22 Things to Keep in Your Car

If you have been following along you will know our youngest son is graduating high school this year and will be either going to college or an apprenticeship program, either one is going to require him to travel more than he ever has before. I have started assembling him a really good car kit. I mentioned a couple of these items in Self Reliance Gifts for Graduates, but they are worth repeating.

It doesn't matter if you just drive across town, across state, or across country. Eventually you will run into trouble. I know, I know a lot of people just pick up their phone and call AAA. That is a good option but sometimes it takes them a while to get to you. Wouldn't it be a good idea for you to know how to take care of yourself and how at least the basics of car maintenance and self reliance. 

You could be caught in a snow storm, a massive traffic jam, or countless other events that can range from a minor inconvenience to a major catastrophe. Having some basic supplies and some skill you can get yourself or your loved ones out of a bad situation. Building an emergency car kit can make you look like a hero. Having an emergency car kit does not make you a Doomsday Prepper, just someone who wants to be self reliant. What should be in this kit? I am so glad you ask.

Repair or Breakdown Items

1 A Good Jack.

A jack is the thing that raises your car up so you can change the tire if you have a flat. The problem is that most of the jacks that come standard with cars stink. They are difficult to use and can be unstable. A bottle jack is much easier to use and if you chock the tires properly are as stable as any. If you have the storage room a small floor jack is best. A small floor jack once you learn how to use them are the easiest and most stable of them all. Again you will still need to chock the tires. 

2. A Good Spare Tire

I was shocked when I first heard that many new cars no longer come standard with a spar tire. REALLY!?!?!?! Is it really that important to save a couple hundred dollars and a few dozen pounds? Even a do-nut spare is better than nothing. If you have a flat and they happen everyday, you will be thankful for that spare. Oh and learn how to change the tire. If you do not have a spare you can get one at your local auto dealer or sometimes your local tire store.

3. A Set of Jumper Cables

Also known as booster cables. You know what these are. Your dad or maybe your grandfather had a set. Jumper cables are two heavy gauge wires with a clamp on each end of both wires. These are used to help start a car that has a dead battery. If you don't know how to use jumper cables don't worry, There are plenty of videos on YouTube to teach you how.

If you are afraid to ask someone for help, you can purchase a jump pack. Just be sure to charge it every 6 months. Another note on jump packs. They are designed to help get your car started if the battery is a little low. If you keep trying to crank your car till the battery has run completely down, you may still be stuck.

4. Flashlight or Headlamp

You can never have too many flashlights, or at least that is my motto. Don't believe me? You could ask my wife and she would agree. They are great for around home, camping and really anywhere, but you will truly not appreciate their value until you are trying to change a tire after dark on a section of road with no streetlights. I keep both in my vehicle at all times. I really like my headlamp. A headlamp frees up my hands so that I can work on what ever I am having to deal with. If needed they are worth their weight.

5. Small Set of Wrenches

If you are handy at all a small set of wrenches are important. Something as simple as a ground wire becoming disconnected from your battery can leave you stranded. If you have a set of wrenches that ground wire problem becomes only a 2 minute inconvenience. There are several other ways that a set of wrenches can get you quickly back on the road again. You will need to know if you need a SAE or metric set of wrenches for your automobile. 

6. Safety Reflectors or Flares 

Even as I write this I feel like I am telling everyone to become "Safety Sam", but the truth is when you are out on the road safety is critically important. This is especially true on dark roadways and/or rainy nights. 

Safety reflectors are the orange triangles. They are designed to bounce light off of themselves and almost appear to glow. When placed at 10, 50, and 100 feet intervals from the back of your automobile or should I say the travel side of the road. (Note: This recommendation is not what is required for commercial drivers. Their regulations are different. If you drive a commercial vehicle, please familiarize yourself with those regulations.) They will warn people that there is a problem up ahead. 

Safety flares. There are several types of safety flares now, we are only going to cover two. The ones I like best are the traditional flares, you know the ones that burn for about fifteen minutes and then are gone. Why do I like those? Because they are multipurpose. You can use them for safety and you can use them to start a fire if conditions are not conducive to do so. There are also beacon flares. These are battery powered and easily stored. There is only one use for them, but for most people they would probably be the preferred choice.

7. Extra Fluids

This may not sound like it is that important, but it can be. You are not going to be able to do a whole lot if you have a radiator hose burst or you knock the oil pan out from under your car, but for less spectacular events having extras could get you to a repair shop or home. A small hole in a radiator hose can cause your car to overheat. As the coolant level goes down the temperature of the engine goes up. Being able to add a gallon of coolant could buy you several more miles of travel. The same is true of transmission fluid and oil if a small hole were to be knocked into their respective reservoir pans. 

Personal Comfort, Survival, and Sanity

8. Water

This should be true for everyone, but especially those that have and travel with children. If you were to breakdown and help were to be an hour or longer in coming you will be thankful for water. If the need to walk any distance occurs the need for water increases.

Plastic bottles are best even though they can have issues. Stainless steel bottles are durable but they are expensive and can get what I call canteen funk. It is a bad taste and smell. They do reduce waste, but no one can argue with the convenience of plastic and you can still reduce waste if you try.

Easiest is just keep a half case or more of bottled water. Use from it and when the supply gets low replenish. I like reusing one liter soda bottles. The plastic is thicker and is made to be able to handle high acid content drinks. That makes them more durable. Just rinse them out well and fill with water. Reusing the same container over and over reduces waste. If you have someone who is not a big fan of water you can always keep some kool aid instant packs or the little Mio things.

9. Snacks

This is another big one if you have children. I cannot tell you the number of times we were going somewhere and one of the children would announce that they were hungry. Packs of sandwich crackers were my go to when the kids were small. Now that the children are older I keep things that are a little more substantial. Beef jerky is always a big hit. Food helps calm the nerves and gives you energy to keep going.

Why is keeping snacks in your car important? Last year the was a pop up snow storm. No one was really expecting it to be much. But it quickly shut down the interstate systems in both Birmingham and Atlanta. I know people who were stuck on the interstate for 19 hours. Having some food in the vehicle would have really come in handy.

You know what your family likes and is willing to eat so choose accordingly. 

10. Non Electric Entertainment

This one is crucial if you have children or grand children that travel with you. Imagine if you were stuck on the interstate like in the example above with children. Children can get bored pretty quickly. A bored child is a difficult child. If you had coloring book and crayons or travel board games, it could take a lot longer before the child or children get bored. Believe me there are only so many times you can play I Spy and it be thrilling. This can really be a blessing.

11. A Way to Charge Your Cell Phone

Communication is key in any emergency situation. The last thing you would want to happen in an emergency would be to loose that ability to communicate to loved ones. I doesn't matter if you just have one of the DC powered chargers or the nicer power packs that can be charged in advance. All of these are nice to have and you will have to decide what is best for your situation. 

12. Toilet Paper and Probably a Bucket

Back to all of the people who were stranded on the interstate for up to 19 hours, I don't know about you but I cannot go that long without having to use the toilet. Depending on what needs to be done this situation could be easier for us guys and then again possibly not. Having a roll or two of toilet paper with you can make a world of difference.

Most of the time we guys can just head for the bushes and get done whatever needs doing. For ladies and children having a bucket and several plastic bags with you can make a bad situation a little better. A small 2 to a 2.5 gallon bucket is best. Just line the bucket with a plastic bag, do your business then dispose of the bag.

13. A Change of Clothes

I always keep a change of clothing with me. I have had pants rip and instead of having to leave work and go home or go somewhere and buy a pair of pants I have an extra pair with me. If your work is strenuous or there is the chance that you could get very dirty, a change of clothes just makes sense. I change out what backup clothing I have dependent on the season. Right now I have a pair of long heavy pants, insulated socks, thermal undergarment, t shirt, and an extra toboggan cap. Once again if you travel with little ones it is a good idea to have a change of clothes for each one of them.

14. Blankets

Not only do you not want to get cold, but the last thing you want to hear is Mom/Dad I am cold from a child. Keeping a blanket in your car is a great practice to get into. Now, I personally like the Emergency Blankets that are made of Mylar. Why? Because they are light weight, take up very little space and there are tons of uses for them. That may be another post in the near future. But there is something to be said for a traditional blanket or throw especially with children. There is something comforting in a fuzzy, warm blanket.

15. Poncho or Umbrella

I am not a big umbrella fan, I am of the mindset "a brave man likes the feel of nature on his face, but a wise man knows when to get out of the rain". A cold rain can cause your body temperature to drop which can put you at risk for hypothermia. Not a good thing. If you were to have to leave your car in the rain to walk for help an umbrella or poncho becomes priceless.

16. Towel

One good thing about this one is it can be a towel that has been demoted from the bathroom. For cleaning up, drying off, padding something. Several uses and just a good idea.

17. Fire Extinguisher 

I will never forget a little over 15 years ago, my boys and I were driving down the road when all of a sudden the truck just quit on me. We were able to coast into a parking lot and not be right on the side of the road. My boys were small, so we sat there just for a moment when I realized the truck was on fire. I hopped out and got my boys out of the truck and far enough away from the flames that if something worse were to happen they would have been okay. I am not a frantic kind of person so as soon as I was sure everyone was safe I started trying to work on the situation at hand. I really had no way to fight the flames. By the time the fire department arrived the truck was totaled. Who knows? If I had had a fire extinguisher in the truck I may have been able to save it. I will be honest. I need to get one now.

18. First Aid Kit

First Aid Kits are one of the things that people either tend to have one that is too small for their needs or go way overboard. You can purchase them pre-made or assemble them yourself. My rule of thumb is not to have anything you do not know how to use, but have enough items to handle several small injuries and at least one big injury. Also include over the counter medications for common ailments i.e. headaches, stomach aches, allergies, etc.

19. Feminine Hygiene Products

For me traveling alone, this is not that big a deal. But if I am traveling with my family it can be a very big deal. My wife and daughters sometimes need these and if they are not able to get them no one  is happy. Plus there are a lot of uses for them such as for first aid and for fire starters.

20. Hand Sanitizer

A lot of people keep this on hand all of the time. I really haven't tended to do so until recently. With all of the sickness that is going around I have been a little more conscious of keeping my hands clean. If you are going to have to eat, you will want to clean your hands and if you were to have to deal with a diaper you will too. Not to mention that most of the hand sanitizers are a very high percentage of isopropyl alcohol. It can be used to help start a fire as well.

21. Sunscreen.

Around here this one is very important in the summertime and for those with fair complexions. No one wants to deal with a sunburn on top of being stuck in a major traffic jam or being broken down on the side of the road.

22. Wet Wipes. 

Important for everyone, but critical for those with small children. Wet wipes are great for cleaning up messy faces or any other body part and sometimes that is exactly what you need. They are really handy if you have to do some repair work and want to clean up.

There you go. 22 things to keep in your car. I hope you found this post simple and straight forward. Did I leave anything out? I would love to hear your suggestions in the comments on this post.

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24 Uses for Vet Wrap

Homesteaders and Preppers alike want everything to have as many uses as possible. I like that and agree, multipurpose items are best. Today we are going to talk about a modern marvel called vet wrap.

What is Vet Wrap?

Vet wrap is a self-adherent veterinary medical fabric. I was first introduced to vet wrap while I was showing horses. We used it to wrap horses legs after we washed them to keep dirt and dust off till we could get done showing.

It didn't take me long to realize that this wonderful little invention could be used for so much more. The next thing I used it for was to wrap horse hooves after trimming to walk across gravel. I had one horse that her feet would be really sore after a trimming. Each time we would have her hooves trimmed I would wrap them for padding the first day.

There were several injuries and vet wrap can to the rescue. Now we are going to talk about the ways vet wrap can be used to help us people.

Medical Uses

1. For a sprained wrist or ankle. The first time I used vet wrap on something other than an animal I used it on myself. I had sprained my wrist and wrapped it for extra support. Use vet wrap the same way you would use an ace bandage, just no need for the little clips that always get lost.

2. To Secure a splint. Vet wrap can take the place of rope, twine, or even torn fabric is holding a splint in place. The fact that it self adheres makes it even better. You do not have to tie knots. A tuck does help though.

3. A Sling for Arm or Shoulder Injuries. The average role of vet wrap has 5 yards (15 feet) on the roll and comes in 2 and 4 inch wide sizes. It doesn't take but a wrap or two to help hold an arm in place for a sling. Really quick and really easy.

4. Secure an Eye Patch.  Use some gauze or a handkerchief, wrap a couple of times with vet wrap around your head and you are good to go.

5. Tourniquet. Vet wrap is actually really strong and is difficult to tear anyway, bunch it up or roll it and it is more than strong enough to be used for a tourniquet. 

6. Padding for Crutches. If you have had to be on crutches for any length of time at all, you know the pads that they put on those things get gross really quickly and they do not provide much padding at all. Once again this is a place that you can use a handkerchief in cooperation with the vet wrap. Fold the hankie or even just a scrap of fabric into a rectangle that will run the length of the upper arm rest, then wrap with vet wrap to keep in place. You can also just make several wraps if you do not have a hankie or fabric you can use. The addition just means you can use less vet wrap so you still have some for other things. 

7. Wound Care.  This one would I guess just be a given. It was designed for veterinary wound care and it works great on people too.

Personal Comfort Uses

If you get creative there are so many ways to use almost anything. Vet wrap comes in a lot, and I mean a LOT of different colors, so if you are concerned with style, I guess you could make anything match. I don't think much about style, but some do.

8. Headband. Vet wrap alone will not soak up sweat, but with just a small piece of fabric or yes a handkerchief, it can certainly stop sweat from getting in your eyes. If you have long bangs, you can use a simple headband to keep hair out of your eyes.

9. Pony Tail Holder. Don't have a rubber band? No problem if you have vet wrap and you can even use a color that will make it look nice. Either wrap tightly or tie it into a bow and you are ready to go.

10. Protect Your Ears from Wind.  If my wife is out in a high wind for very long she will develop an earache. Do the headband thing, but make sure that you cover the ears and an earache will not be a problem. I would suggest a couple of wrappings to make the band as windproof as possible.

11. Protect against blisters.  This works well especially for feet. If you are going to be doing a lot of walking you can wrap your feet with a round or two to create a barrier between your feet and the most likely parts of your shoes to rub. It will not move. You can also use it for your hands, but I have not had as good results.

12. Scarf.  Will a vet wrap scarf be as warm as a nice wool one? Heck no! Is it better thank nothing? Most certainly.

13. Belt or Suspenders.  I was actually thinking about listing these separately, but if I did it would only be to have a higher number of uses. In my opinion this is two different ways to accomplish the same goal. To stop a full moon from rising. So I put them together.

General Purpose Uses

14. Sling for Carrying Things. This can be as simple or complex as you want. You could tie a water jug to each end and throw the band across your shoulder to help you carry them. This is just one example and will get your brain to running on how to use this better. 

15. Bag or Basket.  This one can actually be quite advanced. If you are not trying to carry anything heavy. the self adherent nature of vet wrap will make it stick together and it can be used as a basic container. If you are wanting some way to carry things that are heavier or you want a more durable container, you can weave a makeshift basket from vet wrap that will do a very good job. 

16. Cordage.  I have already stated that vet wrap is fairly tough as is, but if you just roll it up it gets even stronger. If you have plenty and you want an even stronger rope, you can braid it.

17. Wire Organization.  Tie that extension cord up so it won't tangle, have multiple colors for wire identification. Is it ideal? Nope, but if you are in a pinch you should be able to use what you have in as many ways as you can. 

18. Emergency Muzzle.  I am not suggesting trying to use vet wrap as a muzzle for a dog that is actively trying to bite you, but if you have a dog that is injured and you need to work on them. A vet wrap muzzle could do the trick. Just wrap around the mouth and to the back of the head for extra security. Make sure your dog is breathing well through it's nose. 

19. Quiet something that is making Noise. My dog's vaccination tags come to mind instantly. Especially if I am having a difficult time getting to sleep. If he is scratching and I am trying to sleep, to me those tags can sound like church bells. Just a small bit of vet wrap around the tags and the jingle will stop.

20. Tether. It doesn't matter whether you are tying something to your belt or your backpack, some times all you need is a little something to help keep whatever in place. 

21. Padding for nearly anything. Wrap a few layers around an ax handle and the amount of vibration you will feel will be reduced. Could also be used in conjunction with leaves, cotton, dried cattail heads to make a seat cushion or even a pillow.

22. Anti Slip Surface. Okay, I know this one is going to sound weird, but I have actually done this. While working on a car I wanted to put my phone on the hood. I couldn't keep it in my pocket, I was afraid I would break it. The phone kept slipping off. Small square of vet wrap and the phone stayed still. I know you can use that idea for other things. 

23 Pot Holder. Sometimes things are a little too hot to handle. If you don't have another choice you can use a wrapping or two, to help you deal with these hot situations.

24. Blindfold. It will actually take a couple of rounds, but you can block someones vision with vet wrap. 

Can you think of more ways to use vet wrap? I would love to hear them.

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Getting Prepared on the Cheap

With confirmed cases of Ebola in the US and all of the news about ISIS,  more and more people are looking at achieving at least a basic level of self reliance. The cool thing about self reliance is it is achievable with just time, patience, and a little money. You don't have to know how to grow anything to have basic self reliance.

I remember my wife and I trying to watch a couple of episodes of Doomsday Preppers. It was difficult. First it was different because the show made everyone out to be lunatics. I have been told that honest, well balanced people have been on the show and it was edited to make them look crazy.

The second reason I am not a fan of Doomsday Preppers is because of the sheer amount of money the people they choose to air have spent on gear. My wife and I made it through one episode. My wife looked at me and said, "They make it look like only rich people can be prepared". You know what? She was right. That show makes it look like you have to spend a ton of money to be prepared. This is not true. We are going to talk about how to achieve a basic level of preparedness on a low budget or no budget income.

Inventory

If you are just getting started you will need to take an inventory of everything you have on hand that would be a preparedness asset. You can either make one list with subheadings like food and supplies or you can make them separate lists, it is completely up yo you.The food list would include all canned and dry goods. Soups, beans, flour, sugar, spices, anything like that. I want you to list everything, everything in your fridge, pantry and cabinets. Put a star next to anything that does not require refrigeration. This is your food starting point. You already have this on hand. Once you have this inventory complete figure out how many meals with what you have on hand will make. Replacing what you have on hand will cost you no extra, you are just maintaining your stores.

I also want you to inventory your emergency supplies. Batteries, flashlights, candles, camping supplies, anything like that can and should go on this list.

Just compiling these two lists will give you a good idea of your starting point and how prepared you are now. No matter what these first two lists look like do not get frustrated, get motivated.

Focus on the primary Three

If you are trying to become prepared and you are on a tight budget, do not get sucked in by the gadgets. Gadgets are great, but you cannot eat them. You don't need them until you are well established with the basics.

The primary three are food, water, and shelter. You are living somewhere even if it is not where you want. For the time being you have shelter covered. So next you will focus on food and water. So far we have spent zero dollars. All we have invested so far is time.

Setting Goals

You need to set your own goals. Everyone can make suggestions, but I do not think I or anyone else should tell another adult what to do. You and your family will have to decide the minimums. If you are trying to prepare on a budget I wouldn't worry about maximums for a while.

Ready.gov suggests 3 days of food and water. The CDC suggests up to 14 days of food and 3 days of water. I would like to point out that this suggestion has increased from 10 days. As best I can tell this increase was published in February 2014. My thoughts are have a long-term, mid-term, and short-term goal. Each one is just a part or continuation of another goal.

I always recommended having goals in stages. This is critically important if you are having to take baby steps. If a person cannot achieve a goal quickly many will become discouraged and quit. So set small easily achieved goals that are moving you toward a larger ultimate goal.

Water

Water storage can be accomplished in a multitude of ways. Some can be very expensive and some are free or nearly free. If you are just getting started and you don't have a lot of money I suggest the basically free way.  Use washed out soda bottles. I talk about this in detail in my post Getting Prepared for Beginners Water. So far we have still spent zero extra dollars. You can have up to a couple of months worth of water and never have to spend an additional dime.

Food

Here is where we are going to start spending a little money. We are going to look at food from a thrifty consumer view. If you can raise any of your own food do so. It will be better for you and taste better.

Making Your Money Go as Far as Possible

We are going to go through a lot on food. We will discuss ways to make your money go as far as possible and once we get those bases covered we will work on how to start building a deep pantry. So hang on, here we go.

Unit price.

Any real discussion of food preparedness must start here. Lots of stores play games with labeling. Some products are labeled price per pound, some per ounce, and some per serving. You will have to decipher the true cost. 

Meat and bulk dry goods are pretty much always priced per pound.  Things like flour, beans, and sugar tend to be less expensive per pound if you buy more. The problem is you have to spend all that money at one time. If your budget is really tight, it may not even be feasible without saving up. Once a bulk purchase has been made, if you can pay yourself every time you use say 5 lbs. you will be able to continue the practice. This is not easy to do, it takes discipline.

Meat is also normally less expensive the larger the package you buy at once. Also the less it has been processed the less per pound you should have to pay. A good example would be boneless chicken breasts normally cost more than split fryer breasts, which costs more than a whole chicken. If you are willing to use all the parts whole chickens are normally more cost effective.

Caution: You still have to pay attention to unit price. I have seen 1 lb. packages that were actually a better buy than a 5 lb. package. This does not occur often, but it does happen, especially if a store is running a special on the smaller package.

Everything else it is best to break the price down to cost per ounce.

I pulled 3 different companies and sizes of peanut butter just to be able to give a good example of price per ounce.

Okay in order to calculate unit price take the total price divided by the amount of ounces gives the unit price, in this example we will use the Jif. $5.67 is the cost for a 40 oz jar. $5.67 divided by 40 equals 14.175 cents per ounce or $0.14175 if you prefer. 

Jif                                               $5.67 / 40 oz= $0.14175

Planters                                      $3.68 / 26.5 oz= $0.13886

Peanut Butter Crunch Time         $7.98 / 32 oz=$0.249375 (2 16 oz jars)

If you have a cell phone, odds are high that it has a calculator on it.If you have a smart phone there are unit price calculators, some will even compare unit price for different items. Unit price is the foundation on which all price comparisons should be made unless you are looking at different qualities of products. In that case you will have to determine the quality difference value.

Generics and Store Brands

We have been programmed for years that store brands are cheaper than national name brands. The programming has been so masterfully completed that many people will not even look at the national brands. This is a mistake. I have found several occasions lately where the name brands have been on sale and been cheaper than the store brands. Always look.

Sales Papers

Check the sales paper weekly. Make a list. We have found that the fewer trips we take to the grocery store the less likely we are to buy things that we don't need. We save money by spending more at once than if we spread it out a little each day. This is something we still struggle with. It is easy to stop by the store on the way home, but bad on the pocketbook. 

People can take using sales papers to the extreme. I suggest only using places that you either frequent anyway or drive by during your normal routine. If you have to drive very far out of your way to get a great deal on something, you just might spend more on gasoline than you save.

Coupons

Coupons can be a great way to save money on groceries, but they can also be a drawback if you do not think about how you use them. Many coupons are for desert type items or for things that are not normally on our shopping list. Be careful not to buy things just because you have a coupon. I think this is one of the reasons certain companies always have coupons available. 

There are apps for smart phones that will help you find and use coupons. There are entire sites that are dedicated to coupons. You no longer have to wait on the Sunday newspaper. You can still get coupons from the paper, but there are lots of other ways to get them.

Combining the Strategies

The best way to get the most for your money is to, when possible combine local sales with coupons. In a lot of areas there are stores that will double or even triple coupons. We do not have any around here that will do this, but if you have that option it is worth investigating. Some grocery stores have rewards cards that can be used to magnify you savings.

Rewards cards help companies keep track of the type of products each customer purchases. You do give up some of your privacy to the corporation in exchange for great deals. Some people have no problem with this practice and others will never allow that level of trace-ability.

 Developing Your Food Storage

After you have worked on saving as much money on your grocery bill as possible, you can start building your food storage. Remember, I had you make an inventory of all of the food you have on hand. We are going to start working on increasing your food stores.

While working through getting the most food for your money you will have noticed that there are certain food items that you buy more often than others. These are your family's staples. At first you should focus on staples. Every time you can save enough money on your normal groceries add one thing that will go into your pantry. You can actually grow your food storage rather quickly just using the savings by using the methods above. 

Whenever possible take advantage of buy one get one deals. Buy multiples whenever possible. After you get 5 of an item move on to something else for a little while. For example I have seen whole kernel corn for sale for $.50 a can.  I got 5 right then for $2.50. Great deal. Won't buy any more til I use some of it or my stores of everything else has caught up. 

You will be surprised how quickly you can store food spending only $5.00 on storage a week. If you don't spend all of the $5.00 you have set aside for a week, put what is left in an envelope. Slowly that money will build and you will be able to purchase larger items.

I know you can do this. I would love to hear how things are going with your preparedness. I also enjoy your questions. You can contact me at theruraleconomist@gmail.com

I wish you Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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Affiliate Link Disclosure: The post may contain affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.

Getting Prepared for Beginners #16 Don't Fear The Reaper

Before I even get started I want to state that I am not saying you shouldn't be concerned about any of the events I cover in this post. What I am saying is that statistically these events are not very likely. Having a well rounded preparedness plan will have you ready for all of these events without focusing on just one. Obsessing about any single event will not benefit you in any way. All of these events are possible, I just believe that being prepared should be done out of a logical thought process and a desire for self reliance.

A lot of people start getting prepared because of a specific event. This may have happened to them, someone they know, or just been something that a person realizes could happen to them. The first reaction is "Oh crap, What if that happened to me?" This is a normal reaction. However decisions should not be made out of fear.

Fear can be a Catalyst but Should Not be a Motivator

There are a few tried and true marketing techniques. Sex sells clothing, cologne, makeup, and apparently food. Envy sells cars, houses, and jewelry. Fear sells insurance and prepps.

I want you to think about that. The people who are pushing fear are all trying to sell you something. Actually a lot of somethings.

There are a lot of very real things in the world to be afraid of. So many in fact that if you focused on only those things it could drive you mad. Fear has it's place. In a nice box on your mantel. If you keep your fear there it will never control you. People who are controlled by fear make bad decisions.

I hope all of you remember the Mayan calendar thing. The world was supposed to end December 21, 2012. There were people who spent their life savings getting ready for the apocalypse. I remember reading one report of a man and woman who sold their home, split the money and decided to party til the end. Guess what? We are still here.

Fear can be a catalyst but should never be a motivator.

If I could wave my magic wand and change one thing about the Preparedness movement it would be to remove fear as a marketing ploy. I follow a lot of alternative media on Twitter, but I follow a lot of mainstream media as well. I bet once a week someone is predicting doom by such and such date. That is not helping preparedness. Headlines like that are why  society thinks they are justified in calling us crazy. I actually got an email the other day saying the US economy would collapse in 6 weeks.

Really!?! If they truly had this information all of the people in "the know" would be scrambling to get supplies. What were they trying to get me to buy? Silver. Does silver have a place in preparedness? Yup sure does, but it is after peanut butter. At least it is on my list.

We are going to talk about some catastrophic events that people prepare for.

EMP

Electromagnetic Pulse. An EMP is one of the disasters that if you find someone who is worried about it, it is their primary concern. I know people who think about an EMP everyday. They try to consider an EMP in every purchase. Marketers love these people. If I can claim a radio is EMP resistant and back it up with research, a person who is obsessed with this event is going to buy, even if it is more expensive than it should be.

EMP FACTS

1. EMPs are real. As much as I would like to tell you it is a bunch of hooey, I can't and keep my integrity.
2. EMPs come in many forms. If you go by the strictest definition static electricity and even lightening qualify as an EMP.
3. Small EMPs are much more common than people think. If you throw a fire cracker in a metal garbage can, you can measure the pulse with a good quality multimeter.
4. With all but weapons specifically designed for EMP production, the EMP does not extend beyond the blast radius. So if an EMP does hit wait a couple of seconds and walk toward the light.
5. If an EMP attack were to occur with a weapon designed for that purpose most advanced electronics would be fried. If you saved your radio there would be no stations to listen to. If you saved your cell phone the towers wouldn't work. Your flashlight would be fine. Older cars would probably be fine. Bottom line, unless you have an expensive generator, or some way to create your own electricity, don't worry about it. If you do, don't worry about it too much. It is statistically very low on the probability list.

For more information on EMP please visit my friend Graywolf Survival. He is working on a series specifically about EMP and how to survive if one were to occur. I like the fact that he is focusing primarily on a solar based event while covering a nuclear based one as well.

Yellowstone Super Volcano Eruption

Okay, so you have seen the documentary on the Yellowstone Super Volcano and now you are terrified. I can get that, but here is the deal. If it blows tomorrow, you will not be ready. If it blows in 1000 years you will not care. Yup, it is gonna blow, but there is no way to know when or even how bad it will be. Don't let this one scenario consume you. No one really knows what will happen if Yellowstone goes up. I remember when Mount St Helen erupted. The "experts" said it would be decades before anything grew on that mountain again. Guess what? The very next year things were growing. Will it be bad? It sure will, but no one knows just how bad. Focus on a basic level of preparedness and just go on.

Pandemic

This one is tough for me. I know a little about the concept, but haven't spent much time researching diseases and quarantine procedures. Being clean is very important. Washing your hands by itself decreases the likelihood of getting sick. Including some basic medical preparedness supplies help as well. Masks and gloves being the most basic, but possibly the most important. Hand sanitizer and disinfectants should also be very high on your priorities list. For further information on being prepared for any medical emergency check out Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy. Here is their write up on pandemic supplies. Just be prepared to hang out a home for a little while and be healthy everyday. 

Dirty Bomb

Dirty bombs are small suitcase bombs that have an added nuclear component. Based on everything I can find, these bombs would not be any more powerful than another similar sized conventional bomb, except for the addition of some radioactive fallout. The actual power of this type of device is the panic that it would produce in the population.

If such an event were to occur, I would most certainly stay away from large cities. This type of event has not yet occurred. It is possible. Again achieve a basic level of preparedness and just live life.

Economic Collapse

Of all the possible long term events, this is the one that I think is most likely to occur. At the time I am writing this the United States is 17.66 trillion. And we are not the only ones. www.usbebtclock.org has a tab you can click to see other countries national debt. The numbers are telling. Almost every country is spending money they do not have. This cannot go on like this forever.

What is going to happen? No one knows. At some point we are either going to devalue our currency to the point where we can no longer buy things or we are going to get so deep in debt that we can no longer make the interest payment and we as a country will go into default.

Being afraid doesn't change anything. I have spoken to people, lots of people, that one of these disasters is what they want to talk about. You can see it in their eyes. They almost consider themselves an evangelist of sorts. Their chosen disaster is what will end society as we know it.

Living in a state of fear destroys health and relationships. Keep fear where it belongs, somewhere so it doesn't dominate but it is still available if we start to slack. Fear can and will if allowed to get in the way of your

Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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You can like The Rural Economist on Facebook follow on The Rural Economist on Gplus. Or you can even follow The Rural Economist on Pintrest. We now have a YouTube channel and are doing a series on wild edible and medicinal plants. Hope on over and check them out, oh and don't forget to subscribe.

More Posts in this series:

#1 Why Prepare

#2 The Preparedness Mindset

#3 Priorities List

#4 Getting to My Family

#5 The Backpack

#6 Food Storage

#7 Basic Energy

#8 Water
#9 Security
#10 Medical
#11 Travel and Communications
#12 Fuel Storage
#13 Keep It Quiet aka OPSEC
#14 Building Community and Helping Others
#15 Skill Development (Home)
#16 Don't Fear the Reaper

#17 A Case for Long-Term Preparedness

Affiliate Link Disclosure: The post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.

Getting Prepared for Beginners #15 Skill Development (Home)

Special thanks to Brenda Barnes, Kathi Rodgers, and
Quinton Wojciechowski for providing photos for this post.

You may be thinking "Why is skill development important for a short term emergency?"  I actually hope you are not thinking that. If you are, just remember you will be asking help from people who are in the middle of the same emergency. I have been a member of a volunteer fire department. When the call comes out you really want to answer. But if something is going on at your house that needs your attention, you are not going to go. This is not being a poor first responder, this is being a responsible father or husband or mother or wife. You cannot expect someone to come to your aid if doing so will endanger themselves, their families, or their property.

Skill development is something you want to do in advance. You do not want to have to learn to run a chainsaw when the tree is already on your house. I know this seems like an extreme example, but it's not and you get the point.

So what skills should you learn? Oh I am so glad you asked.

First Aid and CPR

There is a valid argument to be made for every parent to know CPR. I am not going to cover this in depth. My wife is much more qualified than I and will be writing a full post in the near future. I am just going to share a story.

My grandfather was the fire chief at the local volunteer fire department. As a result every member of my family had a role in the department. My aunt and uncle were rapid responders. A rapid responder is kinda like a medic or advanced first aid person.

I don't remember how old I was but I do remember it was Father's Day. A call went out about a heart attack. We were all at my grandparents' and the address was only a couple miles away. We took off. When we arrived at the home a man was laying in the front yard. My aunt and uncle started CPR.  His adult children were standing around as my family tried to save their dad's life. He didn't make it. At the time I thought it awesome that these people needed my family to try to save theirs. Now I realize that if they had started CPR sooner they might have been able to save his life. Yes CPR IS VERY important.

If you would like to find out where you can become CPR certified you can search for classes HERE.

Building 

These skills are not as glamorous as first aid skills but are just as important and to be honest more likely to be needed.

Skills that at least one if not two people in your family should have include:

• Being able to shut off the utilities
• Being able to tarp a roof to prevent leaking and further damage to your home.
• Being able to board up windows.

We will cover each of these topics.

Electricity. You should at least know how to shut off the power. Depending on your service box you could have two different ways to shut off your power. The most common way to shut off the power is at the breaker box.

Inside the box you will see a large breaker. It will be by itself. Just switch it to off. That is it. Now doing this shuts off the power to the entire house. You can also shut off the power to certain sections of your house. Hopefully your breaker box is labeled. If it is you can just choose which circuits to shut off. If it is not labeled, no problem you can label it yourself.

If you have an older home you may have a fuse box instead of a breaker box. That is not really a problem. The concept is still the same. There will be a large double fuse by itself, either above or below it will be rows of small round fuses. The large fuse will have a handle on it. You will need to pull this fuse out in order to shut off the power to your entire home. To shut off power to individual circuits you will need to unscrew one of the smaller (normally glass) fuses. Just like in a breaker box each circuit should be labeled.

Reasons you might need to turn off the power include: Doing any work that involves an electric circuit. Damage to your home that might cause a short (one room damaged). Flooding of your home or a really bad leak (roof damage).

Water. Shutting off the water is pretty simple. You will have a water meter between your home and the main line. This will not apply if you are on well water or live in an apartment. If you are on well water I hope you are familiar with your system. If you are in an apartment there should be a maintenance person who is charged with this duty.

Your meter will be in a concrete or rubber box. Inside that box you will see the meter. The shutoff will be on the street side of that meter. It normally only takes a quarter turn clockwise to shut off the water. This cuts the water to the entire house. It is a good idea to have shutoff valves in every bathroom and each sink.

Here is the meter tool I mentioned in the video.

Natural Gas or Propane. If your home uses natural gas or propane every member of your family that is old enough to do so, should know how to shut off the gas. If your home is damaged this knowledge could keep a bad situation from turning into a true catastrophe. If something has happened which has caused a gas leak, the slightest spark could be devastating.

Shutting off the gas to your home is just as simple as shutting off the other utilities. Just a turn of a knob. If you do not think about it ahead of time you probably won't think about it when you need to. Being able to shut off gas lines is very important.

Most gas companies and even modern gas appliances have safety features that make gas leaks less likely, but this knowledge could be the difference between a bad situation and a total loss.

Boarding up Windows

By now you know me. I am not talking about protecting your home from zombies. I believe it is much more likely for a tree to knock a window out of your house. Once you remove the tree you will need to do something about that window. If you are rural and it is not during the blazing hot summer or hard cold winter you may be able to get away with just using plastic to prevent critters and weather from getting in your home. If you live in an area where looting is a possibility you will need to do something more substantial. Enter boarding up your windows.

There are several ways to board your windows.

The most common way is take boards or plywood and nail it up. Easy right? Also fairly easy to tear down if you have a pry bar.

There is another more secure way to board up a window, but it takes advanced planning and at least two people. Here are the steps and supplies needed. 

1. Cut treated plywood to at least 4 inches larger than window opening.
2. Cut a 2X4 at least 6 inches longer than the window is wide on the inside of the house.
3. Open window wide open and figure out where to drill a hole as close to the center of the plywood as possible. Hole will need to be about 3/8 of an inch.
4. Also drill a 3/8 hole in the center of the 2X4
5. You will need a 12 inch piece of all thread 2 nuts and 2 fender washers for each window.
6. One person holds the plywood in place and feeds the all thread through the hole with a fender washer and nut already started.
7. The person on the inside makes sure the all thread goes through the hole on the 2X4 places the washer on the all thread and then tightens the nut. 

I pulled this picture from Amazon, but you should be able to find this locally.

This will hold the plywood in place and will protect against most of the elements, but it is still not "zombie proof". It could be made so, but that would require tack welding, a cotter key and a drill press. If someone really wanted to get in all they would need would be a wrench, but if you had a tree come through a window, this would be the best way to keep the elements out of your home.

Tarping a Roof

Like so many things there is a couple of right ways and a ton of wrong ways to tarp a roof. The reason you would need to tarp a roof could be as simple as a few shingles have blown off and you are trying to prevent leaking that might occur or a whole section of shingles are missing and leaking will occur. Of course there is always the scenario where not only are shingles missing, but some of the decking of your roof is also gone. In the last two situations tarping your roof is a necessity. 

I know you could always call a carpenter or repair person, but remember when you need them in situations like this several others are calling them as well. You could be way down on the list. The longer you wait to put into place preventative measures the greater the likely damage to your home.

If done incorrectly tarping your roof can actually increase the damage caused. When you put a tarp on your roof you are trying to keep moisture from getting to your decking. If the tarp allows moisture to get to the decking it also interferes with your decking's ability to dry out. 

If at all possible the tarp should go across the ridge line of your roof. This helps prevent water from just running under the tarp. If you cannot have the tarp cross the ridge line of your roof you should use either a 1x2 or furring strip the hold the tarp as tight as possible then caulk the upper edge and the edge that is the direction where most of your weather comes from. Around here our strongest storms tend to come from the southwest. Ensure the tarp is as tight as possible and use either 1x2 or furring strips around the whole perimeter. The pictures below are of a tarp job done well.

Special thanks to Brenda Barnes for these photos.

Storm damage can happen to anyone at any time. Knowing these basic skills will help you protect your family and property.

I wish you all Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

Subscribe to our mailing list

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Email Address * 

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You can like The Rural Economist on Facebook follow on The Rural Economist on Gplus. Or you can even follow The Rural Economist on Pintrest. We now have a YouTube channel and are doing a series on wild edible and medicinal plants. Hope on over and check them out, oh and don't forget to subscribe.

More Posts in this series:

#1 Why Prepare

#2 The Preparedness Mindset

#3 Priorities List

#4 Getting to My Family

#5 The Backpack

#6 Food Storage

#7 Basic Energy

#8 Water
#9 Security
#10 Medical
#11 Travel and Communications
#12 Fuel Storage
#13 Keep It Quiet aka OPSEC
#14 Building Community and Helping Others
#15 Skill Development (Home)
#16 Don't Fear the Reaper

#17 A Case for Long-Term Preparedness

Affiliate Link Disclosure: The post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.