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Prepping with Ham Radio | Survival Life | Blog – Survival Life | Preppers | Survival Gear | Blog
Prepping with Ham Radio | Survival Life | Blog – Survival Life | Preppers | Survival Gear | Blog.
In the aftermath of an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, tsunami, landslide or other natural disaster, or even an act of terrorism or some other catastrophic man-made event, communication plays a vital role in man’s survival.
Prepping With A HAM Radio
You may have secured your family in a safe area and your bug out bags have proved useful, but you are going to need contact with other survivors and of course help would be more than welcome.
Cellphones will not work when the cellphone facilities are torn down; the same is true with land-line phones. It would also be logical to assume that power lines are going to be down, as well as the internet in the affected area. This is where amateur or HAM radio comes in.
A HAM radio can run on a portable generator or even a car battery, and it doesn’t depend on cell phone signals to be able to communicate with other users. The bottom line is that if you have a HAM radio, chances are high that you will be able to find and get help.
If you are new to the idea of HAM radios (as they have become obsolete since the advent of the cell phone and the internet), they made rescue operations during Hurricane Katrina and the Sichuan and Haiti earthquakes faster and more efficient. So you can imagine what one could do for you. Click here to learn more about prepping with HAM radios:
How To Be As Prepared On The Inside As On The Outside, by A.K. – SurvivalBlog.com
How To Be As Prepared On The Inside As On The Outside, by A.K. – SurvivalBlog.com.
So, you have made your basement bomb-proof, installed solar panels, dug a well, and canned enough food to last ten years. You’ve engineered, on your own, a heating system that is not reliant on electricity, and you’ve rigged a longer-lasting septic system. You’ve stocked up on guns and ammo, bought night vision goggles, mapped all your exits, created an EMP-proof shelter for your electronics, stocked up on medicine and herbs, planted a garden, invested in silver, got a gas mask, and bought enough nutella and coffee for trading value.
But…are you ready?
Most prepers would reply, “More ready than that.” It may be so. That is, to say, in material needs. However, the question is: what are you preparing for? A short burst of chaos? A season of trials? A period of transition? Perhaps you’ve been preparing with the thought, just in case, while continuing to make plans for your future. Or, maybe there’s the thought in your mind that you are so well prepared that even if things go drastically bad, you’ll hardly even notice. There will be no ripples in your pond.
However, have you prepared your mind or more importantly your spirit? A season of change is upon us, and most people can feel the vibe in the air, like the static before a big storm. We all know it’s coming. It will rip through our comfortable lives and change the world we have become accustomed to; a world that has been shifting and moving through the ages but always seems to get itself upright in the end.
So, you’re ready, right?
ClubOrlov: Are Americans Prepared For A Soviet Style Collapse?
ClubOrlov: Are Americans Prepared For A Soviet Style Collapse?.
Last week I gave an interview to Barry at DR Escapes which is now up on Youtube. Please follow the link to listen to the interview. Barry’s notes on it are pasted in below.
If the social and financial structure around you collapsed tomorrow, as it did for many people during the fall of the Soviet Union, are you prepared to survive and even prosper? In my latest interview with best selling author Dmitry Orlov we discuss lifestyle and how your lifestyle decisions may dramatically impact how your family will fare if times get tough.
Dmitry left Russia with his family in 1976 and settled in the Boston area to pursue an education in computer science and linguistics. Along the way Dmitry realized he was trapped in the traditional American pursuit of a career. He was working day and night to make money to pay for the car and city condo and all the trappings of success. He needed the car and condo and all the trappings of business to keep making money. The same vicious cycle most Americans face every day. Well Dmitry gave it all up for a life on a sailboat full of travel and freedom.
In our interview, I passed along some of your questions as well as my own to get Dmitry’s perspectives. As you probably know if you follow Dmitry or the ClubOrlov blog, Dmitry brings an interesting perspective to the whole lifestyle and survival dialog. In this interview, Dmitry shares his thoughts on why he believes that Russian citizens were far better prepared for a collapse than the typical American citizen. His logic is sound and it definitely makes you question…. “what would my family do in a collapse, faced with”:
The Absolute Best Protein Sources When Society Ends As We Know It | Off The Grid News
The Absolute Best Protein Sources When Society Ends As We Know It | Off The Grid News.
Most survivalists strive to have an impressive array of stored food, ready for consumption when disaster strikes. This stored food often consists of freeze-dried meat, vegetables and meals (25-year shelf life), nitrogen-packed corn, rice and wheat (10-year shelf life), and canned goods (up to a five-year shelf life).
While it’s a good idea to have a stockpile of food, one of the main goals should be to have a sustainable supply of fresh food for carbohydrates, calories and fat. Even more important is a sustainable supply of protein-based foods. There are several options for survivalists and preppers, including vegan gardening, domesticated animals, and hunting and fishing.
Plant-Based Protein
Many Americans are vegans, and eat no meat or foods derived from animal products. In today’s society, it relatively easy to eat a vegan diet that provides the needed protein, vitamins and minerals, especially if supplements like vitamins are taken.
But during a large-scale crisis, sophisticated supplements for vegans won’t be available. Veganism may be a luxury only, especially in a world where people struggle to simply get enough to eat — period.
Simple Solar DIY: Building a Fresnel Solar Cooker
Simple Solar DIY: Building a Fresnel Solar Cooker.
Cooking is a rather natural use for solar power. We all know how the sun warms things that it strikes, leaving the inside of our cars hot and making us sweat on a sunny day. Many of us have also played with magnifying glasses as kids, using them to light dried leaves and scraps of paper on fire.
That power can be harnessed in a more structured way, making it extremely easy to cook with. Scientists have built solar furnaces which are hot enough to melt iron. While you don’t need anything quite that hot, a simple solar cooker could be a great piece of survival equipment to add to your collection.
There are several different designs of solar cookers you can make, but the most effective uses a Fresnel lens. Fresnel lenses are flat plastic magnifying glasses. If you’ve ever used one of those sheet magnifiers, you’ve used a Fresnel lens. They consist of a flat plastic sheet that has concentric rings molded into the back side. The rings act in the same manner as a regular magnifying glass, with the exception that each ring is a separate thin magnifier. [Graywolf – check out my post on using a fresnel lens as a backup emergency firestarter like I carry in my personal bug out bag.]
The Doom Boom: US Families Increasingly Prepared For “Modern Day Apocalypse” | Zero Hedge
The Doom Boom: US Families Increasingly Prepared For “Modern Day Apocalypse” | Zero Hedge.
From the outside America may seem to be a land of endless optimism and confidence. But, as Sky News reports, an increasing number of Americans seem to think it is danger of falling apart, and they’re preparing for the end. “We’re not talking about folks walking around wearing tin foil on their heads,; we’re not talking about conspiracy theorists. I’m talking about professionals: doctors and lawyers and law enforcement and military. Normal, everyday people. They can’t necessarily put their finger on it. But there’s something about the uncertainty of our times. They know something isn’t quite right.”
A now-privately-held ex-nuclear-missile base in Kansas has been turned into luxury “post-apocalyptic refuge for the very rich”
“It’s an undergorund complex straight out of a bond flick”
Martial Law: What You Need to Know to Survive – Survival Life | Preppers | Survival Gear | Blog
Martial Law: What You Need to Know to Survive – Survival Life | Preppers | Survival Gear | Blog.
How prepared are you for what will unfold when your hometown goes from Mayberry to fullscale Martial Law?
With all the events going on in the world right now, we might be a lot closer to the brink that you would think…
In the past few days alone, we’ve seen a hostage situation in Australia, a school shooting in Pakistan, and Obama trying to lift the embargo on communist Cuba…not to mention continuing race riots, tension with Russia and the Middle East and the threat of Ebola (funny how those things kind of fell off the radar, huh?)
What I’m saying is that any of these situations, if they get out of hand, could easily result in martial law. Governments have been known to use everything from terrorist attacks to disease epidemics to racial tension to declare martial law.
We can’t know how or when martial law will be implemented, but we can educate ourselves on what it is and what to do to survive it.
How to build the ultimate 25 pound bug out bag
How to build the ultimate 25 pound bug out bag.
This will be a first here on Graywolf Survival. I’ve never written a post before on my personal bug out bag gear. I have written about my go bag before, which is kind of a mini bug out bag but it’s not really what I’d bug out with if I had to leave for an extended period. I used it for short trips and as an addition tomy EDC kit. This post took a LOT more work but was well worth it.
Keep in mind this is my personal bug out bag list. I say it’s the ultimate bag because it’s better than anything I can come up with for my circumstances, that takes into consideration my budget, my skills (and lack thereof in some cases), my geographic area, my 25-pound dry weight limit, and what my most likely scenarios for using it are. There is no perfect or ultimate but out bag that will work for everyone. Also, some of this stuff I chose because I already had it and some of it I paid more than most people are willing to spend.
I’ve lived primarily out of a backpack on missions in Africa, Iraq, Thailand, Afghanistan, Central America, and now live in Phoenix, AZ where I take my backpack camping so I’m quite familiar with what items I’ve used over the years and what I haven’t. I still learn things every time I do this.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
The Three Survival Essentials
The Three Survival Essentials.
Yes, I said your survival plan. The difference between a dream and a goal is a plan. It’s not a plan until you write it down. Only then can you look at the whole plan at once and see what’s missing. As we already know, the three survival essentials are clothes, water, and food. We require all three at all times. We require all three no matter what disaster befalls us.
1) Clothes
You and your family can live quite comfortably and survive the elements easily with no clothes at all – if you live in Polynesia. But, here in the United States of America the weather is far too extreme for that. For those of us in the mountains, we would freeze to death in one winter’s night without clothing. For those of us in the desert, we would suffer burns in one summer’s day. For those of us on the plains I need only say bees. For those of us in the forests; poison ivy anyone? thorns? For those on the beaches; seen any broken glass lately?
Think about where you live. Think about the physical hazards your clothing protects you from. Now think about living outside in that environment for weeks without shelter. What type of clothing do you need to face both natural and man made hazards? No one else can tell you what is “best” for where and how you live because only you live there. But, I can offer some things for you to consider.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Survival Skills Checklist – The Stuff That You Need to Know!
Survival Skills Checklist – The Stuff That You Need to Know!.
The debate between skills vs. stuff is a big one. I know many articles have been written on it and I’ve been in many a forum debate about which to focus on. I write this as a fellow preparedness geek and a friend to all those out there who are working towards a secure future.
It is interesting to me how many preppers talk about getting off the grid and having self-sufficiency, but they end up just trusting their existence to yet another set of systems. You may have solar panels and well pumps but what if SHTF and a panel gets shattered by flying debris, or your well pump stops working as the bearings seize? There are a million what if scenarios and many are not that unlikely. You need something to fall back on; you need a final line of defense.
When you have skills that means you have applied knowledge and experience. If your water system fails survival skills and knowledge of water purification techniques can keep you alive. If your livestock dies suddenly from disease, trauma, or whatever else hunting skills can keep some food on the table. If all else fails and you have the skills to make fire from nothing but the materials around you, if you can hunt with traps and simple weapons created from the forest, these things are powerful. Stock up on supplies and establish self-sufficient systems but always have a backup plan.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Archive: Forget Doom and Gloom: Preparedness is the Ultimate Act of Optimism |
Archive: Forget Doom and Gloom: Preparedness is the Ultimate Act of Optimism |.
Note from Daisy: With all of the hullabaloo about Ebola lately, it seems like a good time to remind ourselves of why we prepare. We don’t do it out of fear. We do it because we like the peace of mind it brings. When we are ready for anything from a job loss to a power outage to an outright apocalypse, we know that we can handle whatever life sends our way. A preparedness lifestyle is a constant affirmation that we will persevere.
Does this sound familiar?
You’re talking to a friend or family member who isn’t on board with preparedness. (And it’s even worse when they think they know what’s going on in the world but garner their so-called “information” from network news sources.) You try for the millionth time to get them to consider stocking up on a few things and they say this:
Life’s too short for all of this doom and gloom. Live a little! You’re such a pessimist!
My response to this is that preparedness is the ultimate form of optimism.
– See more at: http://www.theorganicprepper.ca/archive-forget-doom-and-gloom-preparedness-is-the-ultimate-act-of-optimism-10212014#sthash.SyN2VASM.dpuf
How To Prepare For Emergency Power after a Grid Failure; Short and Long Term
How To Prepare For Emergency Power after a Grid Failure; Short and Long Term.
Humans are not nocturnal creatures. A simple flashlight or candle provides a sense of security, intertwined with the ability to see otherwise invisible details. Whether in a long term or short term sense, the power grid fails. This is true regardless of country, location, or nationality. A system built by man is a flawed system, and no matter how small the chance, it will fail at some point.
If you accept that a power failure is a possibility, and already have a few flashlights stored along with some batteries, you are already more prepared than many individuals out there. When it comes to emergency power, there are different types to be considered; those for short term disasters, and those for long term sustainability.
Short Term.
In a temporary loss of power, disposable batteries will suffice. Having a stockpile (and rotating them accordingly,) is a simple precaution to guard against any possible interruptions for a week or less of power. It is important to recognize that some flashlights take different sizes, and to standardize your batteries as much s possible (much like your ammo supply.) There are adapters that can fit around a AA battery to fit into a D-cell slot, but on a temporary basis those won’t be necessary. The basic battery sizes that you should stockpile (with exceptions,) include;
…click on the link above to read the rest of the article…
Strategic Relocation Guide: How To Position Yourself To Survive A Major TEOTWAWKI Event
Strategic Relocation Guide: How To Position Yourself To Survive A Major TEOTWAWKI Event.
The following guide has been contributed by Todd Savage as the second part of the ‘Strategic Relocation Bugging Out: Dreams vs. Reality’ series.
Click to read Part I: The Gut Wrenching Reality: One of the Best Bug-Out Strategy Guides You’ll Ever Read
If you’ve ever wanted to know how a professional retreat consultant addresses the issue of safe and sustainable survival properties, then keep reading. Todd is the founder of Survival Retreat Consulting and most recently the Strategic Relocation For Sale By Owner web site where you can find nationwide listings for top-tier homestead and retreat properties.
Finding that perfect home or retreat can seem like a daunting task, but as you’ll see from the extensive guide below, it can be done quite efficiently if you take the right approach. Sure, you want water and a place to grow food, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. As we saw in the first part of this series, there’s the dreamworld that’s been created by sensationalized and highly edited TV shows, and then there’s the gut wrenching reality of it.
…click on the link above to read the rest of the article…
