ICE- In Case of Emergency
I was listening to a podcast and something they recommended was to list a ICE- In Case of Emergency contact in your phone.
Emergency responders are apparently trained to look for this kind of number on your phone if you get into an accident and are unable to respond to questions.
It only took me about 3 minutes because I'm slow at txt-ing. Just pick the person you want contacted in case you are injured and list that number as "ICE" or "Emergency Contact" or something like that.
If anyone knows different or has additional information, please let me know.
Dec 1, 2010
Nov 25, 2010
Happy Thankgiving Everyone
I just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving this morning. And a simple reminder, follow the instructions on your turkey is you've never cooked one, otherwise only the hard core survivalists will be enjoying their turkey jerky this year. :-)
This may or may not be a good time to check your preps, as you can use your stored food for some of the items on the table, also if you turn out the lights you can use your candles and lanterns for a more ambient lighting.
Another thing you can try (If you are feeling adventurous) is to try an alternative method of cooking. Use your fireplace, outdoor fire pit or BBQ, or try your Colman propane camping stove (Good luck with that one)
As the turkey will take quite a while to cook, whatever the method used (except deep frying) you can try out your freeze dried or dehydrated foods to go with it as you will have ample time to soak them completely through.
Whatever you thoughts, enjoy you holiday!
This may or may not be a good time to check your preps, as you can use your stored food for some of the items on the table, also if you turn out the lights you can use your candles and lanterns for a more ambient lighting.
Another thing you can try (If you are feeling adventurous) is to try an alternative method of cooking. Use your fireplace, outdoor fire pit or BBQ, or try your Colman propane camping stove (Good luck with that one)
As the turkey will take quite a while to cook, whatever the method used (except deep frying) you can try out your freeze dried or dehydrated foods to go with it as you will have ample time to soak them completely through.
Whatever you thoughts, enjoy you holiday!
Nov 20, 2010
Cold Weather is Coming
I've had a job for the last couple of weeks painting a building outside. (That's why I haven't posted anything in a while) Well the building is situated kinda funny. The West side gets absolutely no sunlight on the wall all day, where the East side is permanently in sunlight.
While working on the West side I had to wear thermals, street clothes, and a jacket. The wind chill on that side made it so bad that I lost all gross motor function in my hands after only about two hours of work. (I generally work 6 to 8 hours a day painting) And the rest of my body stopped working so well a couple of hours after that. My brain was also trying to shut down higher reasoning as well. And of course the worst part was, that combination makes for more accidents and every time I got a boo-boo it felt like I severed a limb.
Gloves don't help me much, as I suffered mild frost bite when I was a child, so am always susceptible to cold.
The other side of the building, in contrast, is so hot that by 10am I want to be in shorts and a tank top while working. I start the morning dressed like on the West side, but as the day grows hotter I begin to strip off layer after layer. By 11:30 or so I finish my coffee and switch to water to stay hydrated. The project should be done by the end of next week, so I can be done with these extremes, but I swear, it should be raining in the middle of the building at all times where the heat and cold meet.
Lessons learned:
Dress in layers
Don't over work, no mater how much you want to
Stay hydrated, especially in cold weather. You need it just as much, and don't realize it as well as in the heat.
Take breaks in a comfortable climate.
Watch you health. I think I'm coming down with a cold now because of working in these conditions improperly.
While working on the West side I had to wear thermals, street clothes, and a jacket. The wind chill on that side made it so bad that I lost all gross motor function in my hands after only about two hours of work. (I generally work 6 to 8 hours a day painting) And the rest of my body stopped working so well a couple of hours after that. My brain was also trying to shut down higher reasoning as well. And of course the worst part was, that combination makes for more accidents and every time I got a boo-boo it felt like I severed a limb.
Gloves don't help me much, as I suffered mild frost bite when I was a child, so am always susceptible to cold.
The other side of the building, in contrast, is so hot that by 10am I want to be in shorts and a tank top while working. I start the morning dressed like on the West side, but as the day grows hotter I begin to strip off layer after layer. By 11:30 or so I finish my coffee and switch to water to stay hydrated. The project should be done by the end of next week, so I can be done with these extremes, but I swear, it should be raining in the middle of the building at all times where the heat and cold meet.
Lessons learned:
Dress in layers
Don't over work, no mater how much you want to
Stay hydrated, especially in cold weather. You need it just as much, and don't realize it as well as in the heat.
Take breaks in a comfortable climate.
Watch you health. I think I'm coming down with a cold now because of working in these conditions improperly.
Nov 4, 2010
Halloween, Elections, TV show the Wlaking Dead
Sorry It's been a while, but this has been a busy couple of weeks for me.
Halloween was a big one for me as I get to take my kids trick or treating. I guess you already know the basics of this; Wear safety equipment, lights, glow sticks, safety vests, reflective tape, etc. Don't let your kids out of your sight. Check your kids haul, for anything tapered with, or homemade (unless you know and trust the source)
Elections; What can I say...Kalifornia is NUTS!
Warning- Spoilers Follow
The TV show Walking Dead is a new program on AMC about the Zombie Apocalypse. It takes place shortly after the worst has occurred, and the main character, a deputy sheriff, pre-apocalypse was shot and hospitalized. When he wakes up the Apocalypse has occurred and he makes his way home to find his wife and son are gone. Evidence shows that they packed and left so he decides to make his way to Atlanta where roomer has it that a safety zone exists.
It's only on the first episode, so I'll give them a chance to work things out, but, if it had been me waking up in a deserted hospital, the first thing I would have done is to find some clothes. Second, would be to gather water and food (In that order) Then, as he left the hospital, he found an abandoned army camp out front. Maybe him being Law Enforcement didn't think of it, but I would have ransacked the camp for everything useful. Admitably I may have run into my first zombie right then, but I would not have tried to walk home in hospital shorts and gown, and nothing else.
Halloween was a big one for me as I get to take my kids trick or treating. I guess you already know the basics of this; Wear safety equipment, lights, glow sticks, safety vests, reflective tape, etc. Don't let your kids out of your sight. Check your kids haul, for anything tapered with, or homemade (unless you know and trust the source)
Elections; What can I say...Kalifornia is NUTS!
Warning- Spoilers Follow
The TV show Walking Dead is a new program on AMC about the Zombie Apocalypse. It takes place shortly after the worst has occurred, and the main character, a deputy sheriff, pre-apocalypse was shot and hospitalized. When he wakes up the Apocalypse has occurred and he makes his way home to find his wife and son are gone. Evidence shows that they packed and left so he decides to make his way to Atlanta where roomer has it that a safety zone exists.
It's only on the first episode, so I'll give them a chance to work things out, but, if it had been me waking up in a deserted hospital, the first thing I would have done is to find some clothes. Second, would be to gather water and food (In that order) Then, as he left the hospital, he found an abandoned army camp out front. Maybe him being Law Enforcement didn't think of it, but I would have ransacked the camp for everything useful. Admitably I may have run into my first zombie right then, but I would not have tried to walk home in hospital shorts and gown, and nothing else.
Oct 23, 2010
New Website Under Construction
I'm building my own website, so I haven't had a lot of time to write anything. My apologies to everyone for that. The new site will be:
www.cvsprep.com
It's still under construction as I want a good home page, this blog and a forum so that we can have more and better discussions about topics that perhaps I'm not thinking of but that you are.
If anyone knows anything about this feel free to give me a holler. I think I'm over my head right now, and may need to seek professional help.
www.cvsprep.com
It's still under construction as I want a good home page, this blog and a forum so that we can have more and better discussions about topics that perhaps I'm not thinking of but that you are.
If anyone knows anything about this feel free to give me a holler. I think I'm over my head right now, and may need to seek professional help.
Oct 12, 2010
My Daily Kit
Here are some pictures of the kit that I carry with me everyday. You can see what it looks like fully packed. The bag is a Maxpedition Versipack and it can carry far more than it should! I've also added a 5.11 First Aid Kit that I've custom stocked, and a dual mag pouch also 5.11.
I think I've over loaded mine a bit, as it is a bit heavy to carry around all day. I'm not sure how much it weighs but it feels like about 15-20lbs. The problem is all of the individual items are very light so I can't figure out what to eliminate.
Here is me carrying it, with my children. You will notice that they are not dressed as woodland commandos. We were just taking a day trip to a local zoo.
And here is what all fits in this beast.
I'm not sure if you can see all of the details, but I carry gear for myself and my two girls in this bag, as I must support them as well in an emergency.
I don't want to say that everyone should carry the same load that I do, in fact I need to lighten it up a bit. But you can see that in a fairly small bag, you can carry a huge amount of gear. I'm not sure what you would call this type of kit. It's definitely not going to get me through 72hrs all by it's self, but I can easily go 24hrs with a bit of work, supporting me and my kids, which is sufficient to get us home from any distance where I didn't include our BOB bags. I also carries everything that I need on a daily basis. Actually one thing that I forgot to include in this pic is my wallet. I used to carry around a butt pack with keys, wallet, pens, phone etc., but now with kids, I have a lot more that I need to have on hand, so I went for a bigger bag. I think women invented it and called it a purse, but Maxpedition managed to make it look manly-ish
If a few of you ask, I'll add closeup pics of some of this gear, and describe what you looking at.
I think I've over loaded mine a bit, as it is a bit heavy to carry around all day. I'm not sure how much it weighs but it feels like about 15-20lbs. The problem is all of the individual items are very light so I can't figure out what to eliminate.
Here is me carrying it, with my children. You will notice that they are not dressed as woodland commandos. We were just taking a day trip to a local zoo.
And here is what all fits in this beast.
I'm not sure if you can see all of the details, but I carry gear for myself and my two girls in this bag, as I must support them as well in an emergency.
I don't want to say that everyone should carry the same load that I do, in fact I need to lighten it up a bit. But you can see that in a fairly small bag, you can carry a huge amount of gear. I'm not sure what you would call this type of kit. It's definitely not going to get me through 72hrs all by it's self, but I can easily go 24hrs with a bit of work, supporting me and my kids, which is sufficient to get us home from any distance where I didn't include our BOB bags. I also carries everything that I need on a daily basis. Actually one thing that I forgot to include in this pic is my wallet. I used to carry around a butt pack with keys, wallet, pens, phone etc., but now with kids, I have a lot more that I need to have on hand, so I went for a bigger bag. I think women invented it and called it a purse, but Maxpedition managed to make it look manly-ish
If a few of you ask, I'll add closeup pics of some of this gear, and describe what you looking at.
Oct 11, 2010
Teaching Children
I have to fix my mothers sink. It's not a big fix, just cleaning out the spigot filter. But, I'm going to get my kids to help. I'll have them get the tools by naming and describing them, and have them watch what I do so they can learn to problem solve and hopefully learn how something in there world works. After they leave tonight i will add to this post to let you know how it goes.
'K, the sink went well, but something else happened. I got my kids some cheap $2 Chinese junk flashlights a while back from Harbor Freight and they stopped working after 3 days or so. My oldest daughter found one of them and wanted to play with it. So, I got some new AAA Batteries for it, but still couldn't get it to work. My daughter asked to see it and after a couple of minutes pointed out so corrosion on one of the connector pads for one of the batteries. A few minutes of cleaning got rid of most of that, then I instructed her on how to put the batteries in properly. (Always look for the teachable moments) When I had her put it back together it actually worked!!! For about 30 seconds.
It really was more than I expected for Chinese junk, but the best use was getting to teach my daughter the wy and how things work.
'K, the sink went well, but something else happened. I got my kids some cheap $2 Chinese junk flashlights a while back from Harbor Freight and they stopped working after 3 days or so. My oldest daughter found one of them and wanted to play with it. So, I got some new AAA Batteries for it, but still couldn't get it to work. My daughter asked to see it and after a couple of minutes pointed out so corrosion on one of the connector pads for one of the batteries. A few minutes of cleaning got rid of most of that, then I instructed her on how to put the batteries in properly. (Always look for the teachable moments) When I had her put it back together it actually worked!!! For about 30 seconds.
It really was more than I expected for Chinese junk, but the best use was getting to teach my daughter the wy and how things work.
Oct 10, 2010
Taking Children ANYWHERE
Pack a complete change of clothes for each child. Shirt, pants, underwear, socks, shoes if you can afford them.
Saturday I took my kids out, and my youngest decided to pee her pants. Unfortunately their go bags were in my car and I was driving my mothers vehicle instead. We weren't going too far (20-30miniutes away) so I decided to forgo swapping the bags around. My mistake. We were forced to leave immediately because I had to strip everything off from the waist down of my little one as it was soaked. So endith the day.
I occurs to me that kids of any age could end up in a situation where clothes have to be changed. Falling in mud, getting in a fight, spill food at a party, potty accident, stepping in something nasty, whatever. And most of the entire outfit may need to be changed...You know, thinking about this while I write suggests that the same may be true for you and I as well.
Saturday I took my kids out, and my youngest decided to pee her pants. Unfortunately their go bags were in my car and I was driving my mothers vehicle instead. We weren't going too far (20-30miniutes away) so I decided to forgo swapping the bags around. My mistake. We were forced to leave immediately because I had to strip everything off from the waist down of my little one as it was soaked. So endith the day.
I occurs to me that kids of any age could end up in a situation where clothes have to be changed. Falling in mud, getting in a fight, spill food at a party, potty accident, stepping in something nasty, whatever. And most of the entire outfit may need to be changed...You know, thinking about this while I write suggests that the same may be true for you and I as well.
Oct 5, 2010
Emergency Binder
I haven't discussed this yet but you should have an Emergency Binder in your home or car readily accessible. I have written one that I am going to give to you. The links are below for a RTF, PDF And DOC versions so get whichever one you can use best.
Look it over before you print anything, as not everything is suitable to you and some of it you may need two or three copies of. Please remember to keep a digital copy if you can on a flash drive or USB on your key ring,and DO NOT let this fall into anyone's hands who doesn't need to see it.
RTF Here
PDF Here
DOC Here
Look it over before you print anything, as not everything is suitable to you and some of it you may need two or three copies of. Please remember to keep a digital copy if you can on a flash drive or USB on your key ring,and DO NOT let this fall into anyone's hands who doesn't need to see it.
RTF Here
PDF Here
DOC Here
Oct 4, 2010
Earthquake Survival Kit
OK I was talking to a friend of mine on Facebook who lives in the DC area while the rainstorms and flooding was occurring. I think it's abating now, but it got me thinking. I've been putting this off for a while, but here is an overview of prepper supplies that you should have. This list is by no means complete, and you should build you own kits according to what you need. Don't but a pre-built kit made by someone else as you don't know what is in it, if everything works, or how to use some of it.
You should assemble you own stuff so that you know what you are putting in and it will be what you need. Also you will have a chance to try different things out to find out what works and what doesn't. Wind up flashlight for example; I've gone through three different kinds and haven't found one yet that works as advertised.
According to FEMA this is what they recommend for an Earthquake Kit. I use earthquakes because I'm in California (Sorry about our state) and that kinda the standard, but you will see that it's kind of universal, and will work for most disasters, but with everything, modify it to your needs.
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/eq_before.shtm
4 Have Disaster Supplies on Hand
* Flashlight and extra batteries.
* Portable battery-operated radio and extra batteries.
* First aid kit and manual.
* Emergency food and water.
* Nonelectric can opener.
* Essential medicines.
* Cash and credit cards.
* Sturdy shoes.
Below is also some lists of relevant equipment. One of these days I will go through ans write down everything that I personally use or carry, but for now, these general list should do to start. Please keep the BOB Bags in your car. They don't do any good in the closet.
BOB Bag (Individual Adult)
General list, please customize to you and your child’s needs
Food and Water:
6 Boxes of Aqua Blox Water Boxes
6 - 400 Calorie Food Bars (2400 Calories)
10 Water Purification Tablets - each tablet purifies 1 liter of water
Water Filter
Light and Communication:
Am/FM Radio with Headphones and Batteries
Rechargeable Squeeze Flashlight
36 Hour Emergency Candle
Green Emergency Glow Stick 12 hour
5-in-1 Survival Whistle - compass, signal mirror, flint starter, waterproof container, lanyard, and shrill whistle
Shelter and Warmth:
Emergency Survival Sleeping Bag - Recommended over common "space blankets"
16-20 Hour Body Warmer - heat up in minutes with an average temperature of 130 degrees.
2-Person Tube Tent with Rope
Emergency Poncho with Hood
Fire Making Kit include water proof matches, lighter, magnifying lens, tinder in small film can
Tools:
Multi –Tool or Swiss Army Knife, Leather Palm Working Gloves, N95 Respirator Dust Mask - NIOSH approved or scarf, 50 Feet of 550 Cord
Hygiene and Sanitation:
toothbrush, toothpaste, wetnaps (Baby wipes), bar of soap, shampoo and conditioner, dental floss pick, deodorant, twin blade razor, comb or brush, 4 maxipads, and washcloth. 3 Tempo Pocket Tissue Packs
First Aid:
Portable First Aid Kit – Whatever you choose to put in here, double the amount of Band-Aids, and triple the number of 2 inch gauze pads.
Other:
Notepad Pencil Deck of Playing Cards for Entertainment, Infectious Waste Bag, Emergency Survival Kit Information
BOB Bag (Individual Child)
General list, please customize to you and your child’s needs
Food and Water:
6 Boxes of Aqua Blox Water Boxes
12 - 200 Calorie Food Bars (2400 calories)
Light and Communication:
Rechargeable Squeeze Flashlight
5-in-1 Survival Whistle
Compass
Signal mirror
Flint starter
Waterproof container
Lanyard and shrill whistle
3 Green Emergency Glow Sticks - lasts for 12 hours each
Shelter and Warmth:
Polar Fleece Blanket
Emergency Poncho for Children
16-20 Hour Body Warmer - heat up in minutes with an average temperature of 130 degrees.
Two changes of socks and underwear
Tools:
Warm Winter Gloves
Large Scarf to replace Dust mask or scarf
Hygiene and Sanitation:
Hygiene Kit - Includes soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and 9 wet wipes. 3 Tempo Pocket Tissue Packs
First Aid:
(Sample-Please make your own) 42 Piece Pocket First Aid Kit - contains 42 pieces - 10 spot bandages, 10 sheer junior,5 sheer medium, 5 sheer strips, 2 antibacterial, 3 clear strips, 2 fabric strips, 1 extra-large, 2 alcohol pads, and 2 gauze pads
Entertainment:
Activity Coloring Book with Crayons - contains pictures to color and activities to help keep a child's mind occupied
Children’s Toys - jump rope, ball, and a jax set
Blackout Kit In case of power outages
(Not including your Food and Water storage)
Same as Bug Out Bag plus:
Cooking:
20-60lbs of Charcoal
Propane cans or tanks plus stove attachment
Cords of wood
Light:
Candles
Tea Lights
Large Target store candles but not the ones with 3 wicks
Citronella candles
Flashlights
Head lamp (for walking around hands free) at least one per person
Batteries
Storm Lanterns with fuel
Communication:
Windup radio
Entertainment:
Reading material
Board games
Power:
Generator/fuel
You should assemble you own stuff so that you know what you are putting in and it will be what you need. Also you will have a chance to try different things out to find out what works and what doesn't. Wind up flashlight for example; I've gone through three different kinds and haven't found one yet that works as advertised.
According to FEMA this is what they recommend for an Earthquake Kit. I use earthquakes because I'm in California (Sorry about our state) and that kinda the standard, but you will see that it's kind of universal, and will work for most disasters, but with everything, modify it to your needs.
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/eq_before.shtm
4 Have Disaster Supplies on Hand
* Flashlight and extra batteries.
* Portable battery-operated radio and extra batteries.
* First aid kit and manual.
* Emergency food and water.
* Nonelectric can opener.
* Essential medicines.
* Cash and credit cards.
* Sturdy shoes.
Below is also some lists of relevant equipment. One of these days I will go through ans write down everything that I personally use or carry, but for now, these general list should do to start. Please keep the BOB Bags in your car. They don't do any good in the closet.
BOB Bag (Individual Adult)
General list, please customize to you and your child’s needs
Food and Water:
6 Boxes of Aqua Blox Water Boxes
6 - 400 Calorie Food Bars (2400 Calories)
10 Water Purification Tablets - each tablet purifies 1 liter of water
Water Filter
Light and Communication:
Am/FM Radio with Headphones and Batteries
Rechargeable Squeeze Flashlight
36 Hour Emergency Candle
Green Emergency Glow Stick 12 hour
5-in-1 Survival Whistle - compass, signal mirror, flint starter, waterproof container, lanyard, and shrill whistle
Shelter and Warmth:
Emergency Survival Sleeping Bag - Recommended over common "space blankets"
16-20 Hour Body Warmer - heat up in minutes with an average temperature of 130 degrees.
2-Person Tube Tent with Rope
Emergency Poncho with Hood
Fire Making Kit include water proof matches, lighter, magnifying lens, tinder in small film can
Tools:
Multi –Tool or Swiss Army Knife, Leather Palm Working Gloves, N95 Respirator Dust Mask - NIOSH approved or scarf, 50 Feet of 550 Cord
Hygiene and Sanitation:
toothbrush, toothpaste, wetnaps (Baby wipes), bar of soap, shampoo and conditioner, dental floss pick, deodorant, twin blade razor, comb or brush, 4 maxipads, and washcloth. 3 Tempo Pocket Tissue Packs
First Aid:
Portable First Aid Kit – Whatever you choose to put in here, double the amount of Band-Aids, and triple the number of 2 inch gauze pads.
Other:
Notepad Pencil Deck of Playing Cards for Entertainment, Infectious Waste Bag, Emergency Survival Kit Information
BOB Bag (Individual Child)
General list, please customize to you and your child’s needs
Food and Water:
6 Boxes of Aqua Blox Water Boxes
12 - 200 Calorie Food Bars (2400 calories)
Light and Communication:
Rechargeable Squeeze Flashlight
5-in-1 Survival Whistle
Compass
Signal mirror
Flint starter
Waterproof container
Lanyard and shrill whistle
3 Green Emergency Glow Sticks - lasts for 12 hours each
Shelter and Warmth:
Polar Fleece Blanket
Emergency Poncho for Children
16-20 Hour Body Warmer - heat up in minutes with an average temperature of 130 degrees.
Two changes of socks and underwear
Tools:
Warm Winter Gloves
Large Scarf to replace Dust mask or scarf
Hygiene and Sanitation:
Hygiene Kit - Includes soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and 9 wet wipes. 3 Tempo Pocket Tissue Packs
First Aid:
(Sample-Please make your own) 42 Piece Pocket First Aid Kit - contains 42 pieces - 10 spot bandages, 10 sheer junior,5 sheer medium, 5 sheer strips, 2 antibacterial, 3 clear strips, 2 fabric strips, 1 extra-large, 2 alcohol pads, and 2 gauze pads
Entertainment:
Activity Coloring Book with Crayons - contains pictures to color and activities to help keep a child's mind occupied
Children’s Toys - jump rope, ball, and a jax set
Blackout Kit In case of power outages
(Not including your Food and Water storage)
Same as Bug Out Bag plus:
Cooking:
20-60lbs of Charcoal
Propane cans or tanks plus stove attachment
Cords of wood
Light:
Candles
Tea Lights
Large Target store candles but not the ones with 3 wicks
Citronella candles
Flashlights
Head lamp (for walking around hands free) at least one per person
Batteries
Storm Lanterns with fuel
Communication:
Windup radio
Entertainment:
Reading material
Board games
Power:
Generator/fuel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)