I aspire to be more prepared the
next time. My preparedness
includes many different aspects.
In my opinion, the most important thing I have done is to learn as much
as possible about what to expect and how to deal with those situations. The other important thing that gives me
some piece of mind is that I carry
and stock away water, food, ammo, books, and other tools and equipment that
should help me survive a bad situation.
Be prepared!
The other inspiration for my
preparations is my family. Seeing
my family suffer from lack of water or food would be very hard for me,
especially if some easy and cheap preparations could have made a big
difference. Recently, a few
friends and family have asked me about my preparations and how they might
prepare. I didn't have a good
short answer because I have spent years learning and stocking away. I thought of myself as more of a
student than a teacher in this area, but now I think I do know enough to give
some basic advice and refer them to good sources for more. Hopefully, they (and you) can learn
from my mistakes without having to waste time, energy and money on things that
don't work. Of course, I haven't
been through every situation or disaster but I have made it through a few tough
spots without losing my head. My
advice is based upon what I know to work and also what sounds like it would
work with the minimum fuss. I
always prefer the cheap, easy, home-made solution, but
sometimes it is worth the cost to get a quality item that is just too hard to
improvise or where the manufactured solution is much better (such as a
knife). Keep it simple stupid
(KISS) when you can. With
persistence you can get a lot done $20 at a time.
The purpose of this document is
to give an overview of preparedness and the first steps to take. I focus more on the why than the what
so that you can tailor your preparedness to your own situation and budget. I will also cite the best sources I
have found for more information.
There is a lot of information out there in books, classes, web sites,
and forums. Most of it is good but it is also really repetitious and
overwhelming. This document is
only about 15 pages printed out (you are printing important information (not
necessarily this) aren't you - since in an emergency you may not have power and
need to take the information with you).
I try to keep my important preparedness documents in an expandable file
folder with a tie inside a plastic crate.
What are you preparing for?
No one really knows what will be
the next survival situation they will face or how it will play out (will it get
worse before it gets better?). It
could be getting lost hiking, the car getting two flats in the middle of the
desert, a hurricane, a home invasion, an earthquake, or a terrorist
attack. You must assess your own
situation and determine what you need to prepare for. Of course some preparations will be useful in many
situations including everyday life, and these are the best type.
In order to get an idea of what
to prepare for, look at the types of situations that you or people similar to
you have been through. Also,
assess where you live or spend a lot of time such as work and vacation. We need to learn from the past but
without fighting the last war.
I like hiking and being
outdoors, so for me learning how
not to get lost and how to stay alive in the outdoors are high
priorities. These skills may also
come in handy if I need to walk to safety during a terrorist attack because all
of the roads and public transportation are closed. Living in your house without power or water isn't too
different from camping
except for the nice roof over your head and all of your stuff. I have also taken a first
aid class. It is pretty
limited in coverage but still useful in a variety of situations.
To assess the likely dangers to
where I live and work I used several sources including FEMA (free guide), DHS, Disaster Center, Emergency
Essentials, Two
Tigers and CBS. Also, find your local emergency
response office. But don't
rely on the government too much for planning or for help. As we relearned with the Katrina
response, their information and advice is far from perfect. And FEMA has always said it will take
72 hours to respond. So the way
I
look at it, during Katrina, FEMA (and
local governments) failed to live up to
its own low expectations. But even
if FEMA had been able to provide more food and water, you would still be much
better off taking care of yourself.
Do you really want to be told what possessions you can hold, when to
eat, when to sleep, and live in close quarters with thousands of
strangers? Sounds like prison to
me.
It's
A Disaster is a good book that will get you started on a plan for most
disasters. Some of their plans are
a little passive for me (don't take any risks and follow all FEMA directions)
and their kits lack some important things like knives. Still, it is a very good book and a
great start. Family and friends
should be included in your planning and preparations as much as they want to
be, but be careful about telling people who you do not trust or know well. You do not want to become a target in a
crisis.
I
think one of the best sources for thinking about what you are preparing for
and what does and doesn't work is news and
first hand accounts. These are some of the best ones I have
found. A few of them seem kind of
glib and bravado but the advice seems sound.
True Stories of Survival
Hurricane Katrina: http://www.frfrogspad.com/disastr.htm
Argentina thread 1: http://www.clairewolfe.com/wolfesblog/arg.html
Argentina thread 2 (some
swearing): http://www.survivalmonkey.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2715
Airplane crash: http://www.equipped.com/waldock698.htm
Ground Zero: http://www.equipped.org/groundzero.htm
Karen Hood's Survival Journal (a week in the wilderness) http://www.survival.com/karen1.htm
Sailing to Hawaii http://www.equipped.com/0698rescue.htm
Tsunami http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/
Alaska http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/8017/index2.html
A list of stories
Priorities
The survival Rule of Threes:
- It takes about three seconds to die without thinking
- It takes about three minutes to die without air
- It
takes about three hours to die without shelter
- It
takes about three days to die without water
- It
takes about three weeks to die without food
- It
takes about three months to die without hope
- Try to
have at least three ways of preventing each
of the above (a backup to your backup).
So the priorities are thinking,
air, shelter, water, food, and hope.
These are rules of thumb and approximations. Also, you will likely start feeling really bad before you
die so you need to be proactive in addressing these needs.
Thinking
Basically, don't panic
and do
something stupid. This is easier
said than done, but you can build your thinking skill and confidence by playing
“what if” games. After reading about the risks to your area and the survival
stories above, think about what kinds of things could go wrong and how you
would deal with them. The more
detail the better. What would you
do if a cat 5 hurricane was projected to hit your house? Where would you go? What would you take? Would it all fit in your car? Do you have enough gas to get there if
the gas stations are closed? What
if you don't have time to leave? What room in your house is safest (can you
reinforce it easily)?
If you are facing a serious
situation but no immediate threat, take the time to consider your options
before rushing into a course of action.
Take an inventory of what you have on hand and what is around you. Think of how each item could help solve
one or more of your priorities.
Thinking about these things may
be scary but it will be less scary when it actually happens if you have thought
it through. Focus on what you can
do to improve things and not on what you cannot change. Thinking can also be
more long term as in learning and planning. I suggest you read some of the sources below and then come
up with a plan for several types of situations that you are likely to
face. But don't delay, you can take
some first steps outlined below, such as storing water, right now. You can then read more, take classes
and collect useful items.
Preparing is a process not a one time event.
Air
Having breathable air is not
something you usually have to worry about, but it is an immediate priority if
you do. First aide can help with
choking and bleeding (which causes the body to not get needed oxygen). Hundreds
of people die from carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide poisoning
every year because of gas leaks and cooking
or heating indoors. Being at
altitude can also make it harder to breath. Finally, a terrorist attack could put dust, chemical,
biological, or nuclear contamination in the air or force you into a shelter
that needs ventilation. Be aware
of these dangers and have appropriate detectors if possible (smoke, carbon
monoxide, etc.). A wet cloth or
hand wipe (carry on airplane) to breathe through can help for dust or smoke.
Shelter
Shelter is mainly about staying
dry and the right temperature, but you also want to avoid sunburn, bugs,
animals and other dangers. Your
house is your usual primary shelter but it could become damaged or you may have
to evacuate. You should have
emergency repair items on hand such as tarps, lumber, shovels, nails, plastic
sheeting, crowbars, and a saw.
Your clothes are your first and
most important layer of shelter outdoors.
Clothes protect you from heat, cold and abrasions. In general silk, wool, and synthetic
materials are better than cotton especially to keep you warm in cold wet
weather. I find cotton more comfortable especially in hot weather, so I
compromise and wear a cotton shirt and shorts, but carry a better shirt, pants
and socks
in my bag, as well as additional layers and a change of underwear. This makes my pack a little heavier,
but I have been cold and wet in the wilds and that is miserable. For me, a hat and sunglasses are
indispensable. I try to always
carry at least a light water resistant jacket or poncho (with a garbage bag as
a backup). For me, boots are the
only sensible walking shoes. Find
some that are rugged and comfortable.
Have extra laces and a backup pair.
You can carry a tent, a tarp or garbage
bag for resting and sleeping.
A tarp can make a simple shelter or
an elaborate one. Rope, twine and tape are also
useful. You can carry some type of
staff
or tent
poles or make them with an ax or saw.
Mosquito netting is necessary in some places.
You should have many ways to
start a fire since most are cheap and compact. At least have a lighter, matches,
and flint. You can also build a firebed to sleep in if you have
inadequate shelter from the cold.
Water
This is a crucial area that
can be helped a lot with very cheap and easy actions before The Schumer
Hits The
Fan (TSHTF). This is probably the
thing
you can do with the highest payoff for amount of effort. The only problem with water is that it
is heavy and can take up a lot of room.
If you have storage room and are staying home this isn't a problem but
if you are on the move it can become a driving factor in your progress. Long term solutions are also difficult
if your primary water source (city water or well) goes out and you are not near
a river or lake.
Used plastic soda bottles and
orange juice jugs with screw tops make very convenient water storage containers. Just rinse them a few times with hot
water. Old liquor bottles and wine box bladders work well too. I also have several canteens and rugged
5
gallon containers with taps.
The five gallon containers weigh about 40 pounds each and are about as
big as can be easily moved (larger drums can go in your basement or garage or
under a rain spout). A few collapsible
containers might also be useful because they can be stored and carried
empty. Tap water can last for
years without going bad if kept in a cool dark place. But you should check water that has been stored for clarity
and odors. If in doubt, treat it
with one of the methods below. You
can also freeze the plastic soda or orange juice containers (these do crack sometimes
when freezing) and use them in a cooler to keep food cold if the power goes out
before drinking it. If you know
a
disaster is coming fill up any container you can including the coffee maker,
crystal vase, bucket, bathtub, sink, and kiddy pool (some of these could be
spilled or contaminated but hopefully some will make it).
Most sources recommend about a
gallon per person per day. People
consume about 2 quarts in cool low activity environments but much more if hot
or active. You should have at
least 2 weeks worth per person in your primary residence (but why not have
months worth if you have the room).
If you are traveling by car, three days worth per person is minimum
(more for bathing), and if you are walking take as much as you reasonably can
carry but at least one days worth (several small bottles are better for
diversification if one leaks and also to let you know to start looking for more
water before you are on your last bottle). I also store extra water for washing and bathing. Here the container doesn't matter quite
as much. I use old liquid
detergent jugs. You should also
have at least two methods of sterilizing water.
The first step in sterilizing
water is to get the water as clear as possible. If it is cloudy, strain it with coffee filters, a clean
cloth, or sand. Or you can let it
settle and pour off the more clear water.
The primary and most reliable
method of sterilizing water is boiling.
You actually do not need to boil the water just heat it past 145 degrees for long enough. But
if you don't do it right you can get sick. So to be safe, boil it for 5 minutes if you can. If you are
walking, a metal cup (enamel or stainless) or a converted tin can is easier to
boil than a full pot. You can
carry a backpacking
stove or a Kelly Kettle. You can
use solar power to sterilize
water (in a soda
bottle) if no cooking is possible.
Other stoves are suggested below under food.
To sterilize water
with bleach use 2 drops of plain unscented
bleach per quart of water (or 8 drops per gallon or 1⁄4 tsp per 2 gallons). If you don't have a dropper you can wet
a paper towel and then drip it (wear gloves). Let the water sit for 20 minutes and then smell it. If it smells like chorine then its good
to go. If it doesn't, repeat with
the same amount of bleach. If that
doesn't work try to find other water.
(Really bad water or salt water requires a still.) Bleach is cheap but does not last forever - rotate. Dry Calcium Hypochlorite {sold as "pool
shock" bleach) stores
much
better
than liquid bleach but requires an
additional step of mixing a solution. (It provides a very inexpensive long
term
solution
to
water treatment).
There are also Potable
Aqua iodine tablets that are more
compact for sterilizing water. You
can also use Tincture of
Iodine. Iodine and chlorine
are poisons so be very careful (kill the
bacteria not yourself. [Avoid ingesting chlorine or iodine crystals!])
Any of the chemical treatments
can make the water taste funny.
You can use drink mixes to make it taste better. I'm not sure if sports drinks are
really better, but Gatorade seems more thirst quenching to me than water. The powder form is more convenient and
cheaper. You can also make your own sports drink
(1/4 tsp nu salt (potassium chloride),
1⁄4
tsp
salt,
3-6 tbsp sugar (to taste), juice of 1 lemon (or orange), and optional flavoring
(Kool-Aid) per gallon of water) or switchel.
Of course you can spend money for water if you
want to. You can buy prepackaged water or expensive
filters. There are backpacking
filters but I have found these to be temperamental. A water
bottle with a filter would be a good backup or a straw.
You can also go the more expensive route with a good gravity fed filter like
this: http://www.doultonfilters.com/gravity.html. This is a great looking solar still but doesn't appear
to be for sale right now.
If you are a homebrewer (or like beer), you can add some
dry malt extract, hops, and dry yeast to your
stash. Beer is boiled as part of
the brewing process. Then the
alcohol and hops act as a natural preservative. For the long term you can get some sproutable barley, grow some hops, and culture yeast. If you or someone with you doesn't
handle alcohol well, skip this.
Food
Providing food can be as
easy or
complicated as you want. The
easiest thing to do is simply buy
more of any food you normally buy that stores well. By store well, I mean does not
spoil. Foods like fresh milk, meat
and bread do not store well. Other
foods like rice, dried beans and pasta all store well and are cheap. They eventually lose some of their
nutrition but this is gradual and will not make you sick from eating “expired”
food if you forget to rotate. I
do
not list exact rotation schedules because every source is different. Some sources say grains only last one
year but most sources say 10 plus years and other credible sources say hundreds
or thousands
of years. It all depends upon how
it is packed and where it is stored which is discussed below (vacuum packed,
cool and dry are best) Canned meats, fruits and vegetables store okay and are
more expensive.
How much food you want to have
on hand depends on what type of situation you expect and how much you want to
spend. Buying a month' worth of rice, beans,
salt, and pasta will not cost much (and
is a good start). You will be a
lot happier if you add:
- canned or dried
meat (Costco and BJs have multipaks of Spam, ham, tuna and chicken for
under $10)
- canned or dried fruits and nuts
- canned or dried vegetables
- dried potatoes
- canned or dried sauces (for
pasta, chili, etc.)
- soup mixes (bean soups are
cheap) and bullion
- dried onions
- parmesan cheese
- cooking oil
- ramen noodles
- peanut butter
- mayo
- vinegar
- sugar and honey
- powdered milk
- bread crumbs, stuffing, oatmeal,
cereal
- flour, pancake mix, biscuit mix
- baking soda
- cocoa, instant coffee, tea,
drink mixes, juice mixes (cranberry)
- lemon juice
- dry yeast
- spices
Some of these can be eaten
without cooking or water if you have to.
Costco is great for the rice, canned goods, bullion, yeast (2 pound
box), cooking oil and spices. Don't forget a can opener and other
utensils. Of course you can do the
drying (wood
or solar) and canning yourself
for better quality and lower cost.
The oil, flour, baking soda and yeast (refrigerate the yeast if
possible) do not store well and have to be rotated more frequently than the
rice, beans and pasta. You will
be
healthier if you add some multivitamins. There are also luxury items like
Powerbars, powdered eggs, powdered cheese, powdered butter, food tabs, and meals
ready to eat (MREs).
To decide how much you need, you
can simply scale up recipes
and meals (print some simple recipes that use your stored food). How much rice and beans would you eat
at a meal or in a day if that was all you ate? A lot probably (make a meal as a trial). Now multiply that by the number of
people and the number of days and you have a ball park of how much to
store. The problem is that you
could end up feeding more people than your immediate family. Who else would you not turn away?
(Anyone you wouldn't want to live with normally is not someone you want to be
stuck with in a crisis. That said
there is some family I wouldn't turn away even if they deserve it). Start with the cheap stuff (rice,
beans, pasta, salt) and then slowly keeping adding and rotating the other food
until you have at least one months worth.
Do an inventory at least twice a year.
Store everything in
airtight/waterproof containers inside a tough container in a cool, dry, dark
place. Some things come packed
pretty well and can just go in a plastic
bucket or crate (cans can
be dipped in wax). Other items
should be vacuum
packed in small bags or large mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and
then put in the plastic bucket with a lid or crate (with a solid latching
lid). If you don't have shelves,
you can make shelves out of the buckets or crates and 1”x12” lumber. Put 2”x4”'s under the bottom shelf to
keep it off the floor.
For years
worth of food instead of months worth of food we need to move to grain and grain grinders. The Church of Latter Day
Saints are the experts
here. They also have storehouses that will sell
to the public if you are polite.
Of course you can buy online
but the shipping will be as much or more than the food. I went cheap and was able to get about
six months worth of food for one person for $100. I stuck to grains (400 lbs/year), beans (40 lbs/year), soup
mix (20 lbs/year), and milk (16 lbs/year) (I already had sugar (60
pounds/year), salt (10 lbs/year), oil (5 gallons/year), baking soda and yeast). I borrowed some of their equipment to
pack some of the food, the rest I packed at home in the mylar bags and buckets
described above. The milk is a
sticky powder and very messy (think of spilling flour and multiply by 100),
repack it outside if possible. I
also bought a hand operated
grain grinder to make flour from the wheat. Then I can make bread
(scale this recipe up to one loaf per day for a year as a cross check for a
year's supply). This would be a
pretty miserable diet but I think it would keep me alive and healthy if I had
enough vitamins. Because of the
sack size I have more of some things than others so towards the end I may be
eating paste. I hope to upgrade later. For infants you need more milk, oil,
sugar, and vitamins from which you can make an emergency formula (breast
feeding is better, then you give the extra
food to the mother).
For even longer food solutions
you need to farm. Supplementing
your food with a garden
or sprouting would also make
things last longer and provide some healthy variety. Its best to have some non-hybrid seeds on
hand or save
seeds from your garden.
Serious (expensive) seed packages are here. Have some fertilizer and pesticides on
hand but in the long run organic
is the way to go.
For cooking you can use a wood
burning stove, barbeque, or camp
stove in the short run (have some extra fuel on hand). The Petromax
lantern is pricey but well made and also has a stove attachment. If you don't have one of these or run
out of fuel you can build one: a coffee can
stove, a bucket stove
(avoid galvanized metal),
a alcohol stove, a collapsible stove, a tin can stove (simple
version), solar
oven (portable version),
or a clay
stove (print directions for making at least one of these). This is also a good commercial stove for those with cash
to burn. These are much more
efficient than an open fire. You
need a good pot or dutch oven for
boiling water and cooking. For
more portable food you can go with MREs, make your own
or stock what ever you would normally backpack with.
Hope
Hope is different for
everyone. It can be safety,
comfort, companionship, or normalcy.
For me it is mainly hope that there is light at the end of the
tunnel. I can work hard and
persevere if I know eventually things will get better. This means long term planning. So I want to have what I need in the
short term but also have some hope for the long term (so I have gardening tools
and seeds in addition to rice and spam).
You also want comfort items such as a book, Bible, game, coloring book,
pictures, beer, tea, or warm
shower. Some of these can be
dual purpose such as a book about hiking or gardening, survival playing cards,
or a novel about survival and perseverance.
Equipment
There are lots of things you can get, but you can also
just organize what you have already. The number of lists
seems endless and what you need depends upon the situation, your skills, and
your budget. Here is what is wrong with
the DHS kit I have already
mentioned several items above and list some others here but being comprehensive
would take a lot of space (read the links and references for more). Here are some basics.
All types of camping equipment
and tools come in handy but can be
expensive (shipping can be expensive too so you may want to make your own, try your
local yard sales, craigslist,
sporting goods or hardware store first).
You may want a small tent to carry and a larger tent to put in the car. Sleeping
pads are as much for insulation as for comfort (learned the hard way—you
don't want to be in the cold without some insulation between you and the
ground). A hammock
can be multipurpose. You can
try your local hardware store for lanterns or Lehman's
(they also have candle making supplies).
I suggest four knives for anyone
responsible enough to have one (in general you get what you pay for, but start
cheap and upgrade later): a folding
lock blade knife (buck and gerber are both good reasonably priced brands), a
Swiss army knife (with saw blade) or leatherman type knife
(pliers are handy), a
solid full tang knife, and a machete or short sword for brush. A kitchen knife can work until you get
any of these. A hatchet would also
be useful. Keep them sharp.
You need several maps (local,
state (small scale and large scale), neighboring states, topographic and road)
and a compass. A GPS
is optional but very handy. There
are usually welcome centers along interstates and in some cities that hand out
free maps. The USGS is a good source for reasonably
priced maps but sometimes it is a bit hard to find what you are looking
for. They have a catalog
for each state that really helps. They are also very friendly by phone but
still prefer if you order online.
You should have at least one non
portable (plug in) phone that can be used with the power out. Medicine, diapers and feminine products
will be hard to get. A generator
is great but can be expensive and you must have enough fuel (I don't have one
but want one). Solar
powered battery chargers are really slow but might be the only option.
Change your attitude, don't be
wasteful, and you can reuse many items. A tin can becomes a cup or pot with
a
little work. Use both sides of a
piece of paper and then use it as insulation or tinder. Waste not, want not. This also minimizes trash as there may
be no trash pickup.
Organize your equipment and supplies into different
levels and packages
Stuff you almost always carry
You should make a small kit that
fits in your pocket or
around your neck. This should include:
- ways to make a fire (matches,
mini bic, flint, etc.)
- a button
compass
- a small knife or razor blade,
broken hack saw blade, small file
- Swiss Tech Micro-Tech
6-in-1 Tool
- led light
- small candle (light or fire
making)
- a saw
- short piece of wire
- parachute cord (as much as will
fit)
- iodine tablets
- sturdy needle and thread
- individual salt servings
- food tabs, hard candy, bullion
or individual parmesan cheese/sugar (if space permits)
- freezer bags (water)
- nails (assortment)
- trash bag if it will fit (poncho
or tarp)
- dental floss (twine)
- Advil, Imodium, Benadryl,
vitamins, band aids, SPF chapstick any other essential medicine for you
or your family (all labeled)
- fish hooks, split shot, fish
line, safety pins.
- Survival
cards can go in kit or wallet (you can make something similar).
Personal Fanny Pack (or vest)
This should be small enough and
attached to you so that you do not put it down even when you take a break. Take it with you on any hike, drive or
emergency. A large fanny pack
works well or Ranger Rick
suggests putting everything in a vest and a bamboo walking stick. You can duplicate some of the items in
your mini kit but add substantially.
- Survival
cards or pocket
survival guide (or print some out).
- Knife of your choice (another
one can go in your pocket or on your belt)
- Sharpening
stone (or ceramic
insulator)
- Fire materials (matches and tender
(dryer lint, cotton balls in Vaseline, small candles, etc.) waterproofed)
- Magnifying glass wrapped in
bandana
- Pliers if your knife doesn't
have them
- Compass
- Maps
- Metal cup (boiling water)
- 2 small bottles of water
- Freezer bags (organization,
waterproofing and for more water)
- Small camp soap (or traveler's
shampoo)
- Iodine tablets
- At least 2 trash bags (clear for
still and heavy black for shelter), or tarp and poncho, or space blanket,
or light weight jacket with hood (a shell that compacts) or hat
- Rope, twine and wire
- Headlamp and extra batteries
- Candle
- Wipes
(these are multipurpose and are more compact than toilet paper, keep them
in zip lock bags (add a little water if they get dry))
- Gloves and socks
- Small first aide kit (including
prescriptions)
- Sunscreen and bug repellant.
- Whistle
- Snacks (powerbars, trail mix,
food tabs, tea, Gatorade mix, bullion, beef jerky, MRE)
- A GPS, FRS radio, am/fm radio,
cell phone, or CB can go in here if it fits
- Mini binoculars (to spot
landmarks, approaching fires, etc.)
- Notepad and pencil or pen
- A multipurpose
tool is a good backup for the other items.
72 hour kit (or less)
To some, the 72 hour kit is
everything they have in their house for disasters. I think this should be what you take with you if you have to
evacuate (even on foot). If you
can't carry 72 hours worth of food and water (that is a lot of water even if
you only plan 2 quarts per day), scale it down and put the rest in a car bug
out kit that can be used in your house or on the road. You can also make a similar kit for work
or other places you are likely to be in an emergency. It should be in a medium sized backpack that you can easily
carry (get
a rain cover for the backpack (or make one)—these really help in wet
conditions). Again, repeat items
in your smaller kits as you see fit.
Here are some suggestions:
- It's
a Disaster! Book (or print out a similar one)
- Personal mini-kit and fanny pack
or vest (attached to you separately from the backpack)
- Water (as much as you can fit
without making the bag too heavy, you can carry some containers empty and
fill them later)
- Changes of clothes (several
underwear and socks, long underwear)
- Jacket, hat, and sunglasses
- Sleeping
bag or blanket (and compact pad), hammock
- Soap and other toiletries (comb,
nail clippers and razor)
- Small stove and/or lantern (or
directions and supplies for making one of the stoves above)
- Small tent or tarp and netting,
plastic sheeting, tent poles and stakes (multipurpose)
- Stuff sacks, mesh bags, pillow
cases for organization
- Duct tape
- Hatchet or machete, folding saw
- Small shovel
- Rope, twine and bungee cords
- Backpacking pot/pan
- Cooking and eating utensils
(kitchen knife, can opener, spatula, spoon, forks, plates, cups)
- Foil
- Dish soap, sponge, dish pan or
bucket (collapsible) (also a wash basin or bucket), towel
- Food (Snacks and MREs as well as
rice)
- Vitamins
- Detailed road maps
- topo
maps
- Extra ammo
- Pocket warmers
- A GPS, FRS radio (everyone with
a list of channels to use), am/fm radio, solar calculator, or CB (whatever
you have that fits)
- Copies of important documents,
phone numbers, extra credit card, cash, ID
- Comfort items (book, cards,
bible, pictures, coloring books, games)
Car Kit
Keep this in the car if
possible. I used to keep a lot of
this in my car but since some of it was stolen, I keep most of it in the house
and load it up for longer trips. I
have something similar to the personal fanny pack that I keep hidden in the
jack compartment.
- 72 hour kit
- Flashlight and batteries
- Fire extinguisher
- Jumper cables
- Seat belt cutter and window breaker
(keep within reach)
- Water (bottles can go under the
seats)
- Matches
- Gloves
- Tarps
- Garbage bags
- Wipes
- Maps
- Driving compass
- Rope and/or tow strap and bungee
cords
- First aide kit (any medications)
- Siphon hose for water or gas (do
not drink gas)
- Window washer/scraper
- Crowbar and other tools (hammer,
saw, wrenches, duct tape, fuses, belts, and screws)
- Ax, bucket and shovel (this is
required in some forests)
- Engine oil
- Gas can (keep it empty and
unused unless you have a place for it on the outside of your car or truck)
Stuff you take if you have to Bug Out
This is stuff that is too heavy
to carry in your 72 hour kit but something you can throw in your car (in
addition to what is already there) quickly if you need to evacuate. You might be able to take it in a
garden cart if you can't drive but travel by roads is still safe. Here is an example to help you make
your own
kit (or here). Pack it in crates or duffle bags. Here are some suggestions (what fits in
your car will vary):
- More survival books or books on
camping/country/simple living
- 5 gallon water cans (full)
- Food (cans and other heavy bulky
items)
- Cooler (grab some ice and any
travel friendly fresh items that are still good like cheese, peanut
butter, apples, lemons, and bread)
- Large first aide kit
- Dutch oven
- Stove and fuel or barbeque,
Kelly Kettle
- Lantern (Petromax is good but
expensive)
- Unscented bleach
- Tent and large tarps, rugs
- Blanket and pillows (sleeping
pad, hammock, or cot)
- Paper plates, utensils and cups
- Paper towels and wipes
- Foil
- Solar shower
- Bucket
toilet (you can store garbage bags, toilet paper, wipes, and soap
inside the bucket)
- Many garbage bags
- Laundry soap
- Clothes pins
- Soap and shampoo
- Ant traps and insecticides
- Fishing gear
- Radio and batteries
- Several extra fuel cans (enough
to get to your destination without refueling)
- Propane
heater with fuel
- Generator
- Small safe for guns and
documents
- Bikes (on rack and with pump and
tire repair kit)
- Frisbee or other games
First Aid and Medical Kits
Take a first aide class and more
training if you can. For supplies,
the place to start is with a pre-made small portable first aide kit and a
larger home or car first aide kit.
These are usually $10 to $20 on sale (but can be $100's if you want). You can add items from your
medicine cabinet and replace things like the cheap scissors that usually come
with them. However, these usually are not good for much more than minor cuts
and scrapes (going to a hospital/doctor may not be an option or may take a
while—so do
your best until you can get to one).
For more serious injuries you probably have to make your own kit. The best book is Wilderness
Medicine, by William W. Forgey. His suggested kit in the back of the
book is great (I learned the hard way I needed some of the items that he
recommends and figure the other items are ones I may need in the future). Amazon
and Moore Medical have
most of the items if you can't find them locally. For the house or car first aide kit, I suggest a hard sided
box like a tool box. Dental care is
also important. A toothache is
really distracting. A little dental kit like this
could make you a lot more comfortable until you can see a dentist.
Other Kits
Make other kits as you see
fit. I have a kit that is mainly
in case of terrorist attack (I live and work too close to a likely
target). I have Jane's
Chem-Bio Handbook and what to do if a nuclear attack in imminent as well as Potassium Iodide (seven
days), plastic sheeting, duct tape, Tyvek clothes
coverings, and a face mask
(this is not as good as a gas mask but its what I have). You can spread this to your other kits
if you want.
Security
Protecting yourself from
criminals is as natural
as buying a fire extinguisher to put out fires (but more expensive). Get fences, dead bolts, and lock
your windows at night but if someone really wants to get in your home they
will. Police take an average of
11 minutes or more to respond to violent crimes 40 percent
of the time (sometimes hours), under normal conditions. A lot can happen
in 11 minutes and you are going to wait a lot longer in a crisis. When someone is kicking in your door,
it is too late to go buy a gun.
You are on your own.
Relying on the kindness of someone breaking into your home is not a
good bet.
If you are a gun person, pick
your own gun. This advice if for
those who don't own a gun or don't shoot.
I suggest a pistol, a rifle and a shotgun for every adult (check
you local gun laws). If I had to only have one gun it would
be a shotgun
because of their versatility. A 20
gauge shotgun is more than enough for most purposes including home
defense and has less recoil than a 12 gauge. The Remington
870 is a great choice but many people also like Mossberg. Take a class
on using the shotgun for home defense.
For home defense ammo, I use bird shot. This will not penetrate and
stop a criminal as fast as buck shot but is
also less likely to go
through a wall and hurt an innocent person. Make your own decision here based on who is in adjoining
rooms and how close the neighbors are.
You can always load bird shot as the first few shells followed by buck
shot (keep about 200 rounds on hand because it will be hard to buy in a
crisis). The only options I
recommend are hearing
protection, glasses,
a cleaning
kit, a sling
(guns with slings don't get set down in bad places as much) and maybe a light
or night sights. I think the
factory stocks are fine.
Next on my list would be a
.22. The Ruger
Single Six is a nice
revolver that is convertible to either 22 LR or 22 magnum (This might be a
better choice as the only gun for some people). Also get a holster for it. Savage and CZ make bolt
action rifles that are great bargains. A .22
is a little small for home
defense (it is less likely to stop a criminal in his tracks) but a lot
better than nothing. It is also
important to be comfortable with your gun and a .22 is fun to shoot so you are
more likely to practice
(.22 ammo is very cheap and you can get 1,000 rounds for about
$20). As soon as you are
comfortable with the .22 and your budget allows, you should probably upgrade to
a larger common caliber (.357
for a revolver, 9mm, .40 or .45 for an automatic pistol, 12 gauge for a
shotgun, and .223, .308, 7.62x39, .30-30, or .30-06 for rifles). Get a concealed weapon permit if your state
allows them even if you don't plan on using it (carrying a gun). Again, these take some time to get so
you have to get one before you need it even if you think that will be
never. Also, the required classes
are really great and focus mainly on when not to use a gun. Almost any gun range will offer such a
class (and many others that are worth it too). In general, buying a used
gun is fine (simple guns are very durable) but for the guns I recommend
here, the premium for a new gun (gun store or some sporting good stores) will
probably be less than $100 and probably worth it to avoid any mechanical issues
to start with.
Learn the gun safety rules and
locking up any guns not on your body is a good idea and a necessity if you have
kids (or adults who act like kids) in your home. For pistols you can get a cheap keyed
safe for about $20 (also good for documents). Then you have to hide the key where you can find it quickly
but no one else can. A combination
safe is better but a lot more expensive (practice opening it in the
dark). For long guns you can get a
locking
cabinet for about $100 (some cases have a good
lock and that is a good idea for taking with you in the car), put a lock on a
closet, or get a
real safe for about $1,000.
Trigger locks are generally a bad
idea because you can accidentally pull the trigger when getting them on or
off.
If you decide against a gun, at
least get pepper spray, a baseball bat, or a flashlight. A self-defense class would be good too
(martial arts classes are good but take a long time to become practical). A bullet
proof vest and helmet
would be good but neither is inexpensive.
Finally, there is safety in numbers. Staying with family and friends during a crisis is a good
idea if resources and space allow.
First Steps
- Buy some unscented bleach and start storing water.
- Start accumulating food and other supplies. Initially, just buy more of the food
that you already buy that stores well. Re-pack
as necessary. Get some food
grade buckets or plastic crates and find a cool dark place.
- Start reading more about the risks that you face personally and
ways to deal with them. What
is your plan to deal with each?
- Organize your stuff into personal mini kits, personal fanny
packs (or vests), one or more 72 hour kits for each person for each
location they spend time, a car kit, a bug out kit, and your house stash.
- Practice. This
doesn't have to be a military style exercise. Try camping and living without power and running water
(in your backyard to start with).
Load your car with what you think you would want to take if you had
to evacuate. How long did it
take? Did it all fit? Try driving back roads to get out
of town. Go hiking with your
72 hour kit.
- Periodically take an inventory and revise your plans.
Books and other sources (in order of relevance and
grouped)
Online Resources
SurvivalBlog
(the best daily variety of all types of information at a good price too)
Alpha Rubicon
(The "Mythbusters" of the survival world. Membership required for most information,
great information and more personalities than members)
Non-fiction
Fiction
Some of these are a bit
far
fetched and depressing (worst case) and mainly about TEOTWAWKI (sing “It's The
End of The World as We Know It, and I feel fine" ) (they are fiction)
but still give some good food for thought.
Author's web site: www.PrepareOrDie.com
