Washington Preppers Network

Food Prices In the NW

2012-01-30T07:48:00.000-08:00

A trip to the supermarket can give you a serious case of sticker shock these days! How do food prices here in the NW compare to those in other regions of the U.S.?

Thanks to Happy Prepper for starting the discussion!

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Tips and Tricks for Storing Rice and Beans

2012-01-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

There are multiple schools of thought on how to store rice, beans, wheat etc. See how these preppers package rice and beans!

Thanks to 3ADScout for starting the thread on APN!

food storage, home food storage, preparedness, rice, beans, lentils, food packaging, mylar food bags, absorbers, bucket, long term food

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National Defense Authorization Act...

2012-01-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

If you have been watching the National Defense Authorization Act, you probably know that it was signed by President Obama on 12/31/2011. Here's what people think of this legislation!

Thanks to Oregon Dreamer for posting the topic at APN!
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Shift Happens!

2011-12-19T22:11:00.000-08:00

I lived and worked in San Francisco for several years in the Seventies and, like most residents, I shrugged off the dire warnings from friends and family members outside the area as to my imminent demise in an earthquake.

As it happened, my daily grind was never interrupted even once by the smallest of tremors, setting the stage for me to continue the normalcy bias in regards to preparing for one -- even after moving to the Olympia area and being subjected to a new set of doom-and-gloom predictions about The Big One overdue in the Cascadian Subduction Zone off our coastline.

Then I stumbled upon Home Facts, a realtor tool for assessing hazards before purchasing any kind of real estate. Just for grins, I typed in my little town to see what new worries I should obsess about in my ongoing efforts to prepare. Let’s see – there’s an A for the Crime Index, an 8.5 out of 10 for Air Quality, a Low rating for Radon Levels, another A on Tornado Risk, and – OMG! – a D-minus for Earthquake Risk!

Frowning, I clicked on the details:

“The USGS database shows that there is an 86.349% chance of a major earthquake within 50 kilometers of this location within the next 50 years.”

And that missing sense of urgency suddenly blossomed in my mind at last. Fifty years in geologic time is a mere nanosecond, and 86% is too close to 100% for comfort. I NEEDED TO PREP FOR AN EARTHQUAKE AS IF IT WERE A SHTF EVENT!

All I remembered from my school days was the old duck-and-cover routine until the ground stopped shaking. However, now I had all my preps to worry about, and they could hardly do the same thing, lol.

So what could I do to maximize both my physical safety and the survival of all my supplies? I started listing some ideas after a whole-house walk-through:

Strap heavy furniture, TVs, appliances, and the hot water heater to the walls.
Add latches to all cabinets.
Secure lighting fixtures and wall hangings.
Use putty adhesive under knick-knacks and other breakables and collectibles.
Add shelf “lips” to keep glass jars and cans in place
Keep BOV gassed up and full of supplies separate from the house

What have you done, or what can you add to this list? If you live in western Washington, the time is NOW to prepare for a big earthquake.

Now if I could just get that percentage out of my head when I’m strolling on the beach, staring out to sea and looking for that incoming tsunami…

A BIG thank you to GoldenOldie for submitting this article!

Comment by GoldenOldie:

Color me shocked but it appears the experts have not reached a consensus on that high percentage for a Big Quake that burned a hole in my brain: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/12/despite_an_unusual_run_of_gian.html "The risks of a subduction zone quake differ from north to south. In the northern segment, Goldfinger's group also puts the odds at 10 to 15 percent during the next 50 years. Quakes originating there tend to rupture the full length of the subduction zone, he says. In southern Oregon and Northern California, quakes along the subduction zone appear to strike more frequently."
The odds look a little better now where I'm located, but I'm still going full speed ahead on those quake mitigation ideas -- just like a prudent PNW prepper should do. :)
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How Much Food Should You Have Stored Up?

2011-12-12T21:57:00.000-08:00

In prepper terms, "too much is not nearly enough"! For those starting out in the preparedness lifestyle, it's just one #10 can at a time, an extra toothbrush here, a couple oil lamps there and before you know it you're well on your way to self sufficiency! If you are frugal and have a fair bit of drive, you can avoid the mad rush at the local grocery when a natural disaster strikes (or worse)...
Click HERE to see what other preppers are doing to prepare.

Thanks to jimmyjr for starting the topic on APN!

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Small Scale Solar for Preppers!

2011-12-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

Want to run some LED lights or maybe keep a dorm room sized fridge going in a grid down situation? See how these folks are keeping the lights on with solar power!

Thanks to kelly for starting the topic on APN!
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How to Prioritize for the New Prepper

2011-11-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

If you are new to prepping, your brain is probably in overdrive mode! There certainly is alot to think about: food, water, home security, financial security, medical needs, tools and the list goes on and on. Here's how to prioritize your preps!

Thanks to Conscious for starting the topic on APN!

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Anxiety About the Unknown!

2011-11-21T07:31:00.000-08:00

You don't need to be a Wall Street Broker to see how bad the economy has become. For many, it's a struggle to just keep a roof over their head, a car on the road and food in their belly! See how Preppers deal with the anxiety of everyday life.

Thanks to ILprep4 for starting the thread on APN!

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Prepping for Folks with Type 1 Diabetes

2011-11-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

Diabetes can be hard enough to live with under normal circumstances. Planning to survive a SHTF scenario with diabetes is really tough, but definately doable!

Thanks to PathAcross for starting the thread on APN!

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Tools you Need for SHTF

2011-10-24T07:58:00.001-07:00

Preppers know that water is life-giving and that food will be a precious commodity during hard/traumatic times. What about household tools and basic construction materials? Without the "big box stores" to turn to, it would be prudent to start prepping the garage too!

Thanks to RevLong for starting the topic on APN!
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"Bird Flu Expert" Gives Clear Warning!

2011-09-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

Now that summer is winding down, you can bet that cold and flu season is just around the corner...

Thanks to ReadyMom for starting the conversation!
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What State Is "Safe" For Bugging Out To?

2011-09-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

If a natural (or man made) catastrophe occurs in your region and you MUST leave your home, where would you bug out to?

Thanks to craftyone for starting the thread on APN!

bug out, bugging out, bol, B.O.L., cabin in the woods, the hills, hide out, prepper, preppers, off grid, opsec location, tshtf, natural disaster

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Skyrocketing Food Prices!

2011-08-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

Unless you are blind, deaf AND living in a hole in the forest, you can't help but notice how expensive a trip to the local grocery store is becoming... See how these folks are offsetting the costs!

Thanks to somuchtodo for starting the topic!

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The Building Blocks for Surviving!

2011-08-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

Having a solid foundation for survival is essential to any prepper!

Thanks to "Wolverine" from Michigan for writing the article.

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What do YOU do to keep cool in the summer heat?

2011-07-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

With such weird weather happening all over the United States right now, what are some of the ways YOU keep cool?

Thanks to somuchtodo for starting the conversation!

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Preparedness Expo in Spokane, Washington

2011-07-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to Idaho Bob for bringing this to our attention:

There will be an Sustainable Preparedness Expo, at the Fairgrounds, in Spokane, on July 31.

http://www.sustainablepreparedness.com/

Should we Raise the Debt Ceiling?

2011-07-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

Lots of talk going on right now about raising the debt ceiling.

Thanks to The_blackenvelope for starting the discussion!

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Making Sprouts from Seeds

2011-07-05T07:39:00.001-07:00

Almost all seeds sprout into something edible. What's YOUR take on it?

Thanks to Sbsion at APN for starting the discussion!
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Cleaning 5 Gallon Buckets for Food Storage

2011-06-27T06:11:00.000-07:00

You want to reuse those 5 gallon buckets for food storage, but they have residue from the pickles or soy sause they once contained. How do you get them clean enough to store preps in? These folks have the answer!

Thanks to rollie66 for starting the thread on APN!

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Lightening Safety Tips

2011-06-20T09:02:00.001-07:00

Electrical storms can produce severe problems for certain regions here in the U.S..

Thanks to Itsadisaster for posting the thread on American Preppers Network!

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A New Way to Look at the Grocery Store!

2011-06-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

Frustrated by high prices at your local grocery store? See how these folks are doing something about it!

Thanks to Ann28816

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Preparedness Expo - June 18th - Evergreen, Montana

2011-06-12T14:49:00.001-07:00

Mark your calendars! The Flathead Liberty Bell is sponsoring a Preparedness Expo on Saturday June, 18 from 10am - 8pm featuring Resources and Workshops to Help You Prepare for the Unexpected
Address:
Valley Victory Church (in the gym)
315 East Evergreen
Evergreen, Montana
Admission: $5.00
12 and under: FREE!

http://flatheadlibertybell.com/scheduled-events.shtml

Crime Statistics in America by City

2011-06-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

The main stream media always seems to say that crime trends are lower overall in America. Not according to this report...
Thanks to Peachesncream for starting the thread!

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Solar Flares and CME's, Oh My!

2011-05-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

As if we didn't have enough to worry about... Solar storms are predicted to peak by 2013.

Thanks to ReadyMom for starting the thread @ APN!

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The Skyrocketing Price of Food!

2011-05-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

You see the prices going up at the local grocery store, but just how high have food prices soared?

Thanks to Crusis for starting the thread!

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Prepping Your Pantry vs. Paying Off Debt

2011-05-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Most of us have some sort of debt. A car note, plastic card, other loans etc. Throw in a high fuel bill and skyrocketing food costs and the average hardworking American finds themselves struggling! Here's how you become self reliant, store up food AND get out of debt at the same time?

Thanks to highwayman2000 for starting the thread!
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The Value of Survival Silver

2011-05-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

Silver has been all over the map recently. How will it work as a tool of surviving these tough economic times?

Thanks to VirtualPrepper for starting the discussion!

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Nuclear Radiation Emergencies and Links

2011-05-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

With everything going on in Japan right now, coupled with past accidents and any upcoming nuclear events, it is wise to have knowledge of how to deal with nuclear radiation!

Thanks to ReadyMom for the links!
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What Type of Things Will You Barter in a Downturned Economy?

2011-04-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

With prices going up across the board, what types of items and services will people barter with if the economy goes further south, or worse yet, if the trucks stop rolling?

Thanks to Chevyguy for starting the discussion!
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Grocery Bill's are Getting a Little Out of Hand...

2011-04-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Smaller packaging, bigger packaging with less contents, bigger packaging with the same weight of contents. No matter what ploy they use to save a buck, we all see it at the check out line! See what these folks are saying about skyrocketing food prices. Thanks to Justamom for starting the discussion! ------------------------------------------ Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net Visit the Washington Forum at www.WashingtonPreppersNetwork.net

Dehydrating Your Food for Storage!

2011-04-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

A great kitchen gadget is the food dehydrator. Pantry space is a problem for most folks. Shrinking your food can only help! Thanks to Brescon for starting the thread on dehydrating! ------------------------------------------ Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net Visit the Washington Forum at www.WashingtonPreppersNetwork.net

Nuclear Materials in U.S. Rainwater

2011-04-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Since the earthquake/tsunami and subsequent nuclear facility woes in Japan, there has been alot of talk about the effects on rainwater here in the U.S. Thanks to cityhomesteader for starting the discussion! ------------------------------------------ Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net Visit the Washington Forum at www.WashingtonPreppersNetwork.net

The Value of Silver when TSHTF...

2011-03-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

In the event of a total meltdown of our economy, or maybe just our own personal financial crunch, what role would silver play? Thanks to VirtualPrepper for starting the discussion! ------------------------------------------ Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net Visit the Washington Forum at www.WashingtonPreppersNetwork.net

#10 Cans of Food Available at WalMart?

2011-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

I had no idea that #10 cans of preparedness foods could be found at WalMart.

Thanks to Beautiful Mind for starting the discussion.
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Will Japanese Nuclear Radiation Hit the West Coast?

2011-03-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

With multiple nuclear reactors suffering damage by the massive 8.9 earthquake, is it possible that radiation could affect the west coast of the United States? Some say it's possible, while others say it's unlikely. Here's what other preppers are saying about it!

Thanks to NVA for starting the thread!

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Tsunami Safety Tips

2011-03-11T08:13:00.001-08:00

Tsunami Safety Tips
From Janet Liebsch
Website: "It's a Disaster and What are You Gonna Do about it?"

A tsunami [soo-nah´-mee] is a series of huge, destructive waves caused by an undersea disturbance from an earthquake, volcano, landslide, or even a meteorite. As the waves approach the shallow coastal waters, they appear normal and the speed decreases. Then, as the tsunami nears the coastline, it turns into a gigantic, forceful wall of water that smashes into the shore with speeds exceeding 600 miles per hour (965 km/h)! Usually tsunamis are about 20 feet (6 m) high, but extreme ones can get as high as 100 feet (30 m) or more!

A tsunami is a series of waves and the first wave may not be the largest one, plus the danger can last for many hours after the first wave hits. During the past 100 years, more than 200 tsunamis have been recorded in the Pacific Ocean due to earthquakes and Japan has suffered a majority of them.

The Pacific Ocean tsunami warning system was put in place back in 1949. As of June 2006, the Indian Ocean has a tsunami warning system, and NOAA expanded the Pacific system to include the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and areas of the Atlantic around the U.S. coast as of mid-2007.

Did you know...

...a tsunami is not a tidal wave - it has nothing to do with the tide?!

...another name used to describe a tsunami is “harbor wave”

...“tsu” means harbor and “nami” means wave in Japanese?!

...sometimes the ocean floor is exposed near the shore since a tsunami can cause the water to recede or move back before slamming in to shore?!

...tsunamis can travel up streams and rivers that lead to the ocean?!

BEFORE A TSUNAMI:

Learn the buzzwords - Learn words used by both the West Coast / Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC - for AK, BC, CA, OR, and WA) and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC - for international authorities, HI and all U.S. territories within Pacific basin) for tsunami threats...
• Advisory - an earthquake has occurred in the Pacific basin which might generate a tsunami
• Watch - a tsunami was or may have been generated, but is at least 2 hours travel time from Watch area
• Warning - a tsunami was / may have been generated and could cause damage to Warning area - should evacuate

Learn risks - If new to area, call local emergency management office and ask what the warning signals are and what to do when you hear them. Coastal areas less than 25 feet above sea level and within a mile of shoreline along coasts are at greatest risk. Or visit http://www.tsunamiready.noaa.gov

Make a plan - Develop a Family Emergency Plan (e.g. establish meeting places, list of emergency contact #s, out of state contact person, etc) and Disaster Supplies Kits/BOBs.

Listen - Make sure you have a battery-operated radio (with spare batteries) for weather forecasts and updates. (Radios like Environment Canada’s Weatheradio and NOAA’s Weather Radio have a tone-alert feature that automatically alerts you when a Watch or Warning has been issued.)

Water signs - If near water or shore, watch for a noticeable rise or fall in the normal depth of coastal water - that’s advance warning of a tsunami so get to high ground. Also - if water pulls away from shoreline and exposes sea floor - run to higher ground ASAP!!

Feeling shaky...? - If you feel an earthquake in the Pacific Coast area (from Alaska down to Baja), listen to the radio for tsunami warnings.

Is that it...? - Don’t be fooled by the size of one wave - more will follow and they could get bigger … and a small tsunami at one beach can be a giant wave a few miles away!

Be ready to evacuate - Listen to local authorities and leave if you are told to evacuate.

DURING A TSUNAMI:

Leave - If you are told to evacuate, DO IT! Remember - a tsunami is a series of waves - the first one may be small but who knows what the rest will bring. Grab your BOB/Disaster Supplies Kit and GO!

IF ON OR NEAR SHORE - Get off the shore and get to higher ground quickly! Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean since tsunamis can travel up them too. You cannot outrun a tsunami ... if you see the wave it’s too late!

IF ON A BOAT - It depends where you are -- either get to land or go
further out to sea ...

• In port - May not have time to get out of port or harbor and out to sea - check with authorities to see what you should do. Smaller boats may want to dock and get passengers and crew to land quickly.

• In open ocean - DO NOT return to port if a tsunami warning has been issued since wave action is barely noticeable in the open ocean! Stay out in open sea or ocean until authorities advise danger has passed.

Don’t go there - Do NOT try to go down to the shoreline to watch and don’t be fooled by size of one wave - more will follow and they could get bigger so continue listening to radio and TV.

AFTER A TSUNAMI:

Listen - Whether on land or at sea, local authorities will advise when it is safe to return to the area -- keep listening to radio and TV updates.

Watch out - Look for downed power lines, flooded areas and other damage caused by the waves.

Don’t go in there - Try to stay out of buildings or homes that are damaged until it is safe to enter and wear sturdy work boots and gloves when working in the rubble.

Strange critters – Be aware that the waves may bring in many critters from the ocean (marine life) so watch out for pinchers and stingers!

RED or GREEN sign in window – After a disaster, Volunteers and Emergency Service personnel may go door-to-door to check on people. By placing a sign in your window that faces the street near the door, you can let them know if you need them to STOP HERE or MOVE ON.
Either use a piece of RED or GREEN construction paper or draw a big RED or GREEN “X” (using a crayon or marker) on a piece of paper and tape it in the window.
-- RED means STOP HERE!
-- GREEN means EVERYTHING IS OKAY…MOVE ON!
-- Nothing in the window would also mean STOP HERE!

Insurance - If your home suffers any damage, contact your insurance agent and keep all receipts for clean-up and repairs.

Mold - Consider asking a restoration professional to inspect your house for mold. Also check out http://www.epa.gov/mold

Some additional things to check and do...
- Check electrical system (watch for sparks, broken wires or the smell of hot insulation)
- Check appliances after turning off electricity at main fuse and, if wet, unplug and let them dry out. Call a professional to check them before using.
- Check water and sewage system and, if pipes are damaged, turn off main water valve.
- Throw out food, makeup and medicines that may have been exposed to flood waters and check refrigerated foods to see if they are spoiled. If frozen foods have ice crystals in them then okay to refreeze.
- Throw out moldy items that are porous (like rotten wood, carpet padding, furniture, etc.) if they’re too difficult to clean and remove mold. Remove standing water and scrub moldy surfaces with non-ammonia soap or detergent, or a commercial cleaner, rinse with clean water and dry completely. Then use a mixture of 1 part bleach to 10 parts clean water to wipe down surfaces or items, rinse and dry.
- Secure valuable items or move them to another location, if possible

Above extracted from IT'S A DISASTER! book (proceeds benefit APN)

Additional resources...

West Coast / Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC - for AK, BC, CA, OR, and WA) http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC - for international authorities, HI and all U.S. territories within Pacific basin) http://www.weather.gov/ptwc/

TsunamiReady:
http://www.tsunamiready.noaa.gov/

CDC's Tsunami page:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/

Flood safety tips thread on APN:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=634&t=824

Earthquakes mitigation & safety tips discussion on APN:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=634&t=7288

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Tsunami Warning

2011-03-11T07:56:00.001-08:00

From: the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center:

To: U.S. West Coast, Alaska, and British Columbia coastal regions
From: NOAA/NWS/West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
Subject: Tsunami Warning and Advisory #10 issued 03/11/2011 at 6:47AM PST

The advisory and warning regions remain the same. New observations are listed below.

The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of California and Oregon from Point Concepcion, California to the Oregon-Washington border.

The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of Alaska from Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak) to Attu, Alaska.

The Tsunami Advisory continues in effect for the coastal areas of California from the California-Mexico border to Point Concepcion, California.

The Tsunami Advisory continues in effect for the coastal areas of Washington, British Columbia and Alaska from the Oregon-Washington border to Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak).

A Tsunami Warning means that all coastal residents in the warning area who are near the beach or in low-lying regions should move immediately inland to higher ground and away from all harbors and inlets including those sheltered directly from the sea. Those feeling the earth shake, seeing unusual wave action, or the water level rising or receding may have only a few minutes before the tsunami arrival and should move immediately. Homes and small buildings are not designed to withstand tsunami impacts. Do not stay in these structures.

All residents within the warned area should be alert for instructions broadcast from their local civil authorities. A tsunami has been recorded.

A Tsunami Advisory means that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to persons in or very near the water is expected. Significant, widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory. Currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival.

At 9:46 PM Pacific Standard Time on March 10, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 8.9 occurred near the east coast of Honshu, Japan . (Refer to the United States Geological Survey for official earthquake parameters.) This earthquake has generated a tsunami which could cause damage to coastal regions in a warning or advisory. Estimated tsunami arrival times and maps along with safety rules and other information can be found on the WCATWC web site.

Measurements or reports of tsunami activity:

 Location                   Lat.   Lon.    Time        Amplitude
 ------------------------  -----  ------  -------     ----------- Shemya  AK                52.7N  174.1E  1130UTC   05.1FT/01.56M
 Adak  AK                  51.9N  176.6W  1223UTC   01.8FT/00.56M
 Midway Is.  USA           28.2N  177.4W  1044UTC   05.1FT/01.55M
 Wake Is.  USA             19.3N  166.6E  0918UTC   01.7FT/00.52M
 Dutch Harbor  AK          53.9N  166.5W  1134UTC   01.6FT/00.48M
 Naha  Japan               26.2N  127.7E  1022UTC   01.6FT/00.49M
 Nikolski  AK              52.9N  168.9W  1342UTC   01.9FT/00.59M
 French Frigate Shoals     23.5N  166.2W  1334UTC   01.8FT/00.56M
 St Paul Is.  AK           57.1N  170.3W  1225UTC   02.0FT/00.61M
 Sand Point  AK            55.3N  160.5W  1347UTC   01.1FT/00.35M
 Nawiliwili Kauai  HI      22.0N  159.4W  1344UTC   02.5FT/00.76M
 Barbers Point  HI         21.5N  158.0W  1312UTC   02.3FT/00.70M
 Honolulu Oahu  HI         21.3N  157.9W  1316UTC   02.2FT/00.66M
 Kahului Maui  HI          20.9N  156.5W  1331UTC   05.7FT/01.74M
 Hilo  HI                  19.7N  155.1W  1343UTC   03.4FT/01.04M

Time - Time of measurement.
Amp. - Tsunami amplitudes are measured relative to normal sea level. It is NOT crest-to-trough wave height. Values are given in both meters (M) and feet (FT).

TSUNAMI AMPLITUDES ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK TWO TO THREE HOURS AFTER INITIAL ARRIVAL ALONG THE NORTH AMERICAN COAST. FORECAST TSUNAMI AMPLITUDES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE WCATWC WEB SITE WCATWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV. THE TSUNAMI CCONTINUES TO IMPACT THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. THE OBSERVATIONS FROM THESE INITIAL WAVES MAY NOT REPRESENT THE HIGHEST IMPACT.
Tsunamis can be dangerous waves that are not survivable. Wave heights are amplified by irregular shoreline and are difficult to forecast. Tsunamis often appear as a strong surge and may be preceded by a receding water level. Mariners in water deeper than 600 feet should not be affected by a tsunami. Wave heights will increase rapidly as water shallows. Tsunamis are a series of ocean waves which can be dangerous for several hours after the initial wave arrival. DO NOT return to evacuated areas until an all clear is given by local civil authorities.

Pacific coastal regions outside California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska should refer to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center messages for information on the event.

This message will be updated in 60 minutes or sooner if the situation warrants. (For updates please go to the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center:) The tsunami message will remain in effect until further notice. For further information stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, your local TV or radio stations, or see the WCATWC web site.

Link to Standard Warning Message
Link to Public Warning Message
Link to XML/CAP Message
Link to Printable Message

Download these free Tsunami Survival and Preparedness manuals from www.FreeSurvivalDisk.com

- Fact Sheet - Tsunami

- Tsunami

Washington Preppers Roll Call - All Preppers Please Check In

2011-03-07T06:50:00.000-08:00

The American Preppers Network is conducting a network-wide roll call. Whether you are a member or not please check in and let us know what you are doing to prepare.

This is a good opportunity to network with other preppers near you.

Washington Preppers, to respond to the roll call please follow this link:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=383&t=9289

Reply to the Roll Call and let us know what you have been doing to prepare.

If you are not yet a member of the forum you can register here for free:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

Diatomaceous Earth

2011-03-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

Into gardening? Got pests you want to naturally get rid of? Learn all about diatomaceous earth @ APN!

Thanks to freedomfox for starting the thread!

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Washington Survival Snow Shoeing & Cave Building

2011-03-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

Snow shoeing in the NW, day trip to build a snow cave and make a camp fire. And try out our gear and packs for our 2 night trip that is approaching. I was accompanied on this trip by JasonJasonJason1, here is his vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa2XPY...

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Modern Firearms Theory for when the SHTF!

2011-02-21T22:23:00.000-08:00

Come join the discussion on modern firearm theory!

Thanks to gun papa for starting the thread.
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It's Time to Talk Generators!

2011-02-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

The more thought and planning you put into your generator purchase now, the less scrambling you will be doing when the power goes out!

Thanks to Railbuggy2300 for the link and pictures!

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EMERGENCY FIELD DENTISTRY COURSE

2011-02-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

A North American renowned Emergency Field Dental Surgeon and currently practicing DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery of 29 years) from Tennessee, USA has been retained and scheduled to instruct a “ONE TIME” two day course on “Emergency Field Dental procedures”.

This class will cover all aspects of Field Dentistry with hands-on instruction on several aspects such as types of fillings and how to do them, dental anesthesia, extracting teeth, what equipment to use and how to get it. The student will get the unheard of chance to fill cavities, replace broken or missing crowns, extract teeth and use a high speed dental drill. The drill is the same type used in any dental office. Several years ago this Dental specialist was asked if he could convert the air turbine drill he uses to run off a simple compressed air tank which could be recharged with a bicycle air pump. He did and we now use EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) / Electricity grid down proof high speed dental drills. All students will be given the chance to practice dental procedures on models and have plenty of time to have all questions answered by our guest Dental Field Surgeon! All Course Materials and guides will be provided as part of the course fee.

Until NOW this course has only been offered in the Southern United States on a very limited basis.

DON’T MISS THIS AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE YOUR SKILLS AND PREPARE!

WHEN – MAY 5 & MAY 6 of 2011 - Class begins @ 8 am – 5pm - 1 hour lunch break

WHERE – “The South Country Inn” Conference Room located in Cardston, Alberta

COST - $ 400.00 CDN / STUDENT

Class Space is extremely limited (25 students CANADA WIDE) and offered on a First Come, First Served Basis. This course WILL NOT be offered again! All Class Registrations must be PRE-RESERVED AND PAID IN FULL by March 15, 2011 in order to guarantee a spot otherwise spots will be sold to those on the waiting list.

Registration payments can be made via Major Credit Card or Cash ONLY.

To register please contact Kara–Lyn or Dan @ (403) 915-2685

Opinions on Water Filters

2011-02-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Are you contemplating a new water treatment solution for your house? Here's some opinions from end users!

Thanks to Cajun_Daddys_girl for starting the topic on APN!
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Learn to Make Bread at Home!

2011-01-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

Learn how to make bread at home.

Thanks to TheSurvivalMom and her excellent blog work!

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Extreme Coupon Shopping!

2011-01-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

If you have the time and inclination, you too can find extreme bargains like these folks do. Enter extreme couponing.

Thanks to Belle for starting the thread!

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Packaging Pasta for Long Term Storage

2011-01-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

Do you know how to package pasta for long term storage? These folks do!
Thanks to Jimbo for starting the thread!
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Fuel to $5 preps

2010-12-30T23:14:00.000-08:00

Post by: imtnt1

So a couple big analysts are predicting fuel will hit $5/gallon by 2012. It hurt pretty bad when it was just $4.25 last time, but with the additional WA state gas taxes, it could easily be higher inland (not to mention the current state of fuel being trucked inland due to the 14 week lock closures on the river). We've considered food a good hedge since it will obviously go up in price to compensate for transportation expenses, making it a good thing to buy now. How else are you local WA preppers tweaking your preps to deal with the anticipated fuel increases?

To comment to this post please follow this link:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=384&t=7222

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Alternative Home Heating Methods

2010-12-22T07:42:00.000-08:00

Do you have more than one way to keep your home heated? These preppers do!

Thanks to MudMaiden for starting the buzz!
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Avoiding Java Jitters During TEOTWAKI!

2010-12-12T21:50:00.000-08:00

About 2 years ago I found myself standing in front of the wall of coffee in my local grocery store. I noticed immediately that the price of a pound of coffee was higher than ever. I decided at that very moment to do something about it! I knew that somebody had to roast the coffee, so why couldn't I do it too?!
I went online and started researching the "how, what, when, where and why" of coffee. Coffee is grown all over the world. Many factors go into the flavor that make up the green (unroasted) coffee bean: soil type, climate, age of the plants etc.
No matter who grew the beans or where they were grown, I quickly found vendors that were eager to sell me their unroasted coffee. I find it very cool that I can order beans from Columbia in my office in Seattle and a week later they arrive on my porch!
Upon first inspection, green coffee is much different from any store bought coffee I have ever seen (think popcorn kernals vs. popcorn). Green coffee beans are very very hard and quite a bit smaller than roasted beans and usually have a pale green complexion.
More online research led me to several ebay auctions for "home coffee roasting equipment". Much of the home coffee roasting equipment is fairly expensive, especially considering what you get. I settled on a design that utilizes a drum that attached to the spit rod of any standard gas BBQ grille. I bought a small sheet of perforated stainless steel. I rolled this into a cylinder. I made up 3 L-brackets that are the same length as the cylinder. I used a drill with a 1/16" drill bit and rivets to secure the L-brackets inside the cylinder at equal spacing.
Once the brackets are secured and the overlapped edges of the cylinder have been riveted, I concentrated on the ends. I cut a circle from another sheet of stainless steel that was just bigger in diameter than the cylinder. I attached the disc to the end of the cylinder with small L-brackets and rivets. The other end I cut out the same oversized disc and used hi temp springs that attach to small holes drilled in the edges of the disc. With a pair of needlnosed pliars, I carefully curved the ends of the springs so they would fit in the holes of the cylinder with good tension.

I measured the diameter of the spit rod with a caliper and carefully drilled out a hole in the center of the disc on the "fixed" end. I slid the spitrod into the hole and lined up and marked where the 4 sharp "prongs" touched the disc. I used a drill bit slightly larger than prongs to make 4 holes in the disc. I repeated those steps for the removable lid and voila! One homemade BBQ roasting drum was made.
Since I had never roasted coffee before, I had several trial and errors (mostly errors) before I found a good combination of flame and time and amount of beans to get that rich dark roast. For my Jenn Air stainless grille, it takes 3/4 turn on all 3 burner knobs, basket slightly less than half full and about 28 minutes to get a good medium/dark roast. More trial and error taught me to let the entire set up cool down for atleast 25 minutes before handling it without hi-temp gloves.
Once the assembly is cooled sufficiently, you can remove the drum from the rod and open the top. I simply dump the beans onto a cookie sheet and let it sit overnight on the countertop in the kitchen. The smell is incredibly wonderful! Even folks who don't like the taste of coffee usually like the aroma. Coffee is optimally fresh for about 7-10 days, then the vapors will have released from the beans and the taste degredation is noticeable! Most of the coffee in the grocery stores are flavored. I suspect it is to mask the fact that it isn't optimally fresh...
Green coffee beans can stay years and years without going bad as long as moisture stays out of the packaging. Only after roasting will the beans start emitting their essential oils. In a pinch, you could use a popcorn basket and shake the beans gently over an open flame until they crack. When they have started cracking a second time you need to pay particular attention to the color. I HAVE made charBQ coffee before. I don't recommend it to anyone.
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Welcome New Washington Members

2010-12-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome New Member:

BCZ

New guy here. Live in Redmond. Been around awhile, currently pretty active on the Survival Forumns on AR15.com.

Please welcome our newest member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=383&t=6408

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Storing Water at Home.

2010-12-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

Want to start stocking up on water at your home?
Thanks to Lamb on the APN site for starting the discussion!

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Washington Preppers Roll Call

2010-11-27T10:56:00.001-08:00

The Washington Preppers Network is conducting a Roll Call on our forum. If you are a prepper please check in.

* Here is a link to the Roll Call:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=383&t=6171

You have to be registered to check in. If you aren't registered please join here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

* If you are a HAM Radio Operator check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=6219

* If you are an A.N.T.S. member please check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=618&t=6220

Missile Launch On The West Coast?

2010-11-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

Was it a jet airplane? A rocket? An ICBM? Read all about it HERE

Thanks to tsparks2626 for starting the conversation!
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Solar Flares!

2010-11-07T20:54:00.000-08:00

Lots of talk about solar flares going on!

Thanks to JackieP for starting the topic

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Vinegar And It's Many Uses!

2010-11-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

We all know what it tastes like.... But there are many facets to this pungent fluid called vinegar...

Thanks to PeteJr for starting the discussion!
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Getting Your Vehicle 72 Hour Kit Fixed Up!

2010-10-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

With winter approaching, it's time to get your vehicle prepped with a 72 hour kit

Thanks to ReadyMom for starting the thread!

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Baking Your Own Bread

2010-10-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Can't decipher the ingredients in that store bought loaf of bread? Why not try baking your own bread at home? It's cheap, wholesome, and tastes much better!

Thanks to Edea1976 for starting the discussion on the American Preppers Network

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Welcome New Members

2010-10-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome new Washington members:

spook89

Retired Army Spook, living in the Northwest. Not much to say, except it's raining and I'm bored stiff!

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5905&sid=d7dd

Magna

I guess I was a prepper long before anyone was called that - or a survivalist. I just thought of it as part of smart every day living to make sure you had a stock of supplies in case of emergency. My Dad lived thru the Great Depression and taught me the motto of "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without". Even tho he was a "man's man" & had been a soldier in both world wars he also knew how to cook, sew, clean, garden, can foods, etc.

These things stuck with me as I grew up & moved to the mountains of Washington state. I learned to go shopping once a month or less in the winter - how to stock up, make great meals with what you have on hand, cook on wood stoves or campfires year round, take care of animals (still can't bring myself to kill them tho *laughs*), etc. I did these things because of necessity at the time - not because I thought in the future there might be a political collapse, Armageddon, alien invasion, etc.

I guess I'm still not very paranoid about those things happening but I do believe in being prepared in case of natural disasters or crazies of the world. I'll be honest & say I'm more afraid of the ultra religious Christians than I am of the Muslims or any other religious or political groups.

Anyway, I still stash things away like a crazed squirrel as winter nears. And I want to become even better prepared "just in case". Pardon me tho if I don't make a pretty tinfoil hat.

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5803&sid=e2af2

MR C

I just moved to the Seattle area from North Carolina a few months ago. I have been into prepping for a few years now, but there is always something new to learn.

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=383&t=5591

DigitalSherpa

Greetings all. Avid prepper here who is glad to be among such strong, self-reliant folks. I've been lurking for quite a while and realized that the best way to plan and to spread the message is to become more involved. Looking forward to learning from some of you life-long preppers!

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5568

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Storing Shoes for Family

2010-10-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

This discussion highlights shoes as preparedness items for you and your family!

Thanks to juju_mommy for starting the discussion!

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How To Start Your Years Supply For A Few Hundred

2010-10-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Author: The Light

Start your years supply of food for a few hundred dollars!

This is a great article on starting your home preparedness pantry by our own "The Light"!

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No Rain Check Required

2010-10-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

How many times have you had to hop in the car and drive to the grocery store for a single item? Maybe you spent time clipping coupons, just to find out that the store was out of your favorite item that was on sale? You have to wait in line, ask for a rain check and come back later for the item you needed 2 weeks ago... Then prepping is for you!
Prepping is simply the mindset that you don't want to rely on anyone else for your own basic needs. It's a way of life that helps you to be more sulf sufficient, especially in times of trouble. It is both prudent and practical to have some food stored up for you and your loved ones, water to drink, first aid for boo-boos, home security, and some cash or precious metals tucked away.
One question I hear alot is: "How can I do all that when I live paycheck to paycheck?" Well, you certainly don't run out to the local grocery store and spend 2 grand on your credit card! Here is a rough outline I used when I first started out:

1. Take inventory of your current preps. That is, write down ALL of the food you currently have in your pantry, fridge and freezer.
2. Write down all of the items you use the MOST in your household.
3. Look for sales at your favorite stores.
4. Next time you go shopping, buy two or three of the items you use MOST in your household that's on your list. Get 2 boxes of detergent or packages of razors or toilet cleaner. Whatever is on your list and is on sale, you get at least two.
5. When you get home from shopping, you place the first item where you normally would and the second, you put in the garage or under the sink or wherever you deem appropriate.
6. Update your list and keep up on your inventory.

If you keep up on it at all, you will find that you already have what you need in your own pantry! You can apply these principles to other aspects of your home, such as: garage/tools, yard and garden, clothing, etc. Most of us are conditioned to think that we need to go to a store each and every time we run out of something. Not so. Gain a little sovereignty over your own life and "store what you buy and buy what you store".

Welcome to the Washington state
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2010-10-07T22:19:00.001-07:00

Forecast
Radar
Cameras
Photos

2010-10-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

Code Amber News Service (CANS) - The Web's Ambergreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

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How To Join The Washington Preppers Network

2010-09-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

Come learn survival, preparedness and sustainable living with us!

The Preppers networks are all about volunteering our knowledge and skills with each other. We share ideas, tips and basically network with each other to survive any type of disaster whether natural, man made, or economic. Information that you learn and share with others will help everyone learn how to find "Freedom Through Teaching Others Self Reliance."

Joining the Washington Preppers Network is simple, and most of all, it's Free! To join, just follow these few steps.

1) Register to become a member of the American Preppers Network www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net The registration page is here: http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

2) Once you have your account, go to the index page of the forum and do your first post by introducing yourself in the new members area. http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/index.php

3) Once you know how to do posts, visit the Washington forum and introduce yourself. The Washington forum can be found by scrolling to the lower section of the index page where you will find a list of states, or you can go directly by following this URL: www.WashingtonPreppersNetwork.net

4) After you've visited the Washington forum, follow this link to learn how to join the Washington Preppers Network group:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=564&t=2738

APN's success depends on your contributions. If you would like to donate to our organization by becoming a Gold Member you can join the APN Gold Members club by following this link:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/page.php?p=apn-gold-membership&sid=5b241e92a767cdfbe7a345c54dd55127
Gold Membership is only $5 per month. For a list of Gold Member benefits go here

Thank you for your support!

Stovetec Update

2010-08-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

StoveTec stoves have become very popular and with popularity has come a price increase. Stoves for wood only with a single door opening are now retailing for $65 and stoves that burn both wood and charcoal and have a second door are now retailing for $69. For local availability or additional information, email me at: ldsscouter1@yahoo.com ; or, contact StoveTec direct at: stovetec.net (Stovetec pricing includes shipping and handling)

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Building your own CQ Group

2010-06-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

The following is an email that I received from another prepper who felt this CQ has some great merit. It is complete with some really good ideas. H. B. is not a member of the LDS Church but references it as a source for information. He also disclaims that all faiths should avoid politics and religion at meetings, in order to build a larger collective group. Good wisdom involves avoiding offending others but also taking advantage of all available resources. Enjoy:

Colloquium (CQ) Groups--Part One, by H.B. in North Central Idaho

The Beginning
CQ has a unique definition to many people. One military and another for the Amateur Radio ("ham") community. I’d like to add another definition for CQ. CQ to us refers to our local community preparedness group that we started five months ago. CQ is actually short for Colloquium- which basically means an open discussion about various topics. I chose colloquium to shorten the even longer original name-”community preparedness meeting at the Big Cedar Schoolhouse” Whew! What a mouthful! You can see why it was abbreviated. I soon got tired of having to explain what a colloquium meant so CQ it became. I prefer the original and classical word but will concede to our generational ignorance caused by 100 years of government schooling.

The following is a concise record of how we formed our group, how it is organized, what it has accomplished and how it will continue to grow and mature. We are sharing this information in hope that you will be encouraged to take the same step and be empowered with information to be successful in your endeavors to organize your family, friends, neighborhood and community. So let us begin.

The original idea for a preparedness group came from the most obvious place--"Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse". (Just a quick side note: any attendee of our CQ who hasn’t read it is soon ridiculed, harassed, admonished and put on the rack until they read it). SurvivalBlog is a primary source for any research done by me if I am presenting a topic.
I realized that I couldn’t have a group the same as the “Grays” in "Patriots" so I gave careful consideration to individual prepping. Individual prepping leads quickly to recognition of the fact that you can’t do everything yourself and the futility of trying. You need other people to complete the total package of fulfilling daily needs. No one person has the time, money or expertise to be a all-in-one survival community. Who would want to anyway? I like the idea of needing neighbors and sharing skills, assets and blessings. For instance, my wife is an excellent cook but I really enjoy potluck dinners. It gives you variety and flavor that you would otherwise never experience, especially desserts! More on that later.

The CQ acorn was planted one sunny day when I was talking with two other 4H dads. The kids were busy with their 4H project so us Dad’s started conversing about the bad state of affairs and the coming economic troubles. I then broached the subject and asked, “..wouldn’t it be great if we all got together to discuss preparedness and get organized as a community?” The response was overwhelmingly positive. One of the men belonged to the LDS church and he gave me a thorough review of their church preparedness model and how they have a program dating back 60+ years. I was impressed. They have a great program and lots of resources for preparedness minded individuals. Just one problem. I’m not a member of the LDS church nor do I see myself joining their church.

I realized that I wanted to know more about their program but I didn’t want to open the door for the “Amway Guy” either--if you get my drift. Once I started to inquire of acquaintances that were LDS I was pleasantly surprised that they actively encouraged all community members to prepare-whether they are LDS or not. They do so without proselytizing or recruiting. I haven’t asked but I think they have a real common sense approach to preparedness philosophy. Every family outside their church who is prepared is one less community member who may need help when times get rough. They prepare for not just themselves but to dispense charity also. As for proselytizing, the young men on bikes will get to you eventually for a visit at your doorstep so let prepping be prepping and mission work be mission work.

I, obviously, can’t speak for the LDS church but my dealings with them have been honest, straightforward and mutually respectful. I know they are LDS and they know I am a Christian Reformed Evangelical. So be it! We disagree on doctrinal issues but agree on the coming storm and we have grown to care for one another. Christ called us to be in the world and have dominion over our culture for Him. How can that happen if we don’t have acquaintances outside the church-even friends who are of different faiths and beliefs? Being in the world is not being of the world-two different things. I retain close friendships for those who are of my covenant community all others are just friends or acquaintances. The point is don’t be afraid to interact with the LDS or others. They won’t bite.

Anyway, once I found out about their preparedness history and apparatus I asked how we could access those resources. I was encouraged to speak with people in the LDS church membership who had specific duties or leadership. In our area one individual had tried to start a community preparedness group but it only had buy-in from those who were LDS and no others. The problem was that non-LDS saw it as an LDS thing. I immediately realized the potential of garnering support from the vestiges of this group and build from there. One thing I hate is re-inventing the wheel and this would save us time and energy in getting the word out to potential attendees.

Each community has a business or businesses that have their pulse on the community. It may be a coffee shop or café where the locals meet and exchange information and discuss politics or the like. I was fortunate to find just the thing here in my small community. I explained to the man who owned the business my plan and he said it was a great idea and new for a fact that most of his customers would be interested. He also thought that CQ would succeed because I was organizing it. Meaning that would calm the fears of non-LDS folks and so we would see attendance from everyone. We also had another local asset, a small schoolhouse we could rent for $10 dollars. The location was central for all my neighbors as we are several miles out of town.
Choosing a good location is vital. An old-schoolhouse, grange, or community center. Making the location neutral is important as some folks don’t like going into houses of worship not their own. Being considerate of the entire group can pave the way for much consensus and team building.

Our location lasted two meeting before we moved it up the road to my own property. We have lasted two meetings here and now are moving it to a more public location due to growth and scope of CQ. Your location needs to have a few obvious and not so obvious essentials. The obvious are restrooms, water and power. I have learned the more amenities there are the more options you have for your topics. Cover from the elements, tables and even a dry erase board can add significantly your program. You may notice I didn’t mention chairs as we have had our last two CQs outside and everyone brings there own lawn chair. By the time the weather turns we will be back indoors at a location that has all these things. Sound system is recommended once your group reaches 100 people otherwise its overkill for smaller groups.

Now that we knew we wanted a meeting and I had consensus of several community leaders (not politicians) we set a date and started formulating a game plan.

First rule--Focus on excellence and everything else will follow.
Focusing on excellence requires you to see through the small details that can aggravate and disrupt your groups momentum. Momentum or positive word-of-mouth reputation is important to get your neighbors involved. Once they’ve figured out they are missing something fun, innovative and worthwhile they will make an effort to attend.

Second Rule--Keep It Simple and Short.
All our CQ’s are scheduled for Two hours every 1st Friday of the month. 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm with social time afterward so people can talk and network with each other. Our second CQ was so successful people stayed until 11:00 pm just to talk and network. We chose Friday nights for its ability to allow for later hours and it doesn’t burn a weekend day which are a commodity in rural areas. We try to have four topics discussed in 20 minute segments. If a topic takes longer the presenter gets another slot the following month or gets a double. For example, our first and second CQ had a presentation on lighting in austere environments. The first CQ he covered oil or kerosene type lanterns. The next CQ he presented part two which covered pressure fuel (Coleman) lanterns. The CQ this last Friday we had a Physician’s Assistant provide us a basic overview of the three styles of medical care: Grid Up, Wilderness, and Grid Down. This took 45 minutes but set the foundation for future topics on medical issues moving forward. This has been our one exception to the 20 minute rule so each topic stays fresh and the attendees don’t get lecture fatigue so changing topics every 20 minutes keeps fatigue to a minimum.

Third Rule--Focus on skill building.
Discernment of economic disasters and wisdom about our fragile society or thin veneer of civilized behavior is the foundation for a preparedness mindset. The building of skills becomes the obvious outcome of such knowledge. The skills that remove you from the J.I.T. supply chain are the skills we look to build in each other and ourselves. The following topics were covered in the last four CQs.
CQ-1: -Introduction to the concept and quick demographic survey.
-Pruning For Production-Fruit Trees and Bushes.
-Lighting: Lamps and Candles in Austere Environments.
-Beans, Bullets & Band-Aids-Various topics/open discussion.
CQ-2: -Review of Formal Emergency Management Plan for Area.
-Lighting: Lamps & Candles Cont.--Fuel Lanterns.
-Discussion of Topics for future CQ’s.
-Beans, Bullets & Band-Aids-Various topics/open discussion.
CQ-3 -Review of Color Code of Awareness/Plan to design Color Code
Emergency Action List.
-Latest CPR Techniques and Certification Signup.
-Radio Basics and Options.
-Water Production and Storage.
-Beans, Bullets & Band-Aids-Various topics/open discussion.
CQ-4 -Update on progress for Color Code Emergency Action List.
-General Advanced Medical Primer.
-Water Filtration, Purification and Storage.
-Knife and Blade Sharpening.
The topics were picked at random or by request. Again, keep it short and sweet. Those presenting topics should be experts in their field or have extensive knowledge otherwise you can see right through it. Focus on Excellence!

Fourth Rule--No Militia or Talk of Making War.
We all know the look. The look you get when you say “preparedness”: like you’ve got three heads and just admitted you like country dancing with Bigfoot(for the record--Sasquatch don‘t dance, especially to country music!). If you want full community buy-in and support you have to be able to give guarantees that the war mongers among us are welcome but will not be given time to speak or recruit for there own self interest.

We do discuss guns, training and other topics pertaining to paramilitary preparedness but we declare up front that guns and gun training are for the gun range. There is a separate time and place that is appropriate for such discussion but CQ is not it. Paramilitary preparedness and training are subjects best discussed quietly amongst friends you know and trust--not publicly and especially not amongst a general populace. It will turn off a large percentage of attendees and kill any momentum you might be building. Again, focus on excellence by keeping topics short, concise and on schedule. Do Not Give a Formal Platform to a Radical. It will poison your efforts. I will discuss in Part Two how we handled just such an issue.

Fifth Rule--No Politics or Religion
CQ sees regular attendance by LDS members, Christians of different denominations and a family that are Messianic Jews. We are even seeing a growing contingency of granola folks. I hope “granola” is the right word to describe the holistic/organic living group without offense. I’ve slowly been educated by our neighbors who live this culture. I’ve learned they love to barbeque (non-meat dogs or turkey burgers), drink good beer (life’s too short to drink bad beer) and some of them even love to shoot. Let’s face reality--organic chips and salsa are the best!

What I’m trying to get at with rule number five is we need to focus on what we have in common--not what can divide us. Keep the group and discussion focused on skill building. One person described CQ as "4H on steroids" or "4H for adults". A perfect description.

Sixth Rule--Don’t have a bunch of rules.
Over regulation, organization and rule making will turn people away. They want to come and be a part of something without having to join something. No call chains, emails or Yahoo groups. Again, keep it simple for you and them. You’ll thank yourself later and they will thank you by attending and complimenting you on the quality and success of your meetings. An occasional pat on the back and slice of apple pie is all I need to do my part and it should be that simple for you also. If it isn’t it’s time to look in the mirror and ask why you want to lead such a group.

In closing, I hope this helps you with starting your own CQ. “CQ-Part Two What We Have Learned” will describe some of the details of what is written above and how to avoid pitfalls and headaches associated with organizing a community group. I would like to leave you with two things: Our motto, Parasumus (Latin) “We Prepare” and our stated purpose: "To further community cohesiveness through skill building and resource networking in preparation of societal disruption and change."
Gloria Deo!

Good luck on setting up your own CQ.

Bill Allen

------------------------------------------
Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net
Visit the Washington Forum at www.WashingtonPreppersNetwork.net

Stovetec Rocket Stoves

2010-05-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

In third world countries, Stovetec is rapidly becoming a household name. It is the name for a rocket stove design which has delivered over 70,000 stoves to third world countries and disaster areas such as Haiti and Chile after their two major earthquakes.

I have studied quite a few rocket stove websites for the purpose of obtaining one or making my own stove to add to my emergency preparedness gear for disaster preparedness. When I discovered the Stovetec, it was love at first sight. Here are my reasons for purchasing one and why I am now assisting my wife in distributing this stove.

1. The stove has been tried and tested in real situations where the world as we know it has ended from refugee camps and Red Cross shelters to small villages and hamlets in disaster areas. Stovetec has delivered over 70,000 units to third world nations as of this time and works with many humanitarian organizations worldwide.

2. The stove burns a minimum of 50% less wood and has 70% fewer emissions of carbon monoxide than standard stove fires because of it's design, which acts as a 'gasifier' effect to more completely burn the gases produced.

3. It burns sticks, charcoal and coal and can be adapted to burn wood pellets, thus, when there is no longer any gas or propane or other fuels left after "teotwawki" happens, you can burn just about anything, from just a handful of sticks to dried cow and steer manure to boil your water or cook your food with.

4. Stovetec stoves are put together well with a metal bucket design with firebrick and cast iron grates and cast iron stove top. It has two metal doors. An upper door which, when removed can load sticks on the accompanying metal rack shelf. The lower door can be opened to allow air flow under the fire to fan the flames and better cook the fuel, creating a rocket affect with better combustion and better concentration of heat. When burning charcoal or coals, the top shelf firebrick is returned and the upper door is closed. Only the bottom door is used to adjust the amount of air flow to the coal or charcoal. Also the kit includes an aluminum pot skirt which hugs the pot you place on top of the stove and helps reduce another 25% in fuel use as it concentrates the heat around the bottom of the pot and the sides of the pot. The skirt is adjustable for different size pans up to 10 inches in diameter.

5. Want to cook with your cast iron frying pan or your dutch oven? No problem.

6. Cleaner burning translates to less smoke to breathe.

7. The Stovetec Wood-Charcoal Stove retails for $49 and coupled with shipping and handling from Southern Oregon the price comes to $65.00, a very good price for a very good stove of this quality.

8. This is a great addition to your emergency preparedness gear. When there is no fuel left after an emergency, there will always still be sticks to fire up your stove for free.

9. Boiling water or cooking with a handful of sticks is very conservative and helps save our environment in many ways.

If you would like to see a Stovetec Rocket Stove or pick one up locally in Lewis, Pierce or Thurston County, send me an email at photowild@yahoo.com.

Shelter made from large plastic bags or sheets of plastic

2010-04-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

Gene Ward, a former US Air Force global survival instructor and prior owner of Survival and Outdoor Safety (before he passed away), created a video entitled "Survival beyond the 10 Essentials". In it he shows how to take plastic bags and make shelters. Unfortunately I could not locate any photos available outside his video so I built a shelter from his ideas myself and had my wife assist me in showing how functional the shelter can be. He recommended using four things, all of which could be contained in a small pouch: 8 inch cable lock ties, duct tape, two or three large plastic bags and 12 poles (6 - 8 footers and 6 - 6 footers). Plastic tarps will work also, either for sides or for a ground cloth. See the below photos.

This photo shows a standard A-Frame tent.

This photo shows how the tent can be opened up and with the addition to two extra poles (not shown) you have a very open shelter for multiple uses and abundant room to work with.

What's a basic sewing kit?

2010-03-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

For me, having grown up sewing, it seems unfathomable that many people don’t know how to do basic maintenance or sewing, but it’s true. I have work contacts who cannot even replace a missing button – one even has a dog who likes to chew them off her blouses-while others don’t know how to hem pants or repair a split seam. If for no other reason than to not pay $5-10 a pair of pants or for replacing a button, it is worth having a basic sewing kit and knowing how to use it. The super basic small emergency kits found online or at fabric and craft stores are great for slipping into a purse, glove compartment or desk drawer for those “urgent” repairs, but not much else, so what do you put in a basic sewing kit?
First is the container, whether it is a basket or miniature box with pullout shelves, a recycled pretty metallic tin or paper Mache box from the thrift store for larger kits or a snap lock kitchen container. I have a nice collection of tins and boxes to sort out larger amounts of things since I’m a crafter/hoarder and like the Victorianesque effect to keep them organized yet pretty. The thrift stores are my friends for that, as I can pick them up for less than a dollar apiece.
Scissors: 1 reliable pair of paper scissors and1 pair of fabric shears. Color coding your handles can help keep them straight, especially since you don’t want to use fabric shears for anything other than fabric as it will dull them and make cutting a much harder job! Personally, I use Kai shears, which are a specialized brand I pick up at the Sewing Expo for my fabric cutting, and cheaper pairs from the dollar stores, Wal-Mart or 40% off coupons at JoAnn or Hancock fabrics for paper scissors or loaners. Spring-loaded Fiskar shears or Gingher blades are a good alternative for the Kais I use, and are quite a bit cheaper as well (the spring-loaded are easy on arthritis or carpal tunnel sufferers). Unless you are looking to become a full-bore sewer of any type, you probably do not need bent-nose shears or pinking shears (more on those in another post).
Straight pins & pin cushion: I like using the larger boxes of longer quilting pins since I generally have several projects in progress simultaneously, or other people needing to use them too. I have a couple of the red tomato & strawberry emery pincushions, but keep 2 magnetic bowls (found much cheaper in the tool section at hardware stores or Sears) to hold the bulk of my pins. The handy thing with the bowls is that fewer are spilled or knocked over; they are easier to pick up out of the floor if they DO spill, and it stays firmly in place on the ironing board.
Tomato pincushions have been the ubiquitous shape for seemingly over a hundred year; the best are filled with sawdust and wool roving. The lanolin saturated roving prevents pins from rusting while the sawdust gives more stability and weight. The strawberry is filled with fine sand or emery which abrades dirt and rust from your pins and needles helping them last longer. There are also pincushions which can sit on your wrist, but those just drive me batty (or battier if you prefer).
Tape measure: Whether a basic tape or a retractable, at least 60” long with centimeters and inches clearly marked. Carrying one of these on you when shopping isn’t a bad idea either, especially at thrift stores where waist/inseam tags might be missing. When making simple skirts or pants, the tape measure can also help you keep the lengths and angles even when marking out your pattern.
Seam ripper: A seamster’s best friend. Really. I have several all over the place in my sewing room-one with each of my machines and a couple in my drawers or kits. Most are the inexpensive ones from the dollar store/Wal-Mart; others are the more ergonomic handled types purchased with 40% off or 50% notion sales/coupons. Surgical blades are also used for this purpose, but may not be as easy to hold onto and honestly I seem to snap them more often. In a pinch, they’re also great for opening up buttonholes!
Hand sewing needles: Having an assortment of sizes and types is useful, especially since needles aren’t terribly expensive. Generally the finer the fabric you are working with, the finer sized needle you will use.
The most commonly used hand sewing needles are called sharps. Sharps have a medium length (in comparison with all available needles), have a round eye for the thread and are suitable for almost any fabric. Betweens are also in this category, and are used a lot for quilting. Thinner needles with fine sharp points will work better for most projects, but you can run a risk of cutting through a thread and making a snag. I’d say 90-95% of the needles I keep on hand are sharps or betweens. If I’m mending something out of a knit or jersey, I use a ball point needle rather than a sharp so that it pushes between the threads rather than through them.
Thicker tapestry or crewel needles with larger eyes can help you run narrow elastic or ribbons through laces or casings if you don’t have a bodkin or safety pin handy, and upholstery needles are sturdy enough to help you push/pull through heavier fabrics without snapping or even some leathers. You can keep them in the flimsy plastic cases or paper slips they are sold in, or use some felt, wool, or tight-woven fabric scraps to keep them together and easily accessible, or even a wooden/metallic needle case.
Thread: Definitely a must and not one to use the bargain bin threads for, honest! I’ll use serger threads for some sewing projects, but it is really meant for use with multiple needle machines and is thinner than standard thread meaning it can snap under tension sooner. Coats and Clark or Gutterman threads are good brands for basic hand or machine sewing. If you are sewing on buttons, snaps or other fasteners, I recommend using a buttonhole, quilting or upholstery thread instead as they are a bit stronger. Do NOT use rayon or machine embroidery thread for standard hand or machine sewing, it will not hold up to regular wear and tear for clothing!
Safety pins: At least a small card or packet of 10-20 is a good thing to keep in a basic kit. They can help keep things in place even more reliably than straight pins, double as a bodkin to pull ribbons or elastics through a casing, or hold an end of cords in place while twisting or braiding. And of course, the emergency hem repairs! 1/2” or larger are the types I use most, anything smaller is more finicky than I like to fiddle with.
Optional Items I recommend adding to a basic kit:
A small button jar: Using a small baby food or spice jar, I would add loose buttons of colors and sizes that go with most of the clothing in your wardrobe. From the extras included on tags of new blouses to rummaging bins at thrift stores or the button sales at the fabric store, it is a handy thing to have in case one falls off and you can’t find it, it snaps in two, or yes, having the dog or cat eat it.
An assortment of hooks and eyes and sew-on snaps: From the larger coat or skirt styles (also useful for making pretty ribbon/lace choker necklaces) to the smaller separates, these can be nice to have.
A length of sew-on Velcro: Dollar stores locally have had it in 3 yard lengths-which is much cheaper than my fabric stores.
Bo-Nash starter kit: This is a powdered glue which works marvelously for all types of projects. You simply sprinkle it between the two items to be bonded, use a presser sheet to protect your iron and in a few moments a strong flexible and clear bond occurs. You can fuse two pieces of spandex/lycra together and still have it stretch, denim or leather patches onto high-wear areas like knees and elbows or fragile fibers like Angelina to chiffon for stunning costume pieces. It can be purchased online at Bonash.com, EmbellishmentVillage.com or Joggles.com. The starter kit has a smaller amount of Bo-Nash, but includes a standard size presser sheet, which can also be used when working with a hot glue gun to protect your table.
Beeswax: A small piece for running thread through prior to threading your needle for hand sewing projects. It helps keep the thread from snagging as much and lets it run through the fabric easier. Do not do this for projects with silk!
Next post? Handy guides and sewing room tools, beginning sewing and how to find a basic inexpensive machine.

Tsunami advisory posted for Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and California coastlines

2010-02-27T09:26:00.001-08:00

APN Thanks Readymom from our forum for giving us the heads up on this:

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/02/27 ... ornia.html

The San Luis Obispo County coastline is under a tsunami advisory, as is the entire California coast, as a result of a giant earthquake tha struck offshore of Chile early today. At least 122 people have been confirmed dead in early counts.

People were advised to stay away from California beaches as a precaution.

Senior chief Kirk McKay of the U.S. Coast Guard station in Morro Bay said that people should not venture onto beaches or marinas. "An advisory is to keep people away from beaches and marinas because there could be strong surges," he said.

An advisory means a tsunami is possible. Forecasters said there may be strong currents, but did not expect widespread inundation or damage to occur. (Continued ...)

More information:

An advisory has been posted for Hawaii and Oregon as well:

Ore., Wash. under tsunami advisory; sirens sound in Hawaii
http://www.katu.com/news/local/85690907.html

West coast of U.S., Canada in tsunami advisory
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/we ... 33818.html

Hawaii Preppers Network

Sponsored By

Evacuate or Shelter-in-Place

2010-02-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

The decision to evacuate or to stay and shelter-in-place is dependent on many factors. After an emergency situation occurs, the following will help you to work through most of the situations which occur in a disaster.

I. First Aid

After a disaster occurs 1st determine if there are any injuries or deaths:
(no injuries, injuries, deaths)

Next, determine if it is safe to perform First Aid:
(Safe or Not Safe - downed wires, gas leak, structural weakness or water leak)

Can and should the injured victim(s) be moved to a more secure area and can it be done safely?: (i.e. to a hospital or medical clinic)
(Yes or No)

II. Weigh the decision to Stay and Shelter-in-Place or to Evacuate based on needs:
(health, safety, shelter, warmth, water, appropriate clothing, food, communications, transportation)

III. Place "Thumbs Up" sign on front window or door:
(thumbs down -help is needed - specify the need - we are still here)
(thumbs up - Everything is ok - we are still here)
(Thumbs sideways - We are not here - We went to: address and phone)

IV. Types of disasters and reasons requiring possible Evacuation:
Church Leaders instruct their members to leave
Law Enforcement or State Emergency Services instructs you to Evacuate
Earthquake damage or tsunamis pending
Eminent Flooding, Flooding damage, Dams or levee Failure
Chemical Spill or threat
Bio Terrorism or biological threat
Explosions or Nuclear Attack or Accident; Radiation threats
Gang violence/ Mob mentality, including Looting
Pandemic Flu or other Pandemic Situations including Plagues
Severe injury or illness
Extreme weather conditions - Extreme heat, Extreme cold, Tornadoes
Disruption of infrastructure - water, electricity, sewage, gas
Downed Communications - Power Grid Blackouts
Wildfires or Volcanic Eruptions
Mud slides, Debris Flow or Avalanches

V. Procedures and Items to take with you if you decide to evacuate:
Keep all automobiles gas tanks at least half full all the time in readiness
Plan ahead for multiple directions and locations for possible evacuation
Coordinate with out-of-area and out-of-state contact family members and friends
Keep a minimum of $100 to $200 in cash available for emergencies
Pre-pack a 120 hour emergency go-kit to take with you, including water and non-perishable foods
Prepare and ready all important documents for emergency evacuation including proof of residence including deeds of trust or rental agreements, pictures of family members, copy of birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, visas, credit cards, medical permission slips and identification and copies of insurance policies along with tax records and a current inventory
Place all genealogy and other important documents and computer backups in a readiness bag for easy removal. If there is room, bring computers with you.
Prepare a current medication list and have additional prescription medications, pet supplies, infant supplies or any other unique needs your family has for emergency on hand
Maintain a communication ability with CB radio, Amateur Radio, hand held walkie-talkies, cell phones and battery operated AM/FM radio and extra batteries for all of the above
Bring A good Family size First Aid Kit and Auto Fire Extinguisher
PAck Flashlights and extra batteries
Maps of the area, the journey and of destination area
Comfortable extra clothing and extra pairs of shoes and/or boots; extra pairs of socks, gloves and hats, scarves and breathing masks, extra blankets and sleeping bags
Extra tarps and tent(s) for shelter
Extra pairs of nylon stockings for vehicle air filters
Portable heaters and stove(s) and fuel for cooking and staying warm
Small shovel, tire chains, crowbar, rock salt and/or sand, hack saw and bow saw
Scriptures;
Reading material and games for family members, possibly including edible plants and/or survival handbooks, first aid books, seasonal weather books and gardening books, etc.
Digital Camera for documenting personal affects
Extra house keys and car keys; before you leave, lock remaining vehicles and house upon evacuation

VI. Things to do before leaving your home:
If you have not done so, as soon as possible, finish topping off your gas tanks and obtain at least 10 extra gallons of gasoline in properly designated gas cans to carry with you.
Pack as much extra food and extra water as possible to carry with you along with water filtration
Notify neighbors (if neighbors are still present) of your intent to Evacuate and give them a copy of your future location and out-of-area phone number(s) to be able to reach you
Locate a small to medium trailer to haul your water, food and emergency gear/camping gear with.
Provide a key for your neighbors to your vehicles and house in case it is a long term situation or worse, "teotwawki", so they will not need to break any windows or doors searching for additional food and water you left behind. Better yet, distribute extra food reserves to your neighbors and any family before you leave.
Be sure to shut off all water, gas and electricity to your home to prevent future possible damages
Notify your Church Leader(s)on your decision to evacuate
Monitor NOAA Weather Alert Radio for additional instructions, along with any News and Traffic Radio Stations that might be transmitting so you are aware of the best directions and routes to travel.

VII. Things to do if you decide to "weather out the situation" and "Shelter-in-Place:
Shut off all heaters and air conditioners. If it is safe, use small fans to move and circulate air within your shelter-in-place
Take plastic sheeting and close off all vents by taping them with duct tape or clear packaging tape, basically sealing off a large inner room in your home.
Shelter-in-place is normally for the short haul and not the long haul in the event of chemical, biological or radiation contamination in the area
For an extended situation, follow evacuation procedures as dictated by NOAA radio or local emergency nets broadcasting on local radio channels
Decontaminate individuals who may have been exposed by washing them completely and changing them out of contaminated clothing which should be added to a sealed plastic bag and set outside the shelter-in-place
Most shelters-in-place still have sufficient oxygen from leaking vents and should be safe

Frugal Canning

2010-01-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

Got this from The Frugal Fraulein

Hi,
How about adding a canning class to your list of 2010 accomplishments? I will be offering two marmalade canning classes in January. This year I will be offering canning classes based on local products and in the dead of the winter products grown and in season in America. This is the month for citrus.

Information about the classes can be found at my blog at http://frugalcanning.blogspot.com or call 360-705-9818 for more details.

This would be a great opportunity for local preppers and canners to get together and share ideas and information.

Come and do the Can Can with The Frugal Fraulein.

Motto: "if it isn't moving, can it"

Annual Food Preparedness Goal Review

2010-01-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

Life's been, well interesting the past several months, precluding my desire and ability to post, but with a new year comes the desire to try start anew. Bill's most recent post ties into what I've been working on for the past 3 weeks, and here goes the start of trying to post at least once a month.

The upcoming year holds a positive major life event for me (I'm getting married), so the holidays started me planning what changes I need to make for my food storage and family preparedness. Roommates move out, a husband and 2 more cats move in, with all of their respective storage and dietary needs to consider and prepare for.

Fortunately for me, he appreciates and supports my desire to be more self-sufficient, enjoys gardening and has the enthusiastic support of my son. He also owns most of the tools that have been used around my home for the past 18 months doing repairs, adding in raised beds and creating useful bits of furniture like dog kennels and shelves.

Because of all the things I do, lists are the mainstay of trying to stay on top of everything and keep life in balance. The following is the master list of what I'd ideally like to accomplish for my storage preparedness this year, week-by-week. I've moved some things to weeks closer to when my area puts things on sale, or when my apples are ripe from the original inspiration and set the amounts for 3 people, 3 dogs and 3-4 cats. With all the wedding preparations, I know I won't be able to get all of the totals I wish for, but I can look at doing a small amount each week and being closer to the overall goal.

Weekly Food Storage Purchase or Setup Concept (for 3 People)
Week # Itemto Buy Amount
1 Water Supply 14 gal min/person 2 week min, don't forget pets!
2 Detergents, bleaches, cleansers Bleach: 4 gal/person Laundry soap 20#/person
3 Medicine Chest/First Aid Kit All medications & ointments
4 Pet Food/supplies Bags: 6 dog/3 cat; 3 litter 1/2 of est. food needs
Garden seeds
5 Canned Meats 12 cans ea/per person (36 total)
(poultry, tuna, dried beef)
6 First Aid Kit All bandage-related items
7 Peanut Butter 10#/person (30#) maybe more for cooking?
8 Vegetable & Olive Oils 12#/each
9 Juices 100% juice, check for pwd too
10 Personal Hygiene (and feminine products) Toothpaste, brush, comb, razors
11 Wheat 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
12 Spices & Herbs check for ones I use most
13 Rice: part of grain total 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
14 First Aid Kit: catch up miscellany
15 Pasta: part of grain total 50# Total required grains 900# min
16 Dry Milk 50# 100#/person (300# total)
17 Sewing Kit: notions needed Check for needs
18 Flour: part of grain total 50# Total required grains 900# min
19 Dry or canned soups
20 More Wheat 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
21 Pet Food/supplies Bags: 6 dog/3 cat; 3 litter 1/2 of est. food needs
22 More Rice: part of grain total 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
23 Cord, Twine, Light Rope; flashlight/batteries
24 Cheese & sour cream: 180# cheese/30# sour grate & freeze, or buy dried
25 Towels, foil, garbage/freezer bags, etc
26 Vinegar: White & Apple Cider 6 gallons each min, use more if dyeing/cleaning
27 Condiments: ketchup/ranch/italian, etc
mayo/salad dressing/worchestershire/mustard
28 Jams & Jellies pre-made, or pectin supplies
29 Canned Soups, Dried Soup Mixes buy what we eat
30 Dry & Canned Milk buy on holiday baking sales?
31 Popcorn 50# Total required grains 900# min
32 Baking needs: b. soda, pwdr, cornstarch 2# ea, 3# for bak soda
33 Tomatoes: Juice, sauce, salsa, paste, dried Part of 150#/veggies each
34 Canned Fruit/Veg: 150#/veg; 80 qts fruit/ea
35 More Fruits & Vegetables
36 Sugar: 100#/per person 50#/ea Count with honey/molasses
37 Vegetables
38 Dried beans, peas, lentils 50#/ea 100#/person (300# total)
39 Back to school/office supplies buy on school sales
40 Iodized Salt 12# each (36#) Canning salt is separate (50#)
41 Personal Products: TP, soap, shampoo 52 rolls TP/ea;
15 bars soap, 4 bottles shampoo/ea
42 Emergency fuel supplies propane/kerosene/charcoal/wood
43 Apple stuff: dried, fruit leather, sauce
Dried beans, peas, lentils 50#/ea 100#/person (300# total)
44 Hard Candy for Halloween use in 72 hour kits too
Vitamins 365/ea Extra Vitamin C and Calcium!
45 More Wheat 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
46 Sweeteners: sugars, honey, molasses
47 Rolled Oats, Corn Meal, Barley, Wheat 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
48 Sugars: Brown, White, Powdered
49 Solid Vegetable Shortening 12#/person Check how lard stores too
50 Baking extras: Cocoa, chips, coconut, etc
51 Candles & matches
Emergency kit items refresh kits
52 Nuts 2#/person (6# total) on sale after Christmas
Emergency kit items refresh kits

I'll play fast and loose at times when a good sale comes up though, like with this month at Emergency Essentials, but with my shopping planner always in my purse, it helps me keep track of what I have, what I want, and what is a good price. I do a LOT of holiday baking for personal enjoyment and for work, so I end up doing major restocks at that time with the loss-leader sales. Bill's recommendation of the Kent LDS Cannery is a good one to look into, or alternatively if the dam does go, I could look at the Bremerton location-I have at least 3 planned trips to Kitsap County this year anyways.

So far I'm on track with the storage plans and purchases, keeping up with sewing and mending projects and doing a massive room-by-room declutter to simplify before July.

The hard part is looking at my gardening and other catalogs and remembering I'm not to order anything until AFTER my birthday, so that I don't end up with duplicates.

Food Storage availability

2010-01-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

I have found that the least expensive place for me to buy wheat and rice and legumes is the Kent LDS Home Storage Center in Kent, Washington. In fact they come out on top even beating the store sales I have found, even if I pay the extra to have all of my stuff canned right there when I am there. Canning is fun!

They carry: black beans, pinto beans, white beans, nonfat dry milk, white rice, granulated sugar, hard red wheat, hard white wheat, apple slices, carrots, macaroni, quick oats, regular oats, dry onions, potato flakes, spaghetti noodles, refried beans, hot cocoa mix, white flour, fruit drink mix, pancake mix, potato pearls, #10 cans and lids, boxes, dry pack pouches, oxygen absorbers and free labels

They are located at 1412 W. Morton Street, Kent, WA 98035-0825 and their phone number to arrange a time to go do some canning or pick up already packed foods is 253-850-6392. They do not charge tax on food sold there. I think they still have some wet pack items as well as their dry pack items, but I believe they are switching to dry pack only for the near future.

An important note however: If the Howard Hanson dam fails or the powers that be have to release water to prevent further damage to the dam on the Green River, there is going to be massive flooding in the Kent Valley from Renton to Auburn and this will obviously disrupt services at the cannery and products may not be available.

Drug resistant TB in United States

2009-12-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

We plan for the worst in disasters but we don't often think of diseases, especially TB.

TB is making a comeback, only now there are new strains of the disease that are drug resistant. This has occurred from the fluid transfer of people from other nations to the United States from third world countries and countries high in HIV and other serious diseases. Most people with HIV end up dieing from TB. Now there is a strain that is anti-biotic resistant.

How can we prepare against this type of problem? It is airborne and TB germs can float and last several hours in a room after a person has entered and either coughed, spoken or sneezed. Air transportation poses a problem as people are breathing the same unfiltered air for a several hour flight. A mask might help but it is impractical that we will give up our freedom on a flight by wearing a mask the entire flight.

Typically the poor and those who are HIV positive are carriers of TB. A person with TB will infect an average of more than ten to 15 others annually before they die.

Tuberculosis is the top single killer of adults worldwide, and it lies dormant in one and three people, according to WHO (the World Health Organization). Of those, 10 percent will develop active TB, and about 2 million people a year will die from it.

I do not have the solid definitive answer on how to not contract TB. It appears that not engaging in risky behavior such as illegal drugs and multiple sex partners would have to be a given because these behaviors place you at higher risk for HIV.
Next, I would say that if you are planning on doing any traveling to other countries that you seriously consider using a mask while traveling both to and from. Thirdly, I would reduce the amount of time you are exposed to people that have a hacking cough, including reducing the amount of time spent in ghettos and high risk areas such as bars and nightclubs.

Finally I would recommend that you maintain good health by regular checkups and should you actually contract the dreaded disease, do not panic...take all of your medications, without sharing and cutting yourself short. You may or may not have a resistant variety of TB. If you do have a resistant variety, isolation in a TB sanatorium may be necessary with avoidance of other people part of the treatment.

Since it's first discovery in 2007, resistant TB has spread world wide and may be the next epidemic. Let's pray it does not spread as did the Pandemic FLU virus.

So far, numbers in the US are small and not a serious threat, but just imagine a crowded air flight with a seriously sick individual could put the nation on alert.

It is not like we can stock up on antibiotics since these are prescription drugs. We are at the mercy of staying aware of our surroundings and our associates. Staying healthy may be our best defense. When our immune systems are down we are more prone to infections and viruses and germs. So use common sense and stay vigilant and take good care of your family members.

For more information: see MSNBC news article on, "First case of extremely drug-resistant TB in U.S."

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a Merry Christmas. It is important that we not forget the reason for the season. Christ's entire life was about being prepared, giving and setting a good example. He stands ready to still give to us as we seek him.

The gifts we give and receive are way down the list from the importance of giving of our own time, talents and service to our family and friends. May we all spend more quality time with each member of our families as this is what Christmas time is really all about.

After Christmas sales are a good time to spend more quality time gathering our family together to be prepared physically for the hard times that lie ahead. Let them know how much you care by sharing goals and plans for a better tomorrow. Plan family time into 2010. Spend at least a couple of days per week with family. They do not care how much you know about preparedness until they know how much you really care about them as a family, and when you include them in the preparation phase of being ready for any disaster, they will feel more a part of the real needs and reasons for preparedness.

The areas we need to all be concerned about are food, light, heat, shelter, clothing, communications, water, fuel and financial security. Budgeting these items makes things workout for the best. Absolutely nothing beats being prepared physically, emotionally and spiritually. These three give us balance in life.

May 2010 be a great year for you and yours. May God bless America and may God bless the readers of this blog and their preparedness efforts.

MS-13: Are you prepared against organized evil?

2009-12-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

Source: http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/

This is another great article on being prepared for organized gang activity (by Kellene Bishop).

Author’s Note: Most of this content was posted earlier this year. However, news as of late has caused us to tweak the story and re-post it.

As I’ve shared with you previously, I’m not one who is keen on the phrase “Emergency Preparedness.” I believe in preparedness, pure and simple, and thus being self-reliant. Whether it be today or in the future as the result of some social breakdown, I feel that it’s important to understand what organized evil exists out there so that you can make an educated decision as to how you will defend yourself. I’m speaking specifically of the highly organized and militant gangs here in the U.S.

Keep in mind that whether it’s today or tomorrow, dealing with gangs is something we have to do whether we like it or not. For some they are simply a prophetic fulfillment of the “latter days.” For others they are a force that’s to be reckoned with by “someone else.” And to others they are simply something we see portrayed on television. Unfortunately though, the presence of gangs and their unthinkable violence is very real. And yes, they’ve even infiltrated a city near you. One of the very worst of these modern replications of organized crime groups is MS-13.

MS-13 is not an obscure gang. In fact, the FBI defines them as the most organized crime entity in the U.S. They are feared not solely because of their horrific violent acts, but due to their organization. They specifically target middle and high schools for recruitments. They have no compunction towards committing violent acts upon their fellow citizens, as they fear no repercussions. Their greatest criminal focuses are on human and drug trafficking, and contract killing combined with unspeakable violence. A crime will never be committed by one of these members without it being accompanied by a beating, a rape, murder, dismemberment, or all of the above. They also have known ties and alliances to Al-Queda.

MS-13 is otherwise known as Mara Salvatrucha. Visual evidence of their presence in your area will be manifested by graffiti in your area that says “MS,” “Mara,” or “MS-13.”

Their violent organized traits stem from the fact that the majority of their founders are well trained in guerilla warfare in El Salvador. As such they possess a level of methodical training and skill set that rivals any other gang. Their initiation requirements are bloodcurdling. After enduring a slow 13 count beating—minimum—the inductee must then commit a violent act by either a beating, a rape, or a murder prior to being accepted. If the inductee fails in their efforts within 13 hours, then they are murdered in order that the MS-13 does not get marginalized by “incompetents.” (If you are a female inductee, the right of passage would include an obligatory gang rape). The more violent they are, the more elevated they are among their “military” crime group. One MS-13 member claimed during questioning by the FBI, “The crazier you are known to be, the more respect the gang gives you.” On November 26, 2008, Jonathan Retana was convicted of the murder of Miguel Angel Deras, which the authorities linked to an MS-13 initiation.

As further evidence of their organizational skills, there is a unique communication which takes place among them. Gang “signs” are also used by MS-13 including the infamous “devil horns” sign which gang members “throw” to signify their ownership of their turf. (Such sign is also a common communication between members of the Illuminati.) The devil horn sign, when turned upside down, forms the letter “M”. Members also use multiple hand signals to communicate. Known as “stacking”, these signs can be used to indicate their clique or to coordinate an attack. Pulling up on the shoulders of the shirt indicates an imminent attack while rubbing the belly indicates a shooting. A brush on the left shoulder indicates a stabbing attack. One of the defining factors of MS-13 is their absolute intolerance for anyone who informs the police of their activities. Court papers in Nassau County detail recorded telephone conversations where a MS-13 member bragged how he had put a stop to an informant – “I put one in the chest and three in the head.”

Once a member is brought into the gang, they are in for life. They cannot act without the boss’s consent – they cannot kill without reason, cannot talk to the police, cannot skip gang meetings, nor can they leave the gang. MS-13 has no tolerance for gang members who drop out. A MS-13 member and even their family members must die in order to exit MS-13, no exceptions. On May 13, 2006, Ernesto “Smokey” Miranda, an ex-high ranking soldier and one of the founders of the Mara Salvatrucha, was murdered at his home in El Salvador a few hours after declining to attend a party for a gang member who had just been released from prison. Not only had he offended his “brothers” for not attending the party, but he had threatened dissent by studying law and working to keep children out of gangs.

The majority of these gang members are in the country illegally. As such they are deported regularly. Going along with the fact that MS-13 members can’t simply get out, the much reported incident of Edward Guzman, a 14 year old MS-13 member, proves the more significant punishment of deportation. Guzman left Guatemala to escape the gang lifestyle. He illegally came to the U.S. At the age of 16, on March 10, 2004, he was deported back to his home. He hid in his home for several days. His first day to venture out was March 20, 2004. He made it only 5 blocks where he was shot multiple times. MS-13 grudges never die.

Wikipedia mistakenly states that this gang originated in Los Angeles. In fact they originated in El Salvador and were the largest formalize gang there. The gangs then infiltrated the Los Angeles area as it was already rampant with a gang culture. While they originally consisted of Salvadorans, Hondurans, Guatemalans, and Nicaraguans, their desired “market” penetration has forced them to take on any Central American individual who can suitably pass their initiation and subsequent performance requirements. Their targets are indiscriminate so long as they can wreak horror and obedience to their reign in their communities. Case in point, in the minds of an MS-13 member, the term “road rage” means nothing to them. It is their road, and they allow you to drive on it. Obstruction of such rights of passage, means death to the offender. On June 22, 2008, in San Francisco, CA, a 21-year old MS-13 gang member, Edwin Ramos, shot and killed a father, Anthony Bologna, 48, and his two sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, after their car briefly blocked Ramos from completing a left turn down a narrow street.

In spite of their cache of firearms which makes a police force look like a one-man hillbilly stockpile, most MS-13 members are adept and fond of the use of a machete.
MS-13 Photo c/o standeyo.com

They are not a criminal gang so much as they are much more focused on political power. As such they have been ordered to focus on eliminating border patrol guards along the Arizona border as it interferes with their money-making activities. (see: Washington Times article and Daily Bulletin article) In Honduras, MS-13 kidnapped in their home country of El Salvador. They were able to execute a son of the Honduras President Ricardo Maduro after kidnapping and torturing him (1997). All over Central America, their acts of death and defiance are intended to taunt government officials. Members also left a dismembered corpse with a note for the Honduras president that “more people will die… the next victims will be police and journalists.” In 2004, Guatemalan President Oscar Berger received a similar messages attached to the body of a dismembered man from MS-13 members. As such, this gang operates with no fear of government reprisals. Since they were able to sufficiently overcome any such consequences with their own Salvadoran government, every country, state, and community they enter they do so with the same haughty view of the Laws ability to deliver suitable consequences. They do not fear a prison sentence. Rather they return to their gangs upon release as an elevated veteran. Thus there are uninhibited in the horror of their criminal acts.

They have permeated every state in the U.S. sufficiently. Even our nation’s capital holds no resistance for them. In fact, they flaunt the fact that they are the strongest gang in the D.C. area. In northern Virginia and southern Maryland, around the Washington DC area, local authorities estimate MS-13 membership to be between 5,000 and 6,000 members. In July of 2003, the Washington DC area encountered three known murders attributed to MS-13. The first was the murder of a federal informant. The second was the shooting death of a 17 year old boy. The third was the death of a 16 year old boy who had both of his hands completely chopped off.
In Dec. of 2004 in Honduras, a local MS-13 chapter stopped a traveling bus mostly filled with women and children and sprayed it with automatic gunfire. No robbery was attempted. No rape or kidnapping. Simply murder and mayhem which resulted in the death of 28 persons. Their motive was to cause horror in the government as indicated by a note left behind promising the government that more killings of this nature would take place. (A signature threat among MS-13 members.)

So why should YOU be concerned about them? Because they are yet one more aspect of a realistic potential situation for which you need to be prepared. Do not underestimate their violence. You will not be able to reason with them. You will not be able to give them what they want and have them simply go away. Horrific violence is at their very core. You will need to be mindful of them and to defend yourself appropriately. You can be assured that in spite of their organization “skills” they will not be prepared for any type of an emergency scenario, thus they will use their gang to prey upon the preparedness efforts of others. As such, you must indeed be prepared to defend your home, family, and supplies against these modern-day pirates.

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

Cold Weather Fun

2009-12-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

With the temperatures dipping into the teens and single digits, it is a good time to remember to use winter rules for warmth such as layering your clothing to hold in body heat; conserving body heat by wearing a hat and gloves; and restricting exercise to avoid sweating which can lower your body temperature; drinking plenty of warm fluids and eat meals of protein which help generate heat for the body core.

Other winter rules have to do with safety such as remembering that fires and open flames consume oxygen and produce carbon monoxide; vehicles need extra traction on ice such as sand or salt or tire chains and studded tires; vehicles are poorly insulated places to take refuge in a storm except to get out of the wind if nothing else is available.

Otherwise, winter is a grand place to have fun and enjoy the quieter peaceful side of life. Campgrounds are near empty or are long abandoned in the winter so crowds are the least of your worries.

Remember to equip your vehicle with winter preparations and extra blankets and clothes for changes of clothing, add extra food, especially cheese and chocolate and meat snacks.

Make sure you only travel on well traveled roads unless you let others know in advance of your itinerary where you are going off road or are planning to take less traveled roads so they know the area you are in and the estimated time you are due back so they can call out the calvary when you fail to show up back home within three hours of your travel plans.

Once you have learned the basic rules of winter, you extend your seasons for being outdoors to year round, instead of hibernating inside your house at home. There is lots to do and lots to see in the winter that you can not find in other seasons so enjoy the adventure.

I just came back from the Lewis River Falls recreation area last week. In the back country I saw two other people and only three vehicles on Thursday which was a very cold day but beautiful. While out we saw some elk and a few small critters, and saw waterfalls and streams that were just simply beautiful. We had the views to ourselves. It was very refreshing to be out and about in the back country. Our state is very beautiful.

I am thankful for living in Washington State. The seasons bring colors and ice-cycles and snow and different views not available when the foliage is on the trees.

We were very prepared with extra food, clothing, a zero degree sleeping bag and both rain and wind protection for just in cases. We had a great time. We did not have to worry about our safety because we were prepared for anything. That saying is true, "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

Enjoy...

J Rawles

2009-12-08T16:51:00.001-08:00

I was reading today on SurvivalBlog.com (http://www.survivalblog.com/) It’s always nice to read Rawles and his information. He is like us a prepper and a survivalist but he is also a Pioneer.

Today I read about a man: Minnesota man arrested for trespassing on his own land and just can understand it.

People: You need to prep and get ready for hard times. This is why we have this blog and the American Preppers Network as well as Pioneer Living (http://pioneerliving.net)

I hope all is safe and well for the holidays and I hope America will return to the once great nation it was.

John Milandred

Last Post by: Pioneer Living. Net

2009-11-30T19:02:00.000-08:00

This will be my last post for a short time. I thank you for letting me guest here and just to let you know I was born in WA and do miss the rain....lol

This is true Indian Style.

Did you ever wonder why the Indians could travel so light without freezing to death? Or why they only built a small fire?

A small fire was built so they would not attract nor be seen by others, this was for safety and also for another reason. They would only need a small amount of coals from the fire to stay warm.

They would take and dig a small trench about 10 inches deep. Then they would take the coals out of the fire, spread them in the trench, and cover them up with dirt or sand depending on the terrain. They would now spread their canvas or blanket over the trench and lay down in it and pull the end of the canvas and or blanket over themselves.

The warm coals beneath them would keep them warm all night.

Most people today would just build a large fire to stay warm. This could be dangerous for a couple of reasons, you sleep too close your bedding could potentially catch on fire and a large fire means you could be found an easy target for someone who would not hesitate to harm or kill you in order to secure their own survival.

Number 1 investment for 2009

2009-11-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

Number 1 investment for 2009? Your answer should be…..”Food”. Hundreds of thousands of Americans and people around the world lost their jobs these past few years. Are you prepared if you suddenly lost your job?

Are you prepared for hard economical times? Are you prepared for a possible natural disaster? Are you prepared should you get sick or hurt and unable to work? Could you feed your family if any of these things were to happen to you? These are questions everyone should be asking themselves.

The majority of Americans are not prepared. They might be able to last a couple of weeks or maybe a month if some type of hardship were to strike them.

Unfortunately, many people feel caught up in a rat race that will not allow a garden or stocking up on food and necessary everyday living supplies. “I don’t have the time”, “I don’t have the room”, “I don’t know how”, I don’t have enough money to do this”, are common excuses for not digging in the dirt, and not planning for the future unknown.

Our grandparents, great-grandparents and those before them would fill their pantries and cellars from harvest to harvest only going to town or the city to purchase small amounts of supplies once a month, or even only a few times a year.

Our ancestors grew most of their own food. Cattle, hogs, chickens, rabbits were butchered. In the Fall brine cured and stored in the cellar. Garden vegetables were canned, root vegetables were buried in the root cellar and garlic, leeks and onions were hung in the cellar to dry. Fruits were preserved as well as berries preserved into jams, jellies and syrups. Our ancestors were prepared for the future unknown.

With all the modern day conveniences available to us today it is easy to get what we want, when we want it but at what cost? How old are the foods you are buying? Where does the food you buy come from? How was it grown, with pesticides? Is the food you buy safe for your family to eat? Will the local grocery store even have the shelves stocked tomorrow? Many studies have been done regarding the benefits of growing and preserving your own food. We would all do well to continue the preparedness practice just as our ancestors did before us.

There are 31 million Americans now on food stamps and probably standing in line at the local food banks so they can feed their families. Have that many people actually forgotten how to care for their families? What happens if the government stops giving out food stamps? What happens when there is no more food donations to your local food bank? It seems the answer for most of these people would be “they would starve.”

It really doesn’t matter whether you live in the city, the suburbs or the country. You can grow part or all of your own fresh nutritional food. It really doesn’t matter if you are a millionaire or a minimum wage worker, you can stock up on necessary food and supplies should you fall on hard times or a disaster hits your area.

Don’t you think it is about time you start gaining the knowledge and put in to practice what our ancestors knew and practiced every day before it is too late? Going back to basics and reclaim your freedom.

There are many resources available for each and every human being to be able to gain the knowledge of basic human survival: Water, Food and Shelter.

In researching several sources it was astounding to me the amount of food it would take for one person to survive for one year. How much does one person eat in a year? “Food for thought” so to speak.

Below is a basic preparedness list of what it would take to feed one person for one year. This list has been compiled from several different sources and can be varied. Just make sure if you substitute an item that you substitute it with comparable nutritional value.
AMOUNT OF FOOD TO STORE FOR ONE YEAR PER ADULT

STAPLES AMOUNT APPROX. SHELF LIFE
Wheat, winter 650 lbs Indefinitely
Unbleached White Flour 120 lbs 1-2 Years
Bulgur Wheat 110 lbs Indefinitely
Whole Kernel Corn or Corn Meal 75 lbs 5 Years
Baking Powder 2 Large Boxes 2 Years
Cornstarch 4 Large Boxes 5 Years
Baking Soda 12 lbs Indefinitely
Oatmeal 25 lbs 5 Years
Honey 2 Gallons Indefinitely
Molasses 1 Gallon Indefinitely
Karo Syrup 1 Gallon Indefinitely
Sugar (Keep Dry) 25 lbs Indefinitely
Brown Sugar (Keep Dry) 12 lbs Indefinitely
Salt 100 lbs Indefinitely
Shortening/Lard 60 lbs 3 Years
Soybean Oil 1 Gallon 3 Years
Peanut Oil 1 Gallon 3 Years
Olive Oil 1 Gallon 3 Years
Coffee 12 Large Cans 3-5 Years
Cocoa 4 Large Boxes 3-5 Years
Spaghetti 10 lbs 5 Years
Macaroni 12 lbs 5 Years
Misc. Noodles 15 lbs 5 Years
Rice, white 15 lbs 5 Years
Rice, brown 15 lbs 6-9 months
PROTEIN
Powdered Milk 100 lbs 2-15 Years
Mixed Nuts 20 lbs 1-2 Years
Peanuts 10 lbs 1-2 Years
Soybeans 20 lbs 5 Years
Pinto Beans 15 lbs 5 Years
Red Beans 10 lbs 5 Years
Navy Beans 10 lbs 5 Years
Large Lima Beans 15 lbs 5 Years
Baby Lima Beans 12 lbs 5 Years
Blackeyed Peas 10 lbs 5 Years
Dried Green Peas 15 lbs 5 Years
Millet Grain 10 lbs 5 Years
Split Peas 15 lbs 5 Years
Mung Beans 15 lbs 5 Years
Alfalfa Seeds - Lentils 15 lbs 5 Years
Garbanzo Beans 12 lbs 5 Years
TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN(Textured soy protein)
Chicken 12 lbs 5 Years
Hamburger 15 lbs 5 Years
Sausage 12 lbs 5 Years
Plain 15 lbs 5 Years
Ham 15 lbs 5 Years
Bacon 12 lbs 5 Years
CANNED FOOD
Peas 10 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Peas and Carrots 10 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Corn 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Green Beans 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Carrots 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Tomatoes 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Spinach 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Pumpkin 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Asparagus 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Turnip Greens 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Mustard Greens 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Collard Greens 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Sauerkraut 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Cabbage 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Cauliflower 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Onions 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Ketchup 12 jars/Bottles 3-5 Years
Relish 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Pickles 12 jars 3-5 Years
Zuccini Squash 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Potatoes 12 Jars/cans 3-5 Years
DRIED FOOD - 75% MOISTURE REMOVED
Prunes 12 lbs Indefinitely
Raisins 12 lbs Indefinitely
Apples 12 lbs Indefinitely
Pears 12 lbs Indefinitely
Peaches 12 lbs Indefinitely
Apricots 12 lbs Indefinitely
Blueberries 10 lbs Indefinitely
SPICES & CONDIMENTS
Soup base, beef 3 lbs 2-3 Years
Soup base, chicken 3 lbs 2-3 Years
Granulated garlic 2 lbs 2-3 Years
Granulated onion 1 lb 2-3 Years
Cayanne pepper 3 lbs 2-3 Years
Celery salt 8 oz 2-3 Years
Oregano 8 oz 2-3 Years
Chili powder 8 oz 2-3 Years
Dry mustard 8 oz 2-3 Years
Ginger, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Mace, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Allspice, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Marjoran, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Pickling spice 1 lb 2-3 Years
Pumpkin pie spice 8 oz 2-3 Years
Cinnamon sticks 8 oz 2-3 Years
Cinnamon, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Nutmeg 8 oz 2-3 Years
Sage, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Poultry seasoning 8 oz 2-3 Years
Black Pepper 8 oz 2-3 Years
Parsley Flakes 1 lb 2-3 Years
Bay leaves 8 oz 2-3 Years
Curry Powder 8 oz 2-3 Years
Cloves, Ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Horseradish 8 oz 2-3 Years
Cream of Tarter 4 oz 2-3 Years
Old Hickory smoked salt 8 oz 2-3 Years
Cumin seed, ground 4 oz 2-3 Years
Tarragon leaves 8 oz 2-3 Years
Vanilla beans 8 oz 2-3 Years
Tumeric, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Paprika 1 lb 2-3 Years
Thyme, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Rosemary 8 oz 2-3 Years
Maple flavoring 1 pint 2-3 Years
Vanilla flavoring/Extract 1 pint 2-3 Years
Lemon extract 3 oz 2-3 Years
Peppermint flavoring 4 oz 2-3 Years
Almond extract 4 oz 2-3 Years
CANNED JUICE
Tomato 12 Large Cans 3-5 Years
Pineapple 12 Large Cans 3-5 Years
Apple 12 Large Cans 3-5 Years
Grapefruit 12 Large Cans 3-5 Years
CANNED FRUIT
Apples 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Applesauce 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Apricots 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Peaches 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Pears 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Cherries 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Blackberries 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Blueberries 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Strawberries 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Mixed Fruit 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
DEHYDRATED FOOD
Cheddar cheese powder 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
Swiss cheese powder 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
Butter powder 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
Peanut butter powder 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
Multi purpose food 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
Egg powder 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
VEGETABLES (dehydrated)
Cut Green Beans 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Diced Beets 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Diced Cabbage 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Diced Celery 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Corn 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Chopped Onions 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Diced Potatoes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Sliced Potatoes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Potato Granules(for mashed) 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Soup blend 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Spinach flakes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Stew blend 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Tomato crystals/flakes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Peas - green garden 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
FRUIT (dehydrated)
Applesauce (plain) 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Apple slices 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Apricot slices 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Banana flakes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Banana slices 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Date slices 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Fruit cocktail 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Fruit mix 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Peach slices 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Prunes, pitted 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Raisins, seedless 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Tomato flakes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely

Please Note: The above chart is only a recommendation. Again it can vary depending on your families likes and dislikes. We realize the amount of food listed above would cost thousands of dollars, and is a little overwhelming on what it takes to be prepared. You don’t have to purchase your year’s supply all at once, start out by just purchasing a few extra items a week and you will be surprised how fast your emergency food supply will grow. This chart does not include toilet paper, toothpaste, personal care items, water storage or other miscellaneous supplies you would need for basic everyday living. We will discuss these items in detail in our upcoming online magazine issues. Best time to start preparing for the future unknown? “NOW”

Interview with a Survivalist

2009-11-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

This was an interview with survivalist/instructor George Smith (AKA Texas Gorge)

PL: WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HAVE NO REFRIDGERATION, SALT OR SMOKE?

George: If you have bad meat and no food and are starving?

PL: Yes

George: At first I would boil the meat for 20 minutes. As the days went by I would make sure to boil the meat for at least an hour.

To boil meat, have a kettle large enough to permit the meat to be entirely covered by the water, and let the water come to a boil before the meat is placed in it. Then let it remain boiling in the kettle for 45 to 60 minutes, which will be long enough to kill the smell, and bacteria. Now rinse meat well.

The meat will taste much better if one takes plenty of time for boiling. Then let it cook on a fire, allowing twelve to fifteen minutes for each pound.

I have done this several times in extreme situations, I ate the meat and not once did I get sick using this method.

PL: What about maggots?

George: Maggots! They are also edible, but not for me, I just picked them off before boiling the meat.

What would you do if you were starving?

Quote:

The poor on the borderline of starvation live purposeful lives. To be engaged in a desperate struggle for food and shelter is to be wholly free from a sense of futility.

Eric Hoffer(1902 - 1983), "The True Believer", 1951

Re-posted by: www.pioneerliving.net

Shelter

2009-11-24T07:10:00.001-08:00

In most survival situations, three priorities must be addressed before any other needs are met:

A: Finding or making shelter is the most important because it allows a person to stay protected from the elements.

B: Humans can live for about three days without water. The length of survival mostly depends upon climate conditions and physical exertion.

C: Food is essential for survival. In the winter especially so you have calories to burn, to maintain essential body heat.

These priorities may change depending upon environmental factors.

A shelter will protect one from potentially disastrous weather, help prevent hypothermia, and allow restful sleep. If possible it will need to be set up quickly. You don't want to spend all of you time working on a shelter and take away vital time from other survival steps.

A shelter should provide a somewhat comfortable place to sleep. To this end, it should account for the following:

Immovable rocks, animal nests, and other obstacles and hazards should be avoided.

Dry watercourses may be flat, sandy, and comfortable to sleep on, but they will flood in a storm.

Sunlight will provide warmth (which is not always welcome), and help one to wake up in the morning. However, sunny, open areas are vulnerable to wind.

Heat transfer: an excessively large or well-ventilated shelter will not retain warmth well.

Flashing (weatherproofing) to provide protection from elements.

A cave would be a very useful shelter because it is very resistant to rain water getting in and maintains a constant temperature. Unfortunately, caves can present additional problems such as ground water, dampness and wildlife. Bears also nest in caves, so before selecting a cave to stay in, you should check it for signs of in-habitance.

The simplest and most mobile shelter would be some type of tarp that can be moved easily and supported by make shift frame work or just rope. When this is not available or not suitable to the situation a simple shelter can be constructed using a lattice of branches propped up at an angle against the wind. Large leaves, such as ferns or fir branches, can then be added to create cover for rain and hail. Ferns can also be added on a shelter to provide insect repellent. Branches propped against a fallen tree make a simple and effective shelter, but animals such as ants and snakes may nest under the tree. With some practice, more advanced shelters such as a debris shelter can be constructed without modern tools or implements.

Home Designs And Layout

2009-11-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

Home Designs And Layout

In years gone by homesteaders designed and built their own houses, they built their homes with not only the contour of the land in mind but also the seasonal sun, wind, hills, slopes, rain were also other things to consider.

The main house even if it is just a cabin is always the focal point of any site plan, and the first step in designing it is to decide where it will be located.Log Home: In the southeast a log home is well protected by trees against winter winds. To offset the hot, humid character of the region in summer. In the northwest area it is protected by with trees to the north but always facing south to maximize winter solar heating.Adobe Homes: In the southwest has thick walls that offer excellent insulation against incessant heat of the sun.Stone Residence: This home with a large extension and a traditional porch on this style is ideal. Brick or stone is fireproof and mostly maintenance free. The attic helps retain heat, partially compensating for poor insulating ability of stone.Frame Dwellings: In the northwest our energy consciousness. Most windows face south and low sloping rear roof with small windows in back protects against north wind in the winter.Underground Dwelling: Are attracting more and more attention from solar heating experts and others. The temperature at a depth of 10 feet or more is a nearly constant 55 ‘F summer and winter, day and night, in the cold north and the warm south. The great benefits of this is you only need enough energy to raise the indoor temperature by 10 or 15 degrees in order to have a comfortable climate. You can eliminate any dampness or a cave-like atmosphere in this type of dwelling with skylights, dropped garden, and light wells.

Whatever design you use you will need to consider the positioning of your house when building it. Start by planning your structure in the winter months by locating your property, and positioning it in the direction of the winter sun, with the largest and most windows facing it. Let nature do some of the work for you by solar heating.

Note: A passive system is a basic element of the house itself, and it works best when it is planned in advance.

By placing your house in this small way allows the sun’s rays to warm the house in the winter yet blocking the midsummer sun.

Trees planted to the north is also something to consider as this will act as a wind block from the north winds.

Bug's

2009-11-19T05:55:00.000-08:00

Repellents are often very effective in deterring pests, thereby protecting crops without having to resort to poisons. Now many gardeners will add a few drops of liquid detergent or 1/3 cup of soap flakes per gallon of any spray to increase the spray’s sticking power and effectiveness. You can also get quite inventive by using house hold items like tar paper which repels cutworms and maggots by its odor. Use 4-inch squares of tar paper laid on the ground, with holes in the centers for the stems to pass through, to protect seedlings from these pests. Aluminum foil laid on the ground has been found to be effective against aphids and squash-vine borers. Copper strips placed around a garden is effective against slugs, and crushed egg shells as well.

Countering The Common Insect Pests

Pest and control:

Aphid: Spray with a diluted solution of soapy water.Cabbage Worm: Dust plant with a mixture of ½ cup salt to 1 cup flour. Potato Beetle: Dust plants with wheat bran while they are wet.Codling Moth: Spray with fish oil, or soapy water.Corn Earworm: Apply mineral oil to the silk just inside the tip of each ear-use a eye dropper. This will repel this worm.Flea Beetle: Dust with wood ashes to repel.Mexican Bean Beetle: Spray with garlic or cedar extract to repel.Thrips: Spray with oil-water mixture.

Home-Made Formulas You Can Make At Home

Soap Spray: Mix ½ cup of Laundry soap to 1 gallon of hot waterThis will kill non furry caterpillars on contact as well as aphids. If used on non-woody plants, rinse off with clear water within 1 minute after applying.

Quassia Spray: Boil ¼ pound of quassia chips in 1 gallon of water for two hours, strain the liquid, and mix with three to five parts water. The spray will kill the aphids and caterpillars but is harmless to our good friends the ladybug and bees.

Garlic and Hot Pepper: Steep ½ teaspoon of crushed garlic and crushed hot peppers in 1 gallon of hot water and let sit for 24 hours. Use at full strength on wood plants, this will also repel mosquitoes; dilute 25 percent for annuals and vegetables. Spray repels many chewing and sucking insects.

Glue Mixture: Dissolve ¼ pound of glue in 1 gallon of warm water. Spray trees and bushes to trap and kill aphids, spider, mites, and scale insects.

Cedar Extract: Boil ¼ pound of cedar chips in 1 gallon of water for 2 hours; strain and dilute the liquid with three parts water; spray on plants to repel beetles.

Buttermilk and Flour: Mix ½ cup buttermilk and 4 cups wheat flour with 5 gallons of water. This will kill mites by suffocation.Note: Homemade sprays tend to be a lot safer than synthetic substances nevertheless, they should be treated with respect. Always wash fruits and vegetables before eating them.

Natural pest control is just part of the balance for the garden or orchard to be healthy. Do not try to eliminate pests completely, since in so doing you would eliminate the food supply of many beneficial insects as well. Try just keeping the number of pests at a minimum so that they do not do serious damage, while at the same time maintaining the predator population that feeds on the pests.

All predators that feed on insect pests should be encouraged in your garden, like garden spiders, lacewing fly, praying mantis, ladybugs, non poisonous snakes, toads, and bats.

Ladybugs and praying mantis eggs are sold by many garden suppliers; both of these insects prey on a variety of common pests.

Rendering Lard

2009-11-18T05:56:00.001-08:00

While lard isn't considered a food, it was vital to the cooking process for many years. Here is a brief description of this necessary pioneering activity.

Rendering Lard

"A 225-pound hog will yield about 30 pounds of fat that can be rendered into fine shortening for pastries, biscuits, and frying. The sheet of fat just inside the ribs makes the best quality, snowy-white lard. This “leaf” fat renders most easily, too -- and is ninety percent fat. The “back” fat, a thick layer just under the skin, is almost as good, giving about eighty percent of its weight in lard.

A slow fire and a heavy pot that conducts heat evenly are most important in making lard. Put ¼” of water in the pot to keep the fat from scorching at first. Remove any fibers, lean meat, and bloody spots from the fat, and cut into very small pieces. It’s not necessary to remove pieces of skin, but many people prefer to. Put a shallow layer of fat in the pot. When the first layer of fat has started to melt, add more. Do not fill the kettle to the top -- it can boil over too easily. Stir frequently and keep fire low.

The temperature of the lard will be 212F at first, but as the water evaporates, the temperature will rise. Be forewarned that this will take a long time at low heat and that you must stir the lard frequently to prevent scorching. As the lard renders, the cracklings will float to the surface. When the lard is almost done and the cracklings have lost the rest of their moisture, they will sink to the bottom. At this point turn off the heat and allow the lard to settle and cool slightly. Then carefully dip the liquid off the top into clean containers. Strain the cracklings and residual liquid through cheese cloth. Fill containers to the top -- the lard will contract quite a bit while cooling. Chill as quickly as possible for a fine-grained shortening.

Air, light, and moisture can make lard rancid and sour. So after it has been thoroughly cooled, cover the containers tightly and store them in a dark, cool area.

Campfire building

2009-11-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

How to Build a Campfire for Cooking

The object is to have all your wood turn into coals at the same time. This gives an even fire with no flames that could burn your food or blacken your cookware. We prefer to use only cast iron for our campfire cooking as it is the most durable cookware and is almost impossible to ruin. Making sure you have all coals before cooking will yield the longest cooking time from the coals.

Preparing Your Fire Site

* Select a fire site at least 10' from bushes or any combustibles. Be sure no tree branches are hanging over your fire site

* Make a U-shaped perimeter using large rocks or green logs. If using green logs make sure you wet them down from time to time. If it is a windy day, make sure the back of the fire pit faces the wind.

* Place a large flat rock at the rear of the fire pit to act as a chimney. The "chimney rock" will help direct the smoke up and away from your cooking area.

Laying the kindling

* Fill the fire area with crumpled paper or tinder.

* Lay kindling over paper/tinder in layers, alternating direction with each layer. Use thin pieces of wood or small dead branches. Do not put kindling down in a "teepee style". The whole fire area should be covered with the kindling stack.

* Light the paper or tinder to start your fire.

Building the Fire, grading the coals

* When the kindling is ablaze, add you firewood. The wood should be the same size, as much as possible. Use hardwood or hardwood branches if available. Distribute the wood evenly over fire bed.

* As soon as the last flames die down leaving mostly white coals, use a stick or shovel to push the coals into a higher level at the back end of the fire pit and keep a lower level at the front. This will give you “high“, “medium,“ and “low” cook settings. Or, just level the coals to your preference.

Cooking

* To cook, set the grill on rocks or wetted green logs. Put food directly on grill or in cookware and prepare your meal. If cooking directly on the grill, a small spray bottle or squirt gun is handy for shooting down any rogue flames, that is caused by food drippings.

* As the fire diminishes, bank the coals to get the most heat from them.

After cooking, you can add wood for your evening campfire. Before you retire for the evening make sure you extinguish thoroughly with water.

Hi All

2009-11-16T17:09:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

My Name is John Milandred one of the founders of Pioneer Living and over the next two weeks I will be sharing with you some of the information on our website at: www.pioneerliving.net

Just a little note today and hope you all like my posts.

The forgotten/lost art of basic human survival. How did our grandparents, great grandparents, and ancestors survive without all the modern conveniences available to us today? Helping humans all over the world with solutions for caring for themselves and their families.

Often when people think about a survivalist, they envision someone who is trained in the outdoors and can survive off the land but a survivalist also stock piles food and possibly weapons to prepare for a disaster and the future unknown. Our ancestors were in reality survivalists.

This was because they were self sufficient, were responsible for one’s own self and family, protection, health, and sustenance as well as shelter.

This is what our ancestors knew and lived every day. They were prepared for what life brings through planning, learning, and preparing for any possible future.

The articles you will find will be focused on simpler times what our ancestors knew and lived every day. From disaster preparedness, extreme wilderness survival, growing and preserving your own nutritious food, foraging for food in the wilderness, water survival, and basic every day living.

Information and solutions to survive our ever changing environment in which we live in today. Solutions for taking back the responsibility of ones own self.

We think that you will be surprised how simple it is, no matter what walk of life you come from, how to get back to basics and in control of your life.

How cold will it be this winter?

2009-11-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

It's late fall and the Indians on a remote reservation in South Dakota asked their new chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was a chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky, he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like.

Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared..

But, being a practical leader, after several days, he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, 'Is the coming winter going to be cold?'

'It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold,' the meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared.

A week later, he called the National Weather Service again. 'Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?'

'Yes,' the man at National Weather Service again replied, 'it's going to be a very cold winter.'

The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later, the chief called the National Weather Service again. 'Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?'

'Absolutely,' the man replied. 'It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters we've ever seen.'

'How can you be so sure?' the chief asked.

The weatherman replied, 'The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy.'

Remember this whenever you get advice from a government official!

The 5 best sentences on politics you will ever read!

2009-11-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

These are possibly the 5 best sentences on politics you'll ever read.

They should be in every book in every school room in every city in every state in our great Union . Our educators should make a lesson plan on these statements and instill these words in the minds of all students.

*"You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity..”

*”What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.”

*The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.”

*When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation.”

*You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it..."

Warning about the 2010 Census - Do not become a victim!

2009-11-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

2010 Census to Begin

WARNING: 2010 Census Cautions from the Better Business Bureau Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers by Susan Johnson

With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau
(BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S.. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S.
Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

** If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.

** Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information.. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.
REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.

While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.

AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION.. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.

Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.org

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFO WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

Dangers of the Alaska Way Viaduct

2009-10-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

This last week a release of information was obtained, to be able to make public the video of the potential dangers of the Alaska Way Viaduct, and it's projected earthquake failure, should another earthquake of the 7.0 magnitude occur closer to Seattle.

To view this video go to: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1509319618?bctid=46395517001 or read the article in the Seattle Times and watch the video from there: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010140232_webviaduct26m.html

Some call this video scaremongering. I call engineers expectations of what will likely take place as possibly prophetic based on solid factual information. Am I scared? Yes I am and I look at Seattle differently now after seeing the projected possible damage that could occur, based on facts that are irrefutable.

If watching this video does not make you squeamish for traveling this highway, nothing else will likely do so either. If you live and work in Seattle, just make sure you have extra gear in your vehicle. Especially it will be important to have a 72 to 120 hour survival kit in your vehicle and at your home and at your place of employment. Survival is the key to not being afraid. "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear"

As for me and my family, I will not be using the Alaska Way Viaduct any more. Heck, after seeing this video, I am also worried about the Pikes Place Market and other restaurants and businesses along the Alaska Way Viaduct.

We are only waiting out the clock for when (not if), the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake of 9 to 9.5 hits off the West coast of Washington, Oregon and Northern California. (For more information, read prior postings on the Cascadia Subduction Zone.)

We also need to be concerned about the newly discovered fault lines that are under Seattle that may make Seattle especially prone to major tremor damage.

Dangers of Hand Sanitizers

2009-10-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

First we had "huffing", the intentional inhaling of paint or glue. Now this!...

The following situation involving alcohol poisoning actually occurred in 2007, but is making the rounds again. IF you have not read about the dangers of hand sanitizer and small children, it is good information to be aware of. Especially since we almost all have a bottle or two of hand sanitizer sitting around now to help prevent flu viruses from spreading...

The below article was verified at Truth or Fiction at:
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/h/hand-sanitizer.htm, And at Snopes at: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/sanitizer.asp.

This is not a Joke! It should act as a Warning for all schools and parents of small children!

------------------------

"Yesterday, my youngest daughter, Halle who is just 4 years old, was rushed to the ER by her father for being severely lethargic and incoherent in her classroom. My husband was called to her school by the school secretary who said that she was 'VERY, VERY SICK'!
He told me that when he arrived at her classroom, Halle was barely sitting in the chair. She couldn't hold her own head up and when he looked into her eyes, she couldn't focus them.
He immediately scooped her up and rushed her to the closest ER, and then called me. When he got there, they ran blood tests and did x-rays, and ran every test imaginable. Her white blood cell count was normal. Nothing was picked up as being out of the ordinary.
When I arrived at the ER, the doctor there told us that they had done everything that they could do so they were transferring her to Saint Francis Hospital for further tests.
Right as we were leaving in the ambulance, our daughter’s teacher arrived at the ER and told us that after questioning Halle 's classmates, She had found out that our little girl had licked liquid hand sanitizer off of her hands!!!
Hand sanitizer, of all things. But it makes sense. These days they have all kinds of different scents and flavors and when you have a curious child, they are going to put all kinds of things into their mouths.
When we arrived at Saint Francis' Hospital ER, we told the ER Doctor there to check her blood alcohol level, and yes we did get weird looks, but they did it.
The results showed her blood alcohol level was 0.085% -- six hours after we first took her in... There's no telling what it would have been if a blood alcohol test would have been requested at the first ER. (A blood alcohol level of just 0.10% is considered legally drunk in most states.)
Since then, her school and a few surrounding schools have taken liquid hand sanitizers out of all the lower grade classes, but what's to stop middle and high schoolers from ingesting this stuff?
After doing research on the Internet, we found out that it only takes about 3 squirts of the stuff ingested to be fatal to a toddler.
For her blood alcohol level to be so high, it would be like someone her size drinking120 proof liquor.

Please forward this to your local schools and to all of your family and anyone you know that have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or cousins. It doesn't matter what age. This could affect any one of them.

-----------------------------------------------

Very Interesting. Heads up Prepper family members!

Flu Attack! How A Virus Invades Your Body by NPR

2009-10-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

For an excellent representation of how a flu virus invades the human body go to:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114075029

Howard Hanson Dam Danger

2009-10-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

After a huge rainstorm last January the Howard Hanson Reservoir on the upper Green River received more water than engineers desired, causing the Corp of Engineers to classify the dam as unsafe. The worry is not that the dam itself may fail, but instead it is because of the abutment on the right side of the dam has begun seeping water (again) and failure of the abutment could be catastrophic.

A similar problem happened with the Teton Dam Disaster, only it resulted in severe flooding and loss of life from the abutment failure.

In the meantime, less water is being stored behind the dam while repairs are being made. If there is another heavy rainstorm however, before the reservoir's repairs are completed, the Corp of Engineers advised they may have to release a large amount of water downstream. This water might flow over the downstream levees, flooding schools, businesses, and homes in Kent, Renton, Auburn and Tukwila. One of the worst case scenarios is possible flooding of the water sewage treatment plant in Kent downstream.

Contractors are working very hard to fix the leak while the Corps of Engineers designs a more permanent fix — like a concrete wall to seal the abutment once and for all, to the cost of many millions of dollars.

There is a high chance of a major flood this fall or winter. Local cities and both King and Pierce counties are hurrying to move critical infrastructure out of the flood plain and are currently doing lots of sandbagging to beef up the levees, and are notifying businesses and the thousands of residents downstream to prepare for the worst.

Keith Ervin, a Seattle Times Staff Reporter, wrote an article entitled, Rush to finish barrier at Howard Hanson Dam before heavy rains on October 5, 2009. He reports that, "Seepage through a dam or abutment isn't necessarily a problem. But if dirt and rock begin to wash away — as may have happened in January — the result could be catastrophic. Failure of the dam would send a wall of water careening toward homes, schools, warehouses and factories. Six cities would flood, from Pacific to Renton, with peak depths of some 20 feet in downtown Auburn."

So, if you live in the lower areas of these cities, seriously consider making preparations for that 'just in case' scenario of flooding evacuation. At a minimum, 1. Go out and purchase home and or business flood insurance, (if it is still available), 2. Purchase a NOAA weather alert radio, and keep it turned on, and 3. Sign up to be on the flood alert phone notification list.

Remember, time will always be short if a failure does occur. Preparation is the only viable answer to protecting life and property.

Jury Duty Scam!

2009-10-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Jury Duty Scam. Pass this on to your grown children too.

This has been verified by the FBI (their link is included below). This scam started in 2006 but is still out there so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator... If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in multiple states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system.

The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud..

Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm Yep! It's true. Please make sure and pass this on.

Car Keys Alarm

2009-09-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is a good safety tip--please read! It's easy to do!!

Put your car keys beside your bed at night

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbours, your parents,

your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run

across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get

in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will

be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it

off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighbourhood watch coordinator. Next time

you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think

of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have

and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most

everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery

runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.

It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car

alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are

the burglar/rapist won't stick around.

After a few seconds all the neighbours will be looking out their

windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want

that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a

parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something

that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life

or prevent a sexual abuse crime.

September is National Preparedness Month in Washington State

2009-09-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

Washington State is observing National Preparedness Month and NOAA Weather Radio Awareness Month this September. Special events and promotions are scheduled across the state to focus individuals and businesses on the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies.

These events include:
· State Capitol Campus Safety and Preparedness Fair, Sept. 11.
· A statewide Drop, Cover and Hold earthquake drill at 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 16.
· Statewide “GETS” Card test on Sept. 24.
· Special retail promotions on Sept. 6 to encourage disaster preparedness and the use of all-hazard weather radios.
“Citizens, companies and governments agencies should review individual preparedness plans, contact information, and emergency kits” so they can be ready in the event of an emergency, said Gov. Chris Gregoire. These actions should enable citizens “to be self-sufficient for a minimum of three days following an act of terrorism, natural or man-made disasters.”

Everyone knows that they need to get prepared but the magnitude of the process can be overwhelming. How can we manage to do it all? Preparedness month information materials including current H1N1 Flu information, Drop, Cover, Hold drill instructions and 72-hour comfort kit fact sheets are all available from the Washington Emergency Management Division web site. The web site also includes a list of additional preparedness events to be held around the state as well a plethora of information to help you prepare for emergencies and disasters.

This website even provides an Action Plan that will help you to take the first steps now and plan to be totally ready in 1 year. Doing something is always better than doing nothing and people with good preparations in place for their home life will always find it easier to manage coming to work or staying at work if a disaster strikes.

A NOAA Weather Radio is an important preparedness tool for all. The radios are personal all-hazard warning systems. They help protect lives and property with a warning alarm feature that activates for immediate life-threatening events such as windstorms, tsunamis and hazardous materials releases. The goal of the Weather Radio campaign is to make All-Hazard Weather Radios as common and necessary as smoke detectors in the home, workplace and classroom. Special retail weather radio promotions will be offered September 26 in multiple locations.

Preparedness is not a new topic and sometimes we may be feeling like we’ve got our own plans and supplies in order and therefore when a disaster strikes all will be well. Most immediate assistance during a disaster comes from citizens themselves as emergency responders will be stretched beyond their ability to be there for all who need them. If you have an interest in being prepared to assist your family and others, the Citizen Corps provides options for you. The Citizen Corps partner programs give citizens the opportunity to get involved and enhance the capabilities of first responders through the use of volunteers. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) educates people about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic response skills.

We’ve given you the tools – it’s now up to you. Are you ready for work today?

Communications

2009-08-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

When communications break down, isolation takes place. It does not have to be this way...

When there is a major disaster such as we experienced with the regional disaster in Lewis and other counties with the major flooding in our recent past, one thing became the most important aspect of true survival, that was communications both within, and to the outside world.

This is what happened:

Immediately most phone lines in the disaster areas went down county wide. Our region was overloaded with calls that could not go through in or out because of volume and downed lines.

Cell phones were the next thing to go down. They did not work because the towers were not energized, and without power, there was no signal for most of Lewis County, and other counties hit with the severe flooding.

CB radios tended to work only along the outskirts of the flood area, but had little communication value because of the distances between carriers, vehicles and trucks in the flood zones was greater than two to three miles and there were trees and hills between operators.

FRS (hand held) radios worked only for a short time period and only for short distances - mostly in line of sight - then they started failing because they needed recharging, and they went silent.

By the third day mobile ham units and base station ham units were brought in and became the most reliable and the most constant mode of communications. They coordinated with FEMA, the Red Cross, police, fire, ambulances, emergency crews and thousands of volunteers in dispatching people where they were needed and covering outer lying areas of flood damage.

I strongly agree with FEMA with their encouragement of individuals to volunteer to become ham radio operators in each county where you live. I believe the current ham radio license costs $15.

I attended a volunteer class put on for free (they are available everywhere), and bought the new ham book as a study guide to prepare for my exam. I also went on to the Internet and did quite a few practice exams to help me learn the material. Because I was prepared for the exam, the physical test took me about 30 minutes to take and I passed my exam the first go.

Next was to look for a ham radio after I passed the exam. I ended up purchasing a 2meter mobile ham radio from Ham Radio Outlet in Portland, OR, which I mounted in my SUV.

I based my purchase decision on my desire to communicate with the large LDS networks which have been established for disaster preparedness state wide. They are open to anyone desiring to communicate and provide weekly practice check-in's. There are also many other organizations out there that are available.

To learn more about ham radio, go to the American Radio Relay League site at www.arrl.org
or for information on a radio itself, I have found the people at Ham Radio Outlet to be not only polite but nice people to do business with at (800-854-6046 or www.hamradio.com)

Bill