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This list was submitted by Mike Myrick, another great list that made me wish I’d had a dozen prizes to give away. This one made me take a look at my own blog and think, “Hmmm…does my blog answer his questions?” By all means, jump right in with your comments and answer Mike’s questions!
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- How to store seeds for the garden for several years and still have them germinate.
- How to store a year’s supply of water for my family, pets and garden.
- What are the most likely disasters in my area?
- How can I protect myself from an EMP?
- How can I prepare for dental problems in a long term emergency?
- What is the best way to prepare for a long-term lack of electrical power?
- How can I get my neighbors to prepare?
- How can I grow enough food year after year?
- What books are best to have in my library?
- What tools are essential to have for a long-term disaster?
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I'm the original Survival Mom, and have been helping moms worry less and enjoy their homes and families more for 9 years.
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@ 3: FEMA has a listing on their website. Not the best, but it's there. NOAA has listings by area for natural disasters.
@ 5: go to http://www.hesperian.org and download a copy of "Where There is no Dentist" Also, take obsessive care of your teeth right now. You only get one set of choppers. Rotadent+Sonicare+floss=lots of praise from the dentist and complete reversal of gingivitis.
@8: There are a lot of books on "Permaculture" that have strategies for long term production. I like "Five Acres and Independence" I got mine from Lindsay Books. They have great stuff.
@9: Good luck with that one. I'm into the thousands of titles on my hard drive and still want more. Check out Scribd.com and Drum-Runners.com for a start.
@10: Firefox gave me lots of ideas. So did the early 20th century books on construction and repair.
@2 We have a well, but rain barrels and a solar still seem like they'd be a definite step in the right direction, unless you live in the desert. That's a whole different set of water problems.
@7 I've been talking to my neighbors about planting herbs and veggies to hopefully convince them to do so as well (and heirloom over hybrid), and our county planning commission is debating permitting chickens and other fowl on smaller lots. We've gotten our street stirred up in favor of that thanks to some nimrod who turned a family in for having chickens. (Their neighbors were fine with it.) I'm also noting anything folks have that could be useful so if the SHTF, we can start pooling resources more quickly. For instance, one family has a big walnut tree, another has lots of berry bushes, another has a small plane nearby, several have farm equipment, one home schools, several have retired military types, etc. It doesn't get them prepped, but if it goes bad, it'll help us organize more quickly. Hopefully.
Where There Is No Dentist is a great book, but I recommend paperback (unless you want to run your printer). A downloaded copy won't help you when/if #4 happens.
Do not attempt to provide for long-term electrical supply. Just do it the old fashioned way– without. Man has lived for millions of years, and only the last 100 or so with electricity. Have a generator or solar for the short term to give you time to can, dry, jerk or eat what's in your freezer, and get everything ready. When it breaks down or the fuel is gone, live like a pioneer.
This is a good list with good replies. I find it interesting how in sync many people are on these blogs. We all have similar lists and goals…
# 5. In addition to Where There is No Dentist. Talk to your dentist and see if he/she is willing to barter for services if/when needed. Always have a back up plan for your back up plan 🙂
#8 ~ Many ppl seem to be having success w/ the Square Foot Garden. Ours has given us a decent fall and summer yield. I'm still learning and want to expand the number of boxes. I've also started growing sprouts in my kitchen window. They're highly nutritious and a good supplement and alternative during the lean growing months.
#1 – The guy who wrote "Square Foot Gardening" said to store them in an air tight jar in your fridge and they will last for years.
@9: "Edible wild plants" a peterson field guide…"edible wild mushrooms of north america" a field to kitchen guide…."Tom Brown's guide to wild edible and medicinal plants" by Tom Brown……"Tom Brown's field guide to wilderness survival" by Tom Brown. I am also trying to get a better library for my family and me, I am getting lots of the "For Dummies" guides and also the "An Idiot's guide to…" since they explain stuff in the simple forms..lol. I am also new at learning to prepare and just bought the stuff I need to learn to can/preserve food, including 3 books on it. Good luck!!
Good questions… and it's impossible to prepare completely in isolation. IMHO, we're facing a future with dramatically less cheap/affordable transport and energy. I don't know if Peak Oil, Climate Change or economic collapse will get us first, but the results are the same.
Check out http://www.transitionus.org/initiatives for a community-based solution, and enlist your neighbors. None of us will be able to cope with all the factors of what's coming alone.
Cheers!