Show Notes
This week’s show
starts with the Blizzard Survival 20% Discount Offer, then Surviving in Hot
Weather, Why Learn Wilderness
Survival Skills, Support these companies, More companies to support, Prepping
for Beginners, Prepared for Disaster The Dan Haight Interview, Further
companies to support, How to Make a Disaster Preparedness Kit, Prepper or Not
This is what you should Do, Surviving a Nuclear Attack, What if An EMP Attack
Happened, The Terminator Threat is Real, Bird Flu Deaths, Five Survival Skills the Movies Taught You
Wrong.
Surviving in Hot Weather
In the hope that this year we will have a hot summer here is
some advice on keeping safe.
1. Pre-hydrate,
hydrate and re-hydrate.
During hot weather you will need to increase your fluid
intake, regardless of your activity level. Drink plenty of fluids in advance,
during and after activities and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to hydrate.
Using a hydration back pack is a great way to stay hydrated.
Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of
fluids you drink or has prescribed water pills, ask how much you should drink
when the weather is hot.
2. Dress for the
heat.
Wear lightweight, light-coloured clothing. Light colours
will reflect some of the sun’s energy. Limit your direct exposure to the sun
and wear a hat for extra protection.
3. Monitor those at
high risk.
Extreme heat can be hazardous to your health and although
anyone can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk
than others. Those most at risk for heat-related illnesses include children,
older adults, those that work or exercise outside and those with pre-existing
medical conditions.
4. Children and cars
– use common sense.
Never leave infants, children, pets or the elderly in a
parked car where temperatures can become life-threatening in minutes, even with
the windows rolled down. Additionally, hot interior surfaces of a car can burn
a child’s skin.
Before you put your child in a car that has been parked in a
warm/sunny spot, check the temperature of the car seat or upholstery first.
5. Avoid strenuous
activity.
When possible, strenuous activities should be reduced,
eliminated or rescheduled to the coolest part of the day. Take regular breaks
when exercising or engaged in physical activity on warm days.
If you recognize that you, or someone else, is showing signs
of a heat-related illness, stop the activity immediately, find a cool place to
rest, hydrate and seek medical attention if necessary.
Remember, heat stroke is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY that can be
fatal if not treated promptly. The American Red Cross advises that warning
signs can vary among individuals but common signs of heat exhaustion or heat
stroke may include:
Heat Exhaustion:
Heavy sweating
Muscle cramps
Pulse rate: fast and weak
Breathing: fast and shallow
Nausea or vomiting
Fatigue
Weakness
Headache and/or dizziness
Heat Stroke:
An extremely high body temperature (above 103 degrees)
The absence of sweating
Rapid pulse
Difficulty breathing
Throbbing headache
Strange behaviour and/or hallucinations
Confusion, agitation and disorientation
Unconscious
6. Be a good
neighbour.
Isolated, elderly adults are at a much higher risk of
health-related issues. Be a good neighbor and take a minute to check in with
your neighbours.
7. Remember your
pets.
Hot weather can affect the well-being of pets making them
susceptible to overheating which can lead to very dangerous heat stroke. Always
provide a source of water and a cool, ventilated place for your pet.
Remember that leaving your pet inside a parked car, even for
a few minutes, can be fatal. The inside of a car can reach 120 degrees in a
matter of minutes.
8. Stay indoors, if
possible.
Stay indoors and, if possible, in an air-conditioned place.
If your home does not have air conditioning, consider going to the shopping
mall, community centre or public library. Even a few hours spent in air
conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you return to the heat.
9. Use the pool.
Either use a community swimming pool or a shop bought garden
pool and immerse yourself in the cool water.
10. Place beakers of water or juice in the fridge so that
there is always a cold drink available.
Why Learn Wilderness Survival Skills
Why should you learn wilderness survival skills just for
backpacking? They may save your life someday, remember the more you know then
the less you carry on your back. The best reason, however, may be that it's
just a good feeling to know you can deal with whatever comes up. It makes you
feel more at home.
To survive means to stay warm and dry, hydrated, uninjured,
and to find your way out of the survival situation. Eating is nice too, but not
crucial if the situation is for a few days. Below are some more or less random survival
tips, just to get you interested.
Wilderness Survival
Tips
1. Warmth: Sleep with your head slightly downhill to stay
warmer. This may take some getting used to, but it works.
2. Food: In the UK there is no berry that looks like a
strawberry, or raspberry, that can hurt you from one taste. Just spit it out if
it doesn't taste right. Warning if you are not sure leave well alone.
3. Fire starter: If you put dried moss or Birch bark strips
in your pocket as you walk, you'll have dry tinder to start a fire, just in
case it's raining later. Experiment with different materials.
4. Direction-finding: Mark the tip of the shadow of a stick,
and mark it again fifteen minutes later. The line between the first and second
marks points east.
Place your left foot on the first shadow tip and your right
foot on the second shadow tip and you are pointing North. A few techniques like
this can save you when your compass is lost.
5. Weather: In parts of the UK and especially in mountainous
areas you can see the clouds forming just before the afternoon storms. Being
able to read the sky can keep you out of trouble.
6. Staying dry: Hypothermia is the biggest wilderness
killer, and getting wet is the biggest cause. Watch for ledges or large fir
trees to stand under if you see the rain coming.
7. Shelter: A pile of dry leaves and dead grass can keep you
very warm in an emergency.
8. Hydration: Fill water bottles every chance you get, and
you won't have such a hard time with any long dry stretches of trail don’t wait
to drink until you are thirsty, instead drink frequently all day.
9. Injury: Pop a
"blister" on the trunk of a small spruce or fir tree you can use the
sap that oozes out as a good antiseptic dressing for small cuts.
10. Fire starter: White birch bark will usually light even
when wet or when caked in snow or ice.
These are just a few of the wilderness survival tips and
techniques you can easily learn. Why not practice one or two on your next
backpacking trip?
Primitive, Survival
& Wilderness Living Skills
Survival situations are not planned or expected and can be
life threatening. You can find yourself in a survival situation in a remote
location or even an urban or rural location.
Natural or manmade catastrophic disasters can threaten your
safety may even require you to relocate to a remote area for survival.
People who are at great risk are hunters, hikers,
backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts who are unprepared to handle an emergency
situation in the wilderness.
Learn to be prepared by training and practicing your craft
in the field. You should practice
camping outdoors in very primitive surroundings in all kinds of weather.
Using no electricity, modern toilet facilities, hot showers, or any of the
comforts of home.
Primitive Skills
Many skills you will need to learn are techniques used by
ancient Native Americans who used natural resources to live in a primitive
environment. You need to know how to prevent a life threatening situation and
have self confidence in the wilderness.
Basic Survival
Equipment List
A backpack, blanket or sleeping bag, rain poncho, survival
knife, compass, additional clothing, comfortable hiking boots, magnifying
glass, torches and extra batteries, prescribed medicines that are taken on a
regular basis, food, tent, tarp, cooking and eating utensils and a water
bottle.
Specific Survival
Training Skills
Finding shelter; building a debris hut.
Finding water sources; wild edibles, wild plant
identification for food and medicne.
Fire building techniques.
Making utensils, primitive cooking methods.
Primitive weapons; fishing, hunting, tracking and game
preparation.
Food preservation.
Wilderness First Aid - handling emergency situations.
GPS, Map, Compass.
Dealing with stress, setting priorities.
I recommend that you practice all survival skills especially
fire starting in a controlled environment like for example your back garden as
if you cannot manage it there what chance have you got on a wet and windy cold
winters night in the woods.
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For the Farside Outdoor Meals
The Survivor knife
For the Chris Caine companion survival tool
Prepping for Beginners
As humans, we are naturally aware of possible threats around
us, and often the way a person neutralizes that threat is to create a story of
the worst case scenario and begin to prep around that.
Becoming a person who preps for disasters begins with a level
of awareness. A prepper knows that there
are possible threats, and it only makes sense to be as prepared as possible
beginning with the basic disaster items to sustain basic needs (food, water,
clothing and shelter) and then adding more preparedness layers onto it.
Basic disaster items are intended to sustain a person and
their family for 3-5 days. However, many
decide to expand their disaster supplies to encompass a longer duration in the
case that emergency response is delayed.
This is why preppers believe in having “back-ups for their back-ups.”
Getting Started
When preparing for a disaster, it is essential to have
provisions in place to secure your needs.
That being said, beginning a food supply must begin with research. Finding out how many calories a person needs
per day in order to survive, and knowing how much food to store is essential
when beginning to prepare.
Additionally, going to survival/prepping forums to read
about what others are doing is another way of finding more research. Preppers are very open to helping others who
want to prepare. We have all been at the
beginning stage of preparing, and it can be overwhelming at first, but the
overall goal is to get people prepared.
When beginning to get preparations in place, concentrate of
the basic needs of survival: water, food, shelter, clothing and move on from
there. Below are some basic suggestions
on items that would be ideal to have in the home:
Water
It is suggested to have 1 gallon of water per person/per
day. Having a 3 day supply of water on
hand is a great place to start. However,
many preppers like to be as thorough as possible in their prepping.
Therefore, I suggest playing it safe and double the amount
of water needed. The extra water can be
used for other purposes. Extra water that is stored can also be used if family
members such as children or the elderly become dehydrated and need more water.
Additionally, having an alternative source for water such as
a water filter, frozen water in the freezer, and 5 gallon water containers is
suggested. In a disaster situation, a
person does not want to run out of water.
Lakes and streams can also be a way to find water, but the water needs
to be treated.
In the case that someone is not near any running streams or
lakes, there are places in nature where one can find alternative water sources.
Food
Comparative shopping at the large volume supermarkets
typically has better deals than at smaller shops.
Finding local ads from the large supermarket websites can
save on fuel money as well as on shopping time. Even Pound shops sell canned
goods and food products that would be good for short term/long term food
supplies.
Look for sales all the time and buy as much of the item as
your budget will allow.
Using a food storage calculator will help determine how much
food is necessary. There are some
considerations to keep in mind before purchasing the food items:
Expiration Dates – It’s best to find items that have
expiration dates that are 1-2 years away from expiring, unless that item is
used frequently in the home, and can be rotated frequently.
Items on Sale – Go for the deals.
Typically, there are deals that are advertised in the
newspaper. You do not have to break the
bank to get food items. Just get a
little each time you shop. In season
vegetables are typically cheaper. Larger
cans of goods generally have better deals.
The amount of people in the household.
A wide variety of food will help reduce food fatigue.
The serving amount in the food.
Vitamin content in the food.
Any special health considerations for family members.
Medical Supplies
Medical emergencies can occur at the drop of a hat, and
having the necessary supplies can mean the difference between life and
death. When an emergency situation
arises, one must act calming and decisively.
In the case of a severe injury where there is a lot of blood
loss, there must be supplies that can stop bleeding, cut the pain threshold and
calm the patient if necessary.
Find websites online that deal with first aid care and go
through each injury to see what medical instruments and items are needed.
Moreover, check in your community and see if the St. Johns
Ambulance, Red Cross or Medical Centres offer classes to assist in medical
emergencies. Make a list for supplies
that can be added to the disaster medical supplies.
72 Hour Bags
In the case that a person has to evacuate, having a prepared
72 hour kit or bug out bag will expedite the process of leaving as well as
keeping things running as smoothly as possible.
A 72 hour bag should have all items necessary to survive for 3
days.
When preparing a bag keep the main surviving points is mind
(water, food, shelter, clothing). Having
a separate bug out bag for the vehicle will also come in handy in the event
that someone has to leave their home immediately.
Tools
Tools are a valuable commodity when it comes to
survival. Their usefulness for hunting,
digging, cutting, communicating and for navigational purposes are all essential
items to have on hand.
Knives (to cut large machete type and a smaller hunter)
Multi-tool
Camping shovels
Candles
Hammer or hatchet
Collapsible fishing rod with hooks, line, bobbers, etc.
Flares
Maps, compass or GPS devices
( Having extra compasses ensures that navigation is accurate).
Rope (paracord),
Knife sharpening stone,
Torch/s with extra batteries
Written Survival Notes
In a high stress situation that some are not used to,
forgetfulness plays a part from dealing with all the changes that are
occurring. Having some manuals to look
upon for survival information or for spiritual information to lift the morale
is a good idea and does not take up much space in a pack.
Survival Manuals
First Aid Manuals
Survival e-books
Understanding how to survive in different scenarios requires
one to constantly be learning in order to be as prepared as possible.
Prepping is a passion for some.
For others it is simply to keep their family as safe as
possible.
Whatever the reasoning is behind why you have decided to
prep, you will be better off in the long run.
Prepared for Disaster
Are you prepared for a disaster that could affect the daily
function of your life or the lives of your family members? Or do you even
believe a disaster will ever affect you?
Blizzards, floods, power cuts, and who knows what else
happens all the time. Still, most of us ignore the warnings. "It can't
happen here," some say. "The government will take care of me if it
does," others think.
But not only do they happen, they can happen to you. And
when they do, you will be on your own. The recent UK flooding events have
proved this. Look at the total disruption of transportation when it snows for
example.
This was followed by the immediate and complete paralysis of
air transportation at major international airports. Thousands were stranded for
days on their own in strange cities.
As serious as these events were, they pale in comparison to
the possibilities. Consider a major biological or nuclear attack or accident.
Hundreds of thousands of casualties are predicted in some scenarios.
These disasters or attacks would overwhelm local, regional,
and national emergency resources and cause widespread panic. Transportation
would stop, markets would be stripped of food within hours, essential emergency
services would be overwhelmed, and food, medical supplies, and emergency
service workers would be sent to the disaster area, leaving critical shortages
in local areas.
Are you prepared?
Now, more than ever, you need to prepare for the possibility
of disasters or attacks on a scale and type never before imagined. It is your
duty to yourself, your family, and your country to be prepared.
Some of us need to be prepared for being at "ground
zero." Certain areas are the most likely direct targets of terrorists or
natural disasters. All of us need to be prepared to be indirect targets, those
affected by the temporary collapse of our nation's infrastructure.
In short, we all need
to be able to live self-sufficiently for a period of time.
What to prepare for will depend on your geographical area.
Natural disasters and the risk of major terrorist attacks vary by where you live.
The first thing you need to do is make a list of the possible disasters for
which you need to prepare.
Some of the things you will want to consider include natural
disasters, such as blizzards, floods, and even wild fires, as well as
technological disasters, such as nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) attacks,
and hazardous material accidents.
Don't forget cyber-attacks, the possibility that an enemy
could attack our computer systems, shutting down electrical, gas,
communications, transportation, and emergency and medical services. What about
attacks on our farms and agricultural processing plants? While they would
likely affect only a small number of people directly, they would completely
shut down food production and distribution systems.
While there are many things to plan for, your response to
all of them is one of two things: stay at home or evacuate. For blizzards,
earthquakes, cyber-attacks, nuclear fallout, quarantine after biological
attacks, and collapse of the infrastructure, you will want to stay at home.
For floods, hurricanes, or with some advance notice of NBC
attacks, evacuation may be your course of action.
Whenever possible, staying at home in your own environment
and with your own emergency supplies is the best choice.
When you evacuate, you are essentially a refugee at the
mercy of government evacuation centres or the compassion of the local
population.
In a major disaster, don't expect to be welcomed by the
locals who are struggling with their own survival.
In all situations, you will need to be able to think for
yourself. Confusion always accompanies a major disaster and initial information
and instructions may be conflicting and incorrect.
So, monitor the radio and television for official
instructions on what to do, such as whether to evacuate or not, but don't
assume they are correct. Make your own decisions based on your plans and
preparation.
Riding it out at home
Key to your survival is preparing a disaster supplies kit,
essentially the stockpiling of all materials that you would need to live on if
you are cut off from outside utilities, water, and supplies. Once a disaster
occurs, there won't be time and materials may not be available.
How long you will need to be self-sufficient is hard to say.
My advice would be that everyone store enough food, water, and supplies to take
care of their family for three days.
Preparing a "72-hour kit" is a good idea. It can
be used for immediate evacuation and part of your overall disaster supply kit.
Place items in a portable, easy-to-carry container, such as a large plastic box
or duffel bag, ready to grab at a moment's notice.
But, is it enough? A blizzard, earthquake, quarantine, or
nuclear fallout could confine you for much longer. You need to be able to take
care of all the needs for your family for a period of at least two weeks and
possibly longer.
Having supplies for
one to three months is not all that unreasonable or hard to accomplish.
There are six basics that should be part of your home
disaster supplies kit: water, food, first aid supplies, tools and emergency
supplies, clothing and bedding, and special needs items.
Tools and emergency supplies should include such things as
battery-operated radio and torches with extra batteries, cups/plates/utensils,
non-electric can opener, matches, lantern, fire extinguisher, hand tools for
repairs and to turn off household water and gas, a whistle, and plastic
sheeting.
For sanitation, include toilet paper, soap, toothpaste,
personal hygiene items, disinfectant, and household chlorine bleach. Many more
items can be added.
Think through the
things you use on a daily basis.
Clothing and bedding Clothing and bedding would include a
change of clothing and footwear for everyone in the household, rain gear, cold
weather clothes, hat and gloves, and blankets or sleeping bags. Remember, a
house or car can get very cold without heat.
Prepare for the worst
weather that you might encounter.
Store your disaster supply kit in a convenient place that is
known to all family members and make sure they know your family's disaster
plan. Evaluate your kit once a year and update it according to family needs.
Evacuation
You may not have much time to prepare when you need to
evacuate. A hazardous materials spill could mean instant evacuation, so always
have a smaller version of your home disaster supply kit in the boot of your
car.
When you have advance warning of an evacuation, bring your
portable "72-hour" disaster supply kit, along with additional food,
water, and clothing. Keep important family documents in a waterproof, portable
container, ready to bring with you in an evacuation.
These may include your will, insurance policies, contracts,
deeds, stocks and bonds, passports, social security card, bank and credit
account numbers, family documents (birth, marriage, and death certificates),
inventory of valuable household items, and important telephone numbers.
It would be a good idea to always keep some cash in this
container, so you have it for an emergency. If there is time, valuable family
heirlooms or photographs can be added.
Now that you have a basic plan for any emergency, let's
consider plans for some specific risks.
Nuclear
attack/accident
A nuclear disaster could result from an accident at a
nuclear power plant, a detonation of a nuclear device by terrorists or a rogue
nation, or an explosion of a "dirty" bomb, an explosive surrounded by
radioactive material. Individuals at "ground zero" will have little
chance of survival.
The risk for others
is the exposure to radiation.
Radiation is dangerous because of harmful effects on the
body. In large amounts, radiation can cause radiation sickness, thyroid and
other cancers, and death.
These effects are greater the longer a person is exposed to
the radiation and the closer the person is to the source. If radiation is
released into the atmosphere, it can travel for thousands of miles,
contaminating the ground and living organisms as it settles back to earth on
dust or rain.
This is called
fallout radiation.
Time, distance, and shielding are the factors that minimize
exposure to nuclear radiation. Most radiation loses its strength fairly
rapidly, but it is important to limit the amount of time spent near the
radiation source.
The farther away an individual is from the radiation source,
the less exposure. Shielding is a barrier between an individual and the
radiation.
Concrete, earth, and structures are good shields. Depending
on the distance from the source, the best protection from radiation fallout may
be to remain indoors.
After a nuclear disaster you may be advised to evacuate. If
so, remain calm, pack your evacuation survival kit in your vehicle, and follow
the evacuation routes out of the area. If there is time before leaving, close
and lock windows of your house, close fireplace dampers, turn off air
conditioning, vents, fans, and furnace.
Doing these things will make your house safer when you
return by minimizing exposure to the inside of your house to fallout.
If you are advised to remain at home, bring pets inside,
secure your house from fallout by closing and locking doors and windows,
closing fireplace dampers, turning off air conditioning, vents and fans.
If your emergency supplies are stored in a garage or barn,
bring them inside and, if there is time, store additional water in tubs, sinks,
and available containers. Inside the house, the safest area is a basement or
underground area, followed by an interior room with no windows.
Stay inside until authorities say it is safe to go outside.
When coming in from the outdoors after exposure to fallout, shower and change
clothes and shoes. Put the contaminated items that were worn outside in a
plastic bag and seal it.
Open water sources (streams, creeks, lakes), fruits and
vegetables from outdoor gardens, and livestock will all be contaminated. Do not
eat or drink products from these until you know it is safe.
Bioterrorism
Very few people were actually infected in the anthrax
attacks in the USA after 911 because it took direct physical contact with the
bacteria to develop the disease. Other biological agents are contagious (passed
from person to person), however, and are much more dangerous.
Biological agents are microorganisms (bacteria or viruses)
or toxins that produce diseases in humans. The Centre For Disease Control (CDC)
lists 17 biological agents that may be used as weapons, including anthrax,
smallpox, plague, and botulism.
They are not immediately detectable, may take days to grow
and spread, and it is impossible to know when an attack occurs. While
preparations are being made for defence against such attacks, nobody really
knows what to expect.
Fortunately, most of these biological agents are hard to
make into weapons. Worst-case scenarios, such as suicide terrorists infected
with smallpox traveling through metropolitan areas, are staggering,
however.
Thousands of victims
would overwhelm medical services and die.
Likely? Hopefully not, but who knows? Those at "ground
zero" who are infected will need professional medical help.
With air travel, people will spread the disease all over the
country before we even know an attack occurred.
The rest of the
country will shut down as soon as authorities realize what happened.
Expect widespread closure of the country and mandatory
quarantines. Transportation, food, and vital services will stop. Plan to stay
at home if advised or ordered and avoid exposure with outsiders who may carry
disease.
Your stockpile of food and supplies should get you through
this disaster. You may want to have some medical-type masks and gloves on hand.
Should you stockpile antibiotics in preparation for such
attacks? Authorities say no and this may be practical advice.
A large number of different types and amounts of antibiotics
would need to be stored to protect your family against all likely biological
weapons.
Many of the diseases are viruses, not treatable with
antibiotics, and those treatable by antibiotics might be altered to make them
resistant to available antibiotics. Besides, you will need professional medical
care if you are exposed.
Chemical terrorism
and hazardous spills
Chemical agents are gases, liquids, or solids that are
poisonous to humans. Depending on the type and amount of the material, exposure
to chemical agents can cause illness or be fatal.
Chemical agents include chlorine or ammonia gases that are
transported on trains daily, other hazardous industrial chemicals, and chemical
warfare agents, such as nerve agents, blister agents, blood poisons, and
others.
The CDC lists 58
known chemical warfare agents.
Some nerve agents, such as Sarin, used in the attack in
Japan, kill quickly. If you are at "ground zero" in such situations
your only chance is to evacuate immediately.
A hazardous materials spill is probably more likely than a
terrorist chemical attack. For gases and other chemicals that spread in the
air, evacuation to avoid exposure is critical.
Leave the area as soon as you are aware of the incident.
Full face respirators (gas masks) may be useful for escape in such situations.
Buy good quality, new masks designed for industrial or rescue use, not army
surplus masks.
Natural disasters
Natural disasters are somewhat easier to prepare for—you
either get out of their way (evacuate) or you protect yourself indoors.
In floods Sandbag doors and windows, move furniture and
other items to higher ground, and evacuate if necessary. Do not drive or walk
through flood waters and stay off bridges when they are covered with water.
Be prepared
Bad weather Preparation should include boarding up windows
and flood-proofing your home. Bring in outside furniture, bicycles, and rubbish
bins. Listen to recommendations of emergency officials and evacuate if advised.
If not advised to evacuate, stay indoors and away from windows.
Blizzards Stay indoors and use the telephone only for
life-threatening emergencies. Use fires safely and properly ventilate. It there
is no heat, cover windows, close off un-needed rooms, and stuff towels in
cracks under doors.
Wear layers of warm clothing. Eat and drink plenty. Food
generates body heat and water helps circulation to keep the skin warm.
It is important to know what to do and have a plan before a
disaster strikes. The internet can provide additional information for preparing
for and dealing with natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
Consider your risks, develop a plan, prepare your disaster
supplies kit, and discuss with your family what to do in case of an emergency.
Remember, the future belongs to those who prepare. You must
be ready before disaster strikes.
Here are some more
companies to support
72 hour survival pack
Blizzard Survival jacket
Survival Ration Packs
SOL Complete Survival Kit and SOL Bivy Bag
The answer to rough ground sleeping
Simply your EDC supplier
For all your military equipment needs
NEW MRE’s
The Fire Piston
Great tasty MRE’s
The 95 Puukko Survival Knife
Gold Standard Whey Protein Isolates which are 90% pure
protein by weight
Since 2007, my guest Dan Haight has been published by many
fiction sites and is known for his blend of dark humour and crackling
narrative. As a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Dan first fell in love
with science-fiction watching Star Wars and Star Trek before moving onto the
other classics of the genre.
Dan lives with his family and when he isn't writing, he
works as a lowly IT guy in a large computer company. He considers himself a
blue-collar geek, loves working with his hands and may be found browsing
second-hand book shops to discover new stories to enjoy.
The Dan Haight
Interview (Part Two)
I really enjoy talking to Dan and I do hope that you enjoyed
listening to my interview with him.
Further Companies to
Support
Uses natural fuel
EDC steel tools
Highlander Trojan Hydration Pack – Multicam
CUDEMAN HEAVY DUTY OLIVE WOOD BUSHCRAFT KNIFE - 111L
Alum Crystal and natural spa products
Tool logic Survival 11 Credit Card
BackHawk Web duty Belt
Guppie Multi=tool
Go Survival Pack
Beautiful Handmade Catapults
1 Person BASIC Backpack Survival Kit, the back pack that
does it all
DD Hammock –The ultimate in Travel Hammocks
Elzetta ZFL-M60 Tactical Weapon-Grade LED Torch
Ultimate Adventurer Survival Kit everything in one kit
Adjustable Knife Lanyard Review
Handmade knives by James D. Sanders
How to Make a Disaster Preparedness Kit
Every safe room or storm shelter needs an emergency kit. The
contents of the kit may vary according to the type and duration of the
disaster, but whether you're preparing to shelter for a few hours, days or
weeks, you'll have certain basic needs.
Once your shelter is established, stock it with a disaster
kit to simplify your family's response to a natural or indeed a man-made
disaster.
Pack items in picnic chests, coffee cans and plastic bags so
they'll be waterproofed and portable if the evacuation order is given.
Things you need for
all in your group and don’t forget any pets you may have
Picnic chests, coffee cans and plastic bags
Clothing
Food
Tools
Medications
Communication devices
Pack several changes of clothing, including waterproof rain
wear and thick-soled boots. If you'll need to shelter over a period of days,
pack sleeping bags and pillows.
Pack a few extra blankets: even if the weather's warm,
nights can be cold and a blanket helps if you have someone in shock. Pack
clothes and bedding in separate bags for each family member.
Establish a stash of canned food (with pull-top lids) and
food that needs no refrigeration and can be eaten without heating---prepared
soups, fruits, crackers and freeze-dried foods.
If you plan to use a cook stove or other heating device,
plan for proper ventilation in the shelter. Stock food for a minimum of three
days but try to Plan for a three months and even a year as you could be cut off
help for longer periods.
Include a gallon of water per person per day. Don't forget
food and water for pets, either for sheltering or for dropping off at an animal
rescue facility.
Now add a basic tool kit; pliers or adjustable wrenches to
turn off utilities; a hammer, screw drivers and can opener with a bottle opener
on the end give you a good selection of tools to be prepared for minor repairs.
Add a roll of duct tape and sheets of plastic for water
proofing or "sheltering-in-place." Add paint-dust masks for each
person---they will not protect against germs but they will keep dust and dirt
out of noses and mouths. Keep a battery-powered radio and extra mobile phone
batteries in the shelter.
Assemble a first aid kit with antibiotic wipes, peroxide or
other cleansing agents; gauze dressing, pads and tape, adhesive bandages and a
triangular cloth bandage; antibiotic and burn ointments; saline solution and
eye wash; a thermometer and family pain killers. Add a pocket-sized guide to
basic first aid.
Bag several days' worth of prescription medicines in
original containers for each member of the family who uses them; blood pressure
or glucose-monitoring equipment for family members that may need them.
Buy some water purification tablets at a camping supply
store---they're easier to use than bleach. Keep medicines in coffee cans or
watertight plastic boxes.
Collect duplicates of everyday supplies and any special
supplies that might be needed. Paper towels, clean towels, dishes (plastic,
metal or paper), matches in a waterproof container and a general purpose type
ABC fire extinguisher.
Package infant and feminine hygiene supplies in plastic
bags. Collect all those hotel soaps, mouthwashes and shampoos in a coffee can
and add comb, brush and non-aerosol deodorant for a toilet kit.
Add a working torch for each member of the family. Pack
extra fresh batteries for torches, radios and mobile phones.
Tips and warnings
Add a tube of nappy rash ointment (the kind with vitamins A
and D) to the first aid kit--it's also good for minor abrasions and chafing and
dry skin.
Keep an extra pair of eyeglasses in case you lose your
glasses or contacts or contacts start to irritate your eyes.
Include some books, games and colouring supplies for
children in your kit. Don't forget to pick up favourite teddy bears or toys as
you gather the children.
Store bank books, credit cards and other valuable papers in
a waterproof box that can be picked up to go. Don't forget to take your check
book and debit or ATM card. Traveller's checks or cash is handy for evacuees.
Communication may make the difference between early rescue
and days spent in a hot shelter. Always keep a working mobile phone.
Check with your pharmacist for recommendations about keeping
prescriptions--some may need to be "rotated" or refrigerated to stay
fresh.
If an evacuation order is issued, have some food, first aid,
clothing, bedding, baby and pet supplies, important papers and cash in one
place so you can toss them into the back of the car.
Or better still stock a BOB for each family member.
Prepper or Not This is what you should do
Last minute prep items before SHTF, WROL, or TEOTWAWKI —
your last shopping trip for a long time!
Monitoring the news these days can be a bit depressing. The global problems with Sovereign debt,
especially in Europe and USA, are creating tremendous risks for the world
economies.
I’m not sure if folks are ready keyed in, but there is a
real risk of the world economics slipping into full blown depression. A global depression will be very, very
bad. Unlike in 1929, most people now
live around urban centres, and have little part in the food production supply
chain.
Back in 1929, anyone with even the smallest plot of land had
a garden. If a global depression hits,
lots of people are going to die. Those
that are in greatest risk are in the developing and poor countries, such as
sub-Sahara Africa and those countries in Asian who are net importers of
food. And people in the USA will go
hungry.
Also, with climate change, which is occurring without a
doubt, (But I say not manmade) weather events are more extreme. There will be more floods, wild fires,
tornadoes, and hurricanes. And the
clustering of earthquakes around the world back in 2011 is very worrisome.
All this being said, the need to be prepare is increasingly
important. Those that thought survival
preppers were nutty are now reconsidering.
A lot of mainstream press is picking up on the fact that lots and lots
of folks are increasingly preparing of disasters and survival situations.
This article is about the last minute prep items to do, if
you know that a big disaster is about to hit soon. All of us should be well prepared for
long-term SHTF, WROL, and TEOTWAWKI events.
This last minute list should augment your existing, long-term prep
items.
Before I start the last minute buying spree, I’m going to
make sure that my family is home and safe.
And I will notify my family members and survival group members to start
packing.
Here is a list of last minute tasks when you see a big
SHTF/TEOTWAWKI event about to occur, sequenced by priority first to last.
Gather your financial resources — Go to the ATM to withdraw
as much cash as possible. Withdraw more
money from the bank teller. You need
cash for all purchases once the power grid goes down.
This is the one and only time I recommend that you take a
cash advance from credit cards. Prior
to TEOTWAWKI, I recommend that a portion of your cash and physical gold and
silver be stored in a bank safe deposit box to diversify the location of your
assets.
While banks and the economy are viable, a safe deposit box
is a very good place to store a portion of your physical gold and silver. It might be wise to have several safe boxes
at different bank to store your assets in multiple locations.
But you do not want to leave any contents in your bank safe
deposit box, in case the bank is closed or a bank holiday is declared. If you have a bank safety deposit box, now is
the time to take those resources home.
Never store all your valuables in one single location. If your home burned down, you would not want
to lose all of your assets.
Make your run to the supermarket — Now is the time to gather
food, beverages, and additional bits and pieces.
I’m running to the tinned food section of Morrisons. My first emphasis is canned meats and beans,
then canned vegetables and fruits. I
plan to load my shopping cart with as much canned good as will fit in the
cart.
After buying a load of canned goods, then I’ll return for
staples. My next item purchases are
vegetable oils, olive oil, bags of rice and dried beans. Notice that I’m not buying fresh foods, such
as meats and fresh fruits. I am
expecting the power grid to go down.
So you are likely to quickly lose the contents of your
refrigerator and freezer. And next
purchase some basics of sugar, coffee, flour, baking soda, soap, toothpaste,
and perhaps bottle water. If you are
going to make repeated purchases in a continuous cycle of loading your vehicle
with multiple purchases, might be wise to have one member of your group stay
with your vehicle to guard it.
Make a sprint to your nearest chemist – Now is time to
refill your prescription drugs. If your
prescription allows. You should discuss your plans to keep several months
supplies of your prescriptions with your doctor.
Ask your doctor for a 3-month or 6-month prescription you
never know you might get one. Then stock
up on over-the-counter medicines and first-aid supplies. Load up on pain
relievers, anti-diarrhoea medicine, laxatives, dietary fibre, anti-acid
medicine, cold and flu medicine, anti-fungal medicine, etc.
Next buy vitamins for your family. The safest bet is to buy several containers
of children’s chewable multi-vitamins.
Buying individual vitamins is not necessary, if you purchase a well
formulated multi-vitamin.
Once TEOTWAWKI hits, you do not need to take a multi-vitamin
every day. If you are eating a balanced
diet, then once or twice a week is all you really need for a
multi-vitamin. If your diet is
unbalanced or you are recovering from illness or feeling highly stressed or
feeling overly tired, then perhaps take a multi-vitamin every day.
Be careful not to overload on vitamins A, E, and K. Too much of these 3 vitamins can be
toxic. Taking some extra vitamins C, B
complex, and D might be beneficial, if you are encountering and illness,
injury, or high stress. Next, I’m
loading up on first-aid supplies.
Focus on large bandages, gauze, first aid tape, antibiotic
lotion, antiseptic wound cleaners, etc.
Stock up on more than you think you need. One small wound may require 20 bandages
until healed. You’ll need to cover your
healing wounds while you continue to work in your home, garden, or workplace.
Next, I’m going to make a run to petrol station — It is time to fill up your vehicle and all
your spare fuel cans. Buy all the spare
fuel cans you can get your hands on.
Also buy oil, radiator fluid, brake fluid, wiper fluid, and tire repair
kits, if available. If you utilize
propane for heating, cooking, or power generation, many petrol stations sell
propane — buy as much as will fit into your vehicle. Expect that this will be your last trip to
the petrol station for a long time. You’ll
need to preserve fuel in the event that you need to make a bug-out from your
home. If you petrol station sells any
food, buy as many of the canned goods as possible.
After the vitamin shop, my next step is to the local
hardware shop
Now is the time to gather supplies to sure-up your
home. I plan to buy extra plastic
sheeting for temporary window or roof repairs and I will buy some plywood and
2×4′s for covering windows and other repairs.
Will buy some oil and repair parts for your power generator, chain saw,
and other power tools.
Often you can find food grade buckets, which may have
endless uses for food and water storage.
Likely to stock up on cleaning supplies also, such as rubbish bags,
laundry detergent, pure bleach, and all-purpose home cleaners.
If I’m missing any gardening tools, now is the time to
buy. And if there are any remaining
home canning supplies (jars, rings, lids, canning wax, canning salt, pressure
cooking pot), I’m going to buy as much as possible.
After the hardware shop, the next stop is the local charity
shop. My next focus is buying clothes and
shoes for my children to grow into for the next couple of years. Will also look for winter coats, boots,
gloves, and hats. If there is any
camping equipment or sleeping bags, it is great to have extras.
I will key my eyes open for any cast iron cookware, which
will be useful for cooking in multiple forums — in fireplace, over camp fire,
on outside grill. Also plan to buy toys
as future birthday and holiday presents for the kids, nieces, and nephews. Will
also buy some board games and puzzles to keep the family entertained.
At this point, I’m returning to go home and stay home. Being ready and aware, I hope to finish my
last-minute purchases before the mobs of other panicked people overwhelm the
shops. Once at home, I have a number of last minute tasks to perform at home:
Refilling any water containers with fresh water.
Recharging any rechargeable batteries.
Test all your radios and communication equipment.
Call all family members and close friends about the
situation and share your plans.
Kick-off a local neighbourhood community watch program,
including 24 hour guard rotations.
Clean my firearms, load magazines, and prepare tactical
gear.
Set up passive alarm systems to detect intruders.
Inventory and inspect short-term and long-term food supplies.
Eat meals soley from
refrigerator and freezer until emptied.
Prepare and test portable power generators with new oil and
fresh fuel.
Inspect all the windows to make sure the windows are locked
and clean.
Make sure the no bushes or tree branches are obstructing
fields of view and firing lanes to defend your home.
Monitor the news for
changing events.
Inspect and update the bug-out bags for all family
members. Depending on the situation,
might preload the bug-out bags into the vehicles.
Prepare to receive other family members at your home. Clear out guest rooms, set up cots, layout
guest towels, and get ready to cook larger meals. Large one-pot stews or hearty soups are perfect
ways to cook for a larger group.
Do as much laundry as possible. If the grid goes down, you will be forced to
manually wash clothes. Get a head start
by using your automated washer and drier while the grid is still up.
Inventory all your stored gold and silver if you have
any. Package and split into multiple
hiding locations around your homestead.
Make sure your spouse or partners are aware of the hiding
locations. The hiding locations should
be inaccessible to any home intruder.
Might be a good time to store extra, legally owned guns at
offsite locations. Perhaps store a gun
and some ammunition at a local, trusted friend. In case there is martial law and gun
confiscation, a gun not at your home cannot be confiscated. Be careful to store any gun with a lock and
where children cannot access it.
Check with my
neighbours to see if they need any last minute help.
Once other family members arrive at your home, set-up a 24
hour security watch. If you have enough
members at your home or have the cooperation of your close neighbours,
establish an external observation post and roving security patrol Ideally,
communicate your security plans with neighbours and local police, so they are
aware of your plans.
Prepare for alternative sanitary requirements. The water may stop. The power grid might go down. Sewers might backup. This might be a wise time to shut off your
homes drainage connection to the community sewer system, to prevent backup of
sewer wastes into your home.
If you have a septic tank, make sure it is operating well
and do not defer maintenance on your septic system. With additional people coming to your home,
be careful to not overload your septic system.
Prepared to handle human wastes without a flushing toilet. Having a camp toilet, outhouse, and/or
chamber pots for the elimination of human wastes.
Human wastes cannot be used for garden fertilizer. Human wastes must be buried deeply and at
least 200 feet from any water sources to prevent the spread of diseases. Communicate and educate your neighbours on
the sanitary handling of human wastes.
One ill person can set off a wave of waterborne illnesses to an entire
community.
If riots start to occur or civil unrest occurs nearby, talk
to your neighbourhood, security group, or community watch program about
blocking off the entrances of your neighbourhood. Set up a rotating security watch at the
entrances.
Have multiple ways to communicate in real-time with those
attending to security watch. Do not let
any component of your community’s security have a single point of failure. If bad people overwhelm one security
checkpoint, the bad people should not go unchallenged by other components of
your security.
Security watches should overlap and be supportive of one
another. And have a rapid response team
to quick respond to any security crises.
Walkie-talkies, CB radios, handheld VHF radios, loud noise makers,
fireworks, or a sequence of gunshots should be used for communication an
escalation.
Periodically check that the security team is attentive and
awake. Every armed adult in your
neighbourhood should have a defensive post to join, if the alarm is
sounded. Have a rapid reserve force
ready to mobilize towards the greatest threat.
As WROL is seen to be highly likely before SHTF or
TEOTWAWKI, gather your neighbourhood to put all these security plans in
place. Invite your local police into
the meeting, so that they can advise you on your plans and be aware of your
activities.
Now is the time to support your local police. So be in good communication with the local
police, firemen, and NHS personnel to let them know that your neighbourhood is
supporting them. You may support your
local police, firemen, and NHS personnel by providing security and support for
their families while they work for the community.
If these important people are worried about their family’s
safety, they cannot go out to protect your community. You might establish a rotation of guards at
the homes of your police, firemen, and NHS personnel, while they are working
their shifts.
Share your food, water, vehicle fuel, with the local police,
firemen, and NHS personnel. Once the
police know that you have their backs, the police can focus on protecting other
neighbourhoods and stores which are less organized or less prepared.
If your local police are too dumb or too arrogant to accept
this level of community support, you are living in the wrong community. Regardless and always, following all laws to
keep your family out of trouble and lessens the overall risks to your community. Now is the time to work together with your
community leaders to protect and defend the rule of law.
Take a hot shower, hug my kids, kiss your spouse/partner,
pray, and enjoy a hearty meal with my family.
Throughout this long, last-minute prep day, I will be armed
If you do not already have an FAC or a shotgun licence, then GET IT NOW!! Firearms and shooting skills must be
obtained well before trouble starts.
Between each trip, I’ll run home quickly to unload and move
to the next step. Throughout all these
steps, I’ll be looking for batteries. I
will be buying as many batteries as I can get my hands on. What
I will also be buying is bottled water. I already have lots
of water stored at my homestead and have a Purificup and a Lifesaver bottle
water filter ready to produce drinking water.
Fill up your vehicle with those supplies which cannot be
improvised. If you don’t have a
Purificup or a Lifesaver water filter or the like, buy one NOW without delay.
If you are unable to provide your daily water requirements
from local sources within short walking distances, eventually you will run out
of water, regardless of how much bottle water you store.
My plan is to finish
this entire list within a single day.
Some may criticize and debate that this plan is
hording. From a perspective this is
true. When the big one hits and the
economy melts down, there will be a mad rush to the shops. The shops will be cleaned out.
Riots and social disruption is very likely. And you must look out for your family,
friends and neighbours. If you well prepare ahead of time, you have the
opportunity to offer charity to those in your neighbourhood who cannot if you
want that is.
The goal of this plan is to round off and finish your
preparations. Having one or two years
of stored food is not hording — rather it is wise preparation for your
family. Those that did not prepare will
be part of the problem. As a survival
prepper, you are part of the prevention, part of the solution.
I cannot emphasize enough, be alert and aware of the world
around you. Monitor the world economic
situation closely. Be first and quick,
before the horde arrives to clean out the shops.
Being aware now provides me with the opportunity to prepare
ahead of time. I hope and pray there
will never be a SHTF, WROL, or TEOTWAWKI event. But if it does occur, while others are
panicking, I’ll be in the warmth and love of my home to enjoy a good meal with
my family.
Surviving a Nuclear Attack
The Cold War ended over two decades ago, and many people
have never lived under the shadow of nuclear annihilation. Still, a nuclear
attack is a very real threat.
Global politics are far from stable, Look at N. Korea for
example and human nature has changed none in the last two decades. "The
most persistent sound which reverberates through man's history is the beating
of war drums" As long as nuclear weapons exist, there is always the danger
they will be used.
Is nuclear war survivable? Only predictions exist, I say
yes, others say no. For some, especially those in large population centres, it may
seem like an entirely futile endeavour. If it is survived at all, it will be by
those who are mentally and logistically prepared for such an event, Preppers I
suggest. So what should you do? Where should you take shelter? Here's how to
get yourself ready.
Preparing in Advance that’s right just prep
Firstly make a plan. If a nuclear attack does happen, it
won't be safe to venture outside for food — you should stay sheltered for at
least 48 hours, preferably longer. Having food and medical supplies on-hand can
put your mind at-ease, and allow you to focus on other aspects of survival.
Stock up on non-perishable food. Non-perishables can last
several years, whether it's in storage or in sustaining you after an attack.
Choose items that contain a lot of carbohydrates, so you get more caloric bang
for your buck so to speak, and store them in a cool, dry place:
White rice
Wheat
Beans
Sugar
Oats
Pasta
Powdered milk
Dried fruits and vegetables
Build your supply slowly. Every time you go food shopping,
pick up one or two more items for your food storage. Eventually, you should be
able to build up a multi-month supply.
Make sure you have a can opener for canned items.
Store water. Consider keeping a water supply in food-grade
plastic containers. Clean the containers with a bleach solution, then fill them
with filtered and distilled water
You should have at least one gallon per person per day.
For purifying water in the event of an attack, keep basic
household bleach and potassium iodide on-hand or better still buy a Purificup.
Get communication supplies. Being able to stay informed, as
well as alerting others to your position, can be vitally valuable. Here's what
you might need:
A radio: Try to find one that's wind-up- or solar-powered.
If you have to go with a battery-operated model, be sure to keep spare
batteries on-hand.
A whistle: You can use this to signal for help.
Your mobile phone: The service may or may not be maintained,
but you'll want to be ready if it is. If you can, find a solar charger for your
model.
Stock up on medical supplies. Having a few medical items
available could be the difference between life and death if you're injured in
the attack. You'll need:
A basic first aid kit: You can purchase these pre-packaged,
or make one yourself. You'll need sterile gauze and bandages, antibiotic
ointment, latex gloves, scissors, tweezers, a thermometer and a blanket.
A first aid instruction booklet: Purchase one from an
organization like the Red Cross, or assemble your own with materials you print
off from the internet. You should know how to bandage wounds, administer CPR,
treat shock, and treat burns.
Prescription medications or supplies: If you take a specific
medication every day, try to make sure you have a small emergency supply
built-up.
Get other miscellaneous items. Fill up your emergency
preparedness kit with the following:
A torch and batteries
Dust masks
Plastic sheeting and duct tape
Rubbish bags, plastic ties and wet wipes for personal
sanitation
A wrench and pliers, to shut off utilities such as gas and
water
Keep an eye on the news. A nuclear attack will unlikely come
out of the blue from an enemy nation. Such an attack would likely be preceded
by a deteriorating political situation.
A war with conventional weapons between nations that both
have nuclear weapons, if not ended swiftly, may escalate towards nuclear war;
and even limited nuclear strikes in one region carry the likelihood to escalate
towards an all-out nuclear war elsewhere.
Assess your risk and consider evacuation if a nuclear
exchange is looking likely. If evacuation is not an option, then it should at
least affect the kind of shelter you will construct for yourself. Learn your
proximity to the following targets and plan appropriately:
Airfields and naval bases, especially those known to house
nuclear bombers, ballistic missile submarines, or ICBM silos. These are certain
to be attacked even in a limited nuclear exchange.
Commercial ports and runways over 10,000 feet long. These
are likely to be attacked even in a limited nuclear exchange, and certain to be
attacked in an all-out nuclear war.
Centres of government. These are likely to be attacked even
in a limited nuclear exchange and certain to be attacked in an all-out nuclear
war.
Large industrial cities and major population centres. These
are likely to be attacked in the event of an all-out nuclear war.
Learn about the
different types of nuclear weapons.:
Fission (A-Bombs) are the most basic nuclear weapon and are
incorporated into the other weapon classes. This bomb's power comes from
splitting heavy nuclei (plutonium and uranium) with neutrons; as the uranium or
plutonium split each atom releases great amounts of energy - and more neutrons.
The daughter neutrons cause an extremely fast nuclear chain
reaction. Fission bombs are the only type of nuclear bomb used in war so far,
and are self-disruptive over 500kt
Fusion (H-Bombs), using the incredible heat of a fission
bomb 'spark plug', compress and heat deuterium and tritium (isotopes of
hydrogen) which fuse, releasing immense amounts of energy. Fusion weapons are
also known as thermonuclear weapons since high temperatures are required to
fuse deuterium and tritium; such weapons are usually many times more powerful
than the bombs that destroyed Nagasaki and Hiroshima and they are only limited
in size by the method of delivery.
Surviving an Imminent
Attack
Seek shelter immediately. Aside from the geopolitical
warning signs, your first warnings of an imminent nuclear attack will most
likely be an alarm or warning signal; if not, it will be the blast itself.
The bright light from a detonation of a nuclear weapon can
be seen tens of miles away from ground zero. If within the vicinity of the blast
(or ground zero), your chances of survival are virtually non-existent unless
you are in a shelter that provides a very (VERY) good blast protection.
If you are a few miles out, you will have about 10-15
seconds until the heat wave hits you, and maybe 20-30 seconds until the shock
wave does. Under no circumstances should you look directly at the fireball.
On a clear day, this can cause temporary blindness at very
large distances. However, the actual damage radius is highly variable depending
on the size of the bomb, the altitude of the explosion, and even the weather
conditions at the time of the blast.
If you can't find shelter, seek a depressed area nearby and
lay face down, exposing as little skin as possible. If there is no shelter of
this kind, dig as fast as possible.
Even around 8 kilometers (5 miles) you coul suffer third
degree thermal-burns; still at 32 kilometers (20 miles) the heat can burn the
skin off your body. The wind itself will peak at around 960 kilometers per hour
(600mph) and will level anything or anybody caught in the open.
Failing the above options, get indoors, if, and only if, you
can be sure that the building will not suffer significant blast and heat
damage.
This will, at least, provide some protection against
radiation. Whether this will be a viable option depends on the construction of
the building and how close you will be to the likely ground zero of a nuclear
strike.
Stay well away from any windows, preferably in a room
without one; even if the building does not suffer substantial damage, a nuclear
explosion will blow out windows at enormous distances.
Don't be surrounded by anything flammable or combustible.
Substances like nylon or any oil based material will ignite from the heat.
Remember that radiation exposure could cause large numbers
of deaths.
Initial radiation (all radiation released within 1 minute of
the detonation). This is radiation released at the moment of detonation, and it
is short-lived and travels short distances. With the large yields of modern
nuclear weapons, it is thought that this will kill few who would not be killed
by the blast or heat at the same distance.
Residual radiation (all radiation released after 1 minute of
the detonation and usually known as fallout). Known as radiation fallout.
If the detonation was a surface blast or the fireball hits
the earth, large amounts of fallout occurs. The dust and debris kicked into the
atmosphere rains down, bringing with it dangerous amounts of radiation. The
fallout may rain down as contaminated black soot known as "black
rain," which is very fatal and may be of extreme temperature. Fallout will
contaminate anything it touches, remember radioactive fallout can only go where
the wind blows it.
Once you have survived the blast and the initial radiation
(for now at least; radiation symptoms have an incubation period), you must find
protection against the radioactive fallout.
Know the types of radiation particles. Before I continue, I
should mention the three different types:
Alpha particles. These are the weakest and, during an
attack, are virtually non-existent as a threat. Alpha particles will survive
for only a couple inches in the air before they are absorbed by the atmosphere.
They possess a minuscule threat from the exterior, however,
they will be fatal if ingested or inhaled. Standard clothing will help protect
you from Alpha particles.
Beta particles: These are faster than Alpha particles and
can penetrate further. They will travel for up to 10 meters (10 yards) before
they are absorbed into the atmosphere. Exposure to beta particles is not fatal
unless exposed for prolonged periods; which may cause "Beta burns,"
almost like painful sunburn.
They pose a serious threat, however, to the eyes, should
they be exposed for a prolonged period. Once again this is harmful if ingested
or inhaled, and clothing will help prevent Beta burns.
Gamma rays: Gamma rays are the deadliest. They can travel
for nearly a mile in the air and penetrate just about any kind of shielding.
Therefore gamma radiation will cause severe damage to the internal organs even
as an external source. Sufficient shielding will be required.
A shelter's Protective factor (PF) against radiation will
tell you how many times less a person inside the shelter will receive radiation
compared to open space. For example, PF 300 means that you will receive 300
times less radiation in the shelter than in the open.
Begin reinforcing your shelter from the inside by stacking
dirt around the walls or anything else you can find. If in a trench, then
create a roof, but only if materials are nearby; don't expose yourself when not
necessary.
Canvas from a parachute or tent will help stop fallout
debris from piling on you, though it will not stop Gamma rays. It is
impossible, at a very fundamental physical level, to completely shield from all
radiation.
It can only be reduced to a tolerable level. Use the
following to help you determine the amount of material you'll need to reduce
radiation penetration by 50% this is known as a half value thickness.
Steel: 21 cm (0.7 feet)
Rock: 70-100 cm (2-3 ft)
Concrete: 66 cm (2.2 ft)
Wood: 2.6 m (8.8 ft)
Soil: 1 m (3.3 ft)
Ice: 2 m (6.6 ft)
Snow: 6 m (20-22 ft)
Hay/straw 65 inches
You must plan on staying in your shelter for a minimum of
336 hours or 14 days. Under no circumstances leave the shelter in the first
forty-eight hours.
Ration your supplies. You will need to ration to survive,
obviously; therefore you will eventually expose yourself to the radiation
(unless you are in a specific shelter with food and water).
Processed foods are okay to eat, so long as the container
has no punctures and is relatively intact.
If radiation passes through food or a container with food in
it the food will not become radioactive, however if the radioactive particles
get into the food or water they will become radioactive.
Animals may be eaten but, they must be skinned carefully
with the heart, liver and kidneys discarded. Try not to eat meat that is close
to the bone, for bone marrow retains radiation.
Plants in a "hot zone" are edible; those with
edible roots or undergrowth (such as carrots and potatoes) are highly
recommended.
Open water may have received fallout particles and is
harmful. Water from an underground source, such as a spring or covered well, is
your best bet. Use water from streams and lakes only as a last resort.
Create a filter by digging a hole about 1 foot from the bank
and drawing the water which seeps in. It may be cloudy or muddy so allow the
sediments to sit, then boil the water to ensure safety from bacteria. If in a
building, the water is usually safe.
If there is no water (there most likely won't be), use the
water already in the pipes by opening the tap at the highest point of the house
to let in air, then open a tap at the lowest point of the house to drain the
water.
Buy heavy duty oil skins, wellingtons and rubber gloves to
wear when outside
Treat radiation and thermal burns.
Minor burn: Also known as a Beta burn (though it may be from
other particles). Immerse Beta burns in cold water until the pain subsides
(usually 5 minutes).
If skin starts to blister, char or break; wash it with cold
water to remove contaminants, then cover with a sterile compress to prevent
infection. Do not break the blisters!
If the skin does not blister, char or break; don't cover it,
even if it covers a large portion of the body (almost like sunburn). Instead,
wash the area and cover it with Vaseline or a solution of baking powder and
water if available. But, moist (uncontaminated) earth will do.
Severe burn: Known as a thermal burn, as it comes mostly
from the high intensity blast heat, rather than ionizing particles, though it
can be from the latter. This can be life threatening; everything becomes a
factor: water loss, shock, lung damage, infection, etc. Follow these steps to
treat a severe burn.
Protect burns from further contamination.
If clothing covers the burn area, gently cut and remove the
cloth from the burn. DO NOT try to remove cloth which has stuck or fused onto
the burn. DO NOT try to pull clothes over the burn. DO NOT put any ointment on
the burn.
Gently wash the burned area with water ONLY. Do NOT apply
creams or ointments.[14]
Do NOT use a normal sterile medical dressing not
specifically intended for burns. As non-adhesive burn dressings (and all other
medical supplies) are likely to be in short supply, an expedient alternative is
to use plastic wrap (also known as saran wrap, food wrap, and cling film),
which is sterile, does not stick to burns, and is readily available.
Prevent shock. Shock is the inadequate flow of blood to the
vital tissues and organs. If untreated, it can be fatal. Shock results from
excessive blood loss, deep burns, or reactions to the sight of a wound or
blood.
The signs are restlessness, thirst, pale skin and rapid
heartbeat. Sweating may occur even if the skin feels cool and clammy. As it
worsens, they breathe short fast gasps, with a vacant stare.
To treat: maintain proper heartbeat and respiration by
massaging the chest and positioning the person for adequate respiration. Loosen
any constrictive clothing and reassure the person. Be firm yet gentle with
self-confidence.
Feel free to assist people with radiation sickness, also
called Radiation Syndrome. This is not contagious, and everything depends on
the amount of radiation one received. Here is a condensed version of the table:
Familiarize yourself with radiation units. (Gy (gray) = the
SI unit used to measure the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation. 1 Gy = 100
rad. Sv (Sievert) = the SI unit of dose equivalent, 1 Sv = 100 REM. For the
purpose of simplification, 1 Gy is usually equivalent to 1 Sv.)
Unfortunately, you have to accept that a person may soon
die. Though harsh, don't waste rations or supplies on those dying of radiation
sickness. Keep rations for the fit and healthy, should supplies be in demand.
Radiation sickness is prevalent among the very young, the old or sick.
Perhaps I can explain the effects of radiation sickness like
this, if you took a paracetomal pain killer every day for 30 days you would be
OK, but if you took 30 in one go you would die. Radiation kills the living
cells of the body and in small doses the body can repair itself but only with
complete rest.
Guard critical electrical equipment against EMP. A nuclear
weapon detonated at a very high altitude will generate an electromagnetic pulse
so powerful that it can destroy electronic and electrical devices.
At the very least, unplug all devices from electrical
sockets and antennas. Placing radios, torches in a SEALED metal container (a
"Faraday cage") may protect from EMP, providing the items being
protected are not in contact with the enclosure. The metal shield must surround
the protected item completely - and it helps if it is grounded.
The items to be protected should be insulated from the
conductive shell, since the EMP field washing over the shield can still induce
voltages in solid state circuit boards. A metalized "space blanket"
Costing a £1 or £2 wrapped securely around a device wrapped in newspaper or
cotton may act as a Faraday shield, helpful if one is far from the blast.
Another method is to wrap a cardboard box in copper or
aluminum foil. Place the item in there and plug the device into the ground.
Be prepared for subsequent attacks. Most likely, a nuclear
attack will not be a singular event. Be prepared for another strike or strikes
by enemy nations, or an invasion by the attacking party.
Keep your shelter intact, unless the materials used are
absolutely necessary for survival. Collect any excess clean water and food that
is available.
Add this information to your bugging in plans and your BOB,
surviving Nuclear fallout is just another set of skills and information to
learn.
What if An EMP Attack Happened
Most Britain’s do not know this, but a single EMP attack
could potentially wipe out most of the electronics in the UK and instantly send
this nation back to the 1800s. If a
nuclear bomb was exploded high enough in the atmosphere over the middle part of
the country, the electromagnetic pulse would fry electronic devices from coast
to coast.
The damage would be millions of times worse than 9/11 or
7/7, worse that tsunamis and earth quakes.
Just imagine a world where nobody has power, most cars will not start,
the Internet has been fried, the financial system is offline indefinitely,
nobody can make any phone calls and virtually all commerce across the entire
country is brought to a complete stop.
A nation that does not know how to live without technology
would be almost entirely stripped of it at that point. Yes, this could really happen. An EMP attack is the UK’s “Achilles heel” in
fact the worlds Achilles heel and everyone around the world knows it. It is only a matter of time before someone
uses an EMP weapon against us, and at this point we are pretty much completely
unprepared.
The sad thing is that we are spending hundreds of billions
of pounds hunting down “terrorists” in caves on the other side of the globe and
we have been told that because of “national security” it is necessary for our
private areas to be touched before we are allowed to get on an airplane, but
our government is doing essentially nothing to address what is perhaps our
biggest security vulnerability.
What would you and your neighbours do if the power went out
and it did not ever come back on?
What would you do if an EMP attack happened in the middle of
the winter and you suddenly were not able to heat your home any longer?
What would you do if all the electronics in your car got
fried and you simply could not drive anywhere?
What would you do if all the supermarkets in your area shut
down because food could not be transported across the country anymore?
What would you do if you were suddenly unable to call your
family and friends for help?
What would you do if you were suddenly unable to get the
medicine that you needed?
What would you do if your debit cards and credit cards
simply did not work any longer and you could not get any of your money out of
the bank?
What would you do if
all of these things happened all at once?
A single EMP attack would be the worst disaster that the UK
has ever seen by far.
An electromagnetic pulse could potentially fry the vast
majority of all the microchips in the UK.
In an instant, nearly all of our electronic devices would be rendered
useless.
I think that the consequences of lack of food, heat (or air
conditioning), water, waste disposal, medical, police, fire fighting support,
and effective civil authority would threaten society itself.”
Most of us have become completely and totally dependent on
electricity and technology. Without it,
most of us would be in huge trouble.
The following is how an article in the Wall Street Journal
described the potential consequences of an EMP attack….
No one would necessarily die in the initial attack, but what
comes next is potentially catastrophic. The pulse would wipe out most
electronics and telecommunications, including the power grid.
Millions could die for want of modern medical care or even
of starvation since farmers wouldn’t be able to harvest crops and distributors
wouldn’t be able to get food to supermarkets. An EMP attack would be a giant
continental time machine that would move us back more than a century in
technology to the late 1800s.
It wouldn’t be so bad if we had the knowledge and the
infrastructure to live the way that they did back in the 1800s, but today that
is simply not the case.
Dr. William Graham was Ronald Reagan’s science adviser and
the chairman of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack. Dr.
Graham believes that in the event of a large scale EMP attack, the vast
majority of Americans would freeze, starve or die from disease.
I think that the aftermath of an EMP attack on life in the
UK would probably be something that you might imagine life to be like around
the late 1800s but with several times the population we had in those days, and
without the ability of the country to support and sustain all those people.
Would you be able to
survive?
All of those big bank accounts may never be able to be
recovered after an EMP attack. Your
money might be instantly fried out of existence.
Most financial records are stored electronically. ATMs,
which depend upon both power and telecommunications, would not be available;
banks, which try to back up records but in general aren’t strongly aware of the
EMP problem, would face the problem of unprotected storage and computer systems
This is the danger of having a financial system that is so
dependent on technology. We may wake up
one day and find that all the money is gone.
But if an EMP attack actually happened, the biggest concern
for most of us would be trying to figure out how to survive.
I am convinced that a single EMP attack could result in the
deaths of the vast majority of the population of the UK….
Within a year of that attack, nine out of 10 people would be
dead, because we can’t support a population of the present size in urban
centres and the like without electricity”
Are you starting to
get a feel for the scope of the problem?
The sad thing is that so much could be done to protect this
country from an EMP attack.
Right now, most vital UK military infrastructure has at
least some protection from an EMP attack.
But the general population has been left completely and
totally vulnerable.
It has been estimated that the entire power grid could
potentially be protected for a few billion pounds. Considering the fact that we have spent over
billions of pounds in Afghanistan, I think that we could afford it.
We have spent our national security pounds very, very badly
and someday it is going to come back to bite us in the rear end.
Right now, other nations around the world are working
feverishly to develop EMP weapons. The
following is from a statement by Dr. Peter Vincent Pry to the United States
Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security on March
8th, 2005….
Russian and Chinese military scientists in open source
writings describe the basic principles of nuclear weapons designed specifically
to generate an enhanced-EMP effect, that they term “Super-EMP” weapons. “Super-EMP”
weapons, according to these foreign open source writings, can destroy even the
best protected U.S. military and civilian electronic systems. Remember that was
way back in 2005, have they got them now, how many have them?
But it is not just Russia and China that have been
developing “Super-EMP” weapons.
According to Newsmax, it is believed that North Korea may have tested a
“Super-EMP” weapon back in 2009….
North Korea’s last round of tests, conducted in May 2009,
appear to have included a “super-EMP” weapon, capable of emitting enough gamma
rays to disable the electric power grid across most of the lower 48 states of
the US and that means its surrounding neighbours as well.
Remember, all it
would take is one strategically placed EMP attack to wipe out this country.
But an EMP weapon is not the only danger that can produce
this type of effect. The truth is that a
really bad geomagnetic storm could also potentially produce almost as much
damage.
This is something that everyone knows is one of our biggest
vulnerabilities and it is something that we can make preparations for.
Yet Blain and Cameron have just stood there and have done
nothing.
Our idiocy is
astounding.
General Eugene Habiger, the former head of U. S. Strategic
Command, has said the following about the possibility of an EMP attack in the
future….
“It is not a matter
of if, it is a matter of when.”
Remember, this is something that could cause millions times
more damage than any previous attack.
Instead of molesting old ladies at airports and chasing goat
herders around the mountains of Afghanistan, perhaps we should be addressing
our largest security vulnerabilities.
But that would require using some common sense. Sadly, common sense seems to be in very short
supply in Westminster these days.
So if the government is not going to do anything about it
that means that it is up to you to prepare yourself and your family. This world is becoming very unstable and
disasters can strike at any time.
We all saw what happened after Hurricane Katrina. When the US government response was a
nightmare. An EMP attack would be
millions of times worse and our government probably would not even be able to
get you and your family any assistance.
You would truly be on
your own.
So are you ready?
This is yet another reason why the number of preppers in the
UK is exploding. A lot of people can see
how the world is changing and they understand that the UK government is not
going to come through for them when the brown stuff hits the propeller
An EMP attack could end life as we know it at any time.
It is a glaring security vulnerability and the entire world
knows that it is there.
I hope that you are getting ready, because the government
certainly is not.
The Terminator Threat is Real
Will the robots attempt a takeover or will terrorists use
them to attack us?
The rise of robot wars: Google chief warns armed drones will
soon be in the hands of terrorists and miniature models could be used to spy on
neighbour’s
The head of Google has warned drone technology proves a serious
danger to global security and privacy unless an international treaty is put
into place controlling the technology fast.
Eric Schmidt today said that the technology for armed
unmanned planes will soon pass into the hands of terrorists posing huge security
concerns across the globe.
He also said that ever expanding drone technology is making
smaller and cheaper models, including nano-drones, which could be used by nosy
neighbour’s spying on each other in a dispute.
If you were having a dispute with your neighbour how would
you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a commercial observation drone
that they can launch from their back yard. It just flies over your house all
day. How would you feel about it?'
On Thursday, Idaho's Republican governor signed a law
restricting the use of such pilot-less aircraft by police and other public
agencies in a bid to protect privacy rights.
The state now requires law enforcement to obtain warrants to
collect evidence using drones following in the footsteps of Virginia, which
also introduced such a measure.
'We're trying to prevent high-tech window-peeping,' Idaho
Senate Assistant Majority Leader Chuck Winder, sponsor of the measure told
Reuters.
Law enforcement agencies have been known to use small
drones, which cost as little as $30,000, to locate marijuana farms and track
fugitives.
Schmidt also warned that deadly armed drones could soon be
used by terrorists following the proliferation of state drone strikes over
recent years.
'I'm not going to pass judgement on whether armies should
exist, but I would prefer to not spread and democratize the ability to fight war to every single human being,' he
said.
'It's got to be regulated. It's one thing for governments,
who have some legitimacy in what they're doing, but have other people doing
it...It's not going to happen.'
He added that drone technology will become a more and more
normalized part of warfare.
Bird Flu Deaths
Bird flu deaths 'are just the tip of the iceberg': A study
raises grim fears that vicious new strain causes humans to suffer septic shock,
brain damage and pneumonia
Officials in an area of Zhejiang province have begun culling
chickens
H7N9 virus claimed
its tenth life yesterday as a 74-year-old man died
There are now 38 confirmed cases of the new strain in China
WHO says there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission
Hong Kong is testing batches of chickens imported from
mainland China
Carrier pigeons have been grounded and sales of racing
pigeons banned
US scientists have begun work on creating a vaccine for the
strain
Techniques learned in the swine flu outbreak have given them
a head start
But it could still be five to six months before a vaccine is
available
Research into three bird flu victims in China has raised
grim fears that the 11 deaths so far are just the tip of the iceberg.
Scientists found that the vicious new strain has the
potential to pass more easily into humans and remain undetected until it is at
an advanced stage.
The research into three people, all of whom died, showed the
disease causes pneumonia, septic shock, brain damage and multi-organ failure.
It came as officials in a region of China culled chickens in
a bid to stop the spread of a new strain of bird flu which claimed its tenth
victim in the country yesterday.
City management officers in the Jiaxing area of Zhejiang
province undertook a two day campaign which saw chickens captured and reared in
residential areas were captured and killed to try and prevent the H7N9 virus
from spreading.
The campaign came as a 74-year-old Shanghai man became the
tenth person in the country to die from the mutated form of the virus.
Chinese researchers warned yesterday that the sudden
emergence of this strain of flu 'may pose a serious human health risk' and said
'appropriate counter measures were urgently required.'
Hong Kong authorities also announced plans to test all
poultry brought in from the mainland.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that the cases
of infection of the virus in China are the first in the world.
Bird flu crisis hits profits at KFC as China epidemic claims
two more victims and government resorts to Twitter to keep people safe
China accuses United States of secret biological attack over
new strain of bird flu that has killed nine
Chinese authorities arrest TEN just for spreading rumours of
bird flu pandemic in chilling show of strength
The source of the virus has not yet been identified and the
WHO say that there is no evidence as yet of human to human transmission.
The organisation has called for good hygiene practices to be
adhered to as a precaution.
To date, China has seen 38 confirmed cases of the disease
including cases in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai.
Of those cases, 19 are said to be severe cases and nine are
described as mild.
More than 750 close contacts of those affected are currently
undergoing tests for the virus.
Urban management officers wear masks as they catch chickens
close to a block of houses yesterday
Tourists wear masks as a precaution walk in Tiananmen Square
A group of scientists writing in the New England Journal of
Medicine said the virus, which has been traced to a reassortment of genes from
wild birds in east Asia and chickens in east China, 'raises many urgent
questions and global public health concerns'.
The reports chronicle the early days of an outbreak of a new
influenza A virus, H7N9, never before been seen in humans.
It has infected at least 40 people in four Chinese provinces
and killed 11 in the past two months, Chinese authorities said.
Scientists studied three patients included two men, ages 87
and 27, both from Shanghai, and a 35-year-old woman from Anhui.
Dr. Timothy Uyeki and Dr. Nancy Cox, both of the influenza
division at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, wrote: 'It is
possible that these severely ill patients represent the tip of the iceberg.'
They said it is particularly concerning because the virus
has genetic characteristics that suggest that it might be better adapted than
other bird flu strains to infect mammals -- including humans -- and people have
no resistance to it.
Because the virus doesn’t make birds sick, so it may spread
widely and remain undetected until people become ill.
Health workers take a blood sample from a chicken in Hong
Kong yesterday. Hong Kong is testing batches of chickens imported from mainland
China
The latest victim was one of three new infection cases
diagnosed in Shanghai according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.
The other two new cases - an 83-year-old woman and a
68-year-old man - are said to be in a stable condition in hospital.
Chinese authorities have been attempting to prevent the
spread of the disease since it emerged in February.
Hundreds of thousands of birds have been culled at bird
farms and poultry markets across Shanghai and the Jiangsu province.
Sales of racing pigeons - a popular pastime in China - have
also been banned. Almost two million carrier pigeons have also been grounded.
The outbreak of the H7N9 virus has already affected business
in China.
Just yesterday, the owner of the Chinese arm of the fast
food chain KFC reported that its profits had been hit by the virus.
US scientists meanwhile have made a start on creating a
vaccine for the new strain despite a sample from China only arriving yesterday.
Government-backed researchers begun testing a 'seed' strain
of the virus using a genetic code posted online.
The new faster approach - born in the aftermath of the swine
flu outbreak in 2009 - has seen weeks shaved off the vaccine making process.
But it could still take five to six months before one is
available.
Robin Robinson, director of the Biomedical Advanced Research
and Development Authority or BARDA, said: 'We'll take it, if the virus turns
out to be a tough one, that head start could be very important.'
The Hong Kong government started enhanced measures to
prevent a new strain of bird flu from entering the city
Officials from the Centre for Food Safety take chickens out
from cages on a truck from mainland China at a border checkpoint in Hong Kong
As a test drive for the new flu technology, in 2011 the
government gave its partners the genetic sequence for a North American strain
of H7N9, a similar virus to the one making people sick in China.
In less than two weeks, scientists were ready to make virus
seed.
The next year, they sequenced an H5N1 virus and produced a
synthetic virus in six days.
Then came a live test. The United States asked its partners
to make a real vaccine for a variant of swine flu known as H3N2 that had been
infecting children in the U.S. Midwest last year.
Once again, they produced virus seed in less than a week.
So, when Chinese health authorities released the genetic
sequence for the H7N9 bird flu on March 30, U.S. health officials decided to
try the new technique.
Novartis and Venter's company, Synthetic Genomics Vaccines
Inc, went to work and by April 4, they had synthetic DNA ready and had started
to grow the virus in cells, long before samples of the actual virus arrived
from China yesterday.
PETA has called for British authorities to ban cross-Channel
pigeon racing because of the new strain of bird flu.
The animal rights group has been monitoring the outbreak in
China and has warned that an epidemic could spread to Britain.
They are concerned pigeons released from France and Spain
may have been exposed to diseases if they land on foreign farms, drank
contaminated water or have come into contact with other infected birds.
Associate Director Mimi Bekhechi, of PETA UK, said: 'Aside
from risking the pigeons' lives pigeon fanciers may be putting human health at
risk by taking British pigeons across the Channel.'
'We hope the government will take action now rather than
wait and see if people get sick.'
The release of pigeons from international locations is
subject to compliance with import rules set out by the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
However, PETA claim a
recent undercover investigation has revealed widespread non-compliance with
these requirements.
A spokesperson said: 'Thousands of pigeons are crammed into
filthy, congested cages and transported to and from continental Europe for up
to seven days.
'They are then released to return to Britain without the
required checks and certification, in apparent violation of UK law.'
Bird flu is caused by a flu virus that is closely related to
human flu viruses. It is spread through bird droppings, water, feed and
equipment.
As of January 2012 the WHO has confirmed there have been 583
cases of H5N1 in humans leading to 344 deaths.
These have occurred in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia,
China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Laos, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.
So I believe it is time to monitor this bird flu outbreak
and buy yourself and your family enough face masks as what if?
Here are two great
Bushcraft shows for you to attend this year
The Bushcraft Show
It’s a jam-packed, three-day event filled will amazing
bushcraft activities that will take you, your friends and family on a bushcraft
and survival adventure that you’ll never forget. Whether you come for the day
or stay for the weekend, you can try your hand at woodland crafts, fire
lighting, shelter building, tracking, foraging, woodland games and so much
more. Click onto their site to learn more http://www.thebushcraftshow.co.uk
See YOU there between the 25 and the 27th of May
THE ELEVENTH WILDERNESS GATHERING 2013 15th to 18th August
The Wilderness Gathering has over the years become a firm
date in the diaries of those who enjoy bushcraft, nature and wilderness
survival skills. The previous ten years have seen this event grow from a small
event in one field with some traders and schools sharing bushcraft skills and
knowledge to a festival of wilderness living skills encompassing
bushcraft/survival and woodland crafts.
The show has grown into an event with something for all the
family with stories and music by the campfire in the evenings and skills
workshops and activities throughout the three whole days of the festival.
The Wilderness Gathering has without a doubt become the
premier family event for all those interested in bush crafts and the great
outdoors.
The show has bushcraft clubs for all age groups of children
to get involved in plus more activities for all including den building and
wilderness skills classes for all.
There are hands on demonstrations of game preparation, knife
sharpening, basha boat building, bowmaking, greenwood working, archery and axe
throwing and primitive fire lighting to name just a few. There are talks on
survival phycology, classes on falconry and wilderness survival fishing. All of
these skills are there for everybody and anybody to participate in.
You can probably pick up information on nearly all the
skills needed to live in the wilderness and prosper at The Wilderness
Gathering.
There is a wealth of good quality trade stands that are
carefully selected to be in theme for the show selling everything from custom
knives to tipis and outdoor clothing to primitive tools. The organisers have
even laid on a free service bring and buy stall where you can bring along your
used and unwanted kit and they’ll sell it for you.
There are local scout and explorer groups onsite promoting
the World Wide Scouting Movement as well helping out with some of the classes
and site logistics.
The catering is within the theme of the event with venison
and game featuring on the menus plus organic cakes and drinks. The woodland and
open field camping facilities (with hot showers) giving you the option to visit
for the whole weekend or just to attend as a day visitor.
Five Survival Skills the Movies Taught You Wrong
CPR will save someone's life in a matter of seconds. Tilt your
head back and look at the clouds to stop a nosebleed. If an animal spots you in
the woods it will chase you relentlessly and maul you. Movies are great at
telling stories, but they're horrible at teaching basic survival skills. Here
are five of the ways they've taught us horribly wrong.
Movies and TV shows are meant as entertainment. As such,
they tend to take shortcuts so they get to the point as quick as possible.
Occasionally the survival methods they "teach" carry over into the
real world, and our understanding of things like CPR, getting punched in the
head, or even the best way to deal with a snake bite get skewed. Here are the
correct ways to handle those situations.
Myth: CPR Takes
Seconds and Brings Most People Back to Life
On countless TV shows and in thousands of movies, CPR is
used on a victim minutes after they've passed out (or actually died) and
they're resurrected safely and easily within a couple seconds. The problem is
that CPR doesn't work like you see on TV.
CPR is meant as a
life-prolonging technique, and it's typically not meant to bring someone back
to life.
Instead, it's supposed to keep their blood moving long
enough for help to arrive. Worse, CPR isn't nearly as effective as it's
depicted on television. On TV, CPR saves about 75% of victims and takes about a
minute to perform.
In reality, the effectiveness of CPR is between 2% and 30%
depending on the reason for giving it. Instead of giving up after a minute, you
should continue administering CPR until help arrives.
Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn CPR. You
should, but knowing when to administer it—and how to do it properly—is key,
since most movies and TV shows get it wrong.
You're best off getting trained, especially since standard
CPR training changed in 2010 to reflect new research that chest pumping is more
effective than initially thought.
Myth: Knocking
Someone Out (or Getting Knocked Out) Is No Big Deal
Getting a blow to the head is usually portrayed as a minor
annoyance with no serious long lasting problems in movies. It's also a lot
harder to knock someone out with a punch than you'd think.
The problem is that if you get knocked out (or knock someone
out), the effects can be a lot more severe than movies portray. In general, a
concussion isn't too horrible provided you're not out for longer than five
minutes, after which you're susceptible to long term damage.
Of course, repeated concussions, like the ones athletes deal
with (along with bravado types like James Bond) are suspected to lead to
serious brain damage. While movies often show getting knocked out as an
everyday occurrence, medical help is usually a good idea.
If you get a concussion, the best thing to do is see a
doctor within a couple days of the injury. If you experience vomiting, a
prolonged headache, visual disturbances, slurred speech, confusion, blood
discharge, or another loss of consciousness you should see a doctor right away.
Myth: Tilt Your Head
Back to Stop a Nosebleed
Although it has been recommended not to tilt your head back
when you have a nosebleed for years, movies and TV shows still show people
doing it all the time.
Tilting your head back to stop a nosebleed isn't just
ineffective, it's also dangerous because it causes complications by allowing
blood into the oesophagus, which increases the risk of choking and vomiting.
Here is how to stop a
nosebleed the right way:
A report in the British journal BMJ says you can stop the
bleeding by using your thumb and index finger to squeeze the soft tissue just
below the bridge of your nose for 5 to 10 minutes. A cold compress or ice pack
placed across the bridge of the nose can also help.
If all of this fails and the bleeding lasts for more than 20
minutes, or the nosebleed was caused by a blow to the head, seek medical
attention.
It's a simple little thing, but chances are the last thing
you want to deal with when you have blood falling out of your nose is a bunch
of blood down your throat as well.
Myth: Suck Out Snake
Venom After Being Bitten
It's a staple in classic western films: someone sucks snake
venom out of a snake bite to save the victim's life. The idea is that you can
catch the venom before it enters the bloodstream and then spit it out to save
the victim.
It makes sense in a weird sort of way, but the problem is
that it doesn't really work. You should never attempt to suck the venom out of
a snake bite.
Instead, keep the person as still as possible, cover the
wound with a loose bandage (do not apply a tourniquet), and get the person (or
yourself) to A&E as quickly as possible. The general rule is the less you
move the victim, the less likely the venom will spread through the body and
cause damage.
Myth: Most Wild
Animals Will Attack You Unprovoked
One thing that Hollywood seems to truly hate is the
wilderness. As far as movies are concerned, it's the most dangerous place out
there, and every single animal is dangerous, even the cute ones. The truth is
that while many animals are dangerous, most want nothing to do with humans, and
the last thing you should do is taunt them.
When you run into most animals in the wilderness, it's best
to remain calm, and back away slowly. Do not run from most bears, cougars, or
wolves because they are much faster than you.
In most cases, seek some kind of shelter if possible (and
no, playing dead isn't a good all-around strategy, but it does work if the
animal isn't aggressive). If they do attack, go for the eyes, and make as much
noise as possible.
Of course, in reality, the best way to avoid animal attacks
is to not mess with them. Don't leave food sitting out, don't wander into their
territory, and don't go looking for them. Generally speaking, they want nothing
to do with you, so if you stay away from them, they'll stay away from you.
Bonus Urban Survival
Myth: Anything Any Movie Has Taught You About Computer Security
I couldn't help myself from taking on one of Hollywood's
biggest urban survival myths: computer security. Hacking is represented in all
kinds of goofy ways in movies. While these scenes are characteristically over
the top, they also suggest that hacking is a fast process that just about
anyone can do with the right mixture of Mountain Dew, Hot Pockets, and
antisocial behaviour.
Of course, hacking isn't easy, nor is it fast. While some
fast hacks exist, like Firesheep, they're pretty rudimentary and easy to block.
More complex hacking, like Stuxnet or Zeus take months (or more) to find the
exploits, code the hack, and implement it.
In most cases, hacking also takes a lot of work and wits to
do it. Even if you have tools like Reaver at your disposal, it still takes a
fair amount of time, and just guessing passwords takes a special skillset.
In general, finding an exploit and taking advantage of it is
incredibly difficult. The fact is, hacking into any secure computer takes a ton
of effort, and it's rather boring to watch on the screen.
The same goes for how viruses are typically represented.
Viruses are a pain, but they can't damage your hardware, browse for porn under
your name, or infect alien spacecraft. As far as virus prevention is concerned,
the built-in Microsoft Security Essentials is all you really need.
I have barely scratched the surface here, and countless
other examples of terrible Hollywood survival skills exist out there.
Of course, the lesson here is to not trust what you see on
TV when it comes to anything important, and if you want to prepare for
anything, research the correct way to do everything first.
Here is a Great Offer From the Wilderness Gathering
Roger and Dom who own and run the Wilderness gathering have
decided to offer the chance of winning a Wilderness Gathering Knife to
everybody who books in advance for this year’s Wilderness Gathering
You can book here at www.wildernessgathering.co.uk
All you have to do is simply book in advance and you'll
automatically be entered into the prize draw. Existing bookings are
automatically included.
This year’s WG knife will be similar in profile to the 10th
anniversary models offered last year in the “bushtool” type profile.
Roger says they will be made in O1 high carbon tool steel.
I'm looking into handle material choices at present; I aim to make them all the
same and am open to suggestions as per the handle material. Post on the
Wilderness Gathering Facebook pages with any thoughts.
Rogers two sites are www.bisonbushcraft.co.uk and www.wildernessgathering.co.uk
or call his office on 0845 8387062 you really won’t regret it.
Surviving in Hot Weather
In the hope that this year we will have a hot summer here is
some advice on keeping safe.
1. Pre-hydrate,
hydrate and re-hydrate.
During hot weather you will need to increase your fluid
intake, regardless of your activity level. Drink plenty of fluids in advance,
during and after activities and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to hydrate.
Using a hydration back pack is a great way to stay hydrated.
Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of
fluids you drink or has prescribed water pills, ask how much you should drink
when the weather is hot.
2. Dress for the
heat.
Wear lightweight, light-coloured clothing. Light colours
will reflect some of the sun’s energy. Limit your direct exposure to the sun
and wear a hat for extra protection.
3. Monitor those at
high risk.
Extreme heat can be hazardous to your health and although
anyone can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk
than others. Those most at risk for heat-related illnesses include children,
older adults, those that work or exercise outside and those with pre-existing
medical conditions.
4. Children and cars
– use common sense.
Never leave infants, children, pets or the elderly in a
parked car where temperatures can become life-threatening in minutes, even with
the windows rolled down. Additionally, hot interior surfaces of a car can burn
a child’s skin.
Before you put your child in a car that has been parked in a
warm/sunny spot, check the temperature of the car seat or upholstery first.
5. Avoid strenuous
activity.
When possible, strenuous activities should be reduced,
eliminated or rescheduled to the coolest part of the day. Take regular breaks
when exercising or engaged in physical activity on warm days.
If you recognize that you, or someone else, is showing signs
of a heat-related illness, stop the activity immediately, find a cool place to
rest, hydrate and seek medical attention if necessary.
Remember, heat stroke is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY that can be
fatal if not treated promptly. The American Red Cross advises that warning
signs can vary among individuals but common signs of heat exhaustion or heat
stroke may include:
Heat Exhaustion:
Heavy sweating
Muscle cramps
Pulse rate: fast and weak
Breathing: fast and shallow
Nausea or vomiting
Fatigue
Weakness
Headache and/or dizziness
Heat Stroke:
An extremely high body temperature (above 103 degrees)
The absence of sweating
Rapid pulse
Difficulty breathing
Throbbing headache
Strange behaviour and/or hallucinations
Confusion, agitation and disorientation
Unconscious
6. Be a good
neighbour.
Isolated, elderly adults are at a much higher risk of
health-related issues. Be a good neighbor and take a minute to check in with
your neighbours.
7. Remember your
pets.
Hot weather can affect the well-being of pets making them
susceptible to overheating which can lead to very dangerous heat stroke. Always
provide a source of water and a cool, ventilated place for your pet.
Remember that leaving your pet inside a parked car, even for
a few minutes, can be fatal. The inside of a car can reach 120 degrees in a
matter of minutes.
8. Stay indoors, if
possible.
Stay indoors and, if possible, in an air-conditioned place.
If your home does not have air conditioning, consider going to the shopping
mall, community centre or public library. Even a few hours spent in air
conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you return to the heat.
9. Use the pool.
Either use a community swimming pool or a shop bought garden
pool and immerse yourself in the cool water.
10. Place beakers of water or juice in the fridge so that
there is always a cold drink available.
Why Learn Wilderness Survival Skills
Why should you learn wilderness survival skills just for
backpacking? They may save your life someday, remember the more you know then
the less you carry on your back. The best reason, however, may be that it's
just a good feeling to know you can deal with whatever comes up. It makes you
feel more at home.
To survive means to stay warm and dry, hydrated, uninjured,
and to find your way out of the survival situation. Eating is nice too, but not
crucial if the situation is for a few days. Below are some more or less random survival
tips, just to get you interested.
Wilderness Survival
Tips
1. Warmth: Sleep with your head slightly downhill to stay
warmer. This may take some getting used to, but it works.
2. Food: In the UK there is no berry that looks like a
strawberry, or raspberry, that can hurt you from one taste. Just spit it out if
it doesn't taste right. Warning if you are not sure leave well alone.
3. Fire starter: If you put dried moss or Birch bark strips
in your pocket as you walk, you'll have dry tinder to start a fire, just in
case it's raining later. Experiment with different materials.
4. Direction-finding: Mark the tip of the shadow of a stick,
and mark it again fifteen minutes later. The line between the first and second
marks points east.
Place your left foot on the first shadow tip and your right
foot on the second shadow tip and you are pointing North. A few techniques like
this can save you when your compass is lost.
5. Weather: In parts of the UK and especially in mountainous
areas you can see the clouds forming just before the afternoon storms. Being
able to read the sky can keep you out of trouble.
6. Staying dry: Hypothermia is the biggest wilderness
killer, and getting wet is the biggest cause. Watch for ledges or large fir
trees to stand under if you see the rain coming.
7. Shelter: A pile of dry leaves and dead grass can keep you
very warm in an emergency.
8. Hydration: Fill water bottles every chance you get, and
you won't have such a hard time with any long dry stretches of trail don’t wait
to drink until you are thirsty, instead drink frequently all day.
9. Injury: Pop a
"blister" on the trunk of a small spruce or fir tree you can use the
sap that oozes out as a good antiseptic dressing for small cuts.
10. Fire starter: White birch bark will usually light even
when wet or when caked in snow or ice.
These are just a few of the wilderness survival tips and
techniques you can easily learn. Why not practice one or two on your next
backpacking trip?
Primitive, Survival
& Wilderness Living Skills
Survival situations are not planned or expected and can be
life threatening. You can find yourself in a survival situation in a remote
location or even an urban or rural location.
Natural or manmade catastrophic disasters can threaten your
safety may even require you to relocate to a remote area for survival.
People who are at great risk are hunters, hikers,
backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts who are unprepared to handle an emergency
situation in the wilderness.
Learn to be prepared by training and practicing your craft
in the field. You should practice
camping outdoors in very primitive surroundings in all kinds of weather.
Using no electricity, modern toilet facilities, hot showers, or any of the
comforts of home.
Primitive Skills
Many skills you will need to learn are techniques used by
ancient Native Americans who used natural resources to live in a primitive
environment. You need to know how to prevent a life threatening situation and
have self confidence in the wilderness.
Basic Survival
Equipment List
A backpack, blanket or sleeping bag, rain poncho, survival
knife, compass, additional clothing, comfortable hiking boots, magnifying
glass, torches and extra batteries, prescribed medicines that are taken on a
regular basis, food, tent, tarp, cooking and eating utensils and a water
bottle.
Specific Survival
Training Skills
Finding shelter; building a debris hut.
Finding water sources; wild edibles, wild plant
identification for food and medicne.
Fire building techniques.
Making utensils, primitive cooking methods.
Primitive weapons; fishing, hunting, tracking and game
preparation.
Food preservation.
Wilderness First Aid - handling emergency situations.
GPS, Map, Compass.
Dealing with stress, setting priorities.
I recommend that you practice all survival skills especially
fire starting in a controlled environment like for example your back garden as
if you cannot manage it there what chance have you got on a wet and windy cold
winters night in the woods.
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Prepping for Beginners
As humans, we are naturally aware of possible threats around
us, and often the way a person neutralizes that threat is to create a story of
the worst case scenario and begin to prep around that.
Becoming a person who preps for disasters begins with a level
of awareness. A prepper knows that there
are possible threats, and it only makes sense to be as prepared as possible
beginning with the basic disaster items to sustain basic needs (food, water,
clothing and shelter) and then adding more preparedness layers onto it.
Basic disaster items are intended to sustain a person and
their family for 3-5 days. However, many
decide to expand their disaster supplies to encompass a longer duration in the
case that emergency response is delayed.
This is why preppers believe in having “back-ups for their back-ups.”
Getting Started
When preparing for a disaster, it is essential to have
provisions in place to secure your needs.
That being said, beginning a food supply must begin with research. Finding out how many calories a person needs
per day in order to survive, and knowing how much food to store is essential
when beginning to prepare.
Additionally, going to survival/prepping forums to read
about what others are doing is another way of finding more research. Preppers are very open to helping others who
want to prepare. We have all been at the
beginning stage of preparing, and it can be overwhelming at first, but the
overall goal is to get people prepared.
When beginning to get preparations in place, concentrate of
the basic needs of survival: water, food, shelter, clothing and move on from
there. Below are some basic suggestions
on items that would be ideal to have in the home:
Water
It is suggested to have 1 gallon of water per person/per
day. Having a 3 day supply of water on
hand is a great place to start. However,
many preppers like to be as thorough as possible in their prepping.
Therefore, I suggest playing it safe and double the amount
of water needed. The extra water can be
used for other purposes. Extra water that is stored can also be used if family
members such as children or the elderly become dehydrated and need more water.
Additionally, having an alternative source for water such as
a water filter, frozen water in the freezer, and 5 gallon water containers is
suggested. In a disaster situation, a
person does not want to run out of water.
Lakes and streams can also be a way to find water, but the water needs
to be treated.
In the case that someone is not near any running streams or
lakes, there are places in nature where one can find alternative water sources.
Food
Comparative shopping at the large volume supermarkets
typically has better deals than at smaller shops.
Finding local ads from the large supermarket websites can
save on fuel money as well as on shopping time. Even Pound shops sell canned
goods and food products that would be good for short term/long term food
supplies.
Look for sales all the time and buy as much of the item as
your budget will allow.
Using a food storage calculator will help determine how much
food is necessary. There are some
considerations to keep in mind before purchasing the food items:
Expiration Dates – It’s best to find items that have
expiration dates that are 1-2 years away from expiring, unless that item is
used frequently in the home, and can be rotated frequently.
Items on Sale – Go for the deals.
Typically, there are deals that are advertised in the
newspaper. You do not have to break the
bank to get food items. Just get a
little each time you shop. In season
vegetables are typically cheaper. Larger
cans of goods generally have better deals.
The amount of people in the household.
A wide variety of food will help reduce food fatigue.
The serving amount in the food.
Vitamin content in the food.
Any special health considerations for family members.
Medical Supplies
Medical emergencies can occur at the drop of a hat, and
having the necessary supplies can mean the difference between life and
death. When an emergency situation
arises, one must act calming and decisively.
In the case of a severe injury where there is a lot of blood
loss, there must be supplies that can stop bleeding, cut the pain threshold and
calm the patient if necessary.
Find websites online that deal with first aid care and go
through each injury to see what medical instruments and items are needed.
Moreover, check in your community and see if the St. Johns
Ambulance, Red Cross or Medical Centres offer classes to assist in medical
emergencies. Make a list for supplies
that can be added to the disaster medical supplies.
72 Hour Bags
In the case that a person has to evacuate, having a prepared
72 hour kit or bug out bag will expedite the process of leaving as well as
keeping things running as smoothly as possible.
A 72 hour bag should have all items necessary to survive for 3
days.
When preparing a bag keep the main surviving points is mind
(water, food, shelter, clothing). Having
a separate bug out bag for the vehicle will also come in handy in the event
that someone has to leave their home immediately.
Tools
Tools are a valuable commodity when it comes to
survival. Their usefulness for hunting,
digging, cutting, communicating and for navigational purposes are all essential
items to have on hand.
Knives (to cut large machete type and a smaller hunter)
Multi-tool
Camping shovels
Candles
Hammer or hatchet
Collapsible fishing rod with hooks, line, bobbers, etc.
Flares
Maps, compass or GPS devices
( Having extra compasses ensures that navigation is accurate).
Rope (paracord),
Knife sharpening stone,
Torch/s with extra batteries
Written Survival Notes
In a high stress situation that some are not used to,
forgetfulness plays a part from dealing with all the changes that are
occurring. Having some manuals to look
upon for survival information or for spiritual information to lift the morale
is a good idea and does not take up much space in a pack.
Survival Manuals
First Aid Manuals
Survival e-books
Understanding how to survive in different scenarios requires
one to constantly be learning in order to be as prepared as possible.
Prepping is a passion for some.
For others it is simply to keep their family as safe as
possible.
Whatever the reasoning is behind why you have decided to
prep, you will be better off in the long run.
Prepared for Disaster
Are you prepared for a disaster that could affect the daily
function of your life or the lives of your family members? Or do you even
believe a disaster will ever affect you?
Blizzards, floods, power cuts, and who knows what else
happens all the time. Still, most of us ignore the warnings. "It can't
happen here," some say. "The government will take care of me if it
does," others think.
But not only do they happen, they can happen to you. And
when they do, you will be on your own. The recent UK flooding events have
proved this. Look at the total disruption of transportation when it snows for
example.
This was followed by the immediate and complete paralysis of
air transportation at major international airports. Thousands were stranded for
days on their own in strange cities.
As serious as these events were, they pale in comparison to
the possibilities. Consider a major biological or nuclear attack or accident.
Hundreds of thousands of casualties are predicted in some scenarios.
These disasters or attacks would overwhelm local, regional,
and national emergency resources and cause widespread panic. Transportation
would stop, markets would be stripped of food within hours, essential emergency
services would be overwhelmed, and food, medical supplies, and emergency
service workers would be sent to the disaster area, leaving critical shortages
in local areas.
Are you prepared?
Now, more than ever, you need to prepare for the possibility
of disasters or attacks on a scale and type never before imagined. It is your
duty to yourself, your family, and your country to be prepared.
Some of us need to be prepared for being at "ground
zero." Certain areas are the most likely direct targets of terrorists or
natural disasters. All of us need to be prepared to be indirect targets, those
affected by the temporary collapse of our nation's infrastructure.
In short, we all need
to be able to live self-sufficiently for a period of time.
What to prepare for will depend on your geographical area.
Natural disasters and the risk of major terrorist attacks vary by where you live.
The first thing you need to do is make a list of the possible disasters for
which you need to prepare.
Some of the things you will want to consider include natural
disasters, such as blizzards, floods, and even wild fires, as well as
technological disasters, such as nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) attacks,
and hazardous material accidents.
Don't forget cyber-attacks, the possibility that an enemy
could attack our computer systems, shutting down electrical, gas,
communications, transportation, and emergency and medical services. What about
attacks on our farms and agricultural processing plants? While they would
likely affect only a small number of people directly, they would completely
shut down food production and distribution systems.
While there are many things to plan for, your response to
all of them is one of two things: stay at home or evacuate. For blizzards,
earthquakes, cyber-attacks, nuclear fallout, quarantine after biological
attacks, and collapse of the infrastructure, you will want to stay at home.
For floods, hurricanes, or with some advance notice of NBC
attacks, evacuation may be your course of action.
Whenever possible, staying at home in your own environment
and with your own emergency supplies is the best choice.
When you evacuate, you are essentially a refugee at the
mercy of government evacuation centres or the compassion of the local
population.
In a major disaster, don't expect to be welcomed by the
locals who are struggling with their own survival.
In all situations, you will need to be able to think for
yourself. Confusion always accompanies a major disaster and initial information
and instructions may be conflicting and incorrect.
So, monitor the radio and television for official
instructions on what to do, such as whether to evacuate or not, but don't
assume they are correct. Make your own decisions based on your plans and
preparation.
Riding it out at home
Key to your survival is preparing a disaster supplies kit,
essentially the stockpiling of all materials that you would need to live on if
you are cut off from outside utilities, water, and supplies. Once a disaster
occurs, there won't be time and materials may not be available.
How long you will need to be self-sufficient is hard to say.
My advice would be that everyone store enough food, water, and supplies to take
care of their family for three days.
Preparing a "72-hour kit" is a good idea. It can
be used for immediate evacuation and part of your overall disaster supply kit.
Place items in a portable, easy-to-carry container, such as a large plastic box
or duffel bag, ready to grab at a moment's notice.
But, is it enough? A blizzard, earthquake, quarantine, or
nuclear fallout could confine you for much longer. You need to be able to take
care of all the needs for your family for a period of at least two weeks and
possibly longer.
Having supplies for
one to three months is not all that unreasonable or hard to accomplish.
There are six basics that should be part of your home
disaster supplies kit: water, food, first aid supplies, tools and emergency
supplies, clothing and bedding, and special needs items.
Tools and emergency supplies should include such things as
battery-operated radio and torches with extra batteries, cups/plates/utensils,
non-electric can opener, matches, lantern, fire extinguisher, hand tools for
repairs and to turn off household water and gas, a whistle, and plastic
sheeting.
For sanitation, include toilet paper, soap, toothpaste,
personal hygiene items, disinfectant, and household chlorine bleach. Many more
items can be added.
Think through the
things you use on a daily basis.
Clothing and bedding Clothing and bedding would include a
change of clothing and footwear for everyone in the household, rain gear, cold
weather clothes, hat and gloves, and blankets or sleeping bags. Remember, a
house or car can get very cold without heat.
Prepare for the worst
weather that you might encounter.
Store your disaster supply kit in a convenient place that is
known to all family members and make sure they know your family's disaster
plan. Evaluate your kit once a year and update it according to family needs.
Evacuation
You may not have much time to prepare when you need to
evacuate. A hazardous materials spill could mean instant evacuation, so always
have a smaller version of your home disaster supply kit in the boot of your
car.
When you have advance warning of an evacuation, bring your
portable "72-hour" disaster supply kit, along with additional food,
water, and clothing. Keep important family documents in a waterproof, portable
container, ready to bring with you in an evacuation.
These may include your will, insurance policies, contracts,
deeds, stocks and bonds, passports, social security card, bank and credit
account numbers, family documents (birth, marriage, and death certificates),
inventory of valuable household items, and important telephone numbers.
It would be a good idea to always keep some cash in this
container, so you have it for an emergency. If there is time, valuable family
heirlooms or photographs can be added.
Now that you have a basic plan for any emergency, let's
consider plans for some specific risks.
Nuclear
attack/accident
A nuclear disaster could result from an accident at a
nuclear power plant, a detonation of a nuclear device by terrorists or a rogue
nation, or an explosion of a "dirty" bomb, an explosive surrounded by
radioactive material. Individuals at "ground zero" will have little
chance of survival.
The risk for others
is the exposure to radiation.
Radiation is dangerous because of harmful effects on the
body. In large amounts, radiation can cause radiation sickness, thyroid and
other cancers, and death.
These effects are greater the longer a person is exposed to
the radiation and the closer the person is to the source. If radiation is
released into the atmosphere, it can travel for thousands of miles,
contaminating the ground and living organisms as it settles back to earth on
dust or rain.
This is called
fallout radiation.
Time, distance, and shielding are the factors that minimize
exposure to nuclear radiation. Most radiation loses its strength fairly
rapidly, but it is important to limit the amount of time spent near the
radiation source.
The farther away an individual is from the radiation source,
the less exposure. Shielding is a barrier between an individual and the
radiation.
Concrete, earth, and structures are good shields. Depending
on the distance from the source, the best protection from radiation fallout may
be to remain indoors.
After a nuclear disaster you may be advised to evacuate. If
so, remain calm, pack your evacuation survival kit in your vehicle, and follow
the evacuation routes out of the area. If there is time before leaving, close
and lock windows of your house, close fireplace dampers, turn off air
conditioning, vents, fans, and furnace.
Doing these things will make your house safer when you
return by minimizing exposure to the inside of your house to fallout.
If you are advised to remain at home, bring pets inside,
secure your house from fallout by closing and locking doors and windows,
closing fireplace dampers, turning off air conditioning, vents and fans.
If your emergency supplies are stored in a garage or barn,
bring them inside and, if there is time, store additional water in tubs, sinks,
and available containers. Inside the house, the safest area is a basement or
underground area, followed by an interior room with no windows.
Stay inside until authorities say it is safe to go outside.
When coming in from the outdoors after exposure to fallout, shower and change
clothes and shoes. Put the contaminated items that were worn outside in a
plastic bag and seal it.
Open water sources (streams, creeks, lakes), fruits and
vegetables from outdoor gardens, and livestock will all be contaminated. Do not
eat or drink products from these until you know it is safe.
Bioterrorism
Very few people were actually infected in the anthrax
attacks in the USA after 911 because it took direct physical contact with the
bacteria to develop the disease. Other biological agents are contagious (passed
from person to person), however, and are much more dangerous.
Biological agents are microorganisms (bacteria or viruses)
or toxins that produce diseases in humans. The Centre For Disease Control (CDC)
lists 17 biological agents that may be used as weapons, including anthrax,
smallpox, plague, and botulism.
They are not immediately detectable, may take days to grow
and spread, and it is impossible to know when an attack occurs. While
preparations are being made for defence against such attacks, nobody really
knows what to expect.
Fortunately, most of these biological agents are hard to
make into weapons. Worst-case scenarios, such as suicide terrorists infected
with smallpox traveling through metropolitan areas, are staggering,
however.
Thousands of victims
would overwhelm medical services and die.
Likely? Hopefully not, but who knows? Those at "ground
zero" who are infected will need professional medical help.
With air travel, people will spread the disease all over the
country before we even know an attack occurred.
The rest of the
country will shut down as soon as authorities realize what happened.
Expect widespread closure of the country and mandatory
quarantines. Transportation, food, and vital services will stop. Plan to stay
at home if advised or ordered and avoid exposure with outsiders who may carry
disease.
Your stockpile of food and supplies should get you through
this disaster. You may want to have some medical-type masks and gloves on hand.
Should you stockpile antibiotics in preparation for such
attacks? Authorities say no and this may be practical advice.
A large number of different types and amounts of antibiotics
would need to be stored to protect your family against all likely biological
weapons.
Many of the diseases are viruses, not treatable with
antibiotics, and those treatable by antibiotics might be altered to make them
resistant to available antibiotics. Besides, you will need professional medical
care if you are exposed.
Chemical terrorism
and hazardous spills
Chemical agents are gases, liquids, or solids that are
poisonous to humans. Depending on the type and amount of the material, exposure
to chemical agents can cause illness or be fatal.
Chemical agents include chlorine or ammonia gases that are
transported on trains daily, other hazardous industrial chemicals, and chemical
warfare agents, such as nerve agents, blister agents, blood poisons, and
others.
The CDC lists 58
known chemical warfare agents.
Some nerve agents, such as Sarin, used in the attack in
Japan, kill quickly. If you are at "ground zero" in such situations
your only chance is to evacuate immediately.
A hazardous materials spill is probably more likely than a
terrorist chemical attack. For gases and other chemicals that spread in the
air, evacuation to avoid exposure is critical.
Leave the area as soon as you are aware of the incident.
Full face respirators (gas masks) may be useful for escape in such situations.
Buy good quality, new masks designed for industrial or rescue use, not army
surplus masks.
Natural disasters
Natural disasters are somewhat easier to prepare for—you
either get out of their way (evacuate) or you protect yourself indoors.
In floods Sandbag doors and windows, move furniture and
other items to higher ground, and evacuate if necessary. Do not drive or walk
through flood waters and stay off bridges when they are covered with water.
Be prepared
Bad weather Preparation should include boarding up windows
and flood-proofing your home. Bring in outside furniture, bicycles, and rubbish
bins. Listen to recommendations of emergency officials and evacuate if advised.
If not advised to evacuate, stay indoors and away from windows.
Blizzards Stay indoors and use the telephone only for
life-threatening emergencies. Use fires safely and properly ventilate. It there
is no heat, cover windows, close off un-needed rooms, and stuff towels in
cracks under doors.
Wear layers of warm clothing. Eat and drink plenty. Food
generates body heat and water helps circulation to keep the skin warm.
It is important to know what to do and have a plan before a
disaster strikes. The internet can provide additional information for preparing
for and dealing with natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
Consider your risks, develop a plan, prepare your disaster
supplies kit, and discuss with your family what to do in case of an emergency.
Remember, the future belongs to those who prepare. You must
be ready before disaster strikes.
Here are some more
companies to support
72 hour survival pack
Blizzard Survival jacket
Survival Ration Packs
SOL Complete Survival Kit and SOL Bivy Bag
The answer to rough ground sleeping
Simply your EDC supplier
For all your military equipment needs
NEW MRE’s
The Fire Piston
Great tasty MRE’s
The 95 Puukko Survival Knife
Gold Standard Whey Protein Isolates which are 90% pure
protein by weight
Since 2007, my guest Dan Haight has been published by many
fiction sites and is known for his blend of dark humour and crackling
narrative. As a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Dan first fell in love
with science-fiction watching Star Wars and Star Trek before moving onto the
other classics of the genre.
Dan lives with his family and when he isn't writing, he
works as a lowly IT guy in a large computer company. He considers himself a
blue-collar geek, loves working with his hands and may be found browsing
second-hand book shops to discover new stories to enjoy.
The Dan Haight
Interview (Part Two)
I really enjoy talking to Dan and I do hope that you enjoyed
listening to my interview with him.
Further Companies to
Support
Uses natural fuel
EDC steel tools
Highlander Trojan Hydration Pack – Multicam
CUDEMAN HEAVY DUTY OLIVE WOOD BUSHCRAFT KNIFE - 111L
Alum Crystal and natural spa products
Tool logic Survival 11 Credit Card
BackHawk Web duty Belt
Guppie Multi=tool
Go Survival Pack
Beautiful Handmade Catapults
1 Person BASIC Backpack Survival Kit, the back pack that
does it all
DD Hammock –The ultimate in Travel Hammocks
Elzetta ZFL-M60 Tactical Weapon-Grade LED Torch
Ultimate Adventurer Survival Kit everything in one kit
Adjustable Knife Lanyard Review
Handmade knives by James D. Sanders
How to Make a Disaster Preparedness Kit
Every safe room or storm shelter needs an emergency kit. The
contents of the kit may vary according to the type and duration of the
disaster, but whether you're preparing to shelter for a few hours, days or
weeks, you'll have certain basic needs.
Once your shelter is established, stock it with a disaster
kit to simplify your family's response to a natural or indeed a man-made
disaster.
Pack items in picnic chests, coffee cans and plastic bags so
they'll be waterproofed and portable if the evacuation order is given.
Things you need for
all in your group and don’t forget any pets you may have
Picnic chests, coffee cans and plastic bags
Clothing
Food
Tools
Medications
Communication devices
Pack several changes of clothing, including waterproof rain
wear and thick-soled boots. If you'll need to shelter over a period of days,
pack sleeping bags and pillows.
Pack a few extra blankets: even if the weather's warm,
nights can be cold and a blanket helps if you have someone in shock. Pack
clothes and bedding in separate bags for each family member.
Establish a stash of canned food (with pull-top lids) and
food that needs no refrigeration and can be eaten without heating---prepared
soups, fruits, crackers and freeze-dried foods.
If you plan to use a cook stove or other heating device,
plan for proper ventilation in the shelter. Stock food for a minimum of three
days but try to Plan for a three months and even a year as you could be cut off
help for longer periods.
Include a gallon of water per person per day. Don't forget
food and water for pets, either for sheltering or for dropping off at an animal
rescue facility.
Now add a basic tool kit; pliers or adjustable wrenches to
turn off utilities; a hammer, screw drivers and can opener with a bottle opener
on the end give you a good selection of tools to be prepared for minor repairs.
Add a roll of duct tape and sheets of plastic for water
proofing or "sheltering-in-place." Add paint-dust masks for each
person---they will not protect against germs but they will keep dust and dirt
out of noses and mouths. Keep a battery-powered radio and extra mobile phone
batteries in the shelter.
Assemble a first aid kit with antibiotic wipes, peroxide or
other cleansing agents; gauze dressing, pads and tape, adhesive bandages and a
triangular cloth bandage; antibiotic and burn ointments; saline solution and
eye wash; a thermometer and family pain killers. Add a pocket-sized guide to
basic first aid.
Bag several days' worth of prescription medicines in
original containers for each member of the family who uses them; blood pressure
or glucose-monitoring equipment for family members that may need them.
Buy some water purification tablets at a camping supply
store---they're easier to use than bleach. Keep medicines in coffee cans or
watertight plastic boxes.
Collect duplicates of everyday supplies and any special
supplies that might be needed. Paper towels, clean towels, dishes (plastic,
metal or paper), matches in a waterproof container and a general purpose type
ABC fire extinguisher.
Package infant and feminine hygiene supplies in plastic
bags. Collect all those hotel soaps, mouthwashes and shampoos in a coffee can
and add comb, brush and non-aerosol deodorant for a toilet kit.
Add a working torch for each member of the family. Pack
extra fresh batteries for torches, radios and mobile phones.
Tips and warnings
Add a tube of nappy rash ointment (the kind with vitamins A
and D) to the first aid kit--it's also good for minor abrasions and chafing and
dry skin.
Keep an extra pair of eyeglasses in case you lose your
glasses or contacts or contacts start to irritate your eyes.
Include some books, games and colouring supplies for
children in your kit. Don't forget to pick up favourite teddy bears or toys as
you gather the children.
Store bank books, credit cards and other valuable papers in
a waterproof box that can be picked up to go. Don't forget to take your check
book and debit or ATM card. Traveller's checks or cash is handy for evacuees.
Communication may make the difference between early rescue
and days spent in a hot shelter. Always keep a working mobile phone.
Check with your pharmacist for recommendations about keeping
prescriptions--some may need to be "rotated" or refrigerated to stay
fresh.
If an evacuation order is issued, have some food, first aid,
clothing, bedding, baby and pet supplies, important papers and cash in one
place so you can toss them into the back of the car.
Or better still stock a BOB for each family member.
Prepper or Not This is what you should do
Last minute prep items before SHTF, WROL, or TEOTWAWKI —
your last shopping trip for a long time!
Monitoring the news these days can be a bit depressing. The global problems with Sovereign debt,
especially in Europe and USA, are creating tremendous risks for the world
economies.
I’m not sure if folks are ready keyed in, but there is a
real risk of the world economics slipping into full blown depression. A global depression will be very, very
bad. Unlike in 1929, most people now
live around urban centres, and have little part in the food production supply
chain.
Back in 1929, anyone with even the smallest plot of land had
a garden. If a global depression hits,
lots of people are going to die. Those
that are in greatest risk are in the developing and poor countries, such as
sub-Sahara Africa and those countries in Asian who are net importers of
food. And people in the USA will go
hungry.
Also, with climate change, which is occurring without a
doubt, (But I say not manmade) weather events are more extreme. There will be more floods, wild fires,
tornadoes, and hurricanes. And the
clustering of earthquakes around the world back in 2011 is very worrisome.
All this being said, the need to be prepare is increasingly
important. Those that thought survival
preppers were nutty are now reconsidering.
A lot of mainstream press is picking up on the fact that lots and lots
of folks are increasingly preparing of disasters and survival situations.
This article is about the last minute prep items to do, if
you know that a big disaster is about to hit soon. All of us should be well prepared for
long-term SHTF, WROL, and TEOTWAWKI events.
This last minute list should augment your existing, long-term prep
items.
Before I start the last minute buying spree, I’m going to
make sure that my family is home and safe.
And I will notify my family members and survival group members to start
packing.
Here is a list of last minute tasks when you see a big
SHTF/TEOTWAWKI event about to occur, sequenced by priority first to last.
Gather your financial resources — Go to the ATM to withdraw
as much cash as possible. Withdraw more
money from the bank teller. You need
cash for all purchases once the power grid goes down.
This is the one and only time I recommend that you take a
cash advance from credit cards. Prior
to TEOTWAWKI, I recommend that a portion of your cash and physical gold and
silver be stored in a bank safe deposit box to diversify the location of your
assets.
While banks and the economy are viable, a safe deposit box
is a very good place to store a portion of your physical gold and silver. It might be wise to have several safe boxes
at different bank to store your assets in multiple locations.
But you do not want to leave any contents in your bank safe
deposit box, in case the bank is closed or a bank holiday is declared. If you have a bank safety deposit box, now is
the time to take those resources home.
Never store all your valuables in one single location. If your home burned down, you would not want
to lose all of your assets.
Make your run to the supermarket — Now is the time to gather
food, beverages, and additional bits and pieces.
I’m running to the tinned food section of Morrisons. My first emphasis is canned meats and beans,
then canned vegetables and fruits. I
plan to load my shopping cart with as much canned good as will fit in the
cart.
After buying a load of canned goods, then I’ll return for
staples. My next item purchases are
vegetable oils, olive oil, bags of rice and dried beans. Notice that I’m not buying fresh foods, such
as meats and fresh fruits. I am
expecting the power grid to go down.
So you are likely to quickly lose the contents of your
refrigerator and freezer. And next
purchase some basics of sugar, coffee, flour, baking soda, soap, toothpaste,
and perhaps bottle water. If you are
going to make repeated purchases in a continuous cycle of loading your vehicle
with multiple purchases, might be wise to have one member of your group stay
with your vehicle to guard it.
Make a sprint to your nearest chemist – Now is time to
refill your prescription drugs. If your
prescription allows. You should discuss your plans to keep several months
supplies of your prescriptions with your doctor.
Ask your doctor for a 3-month or 6-month prescription you
never know you might get one. Then stock
up on over-the-counter medicines and first-aid supplies. Load up on pain
relievers, anti-diarrhoea medicine, laxatives, dietary fibre, anti-acid
medicine, cold and flu medicine, anti-fungal medicine, etc.
Next buy vitamins for your family. The safest bet is to buy several containers
of children’s chewable multi-vitamins.
Buying individual vitamins is not necessary, if you purchase a well
formulated multi-vitamin.
Once TEOTWAWKI hits, you do not need to take a multi-vitamin
every day. If you are eating a balanced
diet, then once or twice a week is all you really need for a
multi-vitamin. If your diet is
unbalanced or you are recovering from illness or feeling highly stressed or
feeling overly tired, then perhaps take a multi-vitamin every day.
Be careful not to overload on vitamins A, E, and K. Too much of these 3 vitamins can be
toxic. Taking some extra vitamins C, B
complex, and D might be beneficial, if you are encountering and illness,
injury, or high stress. Next, I’m
loading up on first-aid supplies.
Focus on large bandages, gauze, first aid tape, antibiotic
lotion, antiseptic wound cleaners, etc.
Stock up on more than you think you need. One small wound may require 20 bandages
until healed. You’ll need to cover your
healing wounds while you continue to work in your home, garden, or workplace.
Next, I’m going to make a run to petrol station — It is time to fill up your vehicle and all
your spare fuel cans. Buy all the spare
fuel cans you can get your hands on.
Also buy oil, radiator fluid, brake fluid, wiper fluid, and tire repair
kits, if available. If you utilize
propane for heating, cooking, or power generation, many petrol stations sell
propane — buy as much as will fit into your vehicle. Expect that this will be your last trip to
the petrol station for a long time. You’ll
need to preserve fuel in the event that you need to make a bug-out from your
home. If you petrol station sells any
food, buy as many of the canned goods as possible.
After the vitamin shop, my next step is to the local
hardware shop
Now is the time to gather supplies to sure-up your
home. I plan to buy extra plastic
sheeting for temporary window or roof repairs and I will buy some plywood and
2×4′s for covering windows and other repairs.
Will buy some oil and repair parts for your power generator, chain saw,
and other power tools.
Often you can find food grade buckets, which may have
endless uses for food and water storage.
Likely to stock up on cleaning supplies also, such as rubbish bags,
laundry detergent, pure bleach, and all-purpose home cleaners.
If I’m missing any gardening tools, now is the time to
buy. And if there are any remaining
home canning supplies (jars, rings, lids, canning wax, canning salt, pressure
cooking pot), I’m going to buy as much as possible.
After the hardware shop, the next stop is the local charity
shop. My next focus is buying clothes and
shoes for my children to grow into for the next couple of years. Will also look for winter coats, boots,
gloves, and hats. If there is any
camping equipment or sleeping bags, it is great to have extras.
I will key my eyes open for any cast iron cookware, which
will be useful for cooking in multiple forums — in fireplace, over camp fire,
on outside grill. Also plan to buy toys
as future birthday and holiday presents for the kids, nieces, and nephews. Will
also buy some board games and puzzles to keep the family entertained.
At this point, I’m returning to go home and stay home. Being ready and aware, I hope to finish my
last-minute purchases before the mobs of other panicked people overwhelm the
shops. Once at home, I have a number of last minute tasks to perform at home:
Refilling any water containers with fresh water.
Recharging any rechargeable batteries.
Test all your radios and communication equipment.
Call all family members and close friends about the
situation and share your plans.
Kick-off a local neighbourhood community watch program,
including 24 hour guard rotations.
Clean my firearms, load magazines, and prepare tactical
gear.
Set up passive alarm systems to detect intruders.
Inventory and inspect short-term and long-term food supplies.
Eat meals soley from
refrigerator and freezer until emptied.
Prepare and test portable power generators with new oil and
fresh fuel.
Inspect all the windows to make sure the windows are locked
and clean.
Make sure the no bushes or tree branches are obstructing
fields of view and firing lanes to defend your home.
Monitor the news for
changing events.
Inspect and update the bug-out bags for all family
members. Depending on the situation,
might preload the bug-out bags into the vehicles.
Prepare to receive other family members at your home. Clear out guest rooms, set up cots, layout
guest towels, and get ready to cook larger meals. Large one-pot stews or hearty soups are perfect
ways to cook for a larger group.
Do as much laundry as possible. If the grid goes down, you will be forced to
manually wash clothes. Get a head start
by using your automated washer and drier while the grid is still up.
Inventory all your stored gold and silver if you have
any. Package and split into multiple
hiding locations around your homestead.
Make sure your spouse or partners are aware of the hiding
locations. The hiding locations should
be inaccessible to any home intruder.
Might be a good time to store extra, legally owned guns at
offsite locations. Perhaps store a gun
and some ammunition at a local, trusted friend. In case there is martial law and gun
confiscation, a gun not at your home cannot be confiscated. Be careful to store any gun with a lock and
where children cannot access it.
Check with my
neighbours to see if they need any last minute help.
Once other family members arrive at your home, set-up a 24
hour security watch. If you have enough
members at your home or have the cooperation of your close neighbours,
establish an external observation post and roving security patrol Ideally,
communicate your security plans with neighbours and local police, so they are
aware of your plans.
Prepare for alternative sanitary requirements. The water may stop. The power grid might go down. Sewers might backup. This might be a wise time to shut off your
homes drainage connection to the community sewer system, to prevent backup of
sewer wastes into your home.
If you have a septic tank, make sure it is operating well
and do not defer maintenance on your septic system. With additional people coming to your home,
be careful to not overload your septic system.
Prepared to handle human wastes without a flushing toilet. Having a camp toilet, outhouse, and/or
chamber pots for the elimination of human wastes.
Human wastes cannot be used for garden fertilizer. Human wastes must be buried deeply and at
least 200 feet from any water sources to prevent the spread of diseases. Communicate and educate your neighbours on
the sanitary handling of human wastes.
One ill person can set off a wave of waterborne illnesses to an entire
community.
If riots start to occur or civil unrest occurs nearby, talk
to your neighbourhood, security group, or community watch program about
blocking off the entrances of your neighbourhood. Set up a rotating security watch at the
entrances.
Have multiple ways to communicate in real-time with those
attending to security watch. Do not let
any component of your community’s security have a single point of failure. If bad people overwhelm one security
checkpoint, the bad people should not go unchallenged by other components of
your security.
Security watches should overlap and be supportive of one
another. And have a rapid response team
to quick respond to any security crises.
Walkie-talkies, CB radios, handheld VHF radios, loud noise makers,
fireworks, or a sequence of gunshots should be used for communication an
escalation.
Periodically check that the security team is attentive and
awake. Every armed adult in your
neighbourhood should have a defensive post to join, if the alarm is
sounded. Have a rapid reserve force
ready to mobilize towards the greatest threat.
As WROL is seen to be highly likely before SHTF or
TEOTWAWKI, gather your neighbourhood to put all these security plans in
place. Invite your local police into
the meeting, so that they can advise you on your plans and be aware of your
activities.
Now is the time to support your local police. So be in good communication with the local
police, firemen, and NHS personnel to let them know that your neighbourhood is
supporting them. You may support your
local police, firemen, and NHS personnel by providing security and support for
their families while they work for the community.
If these important people are worried about their family’s
safety, they cannot go out to protect your community. You might establish a rotation of guards at
the homes of your police, firemen, and NHS personnel, while they are working
their shifts.
Share your food, water, vehicle fuel, with the local police,
firemen, and NHS personnel. Once the
police know that you have their backs, the police can focus on protecting other
neighbourhoods and stores which are less organized or less prepared.
If your local police are too dumb or too arrogant to accept
this level of community support, you are living in the wrong community. Regardless and always, following all laws to
keep your family out of trouble and lessens the overall risks to your community. Now is the time to work together with your
community leaders to protect and defend the rule of law.
Take a hot shower, hug my kids, kiss your spouse/partner,
pray, and enjoy a hearty meal with my family.
Throughout this long, last-minute prep day, I will be armed
If you do not already have an FAC or a shotgun licence, then GET IT NOW!! Firearms and shooting skills must be
obtained well before trouble starts.
Between each trip, I’ll run home quickly to unload and move
to the next step. Throughout all these
steps, I’ll be looking for batteries. I
will be buying as many batteries as I can get my hands on. What
I will also be buying is bottled water. I already have lots
of water stored at my homestead and have a Purificup and a Lifesaver bottle
water filter ready to produce drinking water.
Fill up your vehicle with those supplies which cannot be
improvised. If you don’t have a
Purificup or a Lifesaver water filter or the like, buy one NOW without delay.
If you are unable to provide your daily water requirements
from local sources within short walking distances, eventually you will run out
of water, regardless of how much bottle water you store.
My plan is to finish
this entire list within a single day.
Some may criticize and debate that this plan is
hording. From a perspective this is
true. When the big one hits and the
economy melts down, there will be a mad rush to the shops. The shops will be cleaned out.
Riots and social disruption is very likely. And you must look out for your family,
friends and neighbours. If you well prepare ahead of time, you have the
opportunity to offer charity to those in your neighbourhood who cannot if you
want that is.
The goal of this plan is to round off and finish your
preparations. Having one or two years
of stored food is not hording — rather it is wise preparation for your
family. Those that did not prepare will
be part of the problem. As a survival
prepper, you are part of the prevention, part of the solution.
I cannot emphasize enough, be alert and aware of the world
around you. Monitor the world economic
situation closely. Be first and quick,
before the horde arrives to clean out the shops.
Being aware now provides me with the opportunity to prepare
ahead of time. I hope and pray there
will never be a SHTF, WROL, or TEOTWAWKI event. But if it does occur, while others are
panicking, I’ll be in the warmth and love of my home to enjoy a good meal with
my family.
Surviving a Nuclear Attack
The Cold War ended over two decades ago, and many people
have never lived under the shadow of nuclear annihilation. Still, a nuclear
attack is a very real threat.
Global politics are far from stable, Look at N. Korea for
example and human nature has changed none in the last two decades. "The
most persistent sound which reverberates through man's history is the beating
of war drums" As long as nuclear weapons exist, there is always the danger
they will be used.
Is nuclear war survivable? Only predictions exist, I say
yes, others say no. For some, especially those in large population centres, it may
seem like an entirely futile endeavour. If it is survived at all, it will be by
those who are mentally and logistically prepared for such an event, Preppers I
suggest. So what should you do? Where should you take shelter? Here's how to
get yourself ready.
Preparing in Advance that’s right just prep
Firstly make a plan. If a nuclear attack does happen, it
won't be safe to venture outside for food — you should stay sheltered for at
least 48 hours, preferably longer. Having food and medical supplies on-hand can
put your mind at-ease, and allow you to focus on other aspects of survival.
Stock up on non-perishable food. Non-perishables can last
several years, whether it's in storage or in sustaining you after an attack.
Choose items that contain a lot of carbohydrates, so you get more caloric bang
for your buck so to speak, and store them in a cool, dry place:
White rice
Wheat
Beans
Sugar
Oats
Pasta
Powdered milk
Dried fruits and vegetables
Build your supply slowly. Every time you go food shopping,
pick up one or two more items for your food storage. Eventually, you should be
able to build up a multi-month supply.
Make sure you have a can opener for canned items.
Store water. Consider keeping a water supply in food-grade
plastic containers. Clean the containers with a bleach solution, then fill them
with filtered and distilled water
You should have at least one gallon per person per day.
For purifying water in the event of an attack, keep basic
household bleach and potassium iodide on-hand or better still buy a Purificup.
Get communication supplies. Being able to stay informed, as
well as alerting others to your position, can be vitally valuable. Here's what
you might need:
A radio: Try to find one that's wind-up- or solar-powered.
If you have to go with a battery-operated model, be sure to keep spare
batteries on-hand.
A whistle: You can use this to signal for help.
Your mobile phone: The service may or may not be maintained,
but you'll want to be ready if it is. If you can, find a solar charger for your
model.
Stock up on medical supplies. Having a few medical items
available could be the difference between life and death if you're injured in
the attack. You'll need:
A basic first aid kit: You can purchase these pre-packaged,
or make one yourself. You'll need sterile gauze and bandages, antibiotic
ointment, latex gloves, scissors, tweezers, a thermometer and a blanket.
A first aid instruction booklet: Purchase one from an
organization like the Red Cross, or assemble your own with materials you print
off from the internet. You should know how to bandage wounds, administer CPR,
treat shock, and treat burns.
Prescription medications or supplies: If you take a specific
medication every day, try to make sure you have a small emergency supply
built-up.
Get other miscellaneous items. Fill up your emergency
preparedness kit with the following:
A torch and batteries
Dust masks
Plastic sheeting and duct tape
Rubbish bags, plastic ties and wet wipes for personal
sanitation
A wrench and pliers, to shut off utilities such as gas and
water
Keep an eye on the news. A nuclear attack will unlikely come
out of the blue from an enemy nation. Such an attack would likely be preceded
by a deteriorating political situation.
A war with conventional weapons between nations that both
have nuclear weapons, if not ended swiftly, may escalate towards nuclear war;
and even limited nuclear strikes in one region carry the likelihood to escalate
towards an all-out nuclear war elsewhere.
Assess your risk and consider evacuation if a nuclear
exchange is looking likely. If evacuation is not an option, then it should at
least affect the kind of shelter you will construct for yourself. Learn your
proximity to the following targets and plan appropriately:
Airfields and naval bases, especially those known to house
nuclear bombers, ballistic missile submarines, or ICBM silos. These are certain
to be attacked even in a limited nuclear exchange.
Commercial ports and runways over 10,000 feet long. These
are likely to be attacked even in a limited nuclear exchange, and certain to be
attacked in an all-out nuclear war.
Centres of government. These are likely to be attacked even
in a limited nuclear exchange and certain to be attacked in an all-out nuclear
war.
Large industrial cities and major population centres. These
are likely to be attacked in the event of an all-out nuclear war.
Learn about the
different types of nuclear weapons.:
Fission (A-Bombs) are the most basic nuclear weapon and are
incorporated into the other weapon classes. This bomb's power comes from
splitting heavy nuclei (plutonium and uranium) with neutrons; as the uranium or
plutonium split each atom releases great amounts of energy - and more neutrons.
The daughter neutrons cause an extremely fast nuclear chain
reaction. Fission bombs are the only type of nuclear bomb used in war so far,
and are self-disruptive over 500kt
Fusion (H-Bombs), using the incredible heat of a fission
bomb 'spark plug', compress and heat deuterium and tritium (isotopes of
hydrogen) which fuse, releasing immense amounts of energy. Fusion weapons are
also known as thermonuclear weapons since high temperatures are required to
fuse deuterium and tritium; such weapons are usually many times more powerful
than the bombs that destroyed Nagasaki and Hiroshima and they are only limited
in size by the method of delivery.
Surviving an Imminent
Attack
Seek shelter immediately. Aside from the geopolitical
warning signs, your first warnings of an imminent nuclear attack will most
likely be an alarm or warning signal; if not, it will be the blast itself.
The bright light from a detonation of a nuclear weapon can
be seen tens of miles away from ground zero. If within the vicinity of the blast
(or ground zero), your chances of survival are virtually non-existent unless
you are in a shelter that provides a very (VERY) good blast protection.
If you are a few miles out, you will have about 10-15
seconds until the heat wave hits you, and maybe 20-30 seconds until the shock
wave does. Under no circumstances should you look directly at the fireball.
On a clear day, this can cause temporary blindness at very
large distances. However, the actual damage radius is highly variable depending
on the size of the bomb, the altitude of the explosion, and even the weather
conditions at the time of the blast.
If you can't find shelter, seek a depressed area nearby and
lay face down, exposing as little skin as possible. If there is no shelter of
this kind, dig as fast as possible.
Even around 8 kilometers (5 miles) you coul suffer third
degree thermal-burns; still at 32 kilometers (20 miles) the heat can burn the
skin off your body. The wind itself will peak at around 960 kilometers per hour
(600mph) and will level anything or anybody caught in the open.
Failing the above options, get indoors, if, and only if, you
can be sure that the building will not suffer significant blast and heat
damage.
This will, at least, provide some protection against
radiation. Whether this will be a viable option depends on the construction of
the building and how close you will be to the likely ground zero of a nuclear
strike.
Stay well away from any windows, preferably in a room
without one; even if the building does not suffer substantial damage, a nuclear
explosion will blow out windows at enormous distances.
Don't be surrounded by anything flammable or combustible.
Substances like nylon or any oil based material will ignite from the heat.
Remember that radiation exposure could cause large numbers
of deaths.
Initial radiation (all radiation released within 1 minute of
the detonation). This is radiation released at the moment of detonation, and it
is short-lived and travels short distances. With the large yields of modern
nuclear weapons, it is thought that this will kill few who would not be killed
by the blast or heat at the same distance.
Residual radiation (all radiation released after 1 minute of
the detonation and usually known as fallout). Known as radiation fallout.
If the detonation was a surface blast or the fireball hits
the earth, large amounts of fallout occurs. The dust and debris kicked into the
atmosphere rains down, bringing with it dangerous amounts of radiation. The
fallout may rain down as contaminated black soot known as "black
rain," which is very fatal and may be of extreme temperature. Fallout will
contaminate anything it touches, remember radioactive fallout can only go where
the wind blows it.
Once you have survived the blast and the initial radiation
(for now at least; radiation symptoms have an incubation period), you must find
protection against the radioactive fallout.
Know the types of radiation particles. Before I continue, I
should mention the three different types:
Alpha particles. These are the weakest and, during an
attack, are virtually non-existent as a threat. Alpha particles will survive
for only a couple inches in the air before they are absorbed by the atmosphere.
They possess a minuscule threat from the exterior, however,
they will be fatal if ingested or inhaled. Standard clothing will help protect
you from Alpha particles.
Beta particles: These are faster than Alpha particles and
can penetrate further. They will travel for up to 10 meters (10 yards) before
they are absorbed into the atmosphere. Exposure to beta particles is not fatal
unless exposed for prolonged periods; which may cause "Beta burns,"
almost like painful sunburn.
They pose a serious threat, however, to the eyes, should
they be exposed for a prolonged period. Once again this is harmful if ingested
or inhaled, and clothing will help prevent Beta burns.
Gamma rays: Gamma rays are the deadliest. They can travel
for nearly a mile in the air and penetrate just about any kind of shielding.
Therefore gamma radiation will cause severe damage to the internal organs even
as an external source. Sufficient shielding will be required.
A shelter's Protective factor (PF) against radiation will
tell you how many times less a person inside the shelter will receive radiation
compared to open space. For example, PF 300 means that you will receive 300
times less radiation in the shelter than in the open.
Begin reinforcing your shelter from the inside by stacking
dirt around the walls or anything else you can find. If in a trench, then
create a roof, but only if materials are nearby; don't expose yourself when not
necessary.
Canvas from a parachute or tent will help stop fallout
debris from piling on you, though it will not stop Gamma rays. It is
impossible, at a very fundamental physical level, to completely shield from all
radiation.
It can only be reduced to a tolerable level. Use the
following to help you determine the amount of material you'll need to reduce
radiation penetration by 50% this is known as a half value thickness.
Steel: 21 cm (0.7 feet)
Rock: 70-100 cm (2-3 ft)
Concrete: 66 cm (2.2 ft)
Wood: 2.6 m (8.8 ft)
Soil: 1 m (3.3 ft)
Ice: 2 m (6.6 ft)
Snow: 6 m (20-22 ft)
Hay/straw 65 inches
You must plan on staying in your shelter for a minimum of
336 hours or 14 days. Under no circumstances leave the shelter in the first
forty-eight hours.
Ration your supplies. You will need to ration to survive,
obviously; therefore you will eventually expose yourself to the radiation
(unless you are in a specific shelter with food and water).
Processed foods are okay to eat, so long as the container
has no punctures and is relatively intact.
If radiation passes through food or a container with food in
it the food will not become radioactive, however if the radioactive particles
get into the food or water they will become radioactive.
Animals may be eaten but, they must be skinned carefully
with the heart, liver and kidneys discarded. Try not to eat meat that is close
to the bone, for bone marrow retains radiation.
Plants in a "hot zone" are edible; those with
edible roots or undergrowth (such as carrots and potatoes) are highly
recommended.
Open water may have received fallout particles and is
harmful. Water from an underground source, such as a spring or covered well, is
your best bet. Use water from streams and lakes only as a last resort.
Create a filter by digging a hole about 1 foot from the bank
and drawing the water which seeps in. It may be cloudy or muddy so allow the
sediments to sit, then boil the water to ensure safety from bacteria. If in a
building, the water is usually safe.
If there is no water (there most likely won't be), use the
water already in the pipes by opening the tap at the highest point of the house
to let in air, then open a tap at the lowest point of the house to drain the
water.
Buy heavy duty oil skins, wellingtons and rubber gloves to
wear when outside
Treat radiation and thermal burns.
Minor burn: Also known as a Beta burn (though it may be from
other particles). Immerse Beta burns in cold water until the pain subsides
(usually 5 minutes).
If skin starts to blister, char or break; wash it with cold
water to remove contaminants, then cover with a sterile compress to prevent
infection. Do not break the blisters!
If the skin does not blister, char or break; don't cover it,
even if it covers a large portion of the body (almost like sunburn). Instead,
wash the area and cover it with Vaseline or a solution of baking powder and
water if available. But, moist (uncontaminated) earth will do.
Severe burn: Known as a thermal burn, as it comes mostly
from the high intensity blast heat, rather than ionizing particles, though it
can be from the latter. This can be life threatening; everything becomes a
factor: water loss, shock, lung damage, infection, etc. Follow these steps to
treat a severe burn.
Protect burns from further contamination.
If clothing covers the burn area, gently cut and remove the
cloth from the burn. DO NOT try to remove cloth which has stuck or fused onto
the burn. DO NOT try to pull clothes over the burn. DO NOT put any ointment on
the burn.
Gently wash the burned area with water ONLY. Do NOT apply
creams or ointments.[14]
Do NOT use a normal sterile medical dressing not
specifically intended for burns. As non-adhesive burn dressings (and all other
medical supplies) are likely to be in short supply, an expedient alternative is
to use plastic wrap (also known as saran wrap, food wrap, and cling film),
which is sterile, does not stick to burns, and is readily available.
Prevent shock. Shock is the inadequate flow of blood to the
vital tissues and organs. If untreated, it can be fatal. Shock results from
excessive blood loss, deep burns, or reactions to the sight of a wound or
blood.
The signs are restlessness, thirst, pale skin and rapid
heartbeat. Sweating may occur even if the skin feels cool and clammy. As it
worsens, they breathe short fast gasps, with a vacant stare.
To treat: maintain proper heartbeat and respiration by
massaging the chest and positioning the person for adequate respiration. Loosen
any constrictive clothing and reassure the person. Be firm yet gentle with
self-confidence.
Feel free to assist people with radiation sickness, also
called Radiation Syndrome. This is not contagious, and everything depends on
the amount of radiation one received. Here is a condensed version of the table:
Familiarize yourself with radiation units. (Gy (gray) = the
SI unit used to measure the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation. 1 Gy = 100
rad. Sv (Sievert) = the SI unit of dose equivalent, 1 Sv = 100 REM. For the
purpose of simplification, 1 Gy is usually equivalent to 1 Sv.)
Unfortunately, you have to accept that a person may soon
die. Though harsh, don't waste rations or supplies on those dying of radiation
sickness. Keep rations for the fit and healthy, should supplies be in demand.
Radiation sickness is prevalent among the very young, the old or sick.
Perhaps I can explain the effects of radiation sickness like
this, if you took a paracetomal pain killer every day for 30 days you would be
OK, but if you took 30 in one go you would die. Radiation kills the living
cells of the body and in small doses the body can repair itself but only with
complete rest.
Guard critical electrical equipment against EMP. A nuclear
weapon detonated at a very high altitude will generate an electromagnetic pulse
so powerful that it can destroy electronic and electrical devices.
At the very least, unplug all devices from electrical
sockets and antennas. Placing radios, torches in a SEALED metal container (a
"Faraday cage") may protect from EMP, providing the items being
protected are not in contact with the enclosure. The metal shield must surround
the protected item completely - and it helps if it is grounded.
The items to be protected should be insulated from the
conductive shell, since the EMP field washing over the shield can still induce
voltages in solid state circuit boards. A metalized "space blanket"
Costing a £1 or £2 wrapped securely around a device wrapped in newspaper or
cotton may act as a Faraday shield, helpful if one is far from the blast.
Another method is to wrap a cardboard box in copper or
aluminum foil. Place the item in there and plug the device into the ground.
Be prepared for subsequent attacks. Most likely, a nuclear
attack will not be a singular event. Be prepared for another strike or strikes
by enemy nations, or an invasion by the attacking party.
Keep your shelter intact, unless the materials used are
absolutely necessary for survival. Collect any excess clean water and food that
is available.
Add this information to your bugging in plans and your BOB,
surviving Nuclear fallout is just another set of skills and information to
learn.
What if An EMP Attack Happened
Most Britain’s do not know this, but a single EMP attack
could potentially wipe out most of the electronics in the UK and instantly send
this nation back to the 1800s. If a
nuclear bomb was exploded high enough in the atmosphere over the middle part of
the country, the electromagnetic pulse would fry electronic devices from coast
to coast.
The damage would be millions of times worse than 9/11 or
7/7, worse that tsunamis and earth quakes.
Just imagine a world where nobody has power, most cars will not start,
the Internet has been fried, the financial system is offline indefinitely,
nobody can make any phone calls and virtually all commerce across the entire
country is brought to a complete stop.
A nation that does not know how to live without technology
would be almost entirely stripped of it at that point. Yes, this could really happen. An EMP attack is the UK’s “Achilles heel” in
fact the worlds Achilles heel and everyone around the world knows it. It is only a matter of time before someone
uses an EMP weapon against us, and at this point we are pretty much completely
unprepared.
The sad thing is that we are spending hundreds of billions
of pounds hunting down “terrorists” in caves on the other side of the globe and
we have been told that because of “national security” it is necessary for our
private areas to be touched before we are allowed to get on an airplane, but
our government is doing essentially nothing to address what is perhaps our
biggest security vulnerability.
What would you and your neighbours do if the power went out
and it did not ever come back on?
What would you do if an EMP attack happened in the middle of
the winter and you suddenly were not able to heat your home any longer?
What would you do if all the electronics in your car got
fried and you simply could not drive anywhere?
What would you do if all the supermarkets in your area shut
down because food could not be transported across the country anymore?
What would you do if you were suddenly unable to call your
family and friends for help?
What would you do if you were suddenly unable to get the
medicine that you needed?
What would you do if your debit cards and credit cards
simply did not work any longer and you could not get any of your money out of
the bank?
What would you do if
all of these things happened all at once?
A single EMP attack would be the worst disaster that the UK
has ever seen by far.
An electromagnetic pulse could potentially fry the vast
majority of all the microchips in the UK.
In an instant, nearly all of our electronic devices would be rendered
useless.
I think that the consequences of lack of food, heat (or air
conditioning), water, waste disposal, medical, police, fire fighting support,
and effective civil authority would threaten society itself.”
Most of us have become completely and totally dependent on
electricity and technology. Without it,
most of us would be in huge trouble.
The following is how an article in the Wall Street Journal
described the potential consequences of an EMP attack….
No one would necessarily die in the initial attack, but what
comes next is potentially catastrophic. The pulse would wipe out most
electronics and telecommunications, including the power grid.
Millions could die for want of modern medical care or even
of starvation since farmers wouldn’t be able to harvest crops and distributors
wouldn’t be able to get food to supermarkets. An EMP attack would be a giant
continental time machine that would move us back more than a century in
technology to the late 1800s.
It wouldn’t be so bad if we had the knowledge and the
infrastructure to live the way that they did back in the 1800s, but today that
is simply not the case.
Dr. William Graham was Ronald Reagan’s science adviser and
the chairman of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack. Dr.
Graham believes that in the event of a large scale EMP attack, the vast
majority of Americans would freeze, starve or die from disease.
I think that the aftermath of an EMP attack on life in the
UK would probably be something that you might imagine life to be like around
the late 1800s but with several times the population we had in those days, and
without the ability of the country to support and sustain all those people.
Would you be able to
survive?
All of those big bank accounts may never be able to be
recovered after an EMP attack. Your
money might be instantly fried out of existence.
Most financial records are stored electronically. ATMs,
which depend upon both power and telecommunications, would not be available;
banks, which try to back up records but in general aren’t strongly aware of the
EMP problem, would face the problem of unprotected storage and computer systems
This is the danger of having a financial system that is so
dependent on technology. We may wake up
one day and find that all the money is gone.
But if an EMP attack actually happened, the biggest concern
for most of us would be trying to figure out how to survive.
I am convinced that a single EMP attack could result in the
deaths of the vast majority of the population of the UK….
Within a year of that attack, nine out of 10 people would be
dead, because we can’t support a population of the present size in urban
centres and the like without electricity”
Are you starting to
get a feel for the scope of the problem?
The sad thing is that so much could be done to protect this
country from an EMP attack.
Right now, most vital UK military infrastructure has at
least some protection from an EMP attack.
But the general population has been left completely and
totally vulnerable.
It has been estimated that the entire power grid could
potentially be protected for a few billion pounds. Considering the fact that we have spent over
billions of pounds in Afghanistan, I think that we could afford it.
We have spent our national security pounds very, very badly
and someday it is going to come back to bite us in the rear end.
Right now, other nations around the world are working
feverishly to develop EMP weapons. The
following is from a statement by Dr. Peter Vincent Pry to the United States
Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security on March
8th, 2005….
Russian and Chinese military scientists in open source
writings describe the basic principles of nuclear weapons designed specifically
to generate an enhanced-EMP effect, that they term “Super-EMP” weapons. “Super-EMP”
weapons, according to these foreign open source writings, can destroy even the
best protected U.S. military and civilian electronic systems. Remember that was
way back in 2005, have they got them now, how many have them?
But it is not just Russia and China that have been
developing “Super-EMP” weapons.
According to Newsmax, it is believed that North Korea may have tested a
“Super-EMP” weapon back in 2009….
North Korea’s last round of tests, conducted in May 2009,
appear to have included a “super-EMP” weapon, capable of emitting enough gamma
rays to disable the electric power grid across most of the lower 48 states of
the US and that means its surrounding neighbours as well.
Remember, all it
would take is one strategically placed EMP attack to wipe out this country.
But an EMP weapon is not the only danger that can produce
this type of effect. The truth is that a
really bad geomagnetic storm could also potentially produce almost as much
damage.
This is something that everyone knows is one of our biggest
vulnerabilities and it is something that we can make preparations for.
Yet Blain and Cameron have just stood there and have done
nothing.
Our idiocy is
astounding.
General Eugene Habiger, the former head of U. S. Strategic
Command, has said the following about the possibility of an EMP attack in the
future….
“It is not a matter
of if, it is a matter of when.”
Remember, this is something that could cause millions times
more damage than any previous attack.
Instead of molesting old ladies at airports and chasing goat
herders around the mountains of Afghanistan, perhaps we should be addressing
our largest security vulnerabilities.
But that would require using some common sense. Sadly, common sense seems to be in very short
supply in Westminster these days.
So if the government is not going to do anything about it
that means that it is up to you to prepare yourself and your family. This world is becoming very unstable and
disasters can strike at any time.
We all saw what happened after Hurricane Katrina. When the US government response was a
nightmare. An EMP attack would be
millions of times worse and our government probably would not even be able to
get you and your family any assistance.
You would truly be on
your own.
So are you ready?
This is yet another reason why the number of preppers in the
UK is exploding. A lot of people can see
how the world is changing and they understand that the UK government is not
going to come through for them when the brown stuff hits the propeller
An EMP attack could end life as we know it at any time.
It is a glaring security vulnerability and the entire world
knows that it is there.
I hope that you are getting ready, because the government
certainly is not.
The Terminator Threat is Real
Will the robots attempt a takeover or will terrorists use
them to attack us?
The rise of robot wars: Google chief warns armed drones will
soon be in the hands of terrorists and miniature models could be used to spy on
neighbour’s
The head of Google has warned drone technology proves a serious
danger to global security and privacy unless an international treaty is put
into place controlling the technology fast.
Eric Schmidt today said that the technology for armed
unmanned planes will soon pass into the hands of terrorists posing huge security
concerns across the globe.
He also said that ever expanding drone technology is making
smaller and cheaper models, including nano-drones, which could be used by nosy
neighbour’s spying on each other in a dispute.
If you were having a dispute with your neighbour how would
you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a commercial observation drone
that they can launch from their back yard. It just flies over your house all
day. How would you feel about it?'
On Thursday, Idaho's Republican governor signed a law
restricting the use of such pilot-less aircraft by police and other public
agencies in a bid to protect privacy rights.
The state now requires law enforcement to obtain warrants to
collect evidence using drones following in the footsteps of Virginia, which
also introduced such a measure.
'We're trying to prevent high-tech window-peeping,' Idaho
Senate Assistant Majority Leader Chuck Winder, sponsor of the measure told
Reuters.
Law enforcement agencies have been known to use small
drones, which cost as little as $30,000, to locate marijuana farms and track
fugitives.
Schmidt also warned that deadly armed drones could soon be
used by terrorists following the proliferation of state drone strikes over
recent years.
'I'm not going to pass judgement on whether armies should
exist, but I would prefer to not spread and democratize the ability to fight war to every single human being,' he
said.
'It's got to be regulated. It's one thing for governments,
who have some legitimacy in what they're doing, but have other people doing
it...It's not going to happen.'
He added that drone technology will become a more and more
normalized part of warfare.
Bird Flu Deaths
Bird flu deaths 'are just the tip of the iceberg': A study
raises grim fears that vicious new strain causes humans to suffer septic shock,
brain damage and pneumonia
Officials in an area of Zhejiang province have begun culling
chickens
H7N9 virus claimed
its tenth life yesterday as a 74-year-old man died
There are now 38 confirmed cases of the new strain in China
WHO says there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission
Hong Kong is testing batches of chickens imported from
mainland China
Carrier pigeons have been grounded and sales of racing
pigeons banned
US scientists have begun work on creating a vaccine for the
strain
Techniques learned in the swine flu outbreak have given them
a head start
But it could still be five to six months before a vaccine is
available
Research into three bird flu victims in China has raised
grim fears that the 11 deaths so far are just the tip of the iceberg.
Scientists found that the vicious new strain has the
potential to pass more easily into humans and remain undetected until it is at
an advanced stage.
The research into three people, all of whom died, showed the
disease causes pneumonia, septic shock, brain damage and multi-organ failure.
It came as officials in a region of China culled chickens in
a bid to stop the spread of a new strain of bird flu which claimed its tenth
victim in the country yesterday.
City management officers in the Jiaxing area of Zhejiang
province undertook a two day campaign which saw chickens captured and reared in
residential areas were captured and killed to try and prevent the H7N9 virus
from spreading.
The campaign came as a 74-year-old Shanghai man became the
tenth person in the country to die from the mutated form of the virus.
Chinese researchers warned yesterday that the sudden
emergence of this strain of flu 'may pose a serious human health risk' and said
'appropriate counter measures were urgently required.'
Hong Kong authorities also announced plans to test all
poultry brought in from the mainland.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that the cases
of infection of the virus in China are the first in the world.
Bird flu crisis hits profits at KFC as China epidemic claims
two more victims and government resorts to Twitter to keep people safe
China accuses United States of secret biological attack over
new strain of bird flu that has killed nine
Chinese authorities arrest TEN just for spreading rumours of
bird flu pandemic in chilling show of strength
The source of the virus has not yet been identified and the
WHO say that there is no evidence as yet of human to human transmission.
The organisation has called for good hygiene practices to be
adhered to as a precaution.
To date, China has seen 38 confirmed cases of the disease
including cases in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai.
Of those cases, 19 are said to be severe cases and nine are
described as mild.
More than 750 close contacts of those affected are currently
undergoing tests for the virus.
Urban management officers wear masks as they catch chickens
close to a block of houses yesterday
Tourists wear masks as a precaution walk in Tiananmen Square
A group of scientists writing in the New England Journal of
Medicine said the virus, which has been traced to a reassortment of genes from
wild birds in east Asia and chickens in east China, 'raises many urgent
questions and global public health concerns'.
The reports chronicle the early days of an outbreak of a new
influenza A virus, H7N9, never before been seen in humans.
It has infected at least 40 people in four Chinese provinces
and killed 11 in the past two months, Chinese authorities said.
Scientists studied three patients included two men, ages 87
and 27, both from Shanghai, and a 35-year-old woman from Anhui.
Dr. Timothy Uyeki and Dr. Nancy Cox, both of the influenza
division at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, wrote: 'It is
possible that these severely ill patients represent the tip of the iceberg.'
They said it is particularly concerning because the virus
has genetic characteristics that suggest that it might be better adapted than
other bird flu strains to infect mammals -- including humans -- and people have
no resistance to it.
Because the virus doesn’t make birds sick, so it may spread
widely and remain undetected until people become ill.
Health workers take a blood sample from a chicken in Hong
Kong yesterday. Hong Kong is testing batches of chickens imported from mainland
China
The latest victim was one of three new infection cases
diagnosed in Shanghai according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.
The other two new cases - an 83-year-old woman and a
68-year-old man - are said to be in a stable condition in hospital.
Chinese authorities have been attempting to prevent the
spread of the disease since it emerged in February.
Hundreds of thousands of birds have been culled at bird
farms and poultry markets across Shanghai and the Jiangsu province.
Sales of racing pigeons - a popular pastime in China - have
also been banned. Almost two million carrier pigeons have also been grounded.
The outbreak of the H7N9 virus has already affected business
in China.
Just yesterday, the owner of the Chinese arm of the fast
food chain KFC reported that its profits had been hit by the virus.
US scientists meanwhile have made a start on creating a
vaccine for the new strain despite a sample from China only arriving yesterday.
Government-backed researchers begun testing a 'seed' strain
of the virus using a genetic code posted online.
The new faster approach - born in the aftermath of the swine
flu outbreak in 2009 - has seen weeks shaved off the vaccine making process.
But it could still take five to six months before one is
available.
Robin Robinson, director of the Biomedical Advanced Research
and Development Authority or BARDA, said: 'We'll take it, if the virus turns
out to be a tough one, that head start could be very important.'
The Hong Kong government started enhanced measures to
prevent a new strain of bird flu from entering the city
Officials from the Centre for Food Safety take chickens out
from cages on a truck from mainland China at a border checkpoint in Hong Kong
As a test drive for the new flu technology, in 2011 the
government gave its partners the genetic sequence for a North American strain
of H7N9, a similar virus to the one making people sick in China.
In less than two weeks, scientists were ready to make virus
seed.
The next year, they sequenced an H5N1 virus and produced a
synthetic virus in six days.
Then came a live test. The United States asked its partners
to make a real vaccine for a variant of swine flu known as H3N2 that had been
infecting children in the U.S. Midwest last year.
Once again, they produced virus seed in less than a week.
So, when Chinese health authorities released the genetic
sequence for the H7N9 bird flu on March 30, U.S. health officials decided to
try the new technique.
Novartis and Venter's company, Synthetic Genomics Vaccines
Inc, went to work and by April 4, they had synthetic DNA ready and had started
to grow the virus in cells, long before samples of the actual virus arrived
from China yesterday.
PETA has called for British authorities to ban cross-Channel
pigeon racing because of the new strain of bird flu.
The animal rights group has been monitoring the outbreak in
China and has warned that an epidemic could spread to Britain.
They are concerned pigeons released from France and Spain
may have been exposed to diseases if they land on foreign farms, drank
contaminated water or have come into contact with other infected birds.
Associate Director Mimi Bekhechi, of PETA UK, said: 'Aside
from risking the pigeons' lives pigeon fanciers may be putting human health at
risk by taking British pigeons across the Channel.'
'We hope the government will take action now rather than
wait and see if people get sick.'
The release of pigeons from international locations is
subject to compliance with import rules set out by the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
However, PETA claim a
recent undercover investigation has revealed widespread non-compliance with
these requirements.
A spokesperson said: 'Thousands of pigeons are crammed into
filthy, congested cages and transported to and from continental Europe for up
to seven days.
'They are then released to return to Britain without the
required checks and certification, in apparent violation of UK law.'
Bird flu is caused by a flu virus that is closely related to
human flu viruses. It is spread through bird droppings, water, feed and
equipment.
As of January 2012 the WHO has confirmed there have been 583
cases of H5N1 in humans leading to 344 deaths.
These have occurred in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia,
China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Laos, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.
So I believe it is time to monitor this bird flu outbreak
and buy yourself and your family enough face masks as what if?
Here are two great
Bushcraft shows for you to attend this year
The Bushcraft Show
It’s a jam-packed, three-day event filled will amazing
bushcraft activities that will take you, your friends and family on a bushcraft
and survival adventure that you’ll never forget. Whether you come for the day
or stay for the weekend, you can try your hand at woodland crafts, fire
lighting, shelter building, tracking, foraging, woodland games and so much
more. Click onto their site to learn more http://www.thebushcraftshow.co.uk
See YOU there between the 25 and the 27th of May
THE ELEVENTH WILDERNESS GATHERING 2013 15th to 18th August
The Wilderness Gathering has over the years become a firm
date in the diaries of those who enjoy bushcraft, nature and wilderness
survival skills. The previous ten years have seen this event grow from a small
event in one field with some traders and schools sharing bushcraft skills and
knowledge to a festival of wilderness living skills encompassing
bushcraft/survival and woodland crafts.
The show has grown into an event with something for all the
family with stories and music by the campfire in the evenings and skills
workshops and activities throughout the three whole days of the festival.
The Wilderness Gathering has without a doubt become the
premier family event for all those interested in bush crafts and the great
outdoors.
The show has bushcraft clubs for all age groups of children
to get involved in plus more activities for all including den building and
wilderness skills classes for all.
There are hands on demonstrations of game preparation, knife
sharpening, basha boat building, bowmaking, greenwood working, archery and axe
throwing and primitive fire lighting to name just a few. There are talks on
survival phycology, classes on falconry and wilderness survival fishing. All of
these skills are there for everybody and anybody to participate in.
You can probably pick up information on nearly all the
skills needed to live in the wilderness and prosper at The Wilderness
Gathering.
There is a wealth of good quality trade stands that are
carefully selected to be in theme for the show selling everything from custom
knives to tipis and outdoor clothing to primitive tools. The organisers have
even laid on a free service bring and buy stall where you can bring along your
used and unwanted kit and they’ll sell it for you.
There are local scout and explorer groups onsite promoting
the World Wide Scouting Movement as well helping out with some of the classes
and site logistics.
The catering is within the theme of the event with venison
and game featuring on the menus plus organic cakes and drinks. The woodland and
open field camping facilities (with hot showers) giving you the option to visit
for the whole weekend or just to attend as a day visitor.
Five Survival Skills the Movies Taught You Wrong
CPR will save someone's life in a matter of seconds. Tilt your
head back and look at the clouds to stop a nosebleed. If an animal spots you in
the woods it will chase you relentlessly and maul you. Movies are great at
telling stories, but they're horrible at teaching basic survival skills. Here
are five of the ways they've taught us horribly wrong.
Movies and TV shows are meant as entertainment. As such,
they tend to take shortcuts so they get to the point as quick as possible.
Occasionally the survival methods they "teach" carry over into the
real world, and our understanding of things like CPR, getting punched in the
head, or even the best way to deal with a snake bite get skewed. Here are the
correct ways to handle those situations.
Myth: CPR Takes
Seconds and Brings Most People Back to Life
On countless TV shows and in thousands of movies, CPR is
used on a victim minutes after they've passed out (or actually died) and
they're resurrected safely and easily within a couple seconds. The problem is
that CPR doesn't work like you see on TV.
CPR is meant as a
life-prolonging technique, and it's typically not meant to bring someone back
to life.
Instead, it's supposed to keep their blood moving long
enough for help to arrive. Worse, CPR isn't nearly as effective as it's
depicted on television. On TV, CPR saves about 75% of victims and takes about a
minute to perform.
In reality, the effectiveness of CPR is between 2% and 30%
depending on the reason for giving it. Instead of giving up after a minute, you
should continue administering CPR until help arrives.
Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn CPR. You
should, but knowing when to administer it—and how to do it properly—is key,
since most movies and TV shows get it wrong.
You're best off getting trained, especially since standard
CPR training changed in 2010 to reflect new research that chest pumping is more
effective than initially thought.
Myth: Knocking
Someone Out (or Getting Knocked Out) Is No Big Deal
Getting a blow to the head is usually portrayed as a minor
annoyance with no serious long lasting problems in movies. It's also a lot
harder to knock someone out with a punch than you'd think.
The problem is that if you get knocked out (or knock someone
out), the effects can be a lot more severe than movies portray. In general, a
concussion isn't too horrible provided you're not out for longer than five
minutes, after which you're susceptible to long term damage.
Of course, repeated concussions, like the ones athletes deal
with (along with bravado types like James Bond) are suspected to lead to
serious brain damage. While movies often show getting knocked out as an
everyday occurrence, medical help is usually a good idea.
If you get a concussion, the best thing to do is see a
doctor within a couple days of the injury. If you experience vomiting, a
prolonged headache, visual disturbances, slurred speech, confusion, blood
discharge, or another loss of consciousness you should see a doctor right away.
Myth: Tilt Your Head
Back to Stop a Nosebleed
Although it has been recommended not to tilt your head back
when you have a nosebleed for years, movies and TV shows still show people
doing it all the time.
Tilting your head back to stop a nosebleed isn't just
ineffective, it's also dangerous because it causes complications by allowing
blood into the oesophagus, which increases the risk of choking and vomiting.
Here is how to stop a
nosebleed the right way:
A report in the British journal BMJ says you can stop the
bleeding by using your thumb and index finger to squeeze the soft tissue just
below the bridge of your nose for 5 to 10 minutes. A cold compress or ice pack
placed across the bridge of the nose can also help.
If all of this fails and the bleeding lasts for more than 20
minutes, or the nosebleed was caused by a blow to the head, seek medical
attention.
It's a simple little thing, but chances are the last thing
you want to deal with when you have blood falling out of your nose is a bunch
of blood down your throat as well.
Myth: Suck Out Snake
Venom After Being Bitten
It's a staple in classic western films: someone sucks snake
venom out of a snake bite to save the victim's life. The idea is that you can
catch the venom before it enters the bloodstream and then spit it out to save
the victim.
It makes sense in a weird sort of way, but the problem is
that it doesn't really work. You should never attempt to suck the venom out of
a snake bite.
Instead, keep the person as still as possible, cover the
wound with a loose bandage (do not apply a tourniquet), and get the person (or
yourself) to A&E as quickly as possible. The general rule is the less you
move the victim, the less likely the venom will spread through the body and
cause damage.
Myth: Most Wild
Animals Will Attack You Unprovoked
One thing that Hollywood seems to truly hate is the
wilderness. As far as movies are concerned, it's the most dangerous place out
there, and every single animal is dangerous, even the cute ones. The truth is
that while many animals are dangerous, most want nothing to do with humans, and
the last thing you should do is taunt them.
When you run into most animals in the wilderness, it's best
to remain calm, and back away slowly. Do not run from most bears, cougars, or
wolves because they are much faster than you.
In most cases, seek some kind of shelter if possible (and
no, playing dead isn't a good all-around strategy, but it does work if the
animal isn't aggressive). If they do attack, go for the eyes, and make as much
noise as possible.
Of course, in reality, the best way to avoid animal attacks
is to not mess with them. Don't leave food sitting out, don't wander into their
territory, and don't go looking for them. Generally speaking, they want nothing
to do with you, so if you stay away from them, they'll stay away from you.
Bonus Urban Survival
Myth: Anything Any Movie Has Taught You About Computer Security
I couldn't help myself from taking on one of Hollywood's
biggest urban survival myths: computer security. Hacking is represented in all
kinds of goofy ways in movies. While these scenes are characteristically over
the top, they also suggest that hacking is a fast process that just about
anyone can do with the right mixture of Mountain Dew, Hot Pockets, and
antisocial behaviour.
Of course, hacking isn't easy, nor is it fast. While some
fast hacks exist, like Firesheep, they're pretty rudimentary and easy to block.
More complex hacking, like Stuxnet or Zeus take months (or more) to find the
exploits, code the hack, and implement it.
In most cases, hacking also takes a lot of work and wits to
do it. Even if you have tools like Reaver at your disposal, it still takes a
fair amount of time, and just guessing passwords takes a special skillset.
In general, finding an exploit and taking advantage of it is
incredibly difficult. The fact is, hacking into any secure computer takes a ton
of effort, and it's rather boring to watch on the screen.
The same goes for how viruses are typically represented.
Viruses are a pain, but they can't damage your hardware, browse for porn under
your name, or infect alien spacecraft. As far as virus prevention is concerned,
the built-in Microsoft Security Essentials is all you really need.
I have barely scratched the surface here, and countless
other examples of terrible Hollywood survival skills exist out there.
Of course, the lesson here is to not trust what you see on
TV when it comes to anything important, and if you want to prepare for
anything, research the correct way to do everything first.
Here is a Great Offer From the Wilderness Gathering
Roger and Dom who own and run the Wilderness gathering have
decided to offer the chance of winning a Wilderness Gathering Knife to
everybody who books in advance for this year’s Wilderness Gathering
You can book here at www.wildernessgathering.co.uk
All you have to do is simply book in advance and you'll
automatically be entered into the prize draw. Existing bookings are
automatically included.
This year’s WG knife will be similar in profile to the 10th
anniversary models offered last year in the “bushtool” type profile.
Roger says they will be made in O1 high carbon tool steel.
I'm looking into handle material choices at present; I aim to make them all the
same and am open to suggestions as per the handle material. Post on the
Wilderness Gathering Facebook pages with any thoughts.
Rogers two sites are www.bisonbushcraft.co.uk and www.wildernessgathering.co.uk
or call his office on 0845 8387062 you really won’t regret it.
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