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.
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.
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
