In the initial phase of a catastrophic event whether it is a meteor hit, an asteroid, an earthquake, volcano, hurricane, tornado or other man-made or natural disaster, some things are out of your control, such as a home being destroyed, supplies strewn across a neighborhood, or tragically being caught in the middle of the event and suffering loss of life..... but in the aftermath of any calamitous event, whether you live or die can very well depend on what you have done to prepare.
THE PIONEER SPIRIT
ANP has published a series of articles dealing with preparation, the difference between those that prepare and those that don't, the importance of communications, food, water, medical supplies, offering a list of active sites critical to learning about preparation as well as offering sites that keep the public informed, not of the MSM version of "everything is fine, move along," but the news the MSM avoids like the plague.
In the most recent of those articles Stefan Stanford reached out to Steve Quayle, one of the founders of the modern day prepping movement and one of the most forward thinking human beings we have the honor of calling friend, for a quote on survival and in his words we found something that encompasses the very nature of why we believe preparation is the critical difference between life and death. Quayle stated "THE PIONEER SPIRIT OF HARD WORK AND PRE-PLANNING MADE THIS ONCE GOD FEARING NATION GREAT, IT'S PROBLEMATIC AND INANE TO PAY TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY UPON YOUR DEATH BUT CARE NOTHING FOR THEIR LIVES WHILE THE WESTERN WORLD VANISHES BEFORE OUR EYES, PUTTING YOUR LOVED ONES IN HARMS WAY!"
Think about that for a minute... the pioneering spirit. That is what preppers and survivalists have. That is why they have been referred to as the group of people that will be the last ones standing.
That also decribes what we have seen in the comment sections of the series of articles we have written dealing with the importance of preparation. ANP commenters, many of which are Quayle readers as he linked to those articles, have that pioneer spirit and they generously shared their ideas, tips, tricks and knowledge with each other and with us.
Hundreds of comments were left on those articles, some of which are highlighted below.
READER TIPS, TRICKS AND PREPPING IDEAS THAT CAN LITERALLY SAVE YOUR LIFE
The comments highlighted below come from four specific article comment sections, to see the complete set of all the comments and conversations, the original article titles will by hyperlinked to the URLs below the bullet point tips, tricks and prepping ideas, and we strongly suggest going through them because to reproduce the entire section from each article isn't practical.
Note- Please remember these are ideas in a shared discussion and advice from ordinary people trying to help others to survive, but people need to research, especially any advice on medications. Consider the shared ideas as a guide to crank your search engine into high gear, perhaps seeing something that you simply did not consider, then learn more about what is best for you and your family.
The list is divided up into categories, Food and Water, Protection, Medications, Communications, Misc., And Additional Resources that weren't included in the list of 50 found in the most recent article here.
With that said, ladies and gentlemen... meet a small sample of our "pioneer pipeliners!"
Strange Coincidence: There is nothing wrong with preparing for a disaster, especially when the Lord warned us that it is coming. Does He want His people to starve? The Lord told Noah to fill his boat with supplies. Jesus told Jerusalem what to look for and what to do in regards to fleeing Jerusalem. Paul was warned of a coming famine and encouraged the churches to give. The Bible says:
Proverbs 27:12 - The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
Proverbs 6:7-9 - 7 Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, 8 Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest. 9 How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?
Proverbs 10:5 - He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he whosleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. 2 Thess 3:10 - For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.
Wouldn't it be nice if all Christians put away extra food for themselves and others for any impending disaster that may befall us? We would be the hands and feet of Jesus acting as a light on this world if we did. The issue is not about "not trusting God" it is about "trusting God and listening to His warnings"
FOOD & WATER
Ron: In addition to storage containers you need to get a good water filter. A gravity fed system is good but a portable reverse osmosis system is better. You may need to forage for water during a long emergency and you don’t want to contaminate your clean buckets with unfiltered water that you will have to carry home. Also you will need to filter water in your tub or other container that may not be completely clean. The reason to have some five gallon buckets is that you may need to carry water up to your apartment andmore than five gallons is more than most people would be able to handle at onetime. A katadyne pump action water filter is a great investment and runs about $70. They can filter 200 gallons of drinking water. You can flush your toilets by pouring water in the bowl.
The next thing you need to have on hand is a supply of food. Some cheap things to start off witht hat will keep you fed are the following items. (Prices are approximate from bulk store like Costco or Cash n carry) 50 lbs of rice $25 50 lbs of any kind of dried beans about $40 15 lbs of cornmeal for making muffins $25 25 lbs of oatmeal about $20 10 lbs of powdered milk 25 10 lbs of mash potato flakes $25 10 lbs of pancake mix $35 (can be used for bread for sandwiches too) 1 gallon of syrup $15 Soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, A-1 steak sauce, bacon bits, etc $20 3 Jars of different jellies $15 3 Jars of peanut butter $20 1 jar of honey $20 60 packages of ramen type noodles $10 30 boxes of macaroni and cheese $30 12 one gallon cans of vegetables about$4.50 each or $50 2 pounds of some soup base or bouillonto flavor the beans or rice $15 Salt and pepper and other spices to zest up beans and rice (you already have?) 3 pounds favorite gravy mix for rice and mashed potatoes $15 5 pounds of some kind of drink mix,water gets old $20 5 pounds of raisins or brown sugar (Something to make oatmeal taste good)$20 20 pounds of granulated sugar $30 Powdered butter and / or 10 lbs regular butter $30 Percolator coffee pot $20 2 cans coffee or tea $25 All of these things will cost you about $500 and provide 4 persons with three meals a day for 30 days at least.This list is meant to prevent desperation on your part for the least amount of money not necessarily a perfectly balanced menu so a good multivitamin can fill in any shortfalls of this menu.
Brook: Check also for your closest Mormon store. They sell in bulk and #10 cans
Bentley: Canned food is great, and has great shelf life as long as the cans are n, and kept n good shape. aka no dents or damage.. Also good to keep in mind, dry food like dry beans and rice, there lighter n weight and easier to pack, in case u have to move into a different location.
Useless Eater: And the non-pop-tops only keep a fraction of the time. Thinner. More easily compromised. That is why I like the "plenty of cheap can openers idea" so much. No cooking. No reconstitution. You will never be dehydrated with a good variety of canned goods, making water reserves last longer.
Disqus Guest: And remember to buy the NO SALT ADDED canned goods! That way you can drink the water its in without sending your sodium level through the roof.
Godswarrior: I live on a very very tight budget but have a tip for everyone - I purchased a large plastic bag of soil, rolled open the top and planted potato peelings in there that had just started to grow roots (I was able to eat my potatoes and still grow more!) - I now have potatoes growing in a bag which can be brought inside if needed. I also used some of the soil and making holes in the bottom of plastic milk cartons, cut in half to make plant pots and I am growing lettuce in them on my kitchen windowsill. Also just purchased blankets really cheap from the local charity shop.
Lillith: People need to learn to cure with salt, pickle meat and veggies and bury their meats. And the time to learn that stuff is now either talk to grandma and grandpa and have them show you how it's done or learn off of YouTube before it's too late .
Ron: Join with neighbors and plant Victory Gardens with Heirloom seeds. then at harvest time learn how to can those veggies. People wonder. Why Heirloom seeds? Because Heirloom seeds aren’t as prone to blight as commercial seeds, don’t require special pesticides and have proven over time their ability to survive & propagate. Be sure to“hold back” 10%-20% of the seeds for next year’s replanting. Potatoes, Beans,Carrots, Tomato’s, Turnips, Herbs, Berries, Beets and any easily canned or dried varieties of vegetation. Learn how to cook. Not opening a box of mix or frozen dinner but actual cooking from scratch. With that keep a decent supply of basic staples. Flour, eggs, salt, sugar, oils,shortening, canned goods, dried meats, etc. In reality cooking from scratch is just as easy as preparing processed foods, takes about 30 minutes to an hour longer is much less expensive and a lot healthier.
U Make The Call: Purchase a Berkey water filter system. At this stage of the game the 3 gallon unit / marked at under $300 will filter 6,000 gallons.We use it daily. You can rinse the filters in clean or filtered water in case of debris or mud (shallow rainy day well syndrome) plugs them up.It will pay for itself in the long run. Store at least 55 gallons of water for 2, just drop bleach every 2 months; 8 drops per gallon. We got trapped by frozen lines and roads for 20 days and wished we had stocked up on it. Melting snow or ice takes a lot of energy to melt just to flush a toilet.
Look and Listen: Your first priority should be a water filter, in your case you can make one, search youtube there are a couple good easy cheap ones. Then water storage and In your case heat. You can find bricks for free and make stove/heater. Make one room the heated room, put blankets over doors and windows. Protection, food (dry or wet) depending on your access to water.
Freedom: Costco and Sams club online have good deals on 50 pound bags of beans and rice. Costco sells buckets, gama seals and mylar bags with oxygen absorbers in a kit. I believe there are 20 buckets per kit. Packing your own rice, beans etc. is the best way to go. Also James Rawles has a book out on tools etc for survival. Its a great book to give you a idea on how to prepare for cheap I. E.. shop at garage sales etc.
Useless Eater: Canned goods do not get the respect they deserve from the preppers, IMBO. If you are eating hydrated foods (a.k.a. most canned goods) then you never need to drink water. Never. That is not to say that water is not important for so many other things but when you don't need it for cooking it goes that much further. No heat source required for a good meal. The only drawback is the portability but your best odds are finding a place to hunker down anyway. Best odds of surviving is in a community of like-minded folks looking after each other. Just don't rule out canned goods is all I'm saying. Yes, there are a lot of GMOs but that is the slow kill and, odds are, you are sucking them down everyday already. Besides, have you shopped dry meals like Mountain House? No offense to the prepper pushers, but they are just a bit 'spensive. Have you looked at the Chef Boy-R-Dee cans' nutrients list? It reads like a multi-vitamin. I have, is all I'm sayin'
PROTECTION
SovereignPatriot88: My plan is to board up the 1st floor windows over the blinds so you can't see the wood from outside. Then I will put a for sale sign in the front yard and put the "house has been winterized" signs back up like they were when I bought it. I'll clean up the yard so there are no personal items like grills, bikes, kids toys etc. I'll basically make the house look vacant. I'll be sure not to have any light coming from the windows at night and smoke from fires during the day. Sheltering in place won't be easy, but moving a stockpile of food and whatnot without a vehicle is impossible. If I could afford it, I would get an old diesel truck that will run without any electricity. It could be pop started or perhaps a pneumatic starter. Fuel can be siphoned from people's home heating oil tanks. Any radios and flash lights etc will need to be stored in a faraday cage so they are not fried from the EMP. I have read a lot about protecting my house during an emergency or SHTF event and I have tried to adapt what I read to best fit my situation. I have several other ideas as well.
Lillith: Learn to make homemade pepper spray there's lots of different recipes on the Internet and run out to Walmart while the season clearances are on and buy a bunch of water cannons those suckers shoot 50 feet .. you can at least deter people with them ... Of course if you want to do worse to them and blind them you can fill it with other chemicals like bleach ... Get creative I learned of an awesome awesome one foot pit trap that's easy to make and I guarantee you no one would like it if they stepped in it . Step into the hole the board tilts jams a bunch of nails into your leg as your foot plummets further down the whole if you try to pull it out you're going to rip your foot off practically . It's cheap and inexpensive by Barbwire buy enough to go around your house three different times at staggering Heights ... Tie cans around them with bolts and nuts inside . It'll make it distractions on long enough for you to do something about it . Buy enough plywood that you can board up your doors and windows
LoneWolf in response: Buy or GROW a bunch of habanero peppers and a fifth of "ever clear", which is almost 100% alcohol. Blend about 10 habanero peppers and about half of the ever clear in a blender, put in glass container and set aside for about a week, blend again and set aside for another week. Then strain into a spray bottle using many layers of cheese cloth to completely filter all small and large particles. This is better than any commercial pepper spray you can buy. Devastating to the eyes and respiratory system. Intense to say the least. Also, buy a case of wasp and hornet spray - brutal but effective in life and death scenario. A can of this will spray 20' and will instantly blind an attacker, and possible kill them. Obviously for close range social work - but effective in a pinch...LoneWolf - ALL AMERICAN INFIDEL
Ron: Security is important and the cheapest and easiest is ashotgun. I recommend a Remington 870$250 since they are cheap and common and 50 shells are about $25. Another alternative is a Ruger 10-22 which isabout the same cost $250 and 500 shells are $20. The Mossburg Plinkster 22 is only $139 andworks well but is not as common as the Ruger. Having a shotgun and 22 is even better. The standard prepper pistol is a 9MM so just look around. Be ready to defend your family and food andget training if you need it.
Ray Jones: get a gun even if it is a .22 long rifle....ruger 10 22 atunder 250 bucks brand new get all the ammo you can lay your hands on....i have taken game up to and including white tail deer with this tiny cartridge...that was many years ago ....fact is you could easily carry a thousand rounds and not be too weighed down.....with a half a dozen i25 round magazines and this little rifle i would consider my self armed i would be carefully choosing my battles very very carefully but i know the rifle would not let me down.
Susan on gun alternatives: check youtube for alternates to guns, saw one for a clothespin gun, google it, there are alternates to guns out there, arm/wrist crossbows
MEDICATIONS
Dr. Henry: My "musts" in my medicine box is by way of simplicity for bacterial, viral and fungal infections, as well as digestive. Oil of Oregano, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Collidial Silver, 25% food grade Hydrogen Peroxide (dilute and activate distilled water) as well as silca packs (like in your meds) you can buy them in a package or make your own (craft stores)...Silica sand absorbs moisture for any foods you may pack and seal. Baking Soda, and lots of it...Like Shannon said below it is so beneficial for many reasons like achy sore muscles, lactic acid build up, chronic fatique, fibromialgia. I just make certain I buy a natural one as some commercial ones may contain aluminum.
Shannon: 1 tsp of baking soda each night in warm water (make sure fully dissolved and don't eat or drink anything besides water an hour before/after) will cure your stomach problems...prob after a couple days to a week, you can throw out the zantac cause you will no longer need them. Baking soda is also much much cheaper and better for you. Trust me I used to live off of Pepcid complete (2x's a day). God Bless!
ANPLiveFreeOrDie: Yep, and the one thing I use all the time for belly aches is activated charcoal... it's outstanding to rid the body of toxins, poisons, etc just after eating.. interesting story here:
It was 1831. In front of his distinguished colleagues at the French Academy of Medicine, Professor Touery drank a lethal dose of strychnine and lived to tell the tale. He had combined the deadly poison with activated charcoal.
That's how powerful activated charcoal is as an emergency decontaminant in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which includes the stomach and intestines. Activated charcoal is considered tobe the most effective single agent available. It is used after a person swallows or absorbs almost any toxic drug or chemical.
immxdmta4 response: People who are on prescription medications, especially the life saving ones, need to be very careful with charcoal, clay, and any other detox types of items. Make sure to research the product and be certain that it will not detox your body of your medicines. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. God bless.
U Make The Call response: Baking Soda is good for many things / Old school remedy. Her recommendation about baking soda is right. You want aluminum free baking soda; Bob's Red Mill's. This works for tooth ache, sting bites, stomach burn, itch amazing usage. Cured my esophagus choke problem caused by acid reflux.
SovereignPatriot88: There is a lot of good advice and prepping tips here. Food, water and a means of defending yourself are all important things to consider. But one thing I don't see much of is prescription medications that people need. Before I go on, I must inform you that I an not a doctor or pharmacist or health care professional, I'm just giving my opinion. People who are diabetic or have high blood pressure or heart conditions or any other issue that requires a constant supply of prescription medications need to consider what will happen when you run out and you cannot get anymore. You may not be able to go to the pharmacy and pick up your medications anymore. And your doctor or pharmacist can't give you enough medication to last you 6 months or longer. So what can you do?
First, figure out if you have to have it to live, such as heart disease or diabetes, or if you are just taking it to improve your quality of life, such as for pain. Then, consider if you need to have enough for a long time to survive or just enough to wean off of it. One thing I can think of is to tell your doctor that your current dose is not working for you and you need to be on a higher dose. If your doctor goes for it, then you can continue taking the original dose and put the extra medication aside for when you no longer have access to a pharmacy. Be sure to rotate your stock so you always have fresh medication. This may not work for everyone. Some people may have to take less medication and put some away that way. Possibly taking less will cause your symptoms to worsen, which could be dangerous, or it may convince your doctor to up your dose, giving you the extra you need to start building a stockpile for when you cannot go to the pharmacy. Everyone has different circumstances and medical needs, and how you approach this issue will be different from how others approach it. But however you do it, consider a way to ensure that you have some extra medication on hand for emergencies. Also, people who are on prescription painkillers need to consider that when you run out, you will go through horrible withdrawal symptoms. The severity of the symptoms is directly related to how high your dose is and the strength and type of the medication. People who are on a very high dose could have symptoms that are severe enough to be life threatening. And at the very least you will be incapacitated.
In a scenario where pharmacies aren't coming back ever or for a very long time, beyond the time any stockpile of medication would last, you need to consider weaning yourself off of them. Consider having as much medication as it would take to accomplish this slowly enough to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms. That way you no longer need to worry about acquiring them. You may have to deal with the pain that was the original cause of them being prescribed, but you won't have to deal with the symptoms of running out of them. It surprises me how many doctors and patients have no idea what will happen when you stop taking painkillers. Even if you take them as prescribed, and you aren't an addict, your body develops a dependency on them. Suddenly stopping them will trigger withdrawal symptoms just like what happens to heroin users that stop using. Another type of drug people should wean off of in this scenario is drugs for depression and anxiety. Don't just stop taking them, wean yourself down over time. Try to put aside some extra in case this happens.Regardless of what drug you are on, if you don't need it to live, and you can wean off of it, do some research and figure out how much and how long to taper off of it.
Godswarrior's Response: My solution to medical supplies was to buy a book called 1001 home remedies by Readers Digest and it covers so many medical conditions and emergencies with cures from your food cupboard that do work and have worked for centuries before us.
Godswarrior: I used garlic as an antibiotic to cure a tooth abscess, I chopped up a clove three times a day and swallowed with milk (this makes it go down easier!) within two days my abscess was gone. I now grow garlic as an essential item.
COMMUNICATIONS
Aubie: ALL radio equipment will not be fried; all unprotected integrated circuit (IC) technology will be fried. Old vacuum tube equipment is much more capable of withstanding EMP due to the way vacuum tubes operate. Unprotected ICs get fried because the EMP induces large voltages and currents in circuitry that is designed to carry milliamp currents and voltages in the 1 to 5 volt range. These high voltages and currents fry the junctions in the ICs and can even fry the motherboards on which the ICs are mounted. A lot of the older ham operators still use vacuum tube transmitters.
Battlesheep: A radio amateur shortwave receiver has a metal case which is grounded via a 6ft copper rod in the soil. That's standard practice. So they would survive. Also, antenna leads to the receiver are protected by arc-over fuses to stop a spike. The only issue is power for the radio. This can be addressed using several auto batteries and an inverter to provide 120vac.
MISC.
Godzilla: Great list for the Prepper in all of us. I have learned that the more one works at the skills of prepping, such as gardening, hunting, reloading ammo and the like, the easier things become. As things become easier (practice), it opens up more time for other things, such as electrical power generation technology. It also let's one relax and think of a few "mental health" items that may come in handy, like a deck of playing cards. Those with kids need to think about how to keep them occupied during the many boring hours that may come with disaster situations and the days and weeks that follow. Kids will drive adults crazy when boredom takes over, so keep that in mind. Reading a good story to kids at nighttime, regardless of age. can go a long way, plus, it gives them something to look forward too each night. Add a few books to your library. First Aid, Sewing and clothing repair are just a few essentials that will always come in handy. Learn how to do sutures (sewing cuts up) and get a good suture kit. More to come later!
Ron: The next item you should have is a propane stove $40 for a 2 burner, at least a single burner unit $25, and at least a one pound canister of propane $3 each for each week for the duration you plan for. This will allow you the means to heat water and cook food and also provide heat on a limited basis. To make your fuel go as far as possible you also want to have a small pressure cooker so you can cook things like beans and rice quickly they cost about $40.
Cpl Ken: IF there is an EMP detonation, you are going to want to have a functioning Geiger counter. You will be able to have actual radiation data in your hand instead of what will surely be fantastic rumors and dis-information. Store your GC in a Faraday cage, along with other electronics. After such a burst, plan on staying put for several days while the fallout settles down. Shelter under ground if you can, think center of your basement. Concrete and dirt will be your best friends; one to two feet will be very helpful. A high altitude burst will cause an aurora effect that will be visible for some time after the event; the sky will glow and this will be visible for HUNDREDS of miles away. Radioactive fallout moves with the wind; study the prevailing wind patterns in your area. There are two anti-radiation medications that will help remove certain isotopes from the body: Potassium Iodide and Radiogardase-Cs (known as "Prussian Blue"). Radiogardase is prescribed while you should be able to find Potassium Iodide via the internet. http://nikealaska.org/nuke/fallout.html http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/prussianblue.asp
Kode 3: I want to add to the good info Ken has posted. I work for a fire dept within 30 miles of nuclear power plant. We receive biannual training on radiation emergencies since we are deemed a relocation center for the population living around it. I personally have dosimeter badges in prep kit. You can buy them yourself. The kind X-Ray techs use run between $100-$50. I would also recommend downloading a good pdf for radiological emergency preparedness. I tried to find the one I have a hard copy of online from TX DSHS but could not find it this is closest thing I could find. Print it out and put in a binder. http://www-pub.iaea.org/mtcd/publications/pdf/epr_firstresponder_web.pdf
Smilardog: EMP Trash Can Faraday Cage Testing in Lab
Tests are conducted to measure how effective metal garbage cans are at blocking high-frequency energy, such as that released by an high-altitude nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Tips are provided on how to greatly improve the shielding effectiveness.
Quietly Listening: One of the most challenging items to prep for is TOILET PAPER. It simply takes way too much space. I finally found a solution to this problem. I purchased a whole bunch of those clear, plastic condiment containers that you put mustard/ketchup in for your 4July picnics. Instead of filling the bottle with sauce, fill it with WATER. Its basically just a clear squeeze bottle to spray on your backside after the "number two." Works like a charm, and actually cleans better than TP. Only problem is that you need to have a clean water source to be able to fill the bottles. We have a natural, spring-fed creek on our property, so clean water isn't a problem for us. If interested, I buy the clear, plastic bottles at the local Wally World, in the kitchen section where they sell utensils, matches, etc.. BTW, stock up on a TON of small matchboxes. Not only will you definitely need them, they're easily bartered.
Kode 3: One utility preps I have a bunch of is coffee filters. You can store a bunch of them in a small space. They can be used for myriad of things from their obvious filtering capabilities to TP, extra bandages, too feminine products.
Disqus Guest: Just remember to stock up on your vitamins! (Do I sound like your grammy? lol). Beans and rice are great to keep us from being hungry, but not much nutrition in them. The hard as a rock vits arent as easly absorbable,so try to get the multi gels. and dont forget your storable probiotics that will help absorb your vits and help compensate for the change in your diet.
John Roman: Many gasoline stations still sell kerosene by the gallon and way cheaper than the big box hardware stores. In IL one has to have a blue container marked kerosene. Big box hardware do sell these 5 gal. plastic containers for kerosene. Many sites sell well made kerosene lanterns. Try to avoid the Chinese made junk if you can. Buy a small and a large. Try not to burn paraffin oil as it will clog wicks and burn dimly. 5 gal. of kerosene can last quite awhile. Best to everyone out there.
Non-Believer: I have been prepping here in scotland and i have a long term plan off survival and that is to relocate to the hills with my partner and our child and my brother and his family and a select group of friends we have taken survival courses and have always been into camping etc, the one problem we have always came across when talking with other preppers is, in the event of an EMP you would have no cars so even you have stocked up food and water etc if the situation demands you flee your house/hideout how do you get the food with you or do you leave it, some here from the US will say they will not run rather shoot and protect but we have little to no way of gaining firearms so that isnt really an option here, so what we came up with is to learn bushcraft and survive the way humans did for thousands of years while also stocking up some food and water. another thing (that my brother very wisely suggested) was buying some gas masks and protective clothing in case of a chemical attack etc, we have found many sollutions to different problems but it all comes down to what is going to cause the chaos, thats why i suggest planning for multiple scenarios and hoping for the best of them.
Susan (Not ANP author) - Susan and Winston, two summers ago now we were hit with a summer storm that knocked our power out for 3 days, from previous experience of power outages, we had a camper stove and I had gotten an adaptor for propane tanks for it, I learned we can bake biscuits in our grill in cast iron, we already had gallon water jugs from my prepping for toilet flushing and hand washing dishes. The only thing I figured we really could have issues with is washing clothes, still is a dilemma yet even with buying a washboard. We have a well but the pump is electric so therefore no water with an outage. Pintrest has an awesome article about making smokeless fire pits to cook on, found one through youtube here.
Prepare To Die: See the Susan D. (ANP) Link on Generators, http://www.futurescience.com/e... , Solar pulse (natural) vs. Nuclear pulse (war/man).
I just bought COSTCO's Propane/gas Gen and she's a beauty. Then, 2/ 100 lbs propane tanks, 4 deep cycle batteries, 2/ 45 watt solar panels, one inverter. And some Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam; Grocery Outlet $1.49. Flour and rice go into the new 5 gallon pales and put the top on.White gas (camping or airport gas) can be used in gasoline engines and has long storage life. Regular gas can last 3 years if stabilized, proven in the NW territory, by me.
You can make a freezer into a refrigerator with a 12v solar/wind/batt. system.
Riverrat: Look up popcan heater, it will work even in Illinois. Another option is the core of a thermal mass heater... Water, Food, Shelter are the mosty important. Canned foods for the first 3 months, freeze-dried if you can afford them after that.and seeds.
John: We are running out of time to prepare!You need:FOOD (3 to 6 months minimum).Portable WATER FILTER.FIRST AID KIT.SLEEPING BAGS for each family member.GUNS & AMMO to Protect your family.Emergency 72 hour bag.Do this and your family will be better off than 90% of Americans who are totally clueless!
1776is1984 response: don't forget batteries/ flashlights, firewood, matches, etc.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/SURVIVAL/PREP RESOURCES OFFERED BY COMMENTERS
GuardianAngelPrep: If I could add another resource, here is a link to the site my wife and I have set up. Currently we have some really good discounts going on. We aren't in it for profit as much as we are wanting everyone to have what they will need. http://www.guardianangelprep.com/
I'm always glad to see lists of prepper sites like the one you just published.
May I recommend my own site? 'The Conspiracy Preppers' has been published for just about 8 years and though we are not huge by any means, we have some underlying principles that, without exception, we adhere to. We are 1000% non-commercial. You won't see anything offered for sale!
We pride ourselves in a 'triage' of prepper information: 1) The Threshing Floor - hard, permanent conversations and information on prepping and homesteading topics. 2) Something Wicked, This Way Comes - a daily compendium of news of importance to preppers and liberty-lovers. This outlet is constantly updated with fresh articles. 3) The Lost Library - downloadable documents and free for forum members. We just passed our 500th document!
As a side issue, the cornerstone of our little community is complete, unadulterated privacy for the members. No spam and no scumbags! The forum is for united States residents only.
We will be expanding sometime (when I have more help and time) to include a 'Farmers' Market' for forum members and guest editorials for the First Amendment soapbox.
If you should see fit to publicize us, then thank you and God Bless. If not, thank you and God Bless anyway!
Watchman
Ken Lowder: I use honeyville grains for my grains, freeze dried, and dehydrated goods. % bucks for deliver of the whole thing, including several hundred pounds of stuff at one time. quick delivery from UPS.
Michael Mixon: For families like ours who get their water from a well, this threat was of great concern since we wouldn't have access to our water without electricity to run the well pump. There's an affordable tool called the Emergency Well Tube that allows the user to draw well water without power and without having to pull the well pump to use it. You can visit www.emergencywelltube.com to learn more about this backup tool.
Lamar Ramal: beprepared.com has a huge stock and they always have specials in addition to their low prices. #10 metal cans instead of mylar bags. I have been buying from them for years. Much better prices than what is in the article
