Category: Preparedness Basic & Advanced

7 Affordable Gifts You Can Get Your Prepper for Christmas
Looking for unique prepper stocking stuffers?

If you’re after regular gift options you can find everywhere else, this may not be the gift idea list for you.

You won’t find pocket knives, paracord bracelets, waterproof matches, or flashlights here.

About this time of year, there’s an innate desire within us to gift something unique.

Perhaps, something you haven’t thought of before.

Hopefully, we can help inspire you with some new gift ideas that your prepper can add to their arsenal.

Toilet Paper Tablets

When we first saw these, we couldn’t have been more excited to share them as a gift idea. They’re cheap, small, chemical-free, and they’re simply brilliant.
- Add water
- It expands
- Open it up
- It dries
You instantly have emergency toilet paper, a make-shift diaper, or even a fire starter.

They’re perfect for disaster situations, hunting, camping, the bug-out bag, etc. It might be a good time to upgrade your survival kits with these convenient, space-saving tablets and leave the toilet rolls for the bathroom.

Adventure Medical Advanced Clotting Sponges

The thing about preppers, they prep for everything as much as possible, and this includes medical supplies. These newly, redesigned sponges have moved away from using exposed powder on wounds to using a hemostatic sponge that holds zeolite beads.

The idea is to soak up water molecules from blood and leave behind blood platelets and plasma that work to clot the wound up to three times faster than the body’s natural process alone. Beef up your prepper’s medical supplies with the latest life-saving supplies while sticking to your budget.

Game Stockpile

Sometimes we get too distracted by the physical priorities of prepping that we may neglect supplies that help to ensure our mental and emotional survival. If you have the space or just a bookshelf to spare, make room for some games.

Survival-themed games and cards are plenty. But, I can tell you from experience, you can quickly fill this available space with cheap options from a thrift store with board and card games, coloring books for both kids and adults, and vintage classic toys like Legos and blocks. $20 can go a long way when you’re stretching the dollar while building your stockpile.

Traction Cleats

This is another space-saving and convenient supply to add to your list of stocking stuffers.

The thing about emergency situations is you can never be quite sure where you’ll be when it will happen, or where you’ll find yourself.

Traction cleats will help give your prepper a sense of security of sure footedness. Accidents, trips, and falls can quickly change a situation from bad to worse and then life-threatening.

Equipping your mobility with a sense of security may make all the difference in an emergency.

Gun Magnets

If your prepper has an arsenal of firearms, you may want to consider gun magnet mounts. Hidden gun compartments and shelves can get expensive if you’re not particularly handy with tools, although we’re sure you can figure it out how to build one yourself.

For an instant fix to hiding your firearms in places that provide quick access, a gun magnet set is definitely a unique gift idea. Here is a list of unique presents for a gun lover you might want to look over as well.

Binoculars

We all know optics play an important role in being prepared for your survival in many different scenarios. So, I don’t think we need to get too much into its benefits here.

Also, it doesn’t mean you have to spend hundreds of dollars to land a quality bino for your prepper.

You can spend less than $100 and still see brand name manufacturers like Nikon, Vortex, and Celestron.

However, these gift ideas aren’t just for the prepper, these are some unique gift ideas for the hunter as well.

Bonus: Honorable Gift Mention

Berkey Water Filter

Okay, so this gift idea isn’t technically on the affordable end of the spectrum, but it’s so deserving of a mention. A Berkey water filter is an excellent gift because it can be used for everyday use and not just for when the SHTF.

How would I know? I have one. It sits on the counter, and it provides peace of mind knowing that it’ll be there to provide some of the cleanest drinking water not only for prepper situations, but for everyday life. Granted, filters may be considered high-maintenance parts as Dave mentions here.

Having the Big or Royal Berkey may not be affordable at this point. If you prefer to equip your prepper with some bug-out bag upgrades, the Sport and Go Berkey may be the “right-now” solution.

Alternative Gift Ideas

Sometimes, gifts for a prepper or a prepper family can go beyond a physical present. Here are some ideas that can mean the world to that special person:
- Offer to help your prepper on a special project. A lot of the time, prepping is time-consuming, and a lot of it is done alone. Get the kids involved and build bug-out bags together, practice using your prepper gear, or spend a night without electricity and running water and improvise on what you can do in a real-time emergency.
- Babysit for free for your prepper spouse, family, or friends. They may need some productive time to shop for or pick up supplies, work on a project, do some canning, or gardening.
- Use your food storage. Baking goodies or cookies to give as a gift has been done for as long as humans have thought of others. It gives you a chance to put your first-in-first-out method to use. You can then refresh your stockpile once everything goes on sale after Christmas.
A Gift from the Heart

One of the most appreciated aspects of a prepper’s attitude is you can never have too much of anything. Whether you’re gifting them another pack of MRE meals or another book on canning recipes, it’s always appreciated because extra knowledge and supplies never get old.

But, beyond that, a thoughtful gift has a lot more meaning than how much it costs. Looking for a unique way to stretch the budget while giving something meaningful is a win-win.
October 20, 2018
From Fire Outbreaks To Earthquakes: Know How To Protect Yourself When Trapped Inside A Building
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Emergency situations can arise anytime, anywhere! The worst place to get stuck in an emergency situation, like a fire outbreak or earthquake, is inside a building because unlike an open ground, the exit points are limited.

Yes, all buildings are required to have adequate safety codes to protect all the people inside the premises, like fire alarms, warning systems, and security systems, etc. There were over 1 million fires in the US in 2016, and over 12000 earthquakes occur every year around the globe; specifying the significance of foolproof evacuation plans and safety procedures.

During an emergency, the primary concern is panic. It is nearly impossible to control the crowd, which can enhance the damage further.

The safety procedure depends on the type of emergency, i.e., the evacuation procedure of a fire outbreak will be different from the safety procedure of an earthquake or in an active shooter situation. One should recognize the right path to ensure safety in an emergency situation.

Read ahead to learn about ways which will protect you and the people around you in severe emergency situations:

Keep Calm

As already mentioned above, panic is the worst enemy in an emergency. It is advisable to keep calm when you feel that you are in danger because it is difficult to think straight if you panic. Although it is easier said than done, you have to understand how important it is to act in the right way to protect yourself and the ones around you.

You have to assess all the options that are in front of you in case of a fire outbreak, earthquake or hijack situation, etcetera because running to the nearest exit is not always the correct step; sometimes, there are other options too. Think straight to know what you can do to minimize the expected damage.

Familiarize Yourself with the Safety Procedures and Routes

You must familiarize yourself with all the safety procedures and routes of your office building to make sure that in the event of an emergency, you can help yourself and others to exit the building unharmed. Every building has an evacuation plan and directions to take control of an emergency, like fire buttons for fire outbreaks, an evacuation route for earthquakes and other measures for similar situations. If you are visiting a building for the first time and you come across such a situation, you must follow the steps that the incident control officers are telling everyone to ensure safety. Don’t panic and run towards the exits because it might cause unnecessary chaos in the building and increase the damage.

Run Towards the Nearest Exit

The first thought that comes to mind in an emergency is to run towards the nearest exit, right? Even though it is mentioned several times above to avoid it, you must assess the situation and do it. Don’t just run towards the nearest door; take an informed decision to know how to exit the building in the fastest manner and run towards the gate that will ensure it. Sometimes the front entrance isn’t the quickest exit, so it is advisable to know your ground before you start running.

Don’t Be a Hero

Yes, you must protect the children and old people near you if you are stuck in an emergency situation; however, it is not always the correct step. You may slow down the evacuation by coming in between them and the incident control officers. It will help if you protect yourself before you start helping anyone else to make sure that you don’t put anyone else’s life in danger. Although you should act like a hero, i.e., be alert, be quick, be smart and be responsible, you should recognize a foolproof path before you help anyone else.

Don’t Be a Coward

An emergency situation is enough to showcase how noble you or anyone else is. If you are one of the incident control officers or a regular in that building, you must take responsibility of everyone trapped in it with you, i.e., help them exit the building unharmed. Not everyone will be familiar with the evacuation procedures, so you should keep your calm and guide them towards safety to minimize severe outcomes. Don’t be a coward, who runs away from his ethical duties!

It is not a Joke

No matter how brilliant your sense of humor is, you must never consider an emergency as a joke because it can put someone’s life in danger and you will be solely responsible for it. Don’t joke about fire outbreaks or any other emergency situation because it can cause panic, which can have adverse consequences. Similarly, in an emergency, you must not joke about anything at the assembly area, not even to calm down other because it may reduce the severity of the situation in their minds; making them careless towards the safety procedure. Keeping calm is essential, but being too laid back will have severe consequences.

Some Quick Tips On How To Protect Yourself When Trapped Inside A Building:

Fire Outbreaks
1. Press the fire button
2. Grab a fire extinguisher (near you), and try to minimize the intensity of the fire
3. Run towards the nearest exit
4. Close the doors behind you (if no one is behind you) to reduce the damage
5. Call the authorities once you are outside the building
Earthquakes
1. Press the warning system to alert everyone else
2. Run towards the nearest exit
3. If it is not possible to exit the building, take cover under a hard table to protect yourself from falling debris
4. Call the authorities immediately if possible
Active Shooter
1. Press the warning system to alert everyone else and call the security guards
2. Run towards the nearest exit
3. Hide, if you are unable to exit the building
4. Fight if you have no other choice
Some safety steps are common in most emergencies because the approach is same, i.e., put yourself as far away from the situation as possible and make sure you don’t put anyone else’s life in danger.

Now that you are aware of the right safety steps don’t be afraid of an emergency. If you come across any, follow the correct procedure to ensure utmost safety and minimize the expected damage.
October 18, 2018
How to Be Safe in the Dorm During a Hurricane
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A hurricane is a storm with winds of more than 72 mph accompanied by heavy rain. Hurricanes are life threatening especially if they get you unprepared. Just like any other disasters, hurricanes can get you at any time no matter where you are.

College students are more affected when hurricanes hit their schools. When the meteorologists forecast a hurricane is about to hit, the school students are forced to evacuate. Sometimes forecasts are inaccurate, and the hurricane may hit when everyone is unprepared.

Hurricanes can occur when students are in college dorms. This can be the terrifying moment as you may not know what to do to rescue yourself. Knowing what to do and what not to can help save your life. Learn how to be safe in the dorm during a Hurricane,

The school must set up school emergency plans to save a student’s life during disasters. For hurricanes, the school can ask the students to go home.

Other emergency plans include:
1. Installing hurricane shutters in the windows
2. Emergency alerts
3. Make sure the drainage system is working
4. Set a safe location where students are safer
5. The school should also talk about the hurricanes in details to help calm the students fear.
6. The school should communicate with parents and let them know how safe their students are.
Below is a list of tips will help a student before, during and after hurricanes

Preparation before hurricane strikes

Forecasts from meteorologists can show hurricanes are about to strike. There are these simple things you can do in preparation for the hurricane to have you safe.

Evacuate and go home.

Hurricanes only affect a given region. When your school has been confirmed that it is most likely to be struck by a hurricane your home isn‘t likely to be affected unless you’re based near the school. The school administration is likely to evacuate the school. Going home keeps you will be far to feel the effects of the hurricane. Remember taking all your valuables with you as leaving them behind is risking.

Unplug all power cords and cover electronic equipment with plastic bags to lower damages as a result of water.

If you are not to evacuate the school, there are some things you will need to do.
1. Move all furniture away from windows. All loose objects on the floor like books should be removed and kept on drawers. Take away any outdoor furniture, decor, garbage and lawn supplies that can blow away during heavy winds.
2. Clean and fill water buckets with clean water. When there is a strong hurricane water supply is likely to be damaged. You will need clean water even after the hurricane as you wait for the water supply system to be repaired.
3. Close all windows in the dormitory. Few days before the hurricane you can ask the school administration to install hurricane shutters.
4. Look for a flashlight as the power may be affected leading to blackouts. You can also look for backup options such as power banks to charge your phone.
5. If you own a car make sure to park it in the assigned area with all windows closed and doors locked.
During the hurricane
1. Stay indoors. When in a dormitory during the hurricanes advisable to stay indoor until when the hurricane calms. Make sure all the doors and windows are closed. Stay away from danger areas like skylights, glass windows, and doors. Tree branches and flying debris can catapult through the window or door, breaking the glass and hitting you. Don’t open the window or door to look at what is happening outside.
2. Avoid using elevators. Hurricanes are accompanied with destructions of infrastructures. The power supply is affected, expect power failure at any time. Elevators only work in the presence of power when power fails they lock themselves.
3. When floods threaten to enter into the dorm power off the electricity at the breaker. Cover all electrical equipment with plastic bags and make sure to unplug all power cords.
4. Don’t take a bath, make phone calls or use electrical devices as they may attract lightning during a storm.
5. Avoid hurricane parties. They are only in movies. During hurricanes taking alcohol is risking your life. You need to think clearly as anything can happen at any time.
After the hurricane
1. Stay away from standing water. Due to the destruction of the power supply, there may be some power lines in the water. The water may be electrically charged. Do not touch trees or any other object that is in contact with power lines.
2. Do not drink tap water until the water supply has been repaired. This water if the pipe was broken at some point will be contaminated and harmful to your body.
3. Report to the administration the areas that need to be repaired to avoid further damages and injuries.
*I did not write this post, as I never lived in a dorm during a hurricane. I have lived in a Barracks during a hurricane. However, my hurricane steps were to get a bunch of alcohol and to tie a bunch of ponchos together and make a sled out of the hood of an old truck and try parasailing down the main road to the French Creek Barracks Area of Camp Lejuene.
September 21, 2018
15 Steps to Follow When Experiencing Emergency Situation at a Concert
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Attending a concert of your favorite band is one of the most thrilling experiences, but it could also turn into a nightmare in case of emergency. It doesn’t happen so often, but still we are all familiar with the notorious cases of Manchester Arena bombing or Rhode Island nightclub fire.

Security analysts at the coursework assignments agency say that concerts, along with similar highly-attended events, are extremely risky gatherings: “They attract thousands of people, thus creating the basic precondition for possible outbursts or incidents.”

In this post, we will show you 15 steps to follow when experiencing an emergency situation at a concert.
1. Arrive early
If you want to avoid the crowd, you need to arrive at the venue a little earlier. At the same time, the entrance is one of the concert’s pain points, so it will save you from possible incidents.
1. Familiarize with the venue
Arriving early, you also get the opportunity to familiarize with the venue. This is essential because it helps you to remember each exit and stairway, while you can detect members of the security guard as well. Knowing the venue can turn out to be a big help in case of emergency.
1. Make a plan
A concert may seem like an event too simple to make a plan for, but you don’t want the incident to catch you off guard. Talk to your companions and discuss what to do and where to meet if something goes wrong.
1. Wear the right clothes
This point could deem irrelevant, but the clothes you wear could make all the difference when the time comes to run away. You should avoid wearing loose clothes or closed-toe shoes. Such wardrobe will slow you down, preventing faster reactions when you need them the most.
1. Charge a mobile phone battery
First of all, you don’t want to go to the concert without a mobile phone because you can easily get lost in the crowd. Secondly, you should charge the battery to the fullest to ensure communication over the longer period of time. That way, you can always call your friends, family members, or anyone else for that matter.
1. Pay attention to people around you
Now that the concert has started, you should relax and enjoy the music. However, it won’t hurt you to pay attention to the people around you – sometimes you could notice a strange behavior before the incident occurs.
1. Leave the venue if you notice the problem
If you notice the incident before the crowd, make sure to leave the venue as quickly as possible. The most important thing is to ensure a safe return home for you and your friends, so go out smoothly if you see something strange is about to happen.
1. Don’t panic
Whatever happens at a concert, you don’t want to panic. Panic is a sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought and action, which means it can only slow you down as you are trying to escape.
1. Call 911
As soon as you get a chance, call 911 to report a problem. It may save a lot of people or prevent further damage.
1. Learn first aid
Emergency situations require quick reactions. On some occasions, there is no time to wait for an ambulance, and you’ll need to help yourself or people around you. Learning first aid will provide you with the medical “know how.”
1. Don’t move with the crowd
Concert incidents usually form a crowd that runs away furiously. You can’t go against it, but you shouldn’t follow it either. Instead, try to go diagonally and find the nearest exit.
1. Look for security officers
Since you already know the venue, you should be able to detect security officers. These people are professionals who can protect you from whatever is causing the emergency, so try to reach them as soon as possible.
1. Run away
Concert emergencies are often so chaotic that you just can’t make it to the safeguards. In this case, the best option is to follow your initial escape plan and run away quickly. Try to reach the exit and meet your friends outside to make sure everyone is doing well.
1. Help someone if possible
If you successfully avoided the danger, you should try to help other people find their way out, too. Keep calm, explain to them what is going on, and take them outside. If they need medical attention, don’t forget to use your first aid skills.
1. Leave early or wait
Some incidents happen at the end of the concert when everybody is leaving the venue. We recommend you go out a little earlier to avoid the crowd. But if you really want to stay until the end, then you should wait for a while. It’s much safer to exchange concert impressions with your friends for a few minutes than to push your way through the crowded corridor.

Conclusion

People love attending concerts and enjoying good music, but this sort of event can sometimes turn into a disaster. This post showed you 15 steps to follow when experiencing an emergency situation at a concert. Don’t hesitate to read our suggestions once again as they might even save your life one day.
August 4, 2018
7 Tips On Writing An Emergency Preparedness Plan

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Every family needs to be prepared for emergency situations. You never know what can happen and how that situation might affect your family.

There could be a fire, an earthquake, a flood or any other kind of natural or societal disaster can happen.

It is best to be prepared for them all. That is the best way to protect your family.

Writing An Emergency Preparedness Plan, you need to account for all of your family members, any family member with special needs, your children’s needs, pets etc.

Have a sound financial plan as well. Set out cash funds just in case. Prepare for anything that’s possible in your area but also for unexpected events.

*Note from Dave: I wrote the kindle ebook pictured above to help new preppers make a plan. This post wasn’t written by me, but this is something I used to do a lot, and Emergency Preparedness was my undergraduate Major. Many articles on this site relate to this topic.

Here is a list of tips on creating an emergency preparedness plan:

State what the roles of each family member are

In case of an emergency, each family member needs to know what to do. You can’t lose precious time on organization when an emergency happens and this is why you need to organize everything in advance. Every family member should know where to go. Plan for your kids being in school and let them know where you want them to go if an emergency strikes then. Also, plan for you not being at home in those situations and figure out where to go, what to do and what’s the fastest way to get to your supplies.

You can also do an occasional run through of who does what in each situation to make sure that your plan runs safely, smoothly and effectively.

Create emergency kits

Emergency kits are a good way to get all you need at once. You can purchase them, already made in many stores but you can also create your own. No matter what you decide, make sure that there is enough water and food for at least three days, that there is a first aid kit and some tools of protection as well. “Keep them handy at all times – you can put one in your car, keep one at work if possible, a couple in your basement or somewhere in your house and you could also make sure that your children have mini-kits with them at all times”, – explains Johnnie Miller, a Safety Manager at Ukwritings.

Practice your plan

Once you are done creating your plan, it’s a good idea to practice it. That’s the only way to memorize it perfectly. Run these plans in different situations – at home, do run-throughs of what happens if you are not at home, study the roads to see which can take you home faster. Teach your family members how to use some of the essential tools and how to defend themselves. Show them how to handle certain objects or how to drive if they are old enough.

Make a list of necessary supplies

As certain emergencies strike, you will likely not have time to go to the store and purchase everything that you need. Instead, make a list of all the things you’ll need and slowly, as you have available funds, purchase those items. Update this list frequently – there is no way you can think of everything that you’ll need on your first try. Plan for at least three days or longer.
This list should be easy to read and check off, so you should probably use formatting tools like StateOfWriting or Boom Essays to make it as comprehensible as possible. Don’t put anything that isn’t crucial on this list – keep in mind that you’ll have to carry these things yourself, so anything that’s not essential isn’t welcome.

I have an incremental emergency kit list to show how you can build a great kit without scarifice.

Make a communication strategy

Communication strategy is just as important as the rest of your plan. You never know what can happen and that’s why you need to organize your family and let them know how to communicate in case of emergency. Create a sheet of phone numbers each family member should know and call in case that they are alone and separated from the rest. Make sure that everyone has a phone, coins or prepaid cards if they need to reach you. Establish an ICE name and number and make sure that everyone in your family has it.

Make an evacuation strategy

Discuss as a family where you could go in case of an emergency. State who is in charge of what – shutting off utilities, taking care of pets, taking emergency supplies, driving etc. Make separate plans for each situation.

Stay informed

Best way to be prepared is to be informed. “Do some research on what is a possibility based on your area’s history and prepare for that. Stay informed on current events that might affect you on sites that give this sort of information, watch news, weather reports, read newspapers etc”, – says Earlene Boone, a Safety writer at Essayroo and Academ Advisor.

Conclusion

It’s better to be prepared that sorry when a disaster happens. Having a solid plan ensures that all of your family members will be safe and taken care of in case of an emergency.

Freddie Tubbs is a communication manager at Paper Fellows. He is running Academized and Australian help blogs and is a regular contributor at the Vault magazine.

July 18, 2018