Colorado 'Preppers' Get Ready For Worst

ABC 7 News ^ | 5/24/10 | Jaclyn Allen

[Kartographer]

Being ready for a major disaster is no longer the realm solely of Montana militiamen hidden in the mountains.

The shaky economy and recent catastrophes are fueling a growing movement of soft-core survivalists, who could just be your next-door neighbors.

If there were ever a disaster of any type in Frederick, Colo., the Douglas home is probably where you'd want to be.

"From the outside looking in, nobody could really know," said Ron Douglas.

Ron and Heather Douglas and their six children are new members of a growing online network getting ready for the worst, the Colorado Preppers Network.

Is it paranoia?

"We don't think so. We think we're very normal," said Ron.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Thanks!

[djf]

Oh, and BTW, I tried the ravioli just by itself.

It was fine! Wouldn’t want to try and live on it, but a little tomato sauce, or maybe some boiled spinach, (not to mention I have a couple monster horseradish plants), well worth having.

[Cacique500]

The best way to do food prep for long term is to start with 5 or 6 gallon food grade buckets. Then you get heavy mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and a GOOD LID. Place the mylar in the bucket, place an O2 absorber in the bottom, dump your food on top (rice, beans, corn, wheat, etc.) up to about 1 inch from the top, place another O2 absorber on top, then seal the mylar with an iron (or much better is a heat seal gun). Get as much air out as you can before you seal the mylar...and the O2 absorbers will do the rest.

There are a few places online to buy bulk (Honeyville, Pleasant Hill Grain, and others)...you can also get the mylar and absorbers from the above).

I’ve purchased from both and while a little more expensive, the bulk food quality is EXCELLENT. Packaged this way, in a cool environment and with a good seal on the mylar, you’re looking at 25+ years for most of these foods.

Do your research on what foods you’re putting away since some don’t last as long, where others will last indefinitely. It’s also a good idea to keep an inventory of what you have...and make a recipe book using only items you have on hand. I also recommend a good dutch oven setup - in case your electric or gas stoves don’t work you’ll still be able to cook with the dutch oven & charcoal.

Also remember (VERY IMPORTANT) that while food is very necessary, WATER is EXTREMELY important. We have one of the Berkey Water Purifier systems that can process a few hundred gallons per day, with a water reservoir very close to the house. The unit takes up very little space in the kitchen and the filter elements are good for a total of about 12,000 gallons (and you can buy extra filter elements).

For those interested, Frugal Squirrels is a great website to find in depth info on food storage. Youtube also has some excellent videos on how to pack buckets using the method I described above...search for “The 5 Gallon Bucket Food Storage Project” - a series of several videos that will show how it’s done.

Two very important things about prepping...1) Tell NO ONE what you have and 2) Have a means to defend your preps...

[jpsb]

"ten pounds of freeze dried cheese ravioli."

Where did you get it and how much? Also how many meals is 10 lbs? thx

[ChocChipCookie]

Survival/Preparedness ping!

[hennie pennie]

*ping*

[MrB]

Before SHTF -
“the prepared” are “paranoid”

After SHTF -
“the prepared” are “greedy hoarders”

[MrB]

Preparedness Checklist

[bgill]

Cool, no need for me to prep what with free food for 6 for a year! Ok, making note to check out people search ... Ron and Heather Douglas, Frederick, CO...

Geez, these people need to buy a clue. All they’ve done is prep for their neighbors and anyone else who read that article. No mention of guns or dogs so it’s free for the taking. Poor kids. They’d have been better off not prepping.

[Vendome]

But those thing might hurt someone....

[Vendome]

For those of who have not done so, I would encourage you to buy a water purifier.

 

On the order of things, it really isn't expensive and i

 

Last week, in an American city, 2 Million people are boiling their water, due to a break in their primary water main.

 

In Katrina, people were walking through water they could drink but for a purifier.

 

In Haiti, the water was contaminated and a water purifier would have helped stem problems associated with fouled water.

 

In Tennessee the floods took out the clean water supply but again, a water purifier would have delivered clean water.

 

Please note there is a difference between filtered water and purified water.  Filters are fine for backwoods hikes, for the most part but, a water purifier in a grid down situation is an absolute must.

 

NACN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HasTWSZVYtU&feature=player_embedded

 

CNN

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/02/boston-area-communities-under-boil-water-order/

 

I personally have the Lifesaver bottle for just such an emergency.

 

It can purify 6,000(1,500 gallons) liters of water on one filter.  That's Katrina water that everyone was walking through.

 

It will remove germs, chemical, effluence, etc and return pure water that is drinkable and can deliver 2.5L per minute.

 

“ The smallest bacteria are about 200nm (200 nanometers) in size, the smallest viruses are about 25nm. The holes in LIFESAVER membranes are 15nm so nothing is getting through.”

 

FAQ's

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/faqs.html

 

 

                      

________________________________________________________________________________________

 

They also offer a jerry can version that holds 18 liters and filters 20,000 liters(next on my list)

 

                    

 

 

                      

 

 

 

These things aren't cheap but hey, When you are thirsty you will be glad you invested in these and so will your family

 

The prices are as follows:

 

6,000 liter  Lifesaver bottle =  $179.99

 

20,000 Liter Lifesaver Jerry Can =  $399.00

 

 

 

 

[blam]

"You should hear a hiss when it sucks in a bit of air. Do this process about 3 times, by then there is basically no O2 left, all thats in there will be nitrogen and a bit of CO2 and Argon or whatever..."

Aren't you letting oxygen back in each time you open the container? You say do this 3 times. Why do you want to release/vent the vacuum?

[blam]

"There are a few places online to buy bulk (Honeyville, Pleasant Hill Grain, and others)...you can also get the mylar and absorbers from the above)."

I just received two 2.25 pound cans of dehydrated eggs from Honeyville. Each can will make 80-90 eggs when reconstituted.

[djf]

Yes.
But each time you do it, it lets in less and less air, because air is only 20% Oxygen.
You might want to slightly crack it open a week after that just to make sure.
It’s like the law of diminishing returns.

[djf]

I’ve read that sealed, those cans are good for like 15 years. I have 6 or 8, I forget...

[blam]

My friend used an old freezer compressor to make a vacuum pump...he places the items into a mylar bag along with the oxygen absorber and then pumps them down and seals the vacuum inside. Then, he places those inside a five gallon plastic bucket with a top. So...

In fact, he did some cooked and dehydrated bacon like that for me then I put it into my freezer...all pumped down and with oxygen absorbers, 400+ slices of cooked bacon, lol. When TSHTF, it'll still be okay without refigeration.

[blam]

"I’ve read that sealed, those cans are good for like 15 years."

At least...properly stored, probably longer.

[djf]

Same idea. It’s just that large plastic containers(1 gal+) would not like it if they had the stress on it of different air pressure. I use them for dry milk, pasta, rice, etc. Even at room temps, they’re good for a decade...

[gundog]

If there were ever a disaster of any type in Frederick, Colo., the Douglas home is probably where you'd want to be.

Why are there so many people that think they'll be welcomed by those that are prepared?

[blam]

"Same idea. It’s just that large plastic containers(1 gal+) would not like it if they had the stress on it of different air pressure."

He doesn't pump down the five gallon plastic containers...just the mylar bags inside.