SCP Survival

Best Survival Gear and Supplies

Self Defense for the “Seasoned” Citizen

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It doesn’t take long watching the news to get depressed with reports of terrible crimes and violence. The morality of this country has no doubt fallen and seems to be continuously getting worse. Older Americans are often targeted as they are more likely to carry cash and have the perception of being unable to protect themselves.

Everyone has their own perspectives on self-defense and their own comfort level with the manner which to do so. Some are fine with firearms – others are not. Some wish to no harm to another human being regardless of what is happening – while others will fight tooth and nail.

This article will not delve into all the tools available for self-defense but rather the thought process behind deciding for yourself – “Am I willing to fight for myself and family?” This may be a simple answer for some while others it may be more complex.

In all likelihood, none of us will ever be in a situation where our lives are threatened by another. This is a good thing, however I suspect that if you are visiting this website, you live your life not by that which mostly will happen but that which might happen.

This means you do not ignore possibilities.

Assuming you have a concern for self-defense there are a couple things to consider:

  • What laws in your state govern your ability to protect yourself?
  • What do state and local laws say about firearms, mace, knives, clubs, etc?
  • Do you pay attention to your surroundings when you are out and about?
  • Where does crime take place in your city or town? Are you anywhere near high crime areas?
  • When looking at your house does it appear “inviting” to would-be thieves and robbers?
  • Do you leave your doors and windows open or unlocked at any time – day or night?
  • Do you update Facebook letting people know you are not at home at any given time?

DIY Sawyer Gravity Filter for a Bucket

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Remember the days of drinking water through a garden hose in the middle of summer? Well – not all water is safe to drink.

The Sawyer water filter is awesome! It is simple to operate, reliable, and is a great value. The biggest drawback of the Sawyer is using it with multiple people. It can be done but you’re either all sucking on the same straw or using a lot of time and energy filling small bags or bottles with dirty water and squeezing through the filter. I figured there had to be a better way to use this great filter.

However, you can easily adapt the Sawyer for bucket use. Once a hole is drilled in the supply bucket the components are assembled (instructions included) – and then the Sawyer is attached. That’s it.

Here is one of my most recent trials:

#1: Started with a bucket and threw in a bunch of dirt and added a couple gallons of water.

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#2: Used a towel as a pre-filter to remove the larger particles.

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#3: Towel caught a lot of crap. A finer pre-filter for capturing more of the larger particles would be suggested (coffee filters good for this).

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#4: Below is the water ready to go through the Sawyer.

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#5: Filtering operation in progress.

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#6: Close up of the stream of filtered water exiting the filter.

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#7:  This is what the non-filtered water looked like sitting in the bucket.

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#8: Filtered water is crystal clear.

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I was pretty happy with the results. I was interested in seeing how well the water flowed from the bucket through the Sawyer as well as what the water would look like afterward. I was not surprised that the water looked crystal clear after all that is what is supposed to happen. The flow rate was excellent at around 5-6 gallons an hour.

I drank the entire glass of filtered water and found it had no off-taste and tasted like….well…..water. Granted this test was dealing really with only sediment and suspended particles in water. I have no way of knowing about potential pathogens or bacteria but I am still alive so I consider the test a success.

Remember, a solid water plan involves, storage, purification, and resupply. There are also some “just in time” solutions like the WaterBob bathtub water holder that can give you an extra 100 gallons if you have a few minutes notice to fill it. For all these ideas and more on water preparedness, check out this guide on water security.

Survival Supplies at the Dollar Store

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Dollar Store Survival Supplies and Gear In today’s economy every dollar counts. Many people out there are trying to stretch every dollar, while at the same time store additional supplies as part of their preparedness planning.  You may not think of a Dollar Tree or similar store as a place to buy survival supplies, but let me tell you, you would be surprised. Dollar stores offer an economical method of obtaining some needed supplies. I go to my local dollar store about every 2-3 months and check out what they have. For folks that can’t make it to the dollar stores, or prefer to have things shipped directly to their houses Amazon has also gotten very cheap (although dollar stores will almost always be cheaper on certain things if you can get there). If you fall into this category, I included links to many of the products below on Amazon.
Here we go:
  • Stocking up on toothpaste is very easy at the dollar store. They even have a “Sensitivity” type that would cost you several dollars somewhere else.
  • Floss is also available with many different types stocked.
  • Tooth brushes galore!!!! You can get a years – maybe 5 years supply – of brushes for your whole family for just a few dollars.
  • Above is a decent selection of cold medicines and band aids – CHEAP!!!!
  • Hydrogen Peroxide and Rubbing Alcohol. Worth checking to see if they have any saline solution.
  • Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer and wet wipes – important items to assist in keeping germs to a minimum.
  • Lot’s of medical ointments and cremes for all kinds of problems – some you especially do not want to be dealing with after TSHTF.
  • Very inexpensive pain killers – great for the first aid kit.
  • You can even pick up a few flashlights while at the dollar store. They sell batteries too.
  • Do you have a young child in your group? Don’t let them feel left out – get them a backpack and have them help carry a few of their supplies. These are not very durable – but carrying a stuffed animal and a small blanket they would be just fine.
In this post I have shown many items related to sanitation and first aid – but there is so much more. Go by your local dollar store and see for yourself. It is amazing how many supplies you can get for $20-$25.00.

How To Get Off the Grid Water with A Ram Pump

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Off Grid Water with A Ram Pump

When I was a little girl we used to go visit my great-grandfather, Harry, on his farm in Trout Valley.  We would carry buckets from the fresh water spring that bubbled out of the base of the bluff to the house for drinking and cooking.

My grandmother Marge however, would tell us of a time, when she was a young girl, on the farm when the boom of the ram water pump would lull her to sleep. A time when there was no need to carry water and the spring was fenced off from the cows. Remember – if clean water is not available, use a water filter to protect against pathogens and other contaminants.

Hydraulic ram water pumps have been used for at least two hundred years to deliver water to homes, farms and even small towns bordered by small creeks or rivers.

In 1879, The People’s Cyclopedia included the hydraulic ram among the 55 most important inventions in the history of mankind. It defined the hydraulic ram as: “A simple and conveniently applied mechanism by which the weight of falling water can be made available for raising a portion of itself to a considerable height.

Generally, you need at least two feet of falling water to operate a ram pump. Most creeks and small rivers you would have access to on the homestead do not have a natural two foot drop.  The spring on Harry’s farm gently meandered down to feed a larger creek.

When Harry was a young, successful farmer however, he created a two foot drop by building up the small stream of water with rocks and mortar which created a natural pool at the base in which to sit the ram pump. Metal water lines ran a continuous stream of water to the summer kitchen of the house and to the stock tank that overflowed and created its own stream back to the stream below the pump. There was always ample water for the house, stock, and to irrigate crops if need be.

A quick and fairly easy way to create a pond/waterfall that I have used is to fall a fairly large tree across the creek and cut a V in it with a chainsaw. Instant waterfall! Silt and rocks will build up behind the log and the V focuses the water into one spot where you can put your ram pump. Or if you don’t want to pump water, just create an area where you can dip water, bathe, wash clothes, etc. the force of the water will carve out a small pond that will usually stay open even in traditional Minnesota winters. And on a hot summer day, it is a little piece of heaven to sit on the log, dangle your feet in the water and watch the kids play in the pond, jump across the V in the log and just laugh and play in the sunshine and clear water.

A solar water pump is an option if you don’t have the drop to create a narrow falls and have more money and a significant amount of sun. Any time you can get the water closer to the house, stock and garden, life becomes so much easier! This is the same principle as any electric pump, except that the power is supplied by the sun. If you pump the water into 50 gallon rain barrels and water the individual plants at their roots the water will last a lot longer than traditional overhead watering.

For more information about ram and solar pumps, a good site to access is: http://www.theramcompany.com/index.html. There are also plans on the net to make your own ram pump.

If you have water on your land, it probably slopes.  Thoughtful placement of your garden, stock pens and home can make water access as simple as a gravity feed. Create a “mouth” in the creek of PVC or some such attached to inexpensive plastic water line and you have instant water! At least until it freezes. :)

And then there is snow… also known as poor man’s fertilizer. It too can be thawed to create water for cooking, dishes and even bathing. Just so you know, the ratio is about 10 inches of snow to 1 inch of water—that is a lot of melted snow. But you do what you gotta do J and just be grateful that you have the heat to melt it with!

Water is a critical piece of the self-sufficient equation. If you haven’t thoroughly organized your water security plan, it’s time to do so now.

This post was originally published at ModernSurvivalOnline.com.

6 Of My Favorite Prepper, Survival, and Post Apocalyptic Movies

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I enjoy apocalyptic movies.

This does not mean that I hope for the world to end or I am overly obsesses with preparedness. Some people like comedies. Some like horror flicks. I like disaster movies.

Here are a few of my favorites:

One of the reason I like watching some of these movies is motivation. Yes – I know they are movies and not realistic. However when I watch these shows like Jericho I think about what preps would be needed to survive the situations presented in the movie.

Take one of my favorites – Signs. This is certainly a creepy movie. It is about an alien invasion. A father, son, and fathers brother end up getting stuck in a house while the aliens arrive. The movie is quite unlike any alien invasion movie I have every seen.

Anyways, while watching the movie I consider how I would react should little green men surround my house. Hopefully they wouldn’t have ray guns.

Most Common Health Problems for Senior Citizens

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It is an unfortunate reality that many seasoned citizens have to deal with more health issues that range from the nagging to the debilitating. For the older prepper in a survival situation these ailment can become a serious detriment.

Let’s take a look at some common ailments:

No doubt there are many more and varying degrees of severity among those listed above. I am no doctor and proclaim no advanced knowledge of any of the above. I have high blood pressure myself which I take medication for and my 13 year old son has type-1 diabetes.

If you are a senior citizen/older prepper with health problems you likely know your health issues and conditions better than anyone else. Think of some common sense means which would allow you to deal with those conditions during a power outage/emergency situation. Here are a few examples:

Vision – If vision is corrected via eye glasses or contact lenses you have to ask yourself – “Self, what would the situation be if I lost/broke my glasses or contacts?” If you’re like me and would find it an absolute disaster to not have glasses – then you need to prepare for that. Spare glasses can be purchased very inexpensively.

I have a total of 3 pairs of current prescription glasses. If you wear contacts try to stock up on a few months (at least) of contacts. If your prescription changes keep any older glasses/contacts as they are likely better than nothing.

Joint Aches/Mobility Issues – One of my first thoughts is someone that lives their life in a wheel chair and a disaster strikes. While traversing their home/property their wheelchair breaks. A difficult situation just got REALLY bad. Whether it be a cane, walker or wheelchair that helps you get around – have a spare on hand.

On Amazon.com there are many varieties of equipment available to help those that require assistance getting around. Many of these can be purchased with Free Shipping.

Joint aches is another large category and cannot be covered as it should be. Whatever makes the pain better or manageable – stock up on extra supplies.

Sores – There are numerous types of sores and just as many locations for them. At a minimum triple antibiotic cream/ointment should be stored.  If you are at risk for frequent sores discuss prevention and treatment with a doctor. Always ask if there are multiple methods as well. Sometimes one treatment method may not work where another will.

Diabetes – This is one of the toughest issues and is very close to my heart as my 13 year old son has Type-1 diabetes. Regardless if one is suffering from Type-1 or Type-2 diabetes – a short term disaster/survival situation does not have to be critical to life as long as medication is available. Relative to Type-1 diabetes which requires a supply of insulin to stay alive – keep extra on hand. In addition to insulin – glucose meters, syringes, pump supplies, etc. need to be kept on hand.

Here are a few links related to emergency preparedness and diabetes:

High Blood Pressure – Many people live a normal life with high blood pressure. The problem is that normal life often ends premature due to complications from the condition. In a survival situation unless the high blood pressure is critically high – missing medication should not be life threatening. It is advisable to stock extra medication.

There is evidence that natural remedies are available in lieu of medical prescriptions. Some examples include Coenzyme Q10, fish oil, garlic, hawthorn, and magnesium.

I highly recommend a  book that recently came out – The Doom and Bloom(tm) Survival Medicine Handbook: Keep your loved ones healthy in every disaster, from wildfires to a complete societal collapse. A long title and even longer book. It is packed with medical information specifically geared towards emergency preparedness.