Another great book (#5 in the series) in the 299 Days series has been released, 299 Days: The Visitors.
If you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend it.
The Visitors, the fifth book in the 299 Days series, follows Grant
Matson, the Team, and other Pierce Point residents as they adjust to a
rapidly changing post-Collapse reality. When the Team is summoned to
bust a meth lab and protect their neighbors, they find themselves in an
intense crime scene that results in the community having to decide
innocence, guilt and punishment.
Adjusting to this “new normal”
is a challenge to Grant and others as they navigate a world where
Pop-Tarts cost $45 a box, neighbors die from easily preventable
conditions, and what remains of the former U.S. Government is
deliberately choosing who they will and will not help.
As
tensions grow in Pierce Point and the Team begins to face organized
opposition, they are presented with an incredible opportunity by the
arrival of Special Forces Ted and his game-changing proposal. Grant
finds himself at a crossroads as he must decide whether he and the Team
will formally join the Patriots and train to become guerilla fighters
against the growing forces of the Loyalists or standby and watch events
unfold. Grant knows one decision could risk his marriage and family,
while another would mean letting others decide their fate.
Learn
your area of operations. I was out the other day strolling about and I
realized how well I know my neighborhood and the town that I live in. I
know the streams, ponds, rivers, lakes, creeks and seasonal water. I
know the woods and fields. I bet you could blindfold me set me down
anywhere within a five mile radius and I could point to it on a map.
You should be able to do the same too.
You have to learn you neighborhood well. You should know what wild
foods are edible and where and when they grow. There is only one way to
do it. Walking is best because you see much more than you do driving.
When you are in a car you don’t even notice all of the little hills
that you go over. When you are walking or riding a bike you notice each
and every hill. Similarly, when you are whizzing by at 45 mph you
can’t really check out the landscape, flora and fauna (15 points using
flora & fauna in the same sentence).
When you are walking you’ll begin to notice what the same plant looks
like at different times of the year. I usually walk a lot, but with
the sun setting so early during these short winter days it’s tough.
Still walking is the best way to learn the area. Take your time. Look
around. Really open your eyes. When you see something don’t just look
at it and take it for what what it is, but ask why or why not. Zen.
Keep an eye out for where water may be, places to stash stuff or hide if
need be, places to camp or forage, keep an eye out for things you can
use now or at some time in the future. When you see those red canes
leaning over in the winter remember to come back in the summer for sweet
berries. Figure out where the electrical substations, powerlines,
water and sewage treatment, refineries, chemical plants, factories,
police, hospitals, fire stations, reservoirs all are.
You should own some map books of your state and the surrounding
states. I’m not a big fan of the folding state maps. They’re ok, but
they don’t show enough detail for me.
I
like these Delmore maps by state. They show all the detail you really
need, but it doesn’t list the name of every side street and it’s not a
real detailed topographic map. Delorme maps do have topo lines, roads,
highways, campgrounds, natural and man made attractions, state parks,
recreational areas, lakes, rivers, streams, railroads and trails. You
should own a map book like these Delorme ones for your state and each of
the contiguous (5 points) states. You also need a book for each of the
states that your bug out plans call for you to traverse. Like I said
these map books are great all purpose maps, but for going afield I like
the the old 1:24000 USGS maps. The USGS topo maps are what I use when I
go hiking. They show as much detail as you could ever want. They even
show seasonal water.
If you don’t know how to read a map that is one skill you don’t want
to delay learning. Having a map and knowing how to read it can mean
the difference between sweet, sweet life and a cold and shivering or
gaunt and starving death. GPS units are great, but have a compass and
know how to use it.
The waves are supposed to be 10 foot tall this weekend because of Ida.
Scrapings from a woodpecker. This stuff id light up pretty well with
just a firesteel I bet. You’d never see this pile of sawdust driving
around.
from Modern Survival Blog - surviving hard timesby Ken (MSB)
Emergency Preparedness Kits:
HOW LONG UNTIL HELP OR RECOVERY
You may have to survive on your own after an emergency. This means
having in sufficient quantity, your own food, water and other supplies
because you don’t know if you will get help in hours, days, weeks, or
longer. The disaster will define the emergency response time; meaning
the type and severity will impact the resources and ability to get help
to you.
A typical Prepper will have prepared in some way for disaster
scenarios that could lead to being on your own for a relatively long
period of time. Even if you do not consider yourself a Prepper and are
not so concerned about major collapse scenarios, you can still be
readily prepared for the most common and likely emergency situations by
simply building an emergency preparedness kit that will keep you in
reasonable condition until help or recovery.
Emergency Preparedness Kits:
HOW TO DECIDE WHAT’S INSIDE
When choosing what to include, consider how you would manage without
the basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment,
and telephone for a period of days, or even a week or longer. It’s as
simple as that.
It may not be so simple to get along without those basic services,
but it is simple to analyze and choose what it is that will help you
through it.
Go through the process one at a time. What is it that you do each day
that depends upon… electricity (fill in the blank), and then try to
come up with solutions for your basic needs.
Building emergency preparedness kits can be fun. It is a personal set
of choices that determine what goes inside. In fact, you could build a
kit today, and then build another one in a few months to discover that
you have included some different items.
While I won’t burden this with long lists of items (which can be
found in plenty here on this site and others), it is helpful to look at
the lists of others, many of which will give you great ideas. Start
simple. Something is better than nothing.
Consider the seasons. Add or subtract based on typical weather conditions and changing needs.
Change your water storage every six months as a general rule of thumb. Rotate your food too, especially for car kits.
Emergency Preparedness Kits:
WHERE TO KEEP IT
These kits do not necessarily have to be contained in a pack, case,
bin or other constraint. You could easily keep the items you would need
in your home in locations wherever it makes sense for you. On the other
hand you should seriously consider building a kit that fits in a pack or
bin for the trunk of your vehicle. This could be an additional
emergency preparedness kit that is solely for you car, while you also
keep items at home.
Having a car kit will cover you for while you are at work (assuming
you drive to work), which when you think about it is a significant part
of your day… meaning that you are nearly as likely to encounter a
disaster while at work as when you are at home. This is a serious thing
to think about and may impact what you decide to keep in your car kit.
If you commute to work with someone else or take public
transportation, you should tailor an emergency preparedness kit that you
keep at work, and one that fits on your person or inside a
shoulder bag or briefcase that you typically carry around with you. This
will require special thought with regards to items of practicality
versus bulk, weight, and carry-ability.
I personally like the idea of the ordinary backpack / shoulder pack
for simple emergency preparedness kits because it’s easy to grab and go,
and it is easy to carry if you have to walk out. Even if you are
building a serious kit for home which involves lots of items, bulk and
weight, it remains a good idea to keep a bug out bag at the ready
(although having one in your car may negate this necessity).
So what are you waiting for? Start building yours today!
One
of your first lines of defense is the exterior of your home. Here are
25 questions to answer about the exterior of your home to judge what
kind of message your home is sending to potential burglars/et al:
Do you have your name on your mailbox? If so, take it off so that
strangers who come up to your door won't be able to address you by name
as part of a ruse.
Do you have a locked mailbox and/or only send mail via a secured
mail box? Mail theft is still one of the easiest ways to steal an
identity. By securing your mail as much as possible you can deter this
type of theft.
Is your house number clearly visible from the street? On the other
hand, you do want to be able to call for emergency aid and have them
respond to your house as quickly as possible; a clear address will
assist with this.
Do you have favorable landscaping in front of lower level windows?
Rose bushes, cacti, and other spiky plants will deter burglars from
breaking in through lower level windows in your house.
Is all overgrowth and debris removed from the areas surrounding your
home? This will not only help block wildfires but will also discourage
people from stealing your unsecured property and/or providing
concealment for lurkers.
Do you dispose of packaging from various high end items (TVs,
computers, etc) somewhere other than at the curb for your weekly garbage
pick up? Leaving this type of packaging laying around outside your
home lets potential burglars know what kind of items you keep inside
your home.
Do you have adequate lighting all around your home? With the flip
of a switch you should be able to illuminate all of the areas around
your home.
Are exterior stairs and walkways secure and free of debris? This is
more for your benefit as it will provide a safe place for you to walk
and avoid falls.
Are all upstairs windows inaccessible from the outside? This means
no trellis or trees that would allow someone to crawl up and into your
home.
Do you keep all outside property secured? This means no keys left
in the truck or the tractor, all motorcycle and bicycles locked up when
not in use, etc.
Do you have a garden hose and fire extinguisher easily accessible
from outside? These items are useful for fighting unexpected fires.
Does the outside of your home look well maintained? Sloppy
landscaping and a generally unkempt look can make you home look
unoccupied and be an invitation to burglars.
Do you have an exterior security system complete with remote access
cameras? This type of system can be very useful for both discouraging
thieves AND for identifying them after the fact.
Do you regularly inspect large trees in your yard and remove them if
they are in poor condition? Better to take down sick and dying trees
on your timetable rather than to wait for a storm to do it for you.
Are your outbuilding secured? Outbuildings often contain tools,
spare gasoline, and other valuable items that thieves are looking for.
Is your property fenced? This is a small deterrent but a deterrent nonetheless, to keep out unwanted people.
Do you walk your property regularly to check for problems that need
to be fixed? By walking your property regularly you will notice when
fences need to be repaired, when shrubbery begins to look over grown,
etc.
Do you have warning signs posted? No trespassing and beware of dog
signs let people know you are serious about protecting your property.
Does your home look "lived in" both during the day and at night? By
having a car parked in the driveway it makes people think someone is
home during the day. By having interior lights go on and off at various
times during the evening, it makes your home look like it is occupied
whether it is or not.
Do you always close and lock doors when you enter or leave the house
(including the garage door)? Leaving doors and windows unlocked or
leaving the garage door wide open all day is an invitation to have your
home burgled.
Do you hide a spare key outside just in case someone in your family
forgets theirs? Burglars know where all of the hiding spots are so this
is yet another open invitation to have your home burglarized.
Do you keep your drapes or blinds set so that it will make it
difficult for people to see into your home from the outside? No use
leaving all of the valuable items in your home on open display
for anyone who walks by.
Do you make arrangement for package pick up/drop off? A note on the
door telling the delivery person that you work from 8am to 5pm does
nothing for your packages or your home security.
When you go on vacation do you have someone to pick up you mail/the
newspaper as well as ensure your home remains secure and the yard is
mowed? If you are gone for an extended period, it is a good idea to
have an actual person coming around regularly to check on your home.
Do all family members abide by the rule to not talk about the items
your family owns (guns, gold, etc) as well as not talk about vacation
plans or other times that your home will be unoccupied? Blabbing about
valuables in a home can make you a victim of either burglary or home
invasion.
*Edit: There is now a paperback version of this great book available.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just became aware of a new book,Getting Home, that is currently on sale in Kindle form for .99
I've lately been reading many fiction books along the same concept & will be giving this non-fiction one a read.
Get it before it goes back up to full price.
What will you do when disaster strikes? How will you get home to your family? What should you have with you to survive?
Getting Home addresses these, and many more questions.
Written
in a clear and concise manner, with the reader that has beginning or
intermediate knowledge of survival and disaster preparedness in mind,
Getting Home explores the following topics:
1. Creating a robust Every Day Carry (EDC) kit 2. Supplementing your EDC with a Daypack (DP) 3. What to store in your office (or other facility while you are away from home) 4. Selecting and outfitting your vehicle 5. Selecting and outfitting a Get Home Bag (GHB) 6. Creating Caches 7. Getting Home: Tips and Tactics for Survival
