Posted on 09/05/2012 11:35:26 AM PDT by Kartographer
What does emergency preparedness mean to you? For some, it means having a flashlight (bonus if it has working batteries). Others are a bit more advanced with a “72-hour kit“ or ”bug out bag” — basically the essentials to maintain life for a short period of time. Then there are those who build bunkers and go on extreme coupon benders to stock up on supplies.
Given that it’s National Preparedness Month, an annual awareness month hosted in September by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, TheBlaze decided to speak with some of those in the preparedness movement that we’re familiar with (via The Marketplace by TheBlaze) and get some practical tips about getting ready for emergencies.
(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...
Preppers’ PING!!
My prepper purchase of the day: 20 boxes of 250 wooden matches each, for $20. That struck me as a nice price for an item that will have significant value in trade or as gifts to neighbors if things get unpleasant. I have many ways of starting fires, but this is one of the easiest, so it’s a good one to share in hard times.
I have a day after plan. Why wast good resources when I will know exactly what I need the day after, how big of a hole to dig and such. Boy wasn’t Y2K a disappointment?
I have flint and steel on my key chain and a years worth of dryer lint mixed with 1 bottle of Vaseline = 30+ chip dip containers of excellent fire starter ...
Then for fun I bought 500 strike anywhere matches and dipped them in wax (only had 6 empty pill bottles so the balance is in a shoe box) then took the left over wax and made those tuna can and cardboard candle stoves
Teaching the neighbor kids how to sharpen knives and tie knots
Prepping can be a fun hobby
TT
Can't wait for Autumn nuts and berries. Yum. Better than store bought by far.
Ever torch an ant with a magnifying glass when you were a kid? Remember, a glass bottle or eye glasses can start a fire ( and a thief wouldn't think of stealing a broken glass bottle.)
I married a former Boy Scout. So I’m good.
Yep. I married a hunter, a fisherman, a trapper, a builder, a bee keeper, and ex-military man. If it's manly, he's done it. I'd follow him anywhere.
Prepper Purchase of the Week: a 14 cu. ft. stand-up deep freezer. Major expansions to the pantry are planned for the rest of this month.
My thought is people who get on prepper threads and post comments like this will be among the first to report you and your ‘hoarding’ to the powers that be (That is if the don’t rob you themselves or blackmail stores out of you) in their efforts to make sure you too suffer just as they do. These are the type who hold preppers in such disdain that they will have the overwhelming need to punish you for having proving them wrong. May will go as far as blaming you for the ‘trouble’ thinking in their twisted minds that your prepping is what brought on the disaster. They seem to be conservatives, but they aren’t and place yourself and your family in danger if they learn of your preps. OPSEC always. Listen to what they say, think of this quote from one of my favorite westerns ’Open Range’: “Most times a man will tell you his bad intentions if you listen, let yourself hear.” I’ve ‘heard’ their intentions and they aren’t good.
Zombies, Deniers, Sociopaths, Schemers and Protectors:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2894923/posts
I am grateful that I had my prep supplies over the last few months. Meals would have been rough or non-existant without them.
One thing I ran through was canned fruits. It's not something I normally think about, and I did forget to resupply those last week on my big shopping trip. I'll probably increase the amount I keep on hand.
With the ups and downs in my income, I have to be a prudent steward and put stuff by when I can. Besides, it's not like stuff I buy going to get any cheaper.
/johnny
Yeah those 3 weeks people spent without electricity after hurricanes were great.
I ate pretty well, regardless of the situation.
/johnny
I’ve been there, only eating what was in our pantry. I thought we had 2-3 months in the pantry but it was empty after a month.
So now I don’t guestimate in my planning but count actual meals and calories.
I count calories and have a tally sheet showing how many 2,000 calorie days of food are stored. It's enough to carry our family rather well, even without supplementing with squirrels, birds, gardening, and other sources. A family of four should need just over 1400 man-days of food to last a year.
Be careful with mustang grapes. Wear gloves or you’ll likely get a burning allergic reaction when picking them.
My brother once went with me on a shopping trip, and I kept doing calculations on items. He finally asked what I was doing. Told him I was calculating the Kcals/$ value of each product.
It makes a difference when stewardship is required. Check out chocolate sometime on the Kcal/$ scale. ;)
/johnny
Glad you ended that staement right. I was beginning to think you couldn’t hold a man. LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.