Preparedness

I’ve been dwelling on a Robert Heinlein quote for a few days, and I think that he says something really important here that most probably don’t realize: “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new …

You do have Netflix, right? Les Stroud “Survivorman” I’m a huge Les Stroud fan. The guy is the real deal when it comes to preparedness and wilderness survival. No frills, no camera tricks, no BS. If you like his show, you should also get his book, I think I’ve read it 2-3 times… Bear Grylls “Worst Case Scenario” Ok, I’ve never been a huge Bear Grylls fan, and frankly I think a most of what …

I’m up late watching some random wilderness survival show that I found on Netflix, and the host is offering some pretty crappy advice for heading into the mountains in the winter. He keeps harping that you need to bring matches with you. I hate to break it to him, but matches suck. Especially in the winter. Especially in a wet environment. Should you have a way to start a fire when heading into the woods? …

We love to train with our firearms. Its fun to spend time on the range with other people who are like minded, and serious about improving their skills. What about the rest of your skills? Remember that old Red Frost First Aid or CPR certification that you got in college? Maybe it’s time to recertify. If you have never been through the training, you should take it. If you are comfortable with basic First Aid, …

Over the past week, there have been 4 armed robberies, and a kidnapping in North Raleigh. 3 of the incidents took place at the beginning of the week, and last night a woman was kidnapped from her home, and forced to drive the suspect to an ATM where she eventually escaped from the vehicle. From what I can tell by reading local news stories, the Raleigh Police Dept. believes that all of these incidents are …

I’ve always been told that most sickness during an emergency situation comes from people not adequately cleaning their hands after… wiping. If you don’t have access to running water, keeping your hands clean can be an issue, and even a relatively minor illness during an emergency situation can become very troublesome, very quickly. I recommend that the next time you are at the grocery store, grab a large bottle of hand sanitizer to keep on …

I came across these firestarters a while back, and decided that National Preparedness Month would be a good time to do a video showing you how to make them. The things that I like most about these is that they have a relatively long burn time, they will catch a spark, they are waterproof, and they are small. What’s not to love?

One piece of advise that my dad gave me when I first started driving was “It doesn’t cost any more to keep your tank full, than it does to keep it empty”. This is the truth, and it’s something that I’ve always kept in the back of my mind. I do my best to never let my car go below 1/4 tank. You never know when you might have to ride out a storm on …

You might have barrels full of water just waiting for an emergency situation, but if you are like most of the rest of us, you probably don’t. The Red Cross sells an ingenious solution for storing a lot of water during an emergency. Its a big plastic bag that lays out in your bathtub, and when filled holds a lot of water. It’s a one time use item, so don’t order it and try it …

Ok city slickers, when was the last time you practiced starting a fire? If Reagan was still in the white house, you probably need some more practice. In my house, everything is electric. I don’t even have a natural gas line going down my street, so if the power goes out during a storm, I need an alternative way to cook and produce heat. I’ve recommended Firesteel.com firesteels in the past (they aren’t a sponsor, …