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Reply to: News roundup for Tue, May 10, 2022 Posted 3 days ago

Excellent list Karl, thank you for posting. It would be fantastic if every community had a good community garden.

Reply to: News roundup for Fri, May 13, 2022 Posted 3 days ago

Great roundup of tips for baby formula and feeding, Carlotta.

Reply to: News roundup for Fri, May 13, 2022 Posted 3 days ago

What you can do about it: Review your finances. Karl has some great tips from last entry’s roundup. Create a budget. If you don’t have one, now is a great time to start. Track what you eat. If you keep a list for two or four weeks, you can see what types of food you usually buy, and analyze. Stay calm. Don’t rush to sell all of your investments, especially at a loss. Start a garden. Even starting one indoor container could help you practice growing some local food. Stay safe. Use caution when driving, around ladders, and when using chemicals and power tools. You may avoid needing a hospital. Keep building your pantry. If you have food that is about to expire, consider donating to a neighbour or food bank. Think ahead to heat in the summer. Do you have ways you can stay cool, stay hydrated, and find shade? Get some exercise Read a book. Or study Microsoft Flight Simulator I suppose. Have a productive weekend.

Reply to: How to set up a new axe for first use Posted 5 days ago

Great, succinct explanation and visual.

Reply to: Prepping victories: When has prepping paid off for you? Posted 7 days ago

For me, sometimes it’s the little things – Family: “Oh darn, we were going to cook food on the bbq, but the propane ran out.” Me: “Alright, I’ll go get the backup tank.” Family: “You have a backup!?!?”

Reply to: Prepping victories: When has prepping paid off for you? Posted 7 days ago

Great job staying calm and acting well. That’s great it turned into a positive conversation starter. Maybe you helped to get some other people more interested in being prepared.

Reply to: Prepping victories: When has prepping paid off for you? Posted 7 days ago

Excellent post! Kudos on being well prepared and being able to make it through. What knot did you use? I strongly agree with you – Small wins are victories too.

Reply to: How to set up a new axe for first use Posted 7 days ago

Hey Josh, great to hear from you. Excellent post. You say: >If you split a lot of wood you may want a full-size axe with a duller blade. Any reason you would want a duller blade for this?

Reply to: News roundup for Fri, May 06, 2022 Posted 7 days ago

Great tips, Karl. Unplugging from the news, staying focused on something you can do, and not believing all of the rhetoric we hear are all fantastic actions.

Reply to: News roundup for Tue, May 10, 2022 Posted 7 days ago

What you can do about it: Check your finances. Sharpen your resume. Can you update and quantify your career accomplishments? Interview somewhere to check your value on the market? It may be a good time to practice. Check your portable battery pack. Do you have a routine to keep it charged? Consider a solar charger Think about how you’ll stay warm next winter. Can you find season-ending sales on winter clothing? Do you have enough coats and blankets? Get a home energy audit. An inspector may show where you could save the most by fixing up your home. Many areas have rebates for inspections and/or upgrades. Consider a home insulating DIY project. The best returns are usually: air sealing and insulating attics or basements. Plant a garden. The food you can grow yourself costs no fuel to transport far away. Consider a rain barrel project. Save money collecting water for your garden, and extend your window of drought-tolerance. Store some water in your home. Get some exercise Name one of your prepping victories. Reviewing progress that you’ve made and accomplishments you have worked for is healthy. Great work. Take a break. Mental health is important too. Good luck this week.

Reply to: News roundup for Fri, May 06, 2022 Posted 1 week ago

What you can do about it: Review your finances. Can you consolidate debt? Is it worth paying anything down before rates rise? Can you find out *if* your rate will rise? Store some water in your home Consider a rain water collection project. Some cities and counties have a yearly sale or give-away for rain barrels. Check yours. Plant some trees. Trees provide shade, retain moisture in the soil, and help lower temperatures. Keep building your pantry Get some exercise Have a productive weekend.

Reply to: News roundup for Fri, May 06, 2022 Posted 1 week ago

Get well soon Carlotta.

Reply to: News roundup for Tue, May 03, 2022 Posted 2 weeks ago

kudos on raising the question. If you are done having little brown foxes (or don’t want to), this seems like a solid prep. Are there good sources on the risks between e.g. The Pill vs the risks for a vasectomy? This site says that 11 out of 1,000 vasectomy surgeries might fail. But it does not list any long-term health risks. This site lists a number of possible long-term effects, though to me they sound minor. I do not know if that is a reputable site. Several studies discuss birth control pills increasing the risk of blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes.

Reply to: News roundup for Fri, Apr 29, 2022 Posted 2 weeks ago

Great update Carlotta. I think you already linked to everything I would have linked.

Reply to: How to prepare for and survive civil unrest Posted 2 weeks ago

I would like to ask and clarify a point from the Kit in this article – it mentions “Full-face gas mask or respirator and googles”. The word “goggles” here must mean some type of safety-rated, fuller or wider model specifically meant for physical protection, correct? And definitely not, say, swim goggles. I have read several reports of bad accidents where someone sustained an eye injury wearing swimming style goggles – where all of the pressure from a blow is concentrated in a small area of the eye. e.g. they are flat-out not allowed during sports such as water polo, due to potential impact on the eye – https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/water-polo-for-dummies-faq-explained/ Just thought I would leave a note so no one tries to use that type of goggles. When I read the word “goggles”, my first thought is swimwear. What do you think about updating the wording to say “safety goggles”?

Reply to: News roundup for Tue, May 03, 2022 Posted 2 weeks ago

What you can do about it: Review the guide on preparing for civil unrest Review the Protest Kit on protective gear, if you plan to or have to travel near, in, or around a protest Take a first aid class, so you have better training to help yourself or others, regardless of what happens Check your radio and batteries, if you rely on them for emergency alerts See if you need any emergency alert apps Read the tornado guide Can you budget for a solar charger? Consider a cheap, backup pay-as-you-go cell phone with an alternate carrier. This may let you send or receive emergency texts if service is down. Keep building your pantry Plant a garden Do you need to store some water? Consider a rain water capture system Spend a day without using power, or go camping in your back yard. This will help you to get used to operating without power, or to spot holes in your plan. It might even just be fun. Think what you might need to cope with extreme heat. Can you create shade? Keep up with your routine vehicle maintenance. Do you know what needs to be fixed or changed, and when? Perhaps draw a plan. Write up an emergency plan for one scenario. Discuss it with your roommate or family. What will you do? What might you need? Can you practice? Read a book Meditate. Meditation has been shown to grow grey matter, and improve your brain’s ability to focus. Turn off social media for a day. It may be good for your mental health. Get some exercise Good luck this week.

Reply to: Disaster Burnout – How to recognize it and what to do about it if it happens to you or the people in your group Posted 3 weeks ago

Hey Gideon – great collection of tips. This could be an article by itself. Thanks for the kind words. You’re teaching me a lot too.

Reply to: News roundup for Tue, Apr 26, 2022 Posted 3 weeks ago

Great roundup Carlotta. That is encouraging to hear about such progress with a vaccine for malaria.

Reply to: News roundup for Tue, Apr 26, 2022 Posted 3 weeks ago

What you can do about it: Get some exercise. Regular, low-impact movement to stay healthy is a great way to improve your longevity. Be careful when doing maintenance, operating heavy machinery, or working from heights. Right now is still a great time to *not* go to the hospital. Wear safety equipment. Perhaps get some help with that project. Survival experts advise “operating at half speed”, so you have more time to think, process, and react without wasting energy or making mistakes. Keep building that pantry. If you have the means to stock up on some shelf-stable food, and build a bit extra of items you already eat, it seems prudent. At best you’re reducing the potential drain on food stores by being ready yourself. At worst you’re just buying groceries a bit early. Plant a garden. Growing your own local food is a good extra layer of food security. Consider a portable solar panel. If your power was out for a long period of time, how much of your life could you run off these? Practice using your gear. If you haven’t gone for a hike recently while wearing your Go Bag – try it. If you’ve never charged your battery pack using your solar panel – do it. Try cooking a meal with a rocket stove, or using only shelf-stable ingredients. Go camping in your back yard to try out your tent. The more practice you have, the better. You may identify issues and gain valuable experience. Store some water Be easy on yourself. Hey you’ve made it to today. Great job. Take a break. Meditate, read a book, or do some other activity to recharge. Good luck this week

Reply to: News roundup for Tue, Apr 19, 2022 Posted 4 weeks ago

What you can do about it: Evaluate your energy use. Can you move your bill to a fixed rate? How can you conserve energy? Consider turning down the thermostat, using blankets and warm clothes to stay warm. Can you audit your home for energy efficiency? The most effective fixes are usually: sealing air leaks, and insulating the attic. Both can be done DIY. Keep your Go Bag ready Set up the emergency alert app for your area Make sure you have a working radio and batteries Plant some trees. How can you find or start a tree planting group in your area? Sharpen your knives. Sharp knives are usually safer. Do you need a sharpener? Stock some water Keep building your pantry Get some exercise Good luck this week.

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