Last Post

This will be the last post on this blog site.

We needed to change the name of our blog--the new blog address is preparingforemergencies.blogspot.com. We will have the same content, that of preparing ourselves for any emergency that may come our way. If you have trouble going to our new blog site, please leave a comment or email me. Thanks for visiting here!

101 Barter Items--Part 3

61.Toothbrushes
62.Toothpaste
63.Nail Clippers
64.Mosquito Repellent
65.Duct Tape
66.Rope
67.Candles
68.Sewing Supplies
69.Non Scented Bleach
70.Canning Jars and Lids
71.Knives
72.Sharpening Stones
73.Bicycle Tire Tubes
74.Bicycle Chains
75.Air Pump (don't trade the pump trade the air)
78.Board Games
79.Playing Cards
80.Mousetraps
81.Baby Wipes
82.Razors
83.Tang
84.Gloves
85.Underwear
86.Glue
89.Broad Brim Hats
90.Files
91.Pad-Locks
92.Laundry Detergent
93.Kerosene
94.Tea
95.Axes
96.Slingshots
97.Binoculars
98.Disposable Lighters
99.Magnesium fire starters
100.Plastic sheeting
101.Over The Counter Medications

Did I miss anything? Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below.

11 Points to Preparedness for Evacuation

Marla, also known as Flylady (she likes to fly-fish), has a website that helps people to organize their lives, and declutter their homes and offices. It is a free-use website and a great help to many people (including me!). She has a list of information that would be helpful in a crisis, especially if we are required to evacuate. This would be in addition to a 72-Hour Kit.

"11 Points to Preparedness for Evacuation

1. People: Have a plan for getting out of the house and make sure everyone knows it. Have an emergency bag of food and treats for the children: dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter, crackers and granola bars.

2. Pets: Keep pet carriers and leashes readily available to lead pets to safety. Also take pet food with you.

3. Pictures: Keep negatives or CDs of pictures in a lock box or at a family member's home. Have picture albums in one place ready to grab and go at a moments notice.

4. Papers: Have all your important papers in a lock box at a bank and only keep copies at the house. This keeps you from panicking. If you have them at home then put them in a folder that you can easily grab if you have to move fast. Color code it so you can find it!

5. Prescriptions: Take your medications with you. Don't forget the ones that have to be refrigerated like insulin. Have small ice chest and cold packs readily accessible to pack and go. If you have babies, remember their formula or medications.

6. Purses and Petro: This is where you keep your identification, credit cards and cash. Keep a stash of cash for emergencies and grab it. You may not be able to use an ATM in the event of a power outage. Make sure your car always has a half tank of gas.

7. Proper Clothes and Comfort Items: According to the weather conditions, gather up a change of clothes along with outer clothing: coats, rain gear, boots, gloves and hats. If you have babies remember diapers. Remember to grab your children's favorite blanket, stuffed animal or toy. A game or a deck of cards could keep them occupied and calm too.

8. Planner/Calendar/Control Journal: These documents have all the information you will need from phone numbers, insurance numbers and important dates. They are small and filled with things you don't have to try to remember.

9. Personal Protection: Many of us still have that time of the month. Be sure and grab a box of your preferred protection. It may be hard to find if you have been evacuated. Stress can cause our bodies to do strange things too. So be prepared. Take medication for cramps too.

10. Phones, Radios, Fuel for the Car: Many of us have cell phones now. Always keep them charged up and have a charger in the car or an extra battery. They may not work in the event of power outages, but then they might. Know which local radio station has emergency bulletins. Keep your battery powered radio tuned to that local station and have plenty of batteries for it. Also keep an old type regular phone that does not operate with electricity. GAS PUMPS don't work without power either. You can't leave if you car is on empty. So keep your car fuel tank topped off when it hits a half tank. This way you will have gas to drive at least a couple of hours. Evacuation routes are usually bumper to bumper traffic. Having a tank filled will keep you less stressed.

11. Patience: This is one of the most important things to pack. Keep it inside of you so that you have a clear calm head. Having your P's to Preparedness list guiding you will keep you patient. In the event of an evacuation there will be lots of displaced people. Being patient will make things less stressful. Your children need to see you calm and collected. This will help keep them calm too."

September--72 Hour Kits

This month is National Preparedness Month and our focus will be on 72-Hour Kits. Other items will be included along the way, but the main theme is what we will take when we have to evacuate or when we are waiting out an emergency at home. These kits are also called Grab-and-Go Kits and Bug-Out-Bags (BOBs).

Before we can consider what will be included in our kits, we need to make a plan. "Riverwalker" at Stealth Survival wrote: Survival Basics-The Disaster Book. He did not write a "book" but an excellent guide as to how we can write our own disaster plan.

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Survival Basics-The Disaster Book

"One of the main basics of survival involves planning. Having a plan and knowing what needs to be done when disaster strikes is crucial. There will be a great many decisions to be made when the worst happens and having a plan of action will help to minimize the stress that split second decisions can place on a person. More importantly, you will feel confident in your abilities to control the chaos that will arise when a man-made or natural disaster occurs and leaves you with very little time for critical decision making. Time is going to be critical to your survival and the survival of your family because no matter where you live, work or travel; everyone is subject to some form of natural or man-made disaster.

What is a disaster book? A disaster book is simply a plan of action for the different scenarios that can affect your survival. It will provide you with an outline of things to do, where to go or stay and what you will need to take with you or have on hand depending upon the type of threat you are facing. It doesn’t need to be very complicated but should contain some major components to aid you in the tough decisions that will have to be made when your survival is threatened. It will be your plan for survival.

What are the major components of a disaster book?

1.) Threat Assessment - The first and most important part of a disaster book is making a list of those threats which have an immediate or real possibility of affecting your survival at anytime. These threats could be anything from wildfires to earthquakes, tornadoes to hurricanes and flooding or civil unrest or a threat from failing infrastructure. These threats will be different for people depending upon where you live. You will need to do an assessment of these threats and develop your plan to set certain goals in place should one or more of these disasters happen. Know the threat!

2.) Risk Assessment - The next step is to make a decision and about whether you will be able to stay and tough things out at home or whether you may be forced to evacuate if the situation makes it impossible to stay at your present location. Making the decision ahead of time will save time that will be critical to your survival. Know the risk!

3.) Preparedness Evaluation - The final step is to make a list of what you will need depending upon the type of disaster and whether you will be toughing it out at home or have to evacuate to avoid the disaster. Make sure you know where you will be going if you have to bug out in a hurry. Deciding which direction to go at the last minute is not going to be very effective. Make sure that all family members are aware of where you are going and when you expect to be there. This will eliminate a lot of needless worry for everyone if a disaster strikes. If you decide to bug in and ride the storm out, you will need to make sure you have all the needed items for your survival and the survival of your family. Include the items you know that that are going to be needed and whether or not they are available or can be obtained. Know your needs!

This can all be done on a few simple pages and kept handy for easy reference when a disaster occurs. It can be as detailed or as simple as you care to make it. It may not even be the best plan but it is a plan. Plan to survive!"

101 Barter Items--Part 2

31.22.LR ammunition
32.12-gauge shot shells
33.Water Filters
34.Firewood
35.Coleman Fuel
36.Knives
37.Manual Can Openers
38.Vegetable Oil (for cooking)
39.Lighter Fluid
40.Charcoal
41.Diapers
42.Washboard
43.Vitamins
44.Tampons
45.Thermal Underwear
46.Aluminum Foil
47.Garbage Bags
48.Paper Towels
49.Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid)
50.Clothes Pins
51.Fishing Line
52.Fish Hooks
53.First Aid Kits
54.Batteries
55.Spices
56.Solar Calculators
57.Belts
58.Flashlights
59.Lightsticks
60.Garbage Cans

[From: The Survivalist Blog]

101 Barter Items--Part 1

I recently posted about bartering for food; here's a list of things we can stock up on (after we have our necessities, of course) just for bartering:

1.Coffee
2.Sugar
3.Salt
4.Pepper
5.Hard candy
6.Paperback Bibles
7.Kitchen Matches
8.Needles and sewing items
9.Nylon cord
10.Duct tape
11.Cigarettes
12.Pencils, paper, note pads
13.Toilet paper
14.Tooth paste
15.Soap
16.Rubbing alcohol
17.Peroxide
18.Aspirin
19.Baking soda
20.tooth brushes
21.Reading glasses
22.Liquor
23.Socks
24.Tarps
25.Tools for gardening
26.Condoms
27.Wooden matches
28.Skills
29.Hand Tools
30.Boyscout Manual

[From: The Survivalist Blog]

Winter Prediction

The weather has been changing, getting worse (hotter/colder) each year. One person has stepped up and is predicting a long, bad winter. I looked into that prediction and it seems to be the consensus. Here's what one person said:

"As you know, I live in Colorado with my little family. The weather here has been very very weird for the last couple of years, and this Summer was quite unusual. Compared to 2008 with scorching heat and very little rain, this 2009 Summer has been actually cool, with periods of intense rain and no days thus far [August 30, 2009] over 100 degrees.

By watching the signs, studying animals and plants, intuition, and reading everything I can . . . I'll give the following prediction for this area [emphasis mine]:

The Winter of 2009/2010 will come early, be hard, and stay long.

I'm quite sure I don't even need to discuss how the H1N1 flu virus will affect our Winter. This all being said, we are very stocked up on not only food and water, but also medical supplies, quilts, mittens, ski masks, and more.

Are YOU prepared for this Winter?"

Well, how prepared are you? I was in the market the other day and all of the hand sanitizer was gone--what other items may we be too late in purchasing??