Monthly Archives: July 2014

Why 72 hours

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Why pack for 72 hours? What is so special about that number? In the event of an emergency, it would require AT LEAST 72 hours before governmental forces could be mobilized to feed you and your family. FEMA has even suggested that families prepare a TWO-WEEK kit. In a wide spread major disaster, it could take that long to get things organized. For example, after the big quake in California in 1989 it took 12 days for relief efforts to reach some of the residents.

It would be a good idea to test your kit several times until you feel totally comfortable and assured that you could really live for three days with no other items in your possession. My family takes them camping, as both a test and refining exercise.

You may want to test your kit by planning to stop using the gas, water, and electricity in your home for one to three days and use only the items you have in your kit. [Do NOT turn the utilizes off for this exercise, just don’t use them] When you feel comfortable with this, it would be a good idea to go camping with your family and take only your 72- hour kits (no other camping gear or supplies/provisions allowed). Be sure to walk, carrying your kit, a minimum of two or three miles or more to be sure that in the event of an emergency you could really carry it as far as needed.

IF you can not carry it that far, it is WAY better to know that now instead of discoving it during an emergency.

bug why

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What are some of the events that could trigger an evacuation, [bug out]?

Chemical spills from trains, trucks or local chemical plants may release toxic or explosive fumes so dangerous that minutes or even seconds wasted equates to the life and death of the unsuspecting residents of the neighborhood.

The evacuation of Sodom and Gomorrah
Genesis 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou at all in the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. 19:26 – But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

It is very clear that there will be consequences for being unable or unwilling to leave at a moments notice!

Mudslides, flash floods, and many other natural and manmade disasters may require evacuation of the home within two or three minutes. Did you know that a trailer home can burn to the ground in only three minutes?

There are certain points that are stipulated: 1. it is generally better to stay at home if you can. 2. It is generally easier to travel in a vehicle. 3. If the first two choices don’t work for whatever reason the next best way to transport your stuff would be with a wagon, handcart or bike trailer. 4. There is a limit to what and how much you can carry under your own power. If you have the ‘extra’ [which will be discussed later] and can stay with your vehicle or cart, you will be in a much better position than if you started out only equipped with the bare minimums. On the other hand if you should HAVE to go with just your pack you can always stash the extra stuff and hope to come back for it at a later date. The other issue with having the ‘extra’ provisions and supplies is to have the option of sharing with family, friends and others should they not have enough or any at all.

Go to www.PrepareSurviveThrive.US our main page to review the book.

kits 3 days

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A while back we had an activity at church on evacuation kits. See the Family Home Evening sheet on 72-hour kits at the end of the chapter. A few of the ladies were assigned to do the FHE and bring the results to the activity. One of the comments was rather telling. “Gee, it took me almost 2 hours to put this thing together, Even with Randy helping me!” A real eye opener apparently.

What are some of the events that could trigger an evacuation, [bug out]?

Chemical spills from trains, trucks or local chemical plants may release toxic or explosive fumes so dangerous that minutes or even seconds wasted equates to the life and death of the unsuspecting residents of the neighborhood.

 the evacuation of Sodom and Gomorrah
 Genesis 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou at all in the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
 19:26 – But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

It is very clear that there will be consequences for being unable or unwilling to leave at a moments notice!

Mudslides, flash floods, and many other natural and manmade disasters may require evacuation of the home within two or three minutes. Did you know that a trailer home can burn to the ground in only three minutes?

There are certain points that are stipulated: 1. it is generally better to stay at home if you can. 2. It is generally easier to travel in a vehicle. 3. If the first two choices don’t work for whatever reason the next best way to transport your stuff would be with a wagon, handcart or bike trailer. 4. There is a limit to what and how much you can carry under your own power. If you have the ‘extra’ [which will be discussed later] and can stay with your vehicle or cart, you will be in a much better position than if you started out only equipped with the bare minimums. On the other hand if you should HAVE to go with just your pack you can always stash the extra stuff and hope to come back for it at a later date. The other issue with having the ‘extra’ provisions and supplies is to have the option of sharing with family, friends and others should they not have enough or any at all.

www.PrepareSurviveThrive.US

Tracking Time

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Keep a Track of Your Time

I know this is always a difficult thing to accomplish; however, not everything that you do is straight forward. It’s forward some and then back some then forward again. So, we need to know where we are right now, before we can go on.

The best way to do that is to keep a time log of what you are spending your time on. Once you know where you are, then you can make plans on were to go from here. Fill out the Time Log for the week, the best way to do this is to have it on your desk if you work in an office. If you work at home, put it in the kitchen, that is where most of your time is probably spent. If you work outside put it in your front pocket along with a pencil. Be as accurate as possible, it will guide you better in the long run. This seems like a waste of time, but when you see the results you probably will find out that you spend more time doing things that don’t matter much in the end than you thought. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, every half an hour just jot down what you have done in that time. You can just do this with a sheet of paper, you don’t need a set up page.

When you go to bed, take the list with you. Are you waking up in the middle of the night and having a difficult time going back to sleep? Add up the hours that you sleep. Are you getting enough sleep? Or is it too interrupted? Are you making up for lost sleep at night by napping during the day?

How is your morning routine with eating breakfast and getting dressed and out the door?
Are you running around the house looking for your keys and the report that you need today? Do you get your shirt or dress out of the closed just to find out that it needs ironed? Do you pour a bowl of cereal and then look in the refrigerator to find out that there is no milk?

Just looking at your time log is usually enough to know what you need to change in your routine. Are you going from one activity to another without finishing the first activity? Are people disturbing you in the middle of projects? Do you look at your cell phone a million times a day?

What do you do when you get home in the evening? Do you sit in front of the TV for 4 to 5 hours every night? Do you spend your evening in front of the computer checking your face book or playing games for hours on end? Is it 11:00pm before you know it and past time to go to bed? Then you ask, where did the time go?

On the weekends, do you sleep till noon and then drag around for another couple of hours before you are ready to mow the lawn, or fix your car? When it is Sunday night do you find out that you have not completed anything on the weekend you wanted to do?

Get your Time Log done and then we will work on making better use of your time so that you can get your preps done.

CB radio

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CB radio

So often in today’s high tech world we forget about the older tried and true tools that have been around for 100 years.

A friend is planning a road trip in a few months and wanted help installing a CB radio so that he would have a reliable form of communications with the big trucks that stream our interstate highways. It is amazing just how much information about the roadways and local areas that can be obtained via the lowly CB radio. The newer radios in addition to 40 channels you can listen to 10 of the weather radios’ channels. This radio has weather alert that can be programmed in along with a scanner of the CB channels so that you can catch active frequencies while you travel. There are many bells and whistles with this one including an alarm clock. ;]

The basic CB radio mounted in a vehicle can realistically get between 7 and 15 miles range. Yes, I know that does not SOUND impressive compared to FRS radios which CLAIM 28 to 36 mile range [with a crappy built in antenna and maybe 1 watt of transmit power] compared with a good outside mounted antenna on the outside of the vehicle.

FRS / GRMS radios have their uses at very close range. However I and many others think that there is still a place for CBs today in both emergency situations and everyday common use. I do have FRS / GRMS radios right next to my CB and HAM / shortwave radio systems. I also carry in my COMM kit a battery operated AM/FM transistor radio for local broadcast content. Also carried in the kit are chargers for the cell phones and computers.

Country Cassoulet

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Country Cassoulet

Prep time 65 minutes, plus standing
Bake time 1.5 hours

¾ pound DRY navy beans – any similar sized beans will do.
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 can [14.5 oz] chicken broth
¼ lbs bacon, diced
4 chicken thighs or legs
2 large carrots diced
2 medium onions diced
¼ cup celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
8 oz diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic diced
½ teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
½ teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon whole cloves
½ to 1 lbs smoked sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
Chopped fresh parsley

Sort beans and rinse with cold water. In a Dutch oven, soup kettle OR pressure cooker is best, combine beans, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil or up to pressure and place it into your hay box cooker and let stand for 1 to 4 hours until the beans are soft. Do NOT drain. Stir in chicken broth; bring to simmer. Meanwhile, in a cast iron Dutch oven 4 to 6 quart in size cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels. Drain’ reserve 2 tablespoons drippings. In the same pan, brown the chicken in reserved drippings on all sides; drain and set aside. Now combine the beans with cooking liquid, bacon, carrots, onions, celery, tomatoes, garlic, marjoram and sage. Place whole cloves in a tea ball or cheese cloth. Add casserole; top with chicken.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for one hour. Uncover and add sausage. Bake 30 – 35 minutes longer or until beans are tender. Discard bay leaf and spice bag. Garnish with chopped parsley. Yields 4 servings.

Independence Day

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Independence Day

Yes, tomorrow is the 4th of July… HOWEVER the holiday is NOT the 4th of July – it IS America’s Independence Day from the British Empire. The communally accepted reason was that the crown had raised the tax on tea by 2%. There were many other reasons for the revolt, but that seems to have been the final straw. As we celebrate our country’s founding let us remember that our forefathers [and mothers] went to war to free themselves and their posterity from an overreaching government who would not listen to the people.

The US Constitution [along with the state constitutions] were truly inspired and if we will protect and defend it [and them] from enemies both foreign and domestic, it will provide the framework to protect US and provide order.

Over the next several months there will be many making campaign promises, most of which are just hollow mouthing. ;[

Study out the issues and people & then vote for whoever you think will do the best job for us. Many states, counties and local jurisdictions will be voting for governors, sheriffs, county commissioners, some US senators and US house representatives and similar seats at the state levels.

Independence Day is more than just parties, BBQs and frolicking in the sun. it is about those who helped secure our freedoms and about what freedoms we leave behind for our children and grandkids.

Freedom is NOT free!
Ask a veteran and their family.

Home Invasion

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Blog home invasion

Violent crime seems to be on the rise. Last post we discussed V getting sprayed with pepper. In that case it appeared to be a stupid prank. It just as easily been the start of a home invasion.

Some home invasions are straight forward in that the perps know someone is home and the perps attack one of the doors breaking it open with brute force. The intention is to overwhelm the occupants before they can mount any soft of resistance. The perps have often dressed in black BDUs similar to how police SWAT teams dress. The manner of dress is intended to confuse the occupants even further. If the occupants are innocent they may believe that the intruders are real police and not resist and have gruesome results. On the other hand, the real police may be at the wrong address / raiding the wrong house, if the occupants resist they be shot by the police, if they resist and succeed in driving the intruders away [which is doubtful] then the government [police] calls in more fire power and they WILL get the occupants and at least charge them with resisting arrest & then take them to jail. Either way you are damned if you do or damned if you are passive. Basically you [your family] will have to war game it and decide how you plan to respond.

Another scenario is where the perps will send someone who looks innocent such as a young boy in V’s case or a female to knock at the door to get the occupants to open the door and then the rest of the ‘gang’ storms the door to get in. in some respects this scene is easier to deal with than what was presented above. The perps may well catch you off guard but at least there will be no doubt in your mind when the crap starts that they are criminals instead of maybe being the police.

OK, so what do you do to protect yourself and your family?

Install heavy duty chain devices on the doors with long screws into the frame of the door. If you have a solid door without near by windows you can have a peep hole installed so you can see who is at the door. Have motion activated lights at the doors and around the house if possible to both light the area and alert you to possible bad guys hiding. There are solar / battery powered lights to prevent the bad guys from cutting the house power and totally blacking you out. Make sure that the bushes are well trimmed around the house so that people can not hide behind them. A fence around your house and yard prevents people from saying that they are lost or that they are chasing their dog and other such lame excuses.

Security cameras are a good idea so that you can see all around the house and maybe even record it all so that the perps can be prosecuted. Some times even fake cameras will deter some crime.

Some people that I know keep a baseball bat [with ball and glove] near the doors so that they are always ready to play ball. ;] Others have been known to keep a sward handy for self defense. Of course you should check your local laws on all this. Some places have laws against fortifying your home to impede the police, but it is OK to do so to protect against criminals.