Emergency Preps for the novice to the pro

[Kathy]

Ok folks here's a specific thread to share your tips, experiences, advice & opinions about getting & staying prepared.

Here's some ideas of what this thread is about:
*Where to begin, what to buy,
*What works & doesn't(ads don't always tell the story),
*Prepping on a shoestring,
*Storage & rotation-so much stuff & so little room,
*Static preps vs mobile preps-knowing what goes in a bug out bag & how to use it.
*The good, the bad & the ugly of prep sites,
*Links to reliable sites for supplies & information,
*In person & online preparation businesses,
*Considering safety issues, protection & weaponry.
*Hunting,fishing, trapping as part of your prep knowledge-acquiring equiptment & skills training.
*Sharing your personal experiences on the subject

[bergere]

water proof matches

Also a fire striker for when the matches run out.
www.ragweedforge.com/striker.html

www.moosineer.com/MooseMain.asp?Option=SubcatList&Brand=Light+My+Fire&Category=Survival

Those space blankets that fold into tiny little nothings.

Small water purifiers that hikers take with them out to the back country.

Solar powered flash light and radio

Tin foil and cardboard to make a sun Oven

Toilet paper... sorry I need that. Enough to last until you can figure out which leaves to use....or a... not use.

For those with out food allergies...

Hiking food... freeze dried stuff... it will store a long time.

Granny wear out door camping pots and pans. Light weight, easy to store and cheap.

Candles of course

Good all purpose Axe.. get one of excellent Quality as they are less likely to break and will hold an Edge.

These folks make some of the best axes. We have the Viking Belt Axe and it is impressive.
www.ragweedforge.com/Welcome.html#catalog

Linesman pliers and heavy gage wire. A roll put away some where doesn't take up much room.

Heavy canvas.

Climbers rope.. the more narrow stuff.. very strong but doesn't take up a lot of room.

Simple compass

Good book to what is edible in your area.

Good link for gear.
www.moosineer.com/MooseMain.asp?Option=CatList&Category=Survival

www.fourseasonssurvival.com/

I used to camp a lot when I was younger and took many survival classes. Learned to live off the land.

A lot of reinactors will know of good primitive survival ideas.

Always restock can food every year and water every 6 months.

Will dig more stuff up to post.

[Deleted]

small backpapcking stoves
coleman makes a good one.
military shovels
waterproof matches
tinder
climbing ropes for all purpose use.
campmore catelog have good food kits
borax
hydrogen peroxide
a dental kit
a week first aide kit
gauzes
meds filled.
good water filters or chlorine tablets
Bleach
tnborn

[bbird]

OMG, I'm giddy with excitement! Seriously, this is like one of my favorite topics.

The first thing you need to think about is your pack. If you are on foot, you don't want something that is so big it slows you down. With careful planning a medium size pack will get the job done. The maxpedition line of backpacks are known to be great packs. My family has different packs for different things. Like we don't use our hiking packs as our BOB packs because that would defeat the object of having a BOB pack, so plan carefully and always keep your BOB pack stocked and ready.

You will need:
At least a 100 oz hydration bladder.
Hoffman Harpoon (mounted externally)
Zip lock bags
Tin foil
Silva Ranger Compass
Maps with dry eraser pens
GPS
At least 2 large climbing carabiner clips
Ferrocium Rod and Sawzall on a clip externally

Water purification tablets
snares
duct tape
trapping
weather signs (other laminated cheat sheets for gathering, trapping, eating, ect)
2 chem lights
200+pal-light


first aid stuff
small bottle of bleach for purification
small ball of string/needles

50 lb spiderwire fishing line, sinker, hooks
12 lb spiderwire
550 cord
A couple of already made trap triggers
"speedhook" fish setup
Small reflective ribbon (Can be cut up into 1 inch squares for trail marking)
2 lighters
container of vaseline soaked cotton balls

Machete or hatchet (or both, lol)
8 x 10 tarp

It's good to have a personal water filter hooked to your belt would be a good idea too.
A multitool
and a aerial flare (or two)

Somethings that I have added beyond the necessary are latex gloves, shakeable flashlights, magnesium fire starter

A sleeping bag can be added externally with cinch straps either at the top or bottom of your pack.

Have at least two days of clothes packed. Long pants, short sleeve, and long sleeve. Plan these well because its easy to take clothes off when hot but when you are cold is when you really need clothes

I can't express how important it is to know how to use everything you pack. If you don't know how to use a compass...practice, practice until you do. Make fire with your magnesium fire starter until you can light a fire with your eyes closed. Educate yourself to the area you live in, and be knowledgeable about plants, terrain, ect.

[bbird]

Ok, when the shtf or you are running for your life there is no way you will be able to drive your car. Yes, it would be nice if you could but you can't!

More then likely you will be on foot. Very important to have good shoes that will last. Something that will be going through mud, water, rocks and snow.

One thing that we have done is outfit each one of us with a good bike. They are great getaway vehicles without needing gas, food, high maintenance. Easy to hide too.

ARM YOURSELF!!!! Yes, I meant to yell. Carry as much ammo as you can. Have a extra waterproof bag that you carry out that can be hid in a location where you can come back for more ammo if you need it. You will never have too much ammo, so plan this well and you will be glad you did.

Again, I'll stress that experience will be your best friend. Practice making shelter, practice making fire, using the compass. Practice hiking and get in shape. Can you climb over fallen logs, belly crawl through creek bottoms? Try it, it's not easy and it's something you will need to do.

We train our kids to move in the woods, they can climb trees, climb rocks, and jump from high places without getting hurt. They can repel with a rope and a couple carabiner clips from location to location. Set up target practice where they have to shoot from their belly's lying down, to standing on branches. Your kids will love it, because it's like an outdoor camp but these skills area so necessary.

[bergere]

That's good Deb,,, everything I forgot about.

Also for women,, remember hygiene products you will need for at least two months.

I was always in the woods as a kid. My son isn't...but we are trying to teach him.
Though we have some pretty cool woods to play in.

Surivial skills aren't good with folks that are a gimp. If you are, make sure you have some way to get around.
Horses are best. If you have steers, get a young one to train as a working Ox. Get it used to packs or Drag poles with canvas stretched across that way the Ox or horse can carry more items,, or someone who can't walk well.

[bbird]

Oh gosh....there is so much to forget. I've poured over forums, lists, ect. trying to get "everything" I will need and although I would love to have it all....it ain't going to happen, lol.

I think the biggest wake up call for me was that here I was training the kids and I would stand there and tell them to run through the woods. They had to climb over tree's, walk through mud, slide down the hill ect. but I wasn't doing it because heck, I did that as a kid I could do it. Yeah right!! I got my butt in action and started to train myself. It's amazing how your sense of balance, coordination and endurance totally leaves when you add years and baby weight into the equation.

Having a horse is great for you Bergere. A fast getaway. Something else to think about is having a hiding place. If long distances are not feasible, find a place that will protect you, hide you in times where you need to be safe. This can be on your own property.

***This is so nice to talk about here. Both dh and I come from families that think this is off the wall thinking. It is extreme, I will admit but I would rather be over prepared then under prepared.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the info.
I'm going to start putting things in action when I get home.
tnborn

[Kathy]

Caching especially for those in rural areas might be another aspect of preparedness to consider.

I am not too familiar with the intricacies so I'm only offering some links. Hopefully, others will offer experiences & opinions on the fine points of caching.

Rural Caching

Weapons Caching

How Australians Cache Things

[Deleted]

reloading equipment
gun powder etc(remember wacco and ruby ridge).
mussel loaders
tnborn

[Kathy]

tnborn said:

reloading equipment
gun powder etc(remember wacco and ruby ridge).
mussel loaders
tnborn

Do you have some experience on how to safely store gun powder so it will still be useable if needed down the line?
I know about oiling/greasing guns but I've always heard the powder is unstable after a period of time. Is that an old wives tale or is there some truth to it?

[antiquestuff]

A pocket chainsaw is a nice thing to have. Get a very good one though, cheap ones are worthless. Fits in your pocket and cuts through wood quickly.

Something to stress: have info. about things like meat slaughtering/butchering/preserving/etc. PRINTED OUT! I said that loud for a reason; I may be able to do something, but if something happens to me? I want those I care about to be able to read how to do these things...just in case. As much as I hate the Dept. of Agriculture, the various extension service websites have wonderful info. for free on these topics...

Some thoughts on storage: white rice lasts a long time, brown rice goes bad fairly shortly (something like 6 months) so as much as I prefer brown rice, white rice is the way to go for storage (but be sure it's enriched with nutrients for obvious reasons).

Wheat and corn stores best whole, then grind what you need. But still have plenty of flour and cornmeal on hand in addition to it...

Oatmeal is a wonderful thing to have because it's so good for you, and it's dirt heap in bulk (honeyvillegrain.com has wonderful prices for mail order if you cannot get it locally).

White sugar and salt and honey last forever if sealed tight and kept moisture free. Brown sugar does not last so long. Maple syrup lasts quite some time if stored tightly sealed up.

Baking soda and powder don't last forever, but still store what may last a couple years, adding fresh as you use it, and using the oldest stuff first and keep it labeled.

Also keep some cream of tartar and corn starch as then you can make baking powder.


You just cannot have too much food as long as you keep up with the rotation/etc. of it. Food will be more valuable than gold if anything happens. Treat it like gold.

For storage of flour, grains, salt, sugar, etc., nothing beats mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and dessicants inside, sealed tight with an iron, inside a big metal lard can too protect the bag. Plastic buckets make an acceptable alternative, but, are not rodent proof like the lard cans! Keep this in mind...the bag will shrink if the oxygen absorber worked. If it does not shrink any, you may have a bad O2 absorber...best to rebag now then find out your food went bad...

Without moisture or oxygen, food will last a long time, and bugs cannot live in the food (they need moisture and oxygen to survive, hence the dessicants and absorbers in the sealed bags).

Salt, sugar, honey, baking powder, and baking soda can be stored in glass containers, tightly sealed. Half gallon canning jars (or, if you can find them, big 1 or 2 gallon jars, available online (last time I checked anyways) at aubuchonhardware.com ) are perfect.

Yeast presents a big problem. It cannot be stored long term without refrigeration, and even then, it has at most a 1 year life. So remember this and learn how to do sourdough yourself and have recipes for soda bread, yeastless bread, tortillas, etc., that do not require commercial yeast...

Have as much salt as you can. Even if you do not use much now, you may later. Salt is necessary for the curing/preserving of meats and fish can be salted to last a long time.

If necessary, pork can be preserved in lard. Cook the meat till almost done (I've also heard till it is done--whichever makes you feel safer...) and pour some melted lard into the bottom of a crock, put the first piece of meat in, cover with lard, repeat...do NOT let any meat touch meat, have plenty of lard between each piece, and have plenty of lard above the top to seal it. When you pull a piece out, seal again with melted lard. Obviously, having plenty of lard on hand is a good idea and know how to render it...

Learn how to not only cook with a woodstove, but also with a dutch oven outdoors (carefully though, in case hungry people notice the food cooking...). And, of course, learn to make charcoal so you can use that dutch oven without buying charcoal...which is simpler than it seems although somewhat frightening the first time depending on the method you use...

Learn how to make blackpowder from natural materials (you may need to just stockpile sulfur and/or saltpeter though) and also primers for muzzleloaders in addition to stored modern ammo. It just may come to that someday...

Learn how to tan leather naturally without modern chemicals...really gross but it is a good skill to have...

Learn to spin and weave with wool or cotton (something I need to work on myself...) and have seeds for growing cotton and/or flax.

Have open pollinated seeds, for wheat, corn, vegetables, etc., and (though I try to avoid chemicals now) garden chemicals so you get big yields when you need it the most. Short term use of chemicals won't hurt too much in a TSHTF scenario...starving would.

Have plenty of lamps/wicks/fuel/candles/wax/wicks/candle molds.

Also, if you can, find some grease lamps or lard lamps and learn to use them and make wicks for them (merely cotton yarn, undyed, twisted together tightly through the burner tube works usually). Lehmans has some "olive oil lamps", get the ones with small round wicks as they are the most practical...they'll work with olive oil, castor bean oil (you can grow castor beans in many areas, and make oil from them if you have enough space and a press, but be aware they're toxic beans...), or even just bacon grease or even soft tallow or lard (may require a bit of melting first to get it going...).

Flint and steel and tinder (char cloth works well) and know how to use it!

Would be nice to have a root cellar if you can...wish I had one myself, for storage of potatoes, apples, etc. (though be aware that many things cannot be near each other).

A shallow large homemade pond filled with water to make ice during the winter would be nice, and get one of those nice Coleman coolers that can keep ice for several days. Store the ice during the winter and for a while anyways into the spring/summer you'll have some refrigeration and ice for icecream (treats like that would be very welcome in bad times keep in mind) if you are able to get the supplies for it at such a time...

Learn to make bricks yourself if you have a source of clay available nearby...John Seymour's "The Self-Sufficient Life and How to live it" (I think that's the title) book has instructions on this...

I'm sure I'll think of more later...this post is kinda long. If anyone needs a site for more info. on a specific topic, I'll dig through my papers I've printed to see where I got it if possible...(if, that is, I didn't just copy/paste the info. to word to print it which leaves no info. on the source often times, but does save paper and ink...)

[antiquestuff]

Forgot this link; wonderful source of info. (though some is a tad outdated...that happens when a book is well over 100 years old) the Household Cyclopedia: www.mspong.org/cyclopedia/contents.html

[Kathy]

I'm copying this from another thread & will be doing that with most of the preparedness info over the next few days. If others want to cut/paste info that's already posted in this forum-please feel free to do so.

These are simple & very basic

First Aid

Mini First Aid Kit
Place the following in 35mm-film container in this order
Can obtain these free from 1-hour film processors
- 50 cents (for telephone call)
- Stick of Gum
- 2 Band-Aids
- 2 sterile gauze patches
- 1 alcohol wipe (roll up with Gauze Patches around matches)
- 2 matches (Heads DOWN)
- 2 safety pins
- 1 needle threaded (Stick in Soap chip)
- 1 soap chip in foil
- 2 Tylenol in foil
- sandpaper - fine (glue inside lid for matches)
- 12" adhesive tape Wrap around outside of film canister.
I made a label on my computer with the contents of this canister and also placed a warning regarding small and sharp objects plus any medication.

72 Hour Kit Ideas

72 Hour Kit

Materials Needed

- 1 Clean Dried 1 Gallon Milk Jug with lid
- Scissors
- Duct Tape
- Paper Back First Aid book
- Ball point pen
- Emergency Candle (made from soup can)
- Clean empty vegetable can

Food Items needed:
- 2 Packs Chewing Gum
- 5 Packages Hot Chocolate Mix
- 2 Sticks Beef Jerky
- 6 Granola Bars
- 14 Pieces Hard Candy
- 2 Fruit Roll ups
- 3 packages of soup mix or bullion cubes

With handle of milk jug facing you, cut on each side of opening -O-, down about 3 inches and around toward the opposite corner from handle leaving about 2" at that corner for the front to fold open.
Make sure inside of carton is clean and DRY!
Place First Aid book in first, then insert emergency candle inside the vegetable can (this can be used for warming water and soup over the candle) add it to the jug next.
Place the packages of hot chocolate around the edges of jug, then fill jug with remaining items as will fit. EVERYTHING WILL FIT!!!
Trust me!!!
Add the first aid kit last as this needs to be easily accessible.
Other items such as money, medications and emergency numbers should be added if necessary.

We made an emergency card to place inside with our name, name of family members in our home, each person's ss#, blood type, medical needs, etc.

Also, a menu card was included which follows:
Day 1
Breakfast:
- 2 granola bars - 1 package Hot chocolate
Lunch
- 1 package soup mix
Dinner- 1 stick jerky - 1 Fruit Roll up
Snack
- 5 pieces of hard candy - 3 sticks of chewing gum

Day 2
Breakfast
- 1 Granola Bar - 1 Package Hot Chocolate Mix
Lunch- 1 Stick of Jerky - 1 Package Hot Chocolate Mix
Dinner- 1 Package Soup Mix
Snack
- 5 pieces of hard candy - 4 sticks of chewing gum

Day 3
Breakfast- 1 Granola Bar - 1 Package Hot Chocolate Mix
Lunch- 1 Package Soup Mix
Dinner- 2 Granola Bars - 1 Fruit Roll up - 1
Package Hot Chocolate Mix
Snack
4 pieces of hard candy - 3 sticks of chewing gum

1 Gallon jug with water should accompany this 72 hour kit to complete the needs.
Flip the flap closed, tape shut with duct tape and screw lid back on.
Tape lid on too.
Date the jug and label with family member's name. ~

[bergere]

Good grief,, what a lot of excellent info everyone has! Will take me a time to read through all of it..but will have fun doing it.

This is a neat show on how to learn to cook with Camp fire.
www.campfirecafe.com/

[antiquestuff]

Some more thoughts on preparedness:

Landscaping. Use it to your advantage. Anyone, just about, will be able to spot a normal vegetable garden. However, carefully planned lanscaping can help you. Find plants that can be eaten that most would not recognize. For instance, leaf lettuce planted amongst a flower bed will not be too obvious to most, yet would provide you with some food. Think along these lines...as well as, plant berries (blueberries for example) amongst other shrubs, so that they are not obvious from a distance (being mixed with the non-edible shrubs around them).

Also, plant things that are useful for other purposes. Besides planting basic medicinal herbs as well as culinary spices/herbs (like chives, oregano, basil, cilantro, mint, etc.), plant things like bayberry. Bayberries can be "rendered' like you would tallow to obtain a very high quality wax for making candles. But, it takes a large amount of them, so have plenty planted around...the berries cannot be eaten so someone thinking they will eat them will have a hard lesson.


Standard framed walls can be made more resistant to bullets (though, not bullet proof, keep this in mind!) by packing the gaps between the inside and outside of the walls with rocks/gravel. Greatly increases your protection if you come under attack! Can do this indoors too if you wish...to make interior walls more secure.

Water storage: In my experience, large (like 55 gallon) barrels store a large amount easily, but they are way too heavy to move around easily if you need to. The 7 gallon "Aqua-Tainer" containers at Walmart and elsewhere are wonderful, and, though heavy when filled, still portable. DO NOT but "Desert Patrol" containers, they are junk and will leak! Normal 1 gallon water/milk jugs break down over time and are not suitable for water storage (they will leak and/or contaiminate your water).

Boiling will clean your water of everything but chemicals/nitrates. It concentrates chemicals/nitrates when you boil, so, if you have chemical problems with your water, do not boil it! Boiling kills dangerous micro-organisms (bacteria, etc.). Boil at a rolling boil (hard) for ten minutes to be absolute sure it is clean of pathogens.

In addition to a grain grinder for grains, have a large and high quality mortar and pestle for grinding in case the grinder no longer works. A lot more work but it will keep you alive.

The "Where there is No Doctor" and "Where there is No Dentist" series of books is very good to have on hand for medical information, but be very careful when dealing with medicine of course...

Maps of your entire state (roads, etc., everything...) and neighboring states. Binoculars/telescopes (to view your surroundings in case there is nearby danger).

Have plenty of washing soda and borax on hand. The two mixed in equal portions makes for good dishwashing detergent, and adding some grated soap (like Fels-Naptha soap, for instance) makes for good laundry detergent, depending on how hard your water is...also have lots of vinegar as it helps in washing laundry with these homemade detergents.

Lye for soap. And, pH testing papers so you can determine the strength of homemade lye from woodashes if you run out of sodium hydroxide. ( This site has info. on making lye from ashes, as well as biodiesel, etc.: journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_ashlye.html )

A list of some necessary/useful tools: axes (high quality, one broad axe is good if you can afford it), maul, wedges, scythe/snath, sickle, hoe, shovel, rakes, garden fork, drawshave, assorted knives, chisels, and large and small drill bits, brace (hand drill, and the drill bits you have should fit it), egg beater type hand drill for smaller jobs, crosscut saws (there are different types, two man and one man, and different tooth patterns. Find the one best suited for your area. Mine are mostly "Champion" tooth pattern saws which work fairly well on most anything I have come across), assorted chisels (wood and masonry chisels), sharpening stones (hard and soft, several), fine files for sharpening the saws and tools (several. Each one doesn't last for that many sharpenings, keep in mind, before becoming a poor sharpener), block and tackle and/or a cable "power puller" (actually hand powered with a lever...but this is what they're called around here), hammers (claw/rip, sledge hammers, etc.), hatchet, peavey/cant hook/ or log jack, for moving and working with logs, adze (not absolutely necessary but is a very useful tool for working with timber), froe (this can be used for splitting wood shingles for a roof amongst other things), wrenches (socket, adjustable, etc.), pliars and channel locks, bolt cutters (more powerful the better), tin snips, measuring tapes, anvil, torches (propane and a working gasoline one is good, but be very careful with old gasoline torches. Many are unsafe to use. Don't light one unless you know it's safe), welding equipment, solder, flux, assorted paint brushes, nails and screws (any type you might ever use...lots of them), a crucible or two for melting metals like lead, copper, etc., a set of bellows, chimney brushes, woodstove tools, wheelbarrow, trowel (for masonry type work that is), and of course cement/mortar mix and sand (around 1,000 pounds of each would be nice...I picked up a lot when it was on sale once for very little money. It will be used eventually I'm certain).

There are some things I know I'm missing--if I remember what they are I'll add them. Rather daunting list of tools, but it can be collected (hopefully) slowly at yard sales, flea markets, ebay, etc. if you're patient and it will save a lot of money.

Good thing to have also is a meat grinder, and the various tools needed for butchering--knives, meat saw and blades, etc.

[bbird]

Excellent post AS! Landscaping and installing things in your home is something I am learning about now.

My printer is busy tonight.

[Deleted]

Kathy, gun powder needs to be stored in a dry place. Somewhere that is not damp, also not too hot.I keep mine in the cabinet.I have powder that we bought several years ago.

Where can you get saltpeper? to make gun powder.
tnborn

[antiquestuff]

tnborn said:

Where can you get saltpeper? to make gun powder.
tnborn

Various chemistry supply stores, online. Some will want a big paper trail, others won't...sites that deal in science/chemistry supplies for schools, students, and homeschoolers should have it. There may be limits at some sites on the amount, and there are some hazardous materials regulations to deal with, but it can be ordered...

Now, as for buying it at a local store, I've had no luck finding it here...though I did notice ammonium nitrate fertilizer was readily available a year ago, but no saltpeter!

Also, I recall one of the Foxfire books has instructions (sort of) on how to make the saltpeter. Kinda disgusting process used, but if nothing else...


Keep in mind making blackpowder is dangerous and do it in small amounts at a time and not inside a home or barn or anything like that....and there may be some ridiculous laws in your state/local area to comply with...

[bergere]

Here is a good link with lots of contacts for Black Powder.

www.coon-n-crockett.org/linklist.htm#BLACK%20POWDER%20MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS