5261 Gone Before You Get There

7/30/2019 5261 Gone Before You Get There

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Is it time to prepare for the

coming storm?

Gone Before You Get There

77 Items That Instantly Vanish From Store Shelves In APanic And Why Preparing For A Crisis Cannot Wait

We dont know when a disaster will hit. Unexpected, life-threatening disastersoccur all over the world. Sometimes we are forewarned by the experts and newsmedia, while other times a disaster catches us completely by surprise.Unfortunately, when disaster strikes, most people are not ready or prepared, andthe consequences usually result in tragic losses.

Whether its wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, orfloods, disasters can disrupt our lives drastically.For those who are lucky, it may only be short-term,

but for others, such as those who enduredHurricane Katrina, their lives could be changedforever.

Though we cant overpower a hurricane or preventan earthquake, there is one thing that we can dothat the majority of people simply refuse to do. Andthat is start preparing NOW for a future crisis. Startpreparing now before a government warning is evenissued and you are forced out of your home. Startpreparing now before everything disappears off the

shelves.

Believe me, if you are lucky enough to actually be warned of a possible upcomingdisaster (most of the times were not), what do you think everyones doing?Rushing to the store and trying to buy the same building supplies, generators,food and other items that you are. Because we are spoiled, weve come to thinkthat stores have endless amounts of supplies. But thats just not true especiallywhen a disaster strikes and panic arises amongst the community.

So the key, and this is vitally important, in fact, it may even save your life, is toprepare BEFORE all the disaster talk. If youre trying to prepare last minute, its

too late. And Im not just talking about stocking up on food and water, althoughthat certainly is a big issue. But its also means stocking up on necessary itemsyou need to survive a crisis such as extra blankets, batteries, hygiene products,matches, toilet paper, bug spray and so forth.

The most common disaster is actually fire but what gets national attention arehurricanes, tornadoes and floods. Because of the number of disasters that occurin the world and even here in the U.S., we have become almost desensitized to it.Most people take their safety for granted and the thought of enduring a disaster is


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Sadly, most people have no plan.

far from their minds. (Plus, people have the false notion that the government willcome to their rescue at the snap of their fingers.)

So what happens? When disaster does strike, people struggle to survive andsadly, theres always some that dont make it. Why? For most, they didnt take

the necessary steps to prepare ahead of time and unfortunately it ended intragedy.

What the residents of Mississippi found out after Hurricane Katrina is that itcould be 1-2 weeks before help arrives. Take a moment and look around yourhome right now. If your power was shut down and the roads were closed, couldyou survive a week with what you have right now at home? Sure, you may have afull freezer but do you have a generator to run it? What about enough drinkingwater for your entire family? Do you have candles or flashlights for night time?

Or what if you were forced out of yourhome? What if you had to leave right now?Do you have access to a kit with insurancepapers, prescriptions, birth certificates,passports and other important papers? Doyou have cash? Is your fuel tank full and ifso, how far can you make it? Do you knowwhere to go? Do you have a plan?

If you answered no to all those questions,youre not alone. Sadly, most peoplewouldnt be able to answer yes to any ofthose questions. Most people have never

thought about it and in all truthfulness,wouldnt think about it until its too lateuntil disaster has already struck.

In July 2008, a major flood took out a large portion of Iowa and a small part ofIllinois. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power and it was a week beforesome even got it turned back on. Water filled homes and forced people to flee.There was no drinking water because of contamination. The sewers were floodedout. When the people needed it the most, there were no FEMA trucks and otherslined up to help.

Now, the government knows people arentprepared. They know people are not stockingup on food and other supplies. Experts claimthat there is not enough food to go around foreveryone to stock up and of course, thatstrue if everyone rushed out today to stock up.However, if done a little at a time and in theright way, people can slowly and steadilybuild up their food pantries at home withoutmuch impact on the overall food supply. And


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actually, on just $10 per week you can stock up over the course of an entire yearand have enough to get by if a disaster occurred.

Michael Leavitt, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,stated Any state, any community or for that matter any citizen that fails to

prepare, assuming the federal government can take care of themwill betragically wrong. While this was stated regarding a health outbreak it is equallytrue for any widespread massive tragedy.

The saying, movement is better than meditation, is relevant in regards tobeginning your preparations for a crisis. You dont have to rush out and buyeverything at once, but you can begin by stocking up on foods that do not need tobe refrigerated. Store them in air tight containers to prevent bugs, mice andother pests from getting into them. Start saving jars those with screw lids inplastic and glass. Larger jars can store pastas, rice and oatmeal. Smaller jars aregood for other dry goods such as salt, seasonings and other provisions that mightbe luxuries but not as necessary to have.

In your early stages of crisis planning, look honestly at all situations possible -from train derailments (with toxic chemicals possible) to a house fire to floodingto a tornado. (Of course, your particular area may be especially prone to certaindisasters in which you should plan accordingly.) Remember, with the moderngrid, an interruption in one part of the country is no longer isolated to just thatarea but can affect the entire country.

The bottom line is that families (including their children) who are prepared, havea plan, have practiced it and KNOW what to do, have a much higher survival rate.Teaching your children about what youre doing and why is important. Get them

involved. Teach them that its not safe to enter a flooded basement or else theycould be electrocuted. Teach them even the things you may take for granted suchas what a fireman in full dress looks like it can prevent tragic deaths (scared ofthe firemen who look like monsters in the smoke, children oftentimes willhide).

So as we discussed, you not only need to implement a plan but just as important,you need to practice it as a family. If the children know that in the event that afire occurs, to get out and go to the oak treeno questions asked and dont lookbackthen their chances are MUCH higher of surviving than the child who ispanicked and desperately waiting to be rescued inside a burning house. Children

can do the right thing if properly instructed.

You can be a good neighbor and encourage others to stock up and be preparedbut do your own stocking up quietly and discreetly. The fewer who know whatyou have, the fewer you have to worry about raiding your home in a crisis. Youmay think this is crazy, maybe even silly or foolish, but believe me, desperationforces people to do things they wouldnt ordinarily do. In times of crisis, hungerand thirst will drive people to commit violence, theft and even murder.


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TYPE OF DISASTER

The bare necessities needed to survive are food, water and shelter. Prescriptionmedicines, first aid kits and other provisions follow closely behind. But alongwith stocking up on supplies, you need to specifically prepare and plan for the

different potential disasters that may strike your area.

For example, if you live in tornado alley,underground provisions would be fitting.You would want to make sure you had extrablankets and pillows, drinking water,flashlights, extra batteries, prepackaged orcanned foods, in that specific location (or atleast at your fingertips to take to your safestlocation). Even in the case of a fast movingwildfire, though it may burn homes and

barns, things underground will be betterprotected and will therefore standa better chance of surviving.

Each disaster plan requires you to thoroughlythink everything through. You need to think of every possible thing that can gowrong and address how you would handle it. For example, if you do have anunderground shelter, is it safe from flooding? If you had to evacuate your home,what would that entail? In the event of a fire or hurricane, how far will a tank offuel get you? If you are forced to evacuate, have a hotel in mind and makereservations on your way out. (Also, remember to consider your pets. If you havehorses or other livestock, have contact with a stable or fairgrounds in the area ofyour hotel reservation so they can be offloaded if possible, and be both, safe andrelatively comfortable.)

If you live in a low lying water area, you obviously wouldnt want to put yoursupplies in a basement that can fill up with water. However, if youre in tornadocountry, keeping it above ground could mean losing it all.

Lets look at the following types of disasters that may occur.

Earthquakes

Unlike other disasters, earthquakes give nowarning. They can powerfully shake aparthomes, skyscrapers and bridges. Mostpeople dont realize that most of the UnitedStates is earthquake territory. The NewMadrid fault in the Midwest makesCalifornias fault line look small but becausethere havent been any major quakes inrecent decades, it isnt given much thought.

Disaster can strike anytime,

anywhere.


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On the other hand, California earthquakes occur much more frequently and so farhave been much, much more powerful, thus giving that state a high disasterpotential.

However, it is foolish for those in the Midwest to not keep the potential for an

earthquake in mind. A previous earthquake on this fault made the Mississippiriver run north for a while and that is not something to take lightly. Its said thatSt. Louis could be destroyed if there ever was a major earthquake in the Midwest.Remember too, while California builds for earthquakes most in the Midwest donot and therefore bridges, including those over the major rivers, would beexpected to be unsafe.

Fire

First things first, make sure you haveworking smoke alarms. One helpfultip is that when its time to fall backor spring ahead, change thebatteries. Test the smoke alarmsregularly, have a safe escape planand watch heating sources carefully.Have working, properly charged ABCtype fire extinguishers on every floor.Replace cords that are worn, dontrun extension cords under rugs(youll be surprised how it heats up).

For wildfires, dont assume emergency officials know call it in. If it approaches

the home or an evacuation order is issued, get your family and animals out. Shutoff gas. (And even prior to enduring a fire, read and follow guidelines both fromFEMA and elsewhere of maximum protection such as reducing vegetation nearthe house and buildings, surviving a fire and other important information.)

Flood

Floods normally follow excess rain orsnow melt, but there are also flashfloods in which a wall of water can takeanything in its path. Before building,

make sure to check area flood zones ifyoure in one, raised and reinforcedhomes are highly recommended. If youare caught where there are risingfloodwaters, secure your home, turn offelectricity, and disconnect appliances.Please remember it is important to nottouch electrical appliances if in standingwater.


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Blizzard/winter storms

This can be a true test of endurance. Extra preparations are required due to thesevere cold that often comes with blizzards. Stories from the past tell of howfarmers would lose their way in the blizzards and become disoriented while trying

to feed their animals. Sometimes they would run a rope from the door of thebarn to the door of the home just so they could make it back safely. People dontdo that anymore but the point is that blizzards and winter storms can createhazardous conditions. Nonetheless, due to the difficulty in travel you MUST haveshelter, heat and food.

Man-Made Disasters

Aside from natural disasters, the chances of man-made, environmental disastersuch as bioterrorism, dirty bombs, chemical and radiological weapons are realthreats today. Theres the possibility of anthrax, smallpox and radiation.Regrettably, September 11, 2001, showed us that the unthinkable is possible.

There are many places online to get more information in regards to disasters anddealing with crisis. You may also use the resources at the end of this guide foradditional help.

CONSIDERATIONS

During a crisis, you wont have the time, resources or be in the right frame ofmind to consider everything that you need to. Again, this just reiterates theimportance of making well-thought out plans and storing supplies before disasterhits and youre surrounded by chaos. Therefore, you need to take the followinginto consideration NOW before its too late.

The first thing to take into consideration is obviously your family. The safety andsupplies of your family should be #1. This means having specific provisions foryour children and elderly family members. Again, look at the day to day things.What is NEEDED for them to sustain life? If its medicines, oxygen tanks or othermedical things then you better have it! Each family has different life-sustainingneeds, so adapt accordingly.

Dont overlook your pets and livestock. While not equating those with human life,when we take them in, we take full responsibility for their care. Obviously,

domestic pets and animals depend on us and oftentimes will stay in a dangeroussituation waiting for us to help them. Make plans dont leave them to facefloods or fires or other disasters alone.

Be sure to have identification and current medical records for everyone. Keepcopies in a folder and store with your emergency supply kit. (This is especiallyimportant if you have elderly living with you!) For pets this includes collars withsecurely attached identification. Short-haired animals can be marked or tattooedin an area where there is no hair. For large animals such as goats, horses, or


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cattle, you may want to get livestock chalk or branding paint and put your cellnumber or other identifying number on their side. (Even though you think yourbay mare is distinctive, to many, a brown horse is a brown horse. But a brownhorse with 7825156 painted on their side stands out!) Its easy to forget, but ifyour pet requires any life-saving medicines then you need to do the best you can

to have it readily available.

Make your survival supply lists clear. Divide it into 3 sections - NEEDS (thosethings for survival), COMFORT and LUXURY. Stock and prepare in that order.Although we are used to enjoying a plethora of luxury foods in our diets, theymay not be feasible in a time of crisis. You may have to eat brown rice withoutanything else but at least it will keep you alive. Comfort is adding someseasonings to it and a little meat perhaps. Luxury is having cheese or something where its almost as good as home.

There are many things we do day to day that are in the LUXURY category. A longhot shower is a luxurycigarettes, sodas and other habits are usually luxury.Few have died without it, although perhaps sudden withdrawal from it mightmake one wonder!

ORDINARY MEASURES MAKE THESE HABITS!

Because food is essential to your survival, it is an issue on a variety of differentlevels. You need to figure out how to store, cook, and preserve it. Dont plan onusing your freezer for your main food source. Most likely, if you are in a severecrisis, you wont have power to keep your freezer cold and eventually that foodwill go to waste.

As an alternative, think of foods that can be stored long-term. These are yourbest bet. Those with a 6-12 month shelf life include miso soup and raw milkcheese. With only a couple tablespoons of miso paste, you can enjoy protein-richmiso soup. Raw milk cheese is beneficial in survival mode because the longer itsits the better it becomes! (If you are fortunate to have a generator and are ableto keep your freezer going, be sure to have chicken available. Chicken can beused in a variety of ways and will provide a plethora of vital nutrients.)

Foods that can sit on the shelf for a couple years arepopcorn, dried peas and brown rice. Popcorn can beeasily made, serves as a great snack and is a great

source of fiber. Dried peas can be used in soups or withrice. And brown rice can be used with any meal; usecanned vegetables or dried jerky to mix with it.

Food items with indefinite shelf life are cannedsardines, canned beans and nuts. Canned beans (red,black, chili, garbanzo) are relatively low in fat, yet are agood protein source. Easy to prepare, beans can be putin a variety of easy recipes for your family to enjoy.


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Canned sardines, without the scare of mercury, are high in protein and Omega-3s, which have been proven to increase cardiovascularhealth. Nuts are also a valuable protein source and canserve as a simple snack for the entire family.

Get buckets from bakeries or food supply outlets withlids that snap tight. These keep your food dry. You canstore several bushels of wheat safely from bugs andpests in these. Also, store up on corn meal, flour, sugar, oatmeal and other drygoods.

Keep a two week list of what you normally use in food. Remember everything from little things like salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion flakes to mixed drinkslike Tang that are easy to mix with water, tea and coffee. (Consider also food forpets.) Once you know what you typically use, you can start planning on stockingup.

Make sure you store your food supplies in a safe, dry and cool place. If yourgarage gets hot and humid in the summer, its clearly not a good place to storefood. If youre limited in space, store your food supplies in several locations inthe house. Be creative.

Dont rely on plastic bags for storage dried potatoes and such will mold as theycant guarantee always being air tight. Consider a food saver appliance to sealfoods ahead of time. Make up cake mixes and label with how many eggs/oil some ingenuity on the grill and the canned frosting can be a treat beyondcompare after a week of desperation.

In addition to planning your food,remember utensils, plates, can openers,and a way to cook things. Get used tocooking on a grill or real woodfire.Remember to have a supply of cleanwood (not the processed stuff that canput chemicals in your food) in your stockup list. If you get a solar cooker - USE IT!Practice with it regularly and learn whatit can and cant do. It wont do muchgood to have these things if you dont

know how to use them. (Think about it - when the time comes, the last thing youwant to do is to try to learn how to work something going when you and yourfamily are desperately depending upon it!)

Along with your supplies, have a cookbook for basic cooking. Search stores forwilderness cooking, grilling and other cookbooks. Again, try them out in advanceif you can!

Rotate your food supply to insure its fresh. If theres tuna fish thats been in thesupply for 10 months, use the old and replace with new.


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WATER

In a flood situation, even if there is water available, it may be heavilycontaminated and therefore considered non-drinkable. Your bodyneeds water so it cant be stressed enough to have a supply of

drinkable water for the entire family and pets. Rainwater captureworks especially if filtered through sand and charcoal.

A home built in 1890 in central Illinois has a 2,000 gallon cistern. Theres a clearoutline outside the home of where this is, with soil, sand and charcoal naturallyfiltering rainwater from the roof diverted onto the ground. A hand pump bringsthe filtered water into the home with one pipe run through the heat stove forrunning hot water. A typical family of four can easily use almost 30 gallons ofwater.

Also consider hidden uses of water such as bathing, dishes, and cooking. If youhave buckets of oatmeal, pasta and rice you will definitely need water to cook it!

A stored and ideally, renewable water source that is safe is critical. Until you arefaced without the water you need, its easy to not give it a whole lot of thought.But as previously mentioned - this can be a serious mistake in a disaster.

EMERGENCY SURVIVAL

Stocking up is absolutelynecessary. As soon as word is outabout a potential threat of disaster,store shelves are emptied withinhours. In Alabama, wheneverthere is a threat of snow or sleet,people stock up on bread and milk.The local news team reports livefrom a local grocery store showingthe empty shelves and long lines atthe checkout. If people are doingthis at the threat of a chance ofsleet or a possible inch of snow,imagine what they would do in amajor crisis!

Without knowing how long trouble might last, having a long-term plan is highlyrecommended. In preparation for a crisis, remember the little things toiletpaper for example is something that takes on a whole new appreciation! (For acomplete list of survival items you need to have on hand, check the Appendix atthe end of this report.)

Canned foods are great, especially if little to no heating is needed. Canned gravyis a luxury and can make edible, less-than perfect meals. Dried shredded


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potatoes, a can of gravy and dried jerky can make quite a meal, especially whenyoure hungry!

Allow some luxury items such as books, magazines or crossword puzzles. Evenhaving soap and shampoo to clean up a little will help keep the morale up.

Know the difference between evacuating and shelter-in-place and be ready foreither. Sheltering-in-place may be for a tornado warning or could be issued for achemical spill. Close and lock all doors and windows, turn off fans, heating andair conditioning. Close off fireplace damper, turn off electricity if you know howand can do so safely. Go to a safe place with a battery powered radio forinstructions.

SURVIVAL HABITS TO FORM

As we have mentioned, now is the best time to develop good survival habits. The

following are 8 good habits to have in place for when that unexpected crisis ordisaster strikes.

1. Keep fuel tanks filled. Dont rely on gas stations being open or havingenough gas. With almost any disaster - theres always lines at the gaspump and even shortages. After Hurricane Katrina, there wasnt a way toget gas pumped without electricity so even those who survived the stormswere trapped without a way out. When your fuel tank gets to half - fill itup. This insures you always have at least a half tank and often a full tankon an ordinary day. Plan for the unexpected. (No one predicted the eventsof 9/11 but it surely had an impact!) Often times even 80-100 miles can beenough to get to safety.

2. Keep cash on hand. Its easy to use credit cards but when there is nopower, they are useless. Cash is needed not only for the unexpectedevacuations but also for things like toll roads and other miscellaneousthings you might need. It can pay for a couple nights in an inexpensivehotel, allowing you to get a shower and needed rest in safety.

3. Have an evacuation kit ready to go. Have a box or briefcase with copies ofimportant papers. Medical papers, insurance papers, papers on yourvehicles, birth certificates. For those with registered animals perhapsregistration certificates may be included. Have your emergency supplies

packed and stored well at all times. With todays technology you can scanphotos to a cd and easily have a copy of them. Have as few things aspossible, with maximum space use. Carefully planned two weeks of foodcan be done in a couple plastic storage boxes. Store it so you can grab asmuch as possible and get it in the trunk of your car or in the truck or van.

4. Practice! Have plans to safely respond to different disasters. Practiceallows you to do things automatically without thinking. Give everyone in


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the household who is able, something to do or carry. Four people makingthree trips each is a dozen loads of food and emergency gear!

5. Own and use a weather radio or emergency radio. Use them, be familiarwith terminology and learn the systems. Know a watch from a warning. A

tornado does not care what plans you have made for the night or nextweek. There is no emotion only raw destruction.

6. Know after-storm disaster measures. If your community doesnt have one -get one started. Have out of the area contacts in which you can call oneperson and they can in return relay to other members of the family andfriends that youre ok. This keeps phone traffic open for officials. Also, itwould be a great idea to learn CPR and first aid.

7. Learn emergency signals. For example, if evacuations are called for beforeyou leave, tie a white ribbon or cloth in front. This lets officials know thehome is cleared and there is no one there (or should be no one there!).Knowing triage can also help emergency workers go where they are neededthe most. In the U.S., a white flag can serve the dual purpose of showingthat no one is at the location as well as can indicate that people are ok.Green needs help but is not life threatening. Red needs immediate care tosurvive, with yellow normally the same but stable at the moment. Blackindicates deceased persons. Knowing this helps emergency workers butcan help you also.

8. Have an alternative heat source woodstove, fireplace and plenty of woodnear enough the house to use. If winter storms are in the forecast, payattention and have at least a weeks worth of wood.

LONGER TERM SURVIVAL

Gardening

One long-term preparation you can make is to start a garden if you haventalready. Assess what you can grow. Anyone with a plot of land can grow fruitsand vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers.

Plant fruit trees that flower, provide shade and provide food. Apples, peach, pearand cherry trees can be grown in many areas. Pecans, walnuts and hickory arejust a few of the nut trees that can provide a bountiful harvest of protein forbaked goods and desserts as well as just eating after pulling from the shell.Nasturtiums can be prolific growing flowers and are edible mix in with salads,some fresh tomatoes and other fixings from the garden.

Herb beds are easy to maintain and can be a source of thyme, rosemary, onion,garlic and a host of other herbs. You can grow several kinds of mints and createtea mixes with bee balm, lemon grass and mint as well as many other herbs.


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Of course, vegetables are also a staple. From tomatoes, beans, peas, squash andpeppers, melons and sweet corn, you can enjoy a buffet of fresh eating. Grow

what you can in your area and take into consideration what your family likes.Reuse grass clippings, leaves, kitchen waste and other biodegradable items in a

compost bin, creating a rich compost to use in the garden.

If you have room, you may want to grow your own grains. A patch of field corncan produce quite a ration of corn meal. Wheatcan be stored in grain form and ground into flouras needed. Oats are another grain that can begrown, harvested and consumed on a smallamount of land.

Once you plant and harvest your garden, makesure you know how to properly store these foodsby drying or canning. One of the best resourcesfor food storing strategies can be found atwww.foodshortageusa.com.

MEAT

When people think of meat, they usually think beef. For those who have room toraise calves this is certainly a viable option. Dairy cattle can provide a supply ofmilk and one or two beef cows can provide plenty of meat for your family.

Even if you dont have room for a group of calves grazing in the pasture, you can

still raise meat. A 2X6 area can actually produce more than you can imagine. Agood trio of meat breed rabbits those usually 8-10 pounds at maturity with fastgrowing fryers can, with excellent management, produce a good deal of meat.Each doe averages 6 bunnies every 6-8 weeks - thats roughly 60 pounds of meatevery other month that can be raised behind the garage or in the corner of thegarden shed.

Poultry is another small area project. Depending on your space available, thereare a variety of chickens you can use. A few hens can keep a family in fresh eggs.You do not need a crowing rooster for egg production a rooster is needed forhatching (fertile) eggs but not for home egg production. A small shed or even dog

house with an enclosed run can serve a half dozen birds.

Another alternative for eggs and meat are ducks. The advantage of ducks is thattheyre less likely to fly, they dont roost, the males dont crow and if they getcaught in a rain storm they dont care! One disadvantage is that ducks dont fly orroost so they MUST be protected from predators from owls, stray dogs andraccoons.

Geese are larger, a bit noisier, yet grow easily for meat. Pigeons were once used assquab as well as full sized birds.


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For those with a little more room, sheep have efficiently turned grass into meatfor hundreds of years. Wool breeds need to be sheared annually, which then canbe turned into yarn and made into many types of clothing as well as blended withother fibers and used.

If you dont want to deal with the wool consider the hair breeds or a hair/woolbreed cross. Some ideas are Katahdins, Barbados blackbelly, California Reds or across of the Barbados blackbelly on a wool breed. The latter can produce a 130-140 pound ewe that is hardy and raises lambs with little fuss and does not needshearing.

Goats can be an efficient producer of meat as well as milk. A good dairy doe caneasily produce a gallon of milk per day, allowing for fresh milk as well as cheese,yogurt and a range of other dairy products. They need some room but not a greatdeal. A heavy producing doe does need plenty of water and good quality feed. Ifyou are keeping goats or sheep - they will be happier if not left alone! As herdanimals, they are more at ease if not singled out.

If you have a small farm, draft power might worth considering. Without fuel, itlimits how much land can be worked, but a team of horses or oxen can do manythings. Aside from heavy tilling you probably wont need a heavy team.

Foraging

In the event of a long-term crisis, maybe even a food shortage, you should startlearning how to forage and glean for food. Sometimes farmers will allow people topick corn that was missed in the field or for u-pick or CSAs get that last bit of

produce so it doesnt go to seed. This is one option but there are others.

Learn to identify edible plants, nut trees and mushrooms safely. While you canlearn from a book, you might want to consider going with someone who knowsand learning from that them. Things like cattails can be food sources. Of course,if youre in a location where you can hunt and fish then all the better for youand your family.

Dont overlook weeds and wild herbs, but know for sure what you are lookingat. Stinging nettles will give an unforgettable experience to touch them but nettletea and cooked greens are favorites of many foragers. Some swear by their fly

repellant properties a bundle of nettle near the tent area cant hurt to try if itsout of reach of children and not easily bumped into.

Jewelweed is an effective antidote for poison ivy. A co-worker once got intopoison ivy when clearing a backyard and had tried everything on the market butstill was itchy. He was disbelieving in jewelweed but desperate to stop the itching and said within the hour the itching stopped!

As supplies get tougher - squirrels, snapping turtles, raccoons and other animalswill be eyed more as dinner than critters to watch. Some areas also have wild


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turkey as well as other small and large game. Remember that for survival- usewhat you kill. For this reason many recommend small game that can beconsumed quickly. Deer, elk and other large game can feed a family longer but besure to get some treated and drying for jerky preserve it and use it as most cantconsume all the meat before it goes bad. (Again, knowing safe food preservation

practices is imperative!)

If youre going to be out walking around than you better be able to accuratelyidentify snakes. Determining whether the snake that bit you was a smallrattlesnake or a harmless corn snake can be the difference in life or death. Not allsnakes are toxic, but when a disaster occurs, animals are uprooted also and youmay come across coral snakes, cottonmouths and other poisonous snakes inareas you dont expect.

Recent hurricanes and flooding in Florida brought alligators to neighborhoods.Always remember no matter how many wildlife shows youve watched, no matterhow easy it may have looked - these are wild animals.

During a crisis, youre not the only one on edge. Having their homes uprootedand searching for food, wild animals only instinct is to try and survive nomatter what. Humans usually dont hit that desperation until things are againstthe wall. However, for wild predators its that way all the time theyre equippedfor it. There are predators coming back into areas they havent been for sometime cougars in the Midwest, bears and other animals.

Check out wildlife survival books and guides. Learn how to identify safe, edibleplants. Know how to bandage a snake bite. Learn how to use plants for naturalmedicinal purposes. Learn as much as you can so if or when the time does come,

when youre forced to go foraging or are forced into the wilderness, you cansurvive.

Solar Power

Solar has also come a long way. Solarcharged flashlights, solar panels forradio, lanterns and other items canallow small DC power which can be ahuge blessing. Look into cabin kits forsolar if you are in an area that gets

enough sunlight to charge a system.There are two types a complete off thegrid system and a grid tie as well as ahybrid of each.

The grid tie system has solar panels that when charging can produce more energythan you use this flows back into the lines and your meter will actually runbackwards. However, if youre using this alone when the power system goes downyoull still lose power.


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On the other hand, an off the grid system stands alone you have a battery bankthat charges and when there isnt enough sunshine that battery system is yourpower. Having sufficient batteries for your electric load is important because eventhe best solar panel systems usually cant power all the appliances were used torunning in the home.

A hybrid of this system has a battery bank that charges first then excess ispumped to the grid. If the power goes down you still have power on your batterybank.

Of course, solar requires enough sun to charge the panels and as the sun moves,it can alter the amount coming into the panel. Sit a panel on a swivel forobservation. You can see one position might be 6v charging and moving might be12v charging. If you have trees around or are on a slope that doesnt get themaximum amount of sun, then you may not be able to generate enough solarpower. A good solar backup unit can be found atwww.mysolarbackup.com.

Some areas might find wind power a more viable option than solar. With somesystems it will charge with a breeze of 3-5 miles per hour and a breeze canhappen rain or shine. With this it can charge when solar wont efficiently do so.

With either system, you will need an inverter to convert the DC power into ACneeded for most things in the home. A backup generator is handy and one usertells of having a generator to recharge his batteries on days there isnt enoughsunlight. While that is going, he also runs the microwave and other things thatthere isnt enough power for on the normal system, making maximum use of thetime that the generator is running. This can help keep refrigerators cold byrunning for a half hour every four hours. Remember to have plenty of fuel and

fuel stabilizer if you rely on a generator. Start it regularly so that if it needs workyou can do it at your leisure rather than when there is already a crisis!

HEATING

Though camp stoves are an option, they really are a last resort. These, along withkerosene heaters, can easily malfunction and result in carbon monoxide deaths.Understand the risks and take extraordinary precaution. If youre going todepend on a kerosene heater, make sure you have plenty of fuel stored up.

For many suburban and rural dwellers, woodstoves are a good option. Having it

installed safely and regular maintenance is critical. With good insulation and agood system, you can get by with just a few sticks of wood at a time and a largepiece to last the night.

If you have south facing windows or (in some areas) west facing, you can makeuse of passive solar by using heat grabbers. This is also an area that you can useas a solar food dryer for garden produce.

These work in mild climates and benefit in northern ones, but keeping a heatsource is critical in the northern regions. When the snow is piled high, the


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temperature is at -20 degrees and the wind has been howling for 10 hoursstraight, extreme cold sets in. If youve ever endured a blistering cold day, youknow the feeling. Now imagine having no heat in your house to warm you up. Atsome point, if the situations gets bad enough, people will do anything (and willburn anything) to stay warm.

Although few take any lessons from Hollywood, a movie about climate changefeatured characters stuck in a New York library, burning furniture and bookswhile being confined to one room in order to stay warm enough for survival.Alaskan wildlife expert, Michael Mitten, notes the biggest danger in Alaska is notgrizzly bears or moose but hypothermia. Do not underestimate the power of cold!

Getting cold can also change your wholeframe of mind. Being cold and hungry leadspeople to do things they ordinarily wouldntdo. Desperate people do desperate things.The good part about living in the sticks isthat theres no one to bother you. The badthing is, in a disaster when help is needed,it may not be available at least in time.

You must learn to think for yourself and be able to improvise. In the MidwestBlizzard of 79 a family who lived, literally back in the woods, had an impassablehill to get down and out. Getting snowed in was an adventure. The highwayswould be cleared, then the blacktop roads and eventually the side and gravelroads. These folks lived a half mile off the gravel road, with a curvy driveway thatended with a very steep drop, then back up the other side of the driveway. Theywere snowed in but had stocked up on wood ahead of time to ensure heat in such

a time.

But what was at first just a fun adventure turned very serious when one of theboys broke his leg. One of the girls fashioned a splint, learned in Scouts, and theyset about getting him out to the hospital over 8 miles away. He healed up but itcould have been much worse if they hadnt been prepared ahead of time.

Dress in layers, have plenty of firewood or fuel stored up. Use kiln dried millends, scrap pallets or other unused and unwanted wood. No matter what, have asupply stored up for the worst case situation.

You may even want to consider purchasing a snowmobile. Though not a cheappurchase, having a means of transportation to get to a job, a doctor or store whenyou need to may be well-worth it. (Remember if you are able to have asnowmobile, have it regularly serviced and have extra fuel on hand.)


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THE MENTAL ASPECT OF DISASTER

Many people watch disasters on news reports and think about how they wouldfeel usually in passing and are just glad they are safely out of the situation.Until one is actually in the situation, it is impossible to gauge how you would feel.

Stress and disaster situations bring about mental attitudes that change people. Infact, that even national mental health centers have information regarding thoseemergency and disaster response workers who see horrific things. It is impossibleto see things in the moment and not be affected.

Remember that in situations where you are isolated, where help cannot get toyou, it is a situation where YOU are the responder. Its easy to deny needing restand recovery time.

During times of crisis and distress, it can be difficult communicating,

remembering instructions or having a good attention span. Maintaining yourbalance becomes impaired and unnecessary risk-taking increases. Disorientation,confusion, lack of concentration and objectivity, decreased problem solvingcapacity and increased clumsiness are all signs that you need to take a deepbreath and slow down.

If you do not slow down, carefully evaluate the situation and make a plan, thanpanic and extreme desperation will set in. And if you continue with a desperatemindset, youll make rash, illogical decisions that can bring upon horrible thingsto you and your family.

But being properly prepared can help eliminate a lot of the chaos and anxiety thata disaster may bring. Even if youre either forced out of your home or isolated inyour home without being able tolerate, having enough food and water can dowonders to both your physical and mental health.

In addition to your bodys basic needs, things like games, having books ormagazines to read, maintaining family meal times, having a routine of sorts evenin the face of disaster becomes very important.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

If youre headed to a rural area (or live in one) be sure to have bug sprays, pestcontrol as well as boredom breakers books, games, magazines and otherthings to pass the time. For those with children, make sure you have a small toy,crayons, paper or whatever can be used to occupy their time. In long-termsituations, you may want to figure out ways in which you can continue theirschooling. Home schooling may be a possibility worth considering if schools areclosed.


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Personal Protection

All the work and money you put into your disaster survival supplies are worthnothing if people steal them. Neighbors and friends are hard to turn away, butunless you have specifically planned for them, it cuts into your food supply. If

you planned on feeding your family of five but now have ten to care for, yoursupplies will last less than half of the time you had originally planned. Its okay torecommend community plans in case of a disaster but do your own quietly.

But what happens when times become hopeless and bleak and people arestruggling to live? What happens when there is no food available and people arestarving to death? They will do anything they can to get their hands on food andsupplies. They will steal from your garden and invade your home. You think Imjoking?

What will you do if that happens? Are you prepared to defend you and yourfamily? If so, how are you going to prepare for possible attacks or homeinvasions? Maybe you want to consider having pepper spray on hand, a bat andfirearms. Remember, these devices are for self-defense and that is it.

If you have guns, are you willing to learn gun safety measures? Where will youstore them to ensure your families safety? Will you teach your sons anddaughters how to properly handle a gun? These are all things you need to thinkabout.

The One "Survival Supplement" You Shouldn't be With Out

One supplement I would recommend having in your survival arsenal is a

substance called shilajit.

Shilajit comes from the rocky cliffs in the Himalayas. Somewhat of a mystery, itsbelieved to form as a result of "mineral drip" from the cracks of the rocks duringthe hot summer months. This mineral drip runs through plant matter that hasbeen trapped in the crevices of the cliff areas, and along with geothermalpressure, a dark red somewhat gummy substance is formed. The reason youwant this substance in your survival cabinet is because the active constituent ofshilajit is a chemical called fulvic acid. This is why shilajit is one of the mostsought after healing compounds in Ayurvedic medicine.

For centuries this substance has been used as a broad spectrum supportcompound for strength (nicknamed amongst the ancients as "destroyer ofweakness"), kidneys, energy, sex drive, memory, allergies, diabetes, andespecially for stress and anxiety. In fact, University studies provide strongevidence that this is the case. Why is this important? Because in a time of truecrisis, the effects of stress will break down immune systems, making you and yourfamily highly vulnerable to a variety of diseases (disease spreads like wildfireduring panics) and health problems. If my house were on fire, I would grab mystash of shilajit on the way out. It's that important.


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Probably the best quality and perhaps the lowest priced shilajit can be found atthe web site:www.blacklistedherb.com. The company will ship the product outto you and only require you to pay shipping the up front and invoice you for thebalance due 30 days later. Frankly, I don't know of another supply company thatoperates on the "golden rule" premise of doing business. Make sure you have

some of this substance. Oh, one more thing about shilajit. Many researchers alsobelieve that this substance also makes nutrients from other foods more bioavailable. If this is true, it means all of your stored foods will supply your bodywith more precious vitamins, minerals and vital trace elements when you needthem the most.

Here's a list of some other problems that traditional "indigenous" medicine has ahistory of shilajit usage: genitourinary diseases, diabetes, chronic bronchitis,asthma, gall stones, jaundice, painful and bleeding piles, epilepsy, enlarged liverand spleen, fermentative dyspepsia, digestive disorders, worms, renal andbladder calculi, nervous debility, sexual neurasthenia, hysteria, anemia and inbone fracture. This is obviously for informational purposes only. If youre sickand professional health care services are still available... always see a doctor!


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APPENDIX 1

FOOD SUPPLIES

1. Rice, beans, wheat

2. Sugar, honey, syrups3. Vegetable oil (for cooking)4. Powdered milk5. Condensed milk (shake every couple of months)6. Tuna fish, canned fish/meats7. Pasta8. Cheese9. Garlic10. Vinegar11. Canned or dried vegetables12. Flour

13. Salt14. Yeast15. Oatmeal16. Popcorn17. Peanut butter18. Nuts19. Canned or dried fruits20. Crackers soda, snack and graham crackers21. Canned soups22. Dried herbs23. Tea, coffee, cocoa, Tang, punch mix24. Soy sauce25. Gravy, bouillon26. Pretzels, trail mix snacks27. Cereal28. Candies, gum29. Potatoes30. Spices, seasonings31. Jerky, meat sticks that dont need refrigeration32. Ration of instant foods, prepackaged for longer term storage

FOOD PREPARATION & HOUSEHOLD

1. Hand can openers2. Cook stove3. Vitamins, supplements4. Whisks, egg beater5. Baking supplies6. Hand sanitizer7. Bleach (unscented)8. Aluminum foil (regular and heavy duty)9. Garbage bags


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10.Toilet paper, paper towels, tissues11.Matches (strike anywhere preferred) boxed wooden ones, kept dry!12.Cast iron cookware, properly seasoned13.Water containers, food grade for drinking water. (store in hard clear plastic)14.Survival guide book15.

Laundry detergent16.Paper plates/cups/disposable flatware

17.Pocket knives18.Long reach lighters (pilot lighters, etc.)19.Mixing bowls20.Cooking utensils spatulas, turners, etc.SUPPLIES

1. Generators2. Water Filters/Purifiers3. Portable Toilets4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 - 12 months to season5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)6. Coleman Fuel, propane cylinders7. Charcoal, lighter fluid8. Propane cylinder handle holder9. Washboards, mop bucket with wringer10. Bow saw11. Ax, wedges12. Clothes line and pins13. Fire extinguishers (charged)14. Batteries (all sizes)

15. First aid kits16. Gasoline containers (plastic and metal)17. Guns, ammunition, knives, slingshot, bats18. Colemans pump repair kit19. Insulated ice chests20. Flashlights, lanterns21. Garbage cans22. Mosquito coils/repellants23. Bug sprays24. Duct tape25. Candles

26. Tarps, stakes, twine, rope27. Nails, spikes28. D-con, Mouse Prufe II,29. Mousetraps, ant and cockroach killer30. Big dogs (plenty of dog food)31. Backpacks, Duffle Bags32. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats33. Cots & Inflatable mattresses34. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs35. Tents, waterproof tarp


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36. Safety pins37. Disposable camera and/or digital camera (documentation)38. Small bag of dryer lint (fire starter!)39. Plastic storage tubs (storage and rainwater collectors)

PERSONAL

1. Baby supplies: diapers, formula, ointments2. Feminine hygiene3. Shampoo, soaps4. Skin products.5. Thermal underwear tops and bottoms6. Work boots7. Baby wipes8. Mens hygiene9. Toothbrushes/toothpaste, mouthwash, floss10. Nail clippers11. Shaving supplies (razors, creams, aftershave)12. Reading glasses13. Socks, underwear, T-shirts14. Work shirts15. Rain gear, boots

LONGER TERM

1. Garden seeds2. Fishing supplies plenty of various sized hooks, weights, line, and lures3. Bicycles including tires, tubes, pumps, chains

4. Knife sharpening tools files, stone, steel5. Canning supplies6. Woolen clothing/scarf/mittens7. Gloves work, garden and warm gloves8. Goats/chickens/poultry/rabbits9. Lumber10. Nails, nuts, bolts, screws, glue11. Wagons, carts12. Roll-on window insulation13. Board games, cards, dice14. Scissors, sewing supplies.

15. Writing paper, pencils, solar calculator16 Journals, diary, scrapbook17. Garden tools, supplies18. Carbon monoxide alarm (battery powered)19. Lantern hanger20. Boy Scout manual21. Cigarettes22. Wine/liquors23. Paraffin wax24. Hand pumps (water and fuel separate marked pumps)


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RESOURCES

Websites:

Red Cross Disaster plan - http://columbus.redcross.org/guide.htmlEmergencies guide -http://www.hooksett.org/departments/emergency_guide.phpFEMA - http://www.fema.gov/Red Cross - http://www.redcross.org/ Salvation Army - http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsfFarmers Almanac http://www.almanac.comSurvival site - http://www.survivetheoutdoors.com/http://www.hhs.gov/disasters/index.shtml

Videos/DVDs:

Food Storage Strategies http://www.foodshortageusa.com

Magazines:

Countryside & Small Stock Journal - http://www.countrysidemag.com/ Backwoods Home - http://www.backwoodshome.com/ Back Home - http://www.backhomemagazine.com/ Small Farmers Journal - http://www.smallfarmersjournal.com/

Books: Good reference guides and overview of topics

Ultimate Guide to Wilderness Living: Surviving with Nothing But Your BareHands and What You Find in the Woods John and Geri McPherson

Micro Eco-Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in PartnershipWith the Earth Barbara Best Adams

Storeys Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance John & MarthaStorey

Country Wisdom & Know-How the editors of Storey Publishings Country

Wisdom boards (this is a small print book have a magnifier! but greatinformation and a lot of it)

The Have More Plan Ed & Carolyn Robinson (This is dated in prices and is anoverview without a lot of in depth details, but if youre considering what to dowith the land you have this is a good overall idea book.)

Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables Mike and NancyBubel (this is a good all around resource on cold storage of foods)


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Putting Food By Janet Greene, Ruth Hertzberg, Beatrice Vaughan

Mary Bells Complete Dehydrator Book Mary Bell

Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know toKeep your Family Safe in a Crisis Peggy Layton

Getting By: Lessons From a Rural Past Jan Hoadley (e-book, lessons from theDepression that can be used with todays technology.)

Supplements:

Shilajit http://www.blacklistedherb.com

Email Lists (Free):

These are located atwww.yahoogroups.com and are free sources of informationand things. Any of these can be subscribed to on your email by using thelistname (listname)[email protected] or you can go to the site andsign up.

Buy/sell rural lists:

Farm_trader specific farm, rural, country related items tobuy/sell/tradelivestock to equipment to services.

HomesteadingMarketPlace some discussion, some things for sale.

Livestock:

Rarelivestock discussion list of rare livestock suited to home production offood.

Food:

FoodPreservationDryingCanningAndMore this is a great list for all kinds offood preservation with experienced people who are *doing* it.

Preserving-food this is heavy on food drying but any type of food preservationis welcomegreat information and almost anything edible is discussed!

Generators:

Check outwww.mysolarbackup.com for a good solar powered backup system.

5261 Gone Before You Get There

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