out one 4 foot row of soil, putting it some buckets or wheelbarrow. b. Take your fork and stand in the trench you have created. Fork over the soil at the bottom of the trench. The goal here is to loosen it up to make it easier for plant roots to penetrate. Don’t worry if it’s still a bit chunky. c. Move over 12” and start again. Shovel the dirt from this new row into the trench from the first row. Don’t turn over the soil. Just let it slide off your shovel in way that helps it break up and fluff up a bit. Once you have an open trench again, fork the bottom. d. Repeat until you get to the end of the bed. After you fork the bottom of the last trench, fill it in with the soil from your bucket or wheelbarrow. 9) Use a hard rake to level the top and shape the sides of the bed. All of that forking and shoveling will have added air to the soil (which is good), and raised the soil level 3-6”. Also, if you skipped step 7, raking may let you get out some clumps of grass. 10) Water the soil lightly and let it settle for a day before planting. Alternative method: Hügelkultur Hügelkultur involves using dead wood (preferably green) as a source of nutrients and moisture retention for your vegetables. It can work well anywhere, but I think it is especially good on gently sloping ground, where it can make de facto terraces. Be aware that these are much less attractive than traditional garden beds, especially if you are doing a front yard garden. Here are your steps: 1) Use a spade to outline a space about 2×8 feet. On a hill, make this perpendicular to the slope. You can even make the shape a very gentle ‘U’ or arc, so that water running downhill will be caught in the belly of the U. 2) Dig out the trench about 12” deep. Try to keep the top grass layer together. You might try cutting the grass out and putting it on one side of the trench and digging the soil and putting it on the other. 3) Fill the trench with green wood from recently cut trees, until the wood is slightly higher than the surrounding soil. Whole tree trunks are great – they don’t need to be split. Branches with leaves still on them are great too. The wood acts as a nutrient source for the plants and a sponge that soaks up and releases water. You can use woodchips, but they will decompose faster, so you’ll lose the special properties of a hügelkultur bed after a couple seasons. 4) Put the grass upside down on top of the wood. 5) Put all the extra soil on top of the upside-down grass 6) Dig out a shallow trench (about 6” deep) on the uphill side and dump the dirt from that on top too. The trench will help catch water, especially if you built your bed in that gentle arc. 7) When you are done, your bed will have a tall, almost pointy shape, like a miniature mountain range. The dirt will have probably run down the sides, making the bed closer 3×8 or 4×8. 8) Give the soil a day or two to settle before planting. You can plant on the peak of the bed and along each side, especially near the top. 4) Plant seeds. Time your planting so that the plants will mature at least 2 weeks before frost. Use the ‘space between plants’ directions for your seeds for the space between plants AND the space between rows. Don’t walk on your beds. How late you can plant your fall garden depends on your climate zone. Find your frost date and then use the time to maturity information on your seeds to figure out how early you need to plant. Hedge your bets by adding 1-2 weeks to the time to maturity. Plant your bed while kneeling on the path next it. Don’t walk on the bed. It will undo your hard work in the double-digging. If you absolutely must walk on the bed for some reason, put down a board and stand on it to distribute your weight. The instructions that come with your seeds (or are found on the website where you ordered them) will give instructions for space between plants and space between rows. The spacing between rows assumes that you are growing a large, conventional garden rather than a densely planted raised bed. Ignore than number, and instead space your rows just as far apart as you space your individual plants. This will make better use of your garden bed space and, as your plants grow up, their leaves will help shade out weeds and trap moist air close to the soil. For plants with wider spacings, stagger the rows to make better use of space. You can make spacing easier by finding a piece of scrap wood and marking common planting spacings on each edge. Adjust where you start the markings on the second edge, to create staggered rows. Another option is to make a cardboard triangle with each side the length of the desired distance between plants. If you put a seed on both bottom edges and the top point, you’ll get two staggered rows as you move it along. Plant seeds at the depth specified on the package. If you are working with very small seeds, you can try making a little chute out of a folded scrap of stiff paper, putting some seeds in it, and then shaking them off the end one at a time. If you get too many seeds in your row, don’t worry. You can thin later. Not every seed you plant will germinate, so many plants suggest a dense planting (e.g., every 2”) followed by a thinning (e.g., thin to 4”). For the best harvest possible, you should follow this. However, if thinning sounds like a tedious chore (and it can be), you can plant seeds at the thinned spacing (e.g., every 4”) and just accept that you will have a smaller harvest if 20-30% of your seeds don’t germinate. 5) Water. Water as soon as your seeds are in the ground. Water frequently (at least every other day, unless it rains) until your seeds germinate. Soil should be moist, not muddy. Then water less often but monitor soil moisture regularly. Once your seeds are in, water gently. A watering can or sprinkler will work. To know if you have given enough water, spray or pour out a bit of water and count how long it takes for the soil to absorb it. If the standing water is gone quickly, keep watering. If it is not absorbed after 2 seconds, stop watering. Keep the surface of the soil moist until your seeds sprout. Moist means like the inside of a good cake, not mud. Feel the soil with your hands; don’t just look. Once your seeds have sprouted, they will still need regular watering or rain. To know if your soil needs water, push your fingers into the soil about 2”. If the soil is getting dry 2” down, it’s time to water. Aim for fewer, more thorough waterings. This encourages root development. 6) Mulch. Mulch is the key to efficient gardening. It suppresses weeds, adds nutrients to the soil, and traps moisture. Mulch is almost any organic, weed-free medium that you can spread over your soil. You can use leaves, grass clippings (preferably mixed with leaves), or wheat straw [see Josh’s post below, however, about buying these things]. My favorite is partially decomposed compost. Mulch keeps weed seeds from reaching the soil, reducing the amount of weeding you need to do. It also traps moisture and keeps the soil from drying out. This reduces the need for watering and also makes your soil a friendlier place for helpful creatures like earthworms. The mulch will break down over time and the worms will incorporate it into the soil, making it healthier. When you have seedlings, spread your mulch between the rows. After you thin your plants (if you are doing that) you can spread your mulch further so that it surrounds every plant. It can touch the plants – that’s fine. Just make sure that it is lower than the lowest leaves. As your plants grow, deepen your mulch. 3-6 inches deep is ideal, but you’ll get plenty of benefit out of just 1-2”. Make sure to add more as your mulch decomposes. 7) Thin seedlings. If you planted anything that needs thinning, use scissors to snip off unwanted seedlings just above the soil. If the mature plant has edible greens, put the thinnings in a salad. 8) Weeding and pest management. Weed as necessary. Don’t let weeds take over your garden. You probably don’t need pesticides. Weeds compete with your plants for sun and nutrients. With close plant spacing, you will have fewer weeds once your plants mature. Mulch will help too. But do take the time every few days to pull whatever weeds you find. A hoe can be helpful, especially if you have trouble bending over, but you can also pull weeds by hand. If you have neglected things and need to remove a lot of weeds, a hand cultivator (looks like a large, bent fork) or similar tool will make things faster. Pest control is tricky to advise on, since things vary by region. Research organic solutions online if you’re having a serious problem. I use almost no chemicals in the garden and rarely have problems (I’ve used neem oil a few times). Cool fall weather means fewer bugs and the larger crops you’re planting mean that a little damage is more tolerable than if slugs eat one of the only 3 pepper plants in your garden. 9) Harvest. Research which of your crops can overwinter in the ground. Research best ways to store. Use all of what you harvest. If you are checking on your garden regularly, you’ll get a sense for when things are close to being ready to harvest. Don’t worry if things seem to start small or grow slowly. Your plants will grow faster as they get larger and develop more leaves and roots. You can check your root crops by brushing away some mulch and soil and checking the diameter of the top of the bulb. Cover it back up if it’s too small, although recognize that your garden vegetables won’t always be as big as what you’re used to at the supermarket (especially conventional produce grown with fertilizer). Not every plant will be ready at the same time, and you can also start using some things when they are on the young side, to have a continual flow of fresh produce into your kitchen. Not all crops needs to be pulled when they are mature. Some plants will overwinter in the garden depending on your climate. Kale can overwinter in some places. Carrots can stay in the ground even in some cold climates, if you mulch them really heavily so that the ground doesn’t freeze around them. Research your crops and your climate. You’ll also need to do research on storage techniques. Many greens freeze well if blanched in boiling water first. Many root crops store well in the fridge (or even outside it, if you have cool, dark space). Perhaps someone else can create a guide and forum on food storage to provide help. Lastly, make sure to research how to use all of what you harvest. Radishes can be roasted and pickled, not just eaten in salads. Radish greens are edible and beet greens and turnip greens are delicious. You don’t often see them attached to the roots at the store, but don’t reduce your crops to their supermarket brethren. Use all of what you get. A little online searching will yield numerous recipes. 10) Put your beds to rest. Any beds without overwinter crops should be heavily mulched. Clean any plants or weeds out of your beds (including the roots of any greens you have harvested) and then put down a thick layer of mulch. This will protect your soil until spring. This can be as simple as blowing the leaves from your yard over your garden bed. 11) Compost. Collect your kitchen scraps and yard waste to enrich your garden in the spring. You don’t need a special bin, but you do need to alternate layers of ‘green’ waste (fresh grass, weeds, or kitchen scraps) with ‘brown’ waste (leaves, straw, or dry grass). Compost is just decomposing organic matter that breaks down, over time, into a rich humus. Added to your garden, it will restore nutrients, loosen up your soil, and introduce beneficial organisms. It is far, far better for your soil and plant health than chemical fertilizer, and you can make it at home for free. If you layer your compost properly, it will, well, compost instead of rotting and will not be particularly smelly. A lot of science has gone into studying how to get the most soil nutrients out of your compost pile. It is worth reading some of that information, but a lot of that literature assumes you are building a whole compose pile at once, and so can layer it in a fairly scientific way. Most people don’t have enough waste on hand to do that. Here is what you can do instead: 1) Pick a good spot (most people go for someplace out of the way, but others like to put the pile right in their garden, so that it enriches the soil underneath it). 2) Loosen the soil under the pile with a spading for and then put down a 1-2 inch layer of brown material about 3 feet in diameter – leaves, straw, dry grass, old corn stalks, etc. Basically anything from your yard that looks brown and dry and isn’t a twig. If you blow your leaves, blow them into a pile next to where you compost pile is to have on hand. You can buy a bale of straw from your garden center if necessary [but see Josh’s caution in his post below] and use a few handfuls from that if you have no brown waste in your yard. 3) Get a compost bucket for your kitchen. You don’t need to spend any money. Go to the bakery at your grocery store (if you are still going into stores) and ask them if they have any old frosting buckets. Get a bucket with a lid. I find that a smaller one (about 1.5 gallon size) can hold a week of kitchen waste. It’s better (less smelly) if you empty it more often, but you may not have the time. 4) Put in your compost bucket everything that is not oily, meat, or dairy. Some people skip egg shells out of fear that they’ll attract rats, but I’ve never had that problem. Collect vegetable scraps, coffee grounds (with the filter), tea bags and leaves, white napkins, etc. 5) When your bucket is getting full or you have the time, take it to your compost pile. Dump it out (may be quite smelly if it has been a while since you last emptied it) and use a stick to spread it into a layer (more or less, no need to be precise). Throw leaves or other brown material over the top to get at least a 1-inch layer. Tip: if your bucket is really smelly, rinse it out and then pour a half-inch of white vinegar in the bottom. No need to empty it; just start collecting your next batch of waste on top of the vinegar. 6) If you do weeding or mow the lawn and bag the grass, put that on the compost pile too. If it is a large amount, break it into several layers 3-6 inches thick, depending on how dense the green waste is, with brown waste between them. 7) When your pile gets to be about 4 feet in diameter at the base and 3-4 feet tall, start a new pile. Take a spading fork and mix around the old pile, to mix up the layers and add some air. 8) Wait a month or two and you can use it as mulch. Wait 3-6 months and it will decompose noticeably and you can add it to your soil like fertilizer in the spring. 12) Resources. The Prepared will be updating the Best Survival and Prepper Books page soon to include a good selection of gardening books. Watch for the revised list. In the meantime, start with How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons if you want to learn more. Read More 23 32 AdviceSkills How Climate Migration Will Reshape America (NY Times) Matt Black - October 8, 2020 “Millions will be displaced. Where will they go?” I listened to this today and thought it would be of benefit to all my fellow preppers. Be well. Be safe. Be healthy. How Climate Migration Will Reshape America (stream/podcast episode) Synopsis:In August, Abrahm Lustgarten, who reports on the environment, watched fires burn just 12 miles from his home in Marin County, Calif. For two years, he had been studying the impact of the changing climate on global migration around the world. Suddenly, with fires raging so close to home, he had to ask himself the question he had been asking other people: Was it time to move? This week on The Sunday Read, Abrahm explores a nation on the cusp of transformation. If you’d rather read, here’s the NY Times article: How Climate Migration Will Reshape America If you’d like to avoid ads, trackers, etc. or cannot access the article, HERE is the Internet Archive back-up. Read More 7 3 Advice Not Sure What to Do Next Jay Brooks - October 8, 2020 I’ve been reading theprepared for a while and was fortunate enough to find the website before the pandemic. I was putting my finishing touches on my go-bags in Janurary once I started hearing about what was going on in China and this website, I felt, gave me a “healthy” level of paranoia. One challenge I’m having now is to not spiral, and keep on getting more and more equipment until I build myself a bunker. It’s hard. I feel like I’ve got a really good base of preparedness, so I would just like to list that out and get any feedback/input on areas to improve. And maybe ask the question – what should I consider next? We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids under 3 years old) in a large metro area in the midwest. Thankfully we have family that live in rural areas and are just a few hours away by car, if it ever got that far. But so far, it hasn’t. Here’s what I’ve put together, in terms of preparedness: – 2 “Level 3” go-bags, as detailed from this site, stored in the closet by the front door – whole-house generator that can run on propane or gas, with enough fuel for 1 week – 4 weeks of shelf-stable food and 72 gallons of stored water – 12 month emergency fund in cash – home medical supplies, as recommended by this site – “get home bags” in each car, separate from the Level 3 bags above – getting solar panels installed next month that can run all electric needs for our house in the summer months When I write it all down it seems like a lot, but I still have anxiety that it’s not enough. Welcome to 2020, I guess. Do I just need to chill? Repeat the sane prepper mantra over and over again? 🙂 Read More 22 15 Advice Toilet when there’s no water? Jonnie PekelnyContributor - September 30, 2020 Here’s something I’ve been wondering about for a while when thinking about prepping. What happens in a scenario where we lose water at home as far as toileting needs are concerned? Read More 14 20 AdviceScenarios Firearms storage for BOBs kismet - September 27, 2020 I’m curious how people are balancing safety vs quick access for firearms intended for a BOB (in The Prepared’s layout, this would be a level 2 bag item). We’ve decided to go with compact handguns for our L2 bags, though I suspect the answers would mostly be similar if people are using a compact long gun or large format pistol like a PC Charger or AR-7 or 10/22 Takedown. A non-exhaustive list of variables to consider: Gun location: In the safe? Dedicated quick access box (e.g. GunVault) near the bag? In the bag? Somewhere else? Presumably always holstered, whether loaded or not. Status: Loaded? Unloaded? Loaded but with an empty chamber? Magazines: In the bag? If not in the bag, located where the gun is? Loaded? Unloaded w/ a box of ammo? Ammo in a vacuum bag with a dessicant? Some concerns: Time taken to head out the door Risk of theft Risk of unsafe access by the untrained Maintenance burden (e.g. cycling out ammo, magazines, etc) While we don’t have children and the corresponding safety concerns to contend with, others surely will, so it’d be interesting to hear suggestions for both scenarios. Read More 17 9 AdviceGear Best safety Goggles for Covid? LG - September 22, 2020 I’m a teacher and my district is about to move from virtual to in-person learning. My school was renovated several years ago and the new windows don’t open (though I’m glad to have windows). I’ll be wearing a mask but I’m wondering if anyone has advice on wearing goggles/safety glasses as additional protection. I own Pyramex I-Force safety goggles that I use when out in the yard mowing etc but I’d like some that are, if not more feminine, at least less “goggly.” Then again, I’d rather wear goggles than get Covid. Are safety glasses with side shields worth it if there isn’t an actual seal around your eyes? If so, what type safety glasses would you recommend? Read More 13 4 AdviceGear Preparation resources for Asian Americans? mopdx - September 21, 2020 Has anyone in this wonderful community come across and recommend any preparation resources that address preparation challenges for Asian Americans (and other People of Color)? Being based in Portland (Oregon) in midst of the wildfire smoke crisis–and reading confirmed reports of armed vigilantes setting up illegal checkpoints in nearby rural towns–has made me acutely realize that being a person of color can be dangerous when traveling through the countryside during emergency evacuations. I’m beginning to realize that my evacuation strategies may have unique challenges, and that I’ll need to adjust accordingly. I haven’t been able to find much on the topic–searching for “Asian preppers” returned links to articles about working in an Asian restaurant kitchen, or SAT preparation strategies, but nothing related to emergency preparedness. By the way, I do appreciate The Prepared’s site and forums for being very inclusive and welcoming. And the site contents have motivated me to start assembling a BOB. Read More 14 13 Advice More than one cell phone? Seasons4 - September 20, 2020 I recently replaced a cell phone without ending service yet on the clunky predecessor. Then I wondered if maybe I should have two working cell phones (different phone numbers) in case I lose one or in case the cell phone service providers’ equipment is on different towers. If one tower (or equipment) failed, there would be a back up. (I also have basic radios as a back up.) If money were not a limitation, would you have more than one working cell phone? Thanks! Read More 13 8 Advice 12 volt charging from Jackery 240 or other ones Rudy - September 19, 2020 Hello. Have a new dc/dc 20 amp battery charger. Would like to connect it to my starter motor battery at the input of the charger then have the output go to a cigarette lighter socket, which will charge a jackery 240 portable power station. Will also use a 12 volt wire at D+ to sense ign on. Is this a feasible use of this Renogy 20 amp charger? Thank you , Rudy Read More 11 0 Advice School Ventilation Jesse Smith - September 14, 2020 I don’t really know if this is totally appropriate for this forum, but I’ve been getting a ton of questions about school ventilation and filtration systems. So I made a video that outlines these systems Hopefully this helps parents and school staff work to verify the function of these systems in their school districts. Feel free to post any questions specific to this issue. If there’s even slight interest I’d like to do some stuff shortly on measured flow and filtration with simple devices you can readily install in your kid’s classroom. Read More 18 10 Advice Helmets anyone? Matt Black - September 13, 2020 Hi, all. I hope you’re all doing well. I’m just starting the process of researching helmets, but want to know if anyone else is already ahead of the game in this department. Specifically, I’m looking into NIJ-level helmets (see body armor). I am, of course, thinking in terms of a SHTF scenario, not so much paintballs and protests. What manufacturers, distributors, or other information have you found in the way of civilian-accessible helmets? Thanks in advance. Read More 17 9 Advice Confused about half mask sizing, filters and cartridges Jonnie PekelnyContributor - September 12, 2020 I am bout to venture into the world of non-disposable respirator masks. I’ve been reading this TP page https://theprepared.com/gear/reviews/best-gas-mask-respirator-survival/ and decided that I want to get the recommended 3m half mask. That’s as far as I was able to get before getting confused. First of all, I’m unclear about how to figure out the mask sizing. It says that most people should use a medium size, but there’s no sizing guide anywhere that I can find. (I think of myself as having a large head). More confusingly, I got hopelessly lost in trying to figure out the cartridges and filters thing. First of all, I don’t have a clear understanding of how these things even fit on the mask, so I don’t know exactly even what shape I’m looking for. Some filters come as simply soft disks. Can I fit those on the half-face mask? Other things come as cartridges and I am having a hard time figuring out all the variants or what would actually work. I did try to find the filter and cartrdige types that the mask description recommends, but I wasn’t able to track them down. I will say that what I want right now is just an N95 filter, or whatever the equivalent of that is. My most immediate problem is the incredible amount of smoke pollution in California. The air is very, very bad. I’ve never been able to wear a conventional, disposable N95 masks. I get massively uncomfortable in them right away, so I’m hoping that these half-face respirators will be better. Right now my priority is to have something I can use for the smoke when I go out that will also maximize my ability to breathe easily. For that reason I don’t want to go up to N100. As for preparing for other kinds of chemical or whatever emergencies, I will need to deal with that later. So, given that, what filters would I be looking for? I would LOVE it if some kind soul who understands these maks and filters better than I do would explain to me what to look for. Read More 10 3 AdviceGear New to Prepping & specific questions re CA/fire strategy mseg77 - September 11, 2020 I just joined, but the general idea has been “top of mind” since Feb/March, here in CA specifically COVID related, but also civil unrest/race relations/political instability, and now, it’s “fire season” and we are in Elk Grove (15 mi. south of state Capitol, Sacramento). We are approx. 30 miles (as the crow flies) from the southeasternmost edge of what is known as the LNU Fires Complex, started 4 days ago and already at 220k+ acres. [https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/17/lnu-lightning-complex-includes-hennessey-gamble-15-10-spanish-markley-13-4-11-16/] and [https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#t:adv;d:2020-08-19..2020-08-20;l:countries,street;@-121.8,38.3,10z .] Links provided for reference and because if you just “googlemap” it, doesn’t show the actual fire AREA covered, just a flame icon inside the area. Edited map attached below (showing locations/landmarks/distance) for clarity. The whole state received (yesterday or the day before) a general “EVERYone should be ready to grab & go” from OES, because of how wide-spread all the (then 367 separate) fires are, rapidly changing-conditions and already-strained resources. Sidenote/perspective: a close friend of mine was a Paradise resident, she and her family very narrowly escaped with their lives but lost their home, pets, all but the clothes on their back. We have had food/supplies well-stocked since early March (still do). I know I’m “skipping” steps (in that I’m NOT generally, financially/legally etc prepared), but the potential to have to USE the preparedness as it relates specifically to fire, now, within the next (hours? week(s)?) has kicked me into high gear, taking steps last night/throughout TODAY to work on the OTHER, more “immediate” stuff [list/organization TO create BOB & car bag, etc., + home & self defense I delayed before on (window film & fortified door jams/sliding door & window locks to supplement alarm & dog, shotgun + pistol)]… and I apologize, because I know this is both HIGHLY specific and a little all over the place… but this forum seems like possibly the best resource to get (smart/rational/helpful) feedback. There are not currently any Evac Orders OR Warnings, for us right here, right now. It’s hot (been 100+ all week), 35% humidity, not too windy (3-4 mph currently), but possibly more lightening forecast for Sun-Tues. I have subscribed to and have all the push notifications (email, text & phone from CalFire, CAOES, SacOES, SacPD, EGPD) set up so I can hear if warnings/order happen/are issued. But I’m not relying on JUST the notifications/warnings/orders, I’m not “waiting” for that. I’m checking (regularly, but not obsessively) to see if the fire moves significantly or quickly this way. If we need to evacuate, all of Yolo County + at least City of Sacramento (so, potentially 700k+ residents…) will have needed to do so first/as well… and they’d be headed this way (and/or onto same routes I’d be). Does it seem reasonable to have as a “go now” trigger, the following: If fire continues to spread east, and gets as far as the “Deep Water Channel”, GO soon (as in, within the hour?); If it gets to/approaches the west banks of the Sacramento River, GO IMMEDIATELY; If it gets as far as I-5, it’s too late to get out mainly because of the mass exodus traffic that (potential evacuation would cause) and options limited to soak what I can outside and surface streets to whatever “localized” Evac Center. So… what do the experienced preppers say? Am I over-thinking it/should I wait until/if there is an official warning/order? Are there vital things I’m not taking into consideration? Am I not planning to GO soon enough? THANK YOU for any input/direction/suggestion/feedback. Read More 15 9 AdviceScenarios Prepping & Protesting Matt Black - September 9, 2020 No matter where you lie on the political spectrum, you or someone you love, or care about, or know may consider attending a protest. Make sure that you (or that certain special someone) is prepared in every respect; know how to do so safely, what your rights are (and aren’t), and how to protect yourself. Digital Self-Defense EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), a California non-profit focused on digital privacy and free speech, has an excellent guide entitled Attending a Protest that may be of interest to many here -whether or not they may be actively engaging in protest. The guide, which was been updated this past June, covers things to do before, during, and after attending a protest. However, the guide also serves as a rudementary how-to for bolstering your individual digital security if you happen to be in an area of protest, regardless of participation. Protesters’ Rights The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) has a great guide called Know Your Rights, which is informative whether you are organizing, attending, documenting, or are stopped by the police. Protest Safety Amnesty International also has some great tips on How To Protest Safely, what to bring, what to wear, etc. Alternate Comms [Placeholder for walkie talkies, ham radios, mesh networks] Be safe out there. Read More 18 7 Advice Looking for evacuation advice and resources (especially during COVID-19) Jonnie PekelnyContributor - September 6, 2020 I’m in Northern California, which is more or less in flames right now and is about to have more dry thunderstorms. Wondering what my safest options are if I have to evacuate and if I can’t find a friend or family member to stay with. I’m also wondering the same for my mom. Her situation is more complicated. She’s closer to the fire zone, and at the same time is 77 and with mobility issues following a stroke. She might come to me but that’s a barely workable setup for her situations and/or I might have to leave myself. I’m looking for ideas and resources about where I and/or she can go that’s not a COVID infested mess. Read More 18 3 Advice Building raised garden beds C P.Contributor - September 5, 2020 (Another short guide, for those getting started in gardening) When people talk about ‘raised beds,’ they usually mean soil that has been raised about 6” above the surrounding ground by a frame of wood, stone, or cement blocks. If you have read the forum about getting started in gardening, you will know that you don’t actually need a frame to make a raised bed. However, having a frame makes it easier to maintain your bed (the sides don’t erode), helps keep your mulch in place (especially if you are topping your beds with dried leaves in the winter), and can let you make a higher bed. There are also plenty of aesthetic benefits. You can paint your beds to match your house, use stonework to add visual interest to your yard, or just keep things looking neat. If you have the time and energy, it can be worth doing. Here is some guidance to get you started. These are based on my own experiences and reading. I’ve framed beds with untreated lumber, scrap cedar, and stone, and I’ve used logs and cement block in other landscaping projects. I claim no professional expertise. Your experiences may vary. Before we start, I want to make one thing clear. Sometimes people see raised beds (i.e., beds with frames) and assume that you build the frame and then fill it with soil. You can do that – it is actually at the heart of the Square Foot Gardening method – but it’s expensive and usually unnecessary. What you want to do is prepare an unframed raised bed by fluffing up the soil with a good double-dig and maybe adding some compost, and then put the frame around your bed. With that in mind, the key steps to building a raised bed are: 1) Dig the bed 2) Choose your materials (wood or stone/cement block) 3) Obtain your materials 4) If using wood: prebuild your frames 5) Install your frame Skill level needed is minimal and it decreases if you don’t care about the aesthetics. 1) Dig your Bed. See the instructions in the Getting Started with Gardening forum or borrow a copy of How to Grow More Vegetables from your local library. Double dig your bed. 2) Choose your Materials Your two main options are wood or some form of stone or cement block. I’ll discuss each in turn. Wood: The main benefits of wood are that it is cheap, easy to work with, and can be painted (if you choose). The main drawback is that most wood rots when in contact with the ground. You have three main options (as I see it) to deal with this: a) Use regular, untreated wood to build your beds. If you use 2×10 pine from your local big box store, your bed will probably last several years before needing to be replaced. I have gotten 4+ years out of untreated wood. b) Use cedar or another variety of wood that is naturally resistant to rot and bugs. You probably won’t be able to find large enough sections of wood at a big box store (at least I haven’t), but if you go to a local lumber yard and explain to someone what you are doing, they can probably point you to locally available, rot-resistant varieties. The drawback is that it is expensive. As an aside, I live in an area where many houses have cedar siding, and I have obtained scrap siding from siding repair jobs. It works okay for garden beds. It is a little weak and needs more support and it still breaks down over time. But it works and it’s free. c) Use treated lumber. Pressure treated wood is impregnated with chemicals to prevent rot. The current varieties made in the US are no longer treated with arsenic (technically chromated copper arsenate) and at least one manufacturer claims that their product is safe for vegetable gardens. Nonetheless, I personally choose to avoid it for growing food. All of the above assumes that wood = cut lumber. You can also use tree trunks (laid horizontally) if they are thick enough or logs (set vertically) if you have enough of them. In my area, a large log may last 3 years before rotting to uselessness. Stone or cement block: If you have free access to large stones (at least the size of Tom Clancy novel or kids’ soccer ball), they make a great border. They are easy to install (even easier than wood, albeit heavier), look cool, and even retain heat to help your plants grow. I would advise against using smaller stones, especially if you need to stack them to get the height you need. They will fall over, look messy, and not do the job. (For the same reason, I wouldn’t use regular sized, un-mortared bricks.) In general, the bigger the stones you use the better (within reason of course). Just be careful moving them. Cement blocks are essentially like big, regular stones. I haven’t tried them for garden beds, but I have used them for retaining walls and they are easy enough to work with. For a 4×8 garden frame, I wouldn’t recommend you go through all the steps you need for a proper retaining wall, but I would dig a trench 1” or 2” below the soil level, level the trench, and tamp the bottom. This will help things look neater and make your blocks less likely to move. More on that below. I would suggest 6” high blocks, although you could try 2 courses of 4” high blocks. You may have some problems with the 4” blocks moving, but probably not as much as you would with small rocks if you get blocks that are fairly wide (front to back). Many are made with some sort of interlocking shape (usually a lip at the back) or a pin system, which should help even more. A final note: I have recently seen a block-and-wood combo where you buy large cement corner posts that have slots molded into them to accept wooden boards (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Oldcastle-Planter-Wall-Tan-Retaining-Wall-Block-Common-6-in-x-8-in-Actual-5050-in-x-7-75-in/1001156396). I haven’t tried it yet, but I may do so when my current wooden beds rot out. It looks like a good option, especially if you can replace rotted boards without moving the corner posts. It would really reduce the labor cost of using untreated wood. If you try it, maybe post below on the experience. 3) Obtain your materials. Free is best, but you also want materials to be clean so that nothing toxic enters your garden. You may be able to source scrap wood from building projects in your neighborhood or get tree trunks or stone from your own land or friends’ yards. Cement block can be purchased (including ordered for delivery) from landscape centers and big box stores. If you are buying lumber, I would suggest buying 2×10 (which is actually 1.5”x9.5”). The edges may be a bit higher than your soil, but the extra lip will help keep your mulch in place. For each bed, I would buy three 8-foot lengths and then have the store cut one of them in half. They’ll usually do it for free. Depending on how you assemble your bed, it will be either 3” shorter or 3” narrower than 4×8 feet, but it doesn’t matter. Just make sure you do all of your beds the same way. Buy some cheap 2×4 (e.g., stud lumber) to reinforce the corners. You can ask the store to cut it into 9” lengths (four 9”pieces for each bed), but they may charge you a few dollars because it’s more cuts. If you have the tools, you can do it at home. You’ll also want a box of 2.5” construction screws. 4) For wood only: Prebuild your frames. Build a 4×8 wooden rectangle, reinforcing the corners. I could write detailed instructions on how to do this, but if you have basic woodworking skills you don’t need me to and if you don’t have basic woodworking skills, you probably need pictures (which I don’t have, since my beds are already done). That being said, if you want to learn basic carpentry, this is a great project to start with. If you have the wood pre-cut at the store, all you need is a tape measure, a pencil, a drill, a small bit for piloting holes, and a driver bit for putting in screws. (A square for marking things and a clamp to hold the reinforcing blocks would help too, but aren’t totally necessary.) The driver bit may even come free with your box of construction screws. The process is straightforward, and you’ll feel pride every time you see your beds. Build your beds out on your driveway or in your garage. It will be much easier to get the corners flush and square. A 4×8 frame made from 2×10 pine will be a bit heavy, but should be easily moveable with the help of a friend. Especially if the corners are reinforced, you can carry it without it breaking. Maybe someone building their own beds can post a step-by-step photo guide below to the carpentry. Yes, I checked Instructables for a good link, but most of what was there had either bad dimensions, was too deep (you’d need to fill with soil), or was actually an elevated bed (picture a garden bed built on top of a table; these can be good for gardeners with mobility challenges). 5) Install your beds For wood (i.e., frame you’ve pre-built): a) Use a hard rake to pull the soil in from the edges of your raised bed. b) Use a shovel to scrape the ground flat all the way around the bed. If your yard is not level, I recommend digging downward on the uphill side(s) so that your bed will lay flat. c) Position your frame d) Check that the frame is level front to back and side to side by putting a bubble level on the boards. (If you don’t have a bubble level, you can buy a cheap 9” torpedo level for less than $10.) If it’s not level, move the frame and dig downward on the high side(s) or prop up the low sides with rocks. If you prop up the low sides, make sure that the bottom of the board is still at or below the level of the surrounding soil. You’ll also need to back fill and tamp down the dirt in that area to that the frame doesn’t shift and settle later. e) Backfill as necessary against the outside of the frame (i.e., if you cut a wider trench in the soil, fill it in around the frame) and rake the interior level. You’re done! If you are using tree trunks, I would just dig a trench deep enough that when you lay the trunk in, there are no large gaps where dirt from the garden bed can leak out underneath. If you are using logs, lay like stone or block, below. For stone and block: a) Use a hard rake to pull the soil in from the edges of your raised bed. b) Use a shovel to dig a narrow, straight trench, as wide as your stone/block, 1-3” deep. 1” is probably enough, but if you have wide, flat stones you may want to ‘plant’ them vertically, in which case a deeper trench will make them more stable. c) Whether you level your trench is up to you. I don’t think it matters much with natural stone, but you may feel that block looks better when it is properly level. To level your trench, lay a piece of straight lumber (any straight, long piece of 2×4 will do) and put a bubble level on it. Dig or fill as necessary. For a level block wall, make sure to tamp down the bottom of the trench after digging. d) Lay your stone or block. · For laying stone, it will become a bit of a jigsaw puzzle as you try to get the pieces to interlock. To make things easier, lay all of your stones out near you in the yard, so that you can easily test fit pieces until you find the right one. · If you are laying block, you may wish to stretch a string between two stakes on each side to show where the front of your blocks should line up. Most blocks come with angled sides. To avoid needing to cut any blocks, I would dig out a little bit of your bed at the corners, and use the angled sides of the block to angle the wall around. It should only take one angled block to turn the corner, so you shouldn’t lose much bed space. e) Backfill. If you are laying stones, backfill with dirt on the outside and inside with a hand trowel as you go. Tamp the dirt down with the handle of your trowel or a fist sized stone to prevent the rocks from shifting. If you are laying block, I would lay everything first and then use a string or piece of scrap wood to make sure that all of the stones are in a straight line (if you haven’t done so already) and at an even depth. Adjust as necessary. Backfill the outside and the rake the interior level. You’re done! Read More 21 13 AdviceSkills Best online places to buy backup glasses? Jay ValenciaContributor - August 31, 2020 I wear glasses and so does my wife. We’re not interested in getting laser surgery, so that means an extra pair of glasses are part of our preps at home. I think most people do that. But now I’m wondering if I should have an extra pair specifically for our BOB and maybe our EDC. My prescription hasn’t changed so my guess is I can just use that to order a few pairs online for us? Where would you recommend? Read More 22 11 Advice Preserving eggs with calcium hydroxide Alisa Felix - August 24, 2020 Has anyone tried using calcium hydroxide to preserve eggs? It has a bunch of other names like slaked lime, but you basically combine it with water and then jar it. And the eggs can last a couple years with no funky taste. But based on what I’ve been reading, it won’t work on eggs you get from the store. It has to be eggs that haven’t been washed yet… something about the natural coating still needs to be there? So if you have chickens or know someone with some, it could be an easy way to store them long term. I haven’t done it yet but just wanted to throw it out there in case someone else has. Or maybe it doesn’t work at all? Read More 16 7 Advice Looking for advice: galvanized stock tanks for raised garden beds? Kelsey DonkContributor - August 23, 2020 My partner and I just bought our first house and we’re looking for some advice from this expert prepping community! 🙂 We live in Minneapolis and like true Northerners, we spend all year planning for and dreaming of our brief window of spring and summer weather. We both love to garden and have done lots of gardening in community gardens and on our rental balconies and in rental yards, but this is the first time we’ll actually be able to invest in a long-term garden of our own! We’re so excited. I’m planning on getting some galvanized stock tanks for raised beds (with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage, of course). Does anyone have experience with this? Any tips for growing vegetables or setting up the stock tanks? We move in to our new house late next month. Is it smartest to wait until spring to dig up the grass and plop the tanks down? Or should I do that this fall while the ground is still soft and before the winter freeze descends? Read More 14 6 AdviceGear Is there a Window Security Film that does double (or triple) duty? mseg77 - August 21, 2020 I’ll post a comment directly to the article but thought I should separately as well – I apologize if that’s not appropriate and admins, please delete if so. I read the “hardening your home” article (https://theprepared.com/homestead/guides/home-hardening-basics/). We’ve been looking at adding window film for a while, but mainly for purposes privacy (shaded, NOT blackout or mirror-finish, preferably) and to help with heat/cooling efficiency. It’s a single-story home in a suburb neighborhood of the Capitol here in CA w/ 2 sliding glass doors. I’m wondering if there is a product, or if someone has experience/suggestions with a film that does both/all three (security + privacy + thermal), and well? This is the product referenced in the article https://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00FRLJU0S/tp-kb-20?th=1 Read More 11 2 AdviceGear < Prev 1 2 3 … 13 14 15 Next > Recently Active Chickens for preppers: Important considerations - 1 week agoHam Radio Protocol - 2 months agoWhat is the best place to buy mylar bags? - January 15, 2024Personal first aid kits for families - December 13, 2023Recommendation for bugging in or out in Taiwan - November 25, 2023 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

Guide to buying an AR-15?

Hardened - October 14, 2020

After reading Armed Neighborhood Groups Form In The Absence Of Police Protection (https://www.npr.org/2020/06/03/868464167/armed-neighborhood-groups-form-in-the-absence-of-police-protection), I find myself highly motivated to buy an AR-15.

Ideally I would read a non-yet-extant article on the The Prepared with background information, reviews, and recommendations.  In absence of this can anyone point me to the next best thing?

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AdviceGear

Basic Medical Guide

Kempy - October 13, 2020

Does anyone have a “step by step” or “how to” guide regarding the most common injuries we should expect in a bug out scenario? Obviously I know how to treat a cut or small burn, but I’d love a guide in my pack that would walk me through some of the most common injuries and procedures up to or including gunshot wounds, heavy burns, breaks/sprains, etc. I know it won’t be an exact guide but I’d like to at least have something to go by if someone ingests something toxic, gets shot, breaks a bone, etc rather than me being left to myself trying to fumbile through these scenarios in the wild. What do y’all have?!

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Advice

An example of why ham radio is important

Josh CentersContributor - October 12, 2020

In wildfire-stricken areas, the fires are taking down cell towers and sometimes even Internet access, and people in those areas struggle to find out when they need to evacuate. There was a particularly heartbreaking story out of Oregon where a couple was very badly burned and their child died because they were entirely off-grid and had no other means of getting information from the outside world.

Sadly, that entire situation could have been prevented if they had the skills and equipment to stay in touch off-grid, even a simple shortwave receiver. Get your comms up!

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Getting started in gardening

C P.Contributor - October 9, 2020

Developing a successful garden requires some preparation and basic knowledge, but no complex skills.  It’s fun – especially if you love cooking or have kids – and it’s pretty cheap, especially if you focus on growing things from seed instead of buying plants from a nursery and if you compost instead of buying fertilizer.  Even if you have no tools at all, you can get started for less than $100 (assuming you don’t buy a wheelbarrow).  If you own the basic tools, you can get started for $25 or less.  A small garden won’t make you food self-sufficient, but it will add variety to your table and it will give you the skills you need to expand your garden rapidly if you do want or need to grow more of your own food at home.

I’m writing this post in mid-July, when many people might think they’ve missed the window to start.  Good news: you haven’t.  There is a fall gardening season starting in a few weeks.  Start preparing now and you’ll be ready.

I’m writing this post as a Quick Start-style guide.  I’ll give you the major points and some details on why they are important and how to do them.  I may update and expand it or add supplemental guides as I have time and as the seasons change.  Other experienced gardeners should feel free to chime in with their advice.  Novices should feel free to post questions.

Here are the main steps, each of which are explained in detail below:

1) Pick a sunny spot big enough for two 4×8 foot beds

2) Order your seeds

3) Prepare your soil using double dig or hugelkultur methods

4) Plant seeds

5) Water frequently until seeds sprout, then less often

6) Mulch heavily

7) Thin seedlings as necessary

8) Manage your weeds

9) Harvest or prepare crops for overwintering in the ground

10) Put your beds to rest for the winter

11) Compost

Obviously, these are my personal opinions, based on my experiences and reading.  I make no claims of professional expertise.  Use at your own risk.

Quick Start Guide to Gardening

1) Pick a spot in your yard that is sunny all day long and convenient to check on.  It should be big enough for two 4×8 foot beds with a 3 foot row between them.

Too many people (including myself when I started) assume that the garden will be unsightly or will somehow offend the neighbors, so they try to tuck it into some far corner of the yard where no one will notice.  Don’t do this.

You need to pick a spot that gets as much sunlight as possible each day.  Go out at 7am, 10am, noon, 3pm, and 5pm and look at how the shadows move across your yard.  Find the spot or spots that get maximum sunlight.  Gardening guides talk about a minimum of 7 hours, but you don’t need to count.  Just find the spots that get the most sun.

Also, your garden will do best if you visit it every day.  Some plants, like peas, actually bear more heavily if they are picked often.  Some vegetables, like okra, get tough and inedible if left on the plant too long.  So when choosing among your sunny spots, try to put your garden someplace where you will see it and walk by it every day.

If you don’t live somewhere with a strict HOA, consider a front yard garden.  Most front yards have fewer trees and so more sun, and you’ll see it whenever you open your front door, get the mail, or get out of your car (assuming you’re driving anywhere these days).  Yes, the garden can get unruly, especially in summer, but the flowering plants are often beautiful and kids absolutely love a garden, especially if you plant things like sorrel or snow peas that they can pick and eat.  It’s a like a treasure hunt for edibles.  It will become a conversation starter with neighbors, and may inspire some of them to start gardening too.

You may also consider drainage.  Being toward the bottom of a hill, where the soil is continually moist, can be good, but don’t pick anyplace that is constantly muddy or gets big flows of water during rainstorms.

Select at least two rectangular patches of about 4×8 feet.  If they’re side by side, leave at least 3 feet between them to walk and kneel.  If you are very ambitious, you can add a third patch, but I would suggest starting modestly and adding beds over time because preparing beds is a lot of work.

2) Order seed.  Focus on fall vegetables like carrots, beets, turnips, kale, collards, radishes, mizuna, and green onions. 

I put seed ordering second on this list because you need to make sure that you actually have a suitable space to garden before you order seed and you may choose to order more if you decide on a bigger garden.

As a very rough rule of thumb, a typical packet of seed will fill at least half of one of your 4×8 beds.  (We’ll talk more about plant spacing below.)  You’ll also want some variety, so with these things in mind I would suggest buying 4-5 packets of seeds for two beds.

The key things to consider here are your frost date and time to maturity.  You want plants that will produce food before the first frost in your area (you can look this up online ‘first frost in [zip code]’).  When you start browsing seed, you will find in the seller’s description (if shopping online) or the seed packet (if you are in a store) a ‘time to maturity’.  For most root crops and greens, this is the typical time from planting the seeds until the plant is ready to eat.  Pick things that can be ready at least a week or two before your expected frost.

A word of caution: things get more complicated if you are growing crops where you eat the fruit of the plant – things like tomatoes or okra.  Then date to maturity means the date when the plant starts to produce food.  If you want a good harvest, you’ll want another 2-6 weeks or even more to regularly harvest the produce.  Also, some plants, like tomatoes and peppers, are typically started in a greenhouse or indoors under grow lamps.  (Often the description/packet will mention something about starting indoors.)  In that case, ‘time to maturity’ begins from when the juvenile plant is brought outside and planted in the garden.  For your first fall garden, I don’t suggest trying anything you need to start indoors, and you will save money if you don’t buy whole plants from a nursery.

What to plant?  I suggest things like carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, mizuna, kale, collards, or green onions.  All of these are fairly simple to grow and come in multiple interesting varieties.  I suggest having some fun and picking things you don’t always see at the grocery store (at least where I live): Chioggia beets, Lacinato kale, French breakfast radishes, red carrots, etc.

Some people grow legumes as a fall crop, but you may need to build a trellis, so I don’t recommend it for your first garden.  You might try garlic, especially if you want to eat the immature green garlic in the spring, but I won’t cover the details here, so you’ll need to find a guide online.  Choose hardneck varieties so that you can eat the garlic scapes.

Where to buy seeds?  You can order from a big nursery company, like Burgess or Gurney.  Buying seed packets from your local nursery or big box store is fine too.  But far and away, I have had the best results with ordering from Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), which sells heirloom, organic varieties.  Their shipping and handling can be higher, but their seed prices are reasonable.

3) Prepare your soil using the double dig method, which will create frameless raised beds.

There are many, many ways to prepare garden beds.  I like the double dig method because it’s effective, it uses simple hand tools, and it creates raised beds without having to build framing.  You can find out more about its benefits here: http://www.growbiointensive.org/FAQ/FAQ_DoubleDigging.html  It does require some sweat and effort, but you don’t have to do it all at once.  You can do part of the project every day until it is done.

I’ve also included a note about hügelkultur (building sharply raised beds over dead tree trunks or branches) below.

If you are physically unable to dig or have contaminated soil (e.g., you live in an urban neighborhood where the houses were painted with lead), you can look into bag gardening and straw bale gardening as easy ways to get started without the expense of building framed beds and filling them with clean soil.  I don’t recommend using a rototiller.  It breaks up the soil structure and doesn’t get deep enough.

The double dig method works like this:

1)     Read this list all the way through.  If you are going to skip step 7, mow your grass really short on the selected patches.  If these instructions are unclear, see if you can get a copy of How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons – your library probably has a copy.  It has illustrations.

2)     If you don’t have them, buy:

a.      D-handled, square bottomed spade (basically a square-tipped shovel)

b.      D-handled spading fork (looks like a pitchfork, but isn’t)

c.      Large plastic watering can (cheap and durable) or a sprinkler and hose

d.      Optional: Tape measure (you can get by using string or a garden hose or a ruler)

e.      Optional: Hard rake (bow rake or level rake, not a leaf rake)

3)     Water thoroughly the space you have selected for your beds or wait for rain.  You want moist soil (moist like a good cake), not mud.  If you pour water on the spot and any standing water is not absorbed into the soil within 2 seconds, stop watering.

4)     Wait a day, so the water can soak in

5)     Use the spade to cut the edges of your rectangle.  Go all the way around your 4×8 foot bed, just driving the blade in and taking it out.  You can use a tape measure to make sure the dimensions are correct, but I wouldn’t too much worry if it is exactly square; the edges won’t be perfect anyway if you’re not building a frame.  (If you really do want it square, you’ll need 4 stakes – scrape wood or sticks work fine – and some string.  Use a measuring tape and your eye to get a 4×8 shape (make sure you have two 8’ sides and two 4’ sides), tying the string around each stake so that the lengths of the sides can’t change.  Then measure corner-to-corner, diagonally across the bed.  Adjust the stakes until the diagonals are equal.  Now your bed should be square.)

6)     Use the spading fork to break up the top layer of soil.  Start about 12” from the short side of the bed, touching one long side.  Step on the fork to drive the tines all the way in, and then pull backwards on the top of the handle until the tines come almost out of the ground.  Then lift low on the shaft, just above the tines, to pull the head out of the soil.

Work sideways until you have gone all the way across, then step back 12” and repeat.  Work backwards until you have forked all of the bed.  You always work backwards to avoid compressing the soil.  Note that you are just loosening up the soil, not ‘turning it over.’

7)     Pull up all of the grass clumps.  (Truthfully, I don’t always bother.  Sometimes I just cut the grass really short with the mower before I start and leave it there.  You may have to deal with more weeds later (grass in the garden = weed) but it saves time and effort at the start.)  Set aside the clumps to compost.

8)     Dig the bed.  Start again at the short side of the rectangle:

a.      With your spade, dig out one 4 foot row of soil, putting it some buckets or wheelbarrow.

b.      Take your fork and stand in the trench you have created.  Fork over the soil at the bottom of the trench.  The goal here is to loosen it up to make it easier for plant roots to penetrate.  Don’t worry if it’s still a bit chunky.

c.      Move over 12” and start again.  Shovel the dirt from this new row into the trench from the first row.  Don’t turn over the soil.  Just let it slide off your shovel in way that helps it break up and fluff up a bit.  Once you have an open trench again, fork the bottom.

d.      Repeat until you get to the end of the bed.  After you fork the bottom of the last trench, fill it in with the soil from your bucket or wheelbarrow.

9)     Use a hard rake to level the top and shape the sides of the bed.  All of that forking and shoveling will have added air to the soil (which is good), and raised the soil level 3-6”.  Also, if you skipped step 7, raking may let you get out some clumps of grass.

10)  Water the soil lightly and let it settle for a day before planting.

Alternative method: Hügelkultur

Hügelkultur involves using dead wood (preferably green) as a source of nutrients and moisture retention for your vegetables.  It can work well anywhere, but I think it is especially good on gently sloping ground, where it can make de facto terraces.  Be aware that these are much less attractive than traditional garden beds, especially if you are doing a front yard garden.  Here are your steps:

1)     Use a spade to outline a space about 2×8 feet.  On a hill, make this perpendicular to the slope.  You can even make the shape a very gentle ‘U’ or arc, so that water running downhill will be caught in the belly of the U.

2)     Dig out the trench about 12” deep.  Try to keep the top grass layer together.  You might try cutting the grass out and putting it on one side of the trench and digging the soil and putting it on the other.

3)     Fill the trench with green wood from recently cut trees, until the wood is slightly higher than the surrounding soil.  Whole tree trunks are great – they don’t need to be split.  Branches with leaves still on them are great too.  The wood acts as a nutrient source for the plants and a sponge that soaks up and releases water. You can use woodchips, but they will decompose faster, so you’ll lose the special properties of a hügelkultur bed after a couple seasons.

4)     Put the grass upside down on top of the wood.

5)     Put all the extra soil on top of the upside-down grass

6)     Dig out a shallow trench (about 6” deep) on the uphill side and dump the dirt from that on top too.  The trench will help catch water, especially if you built your bed in that gentle arc.

7)     When you are done, your bed will have a tall, almost pointy shape, like a miniature mountain range.  The dirt will have probably run down the sides, making the bed closer 3×8 or 4×8.

8)     Give the soil a day or two to settle before planting.  You can plant on the peak of the bed and along each side, especially near the top.

4) Plant seeds.  Time your planting so that the plants will mature at least 2 weeks before frost.  Use the ‘space between plants’ directions for your seeds for the space between plants AND the space between rows.  Don’t walk on your beds.

How late you can plant your fall garden depends on your climate zone.  Find your frost date and then use the time to maturity information on your seeds to figure out how early you need to plant.  Hedge your bets by adding 1-2 weeks to the time to maturity.

Plant your bed while kneeling on the path next it.  Don’t walk on the bed.  It will undo your hard work in the double-digging.  If you absolutely must walk on the bed for some reason, put down a board and stand on it to distribute your weight.

The instructions that come with your seeds (or are found on the website where you ordered them) will give instructions for space between plants and space between rows.  The spacing between rows assumes that you are growing a large, conventional garden rather than a densely planted raised bed.  Ignore than number, and instead space your rows just as far apart as you space your individual plants. This will make better use of your garden bed space and, as your plants grow up, their leaves will help shade out weeds and trap moist air close to the soil.  For plants with wider spacings, stagger the rows to make better use of space.

You can make spacing easier by finding a piece of scrap wood and marking common planting spacings on each edge. Adjust where you start the markings on the second edge, to create staggered rows.  Another option is to make a cardboard triangle with each side the length of the desired distance between plants.  If you put a seed on both bottom edges and the top point, you’ll get two staggered rows as you move it along.

Plant seeds at the depth specified on the package.  If you are working with very small seeds, you can try making a little chute out of a folded scrap of stiff paper, putting some seeds in it, and then shaking them off the end one at a time.  If you get too many seeds in your row, don’t worry.  You can thin later.

Not every seed you plant will germinate, so many plants suggest a dense planting (e.g., every 2”) followed by a thinning (e.g., thin to 4”).  For the best harvest possible, you should follow this.  However, if thinning sounds like a tedious chore (and it can be), you can plant seeds at the thinned spacing (e.g., every 4”) and just accept that you will have a smaller harvest if 20-30% of your seeds don’t germinate.

5) Water.  Water as soon as your seeds are in the ground.  Water frequently (at least every other day, unless it rains) until your seeds germinate.  Soil should be moist, not muddy.  Then water less often but monitor soil moisture regularly.

Once your seeds are in, water gently.  A watering can or sprinkler will work.

To know if you have given enough water, spray or pour out a bit of water and count how long it takes for the soil to absorb it.  If the standing water is gone quickly, keep watering.  If it is not absorbed after 2 seconds, stop watering.

Keep the surface of the soil moist until your seeds sprout.  Moist means like the inside of a good cake, not mud.  Feel the soil with your hands; don’t just look.

Once your seeds have sprouted, they will still need regular watering or rain.  To know if your soil needs water, push your fingers into the soil about 2”.  If the soil is getting dry 2” down, it’s time to water.

Aim for fewer, more thorough waterings.  This encourages root development.

6) Mulch.  Mulch is the key to efficient gardening.  It suppresses weeds, adds nutrients to the soil, and traps moisture. 

Mulch is almost any organic, weed-free medium that you can spread over your soil.  You can use leaves, grass clippings (preferably mixed with leaves), or wheat straw [see Josh’s post below, however, about buying these things].  My favorite is partially decomposed compost.

Mulch keeps weed seeds from reaching the soil, reducing the amount of weeding you need to do.  It also traps moisture and keeps the soil from drying out.  This reduces the need for watering and also makes your soil a friendlier place for helpful creatures like earthworms.  The mulch will break down over time and the worms will incorporate it into the soil, making it healthier.

When you have seedlings, spread your mulch between the rows.  After you thin your plants (if you are doing that) you can spread your mulch further so that it surrounds every plant.  It can touch the plants – that’s fine.  Just make sure that it is lower than the lowest leaves.

As your plants grow, deepen your mulch.  3-6 inches deep is ideal, but you’ll get plenty of benefit out of just 1-2”.  Make sure to add more as your mulch decomposes.

7) Thin seedlings.  If you planted anything that needs thinning, use scissors to snip off unwanted seedlings just above the soil.  If the mature plant has edible greens, put the thinnings in a salad.

8) Weeding and pest management.  Weed as necessary.  Don’t let weeds take over your garden.  You probably don’t need pesticides.

Weeds compete with your plants for sun and nutrients.  With close plant spacing, you will have fewer weeds once your plants mature.  Mulch will help too.  But do take the time every few days to pull whatever weeds you find.  A hoe can be helpful, especially if you have trouble bending over, but you can also pull weeds by hand.  If you have neglected things and need to remove a lot of weeds, a hand cultivator (looks like a large, bent fork) or similar tool will make things faster.

Pest control is tricky to advise on, since things vary by region.  Research organic solutions online if you’re having a serious problem.  I use almost no chemicals in the garden and rarely have problems (I’ve used neem oil a few times).  Cool fall weather means fewer bugs and the larger crops you’re planting mean that a little damage is more tolerable than if slugs eat one of the only 3 pepper plants in your garden.

9) Harvest.  Research which of your crops can overwinter in the ground.  Research best ways to store. Use all of what you harvest.

If you are checking on your garden regularly, you’ll get a sense for when things are close to being ready to harvest.  Don’t worry if things seem to start small or grow slowly.  Your plants will grow faster as they get larger and develop more leaves and roots.

You can check your root crops by brushing away some mulch and soil and checking the diameter of the top of the bulb.  Cover it back up if it’s too small, although recognize that your garden vegetables won’t always be as big as what you’re used to at the supermarket (especially conventional produce grown with fertilizer).

Not every plant will be ready at the same time, and you can also start using some things when they are on the young side, to have a continual flow of fresh produce into your kitchen.

Not all crops needs to be pulled when they are mature.  Some plants will overwinter in the garden depending on your climate.  Kale can overwinter in some places.  Carrots can stay in the ground even in some cold climates, if you mulch them really heavily so that the ground doesn’t freeze around them.  Research your crops and your climate.

You’ll also need to do research on storage techniques.  Many greens freeze well if blanched in boiling water first.  Many root crops store well in the fridge (or even outside it, if you have cool, dark space).  Perhaps someone else can create a guide and forum on food storage to provide help.

Lastly, make sure to research how to use all of what you harvest.  Radishes can be roasted and pickled, not just eaten in salads.  Radish greens are edible and beet greens and turnip greens are delicious.  You don’t often see them attached to the roots at the store, but don’t reduce your crops to their supermarket brethren.  Use all of what you get.  A little online searching will yield numerous recipes.

10) Put your beds to rest.  Any beds without overwinter crops should be heavily mulched.

Clean any plants or weeds out of your beds (including the roots of any greens you have harvested) and then put down a thick layer of mulch.  This will protect your soil until spring.  This can be as simple as blowing the leaves from your yard over your garden bed.

11) Compost.  Collect your kitchen scraps and yard waste to enrich your garden in the spring.  You don’t need a special bin, but you do need to alternate layers of ‘green’ waste (fresh grass, weeds, or kitchen scraps) with ‘brown’ waste (leaves, straw, or dry grass).

Compost is just decomposing organic matter that breaks down, over time, into a rich humus.  Added to your garden, it will restore nutrients, loosen up your soil, and introduce beneficial organisms.  It is far, far better for your soil and plant health than chemical fertilizer, and you can make it at home for free.

If you layer your compost properly, it will, well, compost instead of rotting and will not be particularly smelly.

A lot of science has gone into studying how to get the most soil nutrients out of your compost pile.  It is worth reading some of that information, but a lot of that literature assumes you are building a whole compose pile at once, and so can layer it in a fairly scientific way.  Most people don’t have enough waste on hand to do that.  Here is what you can do instead:

1)     Pick a good spot (most people go for someplace out of the way, but others like to put the pile right in their garden, so that it enriches the soil underneath it).

2)     Loosen the soil under the pile with a spading for and then put down a 1-2 inch layer of brown material about 3 feet in diameter – leaves, straw, dry grass, old corn stalks, etc.  Basically anything from your yard that looks brown and dry and isn’t a twig.  If you blow your leaves, blow them into a pile next to where you compost pile is to have on hand.  You can buy a bale of straw from your garden center if necessary [but see Josh’s caution in his post below] and use a few handfuls from that if you have no brown waste in your yard.

3)     Get a compost bucket for your kitchen.  You don’t need to spend any money.  Go to the bakery at your grocery store (if you are still going into stores) and ask them if they have any old frosting buckets.  Get a bucket with a lid.  I find that a smaller one (about 1.5 gallon size) can hold a week of kitchen waste.  It’s better (less smelly) if you empty it more often, but you may not have the time.

4)     Put in your compost bucket everything that is not oily, meat, or dairy.  Some people skip egg shells out of fear that they’ll attract rats, but I’ve never had that problem.  Collect vegetable scraps, coffee grounds (with the filter), tea bags and leaves, white napkins, etc.

5)     When your bucket is getting full or you have the time, take it to your compost pile.  Dump it out (may be quite smelly if it has been a while since you last emptied it) and use a stick to spread it into a layer (more or less, no need to be precise).  Throw leaves or other brown material over the top to get at least a 1-inch layer.  Tip: if your bucket is really smelly, rinse it out and then pour a half-inch of white vinegar in the bottom.  No need to empty it; just start collecting your next batch of waste on top of the vinegar.

6)     If you do weeding or mow the lawn and bag the grass, put that on the compost pile too.  If it is a large amount, break it into several layers 3-6 inches thick, depending on how dense the green waste is, with brown waste between them.

7)     When your pile gets to be about 4 feet in diameter at the base and 3-4 feet tall, start a new pile.  Take a spading fork and mix around the old pile, to mix up the layers and add some air.

8)     Wait a month or two and you can use it as mulch.  Wait 3-6 months and it will decompose noticeably and you can add it to your soil like fertilizer in the spring.

12) Resources.  The Prepared will be updating the Best Survival and Prepper Books page soon to include a good selection of gardening books.  Watch for the revised list.  In the meantime, start with How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons if you want to learn more.

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AdviceSkills

How Climate Migration Will Reshape America (NY Times)

Matt Black - October 8, 2020

“Millions will be displaced. Where will they go?”

I listened to this today and thought it would be of benefit to all my fellow preppers. Be well. Be safe. Be healthy.

How Climate Migration Will Reshape America (stream/podcast episode)

Synopsis:
In August, Abrahm Lustgarten, who reports on the environment, watched fires burn just 12 miles from his home in Marin County, Calif.

For two years, he had been studying the impact of the changing climate on global migration around the world.

Suddenly, with fires raging so close to home, he had to ask himself the question he had been asking other people: Was it time to move?

This week on The Sunday Read, Abrahm explores a nation on the cusp of transformation.

If you’d rather read, here’s the NY Times article: How Climate Migration Will Reshape America

If you’d like to avoid ads, trackers, etc. or cannot access the article, HERE is the Internet Archive back-up.

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Advice

Not Sure What to Do Next

Jay Brooks - October 8, 2020

I’ve been reading theprepared for a while and was fortunate enough to find the website before the pandemic. I was putting my finishing touches on my go-bags in Janurary once I started hearing about what was going on in China and this website, I felt, gave me a “healthy” level of paranoia.

One challenge I’m having now is to not spiral, and keep on getting more and more equipment until I build myself a bunker. It’s hard.

I feel like I’ve got a really good base of preparedness, so I would just like to list that out and get any feedback/input on areas to improve. And maybe ask the question – what should I consider next?

We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids under 3 years old) in a large metro area in the midwest. Thankfully we have family that live in rural areas and are just a few hours away by car, if it ever got that far. But so far, it hasn’t. Here’s what I’ve put together, in terms of preparedness:

– 2 “Level 3” go-bags, as detailed from this site, stored in the closet by the front door

– whole-house generator that can run on propane or gas, with enough fuel for 1 week

– 4 weeks of shelf-stable food and 72 gallons of stored water

– 12 month emergency fund in cash

– home medical supplies, as recommended by this site

– “get home bags” in each car, separate from the Level 3 bags above

– getting solar panels installed next month that can run all electric needs for our house in the summer months

When I write it all down it seems like a lot, but I still have anxiety that it’s not enough. Welcome to 2020, I guess.  Do I just need to chill? Repeat the sane prepper mantra over and over again? 🙂

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Advice

Toilet when there’s no water?

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - September 30, 2020

Here’s something I’ve been wondering about for a while when thinking about prepping. What happens in a scenario where we lose water at home as far as toileting needs are concerned?

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AdviceScenarios

Firearms storage for BOBs

kismet - September 27, 2020

I’m curious how people are balancing safety vs quick access for firearms intended for a BOB (in The Prepared’s layout, this would be a level 2 bag item). We’ve decided to go with compact handguns for our L2 bags, though I suspect the answers would mostly be similar if people are using a compact long gun or large format pistol like a PC Charger or AR-7 or 10/22 Takedown.

A non-exhaustive list of variables to consider:

Gun location: In the safe? Dedicated quick access box (e.g. GunVault) near the bag? In the bag? Somewhere else? Presumably always holstered, whether loaded or not. Status: Loaded? Unloaded? Loaded but with an empty chamber? Magazines: In the bag? If not in the bag, located where the gun is? Loaded? Unloaded w/ a box of ammo? Ammo in a vacuum bag with a dessicant?

Some concerns:

Time taken to head out the door Risk of theft Risk of unsafe access by the untrained Maintenance burden (e.g. cycling out ammo, magazines, etc)

While we don’t have children and the corresponding safety concerns to contend with, others surely will, so it’d be interesting to hear suggestions for both scenarios.

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AdviceGear

Best safety Goggles for Covid?

LG - September 22, 2020

I’m a teacher and my district is about to move from virtual to in-person learning. My school was renovated several years ago and the new windows don’t open (though I’m glad to have windows). I’ll be wearing a mask but I’m wondering if anyone has advice on wearing goggles/safety glasses as additional protection.

I own Pyramex I-Force safety goggles that I use when out in the yard mowing etc but I’d like some that are, if not more feminine, at least less “goggly.” Then again, I’d rather wear goggles than get Covid. 

Are safety glasses with side shields worth it if there isn’t an actual seal around your eyes? If so, what type safety glasses would you recommend? 

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AdviceGear

Preparation resources for Asian Americans?

mopdx - September 21, 2020

Has anyone in this wonderful community come across and recommend any preparation resources that address preparation challenges for Asian Americans (and other People of Color)?

Being based in Portland (Oregon) in midst of the wildfire smoke crisis–and reading confirmed reports of armed vigilantes setting up illegal checkpoints in nearby rural towns–has made me acutely realize that being a person of color can be dangerous when traveling through the countryside during emergency evacuations. I’m beginning to realize that my evacuation strategies may have unique challenges, and that I’ll need to adjust accordingly.

I haven’t been able to find much on the topic–searching for “Asian preppers” returned links to articles about working in an Asian restaurant kitchen, or SAT preparation strategies, but nothing related to emergency preparedness.

By the way, I do appreciate The Prepared’s site and forums for being very inclusive and welcoming. And the site contents have motivated me to start assembling a BOB.

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Advice

More than one cell phone?

Seasons4 - September 20, 2020

I recently replaced a cell phone without ending service yet on the clunky predecessor. Then I wondered if maybe I should have two working cell phones (different phone numbers) in case I lose one or in case the cell phone service providers’ equipment is on different towers. If one tower (or equipment) failed, there would be a back up. (I also have basic radios as a back up.) If money were not a limitation, would you have more than one working cell phone? Thanks!

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Advice

12 volt charging from Jackery 240 or other ones

Rudy - September 19, 2020

Hello.

Have a new dc/dc 20 amp battery charger. Would like to connect it to my starter motor battery at the input of the charger then have the output go to a cigarette lighter socket, which will charge a jackery 240 portable power station. Will also use a 12 volt wire at D+ to sense ign on.

Is this a feasible use of this Renogy 20 amp charger?

Thank you , Rudy

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0

Advice

School Ventilation

Jesse Smith - September 14, 2020

I don’t really know if this is totally appropriate for this forum, but I’ve been getting a ton of questions about school ventilation and filtration systems. So I made a video that outlines these systems Hopefully this helps parents and school staff work to verify the function of these systems in their school districts. Feel free to post any questions specific to this issue. If there’s even slight interest I’d like to do some stuff shortly on measured flow and filtration with simple devices you can readily install in your kid’s classroom. 

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Advice

Helmets anyone?

Matt Black - September 13, 2020

Hi, all. I hope you’re all doing well.

I’m just starting the process of researching helmets, but want to know if anyone else is already ahead of the game in this department. Specifically, I’m looking into NIJ-level helmets (see body armor). I am, of course, thinking in terms of a SHTF scenario, not so much paintballs and protests.

What manufacturers, distributors, or other information have you found in the way of civilian-accessible helmets?

Thanks in advance.

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Advice

Confused about half mask sizing, filters and cartridges

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - September 12, 2020

I am bout to venture into the world of non-disposable respirator masks. I’ve been reading this TP page https://theprepared.com/gear/reviews/best-gas-mask-respirator-survival/ and decided that I want to get the recommended 3m half mask. That’s as far as I was able to get before getting confused.

First of all, I’m unclear about how to figure out the mask sizing. It says that most people should use a medium size, but there’s no sizing guide anywhere that I can find. (I think of myself as having a large head).

More confusingly, I got hopelessly lost in trying to figure out the cartridges and filters thing. First of all, I don’t have a clear understanding of how these things even fit on the mask, so I don’t know exactly even what shape I’m looking for. Some filters come as simply soft disks. Can I fit those on the half-face mask? Other things come as cartridges and I am having a hard time figuring out all the variants or what would actually work. I did try to find the filter and cartrdige types that the mask description recommends, but I wasn’t able to track them down.

I will say that what I want right now is just an N95 filter, or whatever the equivalent of that is. My most immediate problem is the incredible amount of smoke pollution in California. The air is very, very bad. I’ve never been able to wear a conventional, disposable N95 masks. I get massively uncomfortable in them right away, so I’m hoping that these half-face respirators will be better. Right now my priority is to have something I can use for the smoke when I go out that will also maximize my ability to breathe easily. For that reason I don’t want to go up to N100. As for preparing for other kinds of chemical or whatever emergencies, I will need to deal with that later. So, given that, what filters would I be looking for?

I would LOVE it if some kind soul who understands these maks and filters better than I do would explain to me what to look for.

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AdviceGear

New to Prepping & specific questions re CA/fire strategy

mseg77 - September 11, 2020

I just joined, but the general idea has been “top of mind” since Feb/March, here in CA specifically COVID related, but also civil unrest/race relations/political instability, and now, it’s “fire season” and we are in Elk Grove (15 mi. south of state Capitol, Sacramento).

We are approx. 30 miles (as the crow flies) from the southeasternmost edge of what is known as the LNU Fires Complex, started 4 days ago and already at 220k+ acres.  [https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/17/lnu-lightning-complex-includes-hennessey-gamble-15-10-spanish-markley-13-4-11-16/]  and [https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#t:adv;d:2020-08-19..2020-08-20;l:countries,street;@-121.8,38.3,10z .]  Links provided for reference and because if you just “googlemap” it, doesn’t show the actual fire AREA covered, just a flame icon inside the area.  Edited map attached below (showing locations/landmarks/distance) for clarity.

The whole state received (yesterday or the day before) a general “EVERYone should be ready to grab & go” from OES, because of how wide-spread all the (then 367 separate) fires are, rapidly changing-conditions and already-strained resources.  Sidenote/perspective:  a close friend of mine was a Paradise resident, she and her family very narrowly escaped with their lives but lost their home, pets, all but the clothes on their back.

We have had food/supplies well-stocked since early March (still do).  I know I’m “skipping” steps (in that I’m NOT generally, financially/legally etc prepared), but the potential to have to USE the preparedness as it relates specifically to fire, now, within the next (hours? week(s)?) has kicked me into high gear, taking steps last night/throughout TODAY to work on the OTHER, more “immediate” stuff [list/organization TO create BOB & car bag, etc., + home & self defense I delayed before on (window film & fortified door jams/sliding door & window locks to supplement alarm & dog, shotgun + pistol)]… and I apologize, because I know this is both HIGHLY specific and a little all over the place… but this forum seems like possibly the best resource to get (smart/rational/helpful) feedback.

There are not currently any Evac Orders OR Warnings, for us right here, right now.  It’s hot (been 100+ all week), 35% humidity, not too windy (3-4 mph currently), but possibly more lightening forecast for Sun-Tues.  I have subscribed to and have all the push notifications (email, text & phone from CalFire, CAOES, SacOES, SacPD, EGPD) set up so I can hear if warnings/order happen/are issued.

But I’m not relying on JUST the notifications/warnings/orders, I’m not “waiting” for that.  I’m checking (regularly, but not obsessively) to see if the fire moves significantly or quickly this way.  If we need to evacuate, all of Yolo County + at least City of Sacramento (so, potentially 700k+ residents…) will have needed to do so first/as well… and they’d be headed this way (and/or onto same routes I’d be).  Does it seem reasonable to have as a “go now” trigger, the following:

If fire continues to spread east, and gets as far as the “Deep Water Channel”, GO soon (as in, within the hour?); If it gets to/approaches the west banks of the Sacramento River, GO IMMEDIATELY; If it gets as far as I-5, it’s too late to get out mainly because of the mass exodus traffic that (potential evacuation would cause) and options limited to soak what I can outside and surface streets to whatever “localized” Evac Center.

So… what do the experienced preppers say?  Am I over-thinking it/should I wait until/if there is an official warning/order?  Are there vital things I’m not taking into consideration?  Am I not planning to GO soon enough?

THANK YOU for any input/direction/suggestion/feedback.

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AdviceScenarios

Prepping & Protesting

Matt Black - September 9, 2020

No matter where you lie on the political spectrum, you or someone you love, or care about, or know may consider attending a protest. Make sure that you (or that certain special someone) is prepared in every respect; know how to do so safely, what your rights are (and aren’t), and how to protect yourself.

Digital Self-Defense

EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), a California non-profit focused on digital privacy and free speech, has an excellent guide entitled Attending a Protest that may be of interest to many here -whether or not they may be actively engaging in protest.

The guide, which was been updated this past June, covers things to do before, during, and after attending a protest.  However, the guide also serves as a rudementary how-to for bolstering your individual digital security if you happen to be in an area of protest, regardless of participation.

Protesters’ Rights

The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) has a great guide called Know Your Rights, which is informative whether you are organizing, attending, documenting, or are stopped by the police.

Protest Safety

Amnesty International also has some great tips on How To Protest Safely, what to bring, what to wear, etc.

Alternate Comms

[Placeholder for walkie talkies, ham radios, mesh networks]

Be safe out there.

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Advice

Looking for evacuation advice and resources (especially during COVID-19)

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - September 6, 2020

I’m in Northern California, which is more or less in flames right now and is about to have more dry thunderstorms. Wondering what my safest options are if I have to evacuate and if I can’t find a friend or family member to stay with.

I’m also wondering the same for my mom. Her situation is more complicated. She’s closer to the fire zone, and at the same time is 77 and with mobility issues following a stroke.  She might come to me but that’s a barely workable setup for her situations and/or I might have to leave myself.

I’m looking for ideas and resources about where I and/or she can go that’s not a COVID infested mess.

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Advice

Building raised garden beds

C P.Contributor - September 5, 2020

(Another short guide, for those getting started in gardening)

When people talk about ‘raised beds,’ they usually mean soil that has been raised about 6” above the surrounding ground by a frame of wood, stone, or cement blocks.  If you have read the forum about getting started in gardening, you will know that you don’t actually need a frame to make a raised bed.  However, having a frame makes it easier to maintain your bed (the sides don’t erode), helps keep your mulch in place (especially if you are topping your beds with dried leaves in the winter), and can let you make a higher bed.  There are also plenty of aesthetic benefits.  You can paint your beds to match your house, use stonework to add visual interest to your yard, or just keep things looking neat.  If you have the time and energy, it can be worth doing.

Here is some guidance to get you started.  These are based on my own experiences and reading.  I’ve framed beds with untreated lumber, scrap cedar, and stone, and I’ve used logs and cement block in other landscaping projects.  I claim no professional expertise.  Your experiences may vary.

Before we start, I want to make one thing clear.  Sometimes people see raised beds (i.e., beds with frames) and assume that you build the frame and then fill it with soil.  You can do that – it is actually at the heart of the Square Foot Gardening method – but it’s expensive and usually unnecessary.  What you want to do is prepare an unframed raised bed by fluffing up the soil with a good double-dig and maybe adding some compost, and then put the frame around your bed.

With that in mind, the key steps to building a raised bed are:

1)     Dig the bed

2)     Choose your materials (wood or stone/cement block)

3)     Obtain your materials

4)     If using wood: prebuild your frames

5)     Install your frame

Skill level needed is minimal and it decreases if you don’t care about the aesthetics.

1) Dig your Bed.  See the instructions in the Getting Started with Gardening forum or borrow a copy of How to Grow More Vegetables from your local library.  Double dig your bed.

2) Choose your Materials

Your two main options are wood or some form of stone or cement block.  I’ll discuss each in turn.

Wood:

The main benefits of wood are that it is cheap, easy to work with, and can be painted (if you choose).  The main drawback is that most wood rots when in contact with the ground.  You have three main options (as I see it) to deal with this:

a)      Use regular, untreated wood to build your beds.  If you use 2×10 pine from your local big box store, your bed will probably last several years before needing to be replaced.  I have gotten 4+ years out of untreated wood.

b)     Use cedar or another variety of wood that is naturally resistant to rot and bugs.  You probably won’t be able to find large enough sections of wood at a big box store (at least I haven’t), but if you go to a local lumber yard and explain to someone what you are doing, they can probably point you to locally available, rot-resistant varieties.  The drawback is that it is expensive.  As an aside, I live in an area where many houses have cedar siding, and I have obtained scrap siding from siding repair jobs.  It works okay for garden beds.  It is a little weak and needs more support and it still breaks down over time.  But it works and it’s free.

c)      Use treated lumber.  Pressure treated wood is impregnated with chemicals to prevent rot.  The current varieties made in the US are no longer treated with arsenic (technically chromated copper arsenate) and at least one manufacturer claims that their product is safe for vegetable gardens.  Nonetheless, I personally choose to avoid it for growing food.

All of the above assumes that wood = cut lumber.  You can also use tree trunks (laid horizontally) if they are thick enough or logs (set vertically) if you have enough of them.  In my area, a large log may last 3 years before rotting to uselessness.

Stone or cement block:

If you have free access to large stones (at least the size of Tom Clancy novel or kids’ soccer ball), they make a great border.  They are easy to install (even easier than wood, albeit heavier), look cool, and even retain heat to help your plants grow.  I would advise against using smaller stones, especially if you need to stack them to get the height you need.  They will fall over, look messy, and not do the job.  (For the same reason, I wouldn’t use regular sized, un-mortared bricks.)  In general, the bigger the stones you use the better (within reason of course).  Just be careful moving them.

Cement blocks are essentially like big, regular stones.  I haven’t tried them for garden beds, but I have used them for retaining walls and they are easy enough to work with.  For a 4×8 garden frame, I wouldn’t recommend you go through all the steps you need for a proper retaining wall, but I would dig a trench 1” or 2” below the soil level, level the trench, and tamp the bottom.  This will help things look neater and make your blocks less likely to move.  More on that below.  I would suggest 6” high blocks, although you could try 2 courses of 4” high blocks.  You may have some problems with the 4” blocks moving, but probably not as much as you would with small rocks if you get blocks that are fairly wide (front to back).  Many are made with some sort of interlocking shape (usually a lip at the back) or a pin system, which should help even more.

A final note:

I have recently seen a block-and-wood combo where you buy large cement corner posts that have slots molded into them to accept wooden boards (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Oldcastle-Planter-Wall-Tan-Retaining-Wall-Block-Common-6-in-x-8-in-Actual-5050-in-x-7-75-in/1001156396).  I haven’t tried it yet, but I may do so when my current wooden beds rot out.  It looks like a good option, especially if you can replace rotted boards without moving the corner posts.  It would really reduce the labor cost of using untreated wood.  If you try it, maybe post below on the experience.

3) Obtain your materials.

Free is best, but you also want materials to be clean so that nothing toxic enters your garden.  You may be able to source scrap wood from building projects in your neighborhood or get tree trunks or stone from your own land or friends’ yards.  Cement block can be purchased (including ordered for delivery) from landscape centers and big box stores.

If you are buying lumber, I would suggest buying 2×10 (which is actually 1.5”x9.5”).  The edges may be a bit higher than your soil, but the extra lip will help keep your mulch in place.  For each bed, I would buy three 8-foot lengths and then have the store cut one of them in half.  They’ll usually do it for free.  Depending on how you assemble your bed, it will be either 3” shorter or 3” narrower than 4×8 feet, but it doesn’t matter.  Just make sure you do all of your beds the same way.  Buy some cheap 2×4 (e.g., stud lumber) to reinforce the corners.  You can ask the store to cut it into 9” lengths (four 9”pieces for each bed), but they may charge you a few dollars because it’s more cuts.  If you have the tools, you can do it at home.  You’ll also want a box of 2.5” construction screws.

4) For wood only: Prebuild your frames.

Build a 4×8 wooden rectangle, reinforcing the corners.  I could write detailed instructions on how to do this, but if you have basic woodworking skills you don’t need me to and if you don’t have basic woodworking skills, you probably need pictures (which I don’t have, since my beds are already done).

That being said, if you want to learn basic carpentry, this is a great project to start with.  If you have the wood pre-cut at the store, all you need is a tape measure, a pencil, a drill, a small bit for piloting holes, and a driver bit for putting in screws.  (A square for marking things and a clamp to hold the reinforcing blocks would help too, but aren’t totally necessary.)  The driver bit may even come free with your box of construction screws.  The process is straightforward, and you’ll feel pride every time you see your beds.

Build your beds out on your driveway or in your garage.  It will be much easier to get the corners flush and square.  A 4×8 frame made from 2×10 pine will be a bit heavy, but should be easily moveable with the help of a friend.  Especially if the corners are reinforced, you can carry it without it breaking.

Maybe someone building their own beds can post a step-by-step photo guide below to the carpentry.  Yes, I checked Instructables for a good link, but most of what was there had either bad dimensions, was too deep (you’d need to fill with soil), or was actually an elevated bed (picture a garden bed built on top of a table; these can be good for gardeners with mobility challenges).

5) Install your beds

For wood (i.e., frame you’ve pre-built):

a)      Use a hard rake to pull the soil in from the edges of your raised bed.

b)     Use a shovel to scrape the ground flat all the way around the bed.  If your yard is not level, I recommend digging downward on the uphill side(s) so that your bed will lay flat.

c)      Position your frame

d)     Check that the frame is level front to back and side to side by putting a bubble level on the boards.  (If you don’t have a bubble level, you can buy a cheap 9” torpedo level for less than $10.)  If it’s not level, move the frame and dig downward on the high side(s) or prop up the low sides with rocks.  If you prop up the low sides, make sure that the bottom of the board is still at or below the level of the surrounding soil.  You’ll also need to back fill and tamp down the dirt in that area to that the frame doesn’t shift and settle later.

e)     Backfill as necessary against the outside of the frame (i.e., if you cut a wider trench in the soil, fill it in around the frame) and rake the interior level.  You’re done!

If you are using tree trunks, I would just dig a trench deep enough that when you lay the trunk in, there are no large gaps where dirt from the garden bed can leak out underneath.  If you are using logs, lay like stone or block, below.

For stone and block:

a)      Use a hard rake to pull the soil in from the edges of your raised bed.

b)     Use a shovel to dig a narrow, straight trench, as wide as your stone/block, 1-3” deep.  1” is probably enough, but if you have wide, flat stones you may want to ‘plant’ them vertically, in which case a deeper trench will make them more stable.

c)      Whether you level your trench is up to you.  I don’t think it matters much with natural stone, but you may feel that block looks better when it is properly level.  To level your trench, lay a piece of straight lumber (any straight, long piece of 2×4 will do) and put a bubble level on it.  Dig or fill as necessary.  For a level block wall, make sure to tamp down the bottom of the trench after digging.

d)     Lay your stone or block.

·        For laying stone, it will become a bit of a jigsaw puzzle as you try to get the pieces to interlock.  To make things easier, lay all of your stones out near you in the yard, so that you can easily test fit pieces until you find the right one.

·        If you are laying block, you may wish to stretch a string between two stakes on each side to show where the front of your blocks should line up.  Most blocks come with angled sides.  To avoid needing to cut any blocks, I would dig out a little bit of your bed at the corners, and use the angled sides of the block to angle the wall around.  It should only take one angled block to turn the corner, so you shouldn’t lose much bed space.

e)     Backfill.  If you are laying stones, backfill with dirt on the outside and inside with a hand trowel as you go.  Tamp the dirt down with the handle of your trowel or a fist sized stone to prevent the rocks from shifting.  If you are laying block, I would lay everything first and then use a string or piece of scrap wood to make sure that all of the stones are in a straight line (if you haven’t done so already) and at an even depth.  Adjust as necessary.  Backfill the outside and the rake the interior level.  You’re done!

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AdviceSkills

Best online places to buy backup glasses?

Jay ValenciaContributor - August 31, 2020

I wear glasses and so does my wife. We’re not interested in getting laser surgery, so that means an extra pair of glasses are part of our preps at home. I think most people do that. But now I’m wondering if I should have an extra pair specifically for our BOB and maybe our EDC. My prescription hasn’t changed so my guess is I can just use that to order a few pairs online for us?

Where would you recommend?

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Advice

Preserving eggs with calcium hydroxide

Alisa Felix - August 24, 2020

Has anyone tried using calcium hydroxide to preserve eggs? It has a bunch of other names like slaked lime, but you basically combine it with water and then jar it. And the eggs can last a couple years with no funky taste.

But based on what I’ve been reading, it won’t work on eggs you get from the store. It has to be eggs that haven’t been washed yet… something about the natural coating still needs to be there? So if you have chickens or know someone with some, it could be an easy way to store them long term.

I haven’t done it yet but just wanted to throw it out there in case someone else has. Or maybe it doesn’t work at all?

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Advice

Looking for advice: galvanized stock tanks for raised garden beds?

Kelsey DonkContributor - August 23, 2020

My partner and I just bought our first house and we’re looking for some advice from this expert prepping community! 🙂 We live in Minneapolis and like true Northerners, we spend all year planning for and dreaming of our brief window of spring and summer weather. 

We both love to garden and have done lots of gardening in community gardens and on our rental balconies and in rental yards, but this is the first time we’ll actually be able to invest in a long-term garden of our own! We’re so excited. 

I’m planning on getting some galvanized stock tanks for raised beds (with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage, of course). Does anyone have experience with this? Any tips for growing vegetables or setting up the stock tanks? 

We move in to our new house late next month. Is it smartest to wait until spring to dig up the grass and plop the tanks down? Or should I do that this fall while the ground is still soft and before the winter freeze descends? 

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AdviceGear

Is there a Window Security Film that does double (or triple) duty?

mseg77 - August 21, 2020

I’ll post a comment directly to the article but thought I should separately as well – I apologize if that’s not appropriate and admins, please delete if so.

I read the “hardening your home” article (https://theprepared.com/homestead/guides/home-hardening-basics/).  We’ve been looking at adding window film for a while, but mainly for purposes privacy (shaded, NOT blackout or mirror-finish, preferably) and to help with heat/cooling efficiency.  It’s a single-story home in a suburb neighborhood of the Capitol here in CA w/ 2 sliding glass doors.  I’m wondering if there is a product, or if someone has experience/suggestions with a film that does both/all three (security + privacy + thermal), and well?  This is the product referenced in the article https://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00FRLJU0S/tp-kb-20?th=1

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AdviceGear