SURVIVING IN TROUBLED WATERS

Welcome to “Surviving in Troubled Waters”, a Prepper’s blog. We will discuss all things to do with preparing for what may come our way. This blog is an off shoot of “Surviving The Days Ahead” , a Blog Talk Radio Show that airs on Sat. and Sun. 4pm EST . What differentiates this prepper blog from others is that I am not ex-military, or ex-law enforcement. I am a 62 year old female who knows that the signs of the times are all pointing toward an approaching war. I believe in the power of prayer and we must all pray that a war does not come. However, I also believe that it is just good common sense to be prepared for whatever may be in store.

PREPARE FOR WHAT?

We will be talking about disasters of all kinds, great and small. Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruptions, Electro-Magnetic Pulse Attacks, Power Plant Explosions or accidents and the Grand Daddy of all disasters- WAR. War that is fought conventionally and war that involves Nuclear weapons. We will discuss what needs to go into our survival stash- foods, supplies, clothing and weapons. I will give you reviews on various products that seem to be a great buy , and those that do not sound useful.  I will recommend websites that have good information to offer, including classes, on line and those in actual class rooms. Join us, then, as we begin facing what none of us really wants to face. It is always better to be prepared and not need to be, than the reverse!

TODAY IS THE DAY WE BEGIN TO TAKE CHARGE OVER OUR OWN WELL BEING AND THE WELL BEING OF OUR FAMILIES. TODAY, WE BEGIN TO PREPARE!

No Doctor in Your Area? Learn to make Herbal and Essential Oil Remedies!

 

 

 

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If we ever have a war or a major disaster such as an EMP or an eruption from Yellowstone Super Volcano, or perhaps  a huge Hurricane that wipes out the hospital in our area, medical care may be very hard to come by. Long triage lines, lack of hospital beds and very few nurses . If this happens, we may need to help ourselves at least temporarily. Now for the disclaimer: I am not a doctor and I am not telling anyone to stop taking the medicine ordered by your physician! The ideas set forth on this blog and by my radio show are for the event that medical care is not obtainable.

Modern medicine was born out of folk medicine and the herbalists and aromatherapists  of that day. Before the advent of modern medicine, the pharmacist or “wise woman” of your community would compound a remedy from natural materials. As an example- Valium is synthesized from Valerian, an herb. Digitalis or Digoxin is synthesized from the Foxglove plant, a beautiful flower, present in many gardens today. Over time, many people discovered that a certain tree bark  would stop a cough, or that a poultice of  an herbal mixture promoted healing of a burn or wound. It is a good idea for us to relearn some of this wisdom as part of a plan to survive a major disaster. It is important that we all get reference books on this subject and do some reading. For instance, if you are allergic to ragweed, you may have a reaction to vetiver or chamomile, both in the grass family. There are essential oils that should never be used directly on your skin. Most of them must be diluted in an oil or other “menstruum” or solvent before they are used.

The following recipes for useful remedies or aromatherapy products should be followed carefully and do not substitute another oil or herb without studying that herb or oil before hand! Never take an unknown oil or herb internally, because they may be good for the skin but poisonous if swallowed. I cannot emphasize enough that it is very wise to take a course in Aromatherapy or Herbal Medicines so that you will know how to do this safely. 

 YOUR BACKYARD FIRST AID GARDEN

 

PURSLANE-   can be used to treat headaches caused by dehydration and loss of sleep

ECHINACEA- Purple Coneflower can help reduce swelling and inflammation and helps to immobilize the immune system, and is used for colds and flu

CHAMOMILE- This is used for a calming agent, to settle stomach upsets, helps to reduce pain and swelling in a bath and its tea can be used on a washcloth or compress to soothe teething pain in infants

STINGING NETTLES- This is used to treat pain and burns, but always wear gloves when gathering this!

YARROW- This is a very common plant . It was once used to treat soldiers, as it helps to stop bleeding. The fresh flowers will stop bleeding. You can mash or chew the leaves to make a poultice to treat rashes or make a yarrow salve to soothe skin irritations.

PLAINTAIN-  Chew the leaves to make a poultice to draw out and remove splinters or stingers.

COMFREY- fresh leaves can be used to stop pain and stop the bleeding of small cuts.

LAVENDER- This is a sweet scented beautiful plant that has many uses. It helps sleep- a few drops of the essential oil on your pillow at night can help. Also it can be used in a tea blend, and in cooking.

This is just a few of the common back yard “weeds” and herbs that you can benefit from. Others include Dandelion, Peppermint ,Catnip or Catmint , Red Clover,  Joe Pye weed, Spicebush, Violets, Goldenrod and Burdock. Culinary herbs such as Basil, Holy Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary ,Parsley, Sage and Cilantro are all wonderful choices for your backyard . They flower and have wonderful fragrances. It is therapeutic just to stand among these plants and gently rub a leaf or two and smell its fragrance. When we smell these oils, we absorb the molecules into the smell receptors in the back of our nose and these can affect our brains. Therefore, aromatherapy is not simply smelling a nice fragrance, it can be truly be medicinal. Peppermint can help with headaches, stress and nausea. A candle with true essential oil of peppermint or even a small vial with a few drops of peppermint oil in a carrier oil base can be used. Just open the vial and inhale from it every few hours (the fragrance, not the oil, of course). Rosemary can help clear the mind and make you sharper and more alert. This is not recommended for Epileptics, however, as it can stir up seizure activity. Essential oil of Citronella really does help keep mosquitos away. In my next blog, I will list a few recipes for you to try. Until then, may Father bless.

About this Blog Site

“Surviving In Troubled Waters” is a prepper’s blog, dedicated to helping people to prepare for the possibility of disasters such as hurricanes (think Katrina and Harvey) ,  earthquakes, volcanoes (such as Hawaii),  wildfires such as those in our western states, and ,God forbid, Nuclear Conflict and War. I am an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” type of person. It is always better to have a cache of survival supplies and a disaster plan to help weather any kind of disaster, small or large. It isn’t easy and it isn’t cheap, but it can make the difference between life or death for you and your family.

This blog is meant to be a place to list important items and notes that I speak of in the Blog Talk Radio show “Surviving The Days Ahead”, Sat. and Sun. at 4pm DST, under the header of Spirituality. I do not preach in this show or on this blog, but it goes without saying that I believe that at the heart of our survival is our belief in our universal creator as each of us understands him. We must think globally about survival, we must bring down walls of misunderstanding and suspicion, and hatred. We truly must STAND TOGETHER AGAINST EVIL OF ALL KINDS, WE MUST PRAY TOGETHER FOR WORLD PEACE, AND WE MUST DO OUR BEST TO PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE!!!

Gilligan’s Island Was Never Like This!

For the last two weekends we have been learning from a hypothetical case in which two people are washed up on a deserted island in the tropics. They do not know one another and are different ages. Their cruise ship had a fire in the engine room and a subsequent explosion.  Here is a break down of information:

The man’s name: Larry

He has slacks, leather belt, deck shoes with strings, leather wallet with plastic credit cards, key chain with two keys, polo shirt, and a folding pocket knife

The woman’s name: Ginny

She has a cocktail dress, pantyhose, high heels stilettos, necklace and earrings, small purse with a cross body thin handle, mirror, lipstick, chewing gum, cell phone

They find a huge tarp that washed up . They fold it in half, weighing the folded end down with rocks. The top layer they affix to two tree branches with strips of pantyhose, to form a lean-to. They then begin to look for potable water and explore the island. Ginny has abandoned her heels and is struggling in bare feet. They find a coconut palm and several coconuts on the ground that have sprouted. They keep the hulls to use as cups . They find a stream with fresh looking water, and they drink, taking the chance of ingesting bacteria or parasites because they are so dehydrated. They bring back two cups of water to their lean-to. They also find several old boards, two long plastic cargo straps, and they swim out to rescue two deck chairs which floated by. Two large plastic containers float by also. One is empty, the other has residual cooking oil in it.

Actions: Larry sharpens sticks to use to spear fish, and finding a piece of plastic, he makes a solar still for safer water.

Ginny collects several coconuts and uses her stiletto heeled shoe to puncture it and then a rock to crack it open. This gives them coconut and coconut milk. She finds several crabs in a tidal pool.

The second day, they walk the perimeter of the island and find two more people, deceased. One is a crew member. They decide to bury them near the tree line and cover them with rocks, so they can be located later when they are rescued. They are buried in their underwear, because Larry and Ginny want to keep every resource they can , not knowing how long the rescue might take. The second body is of a young man. Here is what they have on them-

The crew member has a cigarette lighter, a small box of wooden stick matches, now wet, a pair of slacks, leather shoes, socks, cloth belt, a wallet with ID, a kerchief, a small tin of mints wrapped in a piece of foil and closed with a rubber band.

The young man has tee shirt and jeans, no ID but they note his tattoos to help identify him later, and he has a pocket CD player and ear buds. He had a chocolate bar on him. He had sneakers with shoe strings and socks.

Run down:  So far, Larry and Ginny have a water supply, something to drink out of, some food, shelter, and a way to make fire.  Ginny has a pair of sneakers, so she doesn’t end up with infected feet. What must they do next?

Larry spears fish in the tidal pool, while Ginny places branches in an SOS and HELP across the beach, and they use the dry fibers from coconut hulls and also leaf litter for tinder. and place branches in a tepee style, and they have trouble getting it to catch fire, with the lighter. They use a few drops of cooking oil on the tinder and then they have a bonfire. 

What would be the next step? Making a raft might be, if no help comes in a day or so. However, this scenario could continue for a long time, as new obstacles are created and then over come.

What would your island look like? 

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The Ghosts of Pompeii and Herculaneum

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The cobble stoned streets are silent now. Tourists wander them by day, but the imprints of the original occupants wander them by night, oblivious to the time that has elapsed, re-enacting the sadness of the past. Bodies enshrouded by stone and/or plaster casts lie in glass cases, a quiet monument to the tragedy . Faces forever frozen in grimaces of pain and fear. One older gentleman lies down as if in slumber. In 79AD , Mt. Vesuvius erupted and thousands of lives were lost in it’s wake. Romans went about their lives in much the same way that we do today. They ate, they laughed, they loved, they married and they died , just as all of us must. Why do we build and rebuild our villages and our cities in the shadow of a volcano? Why do we forget the horrors of the past? In 1944, Mt. Vesuvius once again breathed fire and many people at the foot of the mountain died, even though it was a smaller eruption than 79AD. Scientists tell us today that the signs are pointing to another eruption within a year or so. Mt. Etna, not so far away, is smoking now. It is said that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. This has been the case with volcanic eruptions.

When preparing for the radio show on Blog Talk Radio “Surviving the Days Ahead” 4pm EST Sat. and Sun., I wanted to do something different, something that might make the information more memorable. I thought about pretending to be one of people who perished at Pompeii- the Baker Terentius Neo and his wife. They are the couple on the above slide show , shown on a mural, possibly from their home. While I thought about doing this, I actually heard from a woman back home (our homeland we call Heaven is a real world where we actually are in the physical. We are only out of body from the time we leave our bodies until the time we arrive home). She agreed to give me her testimony, her recollection of the day that Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Remembering these details wasn’t easy for her, and I thank her for her time and  courage in giving her testimony to me. Hopefully, this will help people to realize more fully the awesome power of nature and why preparing to survive disasters is so important. So without further ado, here is the testimony from the soul once known as Elaina Zote’-

“My name here is unimportant. My name then was Elaina Zote’. I was a young woman soon to be married. The morning that fateful day, so long ago, I was busy preparing for my wedding like young women everywhere do. I heard screaming and a horrible, horrible explosion – everything shook, and I ran out to see what had occurred. The sky was on fire, black smoke was everywhere and red dots, which soon rained down upon us as blazing rocks-some were very large and they fell on people and crushed them. I recall screaming. I yelled “Apollo! Protect us!” Yes, others lamented that the gods must be very, very vexed with us, they were so frightened!  I ran looking for shelter. I followed our neighbors into a cellar made of dirt and we huddled together and we prayed. I could not die yet! I simply could not! I was so young and as yet unwed. I must finish preparations for my wedding! I was to be married to an influential gentleman from nearby Herculaneum. This is all I remember until I saw nothing but ash and a few badly burned bodies protruding from it. A man in a long white robe, who had a beautiful blue light- I found out later that he was my Spirit Guardian Horace . He took my hand and said “We must take you and go, child, it is time for you to return to God”. This is my testimony regarding what happened that terrible day when the volcano Vesuvius erupted in 79AD.”

Survival Supply List in a Nutshell

I am at last finding the time to post to this blog site again! Here is a Disaster Supply List

EMERGENCY KITS– Have a 72 hr. Kit or an emergency bag that you can grab if you need to (bug out bag or go bag)

WATER– At least 14 gallons of water per person ( seems excessive but in truth we do need more than 1 gallon per person per day, which is what most lists have, remember we are talking about washing, toileting ,cooking, everything)

You can also fill up bathtubs or use a WaterBob. Also you can fill up plastic containers and even better, a 50 gal. plastic drum with spigot. WaterBobs are expensive and single use.

Don’t forget that your water heater has 50-60 gallons of drinkable water too! Make sure that you keep the tools needed by the water heater- tape them to the water heater with instructions on how to use them.

Have water purification tablets, a good water filter pitcher and spare filters on hand

Have Two Weeks of food – dehydrated, canned , pre- packaged or frozen if you are sheltering in and have electricity, DO NOT FORGET THE CAN OPENER!

Two Weeks of Supplies- 

Hygiene supplies– toilet paper, tissues, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towels , also if there is no sewer functioning, have a big five gal. painters bucket with big trash bags and 2 weeks worth of kitty litter to use in your “luggable Loo”. A Snap On toilet seat is available at camping stores, and Wal Mart

FIRE STARTERS, AND ENERGY SOURCES -matches, cigarette lighters, batteries of various sizes- a solar charger is a great idea to have

Camp Stove with fuel for two weeks, an outdoor grill may be good also and charcoal or a fire ring and wood- in a pinch, an old tire may work for this

Solar/battery/hand cranked radio and lantern. Make sure it gets weather alert stations , which is the main reason to have a radio.  Head Lamps are good, too and small but powerful LED flashlights are easy to use. Oil or Kerosene Lamps are good too but require constant monitoring, as does a candle. Make sure any candles are in fire-proof containers

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS and other over the counter meds as needed , enough for two weeks

GENERATOR- if you are sheltering in place , this is worth its weight in gold. Make sure to have enough fuel for two weeks if possible.

GASOLINE- fill up cars if a storm is in the offing.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS- Have one for the car, and one for your kitchen or food prep area

CASH, PERSONAL PAPERS , PASSPORT, ETC. IN PAGE PROTECTORS- Medical information ,allergies, medical conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes etc.- these can be on a flash drive and worn around your neck

FIRST AID KIT-  a real one, folks, not a box of bandaids!

CUT DOWN TREES THAT ARE LIKELY TO FALL ON YOUR HOME IN STRONG WINDS!

GUNS AND AMMO, or other form of self-protection in case of looters

MAPS in case of Bugging out!

KNOW LOCATION OF SHELTERS IN YOUR AREA

HAMMER, NAILS, SCREWS, SCREW DRIVERS, TIN OR WIRE SNIPS, PLIERS, RUBBER GLOVES AND COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF DUCT TAPE!

PLASTIC TARPS – TWO OR THREE IN CASE OF BLOWN OUT OR BROKEN WINDOWS POST STORM

The faces and scenes of Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria and the Earthquake in Mexico

This page is devoted to photos of the islands and of the destruction in Mexico City after the earthquake. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here they are. There will be others as I find them.

Prepare for More from Mother Nature…

Today is September 18, 2017 and Hurricane Maria and Tropical Storm Lee are now following a course similar to Hurricane Irma. For those of you who are on the fence when it comes to preparing for disaster, this is your wake up call! The islands have been devastated and are going to be battered again in perhaps a week. What is going on!? Global warming is making the waters better able to create these mega storms and this might very well be what we have to look forward to in the years to come. It is simply good common sense to prepare. Those of you who have listened to my Blog Talk Radio show “Surviving the Days Ahead”, have already heard me assert that our world has been moved out of its normal orbit and our axis is changed some what as well. This is adding to the greenhouse effect and the hole in the ozone, making our planet heat up even faster. This means that we have perhaps 50-100 years before it is too hot to live above ground on this planet. Oceans are already rising as our ice caps melt. This also means that our weather patterns will be unpredictable and probably more violent. As the sun gets closer or we get closer to it, the sunlight will be noticeably brighter and much stronger. This means that we must protect our eyes with sunglasses even in the cooler months. Sunscreen is a must, also, for those who are outside . Even people of color will find it possible to burn more quickly than before. I have not seen the statistics but I suspect that skin cancer rates are on the rise. In fact, add sunscreen and dark glasses to your list of supplies! They are both a very good idea.

Don’t Take Water for Granted

On one of the previous blogs, I spoke of the need for a minimum of 1 gallon of water per day per person. This is not nearly enough for most of us, because we have become accustomed to having all of the water that we want in most areas of the USA. The oceans are rising but soon we will find that waters are lower because the global warming also means a higher rate of evaporation. I have watched lakes and streams become lower now for several years. In drought prone areas, there are lakes that are nearly dry. We have to become aware and accepting of the fact that water is not something to take for granted. In areas of our globe which are arid, such as the Mid-East, it is normal to use brushes to clean themselves instead of soap and water. There simply isn’t enough water to do it any other way. Water is life for everyone. Food and water are the two common denominators of life everywhere.

Water Storage is One of the Most Important Preparations

When amassing your survival stash of supplies, storing water is one of the most important considerations. You can buy expensive drums or fill gallon bottles with tap water, planning to boil and disinfect it with water purification tablets before using it. If you do that, make sure that the bottles are made of food grade plastic. You don’t want plastic esters or other chemicals leaching into your water. One product that I recommended for our supply stash is called the Water BOB. It is a long plastic SINGLE USE bottle or bag, that fills in your entire bath tub. It fills by the bath tub tap, has a pump to pump out water as you need it, and has another port (I think) to empty it. It has a 100 gallon capacity. It cost approximately $25.00. Well, the other day, I tried to purchase one and found that Amazon was out of them and on Ebay, they were selling $60.00 to $260.00 for one! These are thin single use items and I see this as price gouging that is shameful. The 50 gallon blue plastic drums are around $50.00 but two of them makes more sense. After all, they are reusable. It is when times are hard, during approaching storms or other disasters that we should be helping one another, not scalping ! If the company wants that $200.00, they should make them refillable and more durable, so they can be reused. We must help one another as family, not try to make a fast buck on someone else’s misfortune. I suspect that it was not the original company that brought this about, but people who purchased them for their supplies, and then decided to cash in , selling them to people who were panicked and in the path of Irma or Harvey. Karma is a very real thing, and one day price gougers may have the same thing happen to them. That really is how it works.

Pray for Victims of Hurricane Harvey

For most people, Hurricane Harvey and the misery and damage that it has caused is a news broadcast. We look in horror at the flood waters above people’s chests , at a man trying to catch a huge fish in the waters of his living room, and at this, we laugh. However, what Hurricane Harvey should be is a wake up call to everyone in the continental U.S. and anywhere else that is hurricane prone. In fact, it is a wake up call to everyone, or it should be! Why? Because our weather patterns will be odd and much stronger from now on. A short while ago, 12 waterspouts touched down in Russia. Waterspouts are tornadoes that occur over water and are a warm weather/warm water phenomenon. The waters in and around Russia should not be that warm, and yet it happened. To have 12 in a row is even more bizarre! Harvey turned into a category 4 monster just as it made landfall, which is also somewhat odd. What is also strange but not unheard of is that a second storm, Hurricane Irma, is about to come ashore on the east coast of America, and it is predicted to be another category 4 hurricane!

It is time for everyone to become serious about being prepared, no matter where in this world you reside! There was a day when I would laugh at “preppers”, and I saw them as burly men who took survival boot camp classes and toted a huge arsenal of guns. I saw them as alarmists and crazies. Well, from now on, you can call me crazy or a “prepper”, and I will wear the title with pride! You see, it takes guts and focus to begin the preparation process. It isn’t easy and it isn’t cheap, but if you have loved ones, children and other relatives and friends, it is worth the peace of mind that this process brings. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes can happen now anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, so can war. Even a house fire or a huge snow storm can qualify as a disaster, and all of these require common sense and planning to survive . Where do we begin? In my last blog, I spoke of suggested items that we need to stockpile, if we are to be prepared to shelter in place at home. If we plan to “bug out” and travel to another safer area, we need supplies that are portable and they need to be located in our home near the door , or somewhere that makes it easy to grab no matter how upset or frightened we are. We should also have some of these supplies in our cars, not only for bugging out but in case we get stuck in our vehicles in the middle of no where! Perhaps we have engine trouble and discover that our cell phone was left on the charger. It’s 1am and very cold outside. Having food, a flashlight, hand warmers and water would be a big help. Having flares and reflective triangles would also be great. A blanket would, also. I am sure that you get the idea! If we learn to think this way, to look at each possible disaster, and try to prepare for it, we become a prepper.

Before and after my show on Blog Talk Radio called “Surviving the Days Ahead”, 4pm EST, Saturday and Sunday, I watched a very good video on weather.com– The Weather Channel website. They talked about hurricanes and  gave some interesting statistics. Of the deaths from hurricanes, 49% are from the storm surge, the water that hits an area as it makes landfall. Only 10% are caused by the wind. These are direct causes. The indirect deaths are caused by heart attack-1/3rd of fatalities from hurricanes are caused by this! Over exertion, fear, excitement take their toll. Next comes car accidents, being hurt during evacuations, trees falling on people, power lines or electrocution, medical equipment failure such as respirators turning off in a power failure, fires, and falls- trying to find their way in a dark house or perhaps even in flood waters. They tell us to remember- “Hide from the wind, but Run from the water!”                                             We are advised to-

• Take care of the elderly, check on your neighbors!
• Don’t over exert
• Evacuate when you are told to do so, never refuse to leave!
• Stay off of the roads- don’t sight see
• Don’t use candles and open flames, never leave a candle unattended
• Stay away from power lines. Be very careful, especially if you are in flood waters
• I’ll add one of my own- flood waters contain every manner of filth- chemicals, animal feces, fertilizer run off and sewage if things back up. Don’t play in it, don’t swim in it,don’t get it in your face, mouth or ears! It can also have snakes trying to find higher ground, or fire ants here in the south. You might also slide into a storm drain! TV footage of Harvey showed young men doing back flips off of a highway overpass into water that was almost up to the signs over the highway below. An already overworked emergency system does not need to fish a foolish man out of the water and those men will be very lucky if they do not end up with meningitis. If you live in a flood prone area, waders may be a smart thing to have on hand.

Lastly, the folks at the Weather Channel recommended the following as a Hurricane Kit-

• Try to have prescription meds on hand
• Cash
• Weather radio- battery or crank/solar
• First aid kit- a good one
• Water
• Flashlights
• A cell phone charger for your car
• Rain poncho
• change of warm clothes , socks and shoes
• documents and important medical info. on a flash drive, or in water proof protectors with your emergency supplies

Another interesting fact- Rip Currents and Storm Surges can also happen in a large lake! That is something I never knew! Take care and God bless. Pray, all of you for those affected by Harvey and donate as much as you can! The redcross.org and other agencies have donation pages up and running.

BUG OUT OR NOT BUG OUT

TO STAY OR TO GO- WAIT, HOW DO YOU KNOW?

 

If the proverbial SHTF, and a disaster strikes us, we will be faced with many decisions. One of the most important will be whether or not we need to stay and survive in place, or whether we need to “bug out” and go to a pre-determined location. This is something that everyone must decide for himself. Here are some of the questions that you need to ask yourself-

• What kind of disaster is it?
• Will I have everything I need to ride out the disaster if I stay?
• Will it be dangerous for me to stay where I am?

If you live in a busy urban area, bugging out may be the wisest way. It is more likely that looting and rioting will begin after water and food become scarce and such things as water, sewer systems and garbage collection services fail. If the police are over extended and things become lawless,   it can get very frightening very fast. In large urban centers, people are less likely to know or look out for one another . In small towns and rural areas, where everyone knows his neighbor,  most have a place for a small garden, septic tanks, well water and many are fairly self-sufficient. They know how to can their own produce and they might know how to forage, hunt and fish. They may also know how to dehydrate or even salt their food to preserve it. I suspect that avoiding the rioting and looting if things become lawless is the number one reason to bug out.  Another reason might be to avoid Martial Law by our own military or particularly an occupying force’s military. However, you must still consider where you might go, what you will be able to take with you and how far in advance you can afford to plan and prepare. Preppers have been known to place pallets of supplies on land that they will use as their bug out location. I would not suggest that you try this unless you own the land and have a house or shed on the land that can be locked. I have heard of people who placed pallets up in a tree in a forest some where undisclosed- probably not the best idea. Age and health must also be considered. If you are older and not athletic, hiking miles to a bug out location, carrying a bug out back pack on your back may not be realistic. If you are able but you have elderly or disabled persons with you, then surviving in place may be the best idea. One great advantage to this is that you can keep more useful gear with you and have a closet full of supplies and big bottles of water, etc. that you can’t carry out of town, at least not on your back! If you do decide to leave, it is key to PREPARE! Do your homework now and plan the place to bug out to. Have your maps ready and know the best routes. You may decide to stay home but why not have a location chosen, just in case?

                WHAT DO WE NEED TO HAVE IF WE STAY AND SURVIVE AT HOME?

 

1. At least one gallon of water per person per day. That is bare minimum because this is used for drinking, bathing and cooking. Two gallons would be more realistic!
2. food – you want food and water to last at least one week. If you are traveling you usually want 2-4 days worth, but at home, you can store more. You do not have to use all 25 yr. shelf life freeze-dried or dehydrated foods for emergencies, but it is wise to have some on hand. If you stock pile canned goods and boxed goods like cereal, cookies, crackers etc., put a date on the bag and cultivate the habit of checking the dates every week or so and use the items that are nearing their expiration date and replace it with new food.  It is a good but time consuming idea to place crackers and dried boxed foods in a double zip lock bag, one out side, one inside bag. Leave the crackers in their sealed inner envelope, but take them out of the box. Put an oxygen absorber in the bag or container you seal them in. This keeps moisture from ruining them. You can tear off the name of the crackers from the box and drop it in so you know what you have in the bag. Oxygen absorbers are used in foods, electronics, drug containers and electronics. They can be purchased on line. If you store canned goods from a big 1/2 price sale, make sure to check out the dates on them. Most things will go beyond the expiration date without making you sick but it does lose it’s color and flavor more and more. NEVER eat food from a swollen, puffy can! This indicates that bacteria has gotten in and is fermenting. Throw it out, no matter if the date has expired or not. Remember that you may not have refrigeration, so dry and canned foods are best to stock pile. Having dehydrated foods, trail mix and protein bars and small mylar bags of water is a good idea, as you might have to leave eventually if you are told to evacuate the area. Paper Towels , plastic wrap and foil are good to extra of, also oils for cooking
3. First Aid Supplies –you can never have too many medical supplies on hand! This is especially true if you have children or the elderly staying there with you. You need a REAL  kit, not just a box of bandaids! 4×4 sponges(gauze pads) , 2×2 sponges, kling wrap- a stretchy gauze roll that is used to hold dressings on, You will need plenty of that, tape- paper, silk and adhesive are all good, a sharp pair of bandage scissors, bandaids in various sizes and widths, triangular bandages to use to hold dressings on and as slings, they have many uses, a thermometer, blood pressure cuff- automatic is good if you have plenty of extra batteries, if not, have a  traditional one with a stethoscope  and learn how to use it, bandages that are treated with clotting medication to help slow or stop bleeding, ACE elastic bandages in various widths, sterile irrigating solution to clean wounds and rinse debris from eyes-  saline eye drops are probably best, safety pins, bandages for eyes, a tube or so of eye ointment over the counter that is moisturizing and soothing, particle masks, masks with eye shield, inflatable splints for arms and legs if you can afford them, a very good first aid book- take a class in first aid!! You should also take basic cardio-pulmonary resuscitation for adults and children, burn dressings of various sizes, and big fluffy ABD pads for larger heavier bleeding wounds. You should also have several mouth shields for using for CPR, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, antibiotic ointments, anti-itch cortisone ointments, burn gel, betadine, tourniquet, toothache drops, a dental kit is a good idea also. There are many other supplies that would be very helpful- snake bite kit, minor surgery kits (take an EMT class or get a very good text book, use only if there is no hope of finding a qualified Doctor before the patient bleeds to death). It is a good idea to purchase a fairly inclusive kit and then begin adding to it as quickly as possible. Don’t forget a good supply of gloves, vinyl and/or latex.The list can keep on going! Why? Because if we have an EMP attack, or if war breaks out and many people are injured or if there is a pandemic, there may come a day when there just isn’t any dentist or doctor for  miles! Preparing means that you try to aim to be self-sufficient as much as possible, and your first aid kit could save someones life, including your own.
4. Full Face Respirator that can handle aerosols, particles, gases, a half face one is cheaper but may leave your eyes vulnerable to hot ash from a fire, volcanic eruption or fall out particles.
5. Environment Suit- Because of the possibility of a war, it is a good idea to have protective clothing, to cover your body, head, shoes. You should have a good pair of gloves as well. One company to check with is ULINE, and they do have a catalog if you need to price all of this. They also have faraday bags and anti-static bags and tape to protect electronics in the case of an EMP attack.
6. Clothing– Even if you plan to stay at home during the disaster, make sure that you have season specific clothing and protective clothing. Water proof rain wear such as ponchos and rubber boots for a flood or a heavy rain storm, warm clothing such as sweats to change into if you get soaked. It is good to have a good comfortable pair of hiking boots and sneakers, warm socks that cushion. The idea is to have layers to wear if you have no heat or air conditioning, even at home or while outside if you evacuate. Hoodies and hats to keep off the sun are both good, as well. Don’t forget sunglasses ! It is good to keep such things as a change of sweats, rain ponchos and boots with your survival gear so they are easily available.
7.  Solar oven and Camp stove and/or grill– Even if you stay home, if there is a power failure or an extended power failure such as an EMP attack, you will need another way to cook or at least heat up foods. I happen to have a camp stove that is one big gas burner that is big enough to handle even a huge skillet. It is controlled by one knob, easy to adjust and is like having your stove outside. It uses a small cylinder of butane fuel. There are a number of stoves on the market now that are very similar. I have tried several others and this is best for me. Sterno cans and a Sterno type stove just doesn’t get hot enough to perk coffee, and the heat isn’t even enough. Have heavy duty foil on hand to use, also, if you cook out side. Sterno or “canned heat” as it is called, is great for an emergency, though. Several cans in a deep pot with a grill top over it to sit your pan on will do in a pinch. Have extra fuel on hand.
8. Flash lights, Headband LED lights, LED lanterns that are adjustable– YES! We should all have these and enough extra batteries to keep them going for a while. The more the better! Candles in metal containers or deep glass containers are helpful but they have to be watched very carefully as they are a fire hazard. Oil Lamps and Kerosene Lamps are dangerous too, but give off a fair amount of light. You can save odd pieces of candles and melt in a double boiler that is used only for melting wax. Buy wicking from a craft store, and fix the wick (according to directions) in a paper milk carton. Put the carton in a cookie sheet covered with foil. Pour the hot wax in and allow to cool and harden. You will have a large square candle with perhaps 2-3 wicks as needed. Place it in a metal pot or pan when you burn it, for safety. I am sure on line directions are available for basic candle making and this is a good way to use up small pieces of candles , wax fragrance squares and even crayon nubs.
9. When the Loo Lets you down– If the sewer system is down , and you can’t flush, or if you don’t have the water to flush with, what can you do? You can buy a hassock style toilet that has a tank that mixes your waste with chemicals. It is still liquid and is small and must be emptied often. Another idea is a 5 gal. painters bucket with a snap on lid available at Wal-Mart and other camping stores, “Honey Bucket” is one website, then put a strong black trash bag in, fill it partially with kitty litter. Each time you go, add more litter on top. When you feel the need, change the bag, tie it up and at the end of the emergency, you must find out where to dispose of it, probably the landfill. I think the dry option is best, and chemicals tend to be expensive.
10. Weather radio with solar and crank options when batteries die
11. Cell Phone with extra charged battery
12. A Weapon– a gun or any kind of weapon(s) is a good idea, you may need it to defend your family or to hunt. Learn to use it and practice it at a firing range! Learn gun safety! Taking self defense is not a bad idea
13. Fishing gear– this may come in handy if food is scarce