PREPPING TOGETHER

 

My wife, Mama Donna, doesn't really think of herself as a Prepper, but she possesses a lot of the basic ideas and skills. She can crochet outfits and sweaters, cook up a storm and can scratch bake like you wouldn't believe. She doesn't get into firearms, but she'll let fly with the 12 gauge shotgun or anything else we have if someone breaks in.  But, tell her to put on camo or sleep in a tent, and she'll laugh at you. The idea of her with a combat knife in her hand is like a politician admitting they are wrong. But tell her she needs to help defend her home or get us all to safety, and she'll be there to do all she can in her own way.

I introduced her to prepping slowly, starting off by showing her how little things work together to build up our supplies and how we could do it a few dollars at a time. With yard sales, “two can” buying and sales on everything from aspirin to flashlights, we have put together what we have. She saw our water supplies be stocked up from 2 Lt Soda bottles washed out and refilled.

But what really won her over was when my prepping saved our vacation a few years back. We had gone to the beach, and on the first day she cut her foot. I had my big first aid kit in my "Big Bob" that was in our Jeep and was able to bandage her foot well enough that she had no problem with it.

Since then she has seen us ready for any type of power outages from snow and ice storms, flooding in the valley below us, and even Hurricane Sandy.  She even came up with a shoulder bag that could carry 4 or more .5 Lt bottles of water that she could sling over her shoulder in a bug out or bounce back. She can't wait to go "yard Saleing "  each year to see what we can find. I  She enjoys the rain barrels for watering her flowers, and the fresh veggies our gardens. She especially loves being able to put together one of her fine recipes from the stocks we have on the shelves.

You may have a significant other who is not yet a Prepper and would like to have them join you in prepping.  I offer these suggestions. Show them that you "prep to live and not live to prep" and that not every dollar you have goes into the expensive prepping items. Create or get them a "BOB" for their car, and show them what's involved. Show them in little ways and by example how prepping is a combination of a lot of little inexpensive items, and display how it fits in with regular living. A good example of that is  show them how keeping ice cubes in zip lock bags in the freezer makes them handier for drinks and protects the frozen foods in case of a power outage.  Get them a little mini flashlight for a key chain. Let them use it once to find something and they'll wonder how they got along without it.

If, however, they still aren't "into it", don't poison the well! If they can stay mellow with what you do and you don't use up a lot of money, it's better than nothing. As long as they are not negative, they may come around as a lot of people are doing now as they see what is happening around them.

WHY “SELF-RELIANCE”?

 

            We put it this way. We don’t want to live “off the grid” we want to live when the grid goes off. That’s how we think the average Ann and Andy feel. They don’t want to fight zombies, climb mountains, live off the grid intentionally, wear camo outfits, wave around firearms or get into political movements.

            But when they try to check the net for basic information on keeping on, keeping on after a big storm or other disruption of the normal grid, they are met with a pile of BS labeled “survivalism” or “prepping” The worst of the articles on line call for some political stand or militia type action, while others are nothing more than a hustle to sell people high priced items they don’t really need.

            Because of this I decided to “rebrand” our views, ideas, tips and advice on preparing for emergencies as “Self-Reliance”. We will still hold to the basic principle we have in the six years we have been posting on line. Our goal is to help guide the “Average Ann and Andy” to have a fighting chance in case some natural or man-made emergency event disrupts their normal living for some period of time. We look for the options that cost the least in time, effort, space and money. We are for everyone, not just for the young and fit with money to spend.

            Our ideas are simple. Whatever the cause, something has left you and your family on their own for some period of time, be it a day, a week or more. We will generally stay away from the “end-of-the world” type events and stick to floods, hurricanes, pandemics and so on.

            A quick guideline here for those who get confused between survialism and prepping.

Prepping prepares you to keep things as “normal” as possible until the normal comes back.

Survivalism prepares you to keep things normal until a new normal can be established since the old one isn’t coming back.

            Self-reliance is just that. Imagine any situation where whatever is out there can’t get to you (electricity, water, fire, and police, medical, or any kind of home food delivery) and you can’t get out to it. (Stores, ATM’s) .  For the next day, week or whatever, you have to exist on what you have there at home. You have to rely on yourself.

 THE BASICS:  PART I

            If you are the Average Ann or Andy, you go to some kind of job, make some level of money (probably never enough LOL!) from which you pay for the means to live. (That is your water, food, shelter, etc.)

These “means” come to you by various providers (utility companies, grocery stores, etc.) who in turn are the end points on a long chain of those who grow, gather, or otherwise create what you need. This is assisted by a banking system to keep things running, medical systems to take care of health, and protection for it all from police and fire departments.

            In short, this is your “grid”. While some wish to willingly live “off the grid”, and I say more power to them, most folks, including us here, don’t. I like my a/c, heat, running water, etc. But while I don’t want to live “off the grid” I DO want to live when the grid goes off.

            That is what I see as the main goal of self-reliance, to be able to maintain some kind of average, normal life if all or some of the normal grid is gone for some period of time.

            While what knocks you off the grid is important, I feel TOO much emphasis has been placed on the more “doomsday” events and such things as “zombies”, or political beliefs and not enough on the more common and likely probabilities. After all , a tornado, hurricane or flood doesn’t care if you are a redneck, wear a white collar or in a blue state.

            Let’s start with a look around your world using what we call the “seven sisters of survival”.   These are water, food, shelter, medical, power, money and security.

To start off, you need water. How do you get it normally? In most cases, the average person gets their water from some water company through the faucet. This can be affected by water main breaks, or some kind of contamination. The entire area of Flint, Mich. had a contaminated water supply. This has also happened in a number of places caused by chemical spills or runoff into reservoirs. So what do you do if they announce you can’t drink the water for an unknown time?

Now let’s talk food. This is more complex because you not only need the food itself, but the means to keep it fresh and to cook it. That also means you have to be able to get to a store that has food and use money or cards to purchase what you need. Ever see a store stripped because of an oncoming storm?  How much food do you have right now? How much is non-perishable? How do you cook it?  Are you “married to the microwave” or even worse,  a “deliver to my door, Danny”?

Shelter can vary with each person, from an apartment in a complex in a major city to a house on land in the country. If your shelter is damaged, can you make it livable for the moment by use of tarps, ropes and other means?   Do you have temporary shelter you can set up, or another place to go? All it takes is a chemical spill, gas leak or major fire to cause you to leave your home. Are you ready to dash or dig in to stay?

Medical covers a host of areas, including basic sanitation. What do you do if you can’t use the toilet; wash your dishes, or clothes? What medications you need? What if you are injured by the event? Do you have a first aid kit? Do you know how to use it? Don’t count on EMT’s as there may be no way to reach them or them to get to you and they may be dealing with more serious cases. Can you handle your medical needs right now?

Power generally covers electricity but may in some cases include gas of some form. This is your light and refrigeration and probably your heating and a/c along with how you cook food. It is one of the most important and at the same time the most vulnerable. No, you don’t need some terrorist act to take the electrical grid down; simply a bad storm of some kind can do it. In some cases a car hitting a pole can knock out power for hours. Can you stay warm in winter, or protect your food in the freezer in summer if the power goes out?  Will you able to cook or even eat without it? Do you even have one working flashlight you can find?

Money makes the system work. It is a means of exchange. Today, however, most stores need card systems up and running to be able to sell you anything if you have no cash on hand, even if they have their registers operating off some emergency generator. Also small stores and shops may operate more on a cash basis. Many of us have little cash on hand however. What about you? What’s in your home, piggy bank, or pocket?

Security refers somewhat to the police, but also to your personal situation. Where do you live and work? Is it a good or bad area? How far are you from bad areas? How are your passive   (locks, doors, windows) security measures? What are you moral feelings about defending your home and family when the police can’t be called or may be too overwhelmed to help you? What could you do, or use to protect yourself? (This includes blocking doors with furniture, or having pepper spray)

So now, what will you do and how are you affected if you lose your power for an hour, your water for a day, your entire grid for a week?

While there are NO “one size fits all” answers, there are basic guidelines we will go over as we explore as many of the aspects we can. We will look at these subjects from the standpoint of the Average Ann and Andy, plain folks who don’t have a lot of money, land or time, people who go to work each day and may have to face events away from home.

It can seem overwhelming and it isn’t simple, but it’s nothing the average person can’t deal with. If you want to put an ace up your sleeve in case of an emergency, if you want to try to have a fighting chance if things go wrong, we will try to help you all we can with what we have learned and what others have shared with us.

OUR WEEKLY ARTICLES FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2020

 

In an emergency situation the location affected may have an area that was directly hit by the floodwaters, tornado, earthquake, chemical spill or terrorist act that is generally referred to as Ground Zero. Between that area and where the grid is still up and running normally is usually an area no so hard hit, but without power, water or other aspects of the grid. We call this the RAGE.

RAGE stands for the Relative Area of Grid Effects. If you are in this area the general rule of thumb is that you are on your own for the first 72 hours. That is why we start new preppers off with learning how to cover these first three days or so.

BASIC:  (FOR NEW PREPPERS)

THE FIRST 72 HOURS:  WATER

            What does enough water for 72 hours look like?

For 2 adults, at the maximum standard of 1 gallon per day , per person, for all purposes, it’s 12 - 2 Lt soda bottles thoroughly cleaned out and refilled with tap water (through a filter if you have one).  Cost to you will be zero.    Storage space needed: The bottom of a typical closet.

Or you could get two cases of 24 .5 liter bottles to drink and use 6 2 liter bottles filled for other purposes such as cooking, cleaning, etc. Cost: $10 or less.   Or just get 4 cases for $20 or under.  Storage space needed:  The cases can slide under a bed. The advantage is that they are easier for drinking and storage, but are a pain to cook with or for cleaning, which is why some go with the mix of both.

Third is the 3 gallon size water cooler jugs. You don’t need the cooler to use these. In some places you buy the empty jugs and fill them from your tap. Generally they are economical enough to buy pre-filled. They are also light enough to lift at about 24 lbs. to put on a kitchen or bathroom counter top. You will need a hand operated pump to use them easier but that can be gotten from Lowe’s or any number of sources on EBay for $10 or so. You can get 4 (12gal.) for all your 72 hr. needs, but a mix of small bottles, jugs and 2 Lt.’s may fit your storage space and budget better.  Storage space needed: If you are going for all 4 jugs, the bottom of an average closet will do.

A final note if you are concerned about water for toilet flushing.  Keep a pail and extra 2 liter bottles of water.  Bail out half the water in the toilet’s tank before the first flush into the pail. Flush once a day if possible.  If doable under you conditions, collect rainwater from a drainpipe to use for flushing. This will be covered in more depth in another article covering sanitation/ toilets.

 

 

BLEACH IS BLEACH

            As a former biochemical lab tech, one of the things I learned was when it comes to adding bleach to water for purification purposes, bleach is bleach. As long as the bleach has no additives such as scents, perfumes, or anything else (Oxyclean, etc.) the basic component is the same, 5% Sodium Hypochlorite.  This means the dollar store brand is as good to use for that purpose as the higher name brands.  The amounts to use are given as:

1 quart      2 drops

½ gal        4 drops

1 gal         8 drops

5 gal         ½ teaspoon, or 20 drops

  (if the water is cloudy, use double the amount of bleach shown here.)

Remember, once the container is opened, the chlorine level drops, so get the smaller 1 qt. bottles to store for this purpose if possible.

 

ADVANCED (FOR THOSE ALREADY INTO PREPPING)

KNOWLEDGE       PART I: BLOWING IN THE WIND

            There is a part of prepping that many times is free, available and very important. It’s called knowledge. It’s gathering and learning information that can give you an edge in an event.

            One of these pieces of intelligence is to know the wind patterns where you live, shelter, and generally anywhere you will have to travel to get home or to your safe haven.

            The simplest way to get this information is to look it up on the net. But, don’t trust that data 100%. Watch your local weather daily and write down the wind direction. This will also get you in the habit of learning about yearly storm patterns and to know what is downwind from you. Where possible, put out an American flag and get in a habit of seeing which way the wind blows it.

            Wind direct can be crucial in cases of dirty bombs, nuke plant accidents, wildfires, chemical spills and possibly wind carried diseases.  It can spell the difference in knowing whether to bug out or shelter in place, and to know to go long before the sheep realize the problem.

In the words of Bob Dylan, “You don’t have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”

KNOWLEDGE   PART II:         TIME AND TEMPERATURE

            The next free piece of information that can be helpful for you is learning your seasonal temperatures for your home, or your safe haven’s area. This includes not only the temperatures themselves, but also wind chill, seasonal rain or snow patterns, or for some areas, potential for hurricanes, tornados and blizzards.

            There are the usual sources for this on the net, or even at the library, but nothing beats your own observations and notes. If you garden at all, you have a fair idea when the frost ends and when the high heat weeks are. I know I’ve had to change my growing season because over the past few years July is now the high heat month.

            Here are some key elements to note.

When does it get cold enough to put water or ice packs outside to chill or freeze overnight to use for refrigeration?

When are storms more probable?  (You should note both the time of year and time of day.)

When can I break ground for planting? (Last frost dates)

When do the seasons begin to change over?  (For example, my area has a “rainy” season that separates winter from spring in late March/early April and fall from winter in late October/early November.)

Is there a clearly defined rainy season? (Rain water harvesting)

How long can I go without using up my fuel for heat? 

What alternate means can I have to stay warm or cool? (Thermal blankets, sweaters, light colored clothes, shorts, etc.)

            In this way you’ll learn to fit into the rhythm of the seasons. The non-prepper never thinks of the weather unless it is severe enough to hamper their “routine”. They feel their heat, A/C, refrigeration and the rest of the “grid” will always be there. After all, if it gets cold, they will just plug in their electric blanket.   LOL

 

 

 

AFTERMATH (ABOUT SERIOUS LONG TERM LEVEL III EVENTS)

THE THREE ELEMENTS OF RADIATION EXPOSURE

TIME:  How long you are exposed. An exposure of 10 seconds or a minute, unless it is an extreme radiation level, may not be life threatening or cause you sickness.  BUT such exposure should only be attempted in an emergency.

DISTANCE:  How far you are from the radiation. If the radiation is outside and you are in an inner room or hallway your exposure is much less than if you are standing by an outside window.

SHIELDING:  This is any barrier between your body and the radiation. This also varies with the type of radiation. A normal glass window is not very affective, but a wall is. Alpha and Beta radiation require less barriers to block than Gamma, which calls for 1-2 feet of earth, 6 or more inches of concrete, or lead.  The general rule is the more you can put between you and the radiation source the better.

An inner room, storage area, closet or hallway with no windows as far as possible from the outside that you can get to within a minute or less provides an option.

 

THE MAGIC RULE OF 7

Radiation generally decreases over the first 49 hrs. or basically 2 days.  (7 x 7 hrs.)  This decrease continues over the next 2 weeks (7 x 7 x 7).  BUT in the case of a “dirty” bomb, the radioactive items used may be elements that will remain deadly much longer. Whenever possible remain sheltered until an official “All Clear”.

RADIATION AND FALLOUT

Simply put, fallout delivers the radiation to you. Imagine snowflakes falling outside, but in this case they are ash from what has been destroyed. That ash is now a tiny “X-ray” machine sending out its Alpha, Beta and Gamma rays. Keep in mind, fallout can be delayed and fall out of the upper atmosphere from distant places days later and be very fine dust that can be inhaled. (The delay in arriving will cause the radiation to decay in strength somewhat.)

 

TOUCAN BILL’S BIRD’S EYE VIEW: LIGHT STICKS

            The electricity is out, night has come and you have a young child that needs to go to bed, but is afraid of the dark. What do you do?

Simple, you just break out a light stick.

Light sticks are great in that they are safe, colorful, make great nightlights, come in all sorts of shapes, even in bracelets and stars for children and they can be gotten at dollar stores. On top of that they can be stored without any maintenance, as far as I know, last indefinitely in their package, and are easy to use. You simply snap and shake and they glow.

As with anything else, the child must be old enough to know NOT to chew or bite on one, and they should be the size and shape to prevent being swallowed.

Emergencies are stressful enough on adults, and even more on children. A simple light stick can brighten the darkness in many ways 

PREPPER BEE WISE’S BUZZ WORD FOR THE WEEK

B-NICE   This is a phrase that helps first responders when reporting a suspected terrorist attack

B- Any biological type attack (anthrax, etc.)

N- Any type of nuclear device or detonation

I-  Any incendiary device or affect.

C- Any chemical (nerve gas, chlorine, etc.) attack

E- Any explosive device or detonation

WELCOME TO OUR FRIDAY EDITION FOR JULY 17TH, 2020

THIS IS OUR SPECIAL PREPPING AND TRUTH EDITION

You have begun to think seriously about prepping on some level or another. Maybe like some in my area you were left without power for several days after the last storm. Maybe the last series of floods or tornadoes hit close to you and you got hit with some secondary affects. Or maybe you are a little concerned about all the talk over North Korea and nuclear war.

So you go on line and find a ton of prepper and survival sites. You quickly dismiss the “got my cammies and big, bad rifle” types as you are not out to start a revolution or fight a war. Quickly, however you find that the sites are telling you that your survival depends on spending lots of money by buying this, that or the other from their sponsors. And that their survival plans all call for you to have a lot of land, money and time.

You are welcome to believe all that. I’m not here to say I’m right and they are wrong. I only know what many years and experiences have taught me. I will put some of the ideas out here now on three levels. First is basic, which is for those who have never prepped at all. Second, for those who have prepped some, but wonder if they should do more. And lastly we’ll look at extreme prepping for those who want to consider the worst case scenarios.

BASICS :  REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE: PREPPING DOES NOT TAKE A LOT OF TIME , MONEY, EFFORT OR SPACE.

      PREPPING IS USING YOUR HEAD NOW TO SAVE YOUR ASS LATER.

That’s as simple of a definition as I can come up with.  There seems to be as many reasons to prep as there are preppers. And while they vary due to personal beliefs or situation, and there is no magical survival formula, they do have some common points. 

             First, you have to survival the initial effects of whatever the incident, be it man made, (nuke strike, invasion, terrorism, chemical spill) or natural (earthquake, tornado)

No matter how well you prep there is always the risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. An EMP incident might drop a 777 out of the sky right down on your otherwise safe haven. (Due to the negative spin put on the words “retreat” or “compound“, I prefer to use “safe haven“.)

           Second, if you survive, the odds are your normal grid will not. It may be down only hours, or it may never return in the form you knew it. For my purposes, “the grid” refers to everything from police keeping law and order to grocery stores. 

            Let’s take the first point, initial survival. The general rule here is, ”Don’t be where the event happens’. In other words move away from as many other potential danger zones. This is one of the hardest decisions one can make in regards to their personal survival plan, made even harder by this economy.  Do you leave a danger zone and move to a safer area, and give up a good paying job?  Several years ago I was working in a major US city and living in the suburbs. I knew our odds of surviving most situations there was somewhat slim. Then an option came open for me to have this place and land here at the foot of the mountain. We took the risk and came here. I didn’t find anything in my field, or any steady work, or anywhere near the pay I was making. But it has been worth it for us. In turn we are in a spot with no earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, or tornadoes, and reasonably away from major urban areas and in an area where gun ownership and hunting is still respected.

 

             Understand however, there are few totally perfect areas for your safe haven.  You have to weigh all the factors if you can even consider relocating.  Some threats, like tornadoes, have a large danger zone. Also, an incident, such as an EMP strike, would have its effect everywhere. But I think I would have better chance of surviving it if I was driving on the street of my little town than having my car zapped on the LA Freeway.

             But if you have to live and work in a danger zone, do not give up. There are ways you can prepare. Better to go down trying than to just give up. Many have survived disasters. It starts with you having the will to survive.  There is NO 100% guarantee that by prepping you will survive, but there is very good odds that if you DON’T you WON’T.

            So onto the second point, you survived but the grid didn’t. This is the core of preparation, to be able to take care of your own WATER, FOOD, SHELTER, FIRST AID/HYGIENE, ALTERNATE POWER, MONEY, AND SECURITY. (We call these THE “SEVEN SISTERS” ) This series will help you design your system based on your budget and storage. I started with empty 2 liter bottles I filled with water, a can or two of food here and there, dollar store first aid kits, and the knowledge I had from my military training added to by a number of very good solid books.

             No, there is NO magic formula, just good common sense, some solid information, and most of all THE WILL TO SURVIVE.

 IF YOU ARE THE AVERAGE "ANN OR ANDY"

            You go to some kind of job, make some level of money (probably never enough LOL!) from which you pay for the means to live. (That is your water, food, shelter, etc.)

These “means” come to you by various providers (utility companies, grocery stores, etc.) who in turn are the end points on a long chain of those who grow, gather, or otherwise create what you need. This is assisted by a banking system to keep things running, medical systems to take care of health, and protection for it all from police and fire departments.

            In short, this is your “grid”. While some wish to willingly live “off the grid”, and I say more power to them, most folks, including us here, don’t. I like my a/c, heat, running water, etc. But while I don’t want to live “off the grid” I DO want to live when the grid goes off.

            That is what I see as the main goal of prepping, to be able to maintain some kind of average, normal life if all or some of the normal grid is gone for some period of time.

            While what knocks you off the grid is important, I feel TOO much emphasis has been placed on the more “doomsday” events and such things as “zombies”, or political beliefs and not enough on the more common and likely probabilities. After all , a tornado, hurricane or flood doesn’t care if you are a redneck, wear a white collar or in a blue state.

            Let’s start with a look around your world using what we call the “seven sisters of survival”.   These are water, food, shelter, medical, power, money and security.

To start off, you need water. How do you get it normally? In most cases, the average person gets their water from some water company through the faucet. This can be affected by water main breaks, or some kind of contamination. Currently the entire area of Flint, Mich. has a contaminated water supply. This has also happened in a number of places caused by chemical spills or runoff into reservoirs. So what do you do if they announce you can’t drink the water for an unknown time?

Now let’s talk food. This is more complex because you not only need the food itself, but the means to keep it fresh and to cook it. That also means you have to be able to get to a store that has food and use money or cards to purchase what you need. Ever see a store stripped because of an oncoming storm?  How much food do you have right now? How much is non-perishable? How do you cook it?  Are you “married to the microwave”?

Shelter can vary with each person, from an apartment in a complex in a major city to a house on land in the country. If your shelter is damaged, can you make it livable for the moment by use of tarps, ropes and other means?   Do you have temporary shelter you can set up, or another place to go? All it takes is a chemical spill, gas leak or major fire to cause you to leave your home. Are you ready to dash or dig in to stay?

Medical covers a host of areas, including basic sanitation. What do you do if you can’t use the toilet; wash your dishes, or clothes? What medications you need? What if you are injured by the event? Do you have a first aid kit? Do you know how to use it? Don’t count on EMT’s as there may be no way to reach them or them to get to you and they may be dealing with more serious cases. Can you handle your medical needs right now?

Power generally covers electricity but may in some cases include gas of some form. This is your light and refrigeration and probably your heating and a/c along with how you cook food. It is one of the most important and at the same time the most vulnerable. No, you don’t need some terrorist act to take the electrical grid down; simply a bad storm of some kind can do it. In some cases a car hitting a pole can knock out power for hours. Can you stay warm in winter, or protect your food in the freezer in summer if the power goes out?  Will you able to cook or even eat without it? Do you even have one working flashlight you can find?

Money makes the system work. It is a means of exchange. Today, however, most stores need card systems up and running to be able to sell you anything if you have no cash on hand, even if they have their registers operating off some emergency generator. Also small stores and shops may operate more on a cash basis. Many of us have little cash on hand however. What about you? What’s in your home, piggy bank, or pocket?

Security refers somewhat to the police, but also to your personal situation. Where do you live and work? Is it a good or bad area? How far are you from bad areas? How are your passive   (locks, doors, windows) security measures? What are you moral feelings about defending your home and family when the police can’t be called or may be too overwhelmed to help you? What could you do, or use to protect yourself? (This includes blocking doors with furniture, or having pepper spray)

So now, what will you do and how are you affected if you lose your power for an hour, your water for a day, your entire grid for a week?

While there are NO “one size fits all” answers, there are basic guidelines we will go over as we explore as many of the aspects we can. We will look at these subjects from the standpoint of the Average Ann and Andy, plain folks who don’t have a lot of money, land or time, people who go to work each day and may have to face events away from home.

It can seem overwhelming and it isn’t simple, but it’s nothing the average person can’t deal with. If you want to put an ace up your sleeve in case of an emergency, if you want to try to have a fighting chance if things go wrong, we will try to help you all we can with what we have learned and what others have shared with us.

It’s great to have the higher quality in gear and supplies, but most of us just can’t afford that. But the regular items from the stores can do as well at less cost.

 

IN SHORT: For pennies you can cover

 

  WATER: For two people for 30 days for drinking only is 10 cases of .5L ( small bottles) of water  @ $4 or so a case.  3 cases= $12 will get you generally through a week. If you have any prior warning ( tornado, flood etc.) plug your tub and sink with a flat rubber stopper         ( dollar store) and seal with candle wax.

 

               FOOD:  Regular, store bought non-perishable food you normally like and eat. Remember : EAT WHAT YOU STOCK, STOCK WHAT YOU EAT. Don’t let your supply get below what point you choose, be it two days or two weeks. This can be items you don’t have to cook like small canned meats, tuna, veggies, beans, breakfast bars. Add paper plates, holders, cups, plastic utensils and trash bags.

            SHELTER: Be prepare to “bug out” even if on foot, if your location is bad, or gets bad due to some situation. Check out yard sales for packs, tents and other gear. Sleeping bags should be bought new, if only the most economical ones. If you can, however, “hunker down” at home. Familiar surroundings add to comfort in an emergency situation.

            FIRST AID/ HYGIENE: Dollar store special time. You can slowly stock multiple first aid kits from dollar store items and add hand sanitizer, trash bags, and wipes. (Learn first aid if you can, if not understand at least the basics.)

            ALTERNATE POWER: Yes, get at least one high quality flashlight, but also pick up a number of 9 LED flashlights. Some come in packs with a headlamp and batteries for $12 or so. Glow sticks can be gotten at 4 for $1. Emergency candles are good, but decorative candles will work find. Just be careful with any flame items. Don’t forget the “grill” lighters  and the  AA/AAA batteries at the dollar store.  The batteries will last a day or so at least and are better than nothing. Various Sterno or other cooking stoves are available. (See our pic section for a Sterno stove set.)

            MONEY:   NO NOT THIS KIND OF MONEY!!!    the kind us plain folks can afford  to set aside. Put aside what you can for buying supplies and gear as you see them on sale and also as a cash reserve in an emergency. “A dollar down and a dollar a week” was an old song years ago, but it applies here. LOL!

            SECURITY: Your call on this. Do you want to go passive with locks and barriers or go active with pepper spray or firearms? Remember, a used 12 gauge pump shotgun will deter many a bad guy as much as some $1000 plus tricked out rifle.

Once you have established your storage space or spaces, prepping becomes a simple matter of picking up and item or two and adding to what you have. In the case of food items, you rotate the oldest forward.

ADVANCED:   TIME TO DARE   

            You took your time and carefully squeezed out your prepping supplies and gear from your budget. You put together your plans based on the knowledge of your local threats and conditions but with an eye towards the possible major “Level III” disasters that might occur such as solar flares, etc.

            You checked off each of the ”Seven Sisters of Survival”, that is water, food, shelter, first aid/hygiene , power, money, and security,  as you met the basic requirements to cover them in for at least a two week period, if not more. You have set up plans and gear to get back home or to your safe haven if you are away at work, shopping or whatever, or to hunker down in place if necessary. You know there is no perfect plan or situation, but you feel that you have given yourself and your family at least a fighting chance in most probable emergency events.

            So now what? What’s the next step? Do you stop here?

            The choice is yours. If you are comfortable with the level of supplies and gear, and the plans, knowledge and information you have, then just keep up with what you have, rotate your food and water stocks and feel good about what you have done.

            But, you can reach a higher level of coverage with just a little more effort. The next goal would generally be covering everything in your personal “grid” for four weeks or more. You have already done the “heavy lifting” as far as setting up the basics. It’s time to DARE!

            DARE is an easy way to remember what your next steps are.

D         Develop new options for all the basic areas. As time, space, budget and effort allows, see if there is an easier, more economical, and even fun way to add to your prepping. You might want to get a basic food dehydrator and make Jerky, or dry fruits and veggies.

A         Acquire new information, skills, or items as the situation allows, possibly “upgrading” as you go. You could add a lantern  or a battery powered “strip light” to add to where you just had a good flashlight, or some racks for your pantry to hold cans.

R         Rotate, restock and research.  Rotate your stocks by “eating what you store, store what you eat”. Yes it is good to have some special “survival” type foods in “deep reserve” but many times due to their cost, a beginning prepper won’t have much of it. Most of us have to “Two can” our way by adding what we can each trip to the store until we build up our reserves. Once you have built up your basic level, eat from it and replace it to keep it fresh while you try to add to it. Have a limit, so you don’t allow it to fall too low. Do research into information that can add to your knowledge (weather patterns, etc.) and help you do things easier and at less cost. Look for sales and bargains on food and gear. Check out yard sales for usable items and books.

E          Enhance all the areas where you can. Slowly build up water and food stocks to four weeks. Add more first aid items a little at a time. Check and add to any “Bounce back” or “Go Bags” Stock up on more paper towels and toilet paper. Maybe add a small generator or solar panel. Keep putting aside a few dollars and change. Improve locks, doors and barrier plans. If you so decide add to and practice with bows, firearms, etc.

            We will help by showing you different options that may be of value to you. Remember that THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL when it comes to prepping, only good general guidelines.

            Are you ready to DARE?

 

 

AFTERMATH: THE UNTHINKABLE

            A FIGHTING CHANCE: I’m going to be as honest as I can be here. Unless you have hundreds of thousands of dollars to put into, the odds of you surviving a LEVEL III all out nuclear exchange or pandemic are very, very slim. So why bother to prep?  By prepping you can make the difference between having near zero chance to having at least a fighting one. Only you can decide if your situation is worth putting the extra time, money, effort and maybe space into.

            The big difference in LEVEL III events is that you are not prepping to hang in there until the “normal” comes back because the normal isn’t coming back. You are prepping to be there to help rebuild that which was normal.

            Many of us must live and work in major urban areas and because of that our odds drop if there is a nuclear exchange, pandemic or EMP/solar flare. This does NOT mean to give up. You may be able to have a “bug out” plan with vehicle and gear ready to get to a safer location. You may be able to hunker down and get through the worst of it all until you can emerge and help rebuild.

            But two things you MUST get out of your mind if you are going to give this type of prepping a shot.

            First: Forget about 99% of any post apocalypse version from movies, TV shows and books. There are a few exceptions. “The Day After” and “Threads “ , were both well done and may be close to what the reality might be.  An older movie, with a terrible title “Panic in Year Zero” is worth a look as is the old novel “Alas Babylon”.  

            Second, as in all other forms of prepping, there is no MAGIC kit, gear, or supplies that you can buy, never look at or know how to use that is going to save you. This is not to say various items and gear are not worth the cost, or that they aren’t valuable. Just be wary of any sales pitch that tells you that his item, etc. will save you from doomsday.

We have in previous editions and will in editions to come, continue to get down to the nuts and bolts of each level of prepping. You are welcome to join us here.

We make you one promise. We are NOT out to sell anything and we look for every dollar saving way for the Average Ann and Andy to make it through any emergency event that comes their way.

            If you like what you read here, help us reach others. We ask you please to share what we offer to others you think will benefit from it.

Thank You, Poor Richard and Mama Donna

 

 

 

 

WELCOME TO OUR WEEKLY EDITION FOR FRIDAY JULY 10th, 2020

BASIC PREPPING:  DIY BOUNCE BACK BAGS

Wondering how to put together an emergency bag for your vehicle?  Here’s Poor Richard with a step by step guide to the items and the costs.

The idea of a Bounce Back Bag (3Bee) is to have in your vehicle means to try to get back to your home or other safe haven after some emergency event has occurred that has disrupted the normal grid. It differs from a true Bug out Bag (BOB) in that it is not designed for an extended stay in the mountains or forests. But it would be better than nothing as a BOB in such an extreme situation.

My guidelines for this bag were based on what my cousin (and my nephew’s wife) could carry reasonably for the estimated two days maximum it would take them to get back home or to our safe haven here at the foot of the mountain. I allowed them to be up to 25 miles from here at work, shopping, visiting, or out with friends. (Despite what cynics will tell you, preppers DO have social lives.)

I decided to make two bags because by buying in bulk allowed me to have enough to do so. I will be making two others in the future for other female family members.

It all starts with the bag. The bag is shown here loaded, with .5 liter water bottles in web pouches on each side. If there is a danger in the bottles being seen there is plenty of room inside, as shown in the next photos of the empty bag, to put them or any extra items they may want to add before, or that might be able to be bought from a street vender or store that takes cash right after the event before people realize what has happened.  As you can see from the tag, the bags were $5 each, brand new. I got them in basic, neutral colors so as to blend in and not call any attention to the person. In my humble opinion, a red bag which has “Survival kit” in white letters on it is asking for the wrong kind of attention.

Next up is the first of the “Seven Sisters of Survival”, WATER. As the photo shows, I put in 6 standard, store bought, .5 liter bottles of water. Yes, that is below the “gallon per day per person” you’ve heard about, but water is heavy!  To make up the difference, I put in 20 water purification tablets (see photo), each able to purify 1 liter of water for a total of 20 liters or 5 gallons. The tabs can be cut in two or be used to take care of two bottles by filling one with water, adding the tablet, then after it mixes pour half into a second bottle and fill both.

Next up is FOOD.     This is a personal choice, so they can put in any kind of non-perishable , non-crushable goodies they want from beef jerky to trail mix, but I wanted to give them something to start off with. I found packs of 5 energy bars for $2 and another one on sale for 58 cents along with 10 powdered energy drink mixes for $2 (5 drink mixes per bag = $1 cost). These are in a zip lock bag to protect them, which also gives them a bag if needed for storage of items they might find, or pick up. (see photos)

SHELTER:  As they might have to walk in the rain, or possibly “camp out” for the night, there is a poncho, a Mylar foil emergency sleeping bag, and a bracelet with enough Para cord to make an emergency tent. The bracelet also has a simple compass, a whistle, a cutting edge, a magnesium scraper stick and a spark striker, the last two items for making a fire. (Since the ladies are not exactly skilled in this area, I am not going to put a lot of emphasis on it.)

FIRST AID   Each bag has a DIY first aid kit that has more than the average pocket or small kits do. I covered this in a previous article where I bought in bulk at the dollar stores which enabled me to make 4 fully stocked kits for an average cost of $6 each. These kits have almost every item on the standard Red Cross list for a home first aid kits, along with the 20 water purification tablets.

SANITATION   The need to keep your hands clean and germ free, along with basic cleanliness is even more important after a disaster or disruption. I included 5 packs of tissues and a small bottle of hand cleaner. There are also “baby” wipes in the First Aid Kit. The odds are they will have to “go” before they get back, so they will need to stay clean.

LIGHT, HEAT, GENERAL SUPPORT, COMMUNICATIONS        These are important areas and are addressed with a few simple items.

LIGHT    There is a 9 LED mini flashlight with batteries, along with an extra set. (Normally I don’t leave batteries in a flashlight, but the ladies may not have time to put the batteries in. It’s better to have the flashlight loaded and include a spare set.) There are also a pack of 4 chemical lights (yellow) and a big, fat emergency candle.

HEAT       There are two packs of matches (in the First Aid Kit) and a new mini lighter for lighting the candle and starting a fire if necessary. The hand sanitizer can be used to start a fire also by rubbing a small amount on the tinder. This plus the “sleeping bag” will help against the cold.

GENERAL SUPPORT          There is a P-51 (the larger version of the P-38) manual can opener on the ring of the flashlight. There is also a pocket multi-tool in the bag. I have included photos of the sheet from each listing all the features it has, which includes a working mini flashlight.

COMMUNICATIONS          There is an AM/FM radio that can go inside the pack and have the ear buds go through an opening to it so they can walk and listen at the same time for announcements of safe routes or problem areas, yet be as discreet as possible. The radios were a bit of a surprise as I found them in the pack with the flashlights and batteries for $5 at the close out store. (See photos)

FINANCE (money)                 I’m advising my cousin and my nephew’s wife to have $20 (or more if possible) in ones, fives and change tucked in the bag in some small zipper pouch and tell NO ONE outside of our group. There may be situations where having a few dollars in cash might help a lot.

SECURITY                             This covers self-defense and is a very personal area. I have advised them at the very least to have pepper spray on a key ring.

So what did this all actually cost?

Bag                              $5

Water                          $1 (24 bottles for less than $4 = 6 for $1 or a little less)

Water tablets               $1.65 for 20 (100 for $8.25 with free shipping)

Food                            $3.50 total (5 energy bars for $2, one for 58 cents, and 5 drink mixes $1)

Shelter                         $8 (Poncho $1 at flea market new, sleeping bag $3.50, bracelet $3.50)

First Aid                      $6 (estimated cost based on 4 kits from bulk buy of items at dollar store)

Sanitation                    $1.50 (5 packs of tissues = 50 cents. /10 packs for $1) Hand sanitizer $1

Support                        $12.50             $1.50 (1 lighter from a 3 pack for $1, 2 packs of matches,

(Light, Heat                                         1 big candle, 1 pocket knife/or tool kit $4, 1 pack with an

Communications)                                AM/FM radio, a flashlight and batteries $4*, ear buds $1,

                                                            1 can opener $1 1 pack of 4 light sticks $1)

TOTAL:                    $39.15 ($40.00)

(*Minor note: The radio and two flashlights cost $5 but I only used one flashlight so I dropped it to $4. I’ll use the other two flashlights in the next two bags.)

You’ll find very few ready-made bags available for less, and with less in them, but if you have more money than time, some of them are not bad. For me, I am well experienced in finding the bargains, so I can set up the bags for the ladies. They are our gifts to them. While we hope and pray they will never have to use these bags, we also know that for less than the cost of a night out we can give them a fighting chance should anything ever happen.

What about you?

 

BASIC PREPPING:   WHEN IT’S PERSONAL

Official type emergency handbooks and such from FEMA, the Red Cross, and other such sources use general guidelines for most situations. They also concentrate the most on natural disasters, and stick to the common basics.

Some “survival and prepper” sites stick to country/worldwide, Level III “apocalyptic” type events such as solar flares, EMP’s, epidemics, economic, governmental, or general societal collapse, and the old standard, zombies. 

You, however, should take a look at your own personal situation and try to access the threats to you and your loved ones. True, many of those listed above could affect you, but there are some others that are more likely for your area.

As far as the natural disasters, I live in an area that has very little chance of a major earthquake. With my home here at the foot of the mountain, the terrain makes a tornado much less likely, but still reasonably possible. I am also sufficiently high up from the valley below so that the direct effects from the river flooding could not reach me.

But, I am in the “snow belt”. Ice storms can bring down lines here. Artic cold, like we had this winter, can affect the normal grid in dangerous ways. Snow can reach blizzard levels, blocking roads and taking down lines. It also causes icy roads, which can lead to crashes taking down power lines that may take days to fix due to the bad weather.

We also can see lines come down from summer storms, or the side effects of hurricanes or tropical storms. Heavy rains could affect the reservoirs with their run off. Also, with the forest only a hundred yards or so from our front door a wild fire could be a threat.

Then there are the man made threats. There is a nuclear plant some 30 miles or so away from us that could cause us to evacuate. We are generally on the flight path to a fair sized airport. A crash could start fires that could burn up the neighborhood or the forest.

You should also keep in mind about getting caught in the secondary effects of an event. This is what we call RAGE, the Relative Area of Grid Effects. Simply put, you could be in between the area, such as with us, the flooded out valley below, and where the grid is operating normally.  In turn, this could cause your personal “grid” to be affected from annoyance level to a major problem.

What causes the event is important towards what you need to be able to deal with it. But, the general rule of thumb is to be able to be cut off from the grid for whatever reason and exist on your own little island until things get back to normal.

So look around and think about the kind of threats that are specific for your area in order of most to least likely. IN other articles we will talk about threats you can see coming (floods, etc.) and those that come out of nowhere (water main breaks, loss of electricity, etc.).

Later we’ll talk of what to do if you are at work when things get bad, because as the average Ann and Andy knows there is always that boss who says that there is no problem and you can come to work and you can’t afford to lose the job.

 

AFTER THE BASICS:   ADVANCED: ELECTRICITY   PART I

            With storm related power outages fresh in our minds, let’s look at the question of electricity. With all of our devises that run off it, it would seem that we can’t live without it.

            But if you take away that which is a nice to, and get down to that which is a have to, you get a better idea of what you really need. From there you can start to work on how to have it, or replace it in the simplest, and at the least cost.

            What do you really need? Light, refrigeration, and heat in the colder months are the main items on the list. If you can recharge the batteries for your laptop, notebook, phones or other devices it can be of help.

            Simply figure to be your own “power grid”. You will produce the electricity in some way and deliver it to your devises. Generally this comes down to manual, solar, wind or fuel powered generation.

            Manual can be as simple and economical as a crank flashlight, lantern or cell phone recharger or as advanced and expensive as a bike powered generator.

            Solar also can be as simple and economical as solar pathway lights brought in for use as nightlights or as advanced and expensive as a home with large solar panels.

            Wind also can be a simple wind generator, enough to recharge a car battery or a massive wind tower that can power the entire house.

            Fuel generators can go from a small generator that can run 8 hours on a half a gallon of gasoline to one powered by propane that can run a house.

            I will cover all these alternatives and how they come together to make your own grid. As I am NOT an electrician, these guidelines will be for all of us average people.

POOR RICHARDS CORNER: MEET SYD THE CYNIC

            With all the new folks discovering us, I thought it would be a good time to introduce Syd the Cynic. I chose Syd because this is the type of time and situation, both locally for us and nationwide, that he may bring out his comments.

            Syd sneers an anything that even sounds like prepping. To him, no storm or situation would even knock you off the grid long enough to be a problem and that individuals shouldn’t try to take care of themselves. They should trust their government to rush to their aid.

            Syd is why we stress two ideas, especially to new preppers. First, don’t talk about your prepping to others, and second, stick to normal looking supplies and gear. Save the camo backpacks and combat vests for the zombie hunters.

            But what about the points he makes, that it’s a waste of time, money, space and effort to prep? Well, that’s his opinion and his choice. What he fails to see is that your prepping doesn’t have to be anything too out of the ordinary. Simply put, your prepping can be having an extra 72 hours, or a week or two weeks of water and non-perishable food along with the other support items on hand, with foods you eat normally. You eat or use and replace the items, always keeping your stock at your chosen level.

            Let’s take this case, a possible bad storm for us here. The roads might be blocked, the power lines down and the water/sanitation affected if it were severe. But because we are stocked up with normal items we have enough water and food, and the means to cook and have lights at hand at any given moment.

                        You may be seeing a pattern here. It’s one we have seen work time after time. Simply put, it’s NOT what knocks you off the grid as much as you being able to be off the grid. That’s not to discount the seriousness of a virial pandemic or a hurricane. But in the end it comes out the same, you and yours are “hunkered down” in your home or other safe haven with the supplies you need and the means to take care of yourself. That’s why we talk about being prepped using the least in time, space, money and effort. Each extra can of stew or ravioli, each extra case of bottled water, each pack of first aid items gives you one more ace up your sleeve in case something does go bad.

            In short WE PRAY FOR THE BEST, WE PREP FOR THE WORST.

 

 

TOUCAN BILL’S BIRD’S EYE VIEW: JUNK MAIL TO FIRE BRICKS

Toucan Bill here with another simple, basic way to save money on your prepping and take care of a security risk at the same time.

We all get junk mail and a lot of it is the type that needs to be shredded and disposed of well to prevent identity theft and financial loss. The shredding part usually isn’t the problem. It’s the bags of shredded material that have to be gotten rid of.  Sure, you can put them at the bottom of the big garbage bag and pile all the other “stinky” garbage over them. But some thieves view the picking past the peels as just the price of doing their evil crooked business.

Besides, why not make the junk mail work for you? If you have a fireplace, fire pit, wood stove, grill, or can make an emergency one from an old rusty drum, you can turn that bag of shredded junk mail into “fire bricks”. Now you may have seen fire brick making forms on sale for an average of $30 or more. If you want to go that route, more power to you. But I have found how to make my bricks for about $5 total.

I went to the dollar store and got a plastic container the width, length and twice the thickness of a standard brick, along with a plastic pail, a roll of standard masking tape, a pack of standard brown lunch bags and a pair of rubber gloves. Total cost: $5 plus tax.

I filled the pail ¾ of the way with the shredded paper, covered it totally with water and placed it in a corner of the garage out of the way. After a week or so the paper was pulpy enough to begin.

I took the plastic container and lined it with old newspaper. I then put on the rubber gloves and took handfuls of the pulpy paper and holding them over the pail, squeezed out the water from the mass. While still pliable I molded the pulped paper into the newspaper covered plastic container, keeping the height to that of a standard brick.

I now folded the newspaper over the top of the mass and used the masking tape to seal it. I placed a regular brick over the mass, a piece of board under the plastic container, and a large C clamp over both. By tightening the clamp I was able to squeeze out more water as I held the container upside down over the pail.

Once I felt I got out all the water I could, I removed the newspaper wrapped “brick” and placed it on a tray. After doing the rest of the pulped material the same way, I placed the tray with the now wrapped “bricks” in the bottom of my greenhouse in my workshop to finish drying.

After a week of 80+ degree days, the wrapped “bricks” were dry and ready for the final step of sliding each of them into the brown lunch bags and sealing them with the masking tape.

Out of a standard kitchen trash bag full of shredded paper, I get 8 “fire” bricks usable in my barrel stove when I burn leaves in the fall, or for emergencies to keep the home fires burning.

 

            If you like what you read here, help us reach others. We ask you please to share what we offer to others you think will benefit from it.

Thank You, Poor Richard and Mama Donna