Posted on 10/23/2005 2:50:03 PM PDT by backhoe
Tossed in is some general disaster information. Credit given when I can find or remember it.
The Survivalist & Y2K hounds weren't so wrong, after all...
Survival starts at the household level -Here is one Survivalist site which I've found fascinatingly useful...(Simple Survival)
Emergency Preparedness (year's supply of food, 72 hour kit)
( Our own UtahGirl- hattip! )
I hope everyone reading your post is paying attention. Losing electricity means no water, no refrigerated food, canned food disappearing from stores twice as fast as a result, no gasoline, because pumps can't bring it up out of the ground, and because there's no gasoline, no deliveries of food or medicine or other necessary supplies.
From what I've seen in the aftermath of these two hurricanes. most Americans simply are not set up to survive without electricity, and this worries me, because our electrical grid is wide open to a terrorist attack.
If we can't defend a 1000 mile border with Mexico, how can we possibly defend ten thousand miles of transmission lines? Any group of idiots with a crate of hand grenades can do to the country at large exactly what we see happening in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
I've spent a lot of time thinking about this, and it seems to me that survival in the absence of electricity falls into four main categories.
1. Water. You can survive for 3 minutes without oxygen, three days without water, and three weeks without food. You need a dead minimum of 1 gallon of water, per person, per day. This will only meet survival needs if no water is used for flushing toilets or for bathing. The average person may not drink a full gallon everyday, but by the time you factor in cooking and cleaning needs, one gallon per person is cutting the supply very thin.
Water storage takes up a lot of space, and it can be a fragile resource. Most containers of store bought water will break down over time and leak, they are designed to, so that they will biodegrade. Two liter soda bottles seem to hold up for much longer. So do water jugs purchased for camping. A family of four will need a minimum of 40 gallons to survive ten days. That is eight 5 gallon camping jugs or 80 two liter pop bottles full.
Far better is a sustainable supply. With the proper preparation, a creek or lake will keep you and your family alive for a long time. You need to be able to filter out particulate matter and you need to be able to kill germs and bacteria to use this water, especially since the chances are that others will be using these sources for waste disposal in the event of an emergency.
Water filters for backpackers can be purchased for around $50 to $100, but without filter replacements, they are limited to 100 to 200 gallons before they clog up.
A large scale filter can be constructed from a pair of large tupperware containers or buckets, some playground sand, and some fist sized rocks or driveway gravel. Cut half inch holes in the bottom of the smaller container and fill it two inches with gravel. Fill it another four inches with playground sand. Place about two inches of gravel in the bottom of the larger container, and then place the smaller container inside the larger one. Unfiltered water goes into the inner container, and filtered water is drawn off from the outer container. Be careful not to contaminate the outer container when pouring unfiltered water into the inner one.
This will remove mud, sand and grit, but it will not purify the water. Purification can be accomplished with ordinary Clorox bleach, 5.5 percent sodium hypochlorite solution, no perfumes or softeners. Use 8 drops of bleach per gallon of clean water, or up to 16 drops of bleach per gallon for water from suspect sources. The colder the water, the longer it will take the bleach to kill the bugs. Let the bleach do it's thing at least half an hour, I prefer to let it stand overight before using it. This will allow you nearly unlimited reserves of water without consuming fuel for boiling.
2. Food. Canned or boxed food, anything that does not require refrigeration, will disappear from stores overnight or sooner in the event of an emergency. You cannot wait until disaster strikes to stock up. You need breakfast, lunch and dinner for each person to function in the long term without electricity or outside aid. Foods requiring only boiled water require less water for cooking and cleanup.
Oatmeal or cream of wheat will suffice for breakfast. Canned fruit can improve the taste and nutrition value. Sugar may be required for flavor. Powdered fruit juice mixes can be served cold. A mix of powdered fruit juices and powdered gatorade will serve multiple purposes in warmer climates. Tea or coffee will improve the morale of adults.
Peanut butter, jam and crackers can serve as a basis for lunch. Powdered soups may supplement. Discount stores sell ramen noodle soups with vegetables by the case for less than 2 dollars. Beef jerky, peanuts, and M&M's can provide a change of pace. Canned tomatoes and elbow macaroni make a tasty hot dish. A little bit of onion or garlic seasoning go a long way to providing variety and improving flavor.
Dinner options are limited. Canned chicken or fish is most readily available. Bulk can be achieved with canned vegatables, canned fruits, and rice/macaroni. Foil pouches of hamburger do not require refrigeration and taste ok for tacos or spaghetti sauce. Spam and armor treet do not require refrigeration. Canned beef stew, beef hash, and spoaghetti/lasagne products can be purchased by the case from discount houses. Canned ham is readily available. One can of vegetable and another of fruit will keep from lunchtime to dinnertime, allowing for less waste and more balanced servings.
Liquor can serve as trading stock, and in some cases, fuel. A surplus of spices can serve as trading stock.
Don't forget the can opener, manual type, and a backup, plus a couple of P-38 style emergency backups.
3. Sanitation and human waste disposal. If water is readily available and sanitary sewers are functional, unfiltered water can be used to flush toilets. Dedicated containers make this process easier. Be sure to differentiate between containers used for filtered and unfiltered water and do not mix them up, or flushing requirements will skyrocket.
If sanitary sewers are not functional or water for flushing is in short supply, solid human waste should be deposited in 5 gallon buckets and burned in 30 or 55 gallon steel containers. Some fuel (kerosine works well) will be necessary to get the fire started. Burning containers need ventilation holes punched around the bottom rim for good combustion. Note wind direction before burning waste. A standard toilet seat will fit onto a 5 gallon bucket for better balance. Provisions for privacy will do a lot for morale. Don't forget to stockpile toilet paper.
A solar shower can be purchased for less than $10 at discount houses. In an emergency one can be constructed from a black garbage bag, but it will not function as well or as fast as one designed for the purpose, nor will it serve as a sprinkler head. In cold or cool climates, the ground or the hood of a vehicle will act as a heat sink and speed heat loss and prolong warm-up times. Insulation under the shower bag will counter this effect. On cloudy days, or whenever warming does not happen fast enough, take what you can get from the sun and enhance it with water warmed on the stove. This water does not have to be filtered, but it should not be swallowed or used to brush teeth if it hasn't been purified.
One adult can shower with as little as 1 gallon of water, although 1.5 gallons is a more realistic estimate.
Don't forget soap and shampoo. Clothes can be washed in a tub, sink or other container, using the friction method. Don't forget a suitable detergent. Dishwasher soap and automatic laundry detergents are poor substitutes for the manual variants. Clorox will act as a good disinfectant.
4. First aid. The major injuries you can expect after a disaster are cuts and broken bones. You need a way to stop bleeding, to clean and disinfect wounds, and to dress them so as to avoid infection later on. You can never have too many four by fours, 4" square gauze pads. You can never have too much duct tape. A well made dressing does not require surgical tape, since the tape does not touch open or abraded skin.
Duct tape and splints will stabilize broken bones. Be sure to pad splints if they will be used for an extended period, or ulceration will occur.
In an absolute emergency salt water will kill germs, and a ziplock bag with a pinhole will serve as an irrigation aid. Better yet is to stock up in advance on commercial disinfectant ointments. Rubbing alcohol and/or hydrogen peroxide are inexpensive in quantity but suffer some of the same drawbacks as salt water. Rubber tourniquets are worth their weight in gold, for a lot more than medical emergencies.
In addition to being ready for cuts and broken bones, a well tuned first aid kit will contain apsirin, antacid tablets, and antihistamines. Cough drops are a plus. Heavier pain medications may be useful if you have a prescription. Surgical masks, disposable rubber gloves and scissors are very useful to have.
If you purchase a surgical suite, or include needle and thread in your kit, be sure to include a weighty medical reference text along with it. Emergency appendectomies look good on TV. Your mileage may vary.
These are the four basic considerations in a situation where electrical service is interrupted for an indeterminate time, water, food, sanitation, and medical emergencies.
Heat or cold temperatures will require forethought and some sacrifice. Layers provide better insulation that one thick coat. Artificial fabrics next to the skin will wick away perspiration and greatly improve your survival chances in cold weather. Cotton holds moisture and kills people in cold environments through hypothermia.
In hot environments you need steady water intake to survive 4 hours of sweating. If you feel thirsty, you have waited too long. After four hours of heavy perspiration, you will need to address electrolyte balance. Powdered gatorade will deal with this, as will other sources of potassium such as bananas. Ordinary salt might not hurt, but it won't help as much as gatorade. One quart of gatorade will allow an adult male to perspire heavily for 8 hours without significant effect. Dinner and breakfast can be used to replete electrolytes after the workday is finished, preserving and extending gatorade stockpiles. An ordinary headband, handkerchief, or ballcap will keep sweat out of your eyes while working, and will go a long way towards improving your effort and its beneficial effect.
Emergency lighting is necessary, but not always advisable. LED headlamps provide hands-free emergency light for working, and preserve battery life up to 100 hours. Flashlights require a hand to hold them and use batteries much faster. Whale oil lamps can soot damage a dwelling very quickly if not properly adjusted, but will last longer than candles and will provide more light. Most oil lamps are cheaply constructed, get familiar with their inner workings before you need to depend on them. A small needlenose pilers and small screwdriver are essential for servicing these lamps. Oil for lamps can spontaneausly combust, discard wicks and rags outside, away from flammable materials after use. Any combustion consumes oxygen. Proper ventilation is a must.
Displaying light after sunset will call attention to your dwelling and may invite unwanted attention. Changing to a sunrise to sunset schedule will preserve resources and enhance security.
Security is a matter of personal choice, especially involving firearms. The uninitiated will be best served with a 12 gauge shotgun, which requires minimal practice to serve as an effective deterrent. During an emergency is a bad time to learn muzzle and trigger discipline, not to mention markmanship. An assortment of #5 or #7 birdshot, double ought buckshot, and deer slugs will allow you to double the utility for both defense and for small game hunting. Weapons should always be kept immaculately clean and should always be considered to be loaded.
That's enough for now, it covers the basics and doesn't add more detail than is necessary. In my opinion, it is only a matter of time before large segments of the American population are subjected to moderate or prolonged periods without electricity. We will either be ready for it, or we will not. The choice to prepare ourselves rests with each of us as individuals.
Water
a fill bath tub
b fill all large pots
c several dozen cleaned plastic milk carton / change quarterly
Battery operated radio
Battery operated flashlights (1 per person + 1)
Week worth of batteries for above
Fill propane for gas grill
Fill all cars
Sterno cans and fondue pot for cooking
Matches, lighter, lighter fluid
Several rolls of 6 mil plastic sheets 10 x 100
5 boxes of 20 each, large garbage sacks
4 pair heavy work gloves
Axe, hatchet, shovel nails, heavy duty staples, staple gun, hammers, saws, chain saw
6 bread baking pans (to make block ice)
4 large ice chests
Hand operated can opener and bottle opener
Bug spray
1 month of all medicine, gauze, band aids, tape, alcohol, OTC headache, antiseptic
Heavy duty knives, 100 each plastic forks, spoons, knives, paper towels, paper plates Toilet Paper!
Soup, Vienna sausage, peanut butter, crackers, chili, bread, several small jelly, mustard, spam, apples, dried fruit, hard candy,
Stove top coffee pot, 10 lbs coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, tea bags
2 12 ga shot guns 2 boxes of 00; 1 of slugs; bird shot
Can't recall the SN of the FReeper who penned the above- apologies!
The Army survival manual is interesting. I'm up to the part where it talks about letting the maggots clean out the wounds.
I wonder what Paris Hilton or Rosie would have to say about that?
LOL!!!
UPDATE: A reader suggests this book for your blackout-entertainment library. But I say: Why wait until the power fails? . . .
Emergency Preparedness (year's supply of food, 72 hour kit)
190 posted on 09/04/2002 12:52 PM EDT by Utah Girl
(+) THE ART OF THE CACHE (+) [Free Republic]
Bio/Chem Preparations: Overview
Nuclear Survival Preparation: Overview
Florida's Latest News: ANTHRAX FACT SHEET -- From the Centers for Disease Control
Simplified Antibiotic recommendations for prevention of Anthrax/ Biological Warfare bugs
Shelter In Place: Make Your Kits
Very readable article about Bioweapons and Anthrax
Unclassified 10/31: CIA Chemical, Biological, Radiological Incident Handbook
Advice on Chemical/Biological/Nuclear Attacks
Israeli pets to wear gas masks if Iraq attacks
Be advised "Nuclear War Survival Skills" has been updated & revised ( 1999 ) and is the "one" book to get if you get no others...
Survival Supplies and Other Links
TimeBomb2000 is an awesome Forum for sensible individual preparation and overall news gathering: Over a million detailed threads archived (4 locations) describing every practical self-reliant tip possible.
A little Bad Moon A-risin’ bump^
UPDATE: Some additional disaster survival tips here.
Meanwhile, you can find some previous InstaPundit posts on the topic here, here, here, here, and here. And here's a column I wrote on the subject last year. And a huge disaster preparedness list. And here's a guide to emergency preparedness from Consumer Reports.
Also, here's an item from Wired on the topic. One piece of advice: People tend to focus on buying stuff, stockpiling food, etc. That's good -- you won't be able to run down to Wal-Mart when you really need emergency supplies -- but you should also focus on having a plan, and acquiring some skills, for when things go wrong. A full pantry and some radios and flashlights (and guns, and cash, and bottled water) is very important, but it's what we lawyers call a necessary but not sufficient element of disaster planning. More on that here.
UPDATE: A lot of the stuff on the big list above is out of stock. Try this hurricane preparedness list or this emergency survival kit gear list. Plus, some basic disaster survival items. And Col. Douglas Mortimer emails that no home should be without one of these. Well, duh.
Note: September is National Preparedness Month.
#
http://www.christianemergencynetwork.org/images/stories/pdf/cen_checklist.pdf
Recommended 1 Person 72-hour Survival Kit Contents
( Mine was $20+ years ago, now over $70...)...this is a far, far better tool than hatchet or machete'--
The Original WOODMAN'S PAL Machete
The Woodman's Pal machete can perform the tasks of many tools including machetes, axes, bow saws, pruning knives and even chain saws. www.woodmanspal.com/ - 11k - |
I just wanted to send a note telling you how pleased I am with the quality of the Woodsman's Pal. The Woodsman's Pal takes all the work I throw at it. ... www.woodmanspal.com/testimonials.html - 24k - |
Wind resistant trees
|
Native trees, particularly those with wide spreading branches, low centers of gravity, strong deep penetrating root systems, and small leaf size seem to hold up better in tropical storms
especially if they are found growing in mixed groves of trees. Lone growing solitary specimens have less wind resistance than massed trees |
Recommended wind resistant trees |
Properties |
Trees not recommended to resist wind storms |
Reasons |
Foxtail Palm | Wind Resistance | Queen Palm | Blows Over - shallow roots |
Solitaire Palm | Wind Resistance | Schefflera | Brittle Wood |
Cabbage (Sable) Palm | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Laurel Oak | Brittle Wood |
Gumbo Limbo | Wind Resistance | Water Oak | Brittle Wood |
Paurotis Palm | Tolerates Flooding | Chinese Elm | Brittle Wood |
Coconut Palm | Wind Resistance (remove coconuts)/Tolerates Flooding | Camphor Tree | Brittle Wood |
Pitch Apple | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Golden Rain Tree | Brittle Wood |
Dahoon | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Silk Floss Tree | Brittle Wood |
Yaupon Holly | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Ear Leaf Acacia | Brittle Wood |
Screw Pine | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Tabebuia (yellow or pink) | Brittle Wood/Blows Over - shallow roots |
Paradise Tree | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Norfolk Pine | Brittle Wood/Blows Over - shallow roots |
Tibouchina | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Eucalyptus | Brittle Wood |
Cassia | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Silk Oak | Brittle Wood |
Geiger Tree | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Sea Hibiscus | Brittle Wood |
Bottlebrush | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Avocado | Brittle Wood |
Mexican Poinciana | Wind Resistance | Chinaberry | Brittle Wood |
Live Oak | If given room for roots to grow, Do not plant in moist soils | Seaside Mahoe | Blows Over - shallow roots |
Sand Oak | Wind Resistance | Banyan/Ficus | Blows Over - shallow roots |
Myrtle and Turkey Oak | Wind Resistance | Australian Pine | Blows Over - shallow roots |
Red Oak | Wind Resistance | Citrus Trees | Damaged by standing water |
Slash and Long Leaf Pine | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Royal Poinciana | Brittle Wood |
Bald or Pine Cypress | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Shooting Star (Clerodendron) | Brittle Wood/Blows Over - shallow roots |
Red and Silver Maple | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Carrotwood | Brittle Wood |
Crepe Myrtle | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Chinese Tallow (Popcorn) Tree | Brittle Wood |
Pigeon Plum | Wind Resistance | Washingtonia Palm | Blows Over |
Fiddlewood | Wind Resistance | Mahogany | Brittle Wood |
Ironwood | Wind Resistance | Black Olive | Brittle Wood/Blows Over - shallow roots |
Sea Grape | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Live Oak | Blows over if not given adequate room to spread and if planted in moist soils |
Weeping Podocarpus | Wind Resistance | Sand Pine | Poor Wind Resistance |
Winged Elm | Wind Resistance | Sweetgum | Poor Wind Resistance |
Magnolia | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | Carolina laurelcherry | Poor Wind Resistance |
Tulip Tree | Wind Resistance | Hong Kong Orchid Tree | Poor Wind Resistance/Brittle Wood |
American Holly | Wind Resistance | ||
Sycamore | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | ||
Buttonwood | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | ||
Red Cedar | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding | ||
Royal Palm | Wind Resistance/Tolerates Flooding |
Betrock Information Systems - www.hortworld.com - www.betrock.com - www.plantfinder.com
Well, personally I'm a big fan of the mag-lites. I carry both a mini and a full-size 4-cell in the car, and I keep a few of the big ones around the house. They're tough, they give great, adjustable light, and they make a pretty good improvised billy club just in case.
On the other hand, you have to keep the batteries up. As it happens, I was just looking at this zombie-attack preparation guide (what is it with the zombies all the time?) and it features this batteryless flashlight. That looks kind of cool; I don't think it's as good a flashlight as the maglites, but you don't need batteries, which also saves on weight. A lot depends on what you think you'll need it for, and for how long. Or you could always carry this survival tool -- pocket knife, magnesium firestarter, and flashlight all in one. BoingBoing liked it! And if you want versatility, here's a flashlight that uses AA, C, or D batteries, which is pretty versatile. I bought one a while back -- it's not bad, but doesn't seem especially sturdy.
I have to say that my cheap Timex Ironman watch makes a good emergency flashlight, too. It's not terribly bright, but it's enough to find your way around in the dark without bumping into things. I was in the grocery store -- in the meat section, about a half-mile from the windows at the front -- when the power went out a while back. The place was pitch-dark and it took about 20-30 seconds for the emergency lights to come on. As soon as things went black a woman started screaming -- I guess she had claustrophobia issues -- and I pushed the light button on my watch. This calmed her immediately, strangely enough. Then a few people opened up cellphones and it was a brief impromptu light show.
The watch is nice, though, because you've always got it. (As with cameras, guns, and many other things, the one you've got with you is always more important than the one you've left in a drawer at home). It's actually stopped me from buying a more expensive watch, as you can't get the "indiglo" feature on the fancy watches.
MY EARLIER SURVIVAL-KIT POST caused reader Fred Weldon to recommend including toilet paper, which may be in short supply: "After all, if you're gonna eat, you're gonna excrete." Good advice. I do keep a roll in my kits, and also in each car. And Target sells purse- or backpack-convenient mini-rolls, from Charmin. Those also fit nicely in a glove compartment.
Reader Michael Fisher, meanwhile, suggests this kit, and wonders why I didn't mention a gun. Well, I figure most Insta-Readers have their own preferences in that department already.
They probably can't read it, but here's a blackout survival guide. And here are some home generator safety guidelines.
Or you could get one of these, though at this new, higher price (it was 180 bucks when I linked it before) I don't think it's much of a deal. Heck, for that price you can get what looks like a pretty decent little inverter generator, with 1800 watts of clean power.
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