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Teaching Children About Preparedness

June 25, 2012 by

Exodus 18:20 “Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.”

I believe it is up to us to teach the next generation to be more independent and more self-reliant, to be prepared for what life might bring, and not to see government as a safety net that will always be there from cradle to grave. How you teach your kids about preparedness is completely your decision. Today, I am just going to give a few ideas and tips you may want to use. Much of this article will depend on the age and maturity of your kids.

 

Lead By Example

Kids often, for good or bad, mimic what their parents do or think that is just the way things are done. As an example, my mom made loads of jelly from our grapes, raspberry and strawberry plants. I was probably ten or eleven when it dawned on me that some people actually bought their jelly from a store.
If they see you storing more food or building a BOB, chances are they’ll ask what you’re doing. Just make sure you’re ready with an answer that will inform, not scare.

 

Use Examples They’re Familiar With

All kids do fire drills and tornado drills in school. They understand the concept of knowing how to do something and being ready to do something “just in case”. Explain that this is the same kind of thing; we hope that there isn’t ever a storm that makes it so we are without electricity, but we want to be ready just in case. Explain using the seatbelt; we put it on every time we get in the car, just in case there’s an accident.

 

Use Examples They’re Not Familiar With

With older kids, use your judgment on teaching them about some of the bigger scenarios that have a much slimmer chance of happening. We’ve talked to our kids about EMP and what life might be like. We had been Prepper’s for a while by then and were moderately prepared. Had we not had those preps to point to, I think it may have been a scarier conversation for them.

 

Be Honest

I’ve never been a believer in hiding bad or difficult things from kids. Hiding doesn’t get them ready for life, which is full of bad and difficult things. We just need to be prudent about when and how we expose them to these things.

If your kids are mature enough to understand the dangers and potential dangers we live in, explain that you want to be prepared to be able to take care of them if any of those things happens.
We’re to the point now that when the kids hear a news story about the economy or some other related preparedness item they point it out to me.

Here are a few resources that are mostly geared to younger children that you can use to teach your kids about preparedness.

 

FEMA

FEMA has come out with a few programs aimed at helping to teach children about preparedness. The Ready Kids Activity Book is a 16 page PDF that is part coloring book, part comic book and has word finds and other related activities.
They also have the Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book from 1993, which still contains relevant information. FEMA also now has Fun and Gameswhich contains many different preparedness related activities for kids.

 

Sesame Street

Sesame Street had originally partnered with FEMA, but it looks like they now have their own preparedness movement called Let’s Get Ready!

 

The Red Cross

The Red Cross has put together an Educators Kit called “Masters of Disasters”. They have curriculum for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8.

 

Arthur


I had never seen this cartoon, but came across this episode on a forum some time ago. In it, there is a blackout and Arthurs’ family isn’t prepared. His neighbors on the other hand, you’ll have to watch to find out. I couldn’t find it in one stream, so it has been cut in two, both are linked below.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: General Preparedness, Getting Started, Preparedness Tips

Preemptive Salvage Planning

June 22, 2012 by

Let me lead off with saying I am not talking about doing anything illegal, or casing a joint to break in. I’m also not advocating that you ever salvage or loot from any business that is actively being operated or potentially being operated. In Is it Ever Okay to Loot or Salvage? I discussed the law of necessity. This article is about making mental notes of places near you, that in a large scale survival situation worst case scenario, could be very useful to barter or salvage from to benefit you and your community under the law of necessity.

The mindset is to be looking for things that help you take care of the five basic human needs; food, water, shelter, energy and security. You’re not out shopping for things that you couldn’t afford before and are available now.

 

Big Box and Department Stores

There are a large variety of stores in this category, from home supply, do-it-yourself-type stores, to stores that sell a bit of everything. There are also stores that sell one main item, such as clothing or shoes. These types of places will be the first salvaged for obvious reasons.

 

Schools

Schools have a wide variety of items. They have the obvious teaching supplies for various aged children. However, depending on the school, there could also be an auto shop, various types of sporting equipment that could be used such as ski’s or bows and arrows. Schools are also equipped to feed a large number of students every day. The food they have on hand would probably run out quickly but the kitchen could still be useful.

 

Pet Stores and Veterinarians

Aside from getting food for your pet, many of the medicines given to animals are the exact same as the ones given to humans, they sometimes change the name.

 

Auto Part Stores

Depending on the event, vehicles might not be running, but you could replace a few parts and get them running again. If vehicles are still running the chances of the factories making car parts could be low. You might want to make sure you have common consumable parts, like motor oil, spark plugs and belts.

 

Camping and sporting outlet stores

These two will be among the first visited by salvaging parties and for good reason. From self-defense to putting food on the table, these stores will be a gold mine.

 

Antique Car museums

There is an antique car museum not far from me. These cars would most likely still run in the event of an EMP. I also know that there happens to be a late model auto parts store not far from me.

 

HAM

I know that there are a couple neighbors who are HAM operators. I can tell from their antennae. Seeing if they are ok and able to get any news would be a good idea. If they didn’t fare so well, learning how to use a HAM could be another good idea.

 

Movie Theaters

Aside from all the candy stocked, they have hundreds of pounds of popcorn seeds, which can be ground into cornmeal.

 

Propane

I know of two companies that sell propane that are not far away. I also know of roughly ten of those machines that will sell or trade propane canisters.

 

Green houses

I know of a few large scale greenhouses within a short distance.

 

Pawn shops

A huge collection of things that could be useful, from defense to chainsaws and a bunch of junk that people just didn’t want any longer.

 

Final Thoughts

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Think of places that you use now and make a mental note. If it really hit the fan hard, these places could come in handy. Another idea is to get a phonebook and keep it as part of your preps.

You could also form relationships with some of these businesses now. That way if an event does unfold and they do pull through; you already have a bond with them and can barter or otherwise help each other out.

 

Filed Under: Five Basic Human Needs, General Preparedness

Is it Ever Okay to Loot or Salvage?

June 20, 2012 by

I think we have all seen pictures of both natural disasters and riots where there are people looting. This begs the question, is it ever okay to loot or salvage?
Maybe it’s just me, but when someone says the word “looting”, I think of someone taking advantage of a situation, taking items they wouldn’t normally be able to purchase. The term “salvage”, in my opinion, means taking things that are not in another person’s possession that are needed to survive.

Now that I have defined what the terms mean to me, let me paint a picture for you.
We all prepare for inevitable events like bad weather or power outages and other type of events. We also prepare for the larger events that, while less likely, could still happen. What if there is an event that is truly so large that it effects your entire region or country? I’m thinking something worse than Katrina. In this event there is a high death toll, public services are barely functioning and aid is very slowly trickling in.

In this scenario, you and a couple neighbors have survived. No matter how well you’re prepared, your supplies are limited and will only last so long. Would it be okay to loot/salvage?

 

Law of Necessity

I did a bit of research for this article and found reference to something called the Law of Necessity. (-The Legal Dictionary, The Free Dictionary.com states that “The necessity defense has long been recognized as Common Law and has also been made part of most states’ statutory law.”

It goes on to explain:

“Almost all common-law and statutory definitions of the necessity defense include the following elements: (1) the defendant acted to avoid a significant risk of harm; (2) no adequate lawful means could have been used to escape the harm; and (3) the harm avoided was greater than that caused by breaking the law. Some jurisdictions require in addition that the harm must have been imminent and that the action taken must have been reasonably expected to avoid the imminent danger. All these elements mirror the principles on which the defense of necessity was founded: first, that the highest social value is not always achieved by blind adherence to the law; second, that it is unjust to punish those who technically violate the letter of the law when they are acting to promote or achieve a higher social value than would be served by strict adherence to the law; and third, that it is in society’s best interest to promote the greatest good and to encourage people to seek to achieve the greatest good, even if doing so necessitates a technical breach of the law.”

 

My Take:

It appears that as long as you’re breaking the law for the greater good, you might have a legal leg to stand on. You could, however, still face civil charges. What about the morality of it? The eighth commandment says “Thou shalt not steal”. If my neighbors’ entire family was killed in this event, is taking their canned goods to feed my family or another family stealing? These are questions you should be considering now, and pray we never have to actually put to use.

Would I salvage? Yes. In an event the size that I mentioned I would salvage goods to help my family and community.

Filed Under: General Preparedness, Mind Set, What Would You Do?

Five Things You Can Do to be Better Prepared

June 18, 2012 by

Below are five things that you can do to become better prepared. You might have some or all of these things already in place. If that’s the case, good for you! If not, pick one of the following and work towards it.

 

Develop a Communication Plan

Getting in touch with your loved ones in an emergency, to make sure everyone is alright, is of the utmost importance. However, in an emergency, cell phone traffic can be blocked or over-loaded. Landlines can become over-loaded as well. So, what are your options?

Texting uses far less bandwidth and can sometimes get through when a regular call would not. If you have a smart phone, you could update your status on social media or send an e-mail. Another good option is to have a long distance contact. In an emergency, if your family is separated, everyone would call this long distance contact to check in. The reason for this is that while the local lines may be bogged down, sometimes the long distance lines work and a call can go through.

I also highly recommend that you have a hard copy of all important phone numbers that are stored in your cell phone. You never know when your battery will die or you’ll lose your phone. I covered this in more detail in Low Tech Data Storage. I also covered a couple ways of simple encryption you can use to protect that data in Secure Your Personal Data with Low Tech Cryptology.
 
 
Know your weaknesses and how to mitigate them

This is possibly the most important thing you can do, both for your person and for your location. In Preparing for Physical Limitations, I cover how to examine your health and find ways to mitigate potential or existing dangers. I gave the example of my leg. Right now, if I had to bug out, my leg couldn’t go for very long. I have devised some ways to make it less of a possible liability to me.

In How to do a Threat Assessment, I explain how to discover potential or existing threats in your home, in your neighborhood and in your general area. I also explain that you should do this for your bug out routes.
 
 
Be prepared to shelter in place

I believe that in the vast majority of situations, battening down (bugging in, staying home) is the best choice. You should be prepared to support you and your family, including pets, for an absolute minimum of seven days. I do think you should be able to do so for longer, but if you don’t have enough supplies right now, make seven days your temporary goal. This means food, water, medicines, proper shelter (heat if cold out), security for each member of your family and, again, pets.
 
 
Have a bug out plan including a kit

As I said, in the vast majority of situations, battening down is a better idea. Mr. Murphy (Murphy’s Law) and his cousin Mr. Dirtbag can sometimes make it safer to leave home. For this reason you should have a BOB (Bug Out Bag)BOB (Bug Out Bag) stocked with seasonal clothes. If you do not have a BOL (Bug Out Location) I explain in Bugging Out or Battening Down? how you can pick four, one for each direction away from your home. When it is actively hitting the fan is not the time to figure out where to go and how to get there. Do this now. Pick a spot with multiple routes.
 
 
Know where you can get water and how to purify it

Aside from oxygen, water is the most important thing to human life. Don’t take your tap, the grocery store or anywhere else you buy your water, for granted. Identify the closest place you can get water. Also know how to purify it. If you do not have a water source nearby then you might consider storing more.

If you do these five things you will be further along the path to taking care of your family in an emergency situation.

 

Filed Under: General Preparedness, Getting Started

The First 100 Things to Disappear

June 14, 2012 by

There is a list that floats around in the realm of preparedness called 100 Items to Disappear First in a Panic. I don’t know if the link I provided is the original source of this list, but I think it is. 

I don’t want you to treat this list as a list of things to run out and get if the “fan” starts to rotate, but rather as a tool to see where you may have holes in your preps.  I am going to copy and paste the list and add my comments marked in red.  I don’t know if the link I provided is the original source but it was one of the easier to read when I searched. 

 

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy…target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers You should have this as a priority now, not when it’s hitting the fan.
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 – 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots. (In the London riots sporting goods stores ran out of bats, people purchased them to protect their homes.)
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice – Beans – Wheat (this stuff stored for 20+ years when done right, don’t wait for a last minute run.)
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY – note – food grade if for drinking. (It doesn’t need to be in clear plastic, in fact many of the food grade water drums are hard blue plastic)
14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won’t heat a room.)
15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book. 
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels (This stuff can go in the attic as it’s not subject to heat, stack it igh and deep.)
31. Milk – Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food) (So people run out and purchase dogs when there is an impending emergency?  Don’t get me wrong, dogs are a great alert system, I just don’t know if it belongs on this list.)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {“Strike Anywhere” preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, “No. 76 Dietz” Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels)
49. Men’s Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles…Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. “Survival-in-a-Can”
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress’s
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens  (Again, not an item I am sure people run out and get in an impending emergency).

 

I’m not sure where the following came from, but it good info none the less.
From a Sarajevo War Survivor:
Experiencing horrible things that can happen in a war – death of parents and
friends, hunger and malnutrition, endless freezing cold, fear, sniper attacks.

1. Stockpiling helps. but you never no how long trouble will last, so locate
near renewable food sources.
2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.
3. 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.
4. 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.)
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches

Filed Under: General Preparedness, Preparedness Tips

How to do a Threat Assessment

May 31, 2012 by

One of the most important parts of preparedness is doing a threat assessment for potential threats to the loss of the five basic needs.  We have to know where the weakness or vulnerability is so that we can know how to mitigate it.  I have talked before about preparing for threats to the five basic human needs, but I haven’t ever gone into detail on how to do a threat assessment. 

 

 Threat assessing your home and the area around it is very important.  It can greatly impact how you prepare.  For example, if you have overhead power lines, you have two possible threats. Just this last weekend there was a downed line in Minneapolis that came down during a storm.  The line burned through the asphalt and into a gas line.  Both power and gas had to be turned off until both could be repaired.  So the threats are:  the electricity in the line itself, a higher chance of being without power in a storm and the possibility of fire.  Someone who has power lines over head may place a generator higher on the need list than someone who has underground power lines.

 

Here I’ll cover how I do a threat assortment from area to area.  Below I’ll cover some of the things you should be assessing.  The best place to start a threat assessment is inside your home, going from room to room, moving from inside your house to the outside, going around the outside and also the perimeter.  Once done with your house, assesses the neighborhood you live in and expand from there.  In some cases you’ll want to expand out a good distance; is there a nuclear power plant within 30 miles? You’ll want to take that into consideration.  If you have a BOL (Bug Out Location) you’ll want to do a threat assessment there as well, assessing the route you take to get there.

 

 In ” Bugging Out or Battening Down?“ I suggest that people without a BOL still create multiple temporary BOL’s in different directions.  In the vast majority of circumstances, battening down or bugging in is a better choice than bugging out. However, there could be something that forces you to leave.  If you do not have a plan in place, you will lose precious time trying to make one.  I suggest picking a small town that is big enough to have a hotel, making it your rally point.  You do not need to stay at the hotel, but it can serve as a place to meet if nothing else.  I suggest having four such routes planned, going north, south, east and west.  Then you always have multiple options.  I bring this up because you should do an assessment of these four as well.  One of my possible options could bring me closer to a nuclear power plant. In some situations that is not a big deal.  In others it could be critical.  I need to know it’s there to know it’s a threat.

 

Here are some of the things to be looking for, listed by the basic need. 

 

Threats to Water

There are cities that pipe their water in from hundreds of miles away.  What if something caused the means of pumping water to fail?  I recently read that there are 60 year old water mains that are corroding and breaking.  Do you live in an area that has access to potable water or water that could be filtered?

 

Threats to Food

These threats are pretty standard with a few possible exceptions.  Modern grocery stores use the “just in time” delivery model and have roughly three days of perishable supplies on hand.  Any time there is a hurricane or blizzard on the East Coast, people scramble to buy up supplies to get through the storm.   

 

Threats to Shelter

I believe that in 95% of situations, battening down and staying put is a better option than bugging out.  That being said, there are threats that we need to consider while we prepare.  Here are just a few that I came up with.

Starting inside, are there working fire alarms? Do you have fire extinguishers?  Are there solvents or other flammable things inside that could be stored outside?   Moving out side, what about the structure? Are there any broken windows or other repairs that need to be made or vulnerabilities such as hedges that are too high near the door?

Do you live in tornado alley?  What about a flood plain or does your bug out route go through one?  Do you live near a nuclear power plant?  Are there risks of wildfires?  Do you live near an industrial area that may have lots of chemicals nearby?  

 

Threats to Energy

Going without electricity is one threat, but so are loss of heat and ability to cook.  As mentioned above, overhead power lines are one possible threat.  Another threat that could happen anywhere is someone running into a transformer.  Routine maintenance can be a threat, like what happened in California that led to a blackout for hundreds of thousands of people in three states.  There are also the less likely events such as EMP and solar flares.  While they are very unlikely, they are still possibilities.

 

Threats to Security

You can take care of many safety concerns in the shelter section.  Here are some others to consider.

You can look for Crime Reports to get an idea of the crime near where you live.  You can also search the this sex offender registry to find out which former, or potential predators live near you.  By doing those two you might discover that the area you live in isn’t quite as safe as you would have thought. 

If you live in an apartment, is the place you park your car safe?  What about walking to and from your car in the dark? 

In rural areas, what is the response time for police and ambulance?  If the response time is long, are you able to provide protection or first aid to hold out until they arrive?

 

Knowing Is Half The Battle – GI Joe

Knowing the possible threats is the beginning.  Keeping aware of what they are is important as well.  I get a monthly e-mail from the police department detailing the crimes, but the websites I listed above can be used as well. Use the knowledge gained from these assessments to find holes in your preparation and possible tweaks that you might need to make.

 

Filed Under: General Preparedness Tagged With:

Preparing for Physical Limitations

May 21, 2012 by

Many of us are prepared for a variety of things; from pandemic to economic collapse and a host of other things.  However, the biggest threat to most of us is our poor health, in more ways than one.  We have a much higher risk of heart attack than we do seeing most of the things we prepare for and hope.  I’m not going to scold you and tell you that you should lose weight or exercise more, you know if you should or not.  Instead I’m just going to give my thoughts on health and preparedness; you pick what applies to you.

Another threat that being in poor health plays is how it will impact you in a true survival situation.  If you’re out of shape now and do very little in the form of physical activity, your body probably won’t rise to the occasion in a survival situation, at least not for long.  I’m in this group.  With Information Technology (IT) as a living, I’m at a desk all day, as well as 3-4 hours after work, doing various projects for the website.  By the time I’m done, I just want to relax, both mind and body.  Due to an injury I mention below, my physical activity is a bit limited.  Once healed I am going to make a lot of effort to get back into shape…other than round.  Lol (“I’m in shape!  Round is a shape!”) 

I think most of us probably should be in better shape.  Until then, we’re Prepper’s, we should prepare and mitigate our limitations until we are in better shape and there are no longer limitations.  If you have a permanent physical limitation, you probably have already done this.  If not, I think you should figure out how to mitigate those limitations as well.   A reader commented recently that she was using a suitcase with wheels, until she got stronger.  Fantastic!  She’s working to improve and has a plan for what to do until then. 

 

 

Functional fitness

The same reader asked my thoughts on functional fitness.  I’m not an expert, but here is what I think;  I don’t care about how much weight I can bench press or how many crunches or pushups I can do. I care about being strong enough to get through my day and being able to lift the TV when it’s needed or complete a similar task.  I read an article on functional fitness that said many people who spend hours at the gym aren’t functionally fit.  That they can leg press hundreds of pounds, but can throw out their back reaching for something at an awkward angle.

I did a bit of reading about functional fitness.  The goal in training functional fitness is exercising multiple parts of the body at the same time.  For example, while doing a squat, holding a medicine ball or something similar with your arms extended as you bend your legs.   When you stand, you bring your arms back to your body.  Another example I saw was doing a one legged squat.  You might only be using your leg, but the rest of your muscles are providing stability and balance.  Many articles mentioned the exercise balls and balance boards.  I think these ideas are great and for many people, are a much better idea than spending time at a traditional gym. 

I know of a few people who spent so much time at the gym and while they looked great in their youth, their joints are now shot.  One guy I know was in so much pain he was prescribed pain killers, which he then became addicted to. 

 

Find What Works For You

Many physical therapy clinics are using functional fitness to rehab their patient.  This might be a good option for some.  There are a lot of trainers using other approaches that might be good options.  There are many videos available and you can get balance boards and exercise balls at many retailers or order them on line.

I think walking is great as well.  If you can walk in an area with hills, that’s even better.  Going up a hill uses different muscles than going down a hill. It is something that you can start doing now at any level and can keep doing.

Yoga and Tai Chi both have their roots in some mysticism, but if you can find an Americanized version that has stripped that out, these both have huge benefits.  They both offer a full body workout and will aid in flexibility and strengthening.  I was able to find a digital version of a beginners Tai Chi video on Amazon for just a couple bucks.  There are also plenty of YouTube videos available.

 

Self-Analysis

I think it is very important we all take an honest look at ourselves to find physical limitations.  Sometimes, as we get a bit older, we think we can still do the things we did when we were younger.  The man that teaches my Haganah class told us that he kept having a problem with his neck, so he went to see the doctor and explained he had hurt it a few weeks ago, but it just kept nagging.  The doctor said “That’s because you’re getting older and it takes longer to heal”, to which he replied “I want a second opinion!”

I don’t mean this for a way to get down on yourself.  We just need to be real with ourselves so that we can take steps to mitigate any limitations.

Here is a personal example.  I hurt my good knee a while back and it hasn’t been quite right since.  If my leg is bent for any period the muscles around my knee cramp up, and the knee cap itself feels like it wants to pop off.  There are days when walking is a chore.  I’m in physical therapy and taking steps to get better, but until then, my leg is a possible liability.  If for some reason the car broke down and I had to walk for help, I could muscle up for a while, but for how long?  What if I, for some reason, had to head out on foot for a longer distance?  For these reasons, as I mentioned, I am in physical therapy, I have gotten a couple of braces and I even have a cane.  Will I need them?  I hope not, but one of the prepper motto’s is “I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it”.  I purchased the cane for other reasons, but it is available for this as well.

They say that necessity is the mother of ingenuity and this is often true.  If you found yourself in a survival situation, you might be able to get creative and find a means to get by.  But I’m not one to leave things to chance if I can help it and want to avoid making a bad situation much worse.

 

Filed Under: General Preparedness, Medical and First Aid

Preparedness for the College Student or Young Active Duty Military

May 4, 2012 by

My oldest stepson is graduating from high school this year and it got me thinking about sending kids off to college and what we, as their parents, could do to help them be as prepared as they can be in a dorm. I thought posting this now was a good idea. That way any of you who are sending your kids off to school or to join the service, have time to put some of this together.

I originally started writing this article for the college student, then realized that it would work for active duty military that are stationed stateside. I didn’t go to college but I did live in a barracks and I’m guessing they’re similar.

 

Limited Space

First off, there is limited space and even less privacy. If they’re willing to take any preps with them, they’ll need to be fairly innocuous so as to not draw a lot of attention. Rubbermaid has a series of rugged, lockable storage boxes called Rubbermaid ActionPacker. This could be used to store their preps and valuables.

I think setting the goal to get them stocked with a solid 3 day kit should be the goal. For many, that will give them enough to get home, or at least to safety. If they have to hunker down, it should still give them what they need until the campus can bring in aid.

They likely won’t be able to store multiple gallons of water but getting them a water purifier might suffice. A sport type water filter doesn’t have a large capacity but is relatively inexpensive. They would need to find a source of water but that shouldn’t be terribly difficult. It could be done for them and marked on a map they keep with their kit.

Food should be easier than water to store unless it is raided. Since most colleges don’t allow cooking in rooms, things that can be eaten without needing to cook would be ideal. MRE’s last longer and have a built in heating unit. Power bars might not be filling but they have plenty of calories. Hormel has a line of products that just need to be microwaved and can be stored on a shelf or in the Rubbermaid ActionPacker.

Their dorm/barracks will do for shelter, except for the fact it’s a dorm or barracks. As far as providing their energy needs, a decent flashlight and extra batteries should suffice. Security is going to be limited since they’re on campus. You can help them get their mindset right by getting them a copy of The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence. I really think all young women should read this book. If they’re allowed to carry pepper spray, I recommend Cold Steel Inferno Pepper Spray. A Kubaton might be another possibility, again, if it is allowed on campus.

 

KITS

Consider the Rubbermaid ActionPacker their 3 day kit, but there are other kits they can supplement it with. A First Aid Kit is a good idea. If they’re bringing a vehicle, I recommend a car kit. They can also use the trunk for extra storage of things that aren’t subject to the elements. Keeping a documentation package in the trunk, with a map and alternative routes home is a good idea as well.

 

Money

If you would rather not send cash but want to make sure their needs are met if they get in a bind, you could always send a prepaid cell, calling cards and/or gas card. You could also get them AAA to cover any breakdowns and make sure they can get a tow, jump start or the like.

You might not be there to help them out of a jam, but with some of these things, you can help them help themselves out of one.

 

Filed Under: General Preparedness, Preparedness Tips

Making a Survival Plan

April 23, 2012 by

Making a Survival Plan

There is no one survival or preparedness plan that fits every situation or for every person.  There are however a few guidelines that can be used by anyone in any situation, to improve your chances.  From seeing an economy in danger to being stuck in the ditch during a snowstorm in a remote area, or even to being stranded on a desert island, I’ll list the tools below that survivors have practiced versions of since walking out of the Garden of Eden.  The tools I am going to go over are more geared toward surviving an event of some type.  While some very well could be used by someone beating cancer, some just won’t apply.

 

Normalcy Bias

My Friend Dene Brock wrote a great article on normalcy bias:, I’ll quote her definition:

“Normalcy bias refers to a mental state people enter when facing a disaster.   It causes people to underestimate both the possibility of a disaster occurring and its possible effects. This often results in situations where people fail to adequately prepare for a disaster.”

I think there are two types of normalcy bias, one is when people don’t believe bad things will happen; this thinking is foolish.  The second group disbelieves it is happening even while it is happening; this thinking is dangerous.

I started with this one for a reason, it is extremely important!  We can ensure we’re not in group one by being informed about possible dangers and since you’re reading an article on a preparedness site, I’m guessing you’re not one of the people from group one who thinks bad things won’t happen. 

I think if you practice situational awareness it is much easier to notice the proverbial paddle-less boat is heading down the crick for what it is.  If you are aware that the boat is slowly leaving the shore and that there is no paddle, it’s a lot harder to go on believing there is nothing wrong.  No there are not always signs that there is something wrong, but I think more often than not there are, we just have to be “awake” and paying attention.

 

 

Get Your Mind Right

The most important survival tool you have is your mindset, (which normalcy bias is a part of).  I’m not talking about what you know in terms of skills, I’m talking about what you allow your perception to be.  I’m not talking about “think good thoughts and it will happen”, that’s part of it, but I’m talking about reaching down to that place inside of you that some of you might think unpleasant, that place that anger and rage dwell the place where determination is the deciding factor.  That place that that gives you the determination to say “NO! This is not happening if I have ANYTHING to do about it.”  I don’t mean get angry for the sake of getting angry.  You see anger and even rage can give you the strength, the determination to grab five stones and walk to face the giant.

 There have been many documented cases where someone survived and the reason they gave was because they refused to give up, they would not quit.  To some extent this might be in our DNA, some people are just made more resilient; they can take more punishment and keep going.  But I think there is a lot of choice in there as well.    Have you ever watched any documentary of SEAL training?  It is brutal, absolutely brutal especially ”Hell week”

 From USMIlitary.About.com

“Trainees are constantly in motion; constantly cold, hungry and wet. Mud is everywhere–it covers uniforms, hands and faces. Sand burns eyes and chafes raw skin. Medical personnel stand by for emergencies and then monitor the exhausted trainees. Sleep is fleeting–a mere three to four hours granted near the conclusion of the week. The trainees consume up to 7,000 calories a day and still lose weight.”

The thing about SEAL training is that you can quit at any time, you just have to take the walk of shame and ring the bell.  I have no proof, but I would venture that the only people that make it through “Hell Week” are the people who reach down to that place where anger and determination dwell. 

That emotion is a gift from God, it’s what we do with it that might be a sin and using it to fight for the life He gave you isn’t a sin.

 

The Rule of Three’s

 The rule of three’s is a proven survival rule that I covered a couple weeks ago.  For review:

The average human can last:

3 seconds without oxygen to the brain
3 minutes without oxygen
3 hours without shelter in poor weather without proper shelter
3 days without water
3 weeks without food

In a survival situation if you are dealing with the first two rules, fix those, then do a first aid check of yourself and those around you.  Once you’re to a point that not having shelter is your biggest danger. then you can work on the five basic human needs.

 

Five Basic Human Needs

I covered five basic human needs last week, for review they are; water, food, shelter, energy and security.  I use the The rule of three’s to determine the importance of the need.  If your oxygen and shelter needs are met, then you can concentrate of water.  Energy and security are always on a kind of sliding scale.  If you need shelter and warmth, then energy in the form of a fire takes a higher priority.  As does security if Mr. Dirtbag is around, but it doesn’t have to be a bad guy, you’re security could be in danger due to a tree that looks like it might fall on your house after a storm.

Using these two rules can guide you in deciding what your priority should be after an event.

 

Survivors Club

I want to get back to mindset for a minute, I’ll be reviewing this book later this week, so I’ll cover it in more detail then.  The text below was something I sent out in the Christmas update in 2011.

In the book The Survivors Club Author Ben Sherwood explores a theory developed by a man named John Leach called “The 10/80/10 rule”. In summary the rule states that the top 10% of people in a crisis excel; they think clearly and take immediate action. The middle group comprises 80% of people; they are “quite simply stunned and bewildered”; “reasoning is significantly impaired and thinking is difficult”. The last 10% of people are the “ones you definitely want to avoid in an emergency”.

A few pages later he explains something called ‘behavioral inaction’; “The current theory of behavioral inaction goes like this: As your frontal lobes process the site of an airplane wing on fire, they seek to match the information with memories of similar situations in the past. If you have no stored experience of a plane crash, your brain can’t find a match and gets stuck in a loop trying and failing to come up with the right response. Hence: immobility.”

I said that “I want my readers to be in the top 10%; to excel in any crisis because they have either been in a situation, or have thought of what they might do and not be stunned, bewildered or immobile.”

This hasn’t changed.  I love it when people post what they would do, but I hope that everyone thinks through the scenarios I post, even if they don’t really apply to them.  I was blessed tremendously by a reader letting me know that she was followed in her car by someone she accidentally cut off.  She said that because of some of the things she had read on this site she knew to be aware and kept trying to lose Mr. Dirtbag, which she eventually did.  Thank you God!

Going through different “what ifs” is a great way to stave off any normalcy bias that an easy blessed life might let start to creep in.  It could also help you act when you’re put in a survival situation, if you have something for your brain to latch on to, you won’t get stuck in ‘behavioral inaction’ and immobility. 

Friends I think we’re headed for times that are scattered with turbulence. By avoiding normalcy bias and being aware, we can face the trials with grit and determination.  We can use the rule of three’s and five basic needs to make sure our physical needs are met and pray to the Lord to see us through to the other side. 
 
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Filed Under: General Preparedness, Mind Set Tagged With:

Survival Sanitation

April 6, 2012 by

Survival sanitation is a subject that doesn’t get much attention. It’s not surprising. This isn’t a subject for polite conversation and, it’s gross. But, not knowing what to do with waste in a grid down situation can lead to a dire survival situation. This is fair warning; this information is important, but will cover some information that is a bit disgusting.

In researching this article, I found a series of three articles at Tactical Intelligence, that cover almost everything I wanted to write on. So instead of writing a similar article, I am going to ask you to take a look at his articles and I will just add my $.02 here.
 
 
Survival Sanitation: It all Begins with the Hands

This article covers how many diseases are spread from bodily fluids to hands then to the mouth. He even gives instructions to make your own chlorine bleach, as well as good and bad hand hygiene habits.
 
 
Survival Sanitation: Disposing of Garbage Off-Grid
 
 
Out of the three, this is the one area I think people should hold out on. Only go this route if garbage pickup is on hold for a long time. That is, unless you live in a densely populated area such as New York. Due to the day after Christmas blizzard in 2010, New Yorkers went without trash collection for a week and limited collection for another. There were mountains of it and soon the rats came out. This is good information to be aware of.
 
 
Survival Sanitation: How to Deal with Human Waste

This is a topic that while mildly unpleasant, is very important. If you are on city sewer and water, in a grid down situation there won’t be power to the water pumps to provide water for disposing of the waste. This article explains what to do if you have water available and what to do if you do not.
 
 
Backflow Valves

I only have one other thing to touch on and that is the back-flow valve. A back-flow valve will keep sewage from flowing back into your plumbing. Backwater-Valves.com hosts the image below. They explain the need, based on your location, hypothetically; on a hill in a flooding situation.

I also contacted a local plumber via e-mail asking if the power going out would have any impact on sewage back flowing.

“Hi Chris,
The back water valve is only required if the plumbing fixtures are below the manhole in the street. ( most are but some houses are on hills ). The power going out has no effect unless you have a lift station in your home.

You can tell if you have one because they are required by code to be accessible. ( somewhere in floor ).

They are not a huge project but we would need to locate the drain, remove the concrete, install back water valve and patch the floor. There are any variables that would raise the costs but a minimum price would be $450.”

Where I live, back-flow valve installation became code in 2009. It might be code where you live. If you have an older home and think you might be in danger of back-flow, contacting a plumber in your area now might be a prudent idea.
 
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Filed Under: General Preparedness, Off-Grid
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