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Making Resolutions That Matter

December 17, 2012 by

I’ve never been one to make New Year’s Resolutions.  I guess I thought if I wanted to lose ten pounds bad enough I would have quit feeding my pie hole last year.  Maybe I’m getting older and hopefully wiser, but I see the wisdom in setting goals in advance and working toward them over time.

I have recently seen two campaigns pushing people to make resolutions in relation to preparedness that I want to share with you.

 

First is the Resolve To Be Ready campaign from FEMA

 
R2BR2013_728x90

“Those who make New Year’s resolutions are 11 times more likely to report continued success in achieving a goal than individuals who have not made a resolution, according to the Journal of Clinical Psychology. The Ready Campaign would like to make an emergency preparedness resolution easy to keep by providing the tools and resources needed to take four important steps: be informed about the different types of emergencies that can happen in your area and their appropriate responses, make a family communications plan, build an emergency kit, and get involved in community preparedness. We hope you will join the Ready Campaign this Holiday Season in promoting Resolve 2B Ready.”

I joined the National Preparedness Coalition, but I am so busy with this site, I haven’t gotten very involved in it.  I know there are some of you who are very open about preparedness; something like this might be a fantastic way to spread the preparedness message.  You can go through CERT and learn how to be a blessing to your neighborhood should there ever be a disaster near you. Click the banner and links on the following pages to get more information.

 
13 in 13 Challenge
 
13 in 13
The next movement I want to talk to you about is something I recently heard of that I want to share it with you.  Jack Spirko from The Survival Podcast has developed a website challenging anyone daring enough to accept, to learning 13 new life skills in 2013 the “13 in 13 Challenge”.  I wrote an article called Knowledge Skills and Gear – The Preparedness Hierarchy in which I essentially say that first there must be knowledge, which you turn into a skill, and then you use gear to put the skill into motion.  While not all skills need gear, my point is that just owning a piece of equipment is not enough.

I believe that God has called some of us to prepare and storing beans, rice and bullets is not enough.  I have a feeling that there will come a time when we will need to utilize skills that we currently do not own.  Whether or not you have put it to words, I think you may believe that as well.  If not, why would you be reading this or any other preparedness/survival related blog?  Why wouldn’t you just sit tight with your preps and go on with life knowing that if things ever did go south, you have enough food to eat, and you’ll be fine?

I think that when we “wake up” to the fact that the world does have legitimate dangers, we realize that not only are we not prepared, but we have a lot to learn.  The 13 in 13 challenge is a great way to draw a line in the sand, set some goals and learn some skills that will make you a better person who is more self-reliant.  As a culture we have lost many of the skills our grandparents knew, we can choose to relearn them, and other skills as well.

From the 13 in 13 site:

“The 13 in 13 Challenge is a call to develop or drastically improve your personal skills in the coming year. These skills can be any hands on practical skill from ancient skills like flint napping to traditional skills like trapping and hunting or even technical skills like graphic arts or computer programming.”

At the time this article was written there were 157 skills available and an ability to request others be added.  You select your 13 skills and then define what it would mean for you to develop or drastically improve.  You can set up a profile and add a picture of yourself if you like; you can add your social media information as well.  I think this could be a good way to not only encourage each other, but to hold each other accountable too.

This brings me to the skills I chose, most of these hinge on us purchasing a new home with more land, and a better location to garden and make a homestead.  I have tried gardening, composting and some of these others and am by no means “skilled” in them.

 

Plant Identification

I want to learn at least one new edible plant a month in my local area.

 

Home Maintenance

I want to learn how to take care of the “up keep” type things in the new house once we move.

 

Water Catchment/Filtering

I want to learn how to set up rain catchment with drip irrigation at the new house once we move.

 

Organizational Skills

I need to learn how to prioritize projects and then attack them in a logical order.

 

Dehydrating

I want to use the dehydrator to make Jerky, and the ingredients for one kind of soup.

 

Composting

Once we have moved, I want to figure out how to build a composting system with multiple bins in it, so I can let one finish composting and still be able to add new compost to another bin.

 

Permaculture Design

I want to get a better grasp on permaculture principles so I can apply them to the new house.

 

Spirituality

I need to spend more time in prayer, and keep a prayer journal so I can remember everyone I want to pray for.  I need to listen to worship music more often.

 

Gardening

Once we have moved I want to build another raised bed garden area.

 

Lock Picking

I want to be able to pick every lock in the house.

 

Entrepreneurship

I need to put projects into motion, finish the next eBook and start on other projects.  I need to listen to more small business podcasts.

 

Blade Sharpening

I want to learn multiple ways to sharpen a knife.

 

Building Community

I want to install the forum for my blog and let God form a community around PreparedChristian.net.

 

What I Want To See

Many of my skills have to do with producing food.  My goal at the end of the year is to be able to look at my new property and see a food forest in the making.  I also want to be able to help others who might be interested in growing their own food.

Some of the other skills have to do with this site; some of my goals require these skills to accomplish; organization chief among them.  I plan on posting updates from time to time, and I invite you all to hold me accountable.  I also invite you all to join me in bettering yourself and developing or improving 13 skills in 2013.

If you decide to accept this challenge, please post your 13 skills in the comment section.  Anyone working on their spirituality along with me can pray for everyone who has accepted the challenge.

 

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Filed Under: General Preparedness

When Technology Fails and When Disaster Strikes

December 13, 2012 by

A quick note before today’s article:  There is still time to enter the contest to win one of the 11 gifts I highlighted in Twenty Great Gifts for Prepper’s. To do so, just sign up to receive updates on the left hand side of the blog and reply to any of the emails received, alerting you to a new update from Prepared Christian.  You have until Monday Morning, December 17th, to enter.  I will be picking random winners and notifying them so that they can send me their mailing address.  I will have the items sent directly from Amazon to your home.

 

When Technology Fails and When Disaster Strikes

One of the seminars I went to during last year’s MSTEP (Minnesota Symposium on Terrorism and Emergency Preparedness) featured Mat Stein.  Mat is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he majored in Mechanical Engineering and is a best-selling author of two books called When Technology Fails and When Disaster Strikes.  Being the prepper nerd that I am, I had to see the talk Mat gave.  He opened with a similar version of the below, which is taken from the “about” page on his website Twenty Great Gifts for Prepper’s.

“It was a true epiphany that started Mat firmly on the path of self-reliance, emergency prep, and sustainability. Around Thanksgiving of 1997, during his morning session of prayer and meditation, in answer to a simple request for “guidance and inspiration”, Mat received a fully developed “story board” type of pictorial outline that popped into his head instantaneously. It was the outline for a massive handbook to help people be more self-reliant, live more sustainably, and prepare to weather the coming storms as we pass through this age of uncertainty and change. After three years of work, this “cosmic download” crystallized into his first book, When Technology Fails.”

Mat covered a wide variety of topics, many that I was already familiar with, some were brand new to me.  He spoke about things you might expect, such as threats we may face and why we should prepare, but went on to cover some things like using colloidal silver, tea tree oil and other natural methods.  This was actually the first time I had someone really explain colloidal silver, giving the history of it and an explanation on how to make your own colloidal silver generator.  He explains this in detail in the book When Technology Fails.

After the seminar, I waited in line to purchase both books and got a chance to chat with Mat for a few minutes.  I have since read some of his other writings and I listen to him on The Survival Podcast episodes Episode-795 and Episode-837.

 

Now Onto the Book Review

When Technology Fails

The first book Mat wrote was When Technology Fails.  It covers a wide variety of information. Keep in mind that it is written to be of use When Technology Fails.

Just a few of the areas he covers are: reasons for preparing, supplies one might need, water, food, shelter, as well as a large section on alternative holistic medicine.  He also covers topics such as metalworking, energy, and not-so-modern chemistry.  Some of those were the titles of the chapters, but the table of contents is five pages long.  In each of those areas he goes into detail on several different aspects of them.

As an example, the chapter “When High-Tech Medicine Fails” is 50 pages long.  It covers many different aspects of alternative healing, one being colloidal silver.  Mat explains many uses for colloidal silver, discusses his personal experience with it, and then explains how you can make your own colloidal silver generator, complete with a drawn diagram.

 

When Disaster Strikes

Mat’s second book When Disaster Strikes is broken up into three sections;

  1. General Preparations
  2. Emergency Medicine, Survival Skills and Tools
  3. Specific Disasters and Crisis

The second book doesn’t have as much detail on the first two areas, but I think it goes into more detail on what the actual disasters will look like, explaining what to expect, what you can do before, during and after.

 

Final Thoughts

I have to admit that I have not read either of the books from cover to cover, but thumbed through them reading things that interested me.   There are a few books that I think belong on every Prepper’s bookshelf, these two are among them.  There is some overlap between the two, When Technology Fails has more technical data in it, and covers much that When Disaster Strikes does not.  However, When Disaster Strikes is updated and, as I mentioned, goes into more detail on the disasters themselves.  If you’re only going to buy one, I suggest When Technology Fails, because of the vast amount of information it contains.

There are Kindle versions available, but this is the kind of book you want around if the grid goes down so that you can reference all of the information.  This isn’t to say I think the book should collect dust until then.  It is a fantastic resource to use in planning your preparations.

I highly recommend these books.  I give When Technology Fails five stars and When Disaster Strikes four stars.  The difference between the two is the HUGE amount of information in When Technology Fails.

 

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Filed Under: Reviews

The Threats From Within

December 12, 2012 by

I meant to write this article last year but time got away from me and then I misplaced my notes.  My wife recently found my notes so I decided to write the article now.  I had the opportunity to attend  MSTEP, Minnesota Symposium on Terrorism and Emergency Preparedness, in November of 2011.  This article will be about some of the things I learned about through MSTEP, but will not just be about Minnesota.  I will discuss several of the threats that I believe we face from within our borders.

At the symposium there were four keynote speakers and twenty four classes to choose from.  Each person attended eight classes they chose.  Much of the information given was facts, and some of it overlapped between the various classes.  Because of this, the article might be a list of facts and not flow all that well.  I apologize.

There is not a nation on earth that could successfully invade America.  Our armed forces are unparalleled, even if the majority of them are overseas.  Also, as the Japanese General said, “You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.”  For these reasons, I believe we will see small groups of people and even lone wolves that strike us.  I wrote an article a couple years ago called Lone Wolves and Swarm Attacks that goes into more detail on them.

 

Gangs

There are an estimated 1,400,000 gang members in the Unites States.  In this article from the military newspaper “Stars and Stripes”, the FBI says U.S. criminal gangs are using military to spread their reach.  I have also read reports of gang members joining the military to learn tactics.

 

Unrestricted Warfare, China’s Plan to Destroy the USA

One of the keynote speakers mentioned that a Chinese Military manual touts different ways to attack America, which our Military could not deal with.  Some of the attacks are terroristic in nature, while others are economic attacks.

 

Hackers Infiltrating our Infrastructure

I have linked various articles detailing hackers from unfriendly nations, such as Russia, China, and others in the Middle East, infiltrating our electric and water infrastructure.   The thinking is that they are learning the systems and could shut them down at a later time.

 

Terrorist Attacks

From 9-11 until the fall of 2011, there have been 58 terrorist attacks stopped.   Every two weeks there is another terrorist attack plotted.  One of the keynote speakers said that a deputy director of the FBI said he believed a dirty bomb would go off in the USA.  I have read other reports from people “in the know” who have predicted the same thing.

 

Somalis in Minnesota

You may have seen reports over the last few years of Somali men that immigrated to Minnesota, who were found dead in Somalia and other places in Africa.  It was said that in 1991, charity organizations moved Somali refugees to Minnesota.  On a side note, did these charities look at the weather differences between these two places?  I digress, many of these families moved into the Twin Cities, which consists of Minneapolis and St. Paul.  Most of the families continue their ethnic heritage and traditional dress and have not assimilated into American culture.

It is believed that these men were approached by Al Shibab, a Somali terrorist organization, in a Mosque in the Twin Cities.  If they can recruit them to go back to Somalia and commit a suicide bombing, they can probably get them to do one in the states.

 

Pandemic

Trudee also attended a talk on the risk of pandemic and the response of healthcare in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.  Whether the pandemic is natural or “weaponized” this is an area of great enough concern that there are caches of antibiotics and others medications that might be needed.  There are also several facilities that can be converted into mass dispensing facilities, and other facilities that will be used when local hospitals are filled.

 

Outside of Minnesota

I have seen multiple articles, such as this one from the Arizona Capital Times entitled Hezbollah terror threat on U.S.-Mexico border is real .  The article is worth reading.  It gives several examples of people tied to terrorist groups sneaking through our border with Mexico.  One example is:

“According to Mr. Taylor, a Muslim cleric, Abdullah al-Nafsi, said that “there is no need for airplanes and planning; one man with the courage to carry a suitcase of anthrax through the tunnels from Mexico to the United States could kill 330,000 Americans in one hour.”

There are also issues at many of our ports.  I read a report that said maybe only 10% of the cargo containers are checked.  It would be quite easy for someone to sneak in along with some type of payload.

 

Please Don’t Dumb it Down

Terrorists have a thing for big elaborate attacks.  9-11 is well known, but there have been many other, mostly failed, attacks all over the world.  Don’t get me wrong, they have some luck with collaborated attacks, sometimes bombing multiple US embassies in multiple countries.

When they have done the greatest damage is usually when one man acts alone, using easily attainable weapons.  It is when they include multiple people or elaborate plots that they are arrested or fail.

 

Final Thoughts

There are so many potential threats already inside our borders, they only need to get lucky once for terror to set in, and liberty to slip away.  Let’s pray for continued excellent law enforcement, as well as continued elaborate and failed plans for those who seek to do us harm.

 

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Filed Under: Security, Signs of the Times, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Preparing for Stomach Trouble

December 10, 2012 by

Preparing for Stomach Trouble

 

Today’s topic isn’t a pleasant one, but I believe it is an important one.  I’ve written before about making sure you have some meds on hand to deal with stomach problems, but I have recently had some stomach trouble and it drove home what a problem it can be.  Though my trouble was minor, it still had me out of action at times.  I was blessed to have my stomach issues outside of a survival situation.  However, in a survival situation, being taken out by any stomach trouble could have dire consequences.

I’m not a doctor.  You should consult yours if you have questions or want more information.  You are responsible for whatever you consume.  Everything I am recommending is either over-the-counter or medicinal herbs known to aid in various digestive issues.  You should research any wild edible before consuming it.

 

Making Matters Worse

Stress and changes to the diet can cause those who normally don’t suffer from heart burn, nausea, constipation, diarrhea or any other digestive issue to have them.  If you normally suffer from digestive issues, stress and changes to the diet can make matters worse.

My point here is that even if you don’t normally have stomach issues, in a high stress survival situation, you may.  Being prepared ahead of time can keep an already bad situation from getting horribly worse.  Even if you don’t have digestion issues, others around you may, and you’ll be a super hero for helping them out.

 

Common Ailments and Their Home Treatment

 

Diarrhea

Diarrhea kills 1.5 million children worldwide every year.  That’s more than AIDS.   The most common reason is unclean drinking water.   In hurricanes or floods, the water is often contaminated with all kinds of filth.
 

OTC Remedies (Over The Counter)

Here are some OTC remedies that may help stop diarrhea;  Imodium, Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate.
 

Herbal Remedies

Astringent herbs help dry up the mucus membrane of the intestine.  Some herbs with astringent properties are; blackberry leaf or raspberry leaf. Extract of bilberry also has astringent qualities, but do not take it if you’re taking anticoagulants, as it can cause excessive bleeding.

Chamomile is an herb that may help with diarrhea; it is often used in teas.  Goldenseal is another herb.  It contains berberine, which has been shown to help with infectious diarrhea.

 
Dehydration

There are some schools of thought that say you should let diarrhea run its course.  The trouble with this is that leaving it to run its course could lead to dehydration.  To stave off dehydration you can store Pedialyte, Gatorade or mix your own Poor Man’s Gatorade..

 

Nausea

Nausea can be caused by a wide variety of things.  It can cause one to lose their appetite, and in a survival situation there is a good chance you’ll be burning off more calories than you normally do.

 

OTC Remedies (Over The Counter)

Here are some common OTC remedies that can help with nausea; Dramamine Chewable Tablets, Emetrol Cherry Flavored Liquid, Marezine for Motion Sickness Tablets, Triptone for Motion Sickness and Pepto-Bismol.

 

Herbal Remedies

Many of the herbal remedies can be brewed into a tea.  Others you might cook with.  Some of them are: ginger, chamomile, peppermint, clove, anise, basil, cumin, and concentrates of aloe.  These have been shown to sooth the symptoms in many digestive conditions.

 

Constipation

Adding fiber to your diet may help with constipation, but in times of high stress, fiber may not help.  I remember in boot camp, we ate more food than we would have if we were at home.  We were very active and we had at least ten men who suffered from constipation.

 

OTC Remedies (Over The Counter)

There are five different groups of OTC meds.  They are:

Oral osmotics: Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia, Miralax

Bulk formers: Benefiber, Citrucel, Fiber Choice, Metamucil

Oral stimulants; Ex-lax, Senokot

Oral stool softeners; Colace, Kaopectate

Rectal stimulants; Bisacodyl, Pedia-Lax, Dulcolax

 

Herbal Remedies

Again, many of these herbal remedies can be brewed into tea or used in cooking.  Slippery Elm can have laxative effects; Calendula is traditionally used for abdominal cramps and constipation.  Flax, rose hips, and dandelion are a gentle stimulant to digestion and are mild laxatives.

Untreated constipation can lead to an impacted bowel.  Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy recently wrote an article on fecal impaction.

 

Heartburn

Added stress can lead to more acid in the stomach, which can sometimes cause indigestion and heartburn.

 

OTC Remedies (Over The Counter)

Antacids; there are two types, the kind you take at the onset of heartburn, and acid blockers.  Some types of antacids you can take at the onset of heartburn are: Alka-Seltzer, Tums, Milk of Magnesia, Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids and Pepto-Bismol.  Some types of acid blockers are: Axid AR, Pepcid AC, Tagamet HB, Zantac 75.

 

Herbal Remedies

Just a few herbal remedies include: dandelion, fennel, catnip, peppermint and lemon balm.

 

Gas/Bloating

Let’s face it, many Prepper’s have an abundance of beans in their food storage.  Having a way to counteract the magical fruit just makes sense.

 

OTC Remedies (Over The Counter)

Here are some OTC ways to counteract gas: Gas-X, Alka-Seltzer Anti-Gas and Mylicon.  Beano can be taken before you eat to help stop gas from forming.

 

Herbal Remedies

Here are some various herbs that can be brewed into tea or used in cooking that can aide in stopping gas and bloating.  Fennel is a traditional herbal remedy for gas and bloating, as are peppermint, catnip, chamomile and cardamom.

Hopefully, with this info, you can stock up on a few items that can help you “stay in the game” in the future.

 

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Filed Under: Medical and First Aid

Twenty Great Gifts for Prepper’s

December 7, 2012 by

Before I get to today’s article, I want to let you know about a special thank you to subscribers of Prepared Christian.  If you are already a subscriber or become a subscriber by Friday December 14th, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win one of the eleven gifts highlighted below.

To enter simply reply to any of the e-mails you receive alerting you of an update at Prepared Christian.  In the e-mail just wish me a Merry Christmas!  I will respond letting you know that you have been entered.  I will contact he winners to get your mailing address so I can mail you your present.

You have until Friday, December 14th at 5:00 pm Central Time to enter.  I will be contacting the winners on Friday to get your address.  The sooner you let me know, the sooner I place the order, there should be plenty of time for the winners to have a gift from Prepared Christian under their tree!

Thank you all so much and Merry Christmas!

Chris

 

Twenty Great Gifts for Prepper’s

 

If you have a prepper in your life and are looking for some gift ideas, here are twenty great ideas at many different price points.  Everything on this list is either something I own and may have reviewed, or would like to own (hint hint to my beautiful wife).  As I said above, I will be giving away more than half of these gifts in a drawing for subscribers to the updates as a thank you.

I’ll start off with the least expensive on top.

 

Tactical Bible Stories: Personal Security Tips from the Bible Kindle $2.99 Paperback $4.00

This book written by a fellow Prepared Christian Rob Robideau, I reviewed Tactical Bible Stories earlier this year.  Rob does a great job of using Biblical examples of different aspects of self-defense.
 
 


 
The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life Kindle Edition $8.89 Paperback $6.00

I reviewed The Survivors Club earlier this year, I think it is a fantastic book and learned a lot from it.  I think this book does a fantastic job of exploring a lot of the scientific reasons why some people survive, but it also explores some emotional and spiritual reasons as well.
 
 

The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence Kindle Edition $6.39 Paperback $7.73

I also reviewed the The Gift of Fear this year as well.  I think this book should be required reading for everyone, especially woman.  I believe this so strongly that I gave over 10 copies away when I reviewed it.
 
 

 
ResQMe Car Escape Tool $9.95

I love this little tool, it’s small enough to go  on any key chain, which will ensure it is within reach if you need it.  It will cut a seatbelt and has a spring loaded head that will shatter a car window.
 
 

Midland HH50 Pocket Weather Radio$14.19

This is one of the Midland products we own, I did a review of it and another weather radio earlier this year.  This weather radio is small enough to fit a shirt or jean pocket, so you can easily take it with you on the go.  I am so pleased with Midland that I became an affiliate for them.
 
 

Zombie Apocalypse Survival Kit in a Sardine Can $16.99

I thought this was a pretty clever idea and a great gift for any Walking Dead fan.  More of a gag gift than anything, but the mini kit isn’t bad in and of itself.

 
 

 
Maxpedition Mini Pocket Organizer $16.33

I reviewed the Maxpedition Mini Pocket Organizerand gave it four stars.  This is a great organizer for your EDC, will fit in a cargo pants pocket or in the great abyss known as a purse.
 
 

 
Rothco All Weather Outdoor Blanket (Colors May Vary) $18.45

I recently purchased these for our BOB’s, it is a HUGE upgrade from the small folded space blanket.
 
 

Victorinox Swiss Army Climber II Pocket Knife$18.69
 
This SAK (Swiss Army Knife) is a step or two above the one I own.  There are others with more options, but I think this one covers all of the needed bases.
 
 

Lights Out $19.99

I reviewed Lights Out earlier this year, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I think it is probably the best piece of fiction I have read in the prepper genre.
 
 

 
Allen Company Adult Blade 4 Lens Style Combo Case (Clear, Red, Yellow, Smoke) $19.95
 
I reviewed these shooting glasses, I purchased them for my wife and I after trying on a pair my friend owns.  I could not believe how the yellow made things pop out.  That there are four other interchangeable lenses are a huge bonus.  I think these are great for any shooter.
 
 

 
Adventure Medical Kits SOL Origin Survival Tool $35.67

I don’t own this yet, but it is on my list of wanted items.  It is a great mini kit, with lots of gear in a compact design.
 
 


 
Gerber 22-41545 Black Diesel Multi-Plier with Sheath$52.29

This is an excellent multi-tool, with the following components needle nose pliers, wire cutter, partially serrated knife blade, cross point screwdriver, small, medium and large flat blade screwdrivers, can opener, bottle opener, file, saw and scissors.  All that and it’s a Gerber.
 
 

 
Complete Cold Process Soap Making Kit $44.95

If you want to learn how to make soap this complete kit is a great idea.  As stated it has everything you’ll need and will make 12 bars.  Once you know the process you can branch out and add different oils and scents.
 
 


 
5.11 ATAC L1 Tactical Flashlight $55.99

This is my EDC Flashlight that link will take you to a review.  I searched for almost two years for an EDC flashlight and this one is everything I wanted.  It’s small enough to fit easily in a pocket, or in the Maxpedition pocket organizer I listed above.
 
 

 
Adventure Medical Kits Weekender Kit $49.99

One of the things that I like about the Adventure Medical Kits is they are tailored to the adventure you’re going on.  Sure there are some over lapping pieces, but some of it is more geared for the situation you might find yourself in.  Some other kits they have are Adventure Medical Kits Hunter Kit and Adventure Medical Kits Tactical Field/Trauma with QuikClot

 
Katadyn Vario Multi Flow Water Microfilter $72.49

While I don’t own this filters, it has a lot of bang for the buck and would be a great addition to any BOB.  Lots of water purification from one of the industry leaders.
 
 

Wagan 400-Watt Power Dome Jump Starter with Built-In Air Compressor and LED Utility Light $99.00

I don’t own this, but when the budget permits I plan on one for each vehicle.  It can jump start a dead batter, pump air into a flat tire.  This isn’t something you might use often, but if you need it once, it’ll be very worth the money.
 
 


 
Powermonkey-Explorer V2 – Grey $109.95

I have looked at items like this a couple times, and it never seemed all that worth it.  Then Hurricane Sandy hit and I read about how they had generators running and turned into charging stations, so people could charge their cell phones.  This will do that for you, and it has plenty of adapters, please make sure it will work for your phone before purchasing.
 
 

 
Excalibur 2900 9-Tray Food Dehydrator – Black – New $219.99

I got the 9 tray dehydrator a few years ago for Christmas, I haven’t used it as much as I would like, but I love it.  It can dehydrate a HUGE amount of food at one time.  Unless you are going to dehydrate a colossal amount of food, you can save some money and go with the Excalibur 5 – Tray Dehydrator.  It won’t do as much at one time, but you can do a second batch.  Even with the five trays you’ll be surprised at how much food you can fit in it.

 

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Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With:

Cold Weather Preparedness

December 5, 2012 by

It’s that time of year when the temperatures drop and many of us start wearing warmer clothes.  I want to cover a few things to keep in mind just in case you find yourself stranded out in the cold.

Those of you who live in the south may think this isn’t important, but I think it is almost more important that you’re aware.  People who live where it gets cold deal with it every year.  But if you ever travel to where it gets cold, you need to be aware of a few things.

 

Hypothermia

Hypothermia occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can create it.  Normal body temperature is 98.6 and hypothermia sets in when the body temperature drops below 95 degrees.  It is most often caused by exposure to cold air, water or even cold wind.  Many people have a misconception that it needs to be frigidly cold to get hypothermia, but it can happen from long exposure to temperatures of less than 50 degrees as well.  The elderly and infirm are more susceptible to hypothermia indoors at cold temperatures than younger and healthier people.

 

Some of the symptoms of hypothermia are:

  • Shivering ; constant shivering is a key sign of hypothermia
  • Clumsiness
  • Slurred speech
  • Apathy; lack of concern for one’s condition
  • Muscle stiffness
  • Drowsiness

The treatment for hypothermia depends on the severity of it.  For mild cases of hypothermia getting out of the cold environment and using blankets and heaters to raise the body’s temperature can be effective.  Moderate to severe hypothermia is best treated in the hospital where special treatments can be used to warm the body’s core temperature.

 

Frostbite

Frostbite is when the skin and tissue just underneath the skin freeze.  It usually affects small exposed areas of skin.  Minor frostbite can be treated at home by slowly warming the skin with warm water.  Severe frostbite requires medical attention as it can damage skin, muscle and bone.  It can also cause nerve damage.

Some of the symptoms of frostbite are:

 

  • A slightly painful or itching sensation
  • A cold or burning sensation
  • Numbness
  • Blistering in severe cases
  • Clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness

The first stage of frostbite is called frost-nip and presents as cold red skin.  Continued exposure can result in a slightly painful or itching sensation.

The second stage of frostbite or superficial frostbite appears as reddened skin that turns white or pale; some ice crystals might form on the skin.  Skin might begin to feel deceptively warm, which is a sign of serious skin involvement.  Warming the skin at this stage might cause stinging, burning or swelling.  The skin might also appear blue or purple.

The third stage of frostbite or severe, deep frostbite will affect all layers of skin including the tissue below.  Deceptive numbness may be experienced, in which all sensation of cold or pain is lost.  Large blisters appear 24-48 hours after warming and, as the tissue dies, it will turn black and hard.

Medical attention should be sought if there are signs or symptoms of superficial or severe frostbite, or if there is increased pain, swelling, redness or discharge in the frostbitten area.

 

Five Ways in Which the Body Loses Heat

 

Conduction

One of the ways in which we lose heat is from contact with something that is colder than we are,  for example, sitting on the cold ground.  The heat from our bodies will transfer into the ground, thus making us cooler.

 

Radiation

Another way we lose heat is by radiating it to the open air.  In the cold our 98.6 body temperature is much warmer than the air around us.  We can trap that heat by wearing clothing and a hat and gloves.

 

Convection

Convection is similar to radiation, in that the air is used to steal heat, but it has to do with air movement.  Think of the wind or a fan.  In cold climates where the wind is blowing, this is called wind chill.  The temperature isn’t any colder, but because of the wind it feels like it is.

 

Respiration

When you breathe in cold air your body warms it, when you exhale you give off some of that warmth.  Trudee’s asthma can be bothered by breathing in cold air; placing a scarf over her mouth to help warm the air seems to help some.

 

Evaporation

When our bodies get too warm, we perspire to help regulate our core temperature.  On a hot day this is a good thing, but sweating on a cold day can be deadly.  Dressing in layers and removing layers as you begin to sweat can help control evaporation.

 

Car Kits

For many of us, where ever we go, our vehicle is not far away.  Every year I read new stories of someone who went off the road and was stranded for an extended time.  If this happens to you, having a Car Kit can ensure that you have the supplies you need to sustain life until you’re rescued.

One last note; I have read stories where someone was stranded and perished after a time.  When they were found, their vehicle was intact.  One of the things that should be in your car kit is a knife, you can use that knife to take the upholstery off and either use it as a blanket, or to use it as insulation over a cold window.  You may hate the idea of destroying your vehicle, but the upholstery can be fixed once you make it home alive.

 

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Filed Under: Medical and First Aid

What I Have Learned From Pop Culture About Survival

December 3, 2012 by

I was trying to think of what I would write about this week.  There are so many heavy things going on right now that I thought I would write on something a little lighter.  I’m going to write on some of the lessons I have learned from pop culture about life after TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It).  My definition for this type of event is one that is far reaching and long lasting.  An EMP or pandemic could fit this category.  Economic collapse could fit in as well.  All life doesn’t end, but the way we live does.

 

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Seeing as these shows are fictional, and often written by very creative people, who might take creative liberty to “pretty” the story up, we can learn from what the characters did right, what they did wrong and what is laughably impossible.  As always, using these shows as an exercise to think of what we would do differently can help us hone our survival thinking.

 

Security is Number One (or should be)

Many times security is an afterthought.  Many people have the gun on their hip as the only means of security.  No thought is given to hardening their structure, posting a watch or early warning systems until after an event.  The Discovery Channel has a series of “survival” type shows, one being “The Colony”.  It has a group of strangers that band together to survive a pandemic or other disaster.  They are given an “abandoned” area in which to find shelter and scavenge what supplies they can. There have been two seasons and each season, they put shelter, food and water as a top priority.  They don’t work on security much until someone breaks in and steals from them or harms them.

Shelter I agree with, but it seems to me that once shelter is found, split the group in two.  One group should find a water source and means to purify it, looking for food afterward.  The second group should work on security; hardening the shelter, and finding a means of defense, even if it is clubs (they never have guns on the colony).

 

A Lone Wolf is a Dead Wolf

There are many “survival” themed shows and movies where one lone wolf takes on the “zombie hoard” of bad guys and succeeds.  Unless your name is Chuck Norris, this is not you.  In any situation, Mad Max, The Book of Eli or even Red Dawn, one person cannot do it all.  Having a small family at a minimum or a small group of likeminded people will be a great help.

In terms of security, not only is being a lone wolf a bad idea, but in a true survival situation there will be a lot of work.  Shouldering the burden alone might be too much to bear.  The saying “many hands makes light work” applies here.  The only show where one person did everything on their own was Tom Hanks in The Castaway and he had no choice.

God made us to be communal beings.  I am one of the most introverted, self-dependent people I know, but I am aware of my limits.  I know if something happened I would need to depend on others for certain things, and others would depend on me as well.

 

You Must Feed Yourself

In many of these shows, there is a group and they struggle to meet the The Five Basic Human Needs.  If you have ever watched the Discovery Channel show Survivor Man, you know how little food Les Stroud is able to get in a week in most shows.  The only thing I’ll say about Bear Grylls is that many of the things he consumes on his show are a very bad idea.

In the fictional shows, you’ll sometimes see a garden, but often people are hungry and scavenge to eat.  Most of the time the fiction shows never touch the subject, but I always wonder how everyone is staying fed.  This just drives the point further that storing food and having skills like hunting, gardening and the like are important.

Bad Guys Are Plentiful

There are always plenty of Joe Dirtbags in any survival themed show.  In reality, I think there is a certain percentage of the population that commits crime right now and doesn’t care about the consequences.  I also think there is a segment of the populace that doesn’t commit crime because they are afraid of getting caught.  Without the rule of law, I think the second group might just give in and do dirt.

Do you have any lessons you have learned from survival themed shows or movies?

 

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Filed Under: General Preparedness

Could America Break Apart?

November 30, 2012 by

(Photo courtesy of The Wall Street Journal)

Earlier this year, I wrote an article called “The Future of America”.  In it, I mention that Christians in America are aware that the US is not mentioned in the End Times but that this doesn’t necessarily mean America no longer exists, but that it is just a nation of less prominence.  Is it possible that America could break apart?  If you’re someone who only comes here for preparedness related information, you may want to skip this article.  However, it will deal with preparedness and how you plan your future.

In 2008, I read an article from the Wall Street Journal called “As if Things Weren’t Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.”.  In it, a Russian professor named Igor Panarin predicted that the U.S. would break apart in 2010.  He says “…mass immigration, economic decline, and moral degradation will trigger a civil war next fall and the collapse of the dollar…”  Obviously he is wrong, or is his timing just off?

After I read the article in 2008, I filed it in the mind bank and forgot about it.  That is until recently.  The day after Election Day, I woke up to the headline on the Drudge Report that said “America the Divided” and it had a map separated by red and blue.  A week or so later my wife mentioned an article she had seen that said some Texas citizens had filed a petition for secession and it was quickly gaining signatures.  Within a few days I saw reports of more private citizens from other states following the Texan’s example.  It was then that this article popped back into mind.  I just made a mental note of it and moved on.

A few days later, a reader sent me a link to a prophecy from Rick Joyner where he made mention to Russians holding the belief that the U.S. would break into four or more parts.  It was then that I really started to ponder this, wondering if it is possible and, if so, how it might happen.

 

Russian Professor Igor Panarin

I read a few different articles on this professor and the one by the Wall Street Journal called “As if Things Weren’t Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.” is, by far, the best.  In it, Mr. Panarin is described as “not a fringe figure. A former KGB analyst, he is dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s academy for future diplomats. He is invited to Kremlin receptions, lectures students, publishes books, and appears in the media as an expert on U.S.-Russia relations.”  I only know what I have read in these few articles about this man.  He seems to have a solid resume.  We might see similar credentials for commentators on any one of the alphabet stations.  As to how Mr. Panarin came to this conclusion;

“He based the forecast on classified data supplied to him by FAPSI analysts, he says. He predicts that economic, financial and demographic trends will provoke a political and social crisis in the U.S. When the going gets tough, he says, wealthier states will withhold funds from the federal government and effectively secede from the union. Social unrest up to and including a civil war will follow. The U.S. will then split along ethnic lines, and foreign powers will move in.”

The article goes on to explain just how he thinks the U.S. will be broken up.

“California will form the nucleus of what he calls “The Californian Republic,” and will be part of China or under Chinese influence. Texas will be the heart of “The Texas Republic,” a cluster of states that will go to Mexico or fall under Mexican influence. Washington, D.C., and New York will be part of an “Atlantic America” that may join the European Union. Canada will grab a group of Northern states Prof. Panarin calls “The Central North American Republic.” Hawaii, he suggests, will be a protectorate of Japan or China, and Alaska will be subsumed into Russia.”

How Could It Happen?

I don’t know if this could happen to America, but since our great nation isn’t mentioned in the end times, it is a possibility, as are so many other reasons it’s not mentioned.  Since it is a possibility, what would need to happen to change the U.S.A. into a fractured continent of territories?  Below are some things I think would need to happen for this to take place.  Some of the things listed might already be taking place, but they would need to become more commonplace.

The military might of the U.S.A. is unmatched.  If the U.S is brought down, it would have to come from within.  Pitting the right against the left, the rich against the poor, one race against another and dividing the UNITED people of America, would be a must.

Capitalism would need to be broken and turned into a form of socialism.  There would need to be so many people receiving government handouts that it would imbalance the economic system…Cloward and Piven strategy anyone?

There would need to be decaying morals; things that were once seen as obscene by the mainstream would need to become commonplace.  Those who hold to the morals of the past would need to be demonized and called “haters”.

I think Mr. Panarin is right, that eventually civil war would need to break out.  Where would the lines be drawn this time?  He claims that it would be along racial lines, but I’m not so sure. I have written before that I think there is more racial tension now than there was a few years ago, but I don’t see it as bad enough to go to war over.

If the Cloward and Piven strategy overloaded the economy and the tax rate became crippling to the point where a state or two said “enough is enough”, there might be enough angst between the givers and the takers, between states that were bankrupt and states that were able to keep to their budget, to cause riots and violence to break out.  Depending on how the federal government responded to these situations, a civil war could possibly break out.

 

Pop Culture

I have noticed that in some TV shows and movies, the U.S. was broken into parts.  In the television show “Jericho”, there were nukes and an EMP that shut the grid down.  Towns fought against each other and militias formed to take control.  I forget the lines that were drawn, but I believe there were at least four main pieces.  There is also the current television show Revolution.  In it, there was something that brought the electric grid down.  The show takes place 15 years after that and the United States is no more.  It is broken up into territories controlled by militias.  I just watched the remake of Red Dawn.  In it, there are a few countries who have taken pieces of America captive as the small armies wage war to reunite her.

Does this mean anything?  Probably not, but I do find it interesting that some of the most creative minds writing screenplays for movies and television see America being segmented after a major terrorist attack, the electric grid going down and not coming up or after invasion.

 

Giants Do Fall

Other large nations have fallen and been broken up.  The Roman Empire is probably the most notable in ancient history, but there were many others.  The USSR is the most notable in modern times, falling in 1991 and breaking up into fifteen countries.  They were the only other super power, but they proved you can’t be too big to fail.

 

Final Thoughts

Is this possible?  I don’t know, I pray not.  I say “God forbid it” with one breath and with the next, “Your will be done.”  I was praying for America and thinking about what may lay ahead.  I believe God told me, “Do not let your love of country come between you and I.”  I don’t know what God has planned for America.  Lord, please bring revival before any judgment.

 

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Filed Under: Signs of the Times Tagged With:

Dreams, Prophecy and Promptings

November 28, 2012 by

“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

This verse comes from Joel 2:28 and again from Acts 2:17.  It is a promise from God that He will pour out His spirit, which will give visions, dreams and cause some to prophecy.  Since starting Prepared Christian I have been blessed to receive emails from several of you who have shared dreams you have had or prophecies that have been given at your church or from ministries you interact with on the Internet.  I want to take some time to discuss this with you.

I think this is important because I know that some of you have been led to preparedness by a dream you have had or a loved one has had, or by prophecies given by someone you trust.  Sometimes we feel prompted by God to take an action to be more prepared.

 

Dreams

The word dream is mentioned in scripture 65 times; all but seven of those are in the Old Testament.  Dreams are clearly one way that God chooses to speak to us; I think this is for various reasons.  Dreams bypass the logical part of our brain that can quash the still small voice.  Dreams can also be used to introduce things that we are not yet familiar with.  They can be used to push us to take action on something we may or may not fully understand.

Scripture lists dreams given to people that were a concrete example of what would occur, examples of this appear in Mathew 1:20, when an angel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him that the child Mary caries was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Again in Mathew 2:12 the three wise men receive a dream that warns them not to go back to Herod.  An angel comes to Joseph again in Mathew 2:13 to tell him to take Mary and Jesus and escape to Egypt.  Joseph was visited in a dream again in Mathew 2:19, telling him of Herod’s death.

More often, dreams from the Lord are far more abstract and need interpretation to understand.  For instance; the dream God gave to Pharaoh that is explained to Joseph in Genesis 41:15 of the seven fat cows, then seven scrawny and lean cows that Joseph interpreted for him to mean seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine.  Another example is found in Judges 7:13.  Gideon overhears a man telling of a dream that a round loaf of barley bread tumbled into the Midianite camp with such force it collapsed a tent.  The man listening to this dream interpreted it to mean that the loaf of bread was the sword of Gideon son of Joash.  Gideon used this knowledge to invade and conquer the Midianite camp.  Again, in Daniel 2:30, King Nebuchadnezzar has Daniel interpret the dream of a giant statue, King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:11 has Daniel interpret the dream of the giant tree.

Sometimes the meaning of a dream may be abstract, even if the dream itself is not.  An example of this could be the dreams given to Joseph in the book of Genesis.  In these dreams, Joseph interpreted his brothers and parents bowing down to him.  While Joseph became second in command, only lower than Pharaoh, God, at one point, had Joseph thrown into a cistern, sold into slavery and put in prison before interpreting Pharaohs dream and being given much power.  He used this power to save his family.

The point I am trying to make is that sometimes the dreams we have are from God.  Some of those dreams will actually happen exactly like they did in the dream, as it was many times with Joseph.  Some dreams might show us symbolic events, with the end result being similar to the dream, as it was with Joseph and his dreams of his family bowing down to him.  The dream could just be used to spark you into taking action, like Gideon did when hearing of the interpreted dream.

I have received e-mails from people who say they have had dreams of the economy crashing and violence everywhere.  I have received emails foretelling of the electric grid going out and society falling apart.  I have also gotten an email where the person dreamed that a large volcano (I assume it was the caldera in Yellowstone) erupted, destroying much of America and covering much of the US is ash.  I have also read prophecies from my church and other ministries that speak to some very difficult times ahead.  If all of these are true and come to pass, not only America but much of the world will suffer greatly.  In fact, if the caldera in Yellowstone erupted, it very well could be an ELE (Extinction Level Event).  I suppose it is possible that all of these things could happen, but even one happening is a very low possibility, let alone all three.

 

Prophecy

Prophecy is something I find interesting and have studied.  I have read Biblical prophecies and some by modern day prophets.  The modern prophecies that I have read are often a little vague.  Maybe the prophet is only allowed, as John the Revelator was, to show certain things, keeping some things hidden.  Maybe the entire sequence of events was not revealed to the prophet, or maybe the prophet is afraid of being too specific, fearing the events will not unfolding as they said.

I have visited forums where current events were forced into prophecy.  I have also seen very godly men led to believe a false prophet.  I learned a lesson when I started studying prophecy; if a prophet is wrong even once, they are not a prophet sent by God.  God is never wrong.

If I met a prophet who was always right, who lived a godly life and loved the Lord, I would listen and heed his words.  Until then, I will listen and put their words to the tests of scripture and time to see if they’re right.

 

Promptings

Most of the time, I have a very difficult time knowing if a prompting is from the Lord.  There are other times when I have no doubt.  I’m going to share something personal with all of you and I hesitate to do so, partly because I am very private, and partly because I think it could invite some conflict.  I think it is a good example of how sometimes God prompts us and uses things we understand at the time, only to have events unfold differently than originally thought.

Years ago I had read all of the Left Behind books and really studied the book of Revelation and other prophecies in the Bible.  This is also around the same time I started prepping.  I remember feeling like God was asking me to stay behind after the Rapture to help new believers learn about salvation, and to help them survive the coming judgments to the earth.

Years later I began to feel the Lord stirring again.  This time it was to help believers to learn that preparedness is Biblical and how to get better prepared now.  I wasn’t sure how to do this and sat on it for another couple years.  I finally started writing some pretty awful articles and emailing them to friends.  Then, God used Jack Spirko from the Survival Podcast to spark me into starting the Prepared Christian blog.

My point here is that even though all of the promptings were from God, in the beginning I did not have enough knowledge to teach others about preparedness.  Knowing I would need that knowledge, I began my research and better preparing my family.  Through writing those awful letters to my friends, I hopefully have gotten to be a better writer.  I still didn’t know how to “get the word out” until I heard Jack Spirko that day.  That began my research into blogging and using the Internet.  I now believe God used my understanding of things in the beginning to get me to take the action needed to do what I am doing now.  It was my understanding of things that changed, not Gods plan.

 

Final Thoughts:

Though God does use dreams, prophecy and promptings, they may not always mean what we think they mean.  Don’t cling so tightly to your understanding that God can’t unfold His plan.  Yes He is more powerful than you, but He loves you enough to yield to your free will.

 

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Filed Under: Christian World View, Mind Set

Review of After Armageddon

November 26, 2012 by

Earlier this year, I wrote an article called “How a True Pandemic May Look”.  In it, I explained, at a macro level, what a pandemic might look like.  JP recently sent me an email containing a link to a site hosting a YouTube video of a History Channel special called “After Armageddon”.  First, let me say that I am not posting the link to the video.  I don’t know how the copyright works with it being on YouTube.  If you want to see it, search YouTube for “After Armageddon”.  There are some videos that are broken up in 8-9 minute sections, but I did see one full length one.  I will be going into detail on some of the information covered, so if you want to watch it without me spoiling it, consider this fair warning.

All that being said, the reason I am bringing up this video is that it takes a very micro level look at how a worldwide pandemic will affect the individual.  Their disclaimer is “This Program is a theoretical account of the worst case scenario for global disaster.  This is not a real emergency.”  The premise of the show is that a pandemic with high morbidity and mortality is sweeping across Europe, South America, Russia and Southern Africa.  At first the US government doesn’t acknowledge there are any confirmed cases, but just a couple weeks after the first cases are discovered abroad, there are many affected in the US.

They have a panel of experts talking about the different aspects of how a pandemic will affect everyday life.  The fictional story follows a family from Los Angeles from before there are any acknowledged cases on US soil, to years after the pandemic.  The acting was pretty bad, but I didn’t watch it for the acting.  As the shows disclaimer mentions, this is a theoretical account of a worst case scenario.  I have mentioned before that a pandemic is one of the “big ones” that concerns me the most.   We have had them multiple times in human history, and it could take weeks to months to produce a vaccine.  World travel is easier than ever before, so spreading of a pandemic would be faster than at any other time.  That being said, a large-scale, true pandemic, such as the one in 1918, is a very rare thing.

I used this show to play the “what would I do” game.  While some of the decisions the family in the show makes are not decisions I would have made, putting yourself in different scenarios and deciding the best course of action is a great way to practice “survival thinking”.

The show covered a wide range of topics throughout the entire show, touching on such things as security throughout.  I am going to cover some of the general topics instead of going along the timeline the show used.

 

Healthcare

As I mentioned, the show has a pandemic spreading worldwide after only three weeks.  Because a trip that used to take weeks can now be made in less than a day, it is completely possible for someone who is newly infected to travel to another country before they begin to show signs of sickness.  As the pandemic is really taking hold in America they say that many healthcare professionals will not show up for work.  After some time, hospitals may close their doors and not take any new patients in.  This is in part because they are full and have no more room, because they don’t have any way of treating patients and partly due to lack of staffing.  When I went through CERT, the county emergency manager said that it is expected that as many as 30% of first responders and healthcare professionals won’t go in to work.  This could be due to fear of catching the illness or because either a loved one or they, themselves, have gotten sick.

The show said that the number of dead bodies would be overwhelming, with no one to come and remove them.  I think this could be true.  Also, what would you do with them all?  The only thing I can think of is mass graves.  If you live in a town of 10,000 and the pandemic had a morbidity rate of 30% and a mortality rate of 10% that would mean that your town alone would see 300 people die from the pandemic.   It is easy to see how healthcare and those who deal with the deceased could be quickly overwhelmed.

As I mentioned, the show covered a large time frame.  One of the things they said would take place months to years after the pandemic had run its course was that there would be limited healthcare, maybe going back to what it was in the early twentieth century.  People would get sick and die from things they haven’t in ten to twenty years.  A cut that becomes infected could be deadly.

 

Preparedness

In the show, the father is a paramedic and goes to work one day to be told that the hospital has shut down.  He sneaks in and when he sees all the sick people his eyes are opened to how bad the situation is.  He goes to the store and buys whatever supplies he can find.  One of the commentators makes the statement that I am sure many of you have heard, “the average family has roughly around three days of food in their home”.  He then says, “To really go to ground you need three months or more”.  Since most of us are aware of the need to have much more than three days stored, I am going to leave this alone.

The family decides to self-quarantine until the crime rate and loss of electricity pushes them to flee for the wife’s sister in Idaho.  They soon find the major highways out of the city gridlocked and must find an alternate route.  I bring this up because, while I think that in most situations battening down is the better choice, you should know multiple routes to bug out.  These routes, as one of the commentators puts it, “should be the road less traveled.”

Along the way the family is forced to abandon the SUV and carry very little of their supplies.  The commentators talk about only carrying what is needed and that you may be forced to loot the things to keep you alive.   I wrote an article called “Is it ever okay to loot or salvage”.  If you have never considered this subject, I recommend reading that article.

It is also mentioned that you will have to think of non-traditional places to get water.  Hotel pools and water heaters are mentioned and the father gets some water from a car radiator, which is not an option for most of the year in northern states.

I’ll explain this more in the next section, but in the show, the power goes out for good and oil shipments are no more.  Due to this, it is mentioned that we will need to learn the skills our grandparents knew.  This is in relation to growing and harvesting food.  I have no way to prove this, but I imagine that just two generation ago most people either canned or knew someone who did.  I bet today there is maybe one in twenty who does.

 

Infrastructure

As I mentioned above the family decided to self-quarantine and would have stayed home had the rising crime and lack of power not driven them out.  It was said that there are 102 nuclear power plants in the US, and only 5000 people know how to run them.  Due to staff and fuel shortages there are multiple power station failures.  The show didn’t get into this but it is important to be aware of.  Nuclear power plants have large generators on site to keep the pumps running that keep the rods cool.  I have heard that these generators have a two week supply of diesel on site.  If the power doesn’t come back on line before the fuel runs out and if there is no more diesel brought in, we could be looking at a very serious situation at the end of those two weeks.

Related to the power stopping is the Internet going down.  This would impact just about every aspect of life.  I’m not talking just about email and surfing.  So many companies have integrated the internet into their business, from scheduling to inventory management, air traffic control to power management of remote systems.

Because there is no power, the water stops pumping.  This means that the toilets stop working.  The family in the show is forced to bury their waste outside.  One of the commentators says something to the affect “that due to the lack of a working sewage system this adds to the spreading of disease not associated with the pandemic.”

There is also a mention of the lack of oil and power to push water to irrigation systems.  In terms of growing food, we would be back to the 1850’s.  It is said that “without irrigation farms become wastelands.”  Because of the lack of running water for irrigation, famine pushes the death toll even higher after the pandemic has run its course.

 

Society

One commentator remarks on lessons learned from hurricane Katrina (this might have been two different commentators, but the gesture is the same). “Katrina showed us how thin the polite veneer is.  It took four days to descend into anarchy.”  Another comment is made that “we’re only nine meals away from anarchy.”  I think three to four days sounds about right.  Watching your loved ones go hungry for three days or going hungry yourself for that long could drive people to use violence to try and get what they don’t have to survive.

They said that towns might take up arms, shut their borders and not allow anyone to enter or exit.  This will be done to prevent any sick from entering and also to keep Joe Dirtbag out.  In smaller towns, community food would be rationed and a triage would be set up to determine who will get to eat and how much they may get to eat.  Authority is local and can be guaranteed as long as there is a local Sheriff who is effective.  In one scene, bandits break in to steal from a small town.  They are caught and the sheriff executes them in the middle of the street.

One of the commentators, whom I believe was a professor said, “Both in destruction phase and in rebuilding phase, religion will be very popular.”  There will be a lot of apocalyptic sermons and the pandemic blamed on the sins of the past.  I think this is probably true.  I remember hearing how full churches were after 9-11.

 

Security

It is said that violence will become the norm and security becomes the most important aspect.  When the family begins to run out of food, the husband goes in search of some.   He sees just how much things have deteriorated and begins to throw clothes out in the yard,  explaining to his wife how bad it is and that they have to make the house look like its already been looted and vandalized.

One night the son sees people going through their neighbor’s house and they decide to leave the next day for the wife’s sister’s home in Idaho.   As I mentioned above, they find the main route clogged and attempt another route, which ends up having a “road block” with armed men who start firing shots as the SUV turns around to avoid them.  It is said that “the road less traveled is preferred”, and that “not being seen is preferable to trying to fight.”

The commentators talk of “people forming gangs to obtain the resources they need.” And another said “They’ll be looking for food, they’ll be looking for drugs, they’ll be looking for gold or silver or something thing will have value after.”  The husband tried to barter with someone to get some food and finds that cash is worthless.  The people (thugs) with the food were still interested in his watch.

One of the commentators said something I didn’t know, or at least hadn’t thought of this way; “In a famine situation, children are often the most dangerous.  They are the most prone to violence.”

 

Final Thoughts

While I didn’t learn anything new, I think this show is worth watching and I am glad I did.  A pandemic happening in the manner they depict is something I pray we never see.  Those who read this article or visit other preparedness sites might be better prepared for it, but all of humanity will feel the impact.

 

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Filed Under: Medical and First Aid, Reviews, Signs of the Times Tagged With: ,
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