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Prepepping with a chronic illness : Tips to help you cope and prepare

August 23, 2013 by

This article was written by Red C.J. and originally posted here, on The Survivalist Blog.net I am reposting it with permission from M.D. Creekmore.

 

My prepping challenge is preparing with post-disaster chronic illness or chronic pain, and this is for the many others with chronic illness(es) or their loved ones. My situation is far from unique, as one-third to one-half of Americans live with chronic illness or chronic pain. Millions of us live with high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s or dementia, heart disease, depression, arthritis, osteoporosis, pulmonary disease such as COPD, diabetes, cancer or stroke. So how can we prepare to survive in a post-disaster world?

First, a bio: At age 36, I started seeing chiropractors regularly for spinal problems. At age 40, a rheumatologist diagnosed me with fibromyalgia, and daily pain medicines began a year later. My pain gradually affected almost every aspect of my life. After living with daily pain for 5-8 years, it became like my shadow; I could not escape it.

In a grid-down situation, I fear that I would not be able to be productive and perhaps be seen as a liability for my family and community. In a post-disaster setting, without the support of the medical system, my productivity would be very limited. Will there be a place or role in a post-disaster world for a person who is disabled, or unable to function physically or mentally? The fictional stories I’ve read describe local social settings in which everyone can work and contribute, even the elderly. What would happen to those who could not work or contribute only minimally?

I read about others preparing to bug out by carrying a 50 lb. backpack and shudder, as that’s physically impossible for me, given my degenerative spinal problems. Thus I’ll be hunkering down with family at home, rather than suffering on the road. Your decision to bug out or stay home depends on your situation.

I learned to be ACTIVE in maintaining my health. I exercise 5-6 days per week, because exercise releases endorphins that are natural pain relievers, and because exercise improves my sleep level. Exercise is recommended for some kinds of chronic pain. I watch my diet and have lost over 15 lbs. this year. I read about my chronic conditions, and change my lifestyle when appropriate. Become as active as possible to maintain or improve your health.

My regular treatments include electronic stimulation, chiropractic adjustments, and massage therapy. In a post-disaster situation, I hope to trade or barter for massages and chiropractic treatments, but realize that electronic stimulation may not be available at my chiropractor’s office where I receive it. Planning to barter means stocking things that others will need in a post-disaster scene.

 

Medical preparations I’ve made:

Having been taking daily meds for years, I learned to get refills early, to prevent any days without meds. So I’d order my prescription refills 2-3 days early, before it expired. Gradually, I discovered I could get refills 4-5 days earlier. Doing this every month for about 7-8 months would result in an extra month’s worth of pills. Than another 7-8 months resulted in a 2nd extra bottle. I have a 3rd bottle of a few meds I’ve been on for years. I did not feel a need to tell my doctor or pharmacist. This method of collecting extra prescription meds has worked well with our health insurance from a major insurance company. It does, of course, require extra copays, and attention paid to securely storing them at room temperature.

This method is limited to long-term meds. A word of caution: If your doctor has reason to suspect you of drug abuse or meds shopping, then this strategy will fail. My wife is the only one who knows of my extra meds, because I don’t want our home to become a target for meds theft. Only my current meds would be seen in our bedroom; the extras are hidden in a secure place.

We have a supply of low-cost Over-the-counter (OTC) stuff like Capzasin, Stopain, Salonpas pads, 024 Pain Neutralizer (see www.024zone.com) and Epsom salt for my chronic pain.

Dry mouth is a common problem for us who take meds. Our food stocks include a supply of cough drops, hard candy butterscotches for the dry mouth caused by my pain meds. Oralbalance Biotene (www.biotene.com) and OraHealth XyliMelts (www.OraHealth.com) are OTC products for dry mouth.

Electronic stimulation and electronic therapy are proven to reduce fibromyalgia pain and stiffness, as well as other muscular pain or tension. I have extra 9-volt batteries for my electronic alpha-stim unit (see www.alpha-stim-com), plus rechargeable batteries and 2 small solar rechargers.

I purchased a Duracell Powerpack 600 for my cpap, to use when the electrical grid fails; testing it showed that it provided electric power for one and a half nights for just my cpap.

 

Future medical preps:

-Get a solar unit to recharge my Duracell Powerpack 600 for my cpap. We’re live in an area that gets lots of sunshine. Beyond that, an extra power pack & solar unit to recharge would provide enough power to run my cpap for 3 nights.

-Growing herbs for my health conditions is a possibility I need to research more. In my experience, herbs are not enough for my pain level, but they may be better than nothing after my meds run out.

Despite all these medical preparations, I realize that my life will be much harder if a disaster results in long-term loss of electricity and the medical system, given my physical limits and dependence on the U.S. medical system

I may never need to use my medical preps. But if and when needed, my medical preps are there to cushion the hardships of a post-disaster, grid-down situation. If you or your loved one lives with chronic pain or chronic illness, I sincerely hope a few of these ideas will help your medical preparations.

Since the specific medical problems you or your loved one faces may be different from mine, customize your prepping for your specific illness(es). May God bless and may His Spirit guide you.

 

Filed Under: Medical and First Aid

The Pantry Primer: Building Your Pantry on a Budget with Home Canning

August 21, 2013 by

This article was written by Daisy Luther the Organic Prepper and was originally posted here.

home canning

One of the best ways to build your healthy stockpile is to preserve local organic foods when they are in season.  My favorite way to do this is canning.

When you can your own food, you can make delicious entrees and side dishes that can be served as quickly as you can boil water – and the best part of all is that you know exactly what is in those shiny jars. (See The Canning Manifesto to read more about why I choose to can so many foods!)

Making home-canned foods can be a great way to cost-effectively build your pantry for several reasons:

  • You can buy in bulk
  • You can take advantage of good sales, like “last day” sales
  • You can buy what is in season at better prices than when it is out of season
  • You can put together “quick meals” far less expensively than buying processed foods by doing a big batch of home cooking to be reheated and eaten at a later date
  • You don’t risk losing your stockpile to the vagaries of the power grid like you would by using your freezer

When my daughter eats a biscuit with jam, I know that it only contains organic peaches and sugar. There are no GMOs lurking, no High Fructose Corn Syrup, and no artificial colors and flavors.

Lots of meals for very little money

You can get a lot of bang for your buck by home canning. I recently canned some “meals in a jar” – check out what I spent:

$10 = 7 quart jars of spaghetti sauce with meatballs

$4 =  6 quart jars of Boston Baked Beans

If you were to purchase those items in grocery store cans you’d be spending far more money for far less quality.

This week I have been concentrating on building my pantry with home-canned goods.  I’ve made:

I made all of the above for about $35 not including snap lids and spices, which only add nominally to the cost.

Here are some ways to save money by canning

garden exchange

  1. Don’t decide ahead of time what you are going to can.  It’s okay to have a general idea, but if you have specific recipes that require specific ingredients beyond your pantry basics, you may end up spending a lot of money. For example, yesterday I went to a garden exchange and swapped some money and some home-canned goodies for other people’s surplus produce.  When I got the items home, I took a look at my bounty and decided what to make based on that.  Had I gone to the store or market specifically looking for certain things, I would have spent far more.
  2. Always fill your canner.  If you only have enough ingredients for 5 jars of whatever your making, but your canner holds 7 jars, fill the other two jars with beans.  You’re using the same amount of electricity or gas whether the canner is full or not.
  3. Buy as much as you can when things are inexpensive.  Today I’m heading to a local orchard that has a huge sale on just-picked pears.  They’re selling boxes of pears (about half bushel sized boxes) for $9 – and it gets better – they’re buy one, get one free!  So this means we have some delicious local fresh fruit and enough left over to fill many jars.
  4. Cook in bulk and can your leftovers.  The holidays can supply an enormous amount of ingredients for your home canning endeavors.  Also, as the weather cools off, make double batches of chili, soups, and stews and put the leftovers into jars for later use.
  5. Learn to can with what you have on hand.  Going along with tip #1, be flexible and learn to adapt the ingredients you have on hand in canning.  Here are some instructions on how to can your own recipes and how to make jam from whatever fruit you have in abundance.

canning

Here are some helpful links:

Go HERE to find tons and tons of my canning recipes and how-tos.

Go HERE to learn about water bath canning.

Go HERE to learn about pressure canning (a necessity if you are canning anything besides fruits, salsa, pickles, and jam).

Go HERE to learn how to sanitize your jars.

Go HERE to learn how to adjust for the altitude where you live.

Also, check out these great websites for more canning ideas:

Ready Nutrition

Simply Canning

Prepared Housewives

Food Storage and Survival

The Survival Mom

Pick Your Own

If you have any questions about canning, please don’t hesitate to ask – canning one of my favorite things to do and I could talk about it endlessly!

canned food

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With:

If You’re in a Fair Fight, Your Tactics Suck

August 19, 2013 by

Dirty fighter

What I mean by “If you’re in a fair fight, your tactics suck” is that if you’re attacked, there is no such thing as a fair fight. You should do what you need to do to ensure you walk away, even if that means “fighting dirty”.

A disclaimer of sorts: Violence should only be used to stop violence directed at you or a loved one. Once someone puts their hands on you or a loved one, they have given you consent to defend yourself and/or the ones you love.

If I am forced to use violence, the goal is to end the threat and get away to safety. The goal is not to beat the attacker to a pulp, though that might be needed to get away. Some of the things I will explain are not going to neutralize an attacker by themselves. Some may just “short circuit” them for a short time. When the attacker is short circuited, you can either use that brief pause to use another attack or to get away.

I often carry a firearm for self-defense but there are times when I can’t. There are also situations, such as being within arm’s reach, which might not permit drawing a firearm, making hand-to-hand necessary.

None of the techniques I am explaining need any training to learn, though training will help you and the techniques be much more effective. Many of them will work for people of smaller stature against larger attackers.
 
 
Eye gouge/eye flick

I have seen this tactic mentioned several times over the years and it is often explained as pushing your thumbs deep into the eye sockets of the attacker. There is a problem with this explanation however; doing so is repellent to human behavior. In his book “On Killing,” Lt. Col. Dave Grossman explains the following:

“The single most effective mechanically easiest way to inflict significant damage on a human being with one’s hand, is to punch the thumb through his eye and on into the brain.”

He goes on to explain that even though this attack would be extremely effective, it goes against human nature. He also says that during the filming of a movie that was rated X because of it’s violent content, an actress who was to portray stabbing a man in the eye with a rat tail comb, passed out twice during filming.

“This is a professional actress, she can portray killing, lying and sex on the screen with relative ease, but even the pretense of stabbing someone in the eye seems to have touched a resistance so powerful and deep seeded that her body and emotions, the tools of the professional actress literally refuse to cooperate. In fact I cannot find any references of anyone in the history of human combat ever having used this simple technique.”

As we can see, a gouge is not something many people can do. Because of that, here is a different method of attacking the eyes: keep your fingers limp and flick your wrist, aiming your fingers at the attacker’s eyes. This will short circuit them and cause the eyes to water, enabling you to assess and flee or attack again, if needed.
 
 

Box the Ears

Boxing of the ears can be very painful and can inflict severe damage to the ear drums. To box the ears simply slap the ears with your palms. This is another means of short circuiting the attacker, enabling you to assess and flee or attack again, if needed.
 
 

Crush the Windpipe

To crush the windpipe, keep your four fingers together and fully extend the thumb making a V with your hand. Aim at the attacker’s throat, trying to have the thumb and fingers on opposite sides of the throat. Depending on the force, this attack can be a short circuit, causing the attacker to gasp for air. It can also be fatal.
 
 

Punching or Smashing the Nose

Punching or smashing the nose can cause blood loss and the eyes to tear. Sometimes, seeing their own blood takes the fight out of the attacker. Also, if their eyes are watering, you can either take advantage and attack again or flee. I say “smash” because, due to body position, sometimes you can’t truly punch but you may be able to smash their nose with the palm of your hand.
 
 
Groin Attacks

I think everyone knows a groin attack on a man can shut down a fight quickly, but it can be very painful to a woman as well. When attacking the groin, you don’t have to aim directly for it. If you attack the high leg, momentum will bring the attack to the groin.
 
 

Brachial Plexus

The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves running from the spine and through the neck. This is another short circuit, with the potential to be a finisher. While doing gun disarms with a partner a while back, I hit him with roughly 50% strength. This was enough force to cause him to drop the blue gun, even though that wasn’t the portion of the move that was to strip the gun. I have a friend who has done training in the past where a blow to the brachial plexus caused someone to lose consciousness. To initiate this move, simply strike the crook of the neck by punching or chopping. Chopping works really well for shorter people who might not be able to punch effectively on a taller person.
 
 
Head Butt

I am not talking about the traditional WWF head butt. This head butt is accomplished by facing the attacker, grabbing their head with both hands and squatting, slamming their face on the top of your head. This obviously isn’t an attack you would start with. Since your hands are already on their head, this is an excellent move after boxing their ears.
 
 

Elbow and Knee Strikes

Many of the attacks listed above are great ways to short circuit an attacker but many are just that, only short circuits. A fantastic closer is an elbow or knee strike. When striking with the elbow, do so with an open hand. This causes you to strike with the bare ulnar bone. If you do an elbow strike with a closed fist, the ulnar bone is covered with muscle, which is softer than bone and causes less damage to your attacker. Strike with elbows instead of fists whenever possible. The bones in your hands are far less forgiving. A broken hand can take you out of the fight.
 
 

Closing thoughts

Since we only use force in self-defense, the rule of thumb is to keep attacking until either your attacker stops or you are able to get away. It could take multiple attacks for either of those to be a viable option. An engagement drill we practiced in Haganah chained many of the attacks listed above; it went something like this: The attacker comes at you. You kick them in the thigh, aiming for a nerve in the thigh. This is followed by a punch to the brachial plexus, boxing their ears, head butting, lifting their head and delivering an elbow strike to the brachial plexus. We would then put them in a type of hold, deliver three knees to the legs, swing them to the ground and feign breaking their ankle.

That is one example of chaining attacks, but doing an eye flick, punch to the noes and an elbow to the jaw might work just fine. Do not stop fighting until they give up or you have an opportunity to retreat.

 
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Filed Under: Security Tagged With:

Lock Picking is a Prepper Skill Worth Learning

August 16, 2013 by

lockpicking

Lock picking is a skill that I think is worth taking the time to learn. You might be wondering why this is a skill worth learning . If you lose a key for a lock you can call a locksmith now, but if the stuff hits the fan, you might not have that option. If the stuff does hit the fan, this is also a skill you could use to help others.

Before I go further let me be clear, I am not suggesting that you do anything illegal. You should check your local laws to be sure you can legally own lock picks. You can do so here.

That being said, lock picking is a lot easier than one might think. By doing a quick internet search and reading a PDF, I was able to pick a padlock in a few attempts. There are two basic functions to understand; applying tension with a tension wrench and picking the pins. When using a pick, one needs to manipulate the pins individually. By using a rake, you just slide it over all pins while applying pressure until the lock opens.

As I mentioned, I did an internet search and found several documents on how to open locks, but there are several books available from Paladin Press for those who would like a hard copy to have on hand.

When it comes to picks, I recommend a basic set. I wasn’t able to find a link to the set I originally purchased but the sets from Amazon are similar. There are cheaper lock pick sets available, but this lock pick set is worth the extra cash. It has a variety of picks, rakes and three tension wrenches. The tension wrench that has a twist in it will really come in handy, as the twist makes it much more comfortable to manipulate.

With a little practice you can open padlocks, door locks, deadbolts, fire proof safes and several others. With a decent set of picks and some time spent practicing, you’ll never have to call a locksmith again!

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Filed Under: General Preparedness

More People Seeking Depression Era and WWII Wartime Survival Tips

August 14, 2013 by

This article was written by Rob Richardson and originally published here on Offgrid Survival.

 

great depression line of people for free food

There is a new trend that’s sweeping the internet. Depression era cooking and budgeting books are making a comeback.

You know things are bad when people start turning to so called “Starvation Recipes” to sustain themselves and their families.

Historian and high school teacher Eleni Nikolaidou’s new book “Starvation Recipes” was just released in Greece and is attracting attention throughout Europe. The book is a collection of tips and recipes that people used to survive the World War II occupation.

 

 

family starving during the great depression

The success of these types of book should be a huge wake up call for Americans. When people start to seek out books that teach them how to collect crumbs or cheat their stomachs into believing they are full, there’s something seriously wrong.

It’s time to wake up and start prepping before it’s to late. Do you really want to scrape for crumbs, or do you want to thrive when everyone else is trying to survive?

 
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Filed Under: General Preparedness

Joint Preparedness Blogger Giveaway

August 13, 2013 by

Today I want to let you all know about an awesome giveaway! PreparedChristian has joined with 14 other great preparedness bloggers to give you a chance at winning a Bosch Mixer or L’Quip Wheat Grinder.

You can earn multiple entries by liking the facebook pages, following on twitter or on Pinterest. See below for links to the pages!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: General Preparedness

Ten Lessons I Have Learned From the Walking Dead

August 12, 2013 by

WalkingDead

I am a fan of the hit AMC show “The Walking Dead”. For those of you who might not be familiar with the show, the dead have risen into zombies. Much of the population has been decimated, and those who survive are faced with one of the worst, albeit fake, TEOTWAWKI scenarios possible.

As I mentioned, I know the situation is fake but if you take out the zombies and replace them with a severe pandemic, life could be very similar. I think there are some great lessons to be learned, from the creative and somewhat dark minds that have created the original graphic novel and now the hit show. Below are ten of the lessons I have learned. Many of these examples are not new lessons for me but they are still items I gleaned from the show. If you have not watched the show but are considering it, be forewarned; there will be some spoilers here.
 
 
In a Worst Case Scenario, You Cannot Have Enough of Anything

None of the people in the show were preppers. They soon ran out of just about everything. They scavenged to get some needed items but never seem to have a surplus of anything. Ammo, in particular, was something they were constantly in short supply of, so much so that they used hand to hand, and a crossbow to dispatch the zombies.
 
 

You Cannot Count on the Government to Fix Things

I have read from multiple sources that during a large scale event, a minimum of 60% of first responders will not show up for work. In The Walking Dead, police and military forces are overrun in every city, save one group of National Guard that are killed by a group of bandits. In the first season, the goal for the main characters is to make it to the CDC, which they find overrun (for the first part).

While I think the government would fare better during a pandemic than government agencies did in The Walking Dead, they may not be capable of saving the day (duh). Since I am equating the rise of the dead from the show to a pandemic, I think the movie Contagion (which I reviewed here) showed a realistic response from government. They will do their best but we need to be our own first responders.
 
 

There is No Place Like Home…Sometimes

I am a firm believer that in the vast majority of scenarios, staying home and battening down is the safer choice. In two of the seasons they had a main “base”; a farm and a prison. They were overrun by zombies and forced to leave the safety of the farm. After wandering for months they find a prison and make it home. They are attacked by another group of humans and are faced with the choice of going back on the road, hoping they can find another sanctuary, or defending their new home.

Having a bug out plan and being able and ready to put it in place on a moment’s notice is a must. When they are chased from the farm, they have no time to get any supplies and are forced to leave with the clothes on their backs and a few vehicles. This is also a good reason to keep a car kit in each vehicle, that way you will always have a few supplies.
 
 

There is Safety in Numbers, IF You Can Trust Them

In this TEOTWAWKI event there are so many dangers and so much that needs to be done to ensure daily survival, that having a group of trustworthy, like-minded people is an absolute must! There is a caveat; there are people who, with the rule of law removed, will take anything by force. Through the three seasons, the group runs into two groups of such people and each time it escalates into violence.

That being said, there is just too much to be done for a lone person or a small group to accomplish, from gathering food and other supplies, cooking, gathering firewood, getting water, doing laundry, fortifying positions, standing watch and on and on.

 
 

Food Stores Eventually Run Out

As I mentioned above, none of the group were preppers. Even if they had been, they might have been overrun and forced to leave their preparations behind. They had water available in several locations, but were low on food several times, once having an owl and two cans of dog food as a potential meal.

Throughout the course of the show, they hunted, fished and scavenged for food. It was never enough to feed their entire group. Only when they were on the farm did they never want for food. When they found the prison, one of the first things mentioned was where they could grow food.

This show does a better job than any other TEOTWAWKI show, movie or book that comes to mind when it comes to the effort it takes to keep a group fed and I think they still fall short in the effort it takes. Like I mentioned, only at the farm did they not go hungry. Knowing how to grow food is a skill everyone should learn and practice.
 
 

Medical and First Aid Training is an Absolute Must

From memory, the group saw a gunshot wound, transfusions, crossbow wound, shock and depression, severe cuts, sprained ankle, impalement on a fence, several beatings, birth, amputation and I’m sure I’m missing some. While I understand the show is fiction and that some of these items were added for the sake of dramatic effect, in a severe wide scale event like this or any other, people will be doing things they didn’t do in their normal everyday lives.

The group is fortunate enough to find a veterinarian who can help with some of the more difficult procedures along the way. A good first aid class would give someone the information and skills needed to remedy several of things you may face. Books like “Where There Is No Doctor” would be a great item to have.

 
 
Be Ready to Defend Yourself at a Moment’s Notice

Early on, the group learned this lesson; they have to watch out for the “walkers” and other humans. Strangers are met and often introductions are made at the point of a gun. Many of you are familiar with the Cooper Color Code. In a TEOTWAWKI situation such as this show, anytime there are strangers present, one might be in condition orange or in condition black, just awaiting the next threat.

This is another reason that having a place to stay put is important. There, with others on watch, one can relax, even if only temporarily. Being at a heightened state of alert for an extended length of time can physically, emotionally and mentally take a toll on a person’s overall health.
 
 

Living in a Pressure Cooker

Living in close contact with people in a high stress environment can meld people together or drive them apart. The bonds that can be formed with people can be the strongest kind of bonds there are. The length of time you know a person means next to nothing. There are a few examples of brothers and people who grew up together fracturing, while others who’ve known each other for a short time withstand many tests.
 
 

Leadership

The person who takes a leadership role might have to make some very difficult decisions. Some in the group will respect the person and be glad they, themselves, didn’t have to make the decision. Others may fight every decision that is made, thinking they know better.

I think Rick, the leader of the group in the Walking Dead, is a good example of a leader. He listens to all sides and is not afraid of making the hard call. He shows compassion and mercy and is determined to protect those who’re under his care.
 
 

Some Come to Faith, Others Leave It

The show only lightly touches on faith but this is something else I have seen in real life. In dire times, people turn to God; some just to ask “why?” and others to find a savior. There are those who are believers and, for whatever reason, turn from God. In the show, the main character, Rick Grimes, who is an unbeliever, enters an empty church and prays. Hershel, a man of faith, is seen studying the Bible and quotes scripture now and then. After his farm is overrun, he seems to have lost his faith.

I think that as believers we need to have a ready answer to the questions of “how a loving God could allow this to happen.” We also need to be encouragers and be praying for those in our group, that God see’s us all through the event we’re currently in.
 
 

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Filed Under: General Preparedness

Talking to Friends and Family about Prepping

August 9, 2013 by

This post was written by Rob Richardson from and originally posted on Offgrid Survival

Talking to Friends and Family about Prepping

A number of readers have emailed me lately asking how they can convince their friends and family to start prepping.

Are You Prepared?

To be honest this is a touchy subject, one that can often make even hardcore preppers feel a bit uncomfortable.

For some, the thought of talking to anyone about prepping fills them with feelings of anxiety. Just the thought of others knowing what preps you have is enough to fill anyone with a sense of paranoia . And who can blame them, lately it seems like every time we turn on the news another government agency is warning people about those dangerous preppers.

 

For those that do try to talk about the subject, trying to get their family and friends on board can be a headache to say the least.

From friends and family members that truly believe the government will save them in a time of crisis, to those that have been brainwashed by the media to believe that preppers are all tinfoil hat wearing nutjobs, prepping can often be a touchy or even taboo subject to talk about. While we have touched on the subject in the past, I thought it was important to take another look at how we can help those we care about prepare for an uncertain future.

 

Dealing with those who believe the Government will help them in a time of crisis.

As a reader who recently wrote to me pointed out, 50 years of being programmed to believe that the government can help is hard to undo. We live in a society that is becoming increasingly reliant on the government to help them in every aspect of their lives. In fact, over 67 million Americans now rely on government aid to pay for either housing, food, health care, or education. That’s 1 in 5 Americans!

Most people simply don’t realize, or believe that they are in any kind of danger. Most Americans live under the belief that the government will be there to help them in a time of crisis. So what can you do to change this mindset and protect those that you care about?

 

Use the Governments own advice.

Even the government advises people to be prepared. They will be the first to admit that during a time of crisis it’s highly unlikely that they’ll be able to respond in under 72 hours.

At the very least, your friends and family should be prepared to survive at home without power, water, and utilities for a minimum of 72 hours. While most of the governments advice is rather simplistic,  it may help you introduce the subject to those who depend on the government for everything.

 

Show them how the Government is increasing their preparedness efforts.

Over the last year the federal government has steadily increased their preparedness stockpiles by buying up huge amounts of emergency food and medical supplies. At one point, the government was purchasing so much emergency food that the major emergency food suppliers had to stop selling to the public.

And it’s not just food that they’re buying. From overhauling the National Emergency Alert System and running the first ever national test last November to running major multi-state multi-agency earthquake drills, it seems like the government is trying to prepare the public for something big. A number of these government agencies have also started to warn their employees to prepare for the worse.

 

Point out Government failures.

From botching the first test of the Emergency Alert System, to the way the government handled events like Hurricane Katrina, it should be apparent that once the feds get involved with anything,things quickly go from bad to worse. I would point out these break downs and ask your loved ones if they really want to put their lives in the governments hands.

 

One last point….

Prepping isn’t just about preparing for a cataclysmic end of the world event. It’s about being prepared for those small scale events in life that can feel cataclysmic if we’re not prepared. Having some extra food, water, and knowledge is no different than buying an insurance policy. We all hope that we will never have to use it, but should something bad happen you’re going to be kicking yourself if your not prepared.

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Filed Under: General Preparedness

Preparedness Tip; Safety at the Pump

August 8, 2013 by

gas pump

I have seen a couple news stories recently about theft at the gas pump, crimes other than the price of the gas (hehe).
 
 
Skimming

The first type of theft is called “skimming”. I found out about it from a local news story. You can read the story and watch the video from the Twin Cities here. A couple from California drove through many states and inserted an electronic device into the inside of gas pumps that “skimmed” peoples credit card numbers. They came back later to collect those numbers. They racked up thousands of dollars in debt on the collected card numbers.

You might be wondering how the thieves got inside the pumps. The article points out that there are only two companies that make gas pumps and both use a universal key to open them. Gas stations can have the pumps rekeyed at a cost of around $450 for 8 pumps.

If the Mr. and Mrs. Dirtbag who were arrested can figure this crime out, you can be guaranteed others have as well. The only way to know for sure if a pump has a skimmer in it is to open the pump and check. The only thing we can do as consumers is check for the inspected sticker on the pump you’re going to use. If it’s broken or there isn’t one, move to another pump. Since these dirtbags need to open the pump, chances are they will only install the skimmers on pumps that are furthest from the watchful clerks. Using a pump that is closer to the building and faces the clerks also might limit vulnerability.
 
 
Sliders

This second type of theft is targeting women at the pump. You can read the article and see the video reported from Virginia here. These thieves look for a woman who is pumping gas or has gone inside to pay and has left the window down or door unlocked. They “slide” below level of the window or sight-line and grab her purse.

To prevent this, the most important thing is to practice good Situational Awareness and utilize Levels of Alert; The Cooper Color Code. Put your window all the way up at the station and make sure your doors are locked, even when you’re standing right there.
 
 
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PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Preparedness Tips Tagged With:

7 Critical Steps to Take Following a Disaster

August 7, 2013 by

This article was written by Gaye Levy and originally posted on Backdoor Survival.

7 Critical Steps to Take Following a Disaster

Without question, when a major disaster hits an area, entire communities are affected in ways that are unimaginable.  And while it is nice to think that the rescue squad will be trotting by to help at any moment, we all know that is not true.

It is not for a lack of trying.  Local responders such as fire departments, police departments, EMTs, military personnel and even members of the local Red Cross are likely to be stuck in the throes of the disaster just like you are.  Their own communication systems may be down, their facilities may be destroyed and their families and their homes may be in danger, hurt or damaged.

8595736373 39e9cd48a7 o 7 Critical Steps to Take Following a Disaster Backdoor SurvivalDuring the short period immediately following a disaster, it is up to individuals to do  the best they can do to fend for themselves.  But what happens if you are alone or injured?  This is where some advance planning comes in to play and where having the forethought to get to know your neighbors ahead of time will reap benefits when it comes to digging out from the disaster at hand.

I have always maintained that getting to know your neighbors is an important – if not critical – step in your disaster planning.  Today I outline seven critical steps that you, as individuals, and as neighbors helping neighbors, can take following a disaster.

SEVEN STEPS TO TAKE FOLLOWING A DISASTER

1. Are you safe?

Your first concern is to insure that family members, loved ones and pets are safe. Check to see if there are any injuries that need immediate attention and tend to them first.  Walk around your home to determine if there is structural damage that makes staying inside unsafe.

2. Locate dry warm clothing and sturdy shoes.

Conditions can change very rapidly following a disaster.  Locate dry, warm clothing and put them on along with a decent pair of socks and sturdy shoes.  If you have some gloves, put those on as well.

Many people keep these items under their bed so that they can be located in a hurry in the even they had to get out quickly.  Yes, it may be the middle of summer but go ahead and layer on the clothing anyway.  You can always shed it later.  Put them on, along with gloves if you have them.

Remember, you are dressing for safety, no fashion or style.

3. Turn off the utilities.

Turn off the electricity coming in to your home.  Why do you need to do this?  A disaster can disrupt your electrical service or cause wires and electrical fixtures to separate, creating a shock and fire hazard.  It is better to be safe than sorry.

If you smell natural or propane gas, or hear a hissing noise, evacuate immediately.  Locate the gas meter outside your home and turn off the gas.  This is something that everyone in your family should know how to do.

Note:  Most meters are at the front or side of the house. Some are put inside a building. In apartments or commercial buildings, they might be in the back.

If you do not smell gas or do not here hissing, it may be okay to leave the gas on but when in doubt – or if the damage appears severe, shut it off anyway.

4. Conserve Your Water

Water quickly becomes a precious resource following many disasters. For that reason you will want to turn off the water at the main valve in order to insure that the water that is already in your home remains safe and clean.  You shut off the water for two reasons:

  • Cracked lines external to your home may pollute the water supply.  Shutting down the water prevents cross contamination.
  • The effects of gravity may drain the water in your hot water and toilet tanks unless you trap it in your house by shutting off the main house valve.  You may need to conserve this water for your own use for a few days, before the community water is again deemed safe.

5. Communicate with Others

Place a communication card in your house window to show your family’s condition – have OK written on one side and HELP written on the backside.  This will alert neighbors and first responders of your condition and will allow them to help those most in need first.

You will then want to execute your family communication plan.  If you have not put together a plan, then make that a priority now.  (Read 10 Steps for Preparing Family Emergency Plan.)

If communication lines are open (cell phone, texting, emergency radios), make contact with the out-of-state or out-of-area contact person that has been pre-selected to relay information when family members are separated following a disaster and local lines are not working.

6. Fire Protection

If you home is safe and the electricity is off, gather your  fire extinguishers and place them outside of your home in a visible location so that others in the neighborhood can use them if a fire erupts.  You are not only being a good neighbor by doing this – you are also preventing a fire next door for jumping over to your home and setting it on fire as well.

7.  Help Your Neighbors

If you have taken my advice and introduced yourself to your neighbors, join them in an effort to determine whether anyone in the community needs immediate assistance right way.  Check on the neighbors that might be the most vulnerable, including families with young children, the disabled and the elderly.

For those that are hurt, provide basic first aid.  Turn off any remaining gas valves if you suspect a leak (by smell or by sound.)  And most important, help evacuate anyone who appears to be in danger and is too shocked or dare I say, too ignorant, to do so on their own.

AFTER A DISASTER THERE IS A LOT TO DO

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San Francisco Earthquake – 1906

When disaster strikes – and I hope it doesn’t – there will be a lot to do. Fear and panic aside, it is good to consider a plan of action before it happens.

That said, this list of seven things to do following a disaster is not the be all and the end all. After all, there are way more post-disaster activities to attend to than I could ever describe in one brief article. Not only that, I am just an ordinary person trying to learn as much as I can about disasters now so that I can act in an assertive and panic free manner if and when it happens to me.   And in that respect, I am just like you.

Without any special training, I want to be able to do those things that I know I am capable of doing and further I want to do them well.

THE FINAL WORD

I have long maintained the importance to to hook up with neighbors and with like minded people in your community long before a disaster strikes.  These are the folks that will be first on the scene when a disaster strikes and in my opinion, by joining forces, your rescue and recovery efforts will be much more efficient and effective than if you tried to do everything on your own.

For that reason alone, I encourage you to get to know your neighbors so that you recognize them and know that they will be the good guys when a disaster strikes.

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Gaye

Filed Under: General Preparedness
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