I’m not trying to be an alarmist but as most of you know, terrorists are still planning attacks. Preparing for and responding to a CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or Explosive device) event is difficult since it depends on the type and size of weapon or device used, weather conditions, and the target (high-rise, mall, school, sporting event, city, etc) among other things.  However, there are a few key things you can do that could potentially save your life.

• Watch & listen … Sounds simple, and it is. Start making a habit of being aware of your surroundings. You don’t have to be paranoid or obvious ~ just make a mental note of the EXITS when you go to places. Also watch for suspicious activities (like someone wearing a heavy coat on a hot day or unattended bags or
  

  image by arimoore

  backpacks in odd places) … and report anything that seems out of the ordinary. If you see or hear a lot of people or critters choking, coughing or twitching – leave the area then listen for instructions about evacuations, decontamination, sheltering tips (esp since it depends on the agent used), etc. And stay current on news, alerts and threats – but don’t obsess over them.

• Learn where to go … Find out in advance where you could shelter-in-place at the common places you go (e.g. home, office, school, mall, etc). Most city and county web sites list emergency shelters online or it’s available upon request, then use Mapquest or Google maps to locate ones closest to you. Also ask your employer, school and other facility officials what their evacuation and sheltering plans are. Then choose a room in your home or building where you could hunker down with supplies and a radio for several hours or days if needed.
• Get KI, KFM kits and dosimeters!!!!! These are VERY worthy investments in the event of a nuclear incident. KI (potassium iodide) basically fills up the thyroid with good iodine so your body doesn’t absorb the radioactive iodine. Children (including unborn babies) are most susceptible since their thyroids are so active. KFM (Kearny Fallout Meter) kits measure radiation more accurately than most instruments since it’s charged electrostatically. Free plans are available online or can be purchased as a kit ($45-$75). Dosimeters are pen-like devices you can wear that measure the total dose or accumulated exposure to radiation as you move around ($45-$65 – needs a charger too). You cannot see, feel, taste or smell radiation so detection devices are extremely important!
• Expedient shelter … Nuclear fallout is deadly and you may only have a few moments to protect yourself since it starts falling minutes after a blast so learn how to make an “expedient shelter”. Taking shelter underground with shielding is best since it reduces exposure by 90%, but if you don’t have that option …
  • Find a spot away from windows in the center of home or building. Note: if the rooftop of a building next to you is on that same floor, move one floor up or down since radioactive fallout would accumulate on rooftops. Avoid the first floor (if possible) since fallout will pile up on the ground outside.
  • Set up a large, sturdy workbench or table in location you’ve chosen. If no table, make one by putting doors on top of boxes, appliances or furniture.
  • Put as much shielding (e.g. furniture, file cabinets, appliances, boxes or pillowcases filled with dirt or sand, boxes of food, water or books, concrete blocks, bricks, etc.) all around sides and on top of table, but don’t put too much weight on tabletop or it could collapse. Add reinforcing supports, if needed.
  • Leave a crawl space so everyone can get inside and block opening with shielding materials.
  • Leave 2 small air spaces for ventilation (about 4-6″ each) – one low at one end and one high at other end. (This allows for better airflow since warm air rises.)
  • Have water, detection devices, radio, food and sanitation supplies in case you have to shelter for days or weeks.

After 7 hours radiation levels drop tenfold, and if you stay put at least 2 days you’ve greatly improved your chances for survival … and after 2 weeks radiation levels will be very low. Time, distance and shielding are critical components of surviving any type of nuclear attack or accident. (Note: Radiological incidents using an RDD or dirty bomb would not be as devastating or deadly since they use low-level radiation. The blast would probably cause more injuries and panic then the radiation.)

• If you’re trapped … If you get trapped or buried in rubble from an explosive device (or natural disaster for that matter), try not to panic and cover your mouth with a piece of clothing to help filter the dust. Do NOT use a lighter since there could be gas leaks! Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can hear you. (Yelling may cause you to inhale a lot of dust.)
• Avoid crowds … During or after an incident stay away from large gatherings or crowds since they may be targets for subsequent attacks.

 Again, this just barely scratches the surface on this topic, but doing some of these things could potentially help with your survival. We all should learn what to do during many types of disasters and emergencies and share the data with family members (esp kids). Knowledge is power — you may never need any of these steps or items listed here … but it never hurts to prepare for the unexpected. Download some free topics at www.itsadisaster.net/look_inside_book and check out our Links (especially the Business Links) to find more free resources. Stay safe out there.

© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

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Thanks to reader Steve C., I have learned about a handy tool, the S-CUT, that is so handy at cutting through clothing, belts, safety harnesses and the like it’s being used by emergency workers in placed of scissors and knives. Although it will never replace the survival knife (whew!), it deserves a close look for something that might come in handy in Bug Out Bags or medical kits.  Its’ circular blade could easily cut through canvas, tent material, zippers and duct tape.  For the gadget-loving prepper, here’s a new toy!

© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

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photo by chiaralily

Without a doubt, the world around us is rapidly changing, and our children are aware of more than we might think.  Their listening ears hear worried grown-ups talk of job losses, “the economy”, political concerns, swine flu, and home foreclosures.  If we parents have concerns about the future, imagine what they must feel.  Our children are growing up bearing a burden that you and I didn’t have to bear.

What is the best way to help our children feel secure in these tumultuous times?  These seven steps are important for establishing a strong family at any time but are particularly effective and necessary these days. 

Be rock-solid parents 

When flight attendants instruct passengers to put oxygen masks on their own faces before those of their children, it’s a logical sequence.  Be strong yourself and you’ll be better able to help your children.  More than ever, our children need us to be rock-solid.   We owe it to our kids to be the adults in the family even when childish urges to over-spend or disregard commitments and responsibilities tempt us. 

If you’re not feeling particularly strong, please give yourself permission to take care of you.  If you need to talk with a counselor about your own feelings of helplessness and fears, make the appointment!  When you read a checklist of the symptoms of depression and you can check off most of them, call your doctor!   Something as simple as journaling can help relieve stress and put our concerns into perspective.  When Mom and Dad are at a weak point in their lives, children become very vulnerable.  Strong parents build strong children.

Talk amongst yourselves

There are conversation subjects that children do not need to hear.  Has the family down the street lost their home?  Is Dad worried about losing his job?  Keep those conversations private and between adults only.  If it’s tough finding a time and place to talk without the kids around, leave the children with a trusted adult, hop in your car and drive.  Literally!  Drive 30 or 40 minutes in one direction, turn around and drive back.  That’s at least an hour of quiet, uniterrupted talking time, and it only cost a couple of dollars in fuel!

Remember that “date night” advice you’ve heard over and over again?  Right now is a good time to put that into practice, if for no other reason than to talk about current issues and difficult decisions.  It’s important to keep adult subject matter between adults.

Be honest

When questions do arise, answer them honestly with brief, simplified explanations.  Kids mostly want and need to hear that they will be okay.  Even if your own situation is dire, you can still reassure them by telling them they’re loved and that life is still good.

Have more family time

My current battle in our home is against, “screen time,”  the time any of us spend in front of a television or computer screen.  Every minute spent looking at a screen is a minute taken away from family time.  Now more than ever, time spent doing things together will help children feel more secure through stronger family bonds. 

Reading aloud is one of the best ways I know of building relationships within a family and increasing time together.  As a story unfolds, suddenly everyone is experiencing the same adventure together.  Books such as Charlotte’s Web and James and the Giant Peach stir up imaginations, but more importantly, conversations.  Some of my family’s favorite read-alouds can be found here, Shop With Me.

Physical exercise and activities don’t have to cost a dime, and they provide great bonding time while helping everyone stay in shape.  Walks through the neighborhood, bike rides along a dusty trail, or hiking through a forest filled with autum color provides time to talk, time to observe nature, and a chance to escape from everyday stress.

Focus on the doing part of family time.  Watching TV or a movie together doesn’t count!

 Include one-on-one time

Just as important as family time, is the time we parents spend with each child individually.  My daughter is at her happiest when the two of us are strolling through the aisles of our local craft store.  We dream up projects we can do together and then scurry around looking for the supplies, choosing colors, beads, and plumes.  My talkative son just wants to be heard.  On a trip to a hardware store, he will talk the entire way there and the entire way back.  All he needs to know is that mom or dad is listening. 

If you study your children, you will soon know their deepest needs and desires.  Pay careful attention to their begging.

“Mom, please can’t we go to the library?”

“Mom!  Watch me hit this ball!”

If you listen, you will soon learn what they need most.  Time spent one-on-one can help meet those needs and emphasize to that little one the truth of their importance to you and the unique place they have in the world.  Begin to set dates on your calendar for one-on-one time with each child and plan on spending lots of time just listening.  And hugging. 

Emphasize the good

Rising rates of foreclosures, bankruptcies, and job losses can easily overshadow the good that is still in our world.  Emphasize the good things that happen on a daily basis.  A good report card, a visit from Grandma, or a new pair of shoes help keep our kids focused on positive and uplifting thoughts.  There is so much beauty and wonder in the world.  Get in the habit of pointing out what is good.  It will be good medicine for everybody!

Trust in a Greater Someone

Our kids want to believe their parents have all the answers, but we know better.  Even though their eyes turn to us for reassurance, deep down they need to know that a watchful, loving Higher Power is there.  Children find it easy to trust in God, even if they haven’t been taught about Him. 

You can help build your child’s faith with a simple prayer time together each night.  Our family writes down the names of people and situations we pray about to help us be more aware of answered prayers.  When you read Bible stories or other stories of faith, point out examples of God’s faithfulness and goodness during troubled times.  The story of Joseph and of the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt are exciting stories with lessons of trust and answered prayer.

During uncertain and insecure times, we parents are the glue that holds our families together and keep them strong.  The times we live in may be uncertain, but our families can remain strong, our children filled with courage and confidence. 

© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

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After some research and a few missteps, my current food storage plan is built around three categories of food.

1.  Grocery store goods.  This category is the easiest to acquire, the food is often very inexpensive, and it’s all familiar stuff.  During stressful times, I think we’ll all appreciate a nice big bowl of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.  The downside of this food category is that it isn’t meant for long-term storage, so keep an eye on expiration dates.

2.  Freeze dried foods.  These are lightweight, and don’t take up much room.  You could pack 6 months worth in the back of a pick-up truck.  In fact, I’ve stored ours’ near our back door in case we ever have to evacuate. With a relatively small amount of water, bingo, you have a meal.  Freeze dried food is more expensive up front, but when you price it out per serving, it’s actually pretty budget friendly.  One caveat. Pay attention to serving size.  If you have big eaters, you may find yourself zipping through a #10 can of turkey tetrazzini over a weekend.  Two companies I’ve purchased from are Ready Made Resources and Freeze Dry Guy.  My friend, Suzanne, owns All-in-One Preparedness, and is especially helpful.  Be sure to shop around for the best prices.

3.  Bulk dry food.  This category includes rice, beans, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, cornmeal, wheat, dried milk and a whole lot more.  These foods are meant to last a very, very long time, up to 20 or 30 years in many cases.  This food must be stored correctly, but ultimately, it will be the backbone of your food storage.  To get started, download Walton Feed’s catalog, and use it to check off what your family currently eats.  That will give you an idea of where to start with this category of food.  My own family prefers rice and beans over potatoes, so my food storage reflects that.  Again, check around for prices, including local resources.

I prefer this balanced approach over stocking up on just one category of food.  The combination provides us with comforting, familiar foods, ultra quick meals if all we have available is water, and food I can rely on to be there years from now.  I don’t think there’s any bad way to begin your food storage, except procrastinating until “tomorrow.”

© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

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image by kafka4prez

Could your family pack for a vacation or evacuation in an hour or less?  I think with just a little caffeine, mine could!  We have two secret weapons: individual packing lists and toiletry bags.

You can read about the packing lists here, but what speeds up the process even more are the small zippered toiletry bags that are always packed  and ready to go.  Each family member has one of these.  Mine contains make-up samples, a contact case, tweezers, sample sizes of shampoo and hairspray, etc.  Daughter’s has a hairbrush, deodorant, some hair scrunches, her toothbrush and toothpaste.  You get the idea.  I stocked a family bag with various types of over-the-counter medicines and first aid items.

This is a huge timesaver, and could really come in handy in an emergency evacuation or just a quick weekend trip for Mom and Dad!

© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

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When you are prepping, you need to know how many people you are prepping for and take into consideration any special needs.  On a daily basis, my family is me, my husband, two sons, and two cats. My mother-in-law (MIL) is often added in as well.  She lives nearby, and I’m her primary caretaker.  At Christmas and Thanksgiving, my parents, brother and his family are added in. For big family get-togethers at my parent’s house, the group size can easily hit 20-30 people with cousins, second cousins, etc. When we got married, family on my side was about sixty people. If you include everyone on my husband’s side, along with all those we invited to the wedding, it’s about seventy people. (Yeah, he was shocked by the sheer size of my family when he met them, and that was just the family-get-together size.)

image by rowland_rick

When we lived in California and the rest of our family was in the mid-west and mid-Atlantic, family consisted of only my nuclear family and my MIL.  At that time we probably would have included in our preps my son’s best friend and his mom, the godmother to my children, because they couldn’t do much on their own. There was no point in considering other family because they were too far away.

Now that we no longer live in California, instead of earthquakes and wildfires, our biggest potential hazards are power outages (exposure to extreme heat/humidity or cold), Washington D.C. being nuked, and of course, potential nation-wide disasters like a currency collapse. In the case of power outages, our family is the four of us plus checking in on my MIL.  In the case of D.C. being nuked, we include my husband’s best man who lives in an apartment closer to D.C.   His family is not nearby and, depending on the situation, he may or may not be able to get to them. We’ll take care of him. In the case of a currency collapse, we include my parents in our preparedness plans.

We have a spare cane for MIL. We have enough sleeping bags for everyone we would include in our preps. We have the cough drops my dad needs in the winter. We have linens and places to sleep for everyone. I am getting spare winter boots in my parent’s sizes because, if something happens and they move here quickly in warm weather, I just know they won’t remember to bring them.  If nothing happens and we have company when it’s snowing, we have spare boots. (You laugh, but they would’ve been handy when other family visited from out of town during one of our many recent storms.)

If you have a lot of family nearby, you might consider making a phone tree for emergencies. When we got married, I gave my husband an organization chart with photos of all my cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Other family members requested a copy. If you keep a phone tree, organization chart, or something similar with your prep supplies, it can help you find the rest of your family in a true emergency since you can just show the pictures to others.

We are also trying to meet our neighbors and form a better community here so we can take care of each other. When it comes down to it, you need to decide what you’re prepping for (tornado, TEOTWAWKI, hurricane, blizzards), and then figure out for whom you are prepping and what special needs they have.

© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

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For a limited time, Ready Made Resources has made Mountain House freeze dried food more affordable than ever with a 25% discount and FREE shipping on case lots.  Now, here’s the great news on case lots.  (A case lot is six #10 cans.)   You can mix up your choices!  If you’re new to freeze dried food, here’s your chance to try six different varieties to see which you might like to stock up on.  Or, if your food storage is short on produce, you can choose a can of freeze dried strawberries, corn, peas, green beans, bananas, and, just for fun, a can of Raspberry Crumble.  My personal favorite Mountain House foods are Macaroni and Cheese and Lasagna.  At 25% off, you can’t go wrong.

I’ve added Ready Made Resources as an advertiser on my sidebar because I’m personally one of their customers, and I buy freeze dried whenever I can afford it.  With a shelf life of decades, I have portability, long-term storage and really great food all wrapped up in a bunch of shiny #10 cans!

© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

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Rob, over at TEOTWAWTKI Blog, recently wrote about The Paradox of Retreat Living.  For many preppers, a survival retreat is the ultimate goal, but Rob points out the disadvantages of this plan.

A Survival Retreat, image by Florian

While living in relative isolation at a full-time rural retreat is theoretically one of the best options for making it through a TEOTWAWKI scenario, the same isolation creates problems with finding gainful employment–causing definite problems for getting together adequate preparations and living adequately in the normal, pre-TEOTWAWKI world. It also isolates retreaters from family and friends–the people you would depend on most during a post-collapse scenario.

Say what?  Preppers actually need a reliable income and family support?

Your family is what matters most in life–they’re what all of those guns, gear, bullets and band aids are meant to protect. Do not take isolating yourself from them lightly–it will mean seeing less of your longtime friends, cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, parents, kids and grandkids. If those relationships–especially friendship–fade due to distance, that isolation may also mean that your old survival/prep/gun buddies don’t show up on your doorstep as planned when TEOTWAWKI hits.

Check out the entire article, The Paradox of Retreat Living, and leave a comment or question for Rob.

*From SurvivalBlog: In historical contexts, the Mongol Horde of the 13th Century, but in the context of SurvivalBlog, the anticipated large mixed horde of refugees and looters that will pour out of the metropolitan regions WTSHTF.

© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

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The best firestarting system can also be the cheapest and the materials are the easiest to find at any drug or grocery store.  This Boy Scout Hot-Spark and a prescription bottle filled with cotton balls and petroleum jelly makes a reliable firestarting method that is cheap enough to be placed in all survival kits.

This Boy Scout Hot-Spark and a prescription bottle filled with cotton balls and petroleum jelly makes a reliable firestarting method that is cheap enough to be placed in all survival kits

After extensive testing, my nomination for the best overall survival firestarting method is cotton balls, slathered with petroleum jelly, combined with a magnesium or flint stick. I ran across this method several years ago at a Peter Kummerfeldt seminar at the Deschutes Fairground Sportsmen show.  Kummerfeldt demonstrated the method at his booth, and it looked so easy, I figured there had to be a catch. So, I got the materials and tested it myself, then had some of the scouts from Boy Scout Troop 18 in Bend, Oregon, wring out the system.Everybody likes this system because of  its’ reliability. There is nothing to break, it requires no fuel, and temperature has no affect. But an additional benefit is how cheap it is to produce!

Here’s how you can make one of these fire-making kits.

Flint or magnesium sticks come in different sizes. Find a size that is handy, so you'll take it with you! The keychain size, center, is a good choice for everyday carry.

• Get a locking cap, waterproof prescription bottle. These days, everybody has a prescription for something, and the meds usually come in a small, plastic pill bottle. The bottles with the snap-and-bayonet, waterproof top work very well for storing the cotton balls, and probably won’t cost anything. You can also use an empty 35mm film plastic container, or a standard waterproof matchbox. I use all of these containers, since I carry the cotton balls/petroleum jelly firestarter in all my survival kits. Just be careful with any snap-off or non-locking cap.  If they’re easy to get off, they may come apart in your pack!
• Cotton balls: Get extra-large, 100 percent cotton. They generally cost less than a penny each.
• Petroleum jelly: I paid $1.99 for a 13-ounce jar at the local department store. Many of the lip balm sticks will also work with this system, so experiment at home.  Slather the vaseline over a cotton ball, and work it in until the ball is infused with the vaseline.
• Magnesium or flint stick: One of my favorites, the Boy Scout Hot-Spark, costs about $2.50 at the Scout store. You can buy bigger, more expensive models, but the scout version does the trick. I have the smaller sticks on zipper fobs, key chains, and in every survival kit I own. Your Swiss Army knife can become a better survival knife if you attach a Hot-Spark to the split ring on the handle.

Put a label on each container with what is inside and how to use it. You may not need the reminder, but then again, you might be injured, disabled or unconscious, and someone else might have to build that life-saving fire. Make their job easier by including simple instructions.

I use a standard Avery 5160 1″x2-5/8″ labels, with Wordperfect software in the “labels” dropdown.  Use 11 point, Aerial type, and this spacing, and all the information fits nicely. On the labels, type:

 Firestarter: Cotton balls and petroleum jelly.  To use: Remove pinch of firestarter, fluff and light.  More info:  SurvivalCommonSense.com (Thought I’d sneak that in! I could use the publicity! For Boy Scout or Girl Scout troops, here’s where you put your name out! You could put compliments of your particular organization, or whatever will fit on the bottom line.)

These containers, filled with cotton balls and petroleum jelly, are fantastic promotional give-aways and cost pennies. Scouts can make up a bunch, and give them out at their next camp-out or public gathering.  I give the containers out when I go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing as a public service.  It’s scary how often this firestarter is the only survival gear some people have!

Total cost of the complete firestarter kit, with Hot-Spark, is about $2.75 to $3! If you opt to buy  a waterproof match container for the cotton balls, that will set you back another $2-$3. You’re still looking at a complete firemaking system for about five bucks!

Carry this combination in all your survival kits. When you need to make a fire, pull out a pinch, fluff it out and strike a spark onto the cotton ball with the flint stick. If the wood is damp, and the tinder in short supply, use a whole cotton ball. My experiments show that a cotton ball gobbed with petroleum jelly will burn for several minutes.

The cotton balls and petroleum jelly has another use.  On a Boy Scout 50-miler hike a few years back, I started to get a blister on my heel. I took out my cotton ball firestarter, and rubbed the hot spot with the petroleum jelly.  No blister formed!

When it comes to your survival kit, you decide how much you want to invest. Personally, I want the best equipment available for me and my family, and price is not a consideration. Our lives are worth that to me.

But prepping or making multiple survival kits can be expensive. Find the areas – like this one – where you can cut costs without reducing quality, durability or safety. Then, invest the money you saved on items you can’t compromise on, such as  boots, a survival knife, sleeping bags, tents, navigation gear etc. Use common sense in all of this. Find the best, most reliable systems for your survival kits, then practice, research and decide how they can best serve you.

© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

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One option is a solar oven.  A solar oven can be as simple as a box lined with aluminum foil or, my preference, the Global Sun Oven.  If you’re like me, anything that is overly complicated or inconvenient is rarely used, and that is why I love the Sun Oven.  It’s portable enough to be taken on camping trips, light enough for my kids to carry, and the set-up takes less than a minute.  As long as there is sunshine, this baby can cook anything from hard boiled eggs to roasted chicken to casseroles and cookies.  I learned that I can make homemade chicken soup with a simple combination of noodles, veggies, water, and raw chicken.  Yep, raw chicken.  As the soup heats up and cooks, the chicken and water create a rich broth, so I don’t have to use canned broth or bouillon cubes for flavor.

You can even pasteurize water in a solar oven.  Water actually pasteurizes at temperatures below boiling, and yesterday I discovered a terrific low-tech method to determine when water is safe to drink.  The Water Pasteurization Indicator (WAPI) is a simple, small polycarbonate tube that contains a small amount of wax.  This wax melts at the same temperature required for pasteurization of water and milk.  Dangle the WAPI into a container of water, and when the wax is melted, you know the water is safe to drink!  When the WAPI is removed from the water, the wax hardens, and it’s ready to use again and again.  Brilliant!

With solar ovens, you never have to worry about fuel, and this is a big advantage.  The cooking process may take a bit more time, depending on the type of oven you use and how much sunlight is available at the time.  You can help the oven cook faster by refocusing it toward the sun every half hour or so.  This is just a simple process of angling the oven in the direction of the sun, taking no more than a minute or so.

On overcast days, a solar oven isn’t going to work, but there are other options for grid-free and fuel-free cooking.  Take a look at stoves that require very small amounts of charcoal or wood.  Although wood is technically a fuel, it isn’t something you normally have to purchase or rely upon an outside source to provide.  The Stove Tec Rocket Stove  is an example of this type of stove.  It’s small and portable, and as long as you know how to start a small fire using tinder and small sticks, you’re good to go.  Along with a stove of this type, you’ll need a few pieces of cookware that can be used over an open flame, and then plenty of practice! 

Cooking off the grid is a challenge but one that is worthwhile, whether you use your knowledge on camping trips, during a power outage or all-out TEOTWAWKI.

© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

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