Posts Tagged: Preparedness

Basic Preparedness Strategy

Basic Preparedness Strategy

This is the document that I used for a recent podcast about a forming basic preparedness strategy. It was taken from a correspondence that I had with a friend of mine, shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It’s only one example of how to go about creating a strategy for getting better prepared. Adjust and modify for your needs.


Start with the current analysis of what you feel is the most likely situations or events that threaten your well being and safety (see previous podcast on Threat Analysis  ).  This Threat Analysis covers those circumstances and events that we need to make sure that we can cope with; either through physical preparation, mental preparation, or both.

Brief note on the threat analysis.  It was mentioned before, but I want to say it again, just in case I failed to properly explain it before.  The Threat Analysis is just a thinking tool to get you started.  There is little to be gained by making up a separate plan for each threat that you identify, as most situations have a common denominator that you need to provide for.  Things like food, water, shelter, warmth, safety, defense, etc. are needed in most situations that last longer than a few hours.  But there are some threats that have special conditions that you’ll need to address, and that’s where listing the threats comes into play.  Go over the list and check to make sure that you can handle anything that isn’t covered by the basics.  For example, radiation or a cloud of toxic chemicals.  You can be exposed to both either by accident or design, but you should be prepared to handle them.  The Threat Analysis list is exactly what you use to identify these sort of things.

Okay, onto a basic preparedness strategy.   (more…)

Allergies – Try a Neti Pot

Being the preparedness folks that we are, we like to have multiple solutions for the same problem. This mindset permeates all aspects of our preparedness plans, including medical and medication considerations.

I have allergies, and without medications I’m a miserable person. One solution that I’ve found that was recommended to my by an Allergist is the Neti Pot. There if nothing special or unique about a neti pot. All it is and provides is a nasal saline flush. I like the actual pot because it leaves nothing to break, where as the plastic flush containers can crack overtime.

This saline flush really does help and has made things much better for me and allowed me to cut back on the amount of medication I use to control my allergies.

Just something to consider for those that may have never encountered a neti pot.

Mike@PrepCast.info

Expand Your Skills in a Tough Job Market

As the economy continues its downturn jobs become scarcer, especially in the service sector. As of this writing the official jobless rate is 9.5% (we all know it probably double that) and June saw 467,000 job cut. This does not bode well for many, and in my opinion, for those whose skills lie solely in the field of the service sector. Those people have no really useful skills should business stop functioning or the tech sector fall apart.

How many today are unable to do simple repairs around the house or maintenance on their vehicles?

Expand your skills are learn how to do things. Carpentry, Masonry, Electrical, Welding, Vehicle maintenance, Gardening, Farming, Animal Husbandry, etc. The list can be huge. These are just things that sprang forth from the top of my head. It’s useful to know things, and with today’s access to information, there is no excuse not to learn and practice. It can seem daunting at first, but if you’ve been networking you’ve probably met those with skills that are willing to teach or coach you.

Take a look at the Preparedness Capabilities Checklist to get an idea of the skills YOU need or think you need to have.

Mike@PrepCast.info

Tarps

I was thinking about tarps the other day and thought I’d toss up a quick blurb about them. Tarps are awesome, useful, and indispensable items. Every house should have a couple lying around. There are lots of different types and sizes of tarps (tarpaulin) and you can decided what you want to purchase to keep around. I’d only suggest that it’s best to purchase the thickest, darkest, and most heavy duty tarps that you can find or afford. I like silver tarps that have a thickness greater than 10 mil.

Mike@PrepCast.info

How Much Water do I Use?

People always ask how much water he or she needs to have stored, and while we’ve covered water storage at length, I thought I would just put a quick little blurb up about how to find out much water you use a month for your entire house: Look at your water bill. Your water bill will list your usage and if any of the number or term aren’t clear, you can call the water company and have them explained to you.

Remember that the totals include everything from drinking water to water used for bathing, washing, laundry, and your yard.

My average daily usage: 873 gallons – yowzers!

Now ask yourself just how much of a change/shock would it be to drop that consumption down to one gallon a day that FEMA recommends. One gallon of water a day per person is the generally accepted minimum needed to survive.

Check out Podcast 13, our water episode

For any additional question, or for a push in the right direction, take a look at the Water section of the Preparedness Capabilities Checklist

Mike@PrepCast.info

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