Be Prepared or Be Me

We had some nasty storms roll through over the weekend. There was a lot of tornado-ish activity, 70 mile-an-hour gusts of wind, hail, and an electrical blackout. For almost 24 hours, we were living in the stone age, with nothing but smartphones for internet, and high-lumen flashlights being used to see. With no cartoons for the girls, we were forced to read them bed-time stories, while my son and his friends were forced to use their imaginations to entertain themselves.

Every time we called, the electric company added 12 hours to their estimated repair time. Amazingly, they came in 7 hours ahead of schedule, if you don't count the first two revisions.

By Saturday afternoon, we were out shopping for things we should have already had ready.

For years, we had discussed buying a generator. For some reason, it never became a priority. We have a large freezer and refrigerator full of food. With no electricity, a generator was suddenly prioritized. All of the places near us were sold out of budget-priced generators when we decided it was better to drop $400 on that than to lose $600 worth of food. We did find one, eventually, but it would have been better to take it out of the garage than have to shop for it when we needed it. Naturally, 10 minutes after we got it home, the power came on. Do yourself a favor: if you own a home and have a small corner available for storage, start shopping for a generator. Pick one up on sale instead of waiting until you have no real choice.

We have a ton of batteries. It's one of the things we stock up on when they are on sale. Unfortunately, our broadest-beam flashlight takes a 6-volt battery, and we don't keep a spare. By the end of the night, it was getting pretty yellow and dim. Another night would have killed it completely. This wasn't a widespread blackout, so there was no shortage of batteries, but it would have been nice to have the spare already at home. Check your emergency supplies and make sure you have replacement batteries that fit everything you need.

The one thing that would have improved the night most is a good lantern. We had our 5, plus two of my son's friends all trying to play board games by flashlight. A lantern could have been set on the entertainment center and lit most of the room.

For everything we were without due to the blackout, the one thing I truly missed was the air conditioner. When the storm died, so did the wind. Completely. Opening all of the windows didn't help at all. Other than that, it was nice to have everyone forced to interact. Nobody was whining about being bored and we were all having fun.

I want to schedule a pseudo-blackout more often.


Cross-posted here.

Foxfire books

The Survivalist Blog has the first five Foxfire books here. Do yourself a favor and download them all.

Child Safety - From the US DOJ

WHAT YOUR CHILD CAN DO

the rules for younger children

I KNOW my name, address, telephone number, and my parents' names.

I always CHECK FIRST with my parents or the person in charge. I tell them before I go anywhere or get into a car, even with someone I know.

I always CHECK FIRST with my parents or a trusted adult before I accept anything from anyone, even from someone I know.

I always TAKE A FRIEND with me when I go places or play outside.

I SAY NO if someone tries to touch me or treat me in a way that makes me feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused.

It's OK to SAY NO, and I KNOW that there will always be someone who can help me.

I KNOW that I can TELL my parents or a trusted adult if I feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused.

I am STRONG, SMART, and have the right to be SAFE.

And More:

WHAT YOUR CHILD CAN DO at school and at home
School Tips:
	Always TAKE A FRIEND when walking or riding your bike to and from school. Stay with a group while waiting at the bus stop. It's safer and more fun to be with your friends.
	If anyone bothers you while going to or from school, get away from that person, and TELL a trusted adult like your parents or teacher.
If an adult approaches you for help or directions, remember grownups needing help should not ask children for help; they should ask other adults.
	If someone you don’t know or feel comfortable with offers you a ride, say NO.
If someone follows you, get away from him or her as quickly as you can. Always be sure to TELL your parents or a trusted adult what happened. If someone tries to take you somewhere, quickly get away and yell, "This person is trying to take me away!" or "This person is not my father (mother)!"
	If you want to change your plans after school, always CHECK FIRST with your parents. Never play in parks, malls, or video arcades by yourself.
	If you go home alone after school, check to see that everything is okay before you go in. Once inside, call your parents to let them know that you are okay. Make sure you follow your "Home Alone" tips.
	Trust your feelings. If someone makes you feel scared or uncomfortable, get away as fast as you can and TELL a trusted adult.
Home Alone Tips for Teens: Check out the house before entering. Go to a safe place to call for help if something doesn’t seem right. Lock the door. Call your mom or dad when you get home to let them know you’re safe. Never tell callers that your parents aren’t home. Instead say that he or she can’t come to the phone and offer to take a message. Don’t open the door for or talk to anyone who comes to your home unless that person is a trusted family friend or relative and your mom or dad has said it is okay.

Online preparedness training

FEMA has an Independent Study Department. Time to start taking classes.

Rain Barrel

I'm building rain barrels, using these directions.

I found a company in Hopkins-10 minutes from my house-that manufactures juice. They get 55 gallon drums, mix the contents and dispose of the barrels. Their chosen disposal method is selling the drums for $5 a pop. That's a phenomenal price.

Yesterday, my wife picked up 4 barrels for me. I got home and pulled the barrels out of the truck, reading the labels.

The first three were as expected from a plant that makes juice drinks. There were two barrels of prune juice concentrate, and a barrel of strawberry flavor.

The fourth barrel, was...interesting. I'm still laughing about it.



Yes, that is a barrel of flammable, caustic orange flavor, to go in your favorite "orange drink".

Car Emergency Kit, Update II

I got this order yesterday.

My first aid kit is a standard 130 piece kit from Cub, supplemented with a large assortment pack of bandaids, some hand sanitizer, some burn spray, and a cpr shield.

All I am missing is the pepper spray, the fire extinguishers, some lighters, and a method of storage that doesn't take up too much room, but still allows relatively easy access.

Car Emergency Kit, Update

I ordered this list from Emergency Essentials. Once this is delivered, I'll organize the kits and post some pictures.

Car Emergency Kit

I'm putting together matching car kits for our vehicles. These aren't intended to be Bug-Out-Bags, but they are intended to serve as 'Get Home Now' bags, supplements to our BOBs and all-around emergency bags.

Here's the plan:

SHTF:
Crank-Powered radio with built-in flashlight (this or this. The first has weatherband, the second will have better reception) Update: I'm going with this one. I ordered it. It will go red when it is delivered. This radio/flashlight combo has am/fm/weatherband radio, a reasonably bright flashlight and the ability to charge usb devices. My phone doesn't qualify but the iPod in my car does. Update: Got it. The light works, but I'll wait to test out the radio until I get home. Red_Tag is a great company to do business with.
Crank flashlight (included with the radio above)

Wool blanket -Already have this one. I also have 4 more in my Bug-Out Bag at home.
Water filter - This one is a filter straw. Since this is for emergencies only, or to get home to the real supplies, I'm going to keep the size to a minimum, and make it easy to use. This will connect to any standard water bottle. Update: I got this, but apparently, I added the wrong item to the cart. I got the pills I was looking at, not the filter straw. It'll do.
High-energy food bars
100 hour candle
Lighter
Sterno
Toilet Paper! How could I forget toilet paper?

Standard Emergency:
Jumper cables -Already have
Fire extinguisher
First-aid kit. We were at Cub Foods last night. They had a decent first aid kit for about $15. It's not full-featured, but it's a good starting point. I'll be adding more bandages, more pain killers, and a CPR shield.
Folding shovel - I'm going with this one. Update: Got it.
Fix-a-flat
Road Flares Decided to do without. The 4 way flashers will suffice.
Small toolkit(ratchet set, screwdrivers, and a vise-grip) - Looking at this. It won't do major repairs, but all of the minor stuff will be taken care of. Update: I checked the truck and the car. Both have tool kits with screwdrivers, ratchets, and pliers.
Air Compressor - Have 2 of these already
knife

Need it right-freaking-now:
Window hammer -Have two of these(Link) I bought these shortly after 35W dropped into the Mississippi River. Call me paranoid, but it helps me sleep at night.


Pepper spray
Stun gun -Have 2 of these



The last category will be within reach of the driver at all times. The first two categories may or may not be in separate bags.

This will be updated with links and prices as I acquire/organize the items. I have quite a bit of it, already.

Key: Green means it is ordered, red means I have it on hand, blue is an item scratched from the list.

Update 4/23/2008: Color coded selection. Added a few items, removed one.
Update 4/24/2008: Added Sterno. We are in Minnesota. The 100 hour candle will be nice, but sterno will be better. The date of this post will get updated every time I update the list.
Update 4/28/2008: Updated with my weekend purchases.
Update 5/1/2008: Updated with latest purchases. Added TP to the list.
Update 5/22/2008: Updated with latest purchases.