Active New Top (30 days) Compact Card Wine for the apocalypse July LewisContributor - June 24, 2022 So my husband bought a wine rack for the basement this winter and has been having fun picking out moderately priced wines and filling it up. I didn’t think to add it to my emergency food spreadsheet until just now! I have a formula in the spreadsheet that calculates how many days worth of calories we have, and this gave my supplies a nice boost. This will be a part of our rotating pantry so hopefully we won’t have any wine go bad. But I’m seeing confusing info on the shelf life of wine. Fine wines are supposed to last 20-30 years when stored properly, while other wines are good for 2-3 years. What’s the difference?? These are not fine wines and many have screw tops. Our storage conditions are not ideal – no temperature extremes but also not the ideal 55 F degrees. Maybe 65 in the winter, 75 in summer. Anyone have any insight/experience in wine storage? Read More 10 10 Advice Controlling cooking food odors whether SIP or Bug Out conditions UbiqueContributor - June 23, 2022 Controlling food odors would be an important consideration for anyone living in the city close to others or even in a rural area if hungry people are searching for food. I’m not sure, but it seems possible that very hungry people would have a heightened sense of smell. I ran a test on how much and how far food odors wafted from my home some years ago as part of scenario prepping. There was no exhaust fan used to blow the odor outside. The item I cooked on top of the stove was dried red kidney beans. There was nothing added to the beans and water. It was to cook them only before making chili later. While the beans simmered, I took a walk outdoors and was shocked by the smell outside my house. I never thought that plain, unseasoned beans would give off that much smell. More shocking was how far the smell travelled on a day with low wind conditions. I wondered what the result would have been had I used an exhaust fan and blew more of the smell outside. This led me to think that smell has to be considered in prepping. I am still trying to figure out how to control odors while cooking. Food can be eaten cold out of the can, but in an emergency of long duration, it will be necessary to cook food. Even bugged out, food odors from an outdoor meal could be a problem. One last part, I have also considered food odors on my hands from preparing food. In times of scarcity, looking well fed and smelling of garlic might tip off people that you have preps. Lemon juice can neutralize the garlic and baggy clothes can hide a lack of weight loss, but I am still trying to find a solution to reducing or eliminating food odors. Has anyone considered this and if so, any thoughts on how to deal with this issue? Thanks in advance Read More 15 35 AdviceScenarios Human urine as garden fertilizer RedneckContributor - June 23, 2022 As a gardener and prepper who strives to be ready to become self sufficient if necessary, fertilization after the SHTF is a concern of mine. I address this in several ways, such as large compost piles and having farm animals, as their aged manure makes fine fertilizer. I also plan to grow companion plants, such as the 3 sisters to help address the issues of fertilization & water retention in the soil. Wonder how many folks have prepared to collect their urine during a crisis? Urine is full of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, which are the nutrients plants need to thrive–and the main ingredients in common mineral fertilizers. It is in liquid form which also helps the plants with hydration. Unlike feces (human or animal), which can carry bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, urine from healthy folks poses no health risks as it is practically sterile when it is eliminated from the body. When dying of thirst, one can actually drink their own urine to survive. We all pee around 150 gallons per year… beer drinkers more. If say you are in a survival group of 10 people, that is 1500 gallons of premium fertilizer that could help y’all survive. Just wanted to pass this info on for you survival gardeners that might have never considered this source of fertilizer. Most of us store foods in 5-6 gallon plastic pails. Once empty, you can attach a toilet seat with lid for females to contribute. I keep two in stock. Read More 13 20 Advice My main worries to end the week (Prices/CPI and other stuff) Karl Winterling - June 14, 2022 My main worries to end the week are: The economic models the Fed was using in December for predicting inflation don’t seem like they’re suited for the current economic situation. The Fed needs to seriously investigate why these models are wrong and make sure unwarranted assumptions are not sticking around or leading the Fed to be less aggressive than it has to be. We really don’t need the Fed to be too optimistic about inflation right now. Interest rates impact the price at which investors are willing to buy stocks (the other main consideration being company profitability or expected profitability), which is part of why raising interest rates slows the economy and inflation. If food and fuel costs/shortages get much more serious (or “go parabolic”), the Fed can’t do much about that but might feel pressured to raise rates more aggressively than it has to and cause a recession (or a worse recession) without a good reason. Interest rate hikes will not magically produce more fuel and food. There are counter-arguments to media reports like this (I hope those counter-arguments are wrong). If an income bracket literally can’t afford food or food is simply not available somewhere, niceties (and more) go out the window. Yes, we produce food domestically but fewer imported products = more people buy a lower supply of domestic products. (Mods: remove if this is too political, I’m trying to keep left vs. right ideology out of it and focus on the correlation between job approval ratings and crises). Biden’s job approval rating is historically low for a president, and lower approval ratings typically go along with recessions or crises like inflation in the 1970s or the 2008 Financial Crisis. Yes, Trump’s job approval rating was also pretty low throughout his presidency but (not to get too political or get into left vs. right) many people, right or wrong, found him offensive, thought he was too ignorant to do his job, thought he was an agent of a foreign power, or thought he did not respect the US Constitution or separation of powers. Therefore, it makes sense to assume that many people perceive current federal-level leadership as weak. Yes, you should be worried about what people are willing to vote for if they decide the government or economic/social/political system can’t fix their problems and those problems get too bad. Political extremists on the far left, far right, and elsewhere often spend their time sitting around and waiting for a crisis. Suggested preps: Food (at least 2 weeks, more if possible, like a few months or a year). Assume that food prices could double within the next year, though my baseline assumption is that we will face acute rather than chronic food shortages if there are availability issues. Get your finances in order (or try your best). Prepare for possible civil unrest. Humans adapted over hundreds of thousands of years to survive. Something in the news might shock you, but remember that you will not always feel the same way. The world could turn into a place that you don’t think is worth living in, but there’s a lot that has to happen before you know that for certain. Read More 6 7 AdviceMetaScenarios How to budget, save money & establish financial health MariaC - June 6, 2022 I see great forum discussions emphasizing that physical health and financial health are two of the key foundations to a good prep. Practicing survival skills and acquiring gadgets are really fun, but I’d argue that they’re the grill lines on the steak. John Ramey gives solid notes on how to create a simple budget in the article, “Why personal finance is critical for preppers and tips on money management.” I am such an enormous nerd about that topic, though! To me, budgeting is inherently prepping — they’re one in the same. But how? And where can you get started? So, here’s deep dive about: how do you actually make a budget that reflects your individual values, needs, and priorities? And once you’ve drafted that budget, how do you stick to it? I’ve found success (at last, after lots of failures and self-doubt) with an app called You Need A Budget, or YNAB (“why-nab”) for short. I like YNAB because it’s a values-neutral system. Want to spend $10 a day on Starbucks, get a dog, pay off your debt, and plan to live off-the-grid on a homestead in 5 years? Yeah, cool! You can do that. Or anything else that’s important to you, because you’re the boss of your money, not a set of arbitrary rules. The system helps you be the boss of your money by helping you to discern your financial priorities and achieve clarity about what’s most important for your money to do next before more money arrives. You do this by writing down your priorities, then choosing the most important ones to fund, and assigning your money jobs (e.g., “pay for groceries this week,” “sit there and look pretty in my car emergency fund”) until all your money has been assigned jobs. There are four rules in YNAB’s system to help you make that happen: Give every dollar a job. Whenever money arrives, you prioritize what jobs need to happen first before more money arrives. Do you need to pay the electric bill, buy groceries this week, or make sure to have some money set aside for beers with your friends? YNAB helps you discern that choice proactively, then helps you follow the plan that you create. Embrace your true expenses. True expenses are reoccurring, less frequent expenses. Sometimes, they’re things that we know are coming up on a particular future date, like buying Christmas presents or paying for the kids’ summer camp. Other times, you don’t know when they’ll strike, but you can safely assume that someday, you will need money to pay for car repairs. Rule 2 helps you identify what your true expenses are, plan for them, and start setting money aside for them before you need to have it available to spend. Roll with the punches. Did you dine out one too many times? Or maybe you actually need to replace your cell phone after it went for a dip in the lake, but you don’t have money set aside for that? No problem; that’s normal, not a reason to feel guilty or quit budgeting. Circumstances change and your plans change with them. Your budget is no different. If you overspend in one category, Rule 3 tells you to cover that spending with money from another category and keep on trucking. Age your money. Slowly begin setting aside money to spend on next month’s expenses. In time, you’ll reach a point at which you’re spending money today that entered your bank account for the first time last month. (You’ll be able to cover May’s mortgage with dollars from April.) The app helps you to be purposeful in your spending and consistently spend less than you earn. This allows you to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, establish emergency savings, and build a more secure foundation for your prep. Here are a few free places to get started: Get Started Video Get Started Guide You Need A Budget book by Jesse Mecham — available free on Kindle through my public library, and maybe through yours? Live, Weekly Workshops YNAB Reddit YNAB Podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc. Free 34-Day Trial — you do not have to enter payment info when you create your account to get started I’m not a YNAB employee, and this isn’t a sponsored post. I really am just a huge fan of this system. I see how much it helps others, and it’s helped me tons. It’s okay if it’s not for you; no budgeting tool is a one-size-fits-all solution. I share this in case someone else reads this who, like me, feels totally underwater and unable to start. Budgeting, like physical fitness, sounds simple on the surface. When I started to get into it, I learned that it’s actually deeply personal. It often requires education, access to tools, and peer support for people to be successful at it. It’s hard to establish the habit of it, and easy to fall off the wagon. I hope that this post helps others for whom budgeting is a big challenge in your prep. Drop a note in the comments if you’ve got questions, or if you’ve used other tools that work well for you. I’d love to read more about anything that helps people succeed in the threads below, even if it’s not related to YNAB. Read More 13 8 Advice Tech security question, having critical docs online safely CR - June 6, 2022 So, in reading some interesting posts regarding forced evacuations, etc., mention was made of uploading critical docs, insurance info, and so on to a secure online source. I’m paranoid about online security due to some nightmare stories from friends & coworkers, and don’t want to entrust my info to yet another new source. Asking techies out there; would saving those kind of things in an attachment to a draft email at a secure email address (like TP’s recommended Proton Mail) be a safe, reasonable spot for such things to be stored? Seems to me that would be easily sourced by me from any browser without having to remember/bring an extra thumb drive, password or other complication during a stressful event, since that’s a product I use daily already. I realize paper copies still have their place, but limitations too (easily lost, damaged or stolen, for starters.) Read More 8 11 Advice How can I extend the shelf life of the yeast in my food storage? Isabel - May 27, 2022 During covid, yeast for baking bread was non-existent for months and months. When it finally came back in stock, I bought a couple small jars not knowing if I would ever see it on the shelf again. I am nearing the expiration date on them and don’t want to have them go to waste. I’ll try and bake more bread and use it how I can, but is there anything I can do to make them last longer? They are in a sealed glass jar in a dark and cool cupboard, maybe moving them to the fridge or freezer would help? Read More 10 6 Advice How to balance community and independence (City vs Rural living) Rich DCContributor - May 26, 2022 Let me ask my “simple” question first and provide more context afterwards: How do you balance the need/desire for community with the space/cost restrictions required for higher independence with regards to long term prepping and where you choose to live? The general consensus is that urban centers are not ideal or potentially even sustainable/viable in a long term or extreme crisis (i.e food, water, and security scarcity during an infrastructure breakdown). The converse is that (up until recently, at least) urban centers are/were also educational, cultural, economic, and sometimes technological hubs enabling increased wealth generation and oppertunity. Basically the very thing that makes urban areas desireable (dense populations of individuals enabling proximity based network effects to propagate) also puts them at risk of collapse under conditions of scarcity (a lack of carrying capacity when economic or infrastructure links degrade). Modern telework enables a broader range of “commute” options/ranges but good old fashioned human connection requires proximity to other humans. Obviously you can (try to) integrate into new, smaller communities in less densely populated areas. Church, family, or cultural connections might help with such integration if these options are open to you. When you lack these built-in connections (lower friction network effects) – are there other options? The closest I can think of is something along the lines of scouting out retirement communities or searching for enclaves of whatever [tribe(s)?] you are already a part of that happen to have already ‘colonized’ a less densely populated area. Part of my mental struggle is the somewhat modern day norm where your ability to connect with [like minded] people implies that you might not know most of your neighbors but might have dozens if not hundreds of friends within a 45 minute commute range. I suspect there aren’t easy/cost effective answers but I’m really curious to hear the opinions of others, especially if built in connections to “community” in more rural areas were not already present. If money were not a factor the answer would be a vacation home that was well stocked, alas money is a consideration for most so owning more than one home seems unlikely. Read More 16 13 Advice Recognizing when it’s time to change how you prep UbiqueContributor - May 21, 2022 Yesterday, my prepping evolved. I made a hard choice and packed up all my canning gear for donation. Over fifteen years ago, I purchased all of it when I ramped up my preps. It was a natural choice to return to the lifestyle I knew so well. Canning was part of self-sufficiency. The problem was I never used any of it. The canning gear sat in unopened boxes for the someday promise of a garden. The canning supplies also sat in boxes because there was no room on my prep shelves for any of those lovely unfilled jars. That was because I had already stocked my shelves with store bought cans, regularly rotated and neatly stamped with expiry dates. There was no way to carve out more room in my prep storage. The space just wasn’t there and yesterday, I finally accepted that fact. I also accepted that jarred foods as preps don’t make sense for me anymore. My husband and I avoid high sugar foods and rarely eat jam. Arthritic hands mean an unpredictable grip. If I drop a jar, it breaks. If I drop a can, it dents. If we ever had to bug out or set up an alternate location for bug out, it will be easier to load tin cans than glass jars. I was also concerned about the sustain ability of long term canning without replenishment of canning supplies, like lids or even fuel to properly sterilize jars and keep the process clean under what might be adverse conditions. The risk of a bad batch of canning had always bothered me in the back of my mind. My Mom was an expert canner, and yet, I remember a time when she culled a batch of canned beans because she didn’t like the look of them that winter. A friend made us lunch one day and proudly brought out her jar of jam. There was mould under the paraffin seal. I expressed regret that her jam was spoiled. She didn’t believe that it was “spoiled” and scooped the upper layer of jam out of the jar. I refused to eat any of it. Mould on the surface is also below the surface and should never be consumed. No matter how careful a person is, home canning does carry the risk of botulism. A pressure canner is safest for low acidic foods, but it always goes back to operator error as a possible source of food borne illness. Food borne illness is not something anyone wants to encounter in the best of times and definitely not during a crisis where medical care may be unavailable. Spoiled and inedible food is not a prep. The last factor in my choice to relinquish my canning gear and preserve food using different methods was because of what happened last summer. My someday promise of a garden finally arrived. I promptly blanched and froze everything that I grew. The thought of canning in that heat never crossed my mind. Not once. I realized that it was time to evolve again. The word evolution comes from the Latin “evolvere” meaning “unrolling.” One of it’s meanings is “gradual development” and that is exactly what prepping has been for me. Prepping is not a static, “do it this way forever” practice. It is a part of a life that undergoes growth, change, and gradual development. If anything prepping has taught me to face reality and find solutions. So, it is out with the canning and hello freeze drying. I have my home sized freeze dryer picked out. Until the budget allows it, I will be deep freezing my produce instead. What I grow this year will also be harvest as part of daily meals and if there is surplus, it will go for donation to the food bank. I believe the freeze dryer will be a good prepping investment. Freeze dried foods have a longer shelf life than dehydrated foods. I can seal the freeze dried food into mylar bags and put them into pails for storage. The pails work well on my storage shelves and I don’t have to worry about breakage. These are the moments in prepping when we can practice courage by letting go of an idea of how to prep that no longer works for us. I was holding onto the tradition of canning and the memories it held for me. Now, I am forging new methods that hold the promise of new lessons and more to learn. I think sometimes in prepping, there is a tendency for people to embrace ideas or methods of survival, because that is what everyone else is doing. However, that doesn’t always make it right for you. No matter how you prep, do what works for you. Don’t be afraid to evolve. Read More 19 34 AdviceScenariosSkills How to enable FEMA test alerts on your phone Josh CentersContributor - May 20, 2022 There was a lot of coverage in the media about FEMA testing emergency alerts on 11 August 2021. I warned friends, family, and The Prepared community members so they wouldn’t be unduly alarmed. The time came and went and… nothing. As it turns out, you have to opt into these alerts, and the way you do so isn’t obvious. Android: The location of this setting depends on your version of Android. Your best bet is to open Settings and search for “Emergency Alerts” or “Public Safety Messages.” There are two settings you want to turn on: Public Safety Messages and State and Local Tests. iPhone: Open the Phone app, enter *5005*25371# and tap the green call button. You should receive a confirmation message. Read More 11 6 Advice What is the best disaster-proof pouch for important documents in my BOB? MrsPrep - May 19, 2022 I’m looking for a somewhat budget-friendly disaster proof pouch for my important documents but I don’t know where to start. Is there a brand I should begin with? Read More 10 12 AdviceGear Is bamboo the super prepper plant it is made out to be or a nightmarish menace? Frank Sampson - May 18, 2022 At first glance many preppers may be drawn to bamboo for it’s multitude of uses and extremely quick grow time. But for those who have dealt with it know that it is an invasive plant that will quickly overgrow the area in which it was originally planted and can cause more of a headache than anything. If you do choose to grow it, make sure to install a barrier like is pictured below. You dig a 3+ foot trench around the bamboo and place this strong and thick plastic around it to keep the roots from spreading out. Growing in a raised planter is another option. If you have acres for it to run loose in, then go ahead and plant it. But for the average suburban backyard, avoid it unless you know what you are getting yourself into. Benefits of bamboo: Some varieties can grow a foot a day and can be harvested as it grows. Extremely strong and entire civilizations have survived off of building bamboo houses. They even make motorcycle helmets out of this material and it passes safety guidelines. Bamboo can be eaten and is rich in nutrients. It can be made into fabrics and clothing. I even have a set of bamboo socks and bed sheets. Can be turned into weapons, hunting tools, or fishing poles. In a grid-down situation you may not be able to buy lumber and need to cut down trees for firewood or construction. A standard tree might take forty years before it’s ready to be chopped down, but bamboo could replenish itself in a matter of weeks. Bamboo can be made into roofing, furniture, flooring, musical instruments, fences, utensils, paper, and more. Read More 12 17 Advice Filling a 55 gallon water drum jaybee - May 18, 2022 Question: I live alone with two dogs just outside of a large US city. I have about 30 gallons of store bought water for my dogs (stored in the basement where it’s dark and cool ) and 30 gallons in 5 gallon containers for me. I also have family living nearby (including a daughter with young baby), so I could see her coming to stay with me in an emergency situation. For that reason, I’m considering a 55 gallon drum in my basement. When it’s time to replace the water with fresh water I should be fine since I have a drain in my basement floor. My question is about filling! I have a hose that would reach to my basement for filling, but it’s not a potable hose. Will treating the water before sealing the barrel take care of that? Read More 7 3 Advice 100 things to disappear first UbiqueContributor - May 18, 2022 I was going through some prep info today and found this article originally published in 2007 on Fluwiki. It is a very interesting list of items and has been helpful in planning some of my preps, so I thought I would share it with you. Some of you may have already read this, but it is worth looking at from time to time. I keep tinned gravy in my preps because of this list. (I have added spaces between the lines for ease of reading) Quote begins: Tips From Sarajevo: 100 Items to Disappear First Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy…target of thieves, invites marauders; maintenance etc.) Water Filters/Purifiers Portable Toilets Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 – 12 months to become dried, for home uses. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!) Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar Rice – Beans – Wheat Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.) Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly) Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY – note – food grade if for drinking. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.) Survival Guide Book. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.) Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry) Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene) Vitamins Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item) Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms) Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil) Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item) Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal) Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many) Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels Milk – Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months) Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST) Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST) Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit Tuna Fish (in oil) Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room) First aid kits Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates) Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food) Flour, yeast & salt Matches. (“Strike Anywhere” preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.) Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, “No. 76 Dietz” Lanterns Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times) Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels) Men’s Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient) Fishing supplies/tools Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams Duct Tape Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes Candles Laundry Detergent (liquid) Backpacks, Duffle Bags Garden tools & supplies Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax) Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel Bicycles…Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered) Board Games, Cards, Dice d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks) Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water) Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave) Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels) Soysauce, vinegar, boullions/gravy/soupbase Reading glasses Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers) “Survival-in-a-Can” Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO) Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras) Lumber (all types) Wagons & carts (for transport to and from) Cots & Inflatable mattresses Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc. Lantern Hangers Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts Teas Coffee Cigarettes Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal etc) Paraffin wax Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc. Chewing gum/candies Atomizers (for cooling/bathing) Hats & cotton neckerchiefs Goats/chickens From a Sarajevo War Survivor:Stockpiling helps, but you never no how long trouble will last, so locate near renewable food sources. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in war quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold’s. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity – it’s the easiest to do without (unless you’re in a very nice climate with no need for heat.) Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy – it makes a lot of the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible. Only needs enough heat to “warm”, not to cook. It’s cheap too, especially if you buy it in bulk. Bring some books – escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more valuable as the war continues. Sure, it’s great to have a lot of survival guides, but you’ll figure most of that out on your own anyway – trust me, you’ll have a lot of time on your hands. The feeling that you’re human can fade pretty fast. I can’t tell you how many people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to lose your humanity. These things are morale-builders like nothing else. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches. More matches End Quote Read More 12 40 AdviceGear Hurricane Preparedness Week May 1-7, 2022 Gideon ParkerStaff - May 16, 2022 Hurricanes are powerful and very destructive forces of nature that affect millions of people each year. Luckily they are not spur of the moment disasters like a car accident or earthquake and some warning and preparation can be made beforehand to either ride out and withstand the devastation or get to a safer location in time. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) will be releasing a daily tip on social media platforms this next week with advice on how to be better prepared for the upcoming hurricane season. The Prepared will be sharing those tips on our Facebook and Twitter pages as well, along with some additional guidance. For additional preparation, check out: How to prepare for and survive hurricanes Feel free to also share your hurricane preparedness tips, stories, and experiences down below. Read More 13 23 AdviceScenarios AR15 stock weight grntrkguy1964 - May 12, 2022 I am considering getting a stock weight for a target match AR 15 rifle. Has anyone used/tried one? Is there any preceived difference in performance? Thanks!! Read More 7 3 Advice Water purification priorities Russell - May 10, 2022 There’s a few methods to purify water but I was wondering how they should be prioritized if you have all of them. Say you’ve been a good prepper and have the following… – Water filtration (HydroBlu inline + backup LifeStraw) – Water purification tablets (chlorine) – A clear bottle for solar disinfection (SODIS) – A hard canteen you can boil in, plus lighter/matches – Bandana The day is young, the sun is out, and you’re staring at a puddle. After you’ve scooped up as much as you can, what item or combo of items do you reach for first? And second, third, etc. Of course, you have no idea how long this emergency will last. I’m writing a short guide for myself / my partner on how to prioritize gear use for safety and longevity. For instance, boiling requires fuel, so it wouldn’t be my first pick. Read More 12 10 AdviceScenarios Faucet for 55 gallon water drum jaybee - May 7, 2022 I’m thinking about laying my barrels on the side and installing a faucet in the bung hole. I’m looking at this on Amazon: I know that the threaded bungholes in the top of the drum are National Pipe Thread. The big one is 2″ NPT. The small one is 3/4″ NPT. This faucet could go in the 2″, but will I need to vent also (went I want to use the water?) I’ve been looking online and I’m stuck – help? Read More 8 3 Advice Let’s say there is recession Q3/Q4 ’22? John Grayman - May 4, 2022 We have seen two inverted bond yield-indexes since the pandemic began; the first one was alleviated /avoided statistically (and perhaps part of why we have inflation). When the the GR hit around ’08, I was penniless and single. Now, as a middle of the road ‘Merican with a mortgage and some kiddos, I am very intrigued as to what I can do to prepare if a recession does come, beyond common sense/general family financial planning (hat tip ethics/advice from The Prepared)… To a sharper point-what businesses and incomes did well during the Great Recession? Handymen and self-repair auto parts/service seems to survive when there isn’t enough money for something ‘new’ but rather needing a fix. Is lumber and building materials something viable/smart to stockpile? Thank you all in advance for your experience and/or feedback shared! Read More 8 5 Advice Preps for people with physical disabilities and limitations or who aren’t in great physical shape Jonnie PekelnyContributor - May 4, 2022 I’d like to start a thread where we can discuss how to best get prepared if you or a loved one is dealing with physical disabilities or limitations or isn’t in the best physical shape. I’m particularly interested in discussing scenarios where we have to bug out. I know it’s desirable that person be in good shape for physically strenuous activity in case of the need to evacuate, but let’s get real. Some people just aren’t. Life happens; age happens; disability happens. We all do our best. I see physical fitness as an important goal to have in mind for health and safety reasons, but not something we should feel bad about falling short of. I have very personal reasons for starting this thread. I am in my 50s, not in great fitness shape, although not horrible. I have some repetitive usage disabilities and long standing foot problems and now some knee problems. Nothing extreme, but I’m pretty keenly aware that hiking out of Dodge with 25 or 30 lbs on my back would wear me out pretty darned fast. Honestly, I don’t know if I’d even make it a mile on foot. I also have a mother who is much MORE disabled, living part time alone after having a stroke two years ago. I want to be practical so am looking for ideas of what I can do at my current size and shape and fitness level to prepare. Read More 19 61 AdviceMetaScenariosSkills Ham radio for local communication Greg Ustaszewski - May 4, 2022 Hi all. New here. Just found this site today. I’m hoping some of the more experienced preppers might be able to help me out. I earned my Ham Radio Tech license last August. My hope was that I would be able to communicate with my brother in law (25 miles east of me) and my nephew (20 miles southeast of me). We all purchased HTs. Unfortunately, I live on the wrong side of the hills and we can’t find a repeater that all three of us can reach reliably. We tried new HT antennas, mag mounts for our cars and even roof mounted antennas. No luck. My next thought was to get a mobile HF radio. Maybe one that works on six or ten meters, which our tech licenses allow us to use. I did try contacting our local ham club, but that was a dead end. They suggested I use Echolink (which worked) but it defeats the purpose of having an emergency backup when the internet/cell communications are down. Any suggestions? Read More 10 12 AdviceGear Need advice about BOB organization Horror Coder - April 30, 2022 Hi, I’m fairly new to prepping excuse me in advance if maybe is a trivial topic I’m gradually making my 72hr BOB, it’s a general purpose one but with some gears userful in a countryside/wilderness settings. I’ve some trouble to organize all the stuff in a way that is easy to identify, retrieve and put away At the moment I’m working with what I have and small budget but open to spend some bucks if I find a decent solution. I prefer to use tech backpacks since I already have a couple of them (30 and 65lt) and the single big storage compartment make me wonder what could be the best approach to keep all your gears well separated in their specific categories (first aid, food, water, electronics, tools, warmth, hygiene, ect, ect) To organize my stuff I’ve used what I already had: a cheap roll bag a and some molle pouch (from my old softair playtimes), and at first I thought to build a sort of taylor made insert ( I don’t mind go into diy and do a bit of sewing) that fold like a book and fit into the backpack (something similar to the commercial Seventy2 pro system) but now I realize that probably all this contraption is adding too much weight (all molle pouches + a heavy fabric that keep them together) and probably is not so practical. A photo of what I was doing so it’s easier to understand So I’m a bit of stuck…should I ditch this idea and maybe simply use a collection of small and lightweight drysack with different colors (for identify the content) and put them inside the backpack in the most logical way based on weight and needs? Read More 17 14 AdviceGear It can’t be said too many times…do your estate planning July LewisContributor - April 27, 2022 I’ve posted this before but it really can’t be said enough. Get your affairs in order. EMPs are a possibility, but death is a certainty and unlikely, sudden, too young, too healthy, “But he worked out every day!”, “But I always thought I would go first!” deaths happen all the time. We just had one in our family. Lots of good articles out there, I’m linking to one below. I would say the very FIRST thing everyone should do is check the beneficiaries on your accounts. Any bank account, retirement account, HSA, anything should have the person you intend listed as a death beneficiary and then have alternates. That way the assets go directly to your beneficiary on your death instead of going through probate – they have access to the funds right away. This is easy to do and doesn’t cost anything. After that you can get into your will, power of attorney, medical power of attorney, life insurance etc. Finally, talk to your family. Make sure someone trusted knows what accounts you have, where to find your will, what your intentions are. possibly even share passwords with them if you trust them. If not, consider subscribing to a password manager service that can allow someone to have emergency access in the event of your death (e.g. LastPass). Honestly, don’t spend another dime on ammo or #10 cans until you have dealt with this. It causes so much pain, stress, and heartbreak on top of an already heartbreaking situation when someone dies unprepared. Sample article here – and there are lots more out there. https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/estate-planning Read More 20 9 Advice Tips for pets? – Pet Preparedness Scott P - April 26, 2022 What are peoples plans and more importantly tips to dealing with pets in a situation where bugging out is prudent? We have two cats, both are leash trained and very easy to get into their crates. Travel by car is a non issue for them. We also have a gallon bag of food for them in my bag. I am worried about having to ditch the car though. Any hints on supplies we should have, training we should do, or any other things? Read More 34 93 Advice Disaster Burnout – How to recognize it and what to do about it if it happens to you or the people in your group UbiqueContributor - April 26, 2022 Life in a state of global pandemic has taught us all a thing or two about stress, boredom, frustration, fear, anger, and grief. In the early stages of the pandemic, people mounted shopping campaigns to secure as much toilet paper as possible. Frenzied shoppers scrambled to buy the last 20 pounds of flour and hoped there was still yeast left at the end of the grocery aisle. Job hours were cut back or entire days trimmed from schedules until finally people were laid off for lack of work. As the year wore on, people used credit to pay for expenses. Savings accounts were raided and left empty. Some countries offered financial assistance, but that assistance was finite. Those at the end of the pandemic financial programs stood on the precipice of a big, black void. What next? When would this pandemic finally end and life would go back to normal? Stress set in as the financial pressures mounted. Domestic relationships imploded under the weight of pandemic stress. Was it financial? Was it from spending just a little too much time together? Or, were relationships failing because the pandemic had changed people? Partnerships are hard to maintain when the people in them turn inward and away from the other. People had lost loved ones and were unable to even visit in the hospital as their family member lay dying. Proper funerals weren’t allowed and the associated community support for grief that comes with the ritual of a funeral. The preppers who were better prepared at the onset of the pandemic still had to cope with many of the issues non-preppers faced, like job loss and grief. I was prepared for pandemic and increased my preps before it was declared. It was nice to have PPE’s and a very well stocked pantry including non food items and I am grateful for that preparation. But, today I am as weary of the pandemic as everyone else. When the pandemic was declared, we were all given a new set of rules about how to live. Masks and social distancing became the equivalent of little bubbles around us, invisible boundaries never to be crossed. We lost the ability to connect with each other in a spontaneous and joyful way. When was the last time you were truly, spontaneously happy and carefree? Even a visit with a generous supply of preps doesn’t perk me up. I feel like the kid in the back of the car: “Are we there yet?” Burnout is present when you go to sleep knowing that the next morning will probably not be much different. Burnout is knowing that other people feel the same way and they are as powerless to change the pandemic as you are. If the pandemic were a bus, I want to get off now, please. One definition of burnout is physical and mental collapse. Whenever I peer over the edge into these dark corners of prepping that are easier to ignore, I learn something that makes me a stronger, wiser prepper. I don’t hide from the mental and emotional aspects of disaster because if I did, then how could I recognize burnout and the need to address it? I feel my emotions and ride through the difficult ones so I can learn to manage them better when unpleasant situations provoke them. So, here’s what I’ve figured out about burnout during this journey through a pandemic. Any prolonged disaster is going to eventually provoke burnout. We are human and there is no point pretending that it won’t happen to us. Everyone will arrive at burnout sooner or later and want off the bus, too. Remember the footage of the end of World War II from various countries? People were hugging and kissing and jumping into each other’s arms. Some were dancing in the streets. People were ecstatic because the war was over. If all those people hadn’t been burned out, then their reactions would have been much different. “Oh, really, it’s over. *Yawn* How nice.” We need to plan for burn out in ourselves or in our group. Burnout looks like depression, hopelessness, and fatigue. A person who is burned out is a jaded person who has had enough of the circus and just wants to go home. Burnout can cause us or members of our group to make mistakes and errors in judgement that can have dire consequences. Burnout if not addressed can affect the morale of the person’s group. It adds to their stress. Every person has a different way of coping with burnout. If it happened to me in a high stress job, I changed jobs, fields and went off in an entirely different direction in order to challenge my brain and skills. It became a way to learn new things in a new environment and shake off the heaviness of burnout. If the burnout wasn’t from a job, I took up new hobbies and taught myself new things from college level books that I put aside in my library. If it was a relationship, it got better or I got out. Life is too short to live in a state of burnout, disaster or no disaster. Burnout comes from working our brains the same way day in and day out. The remedy is to do something different. Change one big thing or a bunch of little things. Get creative. Take the negative things that happen during a disaster and turn them into opportunities for learning. Don’t ever completely grow up. Reserve a part of yourself that is free to be a child. This will help you remember how to play and not take yourself too seriously. It is invaluable in a disaster to be able to build a fort in your living room or dissolve into hysterics over a silly joke. Laughter displaces burnout and drives it away. My Mom, who survived the long occupation of The Netherlands in WWII, told me how they would laugh and make silly jokes, even during the really bad times. Sometimes, they sang or played games or talked about “some day” when it was over, what would be the first thing that they would like to do. But mostly, they laughed because when they laughed they felt stronger, in their spirits, an intangible untouchable part of them that no one could steal from them. Until she died at 86, my Mom was often mistaken for a woman much younger than her years. She still sang and her giggle was infectious. Her spirit was as strong as ever and no one could ever steal it from her. When the going gets really tough in a long term disaster, I will deal with burnout by remembering her example. Read More 16 28 Advice < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 … 13 14 15 Next > Recently Active Chickens for preppers: Important considerations - 3 weeks agoHam Radio Protocol - 3 months agoWhat is the best place to buy mylar bags? - January 14, 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

Wine for the apocalypse

July LewisContributor - June 24, 2022

So my husband bought a wine rack for the basement this winter and has been having fun picking out moderately priced wines and filling it up. I didn’t think to add it to my emergency food spreadsheet until just now! I have a formula in the spreadsheet that calculates how many days worth of calories we have, and this gave my supplies a nice boost. 

This will be a part of our rotating pantry so hopefully we won’t have any wine go bad. But I’m seeing confusing info on the shelf life of wine. Fine wines are supposed to last 20-30 years when stored properly, while other wines are good for 2-3 years. What’s the difference?? These are not fine wines and many have screw tops. Our storage conditions are not ideal – no temperature extremes but also not the ideal 55 F degrees. Maybe 65 in the winter, 75 in summer. 

Anyone have any insight/experience in wine storage?

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Controlling cooking food odors whether SIP or Bug Out conditions

UbiqueContributor - June 23, 2022

Controlling food odors would be an important consideration for anyone living in the city close to others or even in a rural area if hungry people are searching for food. I’m not sure, but it seems possible that very hungry people would have a heightened sense of smell. 

I ran a test on how much and how far food odors wafted from my home some years ago as part of scenario prepping.

There was no exhaust fan used to blow the odor outside. The item I cooked on top of the stove was dried red kidney beans. There was nothing added to the beans and water. It was to cook them only before making chili later.

While the beans simmered, I took a walk outdoors and was shocked by the smell outside my house. I never thought that plain, unseasoned beans would give off that much smell. More shocking was how far the smell travelled on a day with low wind conditions.

I wondered what the result would have been had I used an exhaust fan and blew more of the smell outside.

This led me to think that smell has to be considered in prepping. I am still trying to figure out how to control odors while cooking. Food can be eaten cold out of the can, but in an emergency of long duration, it will be necessary to cook food. Even bugged out, food odors from an outdoor meal could be a problem.

One last part, I have also considered food odors on my hands from preparing food. In times of scarcity, looking well fed and smelling of garlic might tip off people that you have preps. Lemon juice can neutralize the garlic and baggy clothes can hide a lack of weight loss, but I am still trying to find a solution to reducing or eliminating food odors.

Has anyone considered this and if so, any thoughts on how to deal with this issue?

Thanks in advance

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Human urine as garden fertilizer

RedneckContributor - June 23, 2022

As a gardener and prepper who strives to be ready to become self sufficient if necessary, fertilization after the SHTF is a concern of mine. I address this in several ways, such as large compost piles and having farm animals, as their aged manure makes fine fertilizer. I also plan to grow companion plants, such as the 3 sisters to help address the issues of fertilization & water retention in the soil. Wonder how many folks have prepared to collect their urine during a crisis? Urine is full of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, which are the nutrients plants need to thrive–and the main ingredients in common mineral fertilizers. It is in liquid form which also helps the plants with hydration. Unlike feces (human or animal), which can carry bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, urine from healthy folks poses no health risks as it is practically sterile when it is eliminated from the body. When dying of thirst, one can actually drink their own urine to survive.

We all pee around 150 gallons per year… beer drinkers more.   If say you are in a survival group of 10 people, that is 1500 gallons of premium fertilizer that could help y’all survive. Just wanted to pass this info on for you survival gardeners that might have never considered this source of fertilizer.  Most of us store foods in 5-6 gallon plastic pails.  Once empty, you can attach a toilet seat with lid for females to contribute.  I keep two in stock.

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My main worries to end the week (Prices/CPI and other stuff)

Karl Winterling - June 14, 2022

My main worries to end the week are:

The economic models the Fed was using in December for predicting inflation don’t seem like they’re suited for the current economic situation. The Fed needs to seriously investigate why these models are wrong and make sure unwarranted assumptions are not sticking around or leading the Fed to be less aggressive than it has to be. We really don’t need the Fed to be too optimistic about inflation right now. Interest rates impact the price at which investors are willing to buy stocks (the other main consideration being company profitability or expected profitability), which is part of why raising interest rates slows the economy and inflation. If food and fuel costs/shortages get much more serious (or “go parabolic”), the Fed can’t do much about that but might feel pressured to raise rates more aggressively than it has to and cause a recession (or a worse recession) without a good reason. Interest rate hikes will not magically produce more fuel and food. There are counter-arguments to media reports like this (I hope those counter-arguments are wrong). If an income bracket literally can’t afford food or food is simply not available somewhere, niceties (and more) go out the window. Yes, we produce food domestically but fewer imported products = more people buy a lower supply of domestic products. (Mods: remove if this is too political, I’m trying to keep left vs. right ideology out of it and focus on the correlation between job approval ratings and crises). Biden’s job approval rating is historically low for a president, and lower approval ratings typically go along with recessions or crises like inflation in the 1970s or the 2008 Financial Crisis. Yes, Trump’s job approval rating was also pretty low throughout his presidency but (not to get too political or get into left vs. right) many people, right or wrong, found him offensive, thought he was too ignorant to do his job, thought he was an agent of a foreign power, or thought he did not respect the US Constitution or separation of powers. Therefore, it makes sense to assume that many people perceive current federal-level leadership as weak. Yes, you should be worried about what people are willing to vote for if they decide the government or economic/social/political system can’t fix their problems and those problems get too bad. Political extremists on the far left, far right, and elsewhere often spend their time sitting around and waiting for a crisis.

Suggested preps:

Food (at least 2 weeks, more if possible, like a few months or a year). Assume that food prices could double within the next year, though my baseline assumption is that we will face acute rather than chronic food shortages if there are availability issues. Get your finances in order (or try your best). Prepare for possible civil unrest. Humans adapted over hundreds of thousands of years to survive. Something in the news might shock you, but remember that you will not always feel the same way. The world could turn into a place that you don’t think is worth living in, but there’s a lot that has to happen before you know that for certain. Read More

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How to budget, save money & establish financial health

MariaC - June 6, 2022

I see great forum discussions emphasizing that physical health and financial health are two of the key foundations to a good prep. Practicing survival skills and acquiring gadgets are really fun, but I’d argue that they’re the grill lines on the steak.

John Ramey gives solid notes on how to create a simple budget in the article, “Why personal finance is critical for preppers and tips on money management.” I am such an enormous nerd about that topic, though! To me, budgeting is inherently prepping — they’re one in the same. But how? And where can you get started?

So, here’s deep dive about:

how do you actually make a budget that reflects your individual values, needs, and priorities? And once you’ve drafted that budget, how do you stick to it?

I’ve found success (at last, after lots of failures and self-doubt) with an app called You Need A Budget, or YNAB (“why-nab”) for short.

I like YNAB because it’s a values-neutral system. Want to spend $10 a day on Starbucks, get a dog, pay off your debt, and plan to live off-the-grid on a homestead in 5 years? Yeah, cool! You can do that. Or anything else that’s important to you, because you’re the boss of your money, not a set of arbitrary rules.

The system helps you be the boss of your money by helping you to discern your financial priorities and achieve clarity about what’s most important for your money to do next before more money arrives. You do this by writing down your priorities, then choosing the most important ones to fund, and assigning your money jobs (e.g., “pay for groceries this week,” “sit there and look pretty in my car emergency fund”) until all your money has been assigned jobs.

There are four rules in YNAB’s system to help you make that happen:

Give every dollar a job. Whenever money arrives, you prioritize what jobs need to happen first before more money arrives. Do you need to pay the electric bill, buy groceries this week, or make sure to have some money set aside for beers with your friends? YNAB helps you discern that choice proactively, then helps you follow the plan that you create. Embrace your true expenses. True expenses are reoccurring, less frequent expenses. Sometimes, they’re things that we know are coming up on a particular future date, like buying Christmas presents or paying for the kids’ summer camp. Other times, you don’t know when they’ll strike, but you can safely assume that someday, you will need money to pay for car repairs. Rule 2 helps you identify what your true expenses are, plan for them, and start setting money aside for them before you need to have it available to spend. Roll with the punches. Did you dine out one too many times? Or maybe you actually need to replace your cell phone after it went for a dip in the lake, but you don’t have money set aside for that? No problem; that’s normal, not a reason to feel guilty or quit budgeting. Circumstances change and your plans change with them. Your budget is no different. If you overspend in one category, Rule 3 tells you to cover that spending with money from another category and keep on trucking. Age your money. Slowly begin setting aside money to spend on next month’s expenses. In time, you’ll reach a point at which you’re spending money today that entered your bank account for the first time last month. (You’ll be able to cover May’s mortgage with dollars from April.) The app helps you to be purposeful in your spending and consistently spend less than you earn. This allows you to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, establish emergency savings, and build a more secure foundation for your prep.

Here are a few free places to get started:

Get Started Video Get Started Guide You Need A Budget book by Jesse Mecham — available free on Kindle through my public library, and maybe through yours? Live, Weekly Workshops YNAB Reddit YNAB Podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc. Free 34-Day Trial — you do not have to enter payment info when you create your account to get started

I’m not a YNAB employee, and this isn’t a sponsored post. I really am just a huge fan of this system. I see how much it helps others, and it’s helped me tons. It’s okay if it’s not for you; no budgeting tool is a one-size-fits-all solution. I share this in case someone else reads this who, like me, feels totally underwater and unable to start.

Budgeting, like physical fitness, sounds simple on the surface. When I started to get into it, I learned that it’s actually deeply personal. It often requires education, access to tools, and peer support for people to be successful at it. It’s hard to establish the habit of it, and easy to fall off the wagon. I hope that this post helps others for whom budgeting is a big challenge in your prep.

Drop a note in the comments if you’ve got questions, or if you’ve used other tools that work well for you. I’d love to read more about anything that helps people succeed in the threads below, even if it’s not related to YNAB.

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Tech security question, having critical docs online safely

CR - June 6, 2022

So, in reading some interesting posts regarding forced evacuations, etc., mention was made of uploading critical docs, insurance info, and so on to a secure online source. I’m paranoid about online security due to some nightmare stories from friends & coworkers, and don’t want to entrust my info to yet another new source. 
Asking techies out there; would saving those kind of things in an attachment to a draft email at a secure email address (like TP’s recommended Proton Mail) be a safe, reasonable spot for such things to be stored? Seems to me that would be easily sourced by me from any browser without having to remember/bring an extra thumb drive, password or other complication during a stressful event, since that’s a product I use daily already. I realize paper copies still have their place, but limitations too (easily lost, damaged or stolen, for starters.)

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How can I extend the shelf life of the yeast in my food storage?

Isabel - May 27, 2022

During covid, yeast for baking bread was non-existent for months and months. When it finally came back in stock, I bought a couple small jars not knowing if I would ever see it on the shelf again.

I am nearing the expiration date on them and don’t want to have them go to waste. I’ll try and bake more bread and use it how I can, but is there anything I can do to make them last longer? They are in a sealed glass jar in a dark and cool cupboard, maybe moving them to the fridge or freezer would help?

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How to balance community and independence (City vs Rural living)

Rich DCContributor - May 26, 2022

Let me ask my “simple” question first and provide more context afterwards:

How do you balance the need/desire for community with the space/cost restrictions required for higher independence with regards to long term prepping and where you choose to live?

The general consensus is that urban centers are not ideal or potentially even sustainable/viable in a long term or extreme crisis (i.e food, water, and security scarcity during an infrastructure breakdown).  The converse is that (up until recently, at least) urban centers are/were also educational, cultural, economic, and sometimes technological hubs enabling increased wealth generation and oppertunity.  Basically the very thing that makes urban areas desireable (dense populations of individuals enabling proximity based network effects to propagate) also puts them at risk of collapse under conditions of scarcity (a lack of carrying capacity when economic or infrastructure links degrade).  Modern telework enables a broader range of “commute” options/ranges but good old fashioned human connection requires proximity to other humans.

Obviously you can (try to) integrate into new, smaller communities in less densely populated areas.  Church, family, or cultural connections might help with such integration if these options are open to you.  When you lack these built-in connections (lower friction network effects) – are there other options?

The closest I can think of is something along the lines of scouting out retirement communities or searching for enclaves of whatever [tribe(s)?] you are already a part of that happen to have already ‘colonized’ a less densely populated area.  Part of my mental struggle is the somewhat modern day norm where your ability to connect with [like minded] people implies that you might not know most of your neighbors but might have dozens if not hundreds of friends within a 45 minute commute range.

I suspect there aren’t easy/cost effective answers but I’m really curious to hear the opinions of others, especially if built in connections to “community” in more rural areas were not already present.  If money were not a factor the answer would be a vacation home that was well stocked, alas money is a consideration for most so owning more than one home seems unlikely.

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Recognizing when it’s time to change how you prep

UbiqueContributor - May 21, 2022

Yesterday, my prepping evolved. I made a hard choice and packed up all my canning gear for donation.

Over fifteen years ago, I purchased all of it when I ramped up my preps. It was a natural choice to return to the lifestyle I knew so well. Canning was part of self-sufficiency.

The problem was I never used any of it. The canning gear sat in unopened boxes for the someday promise of a garden.

The canning supplies also sat in boxes because there was no room on my prep shelves for any of those lovely unfilled jars. That was because I had already stocked my shelves with store bought cans, regularly rotated and neatly stamped with expiry dates.

There was no way to carve out more room in my prep storage. The space just wasn’t there and yesterday, I finally accepted that fact.

I also accepted that jarred foods as preps don’t make sense for me anymore. My husband and I avoid high sugar foods and rarely eat jam. 

Arthritic hands mean an unpredictable grip. If I drop a jar, it breaks. If I drop a can, it dents.

If we ever had to bug out or set up an alternate location for bug out, it will be easier to load tin cans than glass jars.

I was also concerned about the sustain ability of long term canning without replenishment of canning supplies, like lids or even fuel to properly sterilize jars and keep the process clean under what might be adverse conditions.

The risk of a bad batch of canning had always bothered me in the back of my mind. My Mom was an expert canner, and yet, I remember a time when she culled a batch of canned beans because she didn’t like the look of them that winter.

A friend made us lunch one day and proudly brought out her jar of jam. There was mould under the paraffin seal. I expressed regret that her jam was spoiled. She didn’t believe that it was “spoiled” and scooped the upper layer of jam out of the jar. I refused to eat any of it. Mould on the surface is also below the surface and should never be consumed.

No matter how careful a person is, home canning does carry the risk of botulism. A pressure canner is safest for low acidic foods, but it always goes back to operator error as a possible source of food borne illness.

Food borne illness is not something anyone wants to encounter in the best of times and definitely not during a crisis where medical care may be unavailable. Spoiled and inedible food is not a prep.

The last factor in my choice to relinquish my canning gear and preserve food using different methods was because of what happened last summer.

My someday promise of a garden finally arrived. I promptly blanched and froze everything that I grew. The thought of canning in that heat never crossed my mind. Not once.

I realized that it was time to evolve again. 

The word evolution comes from the Latin “evolvere” meaning “unrolling.” One of it’s meanings is “gradual development” and that is exactly what prepping has been for me.

Prepping is not a static, “do it this way forever” practice. It is a part of a life that undergoes growth, change, and gradual development.

If anything prepping has taught me to face reality and find solutions.

So, it is out with the canning and hello freeze drying. I have my home sized freeze dryer picked out. Until the budget allows it, I will be deep freezing my produce instead. What I grow this year will also be harvest as part of daily meals and if there is surplus, it will go for donation to the food bank.

I believe the freeze dryer will be a good prepping investment. Freeze dried foods have a longer shelf life than dehydrated foods. I can seal the freeze dried food into mylar bags and put them into pails for storage. The pails work well on my storage shelves and I don’t have to worry about breakage.

These are the moments in prepping when we can practice courage by letting go of an idea of how to prep that no longer works for us.

I was holding onto the tradition of canning and the memories it held for me. Now, I am forging new methods that hold the promise of new lessons and more to learn.

I think sometimes in prepping, there is a tendency for people to embrace ideas or methods of survival, because that is what everyone else is doing. However, that doesn’t always make it right for you. No matter how you prep, do what works for you. Don’t be afraid to evolve.

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How to enable FEMA test alerts on your phone

Josh CentersContributor - May 20, 2022

There was a lot of coverage in the media about FEMA testing emergency alerts on 11 August 2021. I warned friends, family, and The Prepared community members so they wouldn’t be unduly alarmed. The time came and went and… nothing.

As it turns out, you have to opt into these alerts, and the way you do so isn’t obvious.

Android: The location of this setting depends on your version of Android. Your best bet is to open Settings and search for “Emergency Alerts” or “Public Safety Messages.” There are two settings you want to turn on: Public Safety Messages and State and Local Tests.

iPhone: Open the Phone app, enter *5005*25371# and tap the green call button. You should receive a confirmation message.

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Advice

What is the best disaster-proof pouch for important documents in my BOB?

MrsPrep - May 19, 2022

I’m looking for a somewhat budget-friendly disaster proof pouch for my important documents but I don’t know where to start. Is there a brand I should begin with? 

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AdviceGear

Is bamboo the super prepper plant it is made out to be or a nightmarish menace?

Frank Sampson - May 18, 2022

At first glance many preppers may be drawn to bamboo for it’s multitude of uses and extremely quick grow time. But for those who have dealt with it know that it is an invasive plant that will quickly overgrow the area in which it was originally planted and can cause more of a headache than anything. 

If you do choose to grow it, make sure to install a barrier like is pictured below. You dig a 3+ foot trench around the bamboo and place this strong and thick plastic around it to keep the roots from spreading out. Growing in a raised planter is another option.

If you have acres for it to run loose in, then go ahead and plant it. But for the average suburban backyard, avoid it unless you know what you are getting yourself into.

Benefits of bamboo:

Some varieties can grow a foot a day and can be harvested as it grows.  Extremely strong and entire civilizations have survived off of building bamboo houses. They even make motorcycle helmets out of this material and it passes safety guidelines. Bamboo can be eaten and is rich in nutrients. It can be made into fabrics and clothing. I even have a set of bamboo socks and bed sheets. Can be turned into weapons, hunting tools, or fishing poles. In a grid-down situation you may not be able to buy lumber and need to cut down trees for firewood or construction. A standard tree might take forty years before it’s ready to be chopped down, but bamboo could replenish itself in a matter of weeks. Bamboo can be made into roofing, furniture, flooring, musical instruments, fences, utensils, paper, and more. Read More

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Filling a 55 gallon water drum

jaybee - May 18, 2022

Question: I live alone with two dogs just outside of a large US city. I have about 30 gallons of store bought water for my dogs (stored in the basement where it’s dark and cool ) and 30 gallons in 5 gallon containers for me. I also have family living nearby (including a daughter with young baby), so I could see her coming to stay with me in an emergency situation. For that reason, I’m considering a 55 gallon drum in my basement. When it’s time to replace the water with fresh water I should be fine since I have a drain in my basement floor. My question is about filling! I have a hose that would reach to my basement for filling, but it’s not a potable hose. Will treating the water before sealing the barrel take care of that? 

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100 things to disappear first

UbiqueContributor - May 18, 2022

I was going through some prep info today and found this article originally published in 2007 on Fluwiki. It is a very interesting list of items and has been helpful in planning some of my preps, so I thought I would share it with you. Some of you may have already read this, but it is worth looking at from time to time. I keep tinned gravy in my preps because of this list.

(I have added spaces between the lines for ease of reading)

Quote begins:

Tips From Sarajevo: 100 Items to Disappear First

Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy…target of thieves, invites marauders; maintenance etc.)

Water Filters/Purifiers

Portable Toilets

Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 – 12 months to become dried, for home uses.

Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)

Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.

Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.

Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.

Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar

Rice – Beans – Wheat

Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.)

Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)

Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY – note – food grade if for drinking.

Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.)

Survival Guide Book.

Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)

Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.

Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)

Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)

Vitamins

Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)

Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.

Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)

Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)

Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)

Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)

Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many)

Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels

Milk – Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)

Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)

Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)

Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit

Tuna Fish (in oil)

Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)

First aid kits

Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)

Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies

Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)

Flour, yeast & salt

Matches. (“Strike Anywhere” preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first

Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators

Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)

Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts

Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, “No. 76 Dietz” Lanterns

Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)

Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels)

Men’s Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc

Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)

Fishing supplies/tools

Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams

Duct Tape

Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes

Candles

Laundry Detergent (liquid)

Backpacks, Duffle Bags

Garden tools & supplies

Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies

Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.

Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)

Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)

Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel

Bicycles…Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc

Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats

Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)

Board Games, Cards, Dice

d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer

Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets

Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)

Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)

Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc

Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)

Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)

Soysauce, vinegar, boullions/gravy/soupbase

Reading glasses

Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)

“Survival-in-a-Can”

Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens

Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog

Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)

Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky

Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts

Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)

Lumber (all types)

Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)

Cots & Inflatable mattresses

Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.

Lantern Hangers

Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts

Teas

Coffee

Cigarettes

Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal etc)

Paraffin wax

Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.

Chewing gum/candies

Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)

Hats & cotton neckerchiefs

Goats/chickens

From a Sarajevo War Survivor:Stockpiling helps, but you never no how long trouble will last, so locate near renewable food sources.

Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.

After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in war quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold’s.

If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity – it’s the easiest to do without (unless you’re in a very nice climate with no need for heat.)

Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy – it makes a lot of the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible. Only needs enough heat to “warm”, not to cook. It’s cheap too, especially if you buy it in bulk.

Bring some books – escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more valuable as the war continues. Sure, it’s great to have a lot of survival guides, but you’ll figure most of that out on your own anyway – trust me, you’ll have a lot of time on your hands.

The feeling that you’re human can fade pretty fast. I can’t tell you how many people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to lose your humanity. These things are morale-builders like nothing else.

Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches.

More matches

End Quote

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Hurricane Preparedness Week May 1-7, 2022

Gideon ParkerStaff - May 16, 2022

Hurricanes are powerful and very destructive forces of nature that affect millions of people each year. Luckily they are not spur of the moment disasters like a car accident or earthquake and some warning and preparation can be made beforehand to either ride out and withstand the devastation or get to a safer location in time. 

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) will be releasing a daily tip on social media platforms this next week with advice on how to be better prepared for the upcoming hurricane season. The Prepared will be sharing those tips on our Facebook and Twitter pages as well, along with some additional guidance.

For additional preparation, check out: How to prepare for and survive hurricanes

Feel free to also share your hurricane preparedness tips, stories, and experiences down below.

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AR15 stock weight

grntrkguy1964 - May 12, 2022

I am considering getting a stock weight for a target match AR 15 rifle. Has anyone used/tried one?  Is there any preceived difference in performance? Thanks!!

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Advice

Water purification priorities

Russell - May 10, 2022

There’s a few methods to purify water but I was wondering how they should be prioritized if you have all of them. Say you’ve been a good prepper and have the following…

– Water filtration (HydroBlu inline + backup LifeStraw)

– Water purification tablets (chlorine)

– A clear bottle for solar disinfection (SODIS)

– A hard canteen you can boil in, plus lighter/matches

– Bandana

The day is young, the sun is out, and you’re staring at a puddle. After you’ve scooped up as much as you can, what item or combo of items do you reach for first? And second, third, etc. Of course, you have no idea how long this emergency will last.

I’m writing a short guide for myself / my partner on how to prioritize gear use for safety and longevity. For instance, boiling requires fuel, so it wouldn’t be my first pick.

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Faucet for 55 gallon water drum

jaybee - May 7, 2022

I’m thinking about laying my barrels on the side and installing a faucet in the bung hole. I’m looking at this on Amazon:

I know that the threaded bungholes in the top of the drum are National Pipe Thread. The big one is 2″ NPT. The small one is 3/4″ NPT. This faucet could go in the 2″, but will I need to vent also (went I want to use the water?) I’ve been looking online and I’m stuck – help?

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Advice

Let’s say there is recession Q3/Q4 ’22?

John Grayman - May 4, 2022

We have seen two inverted bond yield-indexes since the pandemic began; the first one was alleviated /avoided statistically (and perhaps part of why we have inflation). When the the GR hit around ’08, I was penniless and single. Now, as a middle of the road ‘Merican with a mortgage and some kiddos, I am very intrigued as to what I can do to prepare if a recession does come, beyond common sense/general family financial planning (hat tip ethics/advice from The Prepared)…

To a sharper point-what businesses and incomes did well during the Great Recession? Handymen and self-repair auto parts/service seems to survive when there isn’t enough money for something ‘new’ but rather needing a fix. Is lumber and building materials something viable/smart to stockpile? 

Thank you all in advance for your experience and/or feedback shared! 

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Preps for people with physical disabilities and limitations or who aren’t in great physical shape

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - May 4, 2022

I’d like to start a thread where we can discuss how to best get prepared if you or a loved one is dealing with physical disabilities or limitations or isn’t in the best physical shape. I’m particularly interested in discussing scenarios where we have to bug out. I know it’s desirable that person be in good shape for physically strenuous activity in case of the need to evacuate, but let’s get real. Some people just aren’t. Life happens; age happens; disability happens. We all do our best. I see physical fitness as an important goal to have in mind for health and safety reasons, but not something we should feel bad about falling short of.

I have very personal reasons for starting this thread. I am in my 50s, not in great fitness shape, although not horrible. I have some repetitive usage disabilities and long standing foot problems and now some knee problems.  Nothing extreme, but I’m pretty keenly aware that hiking out of Dodge with 25 or 30 lbs on my back would wear me out pretty darned fast. Honestly, I don’t know if I’d even make it a mile on foot. I also have a mother who is much MORE disabled, living part time alone after having a stroke two years ago.

I want to be practical so am looking for ideas of what I can do at my current size and shape and fitness level to prepare.

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Ham radio for local communication

Greg Ustaszewski - May 4, 2022

Hi all.  New here.  Just found this site today.  I’m hoping some of the more experienced preppers might be able to help me out.  I earned my Ham Radio Tech license last August.  My hope was that I would be able to communicate with my brother in law (25 miles east of me) and my nephew (20 miles southeast of me).  We all purchased HTs.  Unfortunately, I live on the wrong side of the hills and we can’t find a repeater that all three of us can reach reliably.  We tried new HT antennas, mag mounts for our cars and even roof mounted antennas.  No luck.  My next thought was to get a mobile HF radio.  Maybe one that works on six or ten meters, which our tech licenses allow us to use.  I did try contacting our local ham club, but that was a dead end.  They suggested I use Echolink (which worked) but it defeats the purpose of having an emergency backup when the internet/cell communications are down.    

Any suggestions?

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Need advice about BOB organization

Horror Coder - April 30, 2022

Hi, I’m fairly new to prepping excuse me in advance if maybe is a trivial topic I’m gradually making my 72hr BOB, it’s a general purpose one but with some gears userful in a countryside/wilderness settings. I’ve some trouble to organize all the stuff in a way that is easy to identify, retrieve and put away At the moment I’m working with what I have and small budget but open to spend some bucks if I find a decent solution. I prefer to use tech backpacks since I already have a couple of them (30 and 65lt) and the single big storage compartment make me wonder what could be the best approach to keep all your gears well separated in their specific categories (first aid, food, water, electronics, tools, warmth, hygiene, ect, ect) To organize my stuff I’ve used what I already had: a cheap roll bag a and some molle pouch (from my old softair playtimes), and at first I thought to build a sort of taylor made insert ( I don’t mind go into diy and do a bit of sewing) that fold like a book and fit into the backpack (something similar to the commercial Seventy2 pro system) but now I realize that probably all this contraption is adding too much weight (all molle pouches + a heavy fabric that keep them together) and probably is not so practical.

A photo of what I was doing so it’s easier to understand

So I’m a bit of stuck…should I ditch this idea and maybe simply use a collection of small and lightweight drysack with different colors (for identify the content) and put them inside the backpack in the most logical way based on weight and needs?

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It can’t be said too many times…do your estate planning

July LewisContributor - April 27, 2022

I’ve posted this before but it really can’t be said enough. Get your affairs in order. EMPs are a possibility, but death is a certainty and unlikely, sudden, too young, too healthy, “But he worked out every day!”, “But I always thought I would go first!” deaths happen all the time. We just had one in our family.

Lots of good articles out there, I’m linking to one below. I would say the very FIRST thing everyone should do is check the beneficiaries on your accounts. Any bank account, retirement account, HSA, anything should have the person you intend listed as a death beneficiary and then have alternates. That way the assets go directly to your beneficiary on your death instead of going through probate – they have access to the funds right away. This is easy to do and doesn’t cost anything. After that you can get into your will, power of attorney, medical power of attorney, life insurance etc. 

Finally, talk to your family. Make sure someone trusted knows what accounts you have, where to find your will, what your intentions are. possibly even share passwords with them if you trust them. If not, consider subscribing to a password manager service that can allow someone to have emergency access in the event of your death (e.g. LastPass).

Honestly, don’t spend another dime on ammo or #10 cans until you have dealt with this. It causes so much pain, stress, and heartbreak on top of an already heartbreaking situation when someone dies unprepared.

Sample article here – and there are lots more out there. https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/estate-planning 

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Tips for pets? – Pet Preparedness

Scott P - April 26, 2022

What are peoples plans and more importantly tips to dealing with pets in a situation where bugging out is prudent?  We have two cats, both are leash trained and very easy to get into their crates.  Travel by car is a non issue for them.  We also have a gallon bag of food for them in my bag.  I am worried about having to ditch the car though.  Any hints on supplies we should have, training we should do, or any other things?  

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Disaster Burnout – How to recognize it and what to do about it if it happens to you or the people in your group

UbiqueContributor - April 26, 2022

Life in a state of global pandemic has taught us all a thing or two about stress, boredom, frustration, fear, anger, and grief.

In the early stages of the pandemic, people mounted shopping campaigns to secure as much toilet paper as possible. Frenzied shoppers scrambled to buy the last 20 pounds of flour and hoped there was still yeast left at the end of the grocery aisle.

Job hours were cut back or entire days trimmed from schedules until finally people were laid off for lack of work.

As the year wore on, people used credit to pay for expenses. Savings accounts were raided and left empty. Some countries offered financial assistance, but that assistance was finite. Those at the end of the pandemic financial programs stood on the precipice of a big, black void. What next?

When would this pandemic finally end and life would go back to normal?

Stress set in as the financial pressures mounted. Domestic relationships imploded under the weight of pandemic stress. Was it financial? Was it from spending just a little too much time together?

Or, were relationships failing because the pandemic had changed people? Partnerships are hard to maintain when the people in them turn inward and away from the other.

People had lost loved ones and were unable to even visit in the hospital as their family member lay dying. Proper funerals weren’t allowed and the associated community support for grief that comes with the ritual of a funeral.

The preppers who were better prepared at the onset of the pandemic still had to cope with many of the issues non-preppers faced, like job loss and grief.

I was prepared for pandemic and increased my preps before it was declared. It was nice to have PPE’s and a very well stocked pantry including non food items and I am grateful for that preparation. 

But, today I am as weary of the pandemic as everyone else. When the pandemic was declared, we were all given a new set of rules about how to live. Masks and social distancing became the equivalent of little bubbles around us, invisible boundaries never to be crossed. We lost the ability to connect with each other in a spontaneous and joyful way.

When was the last time you were truly, spontaneously happy and carefree?

Even a visit with a generous supply of preps doesn’t perk me up.

I feel like the kid in the back of the car: “Are we there yet?”

Burnout is present when you go to sleep knowing that the next morning will probably not be much different.

Burnout is knowing that other people feel the same way and they are as powerless to change the pandemic as you are.

If the pandemic were a bus, I want to get off now, please.

One definition of burnout is physical and mental collapse.

Whenever I peer over the edge into these dark corners of prepping that are easier to ignore, I learn something that makes me a stronger, wiser prepper.

I don’t hide from the mental and emotional aspects of disaster because if I did, then how could I recognize burnout and the need to address it? 

I feel my emotions and ride through the difficult ones so I can learn to manage them better when unpleasant situations provoke them.

So, here’s what I’ve figured out about burnout during this journey through a pandemic.

Any prolonged disaster is going to eventually provoke burnout. We are human and there is no point pretending that it won’t happen to us. Everyone will arrive at burnout sooner or later and want off the bus, too.

Remember the footage of the end of World War II from various countries? People were hugging and kissing and jumping into each other’s arms. Some were dancing in the streets. People were ecstatic because the war was over.

If all those people hadn’t been burned out, then their reactions would have been much different. “Oh, really, it’s over. *Yawn* How nice.” 

We need to plan for burn out in ourselves or in our group. Burnout looks like depression, hopelessness, and fatigue. A person who is burned out is a jaded person who has had enough of the circus and just wants to go home.

Burnout can cause us or members of our group to make mistakes and errors in judgement that can have dire consequences.

Burnout if not addressed can affect the morale of the person’s group. It adds to their stress.

Every person has a different way of coping with burnout. If it happened to me in a high stress job, I changed jobs, fields and went off in an entirely different direction in order to challenge my brain and skills. It became a way to learn new things in a new environment and shake off the heaviness of burnout.

If the burnout wasn’t from a job, I took up new hobbies and taught myself new things from college level books that I put aside in my library.

If it was a relationship, it got better or I got out. Life is too short to live in a state of burnout, disaster or no disaster.

Burnout comes from working our brains the same way day in and day out. The remedy is to do something different. Change one big thing or a bunch of little things. Get creative.

Take the negative things that happen during a disaster and turn them into opportunities for learning.

Don’t ever completely grow up. Reserve a part of yourself that is free to be a child. This will help you remember how to play and not take yourself too seriously. It is invaluable in a disaster to be able to build a fort in your living room or dissolve into hysterics over a silly joke.

Laughter displaces burnout and drives it away.

My Mom, who survived the long occupation of The Netherlands in WWII, told me how they would laugh and make silly jokes, even during the really bad times. Sometimes, they sang or played games or talked about “some day” when it was over, what would be the first thing that they would like to do. 

But mostly, they laughed because when they laughed they felt stronger, in their spirits, an intangible untouchable part of them that no one could steal from them.

Until she died at 86, my Mom was often mistaken for a woman much younger than her years. She still sang and her giggle was infectious. Her spirit was as strong as ever and no one could ever steal it from her.

When the going gets really tough in a long term disaster, I will deal with burnout by remembering her example.

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