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Review of Total Home Prep Now

March 4, 2013 by

Total Home Prep Now $29.95

I was recently sent a DVD called Total Home Prep Now, which I watched and am going to give you my thoughts on.

 

From the DVD jacket:

“In just over one hour our exclusive DVD course will teach you everything you want and need to know about getting prepared. No fluff here just practical, easy to follow, step by step video lessons that will get you prepared faster than any other product on the market.”


 
Overall Video

The video is very well made.  Both presenters do a good job and the camera work was good as well.  They were able to squeeze a lot of information in just over an hour.  One thing I like is that they tell you what to search the Internet for to get more information on different subjects.  If they wanted to go in depth on all of the aspects of preparedness they would need to make this a series of DVD’s.  Listed below are the subjects they covered and my thoughts on them.

 

Food

They do a really good job on this section; how to go about starting a pantry, explaining the two main rules of food storage and the enemies of food storage.

Some food staples are listed and they list expected shelf life.  They also explain what the shelf life is with and without storing things in Mylar with an oxygen absorber.

They do a great job of explaining how to store food in metal lined bags (Mylar), and cover some of the problems I ran into in the beginning.  Over the years, I have watched a fair number of videos of people putting up food for long term storage.  This was one of the better ones.

They used a bath canner and stored apples in jars.  They explained the entire process of blanching and soaking the apple to prevent the color from changing.  They also used a pressure canner to store chicken.  I found this pretty interesting, as I haven’t ever canned meats.

 

Water

Gathering, treating and storing water is covered in pretty good detail.  Rain catchment and using a bathtub bladder are both covered.  They also show a clever idea on how to use a tarp and some poles to catch even more rain.

They explain some of the differences in water filters and bring up some points you should consider when looking for one.  They cover boiling water and how to store water in a 55 gallon drum.

 

House

This area covers topics like developing a family action plan, researching potential local threats, how to shut off your gas and electricity.

 

Sanitation

There are a few different ways listed to deal with sanitation.  I’m glad they covered this, as it is an area many people overlook.

 

Vehicle

Vehicle Prep covers some good info, including never letting your gas tank get below half and doing a vehicle once over, checking for problems with belts, tires and checking for leaks.

 

Do It Yourself

There are a fair amount of projects shown that you can do yourself.  Some of them are:

How to build your own water filter

How to put a spigot on a 55 gallon drum

How to grow sprouts

How to make a small cache out of PVC

How to dig a trench for a latrine

How to make a faraday cage

 

My Take

There were a few things that I disagree with them on, but on every one of them, they erred on the side of caution.  I also disagree that this DVD covers everything you’ll need to know, but it does cover some of the most important things.

This video would have saved me many hours of research in the beginning, and would be a great resource to anyone relatively new to prepping.  If you have been at preparedness for a few years, there are probably still some things you will learn, but you’re probably familiar with most of the content.

I usually base my rating system on how much value I feel I got out of the product.  I am going to give this DVD a rating from the stand point of someone who is relatively new to preparedness and not from the standpoint of someone who has a blog and talks about it.

As I mentioned above, this DVD would have saved me a lot of research on some of the most important aspects of preparedness.  I like that they gave some ideas for things to research if you want more information.  The DIY projects are an added bonus as well.

Because I think the DVD has a lot to offer to a newbie to preparedness, I give it four stars.

 

Filed Under: Reviews

Frugal Preparedness

March 1, 2013 by

 

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Anyone involved in preparedness knows that it can quickly get expensive.  This doesn’t need to be the case.  Here are a bunch of tips for prepping on the cheap.

 

Don’t be a Gear Snob

While having top of the line gear is often ideal, you’re better off having something that will do an efficient job than holding out for that perfect item.  For example if you have nothing for home defense, you’re better off buying a used 20 gauge shot gun for $75 than holding out for a $1500 AR-15.

Another idea that came to mind is purifying water.   While I love our current method of purifying water, we needed a tax return to afford it.  Until then, we would have boiled water or used bleach.  That’s mot ideal but it would have gotten us by.

 

Don’t be a Brand Snob

When it comes to things like toilet paper, I have my favorite brand, but we have cases of other, less expensive brands, stored.  I’m not trying to be crude, but if there is an event that makes it so we can’t go buy more TP from a store, anything short of tree bark will seem like a blessing.

 

Coupons

Trudee really started couponing last year and has saved us a ton of money.  Sometimes saving 30% on a weekly grocery bill.  If you’re building a pantry, coupon like your life depends on it.  It might mean going to more than one grocery store, but it can easily be worth the trip.

 

Sales and BOGO (Buy One Get One)

This might sound like a no brainer, but when there is a sale on an item, stock up.  Grocery stores often have “buy one get one free or half off”. I have also seen “five for $5” or “ten for $10”.  These are great opportunities to stock up.

 

Discount Groceries

We have a discount grocery store called Aldi’s.  From talking to others and my own experience, if you get produce from them you should consume it quickly.  However, canned and frozen goods should be just fine.

 

Craig’s List, Free Cycle

Looking online, you can often find free or inexpensive gear.  This would be a great way to stock up on camping gear, and other preparedness related items.

 

Flea Markets, Garage Sales and Auctions

These can be a great resource for getting gear.  You can often haggle to get the asking price even lower.

 

Copy Canning

I learned about copy canning from the video Urban Master Volume 1 “The Home”, created by the late Ron Hood and his wife. The process is very easy and is as follows:

  1. You decide you want chicken noodle soup for lunch so you take a can out of your pantry.
  2. Add chicken noodle soup to the shopping list.
  3. When you go to the grocery store, you buy two instead of one. (If you used two cans, you guessed it, you buy four.)

This is a great way to build your pantry to the point where you’re at the maximum amount of any item you want to store. Then you simply move back to buying just one when you use one.

 

Dollar Stores

While not all dollar stores are created equal, I would wager I could survive for a week or two based off on the items at most dollar stores.  I didn’t say I would enjoy it, but I would survive.  Others might have this as well, but Dollar Tree has a section of their website called ”Emergency Supply Checklist”..

 

Big Box Stores

Costco and Sam’s club can be great money savers.  If you can’t afford a membership, consider going in on one with another family.  You might always need to go shopping there together, but it would be worth it.

Do you have any tips for frugal preparedness?  If so please add them to the comments section!

 

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Filed Under: Preparedness Tips Tagged With:

Prepper Moms

February 27, 2013 by

Today we have a guest article written by Marie Ortiz.

 

Mothers make for the best preppers, plain and simple: we are always prepared for daily emergencies. We prep every day for ourselves, our children, and husbands. We make sure that every member of our family is aptly prepared for whatever the day might bring.

Part of the reason why mothers are so great at organization and planning is because we have experienced the horrors of what happens when we are unprepared. Our family relies on us for stability, and we have the means and know-how to take it to the next level: survivalism.

Listed below are some basic instructions for mothers who are interested in prepping. Note: this is only a simple outline, prepping is a lifestyle and requires intensive daily work and preparation.

 

Make a Plan

The first step to being a survivalist is to make a plan. As mothers, we are natural planners and preppers, so this part should be a piece of cake. It’s crucial to make a family plan in case of emergency and familiarize everyone with it. The most critical part of a disaster is how you respond to it in the first few minutes.

Make a list and create two sections: things you must buy and things you must do. For example, having clean water is essential for survival, so plan for a water softener installation at your home. Buy a fire extinguisher. In the “do” section, plan to replace your batteries in your smoke detector and teach your family members about emergency procedures.

 

Make an EDC

EDC stands for “Every Day Carry” and it’s what most of us moms have on our person anyway: it’s what we refer to as a “diaper bag”. While you can buy a survival kit at a store, it is much more rewarding to be able to customize your own.

A good entry-level EDC consists of things like your phone, a knife, spare cash, and a watch. To be even better prepared, include a flashlight and a multi tool. If you would like your EDC kit to be more comprehensive, include medicine, alcohol wipes, and other medical tools.

 

Start Couponing

You’ve seen television shows about extreme couponers. If it’s really as easy as they say it is, give it a try. It can help you stock up and get organized.

Granted, in a “bug out” situation where you must leave your home, you’ll leave most of your stash pile behind. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help your neighbor who might not be as prepared as you. In the event that you must hunker down, you’ll have enough food and supplies to last at least a year.

 

Prepare Your Car

If you are a mom of two or more, your minivan is probably already stocked with your everyday needs. But here’s another idea: when your car gets to ½ a tank, fill it up. You never know when an emergency situation will happen. You’ll want to have a full tank of gas.

 

Get in Shape

As mothers, we always hear that “it’s never too late to get in shape.” If you’ve been procrastinating on starting a workout regimen, now’s the time to get serious.

If you can’t fit in a workout routine to your schedule, implement a healthier diet for you and your family. The Paleo Diet is a good idea for survivalists. It’s also referred to as the Caveman Diet, and consists of fish, grass-fed meats, eggs, vegetables, fruits and nuts.

 

Start a Garden

This is a great way to learn about being self-sustention; it’s also a good way to learn the seasons for growing plants.

The more knowledge you possess about planting and growing, the better you’ll fare when you’re out in the wilderness on your own.

 

About Marie

Marie Ortiz is a prepared mother. She is a social media coordinator by day and blogger by night. She is a mother to two girls and is always working on new ways for them to develop and learn. She likes to share all of her discoveries along the way. When she is not perusing the Internet for inspiration, you can find her at the local farmers’ market. You can check her out at www.DIYMother.org

 

Filed Under: General Preparedness

Pet Preparedness

February 22, 2013 by

Group of pets standing in front of white background, studio shot

 

“…have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

 

Since man walked out of the Garden of Eden, we have kept all kinds of animals as pets.  I believe owning a pet, having dominion of it, gives you the responsibility to feed and care for it come rain or shine.  In our preparedness walk Trudee found this link covering Disaster Preparedness for your pets.  If you have pets I strongly suggest you read it, as I’ll only touch on a few points, and add some info I think is lacking.  I want to make one special note, you can get free window decals from the ASPCA that you can use to list the number and type of pets in your home.  This is a good idea just in case of fire when you’re not there.

 

Pet Food

We store two 35 pound bags of dog food in a 30 gallon metal garbage can. We have a plastic bin that we keep the food we’re feeding them with near the kitchen.  When that runs out, I take the top bag and dump it in the plastic bin.  When we get a new bag of food that goes to the bottom of the metal can.  If you have big dogs you may think of keeping two metal cans.

 

Bugging out

I have said it before, staying home is the best option for the vast majority of events.  But if you’re forced to bug out, please have a plan for your pets.  When we went through CERT training, the emergency manager stated that they would allow pets in, however if they were not chipped, they would be on the spot.  Keep in mind that not all shelters will allow pets, so finding a shelter, relative or a hotel that will allow animals is a good idea to do now, before it is needed.

We have a small BOB for each of the dogs attached to our BOB.  It contains an extra collar and leash, collapsible bowl, some vacuum sealed food and toys.

We also have one of the larger metal cages that, in an emergency, we would stick in the back of our SUV, safely containing the dogs.  Keeping them safe and out of the way would let us keep the doors open without worrying that one or all of them would take off, avoiding an even bigger problem.

 

Pet First Aid

If your pet is on medication, you should try to have a few extra weeks set aside, and be rotating it.  There are several first aid classes available, just search for one in your area.  I was also able to find this page online that covers some general steps in pet first aid..  There is also a smart phone app for $4.99.  I have not used it but there is a seven minute long video that explains the app in more detail.

 

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Filed Under: General Preparedness

Food Storage for Outdoor Cooking

February 20, 2013 by

Today we have a guest article written by Adeline Cid who is an enthusiastic survival specialist and has extensive training on disaster preparation. She is a strong advocate of quality readiness and have tried and tested Daily Bread and believes it provides the highest quality food storage products.

 

Food Storage for Outdoor Cooking

Food storage is a very efficient way to feed your family during a weekend camping, hiking or mountain biking trip. Using your storage during your outing is a good way to practice rotating your foods for longer shelf life. This is also an opportunity for you to learn various ways to cook your foods outdoors.

4 Conveniences of Food Storage for Outdoor Cooking

There are a few hassles that come with cooking outdoors. Some of them include:

  • No refrigeration
  • Excessive weight of packed foods
  • Lack of kitchen facilities
  • Lack of cooking utensils

Many of these inconveniences can be overcome as long as you’re prepared. Here are four reasons why food storage is very convenient during camping and other outdoor outings:

  1. No Refrigeration Needed – Food storage doesn’t require refrigeration or freezing. This eliminates the need to pack multiple coolers with massive amounts of ice to store your foods. Dehydrated foods stay safe even in extreme temperatures. All the require is re-hydration using hot water, and they’re ready for consumption.
  2. Just Add Water – Imagine cooking a tasty, homemade meal without having to measure spices and chopping vegetables. Dehydrated food products can be pre-assembled before you leave on your trip. Now, all you need to bring with you is one cooking pot, one measuring cup and a supply of water. For best results, boil the water first before using it to re-hydrate your food storage.
  3. Lightweight – Many camping trips take place in remote areas that vehicles can’t access. That means that you’ll be carrying your entire food supply to your camping grounds. In this case, every single ounce counts. You already have to tote all your camping gear and emergency supplies. Just imagine how much easier it will be if your food is lightweight. When compared to canned foods, dehydrated food weigh much less. Be sure to bring along some resealable plastic bags for your leftovers.
  4. Less Space Needed for Larger Meals – There are occasions when camping trips include large groups of people. This means storing and preparing large amounts of foods at one time. Dehydrated food supplies make it much more convenient to store foods needed to cook meals for large groups. Many of these foods come in one-gallon cans, making it convenient to take with you as you hike to your camping grounds.

Cooking Outdoors Using Your Food Storage

During a camping, bike riding or hiking trip, part of the fun is enjoying the great outdoors. Cooking outdoors can be used a family-fun time, but only if you’re prepared. Remember, you won’t have access to electricity or gas for cooking your foods the traditional way. However, there are a variety of other ways that you can prepare your foods outdoors:

  • Camp stoves: kerosene, butane, propane
  • Dutch ovens
  • Bar-b-cue grills
  • Cooking over an open campfire

The key to packing your food storage for your outing is to pack foods you actually enjoy eating. Daily Bread carries gourmet meal plans, emergency supplies and cooking kits for your camping needs. Buy stored food online from Daily Bread.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With:

The Ten Commandments of Preparedness

February 18, 2013 by

The Ten Commandments have guided many cultures throughout, they are ten simple rules given by a loving God to live a righteous life.  I thought I would come up with ten rules or commandments that if followed should ensure you are prepared for what life brings your way. I apologize for the formatting, it didn’t translate well from Word.

1.  I am responsible to meet the five basic human needs of my family.

  • The five needs are water, food, shelter, energy and security.
  • This responsibility does not fall on my extended family, neighbors, friends or government.
  • They may be there to support me, but the responsibility is mine.

2.  “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

3.  Eat what you store and store what you eat.

  • The cardinal rule for food storage, this rule will insure you store foods your family eats.

4.  The rule of three’s.  The average human can last:

  • 3 minutes without oxygen.
  • 3 hours without shelter in severe weather.
  • 3 days without water
  • 3 weeks without food

5.  Avoid debt.  It steals from your preparedness and your future.

  • Do not go into debt to prepare.  While top of the line is nice, perfection is the enemy of “good enough”.  Use what is good enough and save for that perfect item.

6.  In the cold cotton kills, in heat cotton cools.

  • When wet, cotton wicks your body heat away. This is ideal in hot climates, but can kill you in cold ones.
  • Even when wool gets wet it retains body heat, which is ideal for cold weather survival.

7.  Be Gray; maintain Op-Sec (Operational Security)

  • Be wary of whom you share your preps with.  If they see today, you may be force with sharing or turning them away tomorrow.
  • Sharing is fine, but it should be on your terms.

8.  Two is one, one is none.

  • Often used when speaking about equipment or gear. This should be a commandment for plans as well.
  • Build redundancy into every possible thing.

9.  Always work to improve your life or situation.

  • Apathy can kill.  If you keep working to improve your life or situation, you can avoid apathy.  When you stop caring about your situation, you are closer to giving up.

10.  Learn from yesterday, live in today and prepare for tomorrow.

  • Do not live in the memories of yesterday, but learn from them.
  • Live in the moment, enjoy the good times, and mourn the bad.
  • Prepare for the future so you can mitigate as many bad times as possible.

 
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Filed Under: General Preparedness, Mind Set

Two Great Emails From Readers

February 15, 2013 by

Thank you all for the prayers and encouragement for the radio interviews.  I had the first one Thursday afternoon! I was so nervous that I don’t remember some of what was said. I didn’t run out screaming, so I am calling it a win!  LOL  I will post a link to the interview when there is one.  Thank you all again for your prayers and support.

Today I am going to post two smaller articles, ideas for which came from reader emails.  I thought I would share their questions and my opinions with the rest of you.

 

Do you Need a BOL When You Live In A Rural Location?

The first question comes from Alison, who asks:

“We don’t live in the city; we live north of it by about 30 minutes, on a lake populated mostly by seasonal folks, and there is a limit on development, so about 25 permanent residences and 30 cottages.    Do we still need a bug out location?  Or can we consider home our “go to place”. 

 

This is a great question.  My response;

“I think in the vast majority of situations staying put no matter where you live is a better idea.  The more urban you are the sooner you need to bug out.  But I think no matter where you live, you should have a bug out plan.  It doesn’t have to be land you own.  I wrote about this in the article I wrote below, look for the section called “No BOL? You still have options”. 

The name of the article is (–LINK Bugging out or Battening Down–) the section I reference is pasted below:

“No BOL? You still have options

Since you don’t own a BOL you’re not tied to one piece of land. Pick a destination in each direction; north, south, east and west. This gives you two to three directions to avoid trouble. I would pick a smallish town, big enough to have a hotel and use the hotel as the BOL. Why a hotel and not a camp or park? If your family is separated, you can call the hotel and see if they are there, you can tell the attendant that your family is on the way and leave a message for them. Once there you can either rent a room, or move on to another temporary BOL.

If things get bad enough to force you to bug out, the most important thing is that you’re no longer at home. Keep in mind that you’ll not be the only one with the idea. That’s why I think a small town is a good choice. It’s important to have a plan ahead of time, as you won’t want to be paralyzed with trying to figure out where to go.”

 

Alison gave me a bit more information on her property and I am a little jealous!  It sounds ideal to me.  I believe the more urban you are, the sooner you will need to bug out.  However there are many events that could force someone on a rural, well stocked, ideal property to need to flee.  Having a place in mind to bug out to if things go sideways is always a good idea.

 

Being Away From Home Longer Than Anticipated

 


Photo credit: alice-palace
Margaret sent me an email letting me know about some civil unrest they are seeing in Canada that is similar to the “occupy” movement we saw in the states.  She said it was taking its toll on commuters, and sometimes causing one to be away from home longer than expected.  She said we need to:

“”think ahead, think of alternate routes, have a bit of extra change for a coffee, keep a blanket and granola bar in the truck, make sure food and water are out for the pets at home and keep cell phones charged.”

Margaret brings up some excellent points, whether it’s increasing civil unrest, an unexpected detour, or other reason, we can often be delayed longer than expected and we, being Prepper’s, should make plans for times like these.

 

I am also a believer in Murphy’s Law:

“Anything that can possibly go wrong will go wrong.”

Because things often do go wrong, often at the worst possible time, I try to plan accordingly.  I am a firm believer in car kits.  They are something I think everyone should have.  Just about anywhere you go, your car isn’t too far away.  This is a simple way to make sure you have some supplies on hand for delays keeping you out longer than you expected.

Margaret also brings up a good point about pets at home.  Some pets can have food and water left out all the time.  Unfortunately, ours can’t.  They eat at a fixed time twice a day and wouldn’t stop eating if we were to leave food out.  If we have to be away from home much later than the time they normally eat, we try to have someone here to feed them.

What other unexpected events can pop up?  How can you mitigate them with a little forethought and planning?

 

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Filed Under: General Preparedness

When Would You Say It Has Hit The Fan?

February 13, 2013 by

the fan

The phrase “hitting the fan” is used by many to indicate when things get bad.  We make plans and buy preparations to mitigate future events, but what would need to occur for you to say that “it has hit the fan” and put your plans in motion to start using your preparations?

 

Defining the Severity of the Event

I think we first need to understand that there are different levels of events and that the severity of them can be somewhat subjective, based on the level of our individual preparedness.  There are large scale events that could affect a large portion of the population, but there are also smaller events that might only impact a single family.  For example an EMP attack over the United States could affect most of America and possibly Canada or Mexico as well.  Conversely a fire that completely destroys your neighbor’s home, while horrible, really only impacts them.

I believe that the large scale events will be easier to tell when “it’s hitting the fan” because multiple news sources will probably be reporting about it.  Other “slow boil” events might not be as easy to tell if there is a problem, or how bad it might actually be.

There is a metaphor about a frog in a boiling pot; I have heard the metaphor is true and false.  Frogs are cold blooded and their body temperature is regulated by their surroundings.  If you place a frog in a boiling pot of water, they’ll immediately jump out.  But if you put a frog in a pot of cool water and turn the heat up very slowly, the frog’s body temperature will rise slowly with it.  The water can slowly be turned up until it reaches a boiling point and the frog will not jump out.  Like I said, I don’t know if this is true or not, but it’s a great metaphor to explain the slow boil event.

Slow boil events could happen over days, weeks or even months; the danger occurs when we become acclimated to it and don’t realize how bad things really are.  An example of it could be a seemingly natural seasonal flu season turning into a pandemic.  It could take weeks before it is full blown.  At what point would you implement a self-quarantine of your family?

The economy is another example; how many of us lost money from our 401k or other investments in the last five years?  When do we decide things are too risky and it’s time to cash out or move to something safer?

 

Where Do You Draw The Line?

I have written before on Drawing a line in the sand, but how do you know when that line has been reached and you consider it to be hitting the fan?  For example the roads during a Minnesota snow storm can be very unforgiving, made worse by the average Minnesotan driver.  When I had to go into the office, I had a physical line in the sand so-to-speak.  There was an overpass that was the last easy place to turn around for quite a few miles.  If the roads gave me trouble before that spot, it was sufficiently hitting the fan bad enough for me to turn around and work from home.

I wish all events were that cut and dry, but there is no standard answer.  However this is something we all must think about.  Since there are no standard answers, I’ll just provide some topics and give some ideas.

 

Flu/Pandemic

At what point are there enough people sick for you to implement a self-quarantine for your family?  Do you keep your kids home and still go into work or does everyone stay put?

 

Gun Control

There have been some suggested measures to implement stricter gun control, but I don’t think the Overton Window has moved enough to really go after guns.  Maybe it won’t and maybe we’ll just see tighter restrictions going forward.  If there are more mass shootings, and the cry is made to stop gun violence at any cost, where do you draw the line?  Will you register your firearms?  Will you turn them in?  I don’t know if it will ever come to this, but I think it is something we need to think about now.

 

Battening Down

I think, in the vast majority of events, battening down is a better solution.  There are scenarios besides a pandemic when implementing a self-quarantine of sorts might be a good idea; civil unrest, grid down events, severe weather and others.  When are those events bad enough for you to say it has hit the fan and you’re staying put?

 

Bugging Out

While most events are better weathered from home, there are times when you must bug out.  For those with a BOL (Bug Out Location), this might be an easy decision to make.  If you don’t have a BOL, bugging out is far less pleasant, so the pull to leave might be less strong but ignoring it could be costly.  Event’s that could cause you to bug out are wildfire, severe weather, terrorist attacks, chemical leaks and others.  When is it bad enough to force you to flee to safety?

 

Closing Thoughts

The thought that sparked this article was contemplating how life would be different if we faced a true widespread survival situation, say an EMP.  There must be a point in any type of event when it is bad enough to change your daily life, which is possibly the point when things have “hit the fan”.

 

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Way’s to Stay Informed and be Alerted in an Emergency

February 11, 2013 by

Unless you have a news station on 24/7, there are going to be times when you are “out of the loop”.  Have you ever wondered how you might know if things really started hitting the fan?  If you’re in a meeting, how would you know if there was a terrorist attack not far from home?  If you’re out of earshot of a tornado siren, how would you know if there was a danger of one while inside and away from a window?

Here are multiple ways to stay in the know, and like GI Joe says, “knowing is half the battle!”

 

Weather Alerts

Local news outlets are often a great source for local weather alerts.  Many have a smart phone app or will text weather alerts to your phone.  Check your local station to see if they do.  Weather.com Some also have the ability to send daily forecasts and alerts.

A weather radio is the best way to be alerted to weather emergencies.  Here is a review of the two I own. I have also read that weather radios can alert in national emergencies as well.

 

On Line

If you’re a cubicle Jockey and tethered to a PC, this might be an option for you.  I’m not going to list MSM news sites such as FOX and CNN.  They sometimes have information worth reading, but I figure if you like them, you’re already reading.   I’m also not going to list local sites, but they can be a great way to keep informed of local emergencies.

Here are some of the sites I use to stay informed.  I probably use the Drudge Report more than any other site.  I can quickly scan the headlines for important articles and if there is an important news story, it is often linked in the top left, above the picture.  The picture is also an important news article or an emergency.

Some other sites I use to keep informed, but aren’t necessarily good for being alerted in an emergency are The Blaze, Before Its News, The Daily Sheeple and Alternative News.

 

Social Media

Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social media can be a good way to keep informed and find out about breaking news and emergencies.  Of course, you’re also subject to hearing a lot of things you don’t care that much about.  Wait, that last part might just be me. (LOL)

 

FEMA

FEMA also has the ability to send you text alerts for the following types of emergencies.

  • Presidential Alerts; issued by the President or a designee;
  • Imminent Threat Alerts; include severe man-made or natural disasters where a looming threat to life or property exists;
  • AMBER Alerts; help law enforcement search for abducted children.

 

Call Trees

A call tree is basically a tiered list; everyone has designated people they will call.  Below is an example. The person at the top of the tree decides an emergency alert needs to go out.  They call their three people.  Those three, in turn, call their three people and on and on until everyone on the list has been called.

Due to advancements in technology, call trees aren’t used often anymore.  There are also ways to automate your call tree, One Call Now is one such service.

 

Alert USA and Threat Journal

From the Alert USA Website:

“AlertsUSA continually monitors the national and international threat environment using a variety of information and intelligence sources. These range from a variety of government departments and agencies (foreign and domestic), private sector assets and a number of additional HUMINT and OSINT source points.”

For $99 per year you can have breaking alerts sent to you via email, text message, pager or satellite phone.  They also send out a free email newsletter called Threat Journal and posts updated to their social media outlet.

Do you have any other ways to keep informed and be alerted to emergencies?

 

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Alternate Ways to Communicate

February 8, 2013 by

I have a couple notes before the article; first up I have a prayer request.  I have recently been asked to do two radio interviews on Christian radio stations.  While I am very excited about these huge opportunities to share preparedness with other believers, I am 36 shades of nervous! LOL.  I don’t do well in the spotlight and can get frazzled easily.  Yes, even on the radio!  I found that out the hard way, quite embarrassingly, many years ago.  You could say I went to the Moses School of Public Speaking.

If you wouldn’t mind praying for God to just speak through me, and let my nerves be calm, to let Him use me to bring this message to those He wants to hear it, and to do it justice.  I believe both interviews will be available for download, and if I manage not to run out of the room screaming, I will put a link on the blog later.

Thank you all in advance!

 

Secondly, you’re probably aware that the forum was launched last week.  So far there are just over 100 of you signed up! It is my prayer that this forum be a place for those the Lord has called to prepare to share and have community with one another.  I invite those who aren’t registered to do so.  If you have questions, this is a safe place to ask them.  If you have been prepping for a while, please share your knowledge with the rest of us!

 

Alternate Ways to Communicate

Margaret recently sent me an email about an article that she found explaining what to do if the DNS (Domain Name System) goes down.  I thought this was a good opportunity to explain some alternative ways to communicate in case the normal ways are not available.

 

Domain Name System

DNS basically translates the name of a website that you are familiar with into the IP address that the Internet uses to communicate.  For example when you want to go to Google, you type in Google in your search tab.  Your browser then goes to the DNS server which translates http://google.com into 74.125.224.72.

There are different things that can shut down DNS.  The article Margaret sent me called How to stay connected when Internet service goes down mentions that many users in Southern Ontario were without Internet service for a few hours, due to a DNS outage.

It is possible to change your DNS server, that way you can still surf the web.  The process of changing your DNS is going to be different depending on what operating system you have.  For this reason I’m going to link to OpenNIC, a website that has instructions for multiple operating systems.  You can also find your closest OpenNIC DNS server.

This is something you’ll want to have a hard copy of.  You might even want to do it now so you understand the process.

 

Cell Service

During large emergencies, cell towers are often so congested that you are unable to place a call.  There are a few options available if this should happen.  If you can find a landline, you might be able to get out, but they are often congested as well.  I have heard that sometimes you might be able to make a long distance call as it is only the local lines that are clogged.  I don’t know if this is true, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

 

Texting

Sending a text requires significantly less bandwidth and does not require a constant connection.

 

Push to Talk

If you have a smart phone, there are some apps you can purchase.  I haven’t used any of them, but as they use a different medium to transmit, they should work just fine. You will, of course, need whomever you want to communicate with to have the same app installed.  All three apps are free.  Their names are Zello, HeyTell and Voxer..

 

Thanks, Margaret, for the article idea!

 

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