5 Essential Tools for Preppers

5 Essential Tools for Preppers

 

Youtube Prepper Tag
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I didn’t know it, but apparently I was playing YouTube Prepper Tag, well at least someone thought I was playing and tagged me to produce a video of 5 things I thought every prepper, and especially a new prepper should have.

That was easy, the hard part was to then tag 5 other preppers on youtube to do the same.  Its kinda like a pyramid prepping game, it only gets larger.

I tried my best to keep it simple and stay away from the “I’m cool, look at my stuff videos”.  I wanted 5 items that almost everyone can afford, or already has (and in some cases, had BETTER already have).

5 Essential Tools for Preppers

  1. The grey mushy thing inside your brain housing group.  An especially its ability to
    1. Keep calm in a disaster
    2. Process information to find the best solutions to hard problems
    3. Recall previous information stored inside.
  2. Reference Material – Lets face it your grape has a limited storage potential, and there is only so many hours in a day to learn new skills.  Having a good reference library can really help when your faced with situations you have never dealt with before.  Now I don’t want to, nor do I want to be the patient of someone that has no medical training and is performing an appendectomy using a candle, a pocket knife, and the book “NATO Emergency War Surgery”.  BUT…. I would grab a vet book to learn to tube feed a newborn goat.
  3. People – Well, good healthy relationships with people.  I don’t care how strong, smart, and prepared you are, you cannot spend all day working at the labor needed to survive a catastrophic disaster and the run a LP/OP all night every night for very long.  Nobody is totally self sufficient, and we all need help.  You should find trustworthy people now, and build those relationships before you need them.
  4. Tools – Hand tools that do not require power.  Not just the typical hammer, saw, and wrenches, but homesteading tools like wheat grinders, churns, presses, and anything else you can think of run by hand and not current.  Even if you cannot use it, you can barter it for things you do need.
  5. Guns – I don’t advocate playing Rambo, or indulging in a Walter Mitty fantasy, but if your living in a failed state due to a cataclysmic disaster, your going to want at least one reliable firearm and copious amounts of ammunition.

Now, so you still have a reason to watch the video, I’m not going to tell you who I tagged, or why, but I will tell you some of them are pretty well know, and the rest have some pretty awesome videos that should not be overlooked.

How Much Water Can You Get From Snow?

How Much Water Can You Get From Snow?

 

How much water can you get from snow?
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I recently did a little experiment during our winter weather.  The premise was, if we were to lose utilities from an extended amount of time (or I was lost outdoors) and I needed to melt snow for water, I needed to know how much water can you get from snow.

I have heard and read that it takes a lot of snow to make a decent amount of water, and that you should always melt the snow rather than eat it frozen.  This is so you don’t risk hypothermia using our body heat to melt it.

My problem was, that when the snow was new and powdery, I spent much of my time trying to figure out how to get to work and did not think about experimenting until things stabilized and the snow was melting.

The snow I used was starting to get slushy so my yields were higher than I expected, but the video below shows why even with “perfect” snow you should store water instead of planning on melting ice and snow.

It just isn’t energy efficient to try to melt snow, and your sure should never try to eat snow for water  – storing water is just too simple to do to have to resort to last minute efforts like melting snow for water.  If you want to know more about storing water, we have a water storage post that makes it simple.

Now you see that the question is not How much water can you get from snow, but rather why don’t you have other options.

 

Winter Driving Safety Tips

Winter Driving Safety Tips

Winter Driving
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Winter Driving is more than having a 4 wheeled drive or experience in the frozen north.  It is about preparedness, common sense, and looking out for other drivers.  I have seen all manner of accidents caused by winter driving conditions, and know the damage vehicles can do.

When driving in wintry weather:  slow down, stretch the two-second rule to four seconds or more, never use cruise control and know how to use the type of brakes your vehicle has to their maximum safe effect.

9 Winter Driving Safety Tips:

  • Since your battery works harder than ever in the cold, have it professionally checked before winter sets in.
  • Have a professional check your antifreeze for both quantity and quality, but don’t stop there.  Do the same with the rest of your car’s fluids:  oil, transmission, brake, battery, power steering and windshield washer.
  • As for gasoline, keep your tank at least half-full throughout the winter.  Adding gasoline antifreeze directly into the tank may prevent a fuel-line freeze-up.
  • Take a good look at your wiper blades.  A summer’s baking may have left them streaking or otherwise not up to the winter freeze-thaw cycle.
  • One more thing to have done while your car is in a professional’s hands is, of course, have the brakes and exhaust system checked.  Brakes are your last line of defense against becoming stranded; a faulty exhaust system adds to the danger if you do become stranded.
  • Make sure all tires including the spare meet the penny test:  insert a penny into the tread in several places (don’t cheat, either – go for the most worn places!); if you see the top of Lincoln’s head, replace the tire.  You should do this often, but worn tires are especially dangerous in winter driving conditions.
  • Make sure your jack is working and accessible.
  • Speaking of tires, check their pressure often.  When the temperature drops 30 degrees, your tires may lose as much as five pounds of their air pressure – and tires that don’t have enough pressure lose traction.
  • If you have a pick-up or similar vehicle with less rear-end weight, carry a sandbag or other artificial weight – especially important if the vehicle is rear-wheel drive.

 

 

Preparing for Winter

How to Prepare for Winter Weather

Preparing for Winter
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Preparing for winter weather involves more than just buying salt and hot chocolate.

Stock up on non-perishables, like canned goods, and make sure you have adequate medical supplies and prescriptions.

I have worked winter storms that have wrecked havoc on the unprepared – cold weather can kill – and it can cause accidents that kill and maim.  Just because you have a 4 wheeled drive does not mean you can stop on ice.

Use the Common Sense Steps Below:

  • Know the difference between a weather WATCH and a weather WARNING:  a watch means conditions are right for the event the advisory names and you should be ready to take protective action; a warning means that event is imminent and you should take protective action now.
  • Fill several large containers with water and store them appropriately.
  • Keep flashlights, batteries, candles and matches on hand.
  • Trim trees around the service line(s) entering your home. Keep areas surrounding electrical service equipment clear.
  • If you decide to use a generator or space heater, carefully review and follow all safety procedures in the owners’ manual.  If you’ve lost the owners’ manual, get it replaced.
  • Close off unused rooms to conserve heat. Open curtains and shades to let sunlight in; close them at night.
  • Keep your car’s gasoline tank at least half-full.
  • Tune often to local weather forecasts.
  • If you have special needs, such as life support equipment, be prepared in advance in the event you lose power.

 

Using an ATM Safely

Using an ATM Safely

ATM Security
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ATM Security and using an ATM safely requires awareness and a little planning. Just because an ATM machine is open and available 24- hours a day doesn’t mean it is safe to use it. Most ATM robberies occur at night between 8:00 PM and midnight.

Makeup of the Typical Suspect

The typical ATM robber are usually males under 25 years of age and most work alone. ATM robbers usually position themselves nearby waiting for a victim to approach and withdraw cash.  Most ATM robbers used a gun or claimed to have a concealed weapon when confronting the victim and demanding their cash.

Typical Victim of a ATM Robbery

Additionally, most ATM robbery victims are women and were alone when robbed. Generally, these women state that they never saw the robber coming.  This is another good reason to review the awareness information in Cooper’s color codes.

Here are some tips that can make Using an ATM safer:

  • Use only ATM machines in well-lighted, high-traffic areas. Don’t use ATM machines that are remote or hidden such as being located behind buildings, behind pillars, walls, or away from public view. Beware of obvious hiding places like shrubbery or overgrown trees.  ATM robbers like to have the element of surprise and no witnesses. Robbers like good escape routes like nearby freeway on-ramps or high-speed thoroughfares.
  • Choose an ATM that looks and ‘feels’ safer, even if it is a couple of miles out of the way.  Try and limit your use to daylight hours. Take someone with you after hours, if you can. When you drive up to an ATM location, scan the area for any suspicious persons. If you see anyone suspicious standing nearby, or sitting in a car, drive away. When you approach an ATM on foot be prepared and have your access card ready. Memorize your personal PIN number to prevent loss and speed the transaction. After inserting your card and your PIN number keep an eye out behind you. Never accept an offer to help or request for help from a suspicious male ahead of you at the machine. If anyone suspicious or seemingly dangerous approaches terminate your transaction and leave immediately, even if it means running away and leaving your ATM card in the machine. First, tell the suspicious male in a loud, firm voice to “back-off” and leave you alone. This is designed to startle the person and give you time to flee, if appropriate. When you receive cash from the machine put it away immediately, extract your card, and walk away.
  • If you use your car at a drive-thru ATM machine the same rules apply. Keep the car in gear, with your foot firmly on the brake, while using the ATM machine. Keep a close eye on your rear and side view mirrors during the transaction. Robbers almost always approach from the rear on the driver’s side. If you see anyone approaching, drive off even if it means leaving your ATM card behind. If an armed robber confronts you, just give up your money without argument. The cash is not worth serious injury or death. Get to a safe place and call the police immediately.
  • If lights around the ATM are not working, don’t use that machine
  • Avoid ATM machines adjacent to obvious hiding places
  • Have your card ready and leave quickly, not counting your cash in public
  • Beware of offers for help from strangers during an ATM transaction
  • Don’t fight with or attempt to follow the robber