Monthly Archives: February 2014

February 8th, 2014

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Make a Winter Survival Kit for Your Vehicle

Travel can be very dangerous this time of year. Black ice, slippery pavement, high winds and blowing snow, or reduced visibility due to fog, rain and snow storms can all happen within a few miles. It doesn’t matter if you live in the Oregon high desert or other frigid areas.

A survival kit for your car can be indispensable when the weather turns bad.

Midwest. If your car slips off the road in an isolated area, during a blizzard, a routine drive to visit the family can turn into a nightmare.

by Leon Pantenburg

Nationwide attention was brought to winter survival in a stalled vehicle in 2006.

In December, Californian James Kim, 35, died in Oregon’s Rogue River Wilderness after leaving his wife and children to get help. The family car was stuck in snow on a remote road for several days.

Mr. Kim departed from the car, he left the road and apparently got lost in the deep snow. He bushwhacked five miles down steep canyons, covering about eight miles through rough country, but ending up only about a mile as the crow flies from his car. Mr Kim’s body was found several days later, and he had apparently died of hypothermia His family was found alive in their car a few days later. (To view the complete story, click on Kim Tragedy video)

Here are some things you can do for a car trip – before you leave – to make that road trip safer.

Leave a note, telling someone your route, and when you intend to reach your destination. If you don’t arrive on schedule, the designated person should contact the area highway patrol or state police. If you have changes in plan, call that person to update the schedule.
Warm clothing: Make sure everyone in the vehicle has, as a minimum, a warm coat, hat, gloves and boots along. Throw in a couple of blankets and a sleeping bag in the trunk for extra protection.
Lots of Gas: The vehicle should have a full tank of gas before you leave to go anywhere. Top off the gas tank when it gets to about half full.
Daytime travel: If possible, schedule your travel in the daytime.
Known routes: Only travel routes you know to be safe – not rural service roads and cut-off roads that are unfamiliar to you.
Food and Water: Assemble a complete emergency kit to carry in your car. Periodically update the kit by checking the food and water and making sure you have spare batteries for emergency flashlights. These days you can acquire car chargers and solar charging kits for cell phones.

Winter survival can start by assembling a selection of easily-obtained items. Here are some suggestions from Oregon AAA on what items to include in your car kit.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: survivalring

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February 7th, 2014

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When George Clooney starts pitching government bonds.

Last week in his State of the Union address, the President of the United States laid the groundwork for a new government program he calls “MyRA”.

As he explained to the American people, this program will allow US taxpayers the ability to loan their retirement savings to the federal government (which, according to POTUS, carries ZERO risk).

Given that US Treasury yields fall far below the rate of inflation, this is a big win for the government, and a big loser for the poor suckers who loan them the money.

The President then hit the road, touting his one-of-a-kind program. The Treasury Secretary hit the newspapers, encouraging Americans to enroll.

I can see this unfolding like a War Bonds campaign, appealing to Americans’ love of country to get them to loan their money to the government at sub-inflation yields.

In Italy they’ve already used football stars in patriotic appeals to get Italians to buy government bonds. In Japan they use teenage girl bands to entice wealthy Japanese businessmen to open their wallets for government bonds.

So let’s see how long it takes for George Clooney and Matt Damon to make the pitch for the MyRA program… and how long after that it becomes mandatory for all Americans.

Meanwhile, the IRS is doing its part.

One of the best solutions that we’ve discussed in the past to liberate your IRA from this destructive trend is to set up a particular type of self-directed IRA.

But the IRS has been intentionally making it more difficult to set up these structures over the past year. Now there’s even more roadblocks.

In order to set up this type of structure, it’s imperative to first obtain a tax ID number. But due to agency budget cuts, the IRS is no longer issuing tax ID numbers for domestic entities through its call center. They’re saying that now you HAVE to use the online system.

This is one website that the government actually got right. The tax ID application website is fairly straightforward, and it works great. EXCEPT if you are trying to set up this type of IRA.

So if you’re an individual trying to obtain a tax ID number for your new company, no problem. The online system works great.

But if you punch in that you are setting up a company to be owned by your IRA (or some other entity), then suddeny the system crashes and times out.

I had my staff ring up the IRS yesterday to demand an answer. After two phone calls, each with a 30+ minute wait time to reach a human being, we finally got an answer. Confirmation, actually.

The agent told us that yes, in fact, the online system has been programmed to intentionally reject tax ID number applications for companies that are owned by entities like an IRA.

So they have essentially eliminated the option to apply online. But they won’t let you apply over the phone either.

You can apply through the mail, but that will take 30-days, according to the agent. Or by fax, provided that you first cough up all sorts of other documentation.

It certainly begs the question– at a time when the President of the United States is whipping up excitement over this new program to loan the government your retirement savings, why is their tax agency putting up huge roadblocks for Americans who don’t want to become victims?

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: SovereignMan

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February 6th, 2014

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Carbon monoxide, a cold weather threat

To keep warm air in and cold air out in winter months, most of us strive to keep every door and window tightly closed. While that may help reduce heating bills, it may also increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

“Each year we see emergency room visits and tragic deaths from carbon monoxide that can be prevented with greater awareness and actions to avoid these manageable risks,” said Stephen May, MD, medical director for the TDH Emergency Preparedness Program.

“While carbon monoxide poisoning is a year-round threat, it’s more common in cold weather when people are seeking ways to keep warm by using space heaters inside.”

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that causes more than 400 deaths and 20,000 visits to hospital emergency rooms in the U.S. each year. It is found in combustion fumes produced by small gasoline engines, stoves, generators, lanterns and gas ranges or by burning charcoal or wood in a fireplace. Carbon monoxide from these sources can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces and people and animals in these spaces can be poisoned and can die from breathing the gas.

The first symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion and they are often mistaken for common winter illnesses such as severe colds and flu. Over time, exposure to carbon monoxide can cause brain damage and death.

The best way to protect yourself and your family from carbon monoxide poisoning is to install a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector on every level of your home. These work very much like smoke detectors, giving a loud beep or other signal when carbon monoxide is detected. The inexpensive devices are available at most hardware stores.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: survivalring

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February 5th, 2014

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An important update to the West Virginia water crisis and a FREE water safety webinar!

A few days ago I posted an account of what life was like when hundreds of thousands of people in West Virginia discovered just how tainted their city water was. They couldn’t drink it, use it for cooking, couldn’t even touch it! You can read that story here and one mans action through it here.

Glenn Meder, of Survival Still, is a nationally known expert when it comes to water safety, and he wrote an article about the contaminant found in the West Virginia water and how families can cope if a similar event happens in their city.

Keep in mind. Charleston, West Virginia, is a small city of fewer than 60,000 people and the tainted water affected another few hundred thousands living in outlying areas. But what if this happens someday in Los Angeles? Or Dallas? Or any other huge city? It would also impact surrounding communities that rely on that city’s water!

That would be a world class crisis, to be sure, and of course, local and federal authorities would be overwhelmed. As always, you and I are the first line of defense for our families.

You can learn exactly how you can keep your own family safe in these types of crises in a free webinar that Glenn is presenting tomorrow night, Wednesday, February 5, at 7 p.m. CT. I learned so much the first time I heard this presentation that I never knew before, even with all the research I did when I wrote my book!

Click HERE to register for the webinar, but if you forget to register, you can pop in and enjoy the presentation anyway!

And now for Glenn’s article…

******************

I have received a number of questions from people regarding the recent chemical spill in West Virginia. I would like to go over some of the facts about the spill and talk about what you can do to protect your family from this situation and future chemical spills (yes, it will happen again).

image by The National Guard

Before I get into the article I would like to make a quick statement to our customers. While we have not tested the Survival Still against MCHM, we have examined the characteristics of the chemical and WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE SURVIVAL STILL WILL REMOVE THE CHEMICAL. Please keep reading to see additional advice.

On January 9, 2014, 7,500 gallons of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, or MCHM leaked into the Elk River near Charleston, West Virginia. State and federal agencies issued a state of emergency and ordered 300,000 West Virginia residents not to drink or use tap water for any purpose other than flushing toilets.

MCHM is a foaming agent used in the coal preparation process. Unfortunately, there is simply not a lot of information available about this chemical. The fact is that no one knows what the health effects of this chemical are! Richard Denison, Ph.D., a Senior Scientist at the Environmental Health Fund says this, “How, you might well ask, is this possible? How can a chemical in active production and use – and now being released into the environment and exposing people – be on the market without any publicly released hazard data or evidence of its safety?”

He goes on to explain that, “The sad truth is this chemical is one of tens of thousands of chemicals on the market today with little or no safety data. MCHM is one of the 62,000 chemicals that were already in use when TSCA, our nation’s main chemical safety law, was passed in 1976. All of these chemicals were grandfathered by TSCA: That means they were simply presumed to be safe, and EPA was given no mandate to determine whether they are actually safe. Even to require testing of these chemicals under TSCA, EPA must first provide evidence that the chemical may pose a risk – a toxic Catch-22.”

Without this data, all we can do is look at the chemical structure and chemical characteristics and draw some conclusions.

FIRST OF ALL, MCHM is an organic chemical. This means that the chemical is a carbon-based molecule. Unfortunately, organic chemicals can be very potent. The reason for this is quite simple; all life forms are also based on a carbon-based molecule, and carbon molecules can bind with other carbon molecules. So while many inorganic compounds (such as metals and minerals) can be dangerous in parts per million (ppm), carbon-based molecules can be dangerous in parts per billion (ppm) or even smaller. Dioxin, for example, is dangerous in parts per quintillion!

SECOND, without sufficient toxicity data, I believe it is safe to assume a maximum safety level of 5 parts per billion for organic compounds. Again, this is speculation. It could be much more dangerous than this, or it might be less potent.

THIRD, it seems that there have been some corrections in the data after it has been released. For example, see how this quote from the Environmental Defense Fund has been modified, “How can a chemical in active production and use – and now being released into the environment and exposing people – be on the market without any [ADDED 1/12/14: publicly available] hazard data or evidence of its safety?

This change makes it apparent that there is safety data on this chemical, but that it is not publically available. Why would it not be publicly available? This makes me think that it may be quite scary.

The obvious question is, “How can we protect ourselves from this chemical?”

My answer to this question will be different than the government’s answer. From my experience, the government ALWAYS wants to downplay the danger. Keeping people calm is their top concern, followed closely by protecting the local economy. I approach it from a different perspective. I always ask myself, what advice would give to a loved one or a close friend?

So here is the advice I would give to a close friend…

Do NOT consume or come in contact with this water for quite a while, even if the government tells you that it is safe. I would do his for at least a month after the government tells you that it’s OK to use.
I would advise against washing in it, cooking with it, brushing your teeth or even washing your clothes or your dishes. Remember that fountain drinks, coffee, soups and other food would be made with this water, so also avoid these.
Only drink water and other drinks that are produced on a different source of water (from out of State). If you don’t absolutely know the source of the water, don’t consume it.
You can drink bottled water or other water that you have stored away. If you do not have bottled water, choose a safe water supply that does not come from the Elk River, such as a rainwater cistern or a well.
Remember that food is also made with water, so don’t cook with water and don’t eat out. For example, pizza dough, bread, soup, pasta, and even vegetables are cooked with water and could absorb these chemicals.
Certainly, do NOT make baby formula or wash your baby or children in this water. Children are always more susceptible to chemicals than adults.
Do not give the water to your pets.
Please note that you should NOT boil the water or chemically sterilize the water with chlorine. Boiling and chlorination are only effective against biological contamination, and would actually concentrate these chemicals in the water.
While we have not tested the Survival Still against MCHM, the boiling point of the chemical is considerably higher than water (396°F), while the vapor pressure of the chemical is low, which means that it won’t easily be released as a vapor. In other words, the chemical would stay behind in the boiling pot and would not travel with the steam and condense back into the distilled water. Based on this information, we are confident that distillation will remove the chemical. You could use the Survival Still for this purpose, or you could purchase an automated water distiller. (For the past 30 years, my family has only consumed water produced by a high-quality water distiller).
If you are not able to do any of these things, you may decide that it’s a good time to take a short trip or visit relatives (as long as they don’t get their water from the Elk River).

How long do I think you should take extra precautions? Again it’s hard to say. I would give it a month or two so that people have time to really investigate it and so you can separate truth from propaganda.

LEARN more from Glenn Meder about safe water for your family by attending a free webinar, on Wednesday, February 5, 7 p.m. Click HERE to pre-register.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: thesurvivalmom

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February 4th, 2014

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Atlanta’s Total Lack Of Preparedness

By: David Levinson – Opinion

(CNN) — Editor’s note: David Levinson is a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Minnesota and director of the Networks, Economics and Urban Systems Research Group, or NEXUS. He has authored or edited several books, including “Planning for Place and Plexus: Metropolitan Land Use and Transport.” He is the editor of the Journal of Transport and Land Use. He blogs at Transportationist.

It’s just water.

Of course it is frozen in the form of ice. Driving on ice is a fool’s errand. On ice it is hard to stop (or start) moving. On ice, vehicle control is difficult at best. You don’t need to be a transportation engineer to know that crashes increase with snow and especially ice, with its reduced friction. The problem is not that Atlanta got snow, but that the snow turned into ice.

Should Atlanta have been better prepared? In retrospect, the answer is obvious. In prospect it should have been as well.

While it’s hot in the summer, Atlanta is in the foothills of the Appalachians, not the beaches of the Caribbean. In the past eight decades, it has snowed 4 inches or more 11 times in Atlanta. There are periodic ice storms. According to Weatherspark, the average low temperature in January is 34 degrees F, just above freezing. In other words, half the time in January the daytime low is below 34.

I lived in Atlanta for five years. As a freshman, I remember a cold spell in January 1985, when Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration was canceled in Washington because of cold, and Georgia Tech, where I was a student, had a delayed opening because it was 8 degrees. So winter is something that leaders should be aware of in Georgia.

Atlanta does not get as much snow as Minneapolis, my current home, and where we have stared down a polar vortex, and are now blanketed with about 2 feet of snow. Atlanta is certainly not as cold as Minneapolis, where unusually, school was canceled two days this week, and five days this school year, and we now look at ice planet Hoth (where Luke Skywalker and friends were based at the opening of “The Empire Strikes Back”) as an improvement. But Atlanta still experiences winter. Atlanta still has access to forecasts from the National Weather Service. This storm was not a surprise.

There are several strategies for dealing with ice storms.

Officials could have tried to prevent the ice. Unfortunately weather control is not yet very practical.

The city and state could have tried to mitigate the ice. There are many techniques for salting and sanding roads that either prevent ice from forming, melt the ice or make it easier to travel on ice. This requires a fleet of vehicles and drivers that are prepared well before the weather event and that continue to be deployed until the roads are cleared.

The risk is the city and state spend money on preparations for bad weather that does not come. Such spending is standard operating procedure in northern cities such as Minneapolis, where snow and ice are almost guaranteed, but it may not be worthwhile if the ice is infrequent.

Atlanta could have tried to avoid the ice. If officials knew ice was coming (and they should have, the weather forecasts were not highly guarded state secrets), they should have canceled schools and encouraged people to stay home. The risk is you cancel school and it only rains, or the storm changes course. Officials who cancel school, only to see the weather improve, look bad, are considered “fraidy-cats,” will be mocked by talking heads and Monday morning quarterbacks, and more importantly will have a harder time making the right decision the next time.

A real leader is not so insecure. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned his city about Sandy despite perhaps being (in retrospect) too conservative in his warnings about Irene.

In the end, we should ask: Is missing a day of school, or working from home instead of the office really the end of the world?

Instead what officials in Georgia did was accept the damage (in the form of traffic congestion, crashes, people sleeping in place in their cars and schools instead of at home) caused by the ice. This outcome required no advance preparation or forethought. In fact a debacle of this magnitude required a careful absence of preparation.

Worse, everything shut down at once. Dismissals were not coordinated, exacerbating congestion. In the end though, the main problem was not that everyone left work and school at the same time. The problem was they were all there in the first place.

In the long term, the Atlanta area could do much more to avoid its routine congestion. But in the short term, if you cannot prevent the special congestion caused by the weather, avoid it.

Is weather getting weirder? I don’t know.

Is weather getting more predictable? Most definitely. The science is improving, and the measurements are getting more precise, and there are many more of them, all of which make short-range forecasts very accurate. Our politicians should listen to the scientists sometimes.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Levinson.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: wibw

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February 3rd, 2014

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WINTER CAR SURVIVAL TIPS

It’s been incredibly frigid in parts of the U.S. and Canada this year, and it’s time to discuss winter car survival. Many deaths from exposure are avoidable if some simple precautions are taken.

In other articles we’ve discussed hypothermia, frostbite, falling through the ice, and all sorts of cold weather issues, but these same problems can occur right in the driver’s seat of the family car. It’s important to have an idea of how to stay healthy if you are stranded in your vehicle during a blizzard.

PREVENTION

The first question you should ask before you get in the car in cold weather is “Is this trip necessary?”. If you don’t have to leave the house in a snowstorm, don’t. Period. If you do, drive as if your life depended on it, because it does. Don’t speed, tailgate, weave from lane to lane, and don’t go on cruise control so you can use your cell phone. Make turns slowly and deliberately, and be careful to avoid quick stops and starts.

Keep an eye on weather forecasts before you head out; conditions can change rapidly if a cold snap is on the way.

IF YOU’RE STRANDED

Despite your best efforts, you’re stuck on the road in a blizzard. Help may be on the way, but what if it isn’t? The first thing to do is to stay calm and, for Pete’s sake, don’t leave the car. It’s warmer there than outside and, at least, you’re protected from the wind. Having adequate shelter is one of the keys to survival in the wilderness or on a snow-covered highway.

Wet snow can block up your exhaust system and cause carbon monoxide gas to enter the passenger compartment. You’ll need fresh air, but don’t crack a window on the side where the wind is coming from. If you’re in a group, huddle together as best you can to create a warm pocket in the car. Rub your hands, put them in your armpits, or otherwise keep moving to make your muscles produce heat.

Maybe you can dig yourself out, but beware of overexertion in extreme cold. You’ll sweat, and wet clothes are a main cause of hypothermia: A condition where your body core loses heat to the point that you could succumb to exposure. If you have flares, use them to let others know you need help.

THE WINTER SURVIVAL CAR KIT

There are a certain number of items that you should always have in your car, especially in cold weather. These are meant to keep you safe if the unthinkable happens and you’re stranded without hope of rescue anytime soon. This is what the well-dressed winter survival car kit contains:

Wool Blankets
Spare sets of dry clothes, including socks, hats, and mittens
Instant heat packs
A first aid kit
A light source and batteries
Water and energy snacks
Matches or a lighter in case you need to manufacture heat:
A small camping shovel (often foldable)
Flares

Of course, your cell phone will be useful to communicate with family if possible. I’m sure you can think of other items that would be useful in this situation. Put together a survival kit for your car that meets your needs and keeps you out of trouble.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: doomandbloom

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February 2nd, 2014

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Surviving a Major Ice Storm

Guest post– S.C., age 17, wrote this as a homeschool project.

So you hear an ice storm is coming and you’re not prepared, what do you do? This article will show you the ten essentials you need to survive. Back in 2009, Kentucky was hit by a massive ice storm that dumped 2 inches of ice on everything. Consequently we were without power for 8 long days. During the week many people had to leave their homes, because they had no heat, no water, and no food. At the time of the ice storm I was only 13 and really didn’t know a whole lot about prepping for natural disasters. It was amazing how much damage an ice storm could do to people’s homes, power poles, and roads. It was a huge mess! Now, four years later, I’ve taken prepping to a whole new level. I’ve put together bug-out bags, learned survival skills, built survival kits, and loads more. Now that I’m 17, I want to share my experience with others in hopes to educate them about the dangers of ice storms.

Most likely after a storm hits an area, roads will be impassible, water supplies will be gone, walking outside will be very dangerous, and power will be down. Depending on where you live, it may take weeks for power to be restored. What you do to prepare will either mean staying in your own home or suffering the bitter cold until you can leave and go somewhere else– a family member’s, friend’s, or even a shelter, if need be. In this section I’m going to tell you the ten essentials that you need to prepare for an ice storm. The items listed below are what helped me and my family survive the ice storm (except for the generator), and may not be everything you might need. FEMA recommends that you have 3 days worth of food and water in your home. Let’s face it, in real life how often do you know a natural disaster that’s gone in three days? There have been many instances when FEMA or the National Guard can’t even respond for three days. Never trust that the government will save you or even cares when a natural disaster strikes. Take it upon yourself to be ready and prepared. Make sure you tailor your preps to best suit you and your personal needs. If you have young children, elderly, babies, diabetics, or someone who requires some other special need, they will have their own specific requirements that will need to be cared for and addressed in your prepping. Here’s a list to get you started:

1. A Wood-Burning Stove. The most important preparation we had was a wood-burning stove. When the power goes out there is no way to run a heater, unless you have a generator. Unfortunately we did not have the luxury of having a generator. When we first moved to Kentucky all of the elders in the community told us we should consider purchasing a woodstove. After a year or so we purchased one, and it was the best prepping item we ever acquired. We were able to keep our house warm, boil water for tea or coffee, cook our meals, and so on. Yes, woodstoves can be dangerous if used in the wrong way, but used correctly it can really make a difference when it’s below freezing outside.

2. Firewood for the Wood-Burning Stove. Having the correct kind of firewood is key to keeping your house warm. You want a hard wood that is well seasoned or cured. It puts off plenty of BTU’s (British thermal units) and burns for a long time. I would recommend having at least a cord (a stack of wood 4X4X8 or 128 cubic feet) of firewood ready to go. The best burning firewoods are Ash (will burn when freshly cut), oak, and hickory. The woods to avoid are pine, juniper or cedar, and poplars. These will burn quick and hot and use up your wood supply much faster than hard woods. This type of firewood is best suited for kindling to start fires and to get them going.

3. Plenty of drinkable water stored up. For us, we were hooked up to the city water system and had plenty of running water for the duration of the storm. However, there were plenty of people who didn’t have city water and lost their water supply when the power went down. There wells were dependent upon electricity to pump. So store up at least 5-7 days worth of water. More is better. It’s not like you can’t drink the water you didn’t use after the storm is over. An ice storm is just one reason to stockpile water. You need to be preparing for anything that could taint your drinkable water. Sometimes, even a water treatment plants will accidently put too much of a chemical into the water. It’s always good to have some sort of water filtration device or a way to sanitize water when it’s of questionable quality. The last thing you want is to get sick from contaminated water and not be able to do anything. You can only live around three days without water so keep that in mind when stocking up on water. Two very basic ways to sanitize water are boiling it or using a very small amount of chlorine in it.

4. Propane gas to heat your water. Our water from the city was hooked up to a propane water heater. Even with the power out we were able to wash our hands in hot water and take hot showers, which was much nicer than taking cold showers. Without propane-heated water we would have to boil water and use that to take showers, which takes a long while. I understand this may not be an option for some people. If you have city water or water coming from a well, consider hooking it up to a propane heater. Another reason for needing hot water is to care for livestock; our family had buckets of hot water that we could carry out to the animals to thaw their water troughs.

5. Cast iron cookware. Having cast iron cookware enables you to cook your meals on the woodstove. Unfortunately, having no electricity meant we had no microwave. During the eight days we were without electricity, we used the woodstove to cook every meal, from eggs to chicken. The reason cast iron cookware is important is because it can withstand more heat than traditional cookware. Another great plus to having cast iron cookware is that after the storm you can use it on camping trips to cook meals over hot fires.

6. Food Storage. This matter is very important. Without food you’re not going to get very far. During the summer before the ice storm we planted a large garden and canned just about everything out of it. That winter we were pretty well stocked up. For those who don’t have the ability to plant a garden, canned or dried foods from the supermarket will work just as well. You need to have around 5-7 days worth of canned and dried food. When buying food, buy items you’re going to enjoy eating, not just staple foods such as pork and beans. Our family made sure the food items we purchased were easy to heat up on a wood stove in a skillet or pot of water.

7. LED Lamps and Oil Lamps. Nowadays they make low draw LED lamps that can last for days and put off considerable light. These are great way to safely produce light without the risk of fire. LED lights can range anywhere from $5 up to a $100. If you prefer something for lighting that is not battery dependant, then an oil lamp is what you want. I know that using oil lamps sounds a bit old fashioned, but they’ve been used for hundreds of years. You can find very basic oil lamps at Wal-Mart for around $10. Oil lamps are very simple to operate and hardly ever need any work done to them, except an occasional cleaning or a new wick. There are, however, a few risks involved with oil lamps. If you have small children, keep the lamp out of their reach. Also, put the lamp in a safe location away from flammable items to prevent the risk of fire. Before refueling the lamp, make sure that it has cooled down enough that you won’t get burned.

8. Small personal flashlights and batteries. Flashlights are far smaller and more mobile then oil lamps when trying to work outside or moving around in your house. You can easily carry a flashlight anywhere with you on your person. When buying a flashlight, don’t look for the most expensive ones; just look for ones that feel well made and that use batteries that don’t weigh a ton, which is the case with size D Batteries. You can usually find low draw LED versions that take small batteries like AA and AAA. When it comes to flashlights, there are so many out there ranging in price from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. You’re not looking for the brightest one possible but just something you can use to do work, read, or help you see to get to the bathroom.

9. Board games and books. When the power is out and there’s no TV, no way to charge your electronics, and no video games what will you do? Board games are a great way to help you pass the time, hang out with your family, and relax a little during this stressful time. You can also read books to pass the time or learn valuable skills, which might help you prepare even better for the next ice storm. When I say books I don’t mean electronic versions; I’m talking real hard copies. It’s always good to have a book, like the Bible, to give a little relaxation when trying to weather the storm.

10. A small generator. I would recommend a small generator because, as I stated earlier, we did not have one. During the eight days without power, our fridge and freezer lost a lot of its coldness. We had to put our meat and perishables in a cooler outside in the cold. Although this worked for us, if the power would have been out any longer we would of lost a lot of food. A small generator would have been a lot easier. Losing a whole fridge and freezer worth of food means losing a lot of money and wasting food you could have been eating. For people with wells, a small generator will be great to power the well and give you a constant source of water for drinking, showering, and cooking. One major drawback to generators is buying enough fuel to last several days; in previous years it has become somewhat expensive.

I hope this article has taught you that being prepared means being ready for more than an ice storm. Whether it’s a hurricane, a blizzard, the grid going down, or a flood, you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way. The point I’m trying to stress is being prepared so you can help yourself and others. When you have preps ready to go, it will give you peace of mind knowing you neither have to worry whether the supermarkets have food on their shelves nor risk leaving the safety of your home.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: survivalblog

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