SCP Survival

Best Survival Gear and Supplies

Alert! H7N9 Potential Pandemic! Alert!

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Tuesday when I reported the news I put this at the bottom of the news page from the CDC. After further information has come out I wanted to do an “oped” on what we can do to prepare ourselves and our family’s to keep us safe, or at the very least to make us all aware of the current situation.

Many of us tend to think of the flu as something we only get in the winter months. When we are indoors more and don’t open our doors and windows as much, well nothing could be further from the truth. This virus is deadly with a kill rate of up to 50%.

We need to get prepared to take care of ourselves and our family’s NOW before the panic starts and there will be shortages of supplies like the ones I am going to suggest. Will this prevent this H7N9? No, sadly it wont but it may help us to prevent it from spending if we do come in contact with someone who has it.

What you need to Know Via CDC web site

It was revealed late this week by researchers at the University of Hong Kong that the H7N9 bird flu virus which has infected 131 people (and killed 36) can be transmitted not only by close contact but by airborne exposure.

Their study, published this week in the journal Science, indicates ferrets were passing the virus cage to cage. Additionally, inoculated ferrets were infected before the appearance of most clinical symptoms, demonstrating there may be more cases than have been detected or reported.

Additionally, tests were conducted using pigs, a major host of influenza viruses. These tests also definitively showed that they could also get infected with H7N9, leading to the belief that H7N9 may combine with pig viruses to generate new variants. A particularly important, though unreported aspect of the entire H7N9 topic is that severe cases are reported to be hemmoraghic. What this means is that those infected could experience, among a myriad of other symptoms, excessive internal bleeding, liver or kidney failure similar to dengue, tick-borne encephalitis, and Ebola.

Readers are reminded that while reported infection numbers are still relatively low, H7N9 clearly has world health authorities seriously spooked. So much so, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC this week published a 1 BILLION dollar cost plus Federal Solicitation for the purposes of emergency experimentation with H7N9 Flu vaccines and emergency experimental antiviral treatments.

The Solicitation specifically references “preparation for a possible large scale national H7N9 influenza vaccination program.”

Further still, the CDC is considering using the two oil-in-water emulsion adjuvants in its stockpile with an H7N9 vaccine in order to increase effectiveness. Of particular note here is that the CDC has never before allowed the use of adjuvants in either the seasonal or pandemic influenza vaccines as their use has been tied to onset of Narcolepsy, as was the case with their H1N1 vaccine.

And something you can be assured of is that if a nationwide H7N9 vaccination program is implemented, this will no doubt be made mandatory for school-aged children given the close proximity of students in a school setting.

Supplies for Combatting This Pandemic

1. Medical Grade Skin Cleaner – In theory flu viruses can be transmitted 3 ways: Air, body fluids and direct contact. One of the best things we can do is to wash our hands and often. One thing that hospitals use is Chlorhexidine Gluconate, or HIBICLENS (brand name) This is used as a surgical scrub, health care personnel also use it for hand cleaning and a per-operative skin prep as well as a skin wound cleaner. The cleaner bonds to the skin to help create a persistent antimicrobial effect. It can be purchased from Amazon at the following link or you may can find it other places. Hibiclens Liquid is the one I ultimately found.

2. N95 Surgical/Filtration Mask – This will be useful for reducing person to person infection. The mask are currently inexpensive and readily available.

3. Disposable Scrubs 

4. Disposable Shoes

5. Disposable Caps

The last three (3) items I would encourage you to get in addition to the first two (2) just in case you are the one having to care for the sick individual.

A trash can with lid and trash bags to be placed just outside the quarantine room will also be helpful in containing the contaminated items. This way you will be able to remove the disposable items place them in the trash and cover.

Next go to lavatory and wash your hands using Hibiclens Liquid with warm water. A good rule of thumb is to sing the alphabet twice all the way through. This will ensure you are washing you hands long enough.

You may also want to have disposable utensils, plates and cups. It is important that you keep contact with all items limited to the sick room. The less you have to be around this flu the better it will be for all. Use brown bottle Lysol or Lysol concentrate on ever washable surface in your home. What you can not wash –  use Lysol Spray.

The CDC is preparing for a full blown pandemic. Don’t take chances.

Garbage, Trash Removal and Sanitation Issues in SHTF Situation

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When everything goes south, we will need to deal with the “unpleasantries of life”, such as dealing with human waste disposal (or to put it less delicately, dealing with shit when the shit hits the fan). But what about those other “wastes” we must dispose of? What will happen to all the things we throw away every day, expecting them to simply disappear, never to give another thought?

How long will you be able to remain in YOUR environment when there is no trash removal around you? I’m thinking of the 1975 “emergency” in Great Britain, during which the local government went “belly up” because they could not pay the salaries of city employees, including garbage/trash removal workers. It literally piled high in the streets. We’ve seen that in a few American cities on occasion, as well.

Even if you have emergency plans in place, even if you can burn your own trash, and really are so good at repurposing, so good at “living green” and “simply” you have little trash or refuse, how will you survive living in a world surrounded with hills (or, even mountains) of trash, debris, and garbage that will increase by the day all around you? The disease potential? The rodents, snakes, bugs, etc.? How will you manage in that scenario?

Or, is this just more reason to be ready to “Bug Out”, rather than “Bug In”?

Yes, you could stay and hope it gets better before it kills you breathing what’s “out there”. Many people may have no choice. But if you have the option of a bug out property, far away from the crowds, then, my advice would be waste no time getting there as soon as it is evident that “IHTF” (“It” Hit the Fan!). Don’t delay; don’t debate; don’t gamble; get out of Dodge! If it gets better, you can return. No harm done. But get out while the gettin’ is good!

O.K., but, what if you don’t have a bug out shelter to run to? There are some proactive steps you can take now; some of them involve other people, and you cannot control other people, their attitudes, or their actions (or lack thereof). But you can try to influence them for the better.

The Old Steel Drum Garbage Burner

Start teaching people NOW about disposing of trash, garbage, etc., when there is no alternative – the city is NOT going to pick it up for you and simply make it “disappear”.

One of the things we have done is buy a metal trash barrel (an old storage barrel). DH had to cut the top out of ours; we dug a small, level hole in the ground, just a few inches, for safety. We bought three (3) concrete blocks and set them in a triangle; we punched holes in the bottom edges of the barrel, just a few all around, about ten (10) inches from the bottom rim of the barrel. Fire must have oxygen to burn efficiently. We bought a fireplace screen in a second hand store for a top cover, to keep burning debris from “floating out” on the wind, setting fire to the neighborhood (and this can happen easily).

We have this same arrangement on our BOL and do use it to burn what little trash we generate, although we re-purpose and reuse everything as often and as many times as possible.

Composting

Composting is the best way I know to reduce your garbage/waste footprint. The only things you can’t really compost are meats and foods that contain meats – hopefully, you’re not wasting meats – they’re much too expensive and a tragedy to think that living things died not for food, but to be “wasted”.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m a carnivore – but no animal or living thing should die because I’m wasteful of God’s creation, over which I have been made a steward. That is just not good stewardship, IMHO.

But, just about anything else, can be composted: peelings, egg shells that have been boiled (not raw); paper, etc. This is making soil, folks; once you learn the simple techniques of making compost (making your own rich, fertile soil) you will never lack for gardening materials, and you will significantly reduce your “waste”, and thus, your garbage/waste footprint.

In addition to composting, many fruit and vegetable “scraps”, such as lettuces and celery can actually be regrown to produce food more quickly

Cleaning Supplies

In a disaster, Walmart may not be open to sell you cleaning supplies; even if they are “open” you may not be able to get them, or, you may find yourself fighting for your life for a bottle of bleach, etc.

Why put yourself in that situation?

Get what you need NOW and stay stocked up; liquid bleach does not stay “good” for more than a few months, even stored under ideal conditions. Get Leslie’s Pool Shock, 73% calcium hypochlorite solution; a one lb. bag costs about $5.00 U.S., and will last a very long time. Try to get more than one; however, as it is small, stores easily and forever, and makes a great barter item.

A FEW GRAINS (note emphasis) of this in a gallon of water will do wonders to shock it (after filtering, if there’s stuff in the water requiring filtering) and make it potable. A few more grains in the same water produces bleach on demand.

Also, white vinegar is actually said to be more useful as an antibacterial, ounce-for-ounce, than even bleach and it won’t ruin your clothes. It will, however, kill everything you throw it on, just like bleach, so, don’t throw it out on grass or growing things you don’t want to kill. White vinegar is cheap in large bottles at your local warehouse club.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Here is my personal favorite “recipe” for homemade laundry detergent, which you can use for washing off grid, and is also more natural and much less expensive than what you can buy “ready-made.” It works just as well for washing dishes, cleaning house, etc., as it does for laundry, so you don’t need a lot of cleaners.

Get a blue (non-food-grade) plastic bucket and lid from Lowe’s to keep it in. This will fill the bucket a little better than half full, and lasts for months.

Ingredients:

  1. One four pound twelve ounce box of Borax {Found in Laundry Isle }
  2. Six (6) bars of Kirk’s Castile soap {Found in bar soaps @ Wal-mart – bottom shelf} – harden these bars off for 3 weeks before making, by removing from paper and allowing to “air dry” on a rack, turning occasionally; it’s much easier to flake like this; when dry; flake by hand, just using a grater (very easy!).
  3. one four pound box of arm & hammer baking soda {Laundry Isle}
  4. one box of arm & hammer super washing soda {laundry Isle}
  5. Bucket  of Oxy Clean (laundry isle} – this is optional, but I personally do like to add it. Omitting it will reduce cost, however. I use the “Sun” brand, which works just fine and is much cheaper than OC.

Plastic bags will not be available later; stock up on them now. Plastic bags won’t be a great solution for things you will burn, but can be used for that which cannot be burned and will hold things at bay a little longer than, say, a paper bag.

Disposable Paper Plates and Towels

Disposable PAPER plates, bowls, etc. will be helpful, but try not to rely too much on them; it would be better to heat water outdoors and wash dishes daily than add to the mounds. If you’re burning, paper plates burn well enough. Please DO NOT buy Styrofoam unless there is no other choice – Styrofoam is petroleum based, it is not earth friendly and it takes forever to break down.

Really though, just wash your dishes. What else will you have to do?

You’ll need paper towels; you won’t be able to get these later, either. Hand wipes, especially sanitizing, will have a useful place, but don’t rely too heavily on them; like Styrofoam, this stuff doesn’t break down well or quickly, although it will burn.

Extra garbage cans may or may not help, depending on how widespread the problem and the duration; but having extras around can do no harm, either – so buy them while you can, if it’s in the budget.

Breathing Mask

Breathing will be a problem, especially for those who already are “airways challenged”; if you don’t have asthma or breathing issues yet, you probably will by the time we get to this place, and, yes, it could very easily happen. You could stock up now on breathing apparatus such as masks, but do keep in mind most of these need replacement filters, as filters have limited life.

You can also make a simple mask by putting two inexpensive face masks together with a layer of activated charcoal between them and a thin layer of plastic to hold the charcoal in place. Activated charcoal is something that should be in your arsenal as poison control, water filtering, and any number of other uses.

Now you have another one. “Instructables” posts a how-to for a gas mask using an empty fruit can and plastic tubing; there are a plethora of posts at youtube on using just the cheap masks and charcoal, as mentioned. Spend a few minutes coming up with whatever works for you, but, have the instructions, have the knowledge, have everything you need and be ready to use it BEFORE IHTF. It may save you much suffering later.

Make sure you have as much med as possible available if you are asthmatic, etc. Be ready.

Do you have a supply of mouse traps? Bug treatments? All of these things will be both needed and unavailable when IHTF. I buy wooden mouse traps and throw them away, mouse and all  – I refuse to handle the little nasties, and, at a quarter a trap (discount stores), at this point, I don’t care. Maybe someday I will, but, not today.

Backup Power

If you have enough money, look into an in-house recirculating system; this is better than bringing contaminated air into your home. This also assumes you will have power to run it; do you have a backup system? A generator you can run? Solar system? Now we’re talking real money, but, hey! If you have it, spend it. If nothing else, as long as you still have power, run your a/c system – this will recirculate air.

Do you have a good shovel for digging and burying if you have no other choice? A couple bags of hydrated lime for your local farm store for handling odors on those things you must bury?

Please DO teach your neighbors, friends, church family, school family, anyone and everyone who will listen that all of you WILL need a Plan B for your trash, garbage, and refuse when bad stuff happens; now is the time is to “be prepared”. The more people you can get to plan ahead for system failures, the better off you will all be when IHTF.

Personal cleanliness, as much as possible, anyway, will never be more important than it will be in this scenario. Are you prepared?

Outdoor Clothing for Survival Fitness

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Being fit and active is important in the current climate, but not everyone is as keen as working out in the gym as some people. While the thought of going to the gym is important for many people, there are other people who find the idea of wearing spandex and staring at the walls while running on the same spot totally unappealing.

It is important to know that there are plenty of other ways to get regular exercise in your life and going on walks, hikes and adventure breaks may be exactly what you are looking for.

There are plenty of benefits to getting your exercise in this manner compared to what a gym has to offer. For one, you can take all of the family, including your dogs if you so desire. All you need is a tent and there is nothing stopping you from taking all of your family away with you to benefit in the fresh air and healthy lifestyle that comes when you get out in the wild. For those people that find the gym to be a little bit too dull, this is definitely the best type of way to get fit.

You may not be too keen on the traditional gym clothing that is worn by many people but you can make your hiking or trekking adventures more enjoyable by picking up proper equipment. There is no need to spend a lot of money and many of your current items of clothing will be just be fine but it is possible to enhance the adventure experience with one or two items of clothing.

It is recommended to wear layers as opposed to overly heavy or warm items of clothing. As the day progresses or as your body temperature rises and falls, you are likely to experience a range of different temperatures. Being flexible is important when you are out in the open.

One area where it is important to focus on is with footwear. There are a number of things that hikers, walkers and adventurers need from their choice of footwear. Strength and stability is an obvious choice. The underfoot conditions are not always reliable and it can be easy to roll over your ankle or stumble and trip. Having reliable shoes will provide the platform for an enjoyable day out while minimizing the risk of suffering injuries.

It is also important to look out for footwear that are watertight (unless you will be hiking near water, and then you should probably opt for sandals). If your feet get wet, you may be uncomfortable and this can greatly reduce the level of enjoyment and pleasure you take from your adventure. Reliable footwear is definitely a major factor of having fun while out in the wild.

Cold Weather Clothing Layers

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It is no secret that wearing layers of clothing is a very sensible idea, especially if you are going to be exposed to the elements. It can also be a great benefit if you are going to be going from warm to cold and all points in between in a short space of time because it provides you with the flexibility to be comfortable by adding or removing clothing.

There is no getting away from the fact that layers of clothing are crucial for anyone who will be out in the wild for a bit of time but the most important layer of clothing is likely to be the one next to the skin.

This is referred to as a base layer and you will likely have come across these items of clothing. Some people may take one look at these items and think that they are not the style for them but the look isn’t the most important matter, after all, this layer is meant to be worn under other layers. The real benefits of base layers and why people who take exercise seriously should be considering is of the benefits they bring.

Find the body temperature that is right for you

It has already been discussed how layers can help people to obtain the right body temperature for wherever they are. However if the layer next to the skin has a special focus on retaining heat or removing sweat from the body, it is possible to make a marked improvement over how a person feels. Whether you are running, working out or just looking to enjoy a casual day out in the wild, this sort of clothing item can make a big difference to your enjoyment levels.

Another major benefit that comes to people from wearing this style of clothing comes with the fact that certain muscles and muscle groups will be compressed. This can help to improve the flow of blood around the body and it can help to prevent the build-up of lactic acid. This may be a small thing but if it helps people to get more from their exercise session, it can help in the long run to provide better results and help people to get fitter.

As the saying goes “every little helps” and anything which helps to boost someone who is working out to work out for longer or harder has to be a good thing. It is not as if wearing this style of clothing is going to magically transform someone into a super-fit athlete but it can definitely have a positive impact on how a person performs.

If nothing else, this style of clothing can help to reduce the problems of chaffing, which can blight anyone that works out seriously or enjoys long walks. If you want to give yourself the best chance of being fit and enjoying your training sessions, make sure you have the right equipment.

Water and Hydration Preparedness for Disasters

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Drinking water is the single most consistently found item in every survival kit, be it short-term or long-term.  We can survive for extended periods without food and even with limited shelter.  But we are living on numbered hours if we are without a reliable water source.

So it’s well established that we should maintain a good supply of drinking water for disasters.  But there are several problems with storing water.

First, it’s bulky.  A gallon of water occupies 231 cubic inches, so supplying a gallon per person, per day for a family of four would gobble up almost eight cubic feet, based on two weeks’ worth of water.  The bigger the family and the longer the disaster, the more of your home is used up with water. There are solutions such as the Water Bob, that allows you to store water in a bathtub, but you need a few minutes notice in order to really take advantage of it (like a hurricane situation for instance).

Second, it does get stagnant.  Store water for up to six months before replacing it.  Even in clean containers and with a slight treatment of bleach, water can become bacteria-laden and unsafe.

So here you are, aware that there’s no city water available and having to come up with four gallons of potable water every day.  What are your options for other sources?

There are options for using water from dehumidifiers or from the condensate pump that keeps your HVAC dry and happy.  But these sources are limited and can be difficult to sanitize.  You’ll certainly want those two devices in your home to maintain proper humidity, but they’re not geared for drinking water use.

It’s actually fairly easy to establish a grid-independent water source.  The expense of a well or cistern can be prohibitive, but capturing rainwater, runoff, or water from a stream or pond can provide a source of water that will continue to exist just as long as rain can be had.

The best way to avoid the fluctuations of nature’s provision is to do your own version of what municipalities do.  Many city water systems don’t rely on a flowing water source alone.  They instead stockpile it in a reservoir or lake so that there is a backup supply if precipitation ceases.

So creating a pond, even a fairly small one, can provide a surprising amount of water for you.  Ponds are generally measured in acre-feet, a unit that denotes enough water to cover a one-acre area to a depth of one foot.  That’s 43,560 cubic feet of water, or 325,000 gallons.  So even on a small scale–perhaps even a swimming pool–that’s a phenomenal amount of water.

The major provision you need for this type of water supply is pumping capability, plus power for the pump.  There are a variety of pumps available out there, including some that can draw water down to a very low level.

And most likely, you’ve already included a generator in your plans.  It will require only small amounts of electricity, on an infrequent basis, to keep your water flowing.

So with a good plumbing job, you can shut off the water meter and backflush through an outdoor spigot to pressurize your home’s pipes with no off-site water.  That means water in all the usual places with no reliance on your municipality.

Water is critical for life.  Don’t be content with shelves full of old milk jugs brimming with stockpiled city water.  Create a sustainable source that keeps your home functional.

Raised Bed Garden Hoops

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raised bed fourxfour crossovers

Last year I raided a dumpster when I saw a bunch of stiff waterline thrown into it. I used them to create hoops in my raised beds to help extend the season by covering them with plastic last year. I didn’t scavenge enough to complete the project, so I purchased some 1 inch PVC to complete the project.raised bed long

I drilled through them and used cable ties to connect them.

These work like mini-greenhouses when plastic is put over them in spring and fall. In the summer, a light fiberglass screen can be used to shade the plants and keep off bugs. I also use bird netting over them to protect the strawberry beds.

raised bed tiesIn the long beds I often use a piece of cattle or hog panel in the middle to provide climbing area for peas and other plants that can go up. Those long ones aren’t nearly as sturdy as the hoops in the 4 x 4 beds!

Note: I used vinyl deck planking for my raised beds. I put screws in every foot and left the heads up so that I could tie string off them to create a square foot grid pattern for planting.