4 Prepping Skills You Master after Years of Camping

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Enjoying the great outdoors by yourself or together with your friends and family is an amazing experience. There is something immensely freeing about sleeping under the open skies and waking up with the smell of fresh, untamed morning air filling your nostrils. However, this experience isn’t one without its challenges.

What You Need to Know

It generally takes campers a long time to get accustomed to all the different situations a camping trip might involve. Fortunately, you can take some shortcuts in the learning process if you are dedicated enough. Here are the four most important prepping skills you master after years of camping.

1.    Choosing the Right Equipment

The equipment you bring along with you on your camping trip is vital to your comfort and well-being. A high-quality tent is a must, and so is a well-insulated sleeping bag. Investing in a sturdy backpack that can fit all your essentials is your best bet if you want to be prepared for anything that might occur.

You also need to be prepared in case the weather turns unexpectedly humid. One thing that every seasoned camper needs to know is how to waterproof leather boots in case they don’t have ones that already possess that quality on hand. Add in a sturdy raincoat and you’re all set for even the most unexpected surprises Mother Nature could throw onto you.

2.    Packing Lightly

When you’re out in the wild, packing lightly is essential, especially when you prefer hiking up to remote places to get away from the world for one weekend. To do this like a pro, you will need to know what the essentials are depending on the location and duration of your trip. Multi-purpose items such as a Swiss army knife, are an excellently practical choice.

On top of that, always remember not to bring too many separate outfits. You’ll end up not wearing them anyway, so focus on warm, layering appropriate-clothing instead. It’s important to prepare for cold weather, even if the forecast says otherwise. Furthermore, one pair of boots is enough. Always make sure you have clean socks and undergarments on hand, but don’t overdo it.

3.    Adequate Food Storage

Naturally, bringing a balanced variety of canned and fresh food is essential while out camping. Cooking out in the open wilderness is a very nourishing experience for both body and mind, but it also comes with its risks. Something that a lot of beginner campers don’t realize is that storing food properly is also crucial while out camping.

During the day, whatever you bring needs to be kept in a cooler to preserve its freshness for as long as possible. Then, before going to sleep at night, make sure to put any leftovers in the car or any anti-bear enclosure on the campgrounds so that wildlife isn’t drawn to it. Bears coming in the middle of the night looking for food aren’t a myth, unfortunately.

While they most likely won’t hurt you during their food foraging, you don’t want to wake up the next day and have nothing left to eat. In addition, scaring them away is potentially dangerous, so it’s best to avoid this hazard altogether.

4.    First Aid Kit

According to Recreation.gov, an adequate first aid kit is one of the best things to have on hand if you want to ensure that you and all the other members of your group stay safe. The perfect one contains antiseptics for scrapes and cuts, insect repellent, pain relievers, sunscreen, tweezers and a snakebite kit as well.

If anyone in your group has any special needs as far as allergies or any other health conditions are concerned, make sure to tailor your little emergency box to their situation. Antihistamines are a good addition, as is any other essential medicine. And if you’ve got some room to spare, throw in some duct tape as well. It is a great multi-purpose item to have on hand.

Conclusion

Nature is beautiful, but it can also be dangerous. This is why you need to do your best to always protect yourself and those around you. It will be hard at first, which is why you need to stick to the beaten path. Slowly, you will learn how to deal with various situations and you can venture out into true wilderness when you feel courageous enough.

It’s essential to remember a few things. Always choose the right equipment. Your tent and your sleeping bag are your most trusted allies, so make sure they are sturdy and reliable. When in doubt, always go waterproof, and always pack lightly. Make room in your backpack for what’s important and bring as many multi-purpose items as you can.

Finally, a first aid kit is your best friend in case you or someone nearby gets hurt. Pack it with everything you and your group need to maintain your safety and well-being. But most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!

Preppers Guide to Preparing for Reality

Preppers Guide to Preparing for Reality
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The community of preppers grew in 2008 with the launch of My Patriot Supply as a leading Online resource and retailer helping U.S. citizens prepare for the worst should a natural disaster or ‘doomsday’ scenario occur. The retailer has become a major part of the preppers community over the course of its first decade in operation.  If you want help preparing for reality, then this company can provide that help.

The community of preppers has largely been misunderstood because of a small number of mainstream TV shows which choose to portray this growing number of Americans as unhinged or worse. However, the majority of preppers are simply concerned citizens who understand a breakdown in society can occur at any time through a natural weather event such as a tornado or hurricane or can take a larger form should an attack on the U.S. create major infrastructure problems. The majority of preppers are not spending their time worrying over the zombie apocalypse arriving but are instead watching The Weather Channel and the news to monitor the global political situation.

Being prepared for any eventuality is the key to the work of My Patriot Supply and preppers across the U.S. who understand there are few options of people or agencies to turn to when a major event leads to the breakdown of a small or large community. In most cases, the decision to become a prepper is taken by those who have either had the first-hand experience of a disaster striking and leaving them with little help from government agencies or those who have woken up to the fact self-reliance is the best option.

Although it has become a commonly held belief because of shows like “The Walking Dead” and movies including “28 Days Later”, the zombie apocalypse is not something preppers worry about each day. As science has so far yet to find the technology capable of reanimating dead tissue there are no reasons to prepare for this fiction becoming a reality.

Instead, many people who may not feel they are part of the preppers community may be shocked to discover they are already getting started with the early stages of preparedness. An individual who has taken the time and effort to think about installing a generator or assembling a disaster emergency kit in case of a major weather event is already a prepper; creating a kit with flashlights, matches, and a supply of canned foods is the first step on the way to becoming prepared for a life where the rule of law may no longer be in place for a short or long period of time.

What the majority of preppers understand is the fact there is a chance of certain situations arising which will result in a period of time when government agencies are unwilling or unable to provide the necessary utilities and requirements for human life. This does not always mean preparing for the worst case scenario but can instead mean creating a survival garden with fruits and vegetables which can be used as a food supply should the usual communication lines of social breakdown. In the short term, this can mean creating a supply of generators and fuel to provide power, heat, and light should the utility supply be knocked out by a storm or a far worse event.

Being a prepper means looking at the chances of certain situations occurring and creating a plan which will protect the individual and their family should a scenario happen. There is a zero percent chance of the zombie apocalypse occurring which means this is a scenario which should be ignored by serious preppers who are looking to create a contingency plan for the future. It is important to remember the government should always be part of the plans being created as no matter why an individual has decided to become a prepper they need to ensure they have taken into account the fact some form of government will always remain in place if and when a natural or human-made disaster occurs.

Although a breakdown in society may take place at some point in the future the rule of law should always be part of the thought process and planning for any serious prepper. Despite the fact a breakdown of society may take place and a prepper isolated for a period of time it is always a good option to become an active member of the prepper community as the advice, tips, and news of the latest technological advances could mean the difference between success and failure in the survival business.

* I added this guest post because I believe in preparing for reality.  Too many people spend way too much time preparing for things that aren’t realistic.  In a world of limited resources, I believe in balance and that I need to spend my time and money on things that give the most benefit to my family.

I like my patriot supply because they good products as well as provide good information with their survival scout newsletters.  To me you can’t go wrong with preparing for reality.

The Best Battery Strategy

The Best Battery Strategy For Your Bug Out Bag

The Best Battery Strategy For Your Bug Out Bag
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When it comes to survival, the key is having the right mix of gear and skill available to solve a wide array of potential problems that might come up.

As most of us already know, a bug out bag (BOB) is a particular set of gear that is intended to keep you alive for up to 72 hours.  Basically it helps you reach your predetermined bug out location (BOL).

For a great refresher on the different type of emergency kits, check out David’s summary.

Before we dive into the battery strategy, I want to share the main assumptions behind a great BOB.

The type of gear that you put in your BOB should be thought around meeting your needs of shelter, water, and food (for energy).

It is important to think about it in that order of priority.  On average you can live up to 3 hours in adverse weather, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.

Keep Working on the BOB

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time revising my bug out bag in order to get it down in weight so that its mean and lean. My current total BOB weight, including the clothes that I will be wearing, is at 37.3 pounds.

I have found that shelter, including clothes, easily consumes about 33% of the total weight.

Next comes water purification and initial water for the first stretch of the trip, weighing about 20% of the total. Food in terms of energy needs can be had surprisingly light at less than 2 pounds.

The rest of the space, which is about 25%, is reserved for tools, fire making, lighting, health, and miscellaneous other items. It is in these areas where the need for batteries are bound to come up.

Common Batteries Used In BOBs

The Best Battery StrategyDevices that are often found in BOBs include flashlights, lanterns, walkie talkies, weather and emergency radios, or other items based on your own specific needs.

The main issue here is that electronics tend to be bulky and heavy. On top of that, they require batteries to run, which are also bulky and heavy.

With a BOB, your goal should be weight reduction to the point of meeting the requirements of keeping you alive for 3 days without injury. If you have never carried a backpack that weighs more than 35 pounds, I suggest you try it out before you load your BOB to the brim.

Over the course of 3 days, you will need a flashlight at a bare minimum to operate and navigate in the dark. Depending on other necessities, you might choose more devices to add to your bag. It is recommended that you at least have a handheld flashlight, a headlamp, and a key-chain light.

The most common battery types that you will encounter with these devices include: AAA, AA, 123A, and 18650. We will go over the main details for each of these next.

AAA

The AAA battery is a common size that you can find almost anywhere. For a typical Alkaline version, the voltage is 1.5 Volts, and the energy it contains will last you about 10 hours at 0.1 Amps of current consumption for the average Duracell. The weight is 0.35 ounces per battery.

AA

The AA battery is similarly common like the AAA. The voltage is the same at 1.5 Volts, however the size is bigger, giving it more energy. In contrast, the AA battery can last about 26 hours at 0.1 Amps of current consumption. This is over 2.5 times more than the AAA. The weight of the AA is 0.85 ounces, which is about 2.5 times more than the AAA, naturally.

123A

The 123A is a specialty Lithium type of battery that you find in higher power flashlights. The voltage is 3.0 Volts, which is similar to two AAA/AA stacked together in series. A Duracell 123A can last around 16 hours at 0.1 Amps of current pull. This puts it somewhere in between the AAA and AA. It weighs in at 0.5 ounces.

18650

The 18650 is a rechargeable Lithium battery at 4.2 Volts. These batteries vary in performance by manufacturer quite a bit, but on average you can expect it to last about 20 hours at 0.1 Amps of current pull. The weight is higher at 1.6 ounces. Note that many flashlights these days will come with an option of using either a 18650 or a pod that takes 3 AAA batteries instead.

Best Battery Strategy

The Best Battery Strategy 2We just looked at four common battery types that you will see most often for these types of electronics. They vary in voltage, current capacity, volume, and weight.

When it comes to thinking about a strategy, one thing to note is that you most likely won’t be using all of your gear at the same time. The core item that may overlap use with other devices is going to be the flashlight if you are using something in the dark.

Otherwise, chances are you won’t be using your walkie talkie while also listening to your emergency radio. If you are using your lantern, you won’t be using your flashlight, and so on.

With this in mind, we can start thinking about the advantages of choosing one specific battery type to go for on our electronics instead of just buying electronics and separate batteries for each device.

The best way for this to work is to select your most important piece of gear first, which is typically the walkie talkies, and then down selecting your other gear to match the same battery type.

For example, there are some very great performing flashlights out there in all of the battery types that we have covered. David posted two awesome flashlights that he was considering for his BOB. It was between the Klarus XT11S (18650 battery) and the Felix LD41 (AA batteries).

Buy a Light Based on Battery First

What I learned is that it might be more strategic to choose a flashlight based on its battery type first, and then based on its other features.

I did a ton of research and put together the top performers in flashlights. From the top 10 AA flashlights, one of the best for your BOB is the J5 Tactical V1 Pro, which runs on a single AA battery.

I bought one, tested it, and found that it can run on high for 4 hours and on low for 20 hours from one battery. That’s pretty amazing. It’s not the brightest flashlight out there, but for the price, weight, light output, and performance, it is hard to beat.

As for the top AAA flashlights, the Streamlight Stylus Pro is a great option and runs on 2 AAA batteries. The run time is about 6 hours.

Obviously, you are going to have the best opportunity to replenish your batteries if you go with either AAA or AA. They are commonly found almost everywhere. That way, if your batteries get run down before you get to your BOL, you have a much better chance of finding replacements.

Gear Experiments

Let’s do a simple experiment to see what kind of savings we can get by eliminating multiple battery types. We will pretend that we are being sloppy and not paying attention to battery type or caring about weight reduction.

A typical set of walkie talkies can take 3 AA batteries for each headset.  So we will need 6 AA batteries to use them. That equals about 5 ounces of battery weight. Should we pack a spare set of batteries and double the weight? Let’s do it. There, that’s 10 ounces for 12 AA batteries.

Now let’s grab a 18650 flashlight which adds another 1.6 ounces of battery weight. We also want a headlamp that runs on 3 AAA batteries, which is another 1 ounce. Of course we want spares for these, so here we have about 5 ounces for all of these batteries.

Combine these three battery types together for these devices including spare batteries and we have a whopping 15 ounces of battery weight! That is nearly a pound just for batteries. In BOB land, that kind of weight is insane to add to your pack. If we were using an emergency radio as well, it would be even worse.

Now, what if we instead chose all of our gear to work off of AA batteries? Let’s use the same walkie talkies that require 6 AA batteries to operate. We can also select a single AA flashlight and a single AA headlamp.

The spare set that we have for the walkie talkies, which is 6 AA batteries could also be used as spares to power our flashlight and headlamp. Adding it all up (I count 14 AA batteries total), this scheme gives us a total of 12 ounces of battery weight. That is a savings of 3 ounces (0.2 pounds) by just being smart with our battery plan. It also gives us a much better pool of backup batteries. If you have multiple family members, the savings on spare batteries can really start stacking up.

Conclusion

It’s clear that battery and device selection is one of the best ways to remove wasted weight out of your bug out bag. Ounces count big time. As we discussed, if you blindly choose your electronics and they happen to have different battery types, then you will have some wasted weight in your pack.

The Best Battery Strategy here is to select your most important electronic device first, and ideally select one that runs on AA or AAA batteries, which will give you the best chance to be consistent across your other electronics.

It’s much easier to select flashlights and headlamps in either the AA or AAA battery variety. If you do this well, you have the opportunity to save at least 3 ounces or more as seen from our gear experiment.

If you have already built your BOB, then give your battery plan another look. It just might be a great way to shave off some much needed weight, while offering you a much better pool of backup batteries.

About the Author

Tom Sheppard spends a lot of his free time prepping. He also enjoys camping out in North Texas. With his technical background, Tom does a lot of tinkering with gear. He often shares his knowledge with survival articles at Trek Warrior.

Preparedness Priorities

Preparedness Priorities
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Personal preparedness means different things depending on who you are and what your situation is.

To an inhabitant of the Florida Keys, preparedness means having items to outlast a hurricane.

To a city dweller, preparedness might be having a can of mace in her purse. To a survivalist, preparedness might mean having a semi trailer loaded with M14 rifles buried in the back yard. Depending on the situation, any of these definitions might be appropriate.

Different people will have different preparedness priorities, but what is important is that they know how to identify and work toward achieving them

Personal preparedness means different things depending on who you are and what your situation is. To an inhabitant of the Florida Keys, preparedness means having items to outlast a hurricane. To a city dweller, preparedness might be having a can of mace in her purse. To a survivalist, preparedness might mean having a semi trailer loaded with M14 rifles buried in the back yard. Depending on the situation, any of these definitions might be appropriate.

Personal preparedness is simply knowing what dangers are likely to befall you and taking reasonable precautions to avoid or survive them. In today’s modern world, insurance is a required item. No one laughs at a car owner that buys a full coverage policy for his or her car. As a matter of fact, a driver that fails to insure their car is looked upon as irresponsible, sometimes even criminal. The same thing can be said about homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, life insurance, and health insurance. Today people take out money for retirement in the form of IRA’s, 401K’s, mutual funds and the like. No one faults them.

Why is it then that someone who has a pantry of stored food, candles, a rifle or two, and ammunition for them is considered crazy or dangerous? Isn’t it a logical extension of the doctrine of insurance?  After all insurance is merely a device to lessen the extent a disaster has on your life. If having an extra insurance policy for break-ins is smart, then the idea of someone breaking into your home is possible. If it is likely that someone might break into your home, then having a means to protect yourself is justified.

Each year natural disasters occur in the United States. When these occur, the news media rushes to the scene. It never fails that they show a relief organization van at the disaster site. Usually there is an interview with someone who is standing in line looking for help. The site is common; a desperate parent with a hungry child waiting for someone to give them some milk for their infant. Ratings soar and people feel sorry for this poor child. Consider this, areas prone to natural disaster are known. Floods happen on a regular basis. Places like Tornado Alley have been recognized and named. If the choice is made to live in an area like this and the basic precautions are not taken, then pity is not the logical emotion.

Irresponsibility on the part of the parent caused the child’s pain; it only takes a few extra seconds to grab a couple extra bottles of formula. Why didn’t they take this simple precaution” They probably paid the cable bill. Does that expense outweigh the measly cost of a gallon of bottled water” Organizations like the American Red Cross and the Office of Homeland Security suggest that each family have a few days of essential items to get them through an emergency. Doing this is not hard nor does it have to be expensive.

No one says that preparedness means having a years supply of freeze dried steak in a concrete storage bunker. Simply buying a can or two of extra food every time you go shopping is enough. Buy an extra box of garbage bags, some extra toilet tissue, or any item you have to have. Store it in a box under the bed, or in the closet. In hardly any time at all, you will soon have a store pile that will give you not only an added measure of security, but also a sense of well-being. Rotate this stock out. As you eat a box of macaroni, buy another. Forget that you have four boxes on your kitchen shelf. This causes you not to feel over burdened financially to support your prepared lifestyle. It also keeps your store fresh. An added benefit is that your safety net is familiar to you. In the stressful time of disaster, you don’t have the added stressor of eating unfamiliar foods chosen not by your appetite, but by their shelf life. It is easy to lecture on what items are needed. Lists of essential items depend on lifestyle and location as much as physical needs.

It would be irresponsible to dictate what equipment your family would need to survive without knowing you or your situation. You must sit down and decide what your family’s priorities are, and from that list correlate your family’s needs. It is not important what others say or think of you. It is not even recommended to tell your neighbors you find the need to be prepared for life. Does it matter if they think you are crazy for stocking up added groceries? Will it matter if your children or spouse suffer because you want to keep the good graces of the people 2 doors down?

The World’s Riskiest Places To Live: Disaster Prepping Around The Globe

Disaster Prepping Around The Globe: The World’s Riskiest Places To Live

52 Unique Techniques for Stocking Food for Prepper
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When prepping for a disaster, it is important to understand all the different risks which can be faced.  Also the effects those disasters can have.  Looking after yourself during a tornado requires very different action to surviving a flood. Being prepared for different types of risk is crucial.  You also need to understand the levels of risk faced where you live.

Due to factors like climate, geology and human interference, parts of the globe are much safer than others, and some areas face extremely diverse risks. By having a survival kit that fits your needs and preparing a plan in case the worst happens, you could ensure you and your family make it through the disaster: no matter where in the world you live.

The most deadly kinds of disaster

The three big killers are floods, earthquakes and cyclones. Historic events such as the China floods, the Shaanxi earthquake and the Bhola cyclone caused the loss of over 3,000,000 collectively, and the world’s ten worst disasters killed over 7 million people in total. Other causes of natural disasters are tsunamis, avalanches, hurricanes, heat waves and droughts.

Preparing for these disasters requires a little common sense: you really only need to be ready for those likely to affect you. If your local climate is hot throughout the year, heavy snow is unlikely to be an issue. If you are far from the coast, tidal waves should be of little concern. For those in the highlands, flooding is rarely an issue. However, there are parts of the world which are at high risk of a serious disaster because of their geography and climate. It is also important to remember the golden rule of disaster preparedness: expect the unexpected!

The riskiest places on Earth

There are some factors which make a location’s risk higher. These include being close to a river or the coast, so that flooding is possible. The location might also be on a tectonic fault where earthquakes are likely, or active volcanoes may exist. Other places might have multiple risk factors – a nearby lake, a high mountain range, an incoming coastal air stream and an underground fault line. When multiple factors combine, the chance of a serious disaster is much higher, and the chance of multiple concurrent disasters also occurs. If you live in a high risk area, you had better make sure your survival kit is stocked to handle a range of situations.

Some of the areas highlighted as having high risk levels:

  • Verkhoyansk, Russia
  • California, United States
  • Mount Merapi, Indonesia
  • Vanatu
  • Manila, Philippines

On the other hand, Qatar, Malta, Saudi Arabia and Barbados have been highlighted by the United Nations University for Environment and Human Security as the safest places to live if you want to avoid a natural disaster.

There are also many places which did not make the list, but which are known to be at risk because of a combination of factors. The United States in particular has had a tough year in terms of Mother Nature’s wrath, experiencing everything from heavy snow and hail to wildfires and mudslides in the past six months. Australia has also seen its fair share of fires and droughts during the previous three years. Knowing what type of incident is likely to happen and having the tools to survive it is important if you want to be ready for the worst.

Building a survival kit

It should become part of your weekly routine to stock up your disaster kit.  There is no reason it should be expensive to do so. Check out OZCodes.com.au for discount codes on products from leading outdoor equipment retailers and suppliers.  Create a kit that suits your budget. Remember to tailor your kit to the place you live and the things you might face if a disaster hits. You can’t fight a wildfire with a snow shovel! However, some of the basics will be needed no matter what situation arises: such as a comprehensive first aid kit, a reliable weapon, plenty of safe food and water, and the tools to create shelter, warmth and power if needed.

Reactions to the situation will depend on the type of disaster, as well. Early warning is possible in the event of fire or floods, but not always if a tornado or earthquake hits. Sometimes evacuating will be the best option, in which case you will want to grab your bag and hit the road. Other times, getting to the safety of a cellar or shelter and waiting out the disaster is more appropriate. This is where the survival kit for a long term stay should be stored.

Whatever situation you could face in the future, having the knowledge and equipment to face it properly could mean the difference between life and death. Know the risks: get familiar with the climate and geography of your home town.  Read up on previous disasters in the region so you know what you should expect. This is especially true if you move to a new town or even a different country.