PREPPER: The First 5 Items That Should Be In EVERYONE’S Everyday Carry
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You likely already know that what you carry with you on a daily basis is influenced by whether you live in the city, in a small town or on a farm, as well as by the job you have and the mode of transportation you use.
Nevertheless, there are a few everyday carry (EDC) items that should be in everyone’s pockets, purses, briefcases and so on. Here are five:
1. The band-aid
I took part in an experts’ round-up a while back, which is in essence a mega-article where they take survival “gurus” and ask them what the most important survival item is. Everyone said knives and multi-tools, but I said band-aid.
Why? You never know when you might get a cut or a bruise. It is much more likely than landing in the middle of social unrest and having to make your way home through angry mobs and tear gas. Even then, you could still get injured and need to patch yourself up.
I carry a band-aid in each wallet, in my gym bag and, of course, a few in my car. They’re cheap, lightweight and small.
2. The phone*
Duh, everyone carries a phone, right? Maybe, but is your phone prepared? I’m talking about loading it up with survival eBooks, GPS apps, offline maps and so on.
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If you live on a farm or spend a lot of time outdoors or on construction sites, do you have a rugged phone, or at least a shock-absorbent case?
Whether or not you’re a HAM radio enthusiast or have a couple of walkie-talkies in the trunk of your car, your phone is likely to be the thing you use to call for help in an emergency or to make sure your family is safe.
3. Cash
You don’t have to believe ATM machines will stop functioning in a disaster situation. You should always have some cash on you, because it can get you out of a pickle fast. It’s accepted everywhere.
4. A pocket knife
There’s nothing like a knife to make you feel safer. Well, maybe a gun, but not every location allows it to be legally carried. A pocket knife is the next best thing. It can help you escape an attacker, and you can use it to cut and open things.
Whether you sleep with a gun under your pillow or you think guns are evil, a pocket knife can be your everyday best friend.
5. A fire-starting device
It doesn’t matter if it’s a lighter or a magnesium fire-starter, the ability to ignite fire should never be ignored. You can use fire in a variety of survival situations: to signal someone, to cook a meal, and, of course, to keep you warm.
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So there you have it: The minimum number of EDC items (according to my humble opinion). Now, I know I left out things like your house keys, but I don’t really consider those to be survival items. I also know you can add dozens of other things to your EDC, and I encourage you to do so.
You can build on them by adding things such as:
a larger wallet to fit more items.
a mini first-aid kit.
a credit card shaped Fresnel lens
a multi-tool
a compass
a concealed carry revolver
… and so on
Starting your off-grid living with solar power
November 11, 2016
by Bob Rodgers
Harnessing the sun’s power has become a popular trend in the last ten years and we now have a large array of options for powering our homes using solar power. Living off the grid requires a lot of work and innovation in order to reach a certain level of self-sufficiency. Things get easier if you are able to harness the power of the sun and use it for all your needs.
From passive cooling to batch solar water heaters, everything is now available when it comes to DIY solar power projects. People are beginning to understand that solar power is not as complicated as certain individuals would want you to believe. This is a technology that has become extremely accessible in our modern times and you just need a few basic skills in order to make your own project.
If you plan to use solar power for your off-grid living or if you want to cut your electricity bill in half, here are a few suggestions to help you get started.
Know your needs
Solar power is considered a universal power source because it can be used in ways few people imagine. Before you start to make a shopping list for your project, you should start by assessing your needs. Do you plan to use solar power for cooking? For water heating or just use it to make enough electric power to keep you tools powered up when the grid goes down?
There are stand-alone solar lighting systems that can be used to illuminate your home and even your courtyard. Solar ovens are becoming more and more popular and there are some clever designs that you can take with you anywhere you plan to bug out. You can also rely on water heaters, hot air collectors and space heating systems if you plan to use solar power for your off-grid systems.
It all depends on what you need to do and how much electric power you would need. The best part about harnessing the power of the sun is that you are not limited when building your power system. For example, you can always add more solar panels and extend your battery bank.
Learn the language
People think that solar power is complicated because they don’t bother to read and learn the solar energy-related terms. If you plan on using solar thermal applications, you should know that both passive and active systems exist. The passive systems are designed to not involve any mechanical devices while the active systems (such as photovoltaic panels) are designed to use mechanical devices so that the energy is stored for future use. When you start reading about solar power you will discover terms like open or closed system, charge controllers and inventers and all sorts of terminologies that may be confusing at first. To know more about solar power terminology I recommend consulting the glossary the good people at Energy.gov put together.
Related article: Off-grid limitations that no one tells you about
Asses your off-grid site
You cannot install solar panels if your roof needs to be changed in the coming years, due to various factors. You will just increase the costs if you don’t fix the roof first, not to mention the possible discomfort of being left without power for the time needed to make the fixes. You should to a thorough assessment of your off-grid property and decide where the panels will be installed. You should check if there are any local codes that regulate these types of systems. You might live off the grid but you still need to respect the law, at least until it no longer applies. You need to find the right spot for your solar panels otherwise you risk of spending much more money on repairs and maintenance.
Learn as much as you can about your solar systems
Once you have the system installed, you should move to the next step: gathering the right info to keep your panels up and running without exterior help. After all, living off the grid requires for you to develop all the needed skills to become self-sufficient in an austere environment. If your panels get damaged due to a blizzard, wild animals or any other uncontrollable factors, you should have spare parts or materials, but also the knowledge and practical skills to replace them. This is not hard to master and it requires time and dedication to learn the ropes.
Build your own solar panels
As alternative energy is becoming more mainstream, you can find a lot of DIY materials available at your local home center or online. Solar power has gained a lot of popularity due to visionary people such as Elon Musk and people are beginning to understand the potential of this unlimited source of energy. Materials and guidance is also available through specialty sellers and many organizations offer training, news and all sort of resources to help you get started. If you plan on building your own solar panels, go with something easy, something that you are able to build and maintain without professional help.
Related reading: How to handle refrigerator food when the power goes out
Solar power is all about conservation
While it is possible to keep an entire household powered with today’s technology, solar power teaches you how to embrace conservation. An off-grid life should be driven by self-reliance and in you can’t live off the grid if you aren’t self-sufficient, unless you have a huge disposable budget. If that’s not the case, efficiency becomes the number one step to self-reliance. Every task involving solar power should be as maximized as possible and cutting energy demands will become a lifestyle. Turning off electronics and improving your home’s insulation can lower your power needs considerably. You have to think of it this way, the better you are able to conserve energy, the lower the system you need to install for your home.
Commercial system recommendations:
Here are a few recommendations for solar power kits that can be installed and used by anyone:
Goal Zero 31901 Yeti 1250 Silver/Black XX-Large Solar Generator, Wattage 1,200. Able to power lights, tools, refrigerators, freezers and health care equipment.
Wagan (EL2547) Solar e Power Cube 1500 Plus, Wattage 1,500. A simple all in one unit is ready to be used as soon as it is charged.
KISAE 40400 1800-Watt Power Kit with 40-Watt Solar Panel, Wattage 1,800. Complete solar power supply, ideal for your bug-out vehicle or an RV used as a bug out shelter.
Solar power can provide your home with a reliable energy source that will not be affected if the power grid collapses. Having your own, independent power source becomes essential if you plan on living off the grid or if you are preparing for natural or man-made disasters.
Preparing For a CME and the After Effects
As preppers we tend to focus more on disaster scenarios that are more down to earth, but preparing for a CME and the after affects could turn into something “down to earth.” As we we’re watching Doomsday: 10 Ways the World Will End on the History Channel some of these disasters from outer space are a little far fetched for even my paranoid brain to handle.
CME’s (Coronal Mass Ejections) happen more often than you think, but most of the time we are not in the path of this plasma ejection. A little over 150 years ago we were in the path of a CME named the Carrington event (1859) and lucky for us the damage was minimal.
In 1989 a small scale CME blacked out Quebec, and in 2012 there was an enormous CME, but that one just missed us by about 2 weeks. What would a Carrington scale event look like now? How would our electric grid and society in general handle an event like this?
The answer is unknown, and depends on the magnitude of the coronal mass ejection. What we do know is that most societies cannot function without electricity. Everything we do revolves around electricity in one way or another, from our banking system, to our water supply to the way we get our food.
The White House recently put out an executive order about Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events. Here is an excerpt of that…
Government warning: Extreme space weather events — those that could significantly degrade critical infrastructure — could disable large portions of the electrical power grid, resulting in cascading failures that would effect key services such as water supply, healthcare, and transportation. Space weather has the potential to simultaneously effect and disrupt health and safety across entire continents. Successfully preparing for space weather events is an all-of-nation endeavor that requires partnerships across governments, emergency managers, academia, the media, the insurance industry, non-profits, and the private sector. It is the policy of the United States to prepare for space weather events to minimize the extent of economic loss and human hardship.
What is a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection)
Basically, it’s a blob of the sun getting burst into space in the direction of the earth. For a more scientific explanation have a look at this article here.
How long would it take for a CME to reach the earth? And would we be able to prepare? CMEs typically reach Earth one to five days after leaving the Sun. I would assume that the government or NASA would let us know that this was about to happen, because you would think it’s in their best interest to keep the children happy…but I wouldn’t be shocked if the opposite were true.
Even if we do get warning, and have a few days to prepare, I’m not so sure that there is a lot that can be done on a large scale. As individuals, we would be able to protects some of our personal electronics by using Faraday Cages and shielding them, but the electric grid would still be down, and we wouldn’t be able to power them.
SPP175 Preparing For a CME and the After Effects
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In the show this week we went into detail about the show !0 Ways the World Will End, and our thoughts on how they did. Here are some of the show notes, but like I always say, listen to the show for more information about all of this.
What Initial Damage Would a CME Do
As I said earlier, it all depends on the magnitude of the CME, if it as large as the Carrington event, the power grid would be toast. The power won’t just go out, there will be a massive power surge meaning everything that is plugged in will be surged, and potentially cause fires.
Transformers will be toast as well, and they take 2 years to produce. This is especially important because and we have no backups and are only produced in Germany and South Korea. This means the grid could be down for a very long time.
The fuel rods that power the worlds 400 Nuclear reactors must be kept cool 24 hours a day. These are kept cool by water, water pumped in by electricity. These plants have emergency generators that will last about 72 hours, and then battery systems that will last about a week.
Cars might become damaged, but contrary to popular belief it is hard to say if automobiles would be completely useless. Although getting fuel for them might be impossible.
Planes probably wouldn’t just fall from the sky, but runway lights and gps would be gone.
Critical infrastructure would be affected. Losing the electrical grid could be more deadly than nuclear war.
The modern food system is completely dependent on electricity. From growing, to harvesting, to transporting, to refrigerating.
Supermarkets become battlegrounds. We all probably know this, but going to the grocery store could be a life and death situation.
Cash on hand is just the first problem. The entire banking system is electronic, and it could either be gone, or inaccessible.
No electric pumps = No running water, and no gasoline and no sewage. disease and sickness could become rampant because of lack of sanitation.
There would be fires from short circuits from anything electrical. On a small scale this could be our toasters, on a larger scale this could be disastrous.
Would Electronics Not Plugged in Be Affected?
According to Modern Survival Blog:
“The reason why the device does not have to be plugged in to become damaged is because of what actually happens… The energy from the EMP pulse wave will melt down the transistor ‘junctions’ within semiconductor electronics. You could have a portable shortwave radio sitting on your desk, not plugged into anything at all, and as the invisible wave strikes it, it will fry.”
Short Term Effects of a CME
A total collapse of civilization. It will literally be every man/woman for themselves. People WILL be fighting for resources, Martial Law WILL be enacted, and most of the population WILL die off.
The show talks about how people will head out into the woods hunting, and how most people have never been hunting in their lives. This will cause many problems, not to mention the hunter gatherer lifestyle is not sustainable for 320 million people.
After a couple of weeks, we will basically start devolving into a tribal state. This would literally be a Mad Max/Walking Dead scenario.
After about 6 weeks people would be drinking from polluted water sources because they had no choice. Human waste, hospital waste, industrial waste back flowing into lakes and rivers.
Extreme heat and extreme cold will kill people as well.
The show estimates that the world’s population will be reduced from 7 billion to 2 billion in a little over a month. That means 2 out of 3 people will die because of our dependence on electricity.
The Aftermath
In just 1 year, there would be less than 1 billion people still alive across the planet…and that might be a generous guess.
Most of us think about what we would do immediately following some sort of shtf event, and for good reason. We need to be able to survive a year to be able to rebuild afterword’s.
One year after this large CME the remaining people will have fought off bandits, protected their resources and been through more in one year, than they have in their entire life.
Most of the danger would be gone at this point…for the most part, because the only people who survived would be the ones who knew how to survive. Alternative energy, gardening etc.
Groups, communities and small scale infrastructure would form as people started to rebuild.
At this point, all is not lost, it’s just an uphill battle. We have the knowledge; but we just won’t have the resources to do anything on a large scale.
The 5 Important First Aid Skills Your Kids Need to Know
First Aid skills for kids is something we may, as parents, want to shelter our children from. I know I worry that if I start talking about situations that would require first aid with my kids that I just may end up terrifying them. The protector in me wants to shelter my kids and allow them to enjoy life – free of worry and concern.
Yet, first aid emergencies are real – they do happen. And if a child finds themselves with an out-of-commission adult, their survival (and the adult’s) may be in their small hands. First aid skills for kids really are necessary.
I personally believe – quite strongly – that we often underestimate our children. They can learn much and absorb information far more quickly than adults in many cases. Yes, they will be limited by their small size, but we can empower them by teaching them first aid skills and letting them know we trust them to care for us in our time of need.
Knowing they have these skills – even if they never have to use them – will increase their self confidence and their compassion for others. Confidence and compassion are two qualities I certainly want for my children.
I believe there is a balance in these two ideas. There are ways to teach first aid to our kids, increase their self confidence and compassion without terrifying them or causing nightmares.
Today I have two lists for you:
6 tips for effectively teaching first aid to kids in non-scary ways
5 essential first aid skill to teach your children
First, the 6 tips for how to teach the first aid skills to your kids without giving them nightmares:
Tip #1: Narrate
Everyday life with kids will provide plenty of real life opportunities to use first aid skills – every bike crash, skinned knee, burned finger and more – provides a teaching moment.
As you help your children with these “emergencies” verbally walk them through what you are doing.
“First, I’m going to use this clean cloth to push on your knee – that will stop the bleeding. Now I am gently washing it out so no dirty bugs decide they like living there. Now I’m going to put a bandaid on to keep the blood in and the bugs out.“
Narrating is great for 3 reasons:
It will help your kids stay calm if they are hurt and scared as they try to listen to your voice
It allows you to model how to calmly care for someone who is injured (even if you are the one injured)
It provides a way to indirectly teach your children first aid skills without sitting them down and talking about various scary situations
In order to narrate correctly, you must know your own “stuff” when it comes to first aid. So, study up! Take a class! Research!
Tip #2: Play a game
While narrating real life is examples is effective, you don’t have much control over when such situations happen (you are trying to prevent them). In addition, bigger emergencies happen less frequently and you want your kids prepared for such things before they happen.
One solution is “playing doctor.” Most young kids love this game. They see it as fun – not scary – just look at how many play doctor sets you can find on Amazon.
Pretend to be your child’s patient and help them figure out what to do to treat your “symptoms.” You could also have them be your patient and narrate what you are doing to help them with their “symptoms.”
As they learn and demonstrate a correct understanding of first aid skills, congratulate them! Let them know that they could use those amazing things they know in real life – if someone they loved was hurt.
Tip #3 – Read a book.
There are many books written on first aid that are specifically for kids. Most are colorful and fun – some include coloring pages or other activities. Young kids love to cuddle up as a parent reads to them and this creates positive feelings that can overcome the scary ones.
You can find lots of kid’s first aid books on Amazon HERE.
Tip #4 – Use the Media
Discuss first aid situation that happen on the news (especially if they involve children) or in the cartoons that your kids watch. Ask them what they would do in that situation, what you think the child did right and / or what they could have done differently.
I also found a great website for kids and first aid HERE from the British Red Cross.
The Red Cross has also teamed up with the DADA company to create a safety and first aid app for kids.
Tip # 5: Go to safety events available in your area
Take your kids to the fire station and let those “heros” teach them a bit about first aid. Find out if your local pool has any water safety classes. Check the local hospital for “teddy bear clinics.”
Tip # 6: Take a First Aid Class with them
As your children get a little older, you may want to enroll them in a formal first aid class. A class taught by a non-family member, but taken with a parent or loved one can be seen a fun quality time by older children. I know my 9 year old twins love “dates” with mom or dad, so why not make the “date” something productive and empowering like a first aid class?
Now, onto the 5 basic skills every child should know.
Please note that older children (those old enough to take a first aid class) can, and probably should, learn more advanced first aid skills, but every small child (from age 3 or 4 on) can learn the following:
Skill #1: Calling for help
In the US, kids need to know how to call 911 (many other countries are 122 or 999. I believe Australia is 000). This one skill alone is HUGE. If kids can calmly call 911, the operator can often walk them through other things that need to be done.
Kids should know:
How to dial your local emergency number (with cell phones this includes unlocking the phone OR how to access the emergency call screen)
How to “send” (start / initiate) the call once they have entered the number (not needed for a landline, but with cell phones you often have to press “the green phone button” or similar)
Their address and phone number (most emergency calls are made on cell phones which means the operator may not be able to find your location)
How to describe their location (This is useful if you are away from home at the time of the emergency – for example, I‘m near a 7-11 at a big park with a pool. I see a sign with the letters S A L T L A K E ). Most of the time, the operator will be able to find a general location (city), but your child may need to give specifics to help them find your exact location.
Once your kids know these things, practice! Make it a game…give out lots of praise, and make it fun!
Use a pretend phone to have them “dial,” then “answer” and ask:
What’s your emergency?
Where are your calling from? Where do you live?”
What’s your name?
Who needs help?
Is the person _________ (awake, throwing up, bleeding etc)?
Please __________ (raise their head, get an icepack, push on the owie with a towel etc)
Skill #2: Finding a First Aid Kit
All children in your home should know where to find a first aid kit. If local adults come to help before an ambulance, your child can show them where to find live-saving supplies.
As your children grow, you can teach them what the various supplies are for (maybe by “playing doctor”) and how to use them.
Skill #3: Controlling Bleeding
Severe bleeding can quickly become life threatening and even young children can find a clean cloth and apply pressure (push on the owie with the towel). Make sure they know NOT to remove the towel, but that they can add another on top of it if needed.
Skill#4: Family Specific Emergencies
If someone if your family has a severe allergy, everyone (including children) should know where to find and how to use an epi-pen. Does anyone have diabetes or epilepsy etc? What do your children need to know in order to help those family members?
Skill #5 – Hands only CPR
I saved this one for last as very young children may be able to understand the concept behind hands only CPR, but not be big enough or strong enough to perform it.
But even young kids may be able to do more than we think they can with adrenaline running through their bodies. And older (7+ children) can like perform hands only CPR.
The American Heart Association says that only 32% of of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims are getting CPR from a bystander! We – as a society – need to increase that number. One way is to make certain our children know how to perform this life saving skill.
Hands-Only-CPR is simply CPR without breaths. It is so simple that ANYONE can learn it right from their home. The steps to Hands-Only CPR are simple: (1) call 9-1-1 and (2) push hard and fast (think of the beat to the disco song “Stayin Alive”) on the center of the chest until professional help arrives.
The First 10 Things Every New Prepper Should Do (Some of Them Are Free!)
Over the past couple of years, here in America….
Contaminated water caused a complete loss of municipal services in both Ohio and West Virginia, resulting in almost a million people vying for the stock in local stores.
A freak confluence of storms caused a “Superstorm” that took out power to much of the Eastern Seaboard, including New York City and the coastal parts of New Jersey. Nearly a year later, some families were still without electricity to their homes.
Two winters in a row, a “polar vortex” caused horrifyingly low temperatures and paired with winter storms to make the mid-western US resemble the Artic Circle.
A small town in Missouri was under siege twice in a few months due to a police shooting of a young black man, and the officer’s subsequent acquittal.
Job loss and poverty is at an all-time high.
A deadly virus that everyone thought would be relegated to the distant regions of Africa was diagnosed here in the US, not just once, but multiple times.
Now, read that and try to tell me that disasters don’t happen. Try to say that it’s impossible that they’d happen to you. If you say this, you’re deluding yourself because the reality is too unpleasant, and we both know it. If you’d like to continue deluding yourself, thank you for stopping by. Enjoy the articles about wholesome food, and pretend not to notice the articles that urge you to take responsibility for yourself and your family.
However, if you’re ready to accept this fact, read on. I’ll tell you how to get started in a way that isn’t overwhelming. No bunkers, no wearing of tinfoil, no filtering and drinking of pee, and no building of Arks will be mentioned. That stuff is all in Prepping 201. (Kidding!)
How to Get Started Prepping
When you begin reading websites about prepping, sometimes it can be overwhelming. You see people talking about their one-year food supplies, their bug-out lodges, their ammo collection, and their homestead that is so far out in the wilderness that they have to climb a big pine tree on top of the mountain to get an internet connection and boast online about their seclusion.
Most preppers are just regular folks with a self-reliant mindset.
I’m here to tell you, getting started does not require a $20,000 investment or your children feverishly packing beans and rice into Ziplock bags late into the night.
There are 10 simple things you can do to get started. Lots of them are free and if you apply yourself, you can get started on all 10 steps in less than a week. All of the highlighted text is a link that will take you to related resources so you can learn more.
#1. Fill up a whole bunch of empty bottles with water.
If you haven’t taken out the recycling yet this week, don’t! You can use those empty two liter soda pop bottles and gallon water bottles to stock up on a drinking water supply. Count on a gallon a day per human and pet. (Two 2-liter bottles are approximately a gallon). If you don’t have any containers you can fill, you can buy 5 gallon jugs of water at most grocery stores or Wal-mart. Most of the time, you’ll pay well under $20 for a full jug of water. Five of those will keep a family of 4 in drinking water for just over a week, should it be required. Add to your supply each week, and soon you’ll have a month supply, quietly sitting there in your basement. Here’s an infographic to get you started on safely storing water.
#2. Bookmark some websites.
The internet is a wonderful place, and best of all, this knowledge can be found for FREE! The more you know about crisis situations, the more ready you will be to face them. Some sites are friendlier to beginners than others, so if you stumble upon a forum where people seem less than enthusiastic about helping people who are just starting out, don’t let it get you down. Move on and find a site that makes you feel comfortable. Following are some of my favorites, and the link will take you to a good starting point on these sites. In no particular order:
Ready Nutrition
SHTFplan
Graywolf Survival
Survival at Home
Survival Blog
Backdoor Survival
#3. Take a look at your budget.
What? Budgets don’t sound very prepperly! But how do you expect to pay for all of those beans, bullets, and band-aids if you don’t make some adjustments to your spending and shopping habits? Here are some suggestions on ways to put money aside for prepping, and here are some ideas on creating a budget, and most importantly, sticking to it.
#4. Inventory your food supply, then start building your stockpile.
You probably have more food on hand than you realize you do. Before you go out and spend lots of money at the grocery store, it’s important to go through your cupboards, pull things out, and get organized. You don’t know what you need until you know what you have. Be sure to put things away in an organized fashion so you can find what you need, when you need it. Now that you know what you have, you can fill in the holes. You can’t expect to have a 1-year food supply all at once. Here’s how I built a healthy food supply in 3 months, while on a pretty tight budget. This will help you get the idea of how to build your stockpile. Resist the urge to stock up on nutritionally useless foods like Ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese. If there is a situation going on in which you must rely solely on your stockpile, you will want to be nourished, not just filled up. If you want to build a one-month food supply super-fast, here’s how to create it with a few clicks of the mouse.
#5. Have a drill.
The absolute best way to know what you need during an emergency is to simulate a crisis. Get your family on board and spend a weekend without power and running water. Keep a list going for the entire weekend so that you can note what needs arose. (Leave the breakers on for the refrigerator and freezer – you don’t want to potentially have your food spoil.) Can you make coffee and food? Can you keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer? Can you keep the kids entertained?
#6. Prep for a power outage.
With most disasters comes a power outage, just to up the challenge ante. Sometimes the power outages are the disaster all by themselves. Remember about 5 years ago when a freak ice storm knocked out the power in Arkansas and Missouri for over a month? You want to be ready for stuff like that. Be sure you have food that doesn’t require cooking, light sources (hint: think solar garden stakes), a way to stay warm or cool, and a way to salvage the food in your fridge and freezer. Figure out a cooking method that doesn’t require electricity in the event that the outage lasts more than a few days. Be ready with games and non-power dependent activities to keep the kids (and by default, the parents) sane.
#7. Figure out how to use the bathroom if the toilet doesn’t flush.
In an all-out disaster that shuts down municipal water supplies, you may find yourself in a situation where the toilet won’t flush. At times like this, you’ll want to shut off the main to your house, because you could end up with other people’s waste backing up through the lines. A quick, inexpensive solution is to turn your toilet into a litter box for humans. Drain the water from the bowl, then line it with a very heavy contractor’s garbage bag. Place some kitty litter in the bottom of it. When someone uses the bathroom, they should put a new scoop of litter on top of their waste. It’s vital to make sure the bag doesn’t get too heavy to carry without ripping. Seal the full bags well, then store them outside until service resumes. If you must use other disposal methods, the safest way to get rid of it is to bury it far from water sources or gardens.
#8. Prep for an evacuation.
Now you need to pack a bug-out bag. If budget is a concern, use bags you already have along with supplies that you already have. The important thing is to have this stuff organized and be ready to go at a moment’s notice. Have a list of last minute items so that you know what you need. It’s better to think this through when you’re calm, not when the clock is ticking towards disaster. You’ll want things like personal documents, extra medication, comfort items for children, and survival supplies that could get you through 3 days away from home. To take a look at the ultimate prepper’s bug out bag, look at this one from Graywolf Survival.
#9. Be prepared to defend your home and family.
It is an unfortunate but unavoidable truth that disasters bring out the worst in a lot of people. (Remember Ferguson? This wasn’t even a disaster, it was an unpopular verdict.)This truth is what turns a lot of people off from prepping. They can understand the need for having a few cans of food and some extra toilet paper, but they’re so immersed in cognitive dissonance that they can’t wrap their brains around the possibility of civil unrest. You do NOT want to be one of those families who bury their heads in the sand. You can have a 10-year supply of food, water, and medicine, but if you can’t defend it, you don’t own it. The article The Anatomy of a Breakdown explains the predictable patterns of social unrest. The best way to win a fight is to avoid getting into that fight in the first place. Secure your home and lay low, but be prepared if trouble comes to visit. Don’t rely on 911. During widespread civil unrest, the cops are going to be busy and it’s unlikely that help will arrive. Have a safe room for vulnerable family members. Be armed and know how to use your weapon of choice. If you don’t know how to use your weapon, learning should be one of your top priorities. Here’s some advice from someone who knows a lot more about weapons than I do
#10. Build your resource library.
This is where some money could come into play. Most of the time, people in the preparedness world like to have hard copies of important information. This way, if the power goes out and you can’t access the internet or recharge your Kindle, you still have access to vital advice. Some of these books are for just such an event, while others are guides to building your self-reliance skills.
The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster (This is the be-all and end-all Bible of prepping)
The Pantry Primer: A Prepper’s Guide to Whole Food on a Half-Price Budget (This is my newest book, which outlines building your pantry while on a strict budget)
The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 40th Anniversary Edition: The Original Manual of Living Off the Land & Doing It Yourself
Prepper’s Home Defense: Security Strategies to Protect Your Family by Any Means Necessary
SAS Survival Guide: How to Survive in the Wild, on Land or Sea (Collins GEM)
How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times
The Prepper’s Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster
The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way
The Organic Canner
What are you waiting for?
If you’re new to this, there’s no better time to start than right this minute.
Go through the list and do the free things first. Do all of the plotting and planning second, and then put your plans into action as your budget allows. Whatever you do, stop waiting around. Disasters won’t wait until it’s a convenient time for you.
If you a seasoned prepper, please share your inexpensive start-up ideas for newbie preppers in the comments below. If you have friends and loved ones you’d like to help get started, send them this article. It’s loaded with budget-friendly links to start them on their journey. Help encourage people to join our community of self-reliance!
The 7 Best Rifles if You Want Cheap Ammo
When it comes to defending your home or harvesting big game, it’s time to go to the rifle. Handguns may be more convenient to carry for personal defense, but except for the most powerful Magnum cartridges, their performance is marginal. Rifles beat them in the accuracy department, too.
If you have rifles that you treasure but find that it can be expensive to feed them, then check out these seven rifles that can help keep you proficient without breaking the bank.
1. Ruger 10/22
As you likely suspected, this list has to start with a 22. It is the cheapest rifle on the market, and many fundamentals of rifle shooting can be duplicated with a rim-fire. We like the 10/22 because even someone lacking in gunsmith skills can customize these rifles with ease.
If your main rifle is a lever action, you can substitute the 10/22 for a Henry or if ARs are you thing, the S&W MP15/22 might be more to your liking. Maybe you roll with a bolt gun; we are partial to the Savage Mk II. Companies like Walther and German Sport Guns offer rim-fire versions of HK MP5s, AK-47s and a few others. If none of these appeal to you, you can usually find a 22 conversion kit for your AR-15 and possibly some other rifles. The key is that you have options.
Although supply has been short in many parts of the country, if you luck out and buy in the right quantity, you can expect to pay as low as 5 cents a round. It may run higher by a few cents depending on your area. Supply is improving. Stock up when you can, but don’t be a neckbearding hoarder about it.
2. Colt M4 Expanse
Sure, there are other rifles out there like the Tavor, Galil, Steyr AUG, Ruger Mini-14, the SIG MCX and hundreds of AR-15 variants, but a Colt M4 Expanse is a sub-$700 rifle made by the company that put the AR on the map. You can get quality rifles from your manufacturer of choice, but the key is to get one chambered in 5.56. If you hate black rifles, you can find a number of bolt-action rifles chambered in this caliber, as well.
Be Prepared. Learn The Best Ways To Hide Your Guns.
For many people this is their primary long gun round, and we have seen it as cheap as $2 a box of 20. Average price is probably twice that or a little bit more.
If “black rifles” are not your thing, there is the Ruger Mini-14. Current versions are more accurate than their predecessors. If you have no use for a semiautomatic rifle, a number of companies make bolt-action and single-shot rifles in 223 Remington/5.56 NATO. This diversity is what lends the round its popularity.
3. Century Arms RAS-47
Some people might say SKS, but we have always preferred the AK platform. Either way, we like the 7.62 X 39 because it is cheap to shoot and can usually be found in great quantities. Average street price hovers around 20 to 25 cents a round.
We like Century’s AKs, whether it is the RAS-47 or one of the Yugoslavian imports (although those rifles lack chrome lined bores). Lovers of traditional stocks over pistol grips may prefer an SKS, and those who do not like former Com-Bloc designs can find an AR-15 or Ruger Mini-30 chambered in this caliber that performs much like the 30-30 Winchester.
4. AK-74
Similar to the last rifle is the smaller bored AK-74 chambered in 5.45 X 39. They are a bit harder to find than the AK-47, especially in our area.
I actually bought one of these rifles a few years back for the very reason I wrote this article. Having gone through numerous “rifle scares” and “panic buying sprees” over the past 30 years, I visited a gun shop that had several cases of 5.45 marked down to $88. The reason? They had problems getting rifles in stock. I picked up four cases and happened upon a rifle within a few months after that for a good price.
The price of ammunition has definitely increased since then, and it is on par with the 7.62X39 in the 20 to 25 cents range.
There are upper receivers and AR-15 variants chambered in this round as well as some old East German bolt-action rifles floating around out there. There have been rumors of conversion kits for the Israeli Tavor rifle and others for some time, but we have yet to see them.
5. Beretta Storm
Currently the most affordable center-fire pistol round is the 9mm Luger. Whether it is military surplus ammunition, Winchester White Box, or remanufactured ammo, 9mm is here to stay, and prices are reflecting this. We have seen it as cheap as $13 for a box of 100 recently. Beretta makes a carbine chambered in 9mm that should be part of everyone’s preps for the gun department, particularly if you have a number of 9mm handguns.
Some question the wisdom of a pistol caliber carbine. We like them in 9mm for their low recoil, ability to suppress and inexpensive ammunition. If you cannot abide a Beretta, you can find HK pattern rifles, Uzi carbines, ARs chambered in 9mm and Kel-Tec’s folding Sub-2000 rifle.
6. Rossi Model 92
We are looking at the 357 Magnum version, as it allows you to shoot the cheaper 38 Special round. If you have a 38 Special or 357 Magnum revolver, then this carbine makes a lot of sense.
Like any straight wall revolver cartridge, the 38 Special represents extreme low cost for re-loaders. We only caution that you avoid the bullets seated flush or close to flush with the case mouth for use in a lever-action rifle. They will not feed and the rifle will think it’s been stocked with empty cases.
There are other lever-action rifles available and a few pump-action versions were made, but we find Rossi’s guns to have the most value.
7. Yugo M98
With the prices of K-98 and VZ-24 rifles going through the roof, we thought we would clue you in on one that is not as expensive, especially if you can live with a straight bolt handle.
Ammunition performance of 8mm Mauser is on par with that of 30-06 or another low-cost round, the 7.62 X 54R. Military surplus ammunition is still relatively cheap, at just south of 30 cents a round.
How to Build a Prepper’s Medical Emergency Kit on a Budget
When disaster strikes, you want to know that you have done what you can to prepare for the worst. If an event such as a hurricane or nuclear disaster forces you and your family to leave your home without warning, you could easily find yourself in a serious situation where you will need first-aid medical attention. However, during natural or unnatural disasters, emergency medical attention might not be able to come to your location, so having the resources and knowledge to help yourself and your family members at a time like this can be the difference between life and death. In the midst of a catastrophe, having a functional medical emergency kit is essential for survival, and sometimes you have to plan for it on a limited budget. In this case, the best approach is to build your own, while utilizing only the most critical items you need for your survival.
Prepare for any disaster step-by-step
Build Your Own: Four Essential Medical Categories to Concentrate On
The four general categories you will want to take into consideration for your medical kit preparations are: ointment, bandages, tools and medicine. Knowing the necessary components for each category will help you to form the most cost-effective kit.
Ointment
The first and most important in this category is antiseptic wipes, like iodine wipes or alcohol-based wipes. In addition to wipes, you may also want to include an antibacterial ointment, like bacitracin. These are other ointments you may also find valuable:
Hand-sanitizing gel
Insect repellent
Insect sting relief treatment
Iodine liquid
Sunscreen
Lip balm
Biodegradable soap
Collapsible water sink or basin
Water-treatment chemicals
Bandages
You want to have bandages that can address any possible injury that may arise. Keep in mind that a person can die after just 10-15 minutes if they are bleeding from a major artery; you will want to have sufficient bandages to stop blood flow and close the wound. Remember, the best thing you can do for an activel