March 19, 2024

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT & Free Excerpt of PULSE!

A lot of you chimed in on my review of PULSE, the post-apocalyptic novel by L.R. Burkard.

Thanks very much for your comments. If you didn’t win, I hope you’ll go on to get a copy of PULSE. It’s available in both print and Kindle versions.

 

But we do have TWO WINNERS!: 

GATOR GEEK

and CINDI!

Congratulations! L.R. will be in touch to get you your free copies of the book.

If you didn’t win, you can still get a taste of what the book is like: Linore put together a PDF that you can get by visiting her site, and you don’t have to leave your email to get it. Just go to http://www.LRBurkard.com and on the right you’ll see a PDF Icon with the Reader Excerpt.

(If you want updates on other giveaways, I recommend joining her email list, even though you don’t have to, to get the excerpt.)

Review of Valley Food Storage; Irish Pub Style Cheddar Potato

I was offered the chance to sample and review Irish Pub Style Cheddar Potato Soup, and it’s unlike me to turn down free food (lol) so I said, “yes”.

Valley Food Storage started in 2005 after they purchased some LTS food. Upon checking it a few short years later, they discovered it was all rancid. Bear in mind this was food claiming to have a 25 year shelf life. They teamed up with food scientists and worked to come up with a viable solution to this problem.

What they found was that other companies had included ingredients that wouldn’t last more than a few years. It also seemed that every company out there packed their food with preservatives and hydrogenated oils.

They vowed to only use ingredients with a long shelf life, and do not use GMO’s or MSG.

I also appreciate that they put their entrees into a Mylar pouch instead of a #10 can.
 
 
Irish Pub Style Cheddar Potato Soup

Pub-Style-Ched-Potato

I was presented with a few options. This one sounded really good. As you can see in the image on the left (click to enlarge), none of the ingredients need a PhD to pronounce. Also, the directions are easy enough for me to prepare!

I got the water to a boil and added the mix. I stirred it in and walked away for a bit. What I didn’t expect was the smell when I came back. I didn’t care for it. I actually planned on eating this for lunch and told my wife I would taste it, eat enough to review, but that if it wasn’t good, I was finding something else.

Soup boiling

I like thicker soups and was a little concerned about how watery it was about half way through. I figured it would thicken up and it did, as you can see in this photo.

I was blown away by how good it tasted, as was my son, who can be picky at times. He actually finished it off! I don’t like the taste of cooked peppers, and was a little leery, but could hardly taste them!

Spoonful

The consistency of freeze dried foods might be an issue for some people, as they are often mushy. The texture of the potato was interesting, and not like I had expected. It was firmer than what I thought it would be. It reminded me of what a hard marshmallow might be like biting into; not hard, but not squishy either. I didn’t mind it, but thought it was worth mentioning.

I had two scoops with a punch bowl sized ladle. I ate two dinner rolls with my bowl of soup and was full. I would guess that I ate two of the five servings.

The price for one pouch is $11.95 or $203 for a case of 20.

All in all I was very impressed with the company. I don’t do many affiliates on this site, but like what I see with this company and have applied for their affiliate program, and was accepted, so if you click on one of the images and purchase anything, I will get a small commission. I am also impressed with the food, and when I add more freeze dried foods to my pantry, they will most likely be coming from Valley Food Storage!

Click here to see a chart comparing many of the top food storage companies to Valley Foods; look into this before you make a purchase from another company.

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Review of the Paracord Grenade

paracord Grenade

I was recently sent a bag of goodies from Survival Frog.com that I want to tell you about. They have also really stepped up and are giving away ten Paracord Grenades,! See below for details on how to enter.

Paracord Grenade

I thought this was a clever idea! It’s a mini-kit, containing a knife blade, fire striker, tin foil, cotton tinder, a carabiner, swivels, sinkers, fishing line, hooks and floats. If you look at the images on their site, the blade that came with mine is the one shown in images, not the saw posted on their site.

Paracord grenade contents size Content list

All of the above mentioned items are wrapped in Paracord goodness, nine feet of it! Paracord is a nylon rope that first saw use in parachutes in World War II. It is made from seven two-ply threads shielded in an outer nylon jacket. Paracord has a tensile strength of 550 lbs., hence the name 550-cord. If needed, you can put two sections together, doubling the weight limit. Its diameter is only 1/8”. Paracord is also mildew and rot resistant, aiding to its versatility.

Nine feet of Paracord might not seem like a lot, but if you find yourself in a survival situation where you need to use these supplies to live, it could be separated into strands and used for fishing line, fishing nets, snares and many other uses.

paracord grenade size paracord grenade stowed

I would have to say that if I had the option, I would pick a couple different items. The blade is like a scalpel without the handle, which is a little difficult to manipulate. This can be mitigated by placing the handle portion in tinfoil to give you something extra to hold on to. The floats are not big enough to be useful with the sinkers (weights) attached. I did a little test and it pulled them right under. Again, if you’re in a survival situation, you could use a little piece of wood for a float (bobber), or use both hooks in a small trot line to increase your odds of catching something.

Paracord grenade contents size

Be forewarned; I tried to reassemble the grenade and could not. I think I loosened the paracord too much, and then forgot how I untied it. However, this allowed me to do a little testing. I undid a section of the paracord, revealing the strands, and unwound one of them. I then took one of those sections and was able to use it as fishing line. It’s a little thicker than fishing line, but it would work. If you added some more sinkers and a few hooks, and carefully added them to the inside of the grenade, you could make a very nice trot line. If you’re not sure what a trot line is, see my article on Survival Fishing.

The weight of the Paracord Grenade is so minimal, I would not think twice about attaching it to the outside of a BOB.

The Paracord Grenade Retails for $17.97.
 
 
Paracord Cobra Survival Belt

paracord beltI was sent a Paracord Cobra Survival Belt as well, so I thought I would give you my thoughts on it while I’m at it. My first impression is that it has a chemical smell to it. Some might not notice, but I am pretty sensitive to smells. That shouldn’t be a problem though, since paracord is rot and resistant. Washing it won’t be a problem.
 
 
The belt is nicely built and attractive looking. It’s not something I would wear every day, but if I was heading for some dirt time, I wouldn’t hesitate.

I mentioned above that paracord can hold up to 550 pounds. When you double or weave the lengths together, you increase the weight capacity. Because of how the belt is made, it will easily have the capacity to withstand far more than 550 pounds. In fact, the buckle would give before the paracord will.

The belt contains over 120’ of paracord. This would allow for far more uses than I can brainstorm!

Paracord Cobra Survival Belt retails for $59.99.
 
 
“Would You Survive If…” Survival Playing Cards

Playing cardsI was also sent a deck of the “Would You Survive If…” Survival Playing Cards. This is like a deck of cards and a 52 page “Worst Case Scenario)” book. Some of the items they briefly outline how to survive are: escape a car submerged in water, survive being struck by lightning, survive hypothermia, survive a cruise line disaster, survive catching on fire and survive an active shooter.
 
 
The price seems a bit high to me. I can get a deck of cards for under a buck, and The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook 500 page, 11 volume series from Amazon for $20.

Where I could see this being a useful preparedness tool, is giving them as gifts to preppers that are into this stuff and to people who aren’t into preparedness, but with whom you want to plant that seed.

“Would You Survive If…” Survival Playing Cards retails for $19.97.
 
 
Survival Frog.com

I want to thank the folks at Survival Frog.com; both for the items they sent me and for the opportunity to give away 10 Paracord Grenades.

To enter, simply send an email to contest (AT) preparedchristian [dot} net. Only one entry per person please. A note to Yahoo users, Yahoo blocks all email traffic from Prepared Christian. If you win, I will send you an email from another account they don’t block.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST Friday, February 13th. (oooh spooky).

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

Preparedness Club

Review of the SmartCharge™ LED Bulbs

Review of the SmartCharge™ LED Bulbs

I was recently asked if I wanted to review a LINK SmartCharge™ light bulb. It is an LED light bulb that contains a 4 hour battery backup. I said “yes,” as I think this could fill a role in power loss preparations for many of us. A flashlight is great, but unless you have them scattered around the house, you need to go looking for one. Flashlights are great for providing direct light, but not great for lighting up a room. Preparedness Club members, make sure to see the bottom for special pricing!

The LINK SmartCharge™ turns on as soon as a loss of power is detected. The following are some features provided by the manufacturer.

SmartCharge™ Features:
• Works with a Standard Light Fixture
• 4 hours of Light During a Power Outage
• Built in Rechargeable Battery / Charges during normal use
• Turns On/Off from the Switch During Power Outages
• Energy Efficient, ROHS Compliant
• Instant On
• Rated to last for 40,000 hours, 25 years

– Brightness – Minimum 350 lumen
-Annual Energy cost – .72¢ USD
-Color Temperature – 5000K
-Wattage – 5.5 Watt
-40 Watts equivalent
-Bulb Voltage – 110-240V
-UL, CE, FCC, & ROHS certified certifications

It fits in a standard light socket, and acts as a normal light bulb until the internal circuitry detects a loss of power, then it switches to the battery backup power. As you can see from the pictures, there is less light in “grid down,” running on batteries mode.

I see this as a good fit in a few situations.

If you have a battery backup UPS on your computer, you know that if power is lost, your system and any peripherals attached to it stay on. Though some units have a long charge, the purpose of a UPS isn’t to keep you up and running until power is restored. The purpose is to let you finish your work, save it and shutdown, thus making sure you finish your task. I see the LINK SmartCharge™ as a product that can let you finish what you were doing. That is, unless it was something that required electricity of course. It then provides a light source for you to get your Lights Out Kit and get ready, just in case the outage is a bit longer than 4 hours. It will also provide that 4 hours of constant light, more if used sparingly.

While our grid is fragile, in that it takes little to bring it down, it is pretty reliable in the amount of time it is up. The founder of the LINK SmartCharge™ is from India, where there are a lot of power outages. If you live in a place where the grid isn’t reliable, the LINK SmartCharge™ could be a very effective tool to provide light in between outages, as well as during.
 
 
My Take

Normal Bulb

Normal Bulb

Please forgive the quality of the images. They were taken with my iPhone, and I am just pretty happy my thumb isn’t in them. I’ll start by saying that I prefer a softer light bulb. The 40 Watt is what I normally use in the office. So, for me, the LINK SmartCharge™is a great fit. If you prefer a very well lit room, this might not be the best option, unless there are other lights on as well.
 
 
SmartCharge on grid power.

SmartCharge on grid power.

The LINK SmartCharge™ gave off a whiter, cleaner light than the yellowish tint the regular 40Watt put out. Now, if you watch any of the videos, I really think they do themselves a disservice. To simulate a blackout you need to do more than just unplug the lamp. Simply unplugging it from the wall does not simulate a power outage. In a power outage, there are still things connected to the circuit in your house, such as the stove, etc., that are plugged into the outlets. The bulb needs to detect something else to complete the circuit to stay on.
 
SmartCharge on battery power.

SmartCharge on battery power.

To get by this, they seem to use another light as the other electronic device drawing power. This makes the room look very bright while power is on, and very dark; darker than it really is, when power is “out”. I used a fan as the other device, and the difference in the light provided between modes is very minimal. I was surprised how much darker the picture was in the after picture, because I thought it was almost the same level of brightness while I had it on in battery power mode.

Size comparison

As you can see, the LINK SmartCharge™ is bigger than a standard bulb. It doesn’t bother me, but if you have an enclosed fixture, it might be very tight, or not fit at all.

The price is $34.95, which isn’t too bad when the average LED bulb goes for around $20.00. Pay an extra $15 and you get one that will sense when the grid is down, and run off of the battery for another four hours.

I’m going to give this item 4 stars. I think it is a very clever idea, and designed well. If they would have changed the design so that power just needed to be lost from the source, and the bulb would stay on, I would give it 5 stars. That would allow for one to charge it with a small solar panel, and have 4 hours of off grid light at night.

The folks at LINK SmartCharge™ have agreed to give Preparedness Club members a 25% discount until January 5th 2015! Log into your account to find the coupon code.

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

Preparedness Club

Fifteen Preparedness Gift Ideas

We’re nearing Christmas, so I thought I would take this opportunity to give you some gift ideas for the Prepper on your list! I own all but one of these items. I stand behind every one I will post. Some of the links posted are affiliate links, meaning if you decide to purchase, I will get a very small commission; thank you if you do buy something!

I am also going to mention the Preparedness Club. If you’re looking for gift ideas besides what is on this list or even if you’re looking for something specific, check the Preparedness Club out. Think of us as the sales section of the newspaper. You come to one site to see sales instead of visiting several, and we post only the best sales daily. If you sign up for updates, you will receive one email per day at 6pm EST that lists the sales found for that day.
 
 

Prepper Pete Prepares: An Introduction to Prepping for Kids; $3.99 for Kindle Edition

If you have a child and are looking for ways to teach them about preparedness, then the Prepper Pete Prepares: An Introduction to Prepping for Kids book would make a great gift. The same can be said for Prepper Pete’s Gun of a Son: A Gun Safety Book for Kids, if you have a child you would like to teach gun safety concepts. I have read and reviewed both Prepper Pete Prepares and Prepper Pete’s Gun of a Son, in case you would like to get my full opinion.
 
 

Resqme Keychain Car Escape Tool; $9.95

I used to have a tool that would cut a seatbelt and break a car window. I kept it in the door pocket, thinking if I wrecked it would be within reach. Then my son wrecked the car, nearly rolling it. I found my tool the next day in the back seat, out of reach.

We now have these on our key chains. To break a window, simply push it against the window and a pin snaps forward shattering the glass. It will also cut a seatbelt. Best of all, it will always be in reach when the key is in the ignition.
 
 

Allen Company Adult Blade 4 Lens Style Combo Case (Clear, Red, Yellow, Smoke); $11.00-$15.00

You can read my review of these glasses here.. I used to just buy the safety glasses that cost less than $5 from Menards. Then someone let me try their set of these in yellow. I was amazed at how everything popped out. To me, the yellow alone is worth $11, but add the other colors and this is a great deal!
 
 

Luci Solar Lantern; $14.00
I recently reviewed LUCI. You can read the full review Here. LUCI is a solar powered light, powerful enough to provide up to an 8’x10’ room with enough light to read by. It takes 8 hours to get a full charge. Once charged, it will keep a full charge for 3 months! After that, it will hold a half charge for two years! If you use it for 12 hours a day, she will last around 2 years! If you use her occasionally you can expect many years of use!
 
 

Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer; $16.33
Anyone who carries more than a couple pieces of EDC gear has probably gotten tired of fumbling through their pockets for that one needed item. That is what led to me buying this bag, and it was a great idea! It holds most of my EDC gear and fits in the pocket of my cargo pants with room to spare.
 
 

Ps Quick Draw Gun Magnet; $17.69
This might not be the typical gift idea, but if you have someone trying to conceal a handgun at home, it is the perfect gift. This is a great way to have your handgun out with you while watching TV or at the desk, yet have it concealed. The magnet strength is enough to hold up to 10lbs.
 
 


Seed of the Month Club; Six months $19.74 or 1 year $35.52
This is the one item I do not own/participate in. After several years of failed attempts at gardening I realized we just don’t get enough sun to garden in any part of the yard. Should we move, I will join the Seed of the Month Club.

Give a new variety of heirloom, non GMO seeds every month! Click here to save 25%, and Preparedness Club members receive a 30% discount.
 
 

Space All Weather Blanket; $19.99

If you have the typical foil type space blanket in your BOB, this is a great upgrade. I still have them in mine, but this one is far warmer and more durable. Warmer than wool, it will retain 80% of body heat. It also has grommets in each corner and is tear and puncture resistant.
 
 

Guyot Designs Backpacker Stainless Steel Bottle, 32-Ounce; $21.99
I don’t own this version. I own its big, discontinued, brother and you can read my review of it here. As I say in the review, the Backpacker has a narrower base and is less expensive than the one I have. That aside, this is a fantastic water bottle! It keeps things cooler longer and the wide mouth makes filling it easier. Just make sure it comes with a splash guard (I believe they do. Well, mine did anyway.) This is the last water bottle I will ever own.

 
 

Making the Best of Basics


Making the Best of Basics; $39.99

This is the first informational prepper-type book I purchased after seeing several raving reviews on various forums. They were not wrong! This book is very packed with information on subjects including how to stock your pantry, how to store those items and how to cook with them. There is a sprouting guide, a guide on wheat and dehydrating fruits and vegetables. There are instructions on how to make yogurt and cheese. There is even information on essential oils!

I have said it before, this is one book that should be in everyone’s preparedness library! You can read my full review of it here. There are now digital and DVD versions. I prefer the hard copy, but the digital and DVD version come with a lot of extras not included in the hard copy.
 
 
Howard Leight
Howard Leight Impact Sport Electronic Earmuff; $48.94
If you go shooting with other people, this is a must have item. If you take any level of training, this is a must have item. I used them during training and could hear the instructor who was speaking normally, and was on the other side of the outdoor range. I would not have heard him that well without the electronic earmuffs! They really amplify voice well, and block the sounds of gunfire to the level any other earmuffs would. You can read my full 5 star review here.
 
 


Cold Steel Spartan; $59.59
This is my EDC knife for last ditch self-defense. I’ll be honest, I liked the look of it and it was getting good reviews, so I asked for it as a birthday gift. It is a far better knife than my previous EDC knife. The handle design means your grip is strong and your fingers are not sliding off. This might be adjustable, but mine doesn’t open easily, which is fine by me. My last knife slid open when it wasn’t supposed to and I ended up with stitches. Be forewarned, this knife is a mammoth, with a total length of 10.5” and is also quite wide. It still fits fine in a pants pocket, but is the biggest folder I have owned.
 
 


AlertsUSA; $99.00 per year
Do you have a news junky in your life? Someone who needs to stay on top of current events? Maybe they check their favorite online sources multiple times a day? AlertsUSA
is the perfect gift for them! AlertsUSA’s goal is to increase the user’s level of situational and threat awareness. They will send a text message to your mobile device and an email with every alert.

I have used the service for two years and they frequently give an alert before the MSM picks up on the topic. Since they are not the MSM and their only agenda is to give you the information they deem as important, they often report information received from an insider that never appears on MSM.

The service is $99.00 a year. However, Preparedness Club members receive it for $75.00! For just this weekend you can get a one year membership to of AlertsUSA for $69.00!
 
 
CrossBreed
Crossbreed holster; Price varies
I was introduced to CrossBreed holsters by a reader, and I am glad I was! I owned 4-5 holsters before my CrossBreed. They either never fit right, didn’t offer enough concealment or were uncomfortable.

I purchased the Snapside and a gun belt to go with it. The combination of the two is BY FAR the most comfortable way I have ever carried. If you CCW on a regular basis, I cannot recommend them enough, especially with a gun belt. The level of comfort, support and conceal-ability is well worth the price!

They also have belly band holsters, ankle holsters and a modular design called a purse defender that essentially turns any purse into a CCW purse. They also have bedside backup and a RAM ball mount that allows you to securely mount your handgun just about anywhere and make it easily accessible.

It might actually be too late to get some of the items before Christmas, but if you have a shooter on your list, consider Crossbreed! They’ll love it.

 
 

Excalibur 9-Tray Dehydrator; $179.00
I did a lot of research and looking before deciding to purchase the Excalibur dehydrator. There are many that are less expensive, but I either didn’t like the design or didn’t like some other feature. The Excalibur is the champion when it comes to the amount of food that you can dehydrate at one time.
 
 

SIRT R/R Training Pistol. Dry Fire Handgun by Next Level Training; $195.00
The SIRT training pistol is a diagnostic tool and training aid. It allows you to train and form good habits, and actually see deficiencies like breaking down and left when you squeeze the trigger. With the use of the laser it lets you see if and when you are breaking off target.

The cost might seem a little high, but if you consider the cost of ammo and how much ammo it could take to break you out of bad habits, it could actually save you money!

The deal linked here is actually better than what I got. It includes:

•SIRT 110 Training Pistol Red/Red Lasers
•FREE 90min Training DVD and FREE SIRT Safety Glasses.
Also includes a weighted magazine, a carrying case, adjustment tools and manuals.
•Includes $250.00 Front Sight Certificate as well as Coupons and Other Discounts for Accessories and Additional Training Aids
•One Year Manufacturer Warranty. Made in the USA.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully I have been able to give you some gift ideas for the Prepper on your list. I’m sure they’ll be happy with anything I have listed. If you are looking for a gift that is more light hearted or a gag gift, check out this list from The Daily Prep.

Review of the MPOWERD Luci Inflatable Solar Lantern

Review of the MPOWERD Luci Inflatable Solar Lantern

Every once in a while I get to review an item that, because of features, potential and its price, is an item that I am happy to tell you about! LUCI is one of these! Created by MPOWERED, LUCI is an inflatable solar lantern with a diameter of 5”. It’s about 4” tall when inflated and 1” tall when collapsed.

LUCI is waterproof and shatterproof. It is very lightweight and affordable; the Luci Solar Lantern I was sent retails for only $15! Other models can run up to $25.
 
 
Features

LUCI Dimensions

LUCI is made up of 10 LED lights, a solar panel and a rechargeable battery.

It is rated for 500-2000 cycles, meaning full battery cycles from full to empty. If you use it every day for twelve hours, it is expected that it’ll work for about two years! If you use LUCI occasionally you can expect many years of use.

The LED bulbs have a lifespan of 25,000 hours, and the manufacturer states that they will not burn out during the life of LUCI.

LUCI solar panel

LUCI will hold a full charge for about three months. After that it will retain half a charge for up to two years!

There are three power settings; low, high and a slow flashing.

LUCI produces enough light to illuminate up to an 8-10’ square foot room.

LUCI is rated to run in temperatures from 15-122 degrees.

There is a plastic strap on the top and bottom. A carbineer would be needed to hang it from something to cast light or hang upside down to charge.

LUCI can be charged from with sunlight or incandescent light and takes 8 hours for a full charge.
 
 
Potential

LUCI is being marketed as offering “solar justice” to the 3 billion people in the world who either live without electricity or can’t afford it. They even have a program where you can MPOWERED for a LUCI to be given to someone in need!

LUCI will effectively lengthen the ability to get things done after the sun goes down. That is the case for those living without electricity now, and for anyone who owns one if the power goes out!

LUCI in colorLuci doesn’t act like a flashlight. To be fair, flashlights don’t serve the same purpose as LUCI in my book either. A flashlight is a great tool for casting light at length or lighting a specific area for a short time. LUCI is geared toward lighting a general area for a length of time.
 
 
LUCI roadside
Just some of the uses I can see are: In the BOB, lights out/blackout kit, glove box or trunk for use during roadside emergencies, lighting an outdoor area for night gatherings, floating in the pool for evening swims (did I mention it’s waterproof?!?!?). I think LUCI will give a scared child much more comfort in a blackout than a flashlight, as it lights up a bigger area.
 
 
Price

As stated above, the Luci Solar Lantern that was sent to me costs $15. You can visit the MPOWERED site to find all four versions, including the ones in various colors! They range in price from $15 – $25.

At these prices, I think they make a great addition to anyone’s preparations! They would also make great gifts for those who may not be preparedness minded!

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

Preparedness Club

Review of Prepper Pete’s Gun of a Son

Review of Prepper Pete’s Gun of a Son

If you’re not familiar with the Prepper Pete books, let me tell you a little about them! The Prepper Pete books are children’s books that explore preparedness related topics in ways that are easy for children to understand.

Gun of a Son is the third installment of the Prepper Pete books. It is the story of Prepper Pete buying his son Charlie his first firearm and how Pete teaches his son to use the firearm safely and correctly. Going through a gun safety class, and later spending time at the range, and hunting together.

Gun of a Son teaches all of the safety rules as you would expect, as well as what kids should do if they find a firearm.

The book also shows the mistakes made by the grasshopper to show the dangers of making mistakes. This is probably my favorite aspect of the book, as I believe the visual example of why we don’t do things will help some children learn the concept better.

If you have young kids, this would be a great way to introduce these concepts to them. The same goes for all of the Prepper Pete books, which you can find by visiting the See the Books Page.. There are currently three, with more in the works! If you have a good idea for a topic, you can submit it on the See the books link above.

Author Kermit Jones Jr. contributes a free eBook version of Prepper Pete Prepares to one winner every month, and offers all members a free companion eBook with proof of purchase to all Preparedness Club members.

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

Preparedness Club

Hesperian Health Guides

Hesperian Health Guides

Many of you will have heard of some of their books, mainly Where There is no Doctor and Where There is no Dentist But I’d wager you haven’t seen their full selection, many of which are given away free as electronic copies! Hesperian Health Guides has agreed to give the Prepared Christian readers a 30% discount on all hard copies for a limited time! See the bottom section of this article, titled “Discount,” for details.

Author of Where There is No Doctor, Mr. David Werner, is a trained biologist and, in 1965, he was a teacher at a small alternative high school. With his students, he visited a small town in western Mexico and noticed people suffering from a lack of basic healthcare. He soon took a year off from his teaching position to dedicate a healthcare project mainly with the interpretation of basic medical information into a language that the local people could understand. He later left his teaching career and has dedicated his life to this cause. To learn more about the author, and the history of Where There is No Doctor, you can listen to this Off Grid Solutions Podcast or read the transcribed here.

Where There is No Doctor was the first Hesperian Health guide. There are a total of nine they’ve published, of which I own four. They sell several other health related books, of which I own one. The below descriptions come from the Hesperian Health Guides website.

The full Hesperian Health guide list is:

• Where There is No Doctor – I own
• Where There is No Dentist – I own
• Where Women Have No Doctor – I own
• A Book for Midwives
• Helping Health Workers Learn
• A Community Guide to Environmental Health – I own
• Disabled Village Children
• Helping Children Who Are Blind
• Helping Children Who Are Deaf
• A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities
• HIV, Health, and Your Community
• Where There Is No Animal Doctor – I own
 

Where There is No Doctor

Where There is no Doctor

Hesperian’s classic manual, Where There Is No Doctor, is perhaps the most widely-used health care manual for health workers, clinicians, and others involved in primary health care delivery and health promotion programs around the world. With millions of copies in print in more than 75 languages, the manual provides practical, easily understood information on how to diagnose, treat, and prevent common injuries and illnesses. Special attention is focused on nutrition, infection and disease prevention, and diagnostic techniques as primary ways to prevent and treat health problems.
 
 
Where There is No Dentist

Where There is no Dentist

The author uses straightforward language and careful instructions to explain how to: examine patients; diagnose common dental problems; make and use dental equipment; use local anesthetics; place fillings; and remove teeth. There is also a special chapter on oral health and HIV/AIDS, which provides the dental worker with a detailed, well-illustrated discussion of the special problems faced by people living with HIV/AIDS, and appropriate treatment.

  

Where Women Have No Doctor

Where Women Have No Doctor

Where Women Have No Doctor combines self-help medical information with an understanding of the ways poverty, discrimination and cultural beliefs limit women’s health and access to care. Developed with community-based groups and medical experts from more than 30 countries, Where Women Have No Doctor is an essential resource for any woman who wants to improve her health, and for health workers who want more information about the problems that affect only women, or that affect women differently from men.

  

A Book for Midwives

A Book for Midwives

Originally published in 1995, A Book for Midwives has proved a vital resource for practicing midwives and midwifery training programs around the world. The revised edition is now available, and has been extensively updated and revised to reflect new WHO/UNICEF guidelines and standards for mothers and newborns. This book covers the essentials of care before, during, and after birth, providing a variety of designs for low-cost equipment and training materials.

  

Helping Health Workers Learn

Helping Health Workers Learn

Helping Health Workers Learn is an indispensable resource for all health educators. This heavily illustrated book shows how to make health education engaging and effective, while emphasizing a people-centered approach to care. It also presents strategies for effective community involvement through participatory education.

  

A Community Guide to Environmental Health

A Community Guide to Environmental Health

From toilets to toxics, from watershed management to waste management, from raising crops to rising temperatures, how we use natural resources affects our health and well-being.

This book contains activities to stimulate critical thinking and discussion, inspirational stories, and instructions for simple health technologies such as water purification methods, safe toilets, and non-toxic cleaning products.

  
Disabled Village Children

Disabled Village Children

Disabled Village Children contains a wealth of clear and detailed information, as well as easy-to-implement strategies for all who are concerned about the well-being of children with disabilities. This manual, written especially for those who live in communities with limited resources, explains how to create small community rehabilitation centers and workshops run by either disabled people or the families of children with disabilities. More than 4000 drawings and 200 photos make Disabled Village Children understandable to all.

  
Helping Children Who Are Blind

Helping Children Who Are Blind

Children develop faster during their first five years than at any other stage in their life. And while children who are not visually impaired learn to move around, communicate, and understand the world “naturally” as they interact with people and things they see, children who are blind need extra help learning how to rely on their other senses – hearing, touch, smell, and taste – to explore, learn and interact with the world around them.

  
Helping Children Who Are Deaf

Helping Children Who Are Deaf

Helping Children Who Are Deaf supports parents and other caregivers in building the communication skills of babies and young children. Packed with activities on how to foster language learning through both sign and oral approaches, this groundbreaking book explains ways to adapt activities and exercises for both a child’s specific abilities and needs, and a family’s unique circumstances. The book also explores how deafness affects a child’s ability to learn language, as well as develop mentally and socially.

  
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities

A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities

Women with disabilities often discover that the social stigma of disability and inadequate care are greater barriers to health than the disabilities themselves. A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities will help women with disabilities overcome these barriers and improve their general health, self-esteem, and abilities to care for themselves and participate in their communities.

  
HIV, Health, and Your Community

HIV, Health, and Your Community

HIV, Health and Your Community is a thorough, easy-to-understand guide for health workers throughout the world. Designed as a manual for people confronting the HIV pandemic in their communities, it is easily accessible to those with little medical or technical knowledge. Topics range from the biology of the virus and the epidemiology of the disease to the mechanics of designing prevention programs and writing grant proposals.

  
Animal Doctor

Where There Is No Animal Doctor

This simply written, heavily illustrated manual was developed to benefit people in the many areas of the world where livestock play an important role in daily life, and animals are crucial to peoples’ survival. Used for food, transportation, work, and wealth, when someone’s animal is ill or unhealthy the whole community can suffer.
  
Why Do I Own These Books?

To me, the worst possible time to have a medical emergency is when…there is no doctor. Yes, we live in a first world country with emergency healthcare just a 911 phone call away; but what if one day it’s not? I can foresee a scenario where 911 isn’t coming due to severe budget cuts, it being too dangerous or in a worst case scenario, I am the healthcare system.

These guides are very well written, in a manner that a layperson can easily understand. The drawings are very well done as well.

I own a few first aid manuals, but a first aid manual is for what to do until the ambulance or doctor arrives. These books are for when there is no doctor coming, or there is going to be a long delay.

I think these would be a great item for people going on mission trips to have as well.

  
Discount

As I mentioned, Hesperian Health Guides has agreed to give the Prepared Christian Readers a 30% discount for a limited time! When you check out, use code PREPAREDCHRISTIAN, which will expire at midnight on 9/23/2014. This discount covers all of the books listed above but NOT the ones Hesperian sells but did not publish with the exception of Where there is no animal doctor.

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

Preparedness Club

Review of The Survival Key

Quite some time ago, I was approached by The Survival Key and asked if I would be interested in writing a review. Before I go any further, I need to apologize to them for the length of time it’s taken to do this review. Looking at the product then and again recently has given me some insight that I wouldn’t have had if I’d written the review right away.

The Survival Key is a software program unlike any other. If you’re preparedness minded, you know the vast amount of topics there are to research. The Survival Key went out and found some great articles, videos and documents from preparedness and survival websites and organized them by type of information. Think of it as a huge collection of bookmarks, organized by topic and presented in a graphical interface.

Here is a video they play on their site, though at the time of this writing, only the audio is playing.


 
 
While this software has a huge amount of potential, I have some problems with it; below is a pro and con list.

 

Pros

Provides you with the ability of downloading the information to your hard drive, making it available should the net go down. Just because you view the information, does not mean you have downloaded it and saved it. There is a button that must be clicked to download the document.

Wide variety of categories covered.

Each category has subcategories, many of those have multiple documents available.

The documents that the Survival Key created, called “Essentials” in the program, are very well done.

 
Cons

When I evaluate something, I tend to do it the first time without reading the manual because I want to see how intuitive it is. Be it a new handgun, a fire starter or piece of software. I had a few problems with the software until I read the manual. If you purchase it, do yourself a favor and read the documentation first.

When I first looked at the software and again the second time, I would say that 15%-20% of the links I went to were dead. Either the site had removed the information or the site had been shut down. There is a button provided to report broken links, and they say in the manual that they will find a replacement document when one is reported. If people are using this product and reporting the bad links, I would not expect to find as many broken as I did; so I don’t know how actively they monitor this.

Several of the documents they provide links to, are copyrighted documents that someone created a .pdf file of. By downloading the file you are stealing.

While they provide a means of downloading any and all of the information presented, if you downloaded everything, you would need a large hard drive to devote to it. With the size of modern hard drives, this may or may not be a problem for you. However, if you have an inexpensive computer and limited hard drive space, you will want to pick and choose what you download.

Some of the articles linked to aren’t very good.
 

My Take

The software has a huge amount of potential, and with a few tweaks like providing a means to add documents to the library yourself from sources you trust, fast removal of broken links, and replacement of a new one, to name just two, would increase the value in my eyes.

They have three price points; $14.95, $69.95 and $99.95. (For full info check the site.) In my opinion at this time, there isn’t enough value to warrant the price. If they created a fourth option that had all of the features of the cheapest option, but added a means to add your own library, I would feel comfortable paying $25-$30 for it.

I have made hundreds of documents available in the Link Library. Simply look on the main toolbar (it was previously in the general preparedness dropdown). I found non-copyrighted documents on a huge amount of topics. All of the links worked when I made them. Some might be broken now, but, hey, it’s a free service! LOL (if you find a broken one, let me know and I’ll fix it ASAP).

If you have the money to spare and want a large collection of data presented in a graphical interface, this product is worth buying. If money is a concern, you can create your own directory structure, find articles that are worthwhile, and save them as a .pdf on your hard drive.

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

Review of American Exit Strategy

Review of American Exit Strategy

I have recently finished a novel called American Exit Strategy, written by Mark Goodwin. Mark is also the owner of the Prepper Recon blog and podcast.

American Exit Strategy is a Prepper fiction novel that depicts an America that has become an unsustainable nanny state, and the broken economy begins to fracture. Throughout the book you get a behind the scenes look as the American economy is in its death throes.

Early on in the book, the federal government is faced with not having enough funds to pay all of the EBT on the first of the month and has declared that it will issue another payment later in the month. This leads to looting and rioting in heavy population centers.

The book follows a very popular politician that reminds me of Ron Paul, whose name is Paul Randall. He is in the midst of a Presidential race and, along the way, makes some compelling arguments about what the American people will face and what he believes they should do to prepare for it. The claims he makes come at a cost, as the current President, who is very Obama’esk, who is at the end of his second term, and the political opponent he faces, try to place the blame for what is happening to the economy at his feet.

One couple that the story follows lives in a suburb in Florida that had seen rising crime before the riots. The couple are prepper’s, and you get to watch as they increase their preparation and follow their decisions. Do they stay in an area with rising crime, with poor economic prospects, or do they make their own American Exit Strategy?

American Exit Strategy isn’t about making a plan to leave America. It is about making a self-sustaining life, not dependent on the country America has turned into.

My Take

At the beginning of every chapter there is a quote, many taken from the Founding Fathers, the Bible and other sources. I enjoyed each one, and it fit well with the chapter.

I think that the events that unfold as the economy falls apart are quite realistic and possible. It’s not TEOTWAWKI overnight. There is a steady decline, with all signs pointing to worse things on the horizon, giving warning to those who are paying attention.

The only negative thing I would say, is that there is some dialogue that is a little clumsy. This is common in books of this genre, as the author attempts to educate the reader on topics like the economy, preparedness, survival and so on.

This, however, doesn’t take away from my overall opinion of the book, which I enjoyed and do recommend. I am looking forward to book two, to see how the story continues.