Ebook - House & Car Emergency List

file:///C|/Temp/LIST%20-%20CAR%20MEMERGENCY%20KIT.
txt
Best Practices: 46 Items to Include in your Vehicle Emergency Kit
Tow chains
Jumper cables
Spare tire
Tire jack
Fix-a-flat (I like this brand) – Also check out BDS DIY Tire Fix Kit article
Fire extinguisher
Gasoline funnel
Candles
Flashlight
Cigarette lighters
Matches
Flares
Duct tape: Learn about the many ways to use duct tape here.
Disposable gloves
Well-stocked first aid kit (here is one I put together myself)
Well-stocked tool kit
Solar blankets
Wool blankets
Warm socks
Rain coat
Cash (bills and coins)
Winter hat
Heavy gloves
Heavy sleeping bag for winter, lighter sleeping bag for summer: Learn about the best sleeping systems here.
Paper
Pen
Whistle
List of important phone numbers
Can opener
Knife
Map
Garbage bags in various sizes
Paracord or rope
Quart of oil
Sewing kit
Baby wipes
Toilet paper – See article: Are You Toilet Paper Prepared?
Hand soap
Comb
Hair brush
Tooth brush
Change of clothes
Various towels in Ziploc bags (women can use to urinate in if caught in traffic)
Water
Water filter (such as the Lifestraw) – You can check out the guide to the best Water Filters here.
Edible nuts stored in raw honey
Lampe de poche (fonctionnant préférablement à manivelle, car les piles ne durent pas très longtemps par grand froid)
Triangles de sécurité réfléchissants ou fusées éclairantes
Petite trousse de premiers soins
Balai à neige
Grattoir
Plaques antidérapantes
Petite pelle avec un long manche
Sac contenant une matière abrasive : sable, litière pour chats (évitez le sel, lequel, en se répandant dans le véhicule, provoquerait de la corrosion)
Bonne provision de liquide à lave-glace
Câbles de survoltage
Antigel pour canalisation d’essence
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file:///C|/Temp/LIST%20-%20CAR%20MEMERGENCY%20KIT.txt
Dégivreur pour serrures (lors des grands froids, à conserver sur soi plutôt que dans la voiture!)
Papier essuie-tout
Petite trousse d’outils (tournevis, pinces, etc.)
Fusibles de rechange (système électrique du véhicule)
Batterie de secours rechargeable pour cellulaire
Chargeur USB pour voiture
Couverture chaude
Chaussettes
Bottes et gants
Bandes chauffantes pour les mains et les pieds
Bouteilles d’eau
Barres de céréales
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52 WEEK FOOD STORAGE
CHECK LIST
Week What to buy Week What to buy
at the store at the store
5-cans tuna or other meat,
week 1 2-boxes salt week 27 1 bottle Tylenol
5-1 lb bags pasta or 2-48 oz bottles veg oil
week 2 boxed macaroni and cheese week 28 or olive oil
5-15 oz or more cans chili
week 3 5-15 oz cans vegetables week 29 or soup
3-16 oz bags rice 3-5 lb bags flour, 1-4pack TP,
week 4 week 30 1 large box tampons
2-1 lb bags powdered sugar,
week 5 5-15 oz cans beans week 31 1 can baking powder
week 6 2-18 oz jars peanut butter week 32 5 cans tuna or other meat
2-42 oz cartons oatmeal 2-5 lb bags sugar,
week 7 quick or regular, your choice week 33 2-1 lb bags brown sugar
week 8 5-15 oz cans fruit week 34 2-18 oz jars peanut butter
3-5 lb bags flour, 1-4pack TP,
week 9 1 large box tampons week 35 5-15 oz cans vegetables
5-15 oz or more cans chili 1 bottle Advil
week 10 or soup, jar of cinnamon week 36
2-5 lb bags sugar, 1 jar yeast,
week 11 2-1 lb bags brown sugar week 37 2 bags chocolate chips
week 12 5 cans tuna or other meat week 38 5-15 oz cans fruit
1-32 oz bottle honey, 5 15 oz cans beans
week 13 1-8 oz can cocoa powder week 39
5-15 oz cans beans 3-16 oz bags rice,
week 14 week 40 1 jar chicken bouillon
5-1 lb bags pasta or boxed 2-1 lb bags powdered sugar,
week 15 macaroni and cheese week 41 2 bags chocolate chips
2-48 oz bottles vegetable oil
week 16 or olive oil week 42 5-15 oz cans chili or soup
2-18 oz jars peanut butter, 1 lb cans veg shortening,
week 17 1 can baking powder week 43 1 baking soda
1 jar yeast, 5-15 oz or more cans chili
week 18 2 bags chocolate chips week 44 or soup
2-42 oz cartons oatmeal 5 cans tuna or other meat
week 19 quick or regular, your choice week 45
2-1lb Cans veg shortening, 3-5 lb bags flour,
week 20 1 box baking soda week 46 1-4 pack toilet paper
3-5 lb bags flour, 3-16 oz bags rice,
week 21 1-4 pack toilet paper week 47 1 jar beef bouillon
1-32 oz bottle honey,
week 22 1-8 oz can cocoa powder week 48 1 bottle Tums
5-15 oz cans vegetables 2-1 lb bags powdered sugar
week 23 week 49
3-16 oz bags rice, 3-5 lb bags flour,
week 24 1 can Lawry's Seasoning Salt week 50 1-4 pack toilet paper
2-1 lb bags brown sugar 5-15 oz can beans
week 25 week 51
week 26 5-15 oz cans fruit week 52 5-15 oz cans vegetables
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Here is a list of what you will end up with by the time the year is over:
15 lbs flour
4 42 oz containers oatmeal
12 lbs rice
10 lbs pasta
20 lbs sugar
6 lbs brown sugar
6 lbs powdered sugar
2 boxes baking soda
2 cans baking powder
4 lbs honey
A little over 6 1/2 pounds peanut butter
6 bags chocolate chips
2 jars yeast (keep it in the freezer)
1 lb cocoa powder
15 cans chili or soup
4 lbs shortening
1 1/2 gallons vegetable oil
1 jar cinnamon
1 can Lawry’s seasoning salt
1 jar chicken bouillon
1 jar beef bouillon
12 lbs rice
20 cans of tuna or other meats
20 cans of fruit
20 cans of beans
20 cans of vegetables
Tylenol
Ibuprofen
Tums
2 large boxes of tampons
20 rolls toilet paper
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ULTIMATE SURVIVAL SKILLS
Your A-Z Guide To Preparing,
Surviving, And Thriving No
Matter What
INTRODUCTION
INSIDE THIS BOOK ANYTHING
INTRODUCTION 1 CAN HAPPEN
GETTING DOWN 12
TO BASICS “Man can live about forty
SAFE, SECURE 33 days without food, about
AND READY TO
DEFEND
three days without water,
about eight minutes without
PLANNING 51
air, but only for one second
DEALING WITH 63 without hope.”
OTHERS
- Anonymous
CONCLUSION 73
CITATIONS 77
Whoever so elegantly said

that we always need hope to
survive surely understood
the importance of advance
planning. Preparing ahead for
events creates hope of survival
despite dire situations where
food, water, or safe shelters are
in short supply.
Though “preppers” are often referred to in (implied)
derogatory terms like “doomsdayers”, the fact is that a
host of natural and man-made events around the world
from hurricanes to war have proven that planning ahead
for disasters, or any kind of crisis no matter what form it
takes, makes sense.
Preppers are not doomsdayers. They are strategic

planners who look ahead, anticipate certain events,
and logically and methodically prepare to deal with
them.
In other words, survival starts with an open mind and

the acknowledgment that “life happens”, and it usually
happens when least expected. No one anticipated a 1.5
mile wide EF4 tornado would drop down on Alabama in
April, 2011 and kill 64 people, destroying or damaging
hundreds of homes. The Japanese didn’t plan on a
tsunami in 2011, nor were Colorado Springs residents
expecting wildfires to destroy entire neighborhoods in
2012.
Though many crises are natural disasters, there are

plenty of man-made disasters too. The American Red
Cross website reports the disaster relief agency responds
to approximately 70,000 natural and man-made
disasters annually just in the U.S.1 Employee errors at
electric plants, chemical spills, financial fraud, and even
terrorism can cause small and large emergencies on a
2 Ultimate Survival Skills

moments notice, and the consequences of these situations
can be much bigger than the event itself. After all, the
terrorist attack on New York City’s Twin Towers created
immediate problems for New York residents before it
went on to change how Americans travel and deal with
foreign threats forever.
So, preppers are realists. They understand that disasters

can happen at any time, in any location, with absolutely
no warning. They do what logical, reasonable people
do: plan and prepare in advance for the worse-case and
most likely scenarios. It is safe to say there is not a single
prepper who wants a catastrophe to occur in order to test
survival skills.
However, they do understand that should a disaster

occur, the safety and health of family members will be
threatened due to a lack of essential items like water,
food or shelter. The tens of thousands of residents who
are still displaced three months after Hurricane Sandy
hit the New York and New Jersey coastline in October
2012, or the families huddling in hurricane damaged
homes with no power or water so they can protect
remaining possessions against looters, probably wish
they had been better prepared to survive a catastrophe.
Let’s face it: Urban dwellers are usually not prepared

when the water stops flowing from the tap, the super-
market shelves are bare, there is no power for cooking

or heat, the police and fire departments cannot be
contacted, and it is impossible to reach an emergency
room.
So, the bottom line is this: Survival starts with an open

mind and an awareness of the various situations that can
occur. Once awareness develops, the next step is contin-
gency planning, but for what type of disasters?
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

It’s great to say everyone should prepare for disasters, but
it is important to prepare wisely. A wise prepper looks
at historical disasters to determine which ones are most
likely to happen next.
Californians know they should be prepared for earthquakes,

while people living in northern states should prepare for
blizzards.
Gulf Coast states experience numerous hurricanes,

while western states frequently battle wild fires.
A riot is much more likely to occur in Chicago than it is

in the small Missouri town of Sullivan. A terrorist act is
more probable in New York City than in Boise.
However, a hazardous chemical spill, gas explosion, fire,

or power outage can occur in any town or city. Below
you’ll find a list of possible disasters or events for review
and research guidance. It will be necessary to use your
judgment, based on where you live, concerning items
like rioting and war.
The FEMA site categorizes disasters as natural, human-

caused, and technological. Their list of disasters includes
the following:2
1. Blizzards
2. Cyber attacks (bringing down essential

community services)
3. Dam or levee failures
4. Disease outbreaks (epidemic)
5. Drought
6. Earthquakes
7. Explosions
8. Extreme heat
9. Fire (wildlands or structures)
10. Floods
11. Food shortages (due to supplier interruptions,

weather, etc.)

12. Hazardous chemicals (accidents and intentional)
13. Looting
14. Mudslides
15. Nuclear plant disaster (radiation exposure)
16. Power outages
17. Riots (demonstrations)
18. Structural failures (i.e. bridge collapse)
19. Terrorist acts (chemical, biological, nuclear,

explosives)
20. Thunderstorm (severe with lightning, hail and

wind)
21. Tornadoes
22. Tropical storm
23. Tsunamis
24. Volcano
25. War
26. Municipal water contamination or plant failure
27. Winter storms
Reading down the list can put fear in your heart unless

you’re willing to prepare in advance for some of these
situations. Though it is impossible to predict the future,
you can find out which of the disasters on the list are
most likely to occur in your area.
After all, there is no sense storing snow shovels if there

is almost zero probability of a blizzard in your area.
Therefore, the first survival step is preparing a realistic
risk assessment.
You can find out what could happen or is most likely to

happen in your particular area by contacting any of the
following agencies or organizations:
zz Contact your state Emergency Preparedness Agency

and ask (listing at: http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/
Preparedness/Resources_Network/emergency_pre-
paredness.aspx)
zz Contact your local health department
zz Contact the local chapter of the American Red Cross (to

find local chapters: http://www.redcross.org/find-your-
local-chapter)
The questions to ask include the following:
1. What specific disasters are most likely to occur in

your community?
2. Can the agency send free information on prepared-

ness?

3. Is there a public warning system, what sounds are
signaled, and what are the typical warnings for?
4. What should you do when you hear the warning

system?
At this stage, you are merely collecting information in

preparation for making a plan.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Contrary to popular belief, most preppers are not
loners who spend their days perched in a rocking chair,
shotgun at the ready, just waiting out for the Apocalypse
to come. Most preppers are average men and women
who you see every day, mowing their lawn, going to the
office and paying their taxes. Normal. Everyday. People.
And just like normal people, they have family and friends
they will want to protect and help during a disaster.
In addition, it makes sense to keep everyone informed

of their roles and how they should respond in the event
of a disaster. The importance of team effort for survival
was reinforced after Hurricane Sandy. For example,
a newscaster reported on a man who had run an
extension cord from his generator to an elderly woman’s
heater in a next-door house, so she could have heat for

several hours each day. Other people swapped power
for food, ensuring people were both warm and fed. Long
before the authorities were on the scene to do anything,
neighbors took care of each other.
Thus, during a disaster, teamwork is important. Getting

family, friends and neighbors involved in a disaster plan
will ensure everyone knows their responsibilities and
everyone knows where to turn to for help, if needed.
The old adage “A place for everything and everything

in its place” is an apt way of thinking when it comes
to involving your family and friends in disaster
preparedness planning.
You can hold an informal meeting in your home and

invite anyone you want; however, your Family Disaster
Plan is the most important. Just be sure to ease them
into it. If a someone is unaccustomed to a preparedness
lifestyle, a sudden submersion in it can be quite a shock
for them and possibly scare them off for good.
When holding the meeting below is a list each person,

including children, who takes part in the planning
meeting should know:
zz Why survival planning is so important
zz The most likely events for the area

zz How to best respond to each type of event
zz The importance of not letting stress lead to panic,

confusion or poor decisions
zz At least 2 areas where everyone agrees to meet with

outside the home. The first one should be in the
neighborhood and the second outside the neighbor-
hood
zz How to communicate should family and friends get

separated
zz Contact information for one or more people outside

the local area who can serve as central points of
information when disaster victims are separated
(i.e., each person calls the contact after the disaster
to let him or her know they are okay and a current
location)
zz An evacuation plan and route if ordered to leave

the area
zz A predesignated emergency shelter for pets
Remember to hold review meetings regularly with your

“village” because people tend to forget the small things
as time passes and in survival it is quite often the “small
things” that put you in the most danger.
This is especially true for children. Evacuation drills need

to be rehearsed so they become second nature. If friends
and neighbors are part of the plan, be sure to include them
in drills and review meetings.
It takes a village to raise children. Likewise, it also takes

a village to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone
in it before, during, and after a crisis.
Including people in the planning process is a way to

engage them and get their commitment to implement
survival tactics when necessary.
MAINTAIN A REASONABLE
PERSPECTIVE
Like I said above, you need to ease some people into this.
There are people who tend to go overboard once they

decide to become preppers. You have seen the reports on
television. They borrow tens of thousands of dollars, build
underground shelters that can withstand direct nuclear
bomb hits, or have enough food and water stored to last
through Armageddon and then some.
To each his own. Even though that is the choice of a

select few, the vast majority of us simply cannot logically
go to those lengths. It is vitally important that you
balance your life equally between work, prep, and play.

Preparing to survive a disaster should not break the
bank or hurt your ability to maintain a comfortable life
now. You are not trying to live in the future right now;
you are preparing for possible events that may or may
not happen. The 10-year supply of freeze dried food
purchased on credit does not put fresh food on your
children’s plates now. In other words, disaster planning
should not harm your current living status because you
are so worried about your future living conditions.
In the following sections, this guide will review reason-

able principles, methods, and practices for preppers.
First, there is a review of the basics, which are water,
shelter, food, and fire. That section is followed by a dis-
cussion of safety and security, addressing securing your
shelter, basic medical care, self-defense, and the defense
of your home. The chapter on planning presents check-
lists to help you make important decisions like “bug in
or bug out”, items needed for different time periods,
and accommodations for people with special needs, like
infants and elderly.
Of course, no discussion on survival planning is

complete until you consider how you will deal with
situations involving other people. For example, are you
prepared to calm rising tensions or do you know how
to barter for essential items? Do you know your capa-
bilities and limitations? It is time to begin doing what

preppers do best.....prepare!
GETTING DOWN TO BASICS

“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”
- Lucius Annaeus Seneca Roman Stoic
Philosopher and Statesman
Seneca died in AD 65, a time when life was rough even

on a good day, so he knew what he was talking about.
However, living a full life requires courage, but living
through a disaster requires the courage to plan ahead.
In this section, we consider the absolute basics for

survival, which are water, shelter, fire, and food. A
person can endure very difficult conditions as long as
basic needs are met. Therefore, as Julie Andrews sang in
The Sound of Music, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a
very good place to start.”
WATER
Water is an excellent starting point because you can
only survive for a few days without it. The harsh truth is
that everything else becomes irrelevant if you die from
lack of water. In fact, dehydration can cause physical
problems, like vomiting and muscle cramps, and
mental problems, like fuzzy short-term memory and an

inability to do even basic math.
Since we are used to having clean water available any

time, day or night, directly from our faucet, it’s difficult
to imagine a water treatment plant failing, being
knocked out by a storm or cyber attack, or forced to shut
down due to water contamination. However, all of these
events have happened.
The first question is: How much water should be stored?

The answer, of course, depends on whether you are
planning for a three day, three weeks, or three month
disaster period. However, if you store for a three day
emergency event, it is important to have developed
water collection skills for longer survival events. The
same holds true for three weeks or three months. What
will you drink the fourth week or fourth month?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

recommends storing at least two weeks of water. As a
guide, you can plan on needing a minimum of:
zz One-half gallon of water per person, per day for

drinking purposes only
Or
zz One gallon of water per person, per day, with

half for drinking purposes and the other half for
hygiene practices like teeth brushing
There are several checklists or charts here to guide you.

The first checklist identifies the various considerations
associated with water storage for disaster planning. The
second checklist identifies the various sources of water you
can turn to should the municipal water supply fail and you
run out of stored water.
The third chart is a guide to different methods of water

purification. Fortunately, there are many ways to collect
water, and you need to learn as many as possible so you
have options to choose from based on the situation. Water
collection and purification methods are one case in which
redundancy is the best thing you can have.
Stored water is a finite resource and should you run out

before life gets back to normal, it is vital to know how
to collect and disinfect water from any source available.
The following chart lists the various methods for finding
and collecting water. Use the list to identify the best
options for your area and then spend time learning
and practicing the techniques. Of course, it is critical
to master several appropriate methods so you have
options. For example, you may want to know how to
recycle rainwater and how to make a ground still.
The checklist can be used like an inventory sheet. For

example, if you have a pond or canal close to your home,
then check it off the list and make sure you learn how to
disinfect the water should you have to drink it.

WATER STORAGE CHECKLIST
Description Comments
3-Day storage
3 gallons per person
amount
3-week storage
amount
3 month stor-
age amount
Special water Children, elderly, health conditions,

needs? pets
Preferred con- 12-oz bottles, gallon bottles, 55 gallon

tainer size drums
Required 1 gallon of stored water = eleven 12-oz
amount of bottles
1-gallon requires 1/7th cubic foot of
storage space
storage space
available?
Storage space
1-gallon of water = 8 pounds
strong enough?
Store water away from sun, and in
Proper storage
cool, dry locations away from possible
environment
contaminants
Will buy wa-
What bottle size can you store?
ter?
Will bottle tap

Only use food grade containers
water?
Develop water Replace municipal tap water every 6
management months or
plan Follow bottled water label instructions
Learn 2 wa-
ter collection See following checklist
methods

WATER STORAGE CHECKLIST
Pollutants include industrial metals

Identify most like lead and arsenic, inorganic com-
common area pounds like gasoline and solvents, and
pollutants microorganisms like bacteria, protozoa,
viruses and parasites
Prepare water Assemble basic supplies used in multi-
collection sup- ple water collection methods, like small
plies kit tarp, plastic bags and pieces of rope
Assemble wa- Assemble basic supplies for water pu-
ter disinfectant rifying like activated charcoal, bleach
supplies and iodine
Since this is a discussion on survival, it should be

mentioned that drinking purified urine is another water
source. However, this is a last-ditch desperation tactic to
be used only when there are no other water alternatives
and your life is threatened by dehydration. Urine should
not be consumed more than three (3) times, and you
don’t want to drink it early in the morning as it is more
concentrated with body toxins at that time.5
There are many sources of water, if you know how

to extract water from the air, ground, or vegetation.
Identifying the type of water sources you will rely on
will ensure you also collect the right supplies and tools
in your survival kits.

CHECKLIST:METHODS FOR WATER COLLECTION
Description Your Comments
Quick Urban Sources
Ponds
Swimming pools or foun-

tains
Hot tubs
Canals or ditches
Rain catchments
Hot water tanks
Roof water tanks
Water pipes
Survivalist Sources
Condensation &
Evaporation (from any
source available)4
Vegetation still
Sweat bag still
Solar still
Tarpaulin over a fire still
Inflatable solar survival

still
Rainwater collection
(post disaster), i.e. in bar-
rels, etc.

You can purchase portable filters, but it is important to
understand what the filters are capable of removing.
Also, be sure to learn a water collection technique that
requires mostly skills and not supplies.
For example, a sweat bag still can collect water from

vegetation, mud, or contaminated water and only requires
a bag and natural materials like stones and sticks.
METHODS FOR PURIFYING WATER

Chemical Ultra-
Contaminant Boiling Distilling
Additives violet
Parasites X Maybe X X
Protozoa X Maybe X X
Viruses X X X X
Bacteria X X X X
Inorganic
N N N Maybe
Compounds
Metals N N N Maybe
X = Yes N = No Maybe = Uncertain
One final note on water concerning disinfection or

purifying. The well prepared prepper will know how
to make safe drinking water with supplies and when
unable to reach purifying supplies like bleach or iodine.
Knowing more than one way to get what you need
ensures a good outcome, and the best prepper is the
thorough prepper.

SHELTER
There are two ways to think about shelter:
zz What to do should a disaster make your home unin-

habitable
zz Preparing a space where family members are kept

safe and secure in the case of events like a terrorist
attack, rioting and looting, or a natural disaster
In the 1960s, people began building fallout shelters

because they were afraid of nuclear war. It is a bit in-
credible that over 50 years later, that same fear exists,
with modern crises including biological warfare and
terrorist attacks added on.
This is in addition to natural disaster threats, like

tornadoes and earthquakes that can quickly leave a
family homeless. Severely damaged homes present a
safety risk and can be declared inhabitable. What then?
This section primarily addresses preparing in advance

to ensure your family has options for shelter should
a crisis occur. The survival process occurs on a
continuum. When a event occurs, this is a typical
pattern:
zz Family immediately finds safety, which may

mean leaving the home due to damage
zz Family finds short-term emergency shelter when

the home is inhabitable
zz Family finds temporary alternative housing
zz Family seeks more permanent living arrangements
Short-term displacement is typical for a natural disaster.

However, there are two problems people face after a
natural disaster.
zz The need for protection from the weather
zz The need to protect possessions now subject to

looting
Both problems often lead people to set up temporary camp

on their own property rather than relocate to a temporary
shelter. Preparing in advance to ensure your family has
shelter no matter what happens may mean reinforcing the
house by building a safe room and assembling temporary
shelter supplies.
A safe room can provide protection in a variety of situa-

tions that include war, rioting, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
It is not useful for disasters like floods and earthquakes.
The one major drawback to a safe room is the expense.
Building a safe room makes sense when:9
zz You live in an area with high risk of extreme winds

or a man-made crisis
zz You are unable to reach an emergency shelter

before severe storms or cannot escape to safety
during an attack
zz You can afford the cost of a shelter
FEMA measures risk by considering the wind zone the

house is located in and the number of tornadoes that
have occurred per 1,000 square miles in the area. If you
live in a high risk area, a shelter is recommended. As far
as man-made threats, adding a shelter to your home may
make sense if you live in a big city, a high crime area, or
a city where terrorist acts have already occurred or are
likely to occur.
As mentioned, even if you build a safe room, there will

be events where the safe room is not usable. Therefore,
you need to be prepared to set up temporary shelter.
The most basic type of shelter is a tent large enough to
hold your family.
Here is a list of basic supplies to establish temporary and

immediate shelter.

CHECKLIST: SHELTER SUPPLIES
Description
Tent, tent poles and anchors
Sleeping cots
Flashlights
Lantern (battery with long life)
Hand crank or solar powered flashlight, cell phone &
radio charger
Sleeping bags
Basic clothing, including coats, gloves and boot covers
Thermal Blankets
Rain ponchos
Emergency food
Emergency water
Plastic tarps
Dishes and eating utensils
Extra line or rope
Waterproof matches
Radio
Portable toilet and waste treatment chemicals
It is also important to spend time learning basic

wilderness techniques for setting up a shelter in case
you can’t get to your camping supplies. Also, some
people live in rural areas and have ready access to
natural resources. The following is a checklist of
various kinds of improvised shelters made from mostly
natural or found materials.

You should spend some time investigating the various
types of shelters and choose a couple that are suitable
for your area. For example, if you live in the desert, a
debris hut may not be an option simply due to the fact
that there is not enough available debris to build an
insulating shelter. The following list is only meant to
give you an idea of the options available.9
CHECKLIST: TYPES OF SHELTERS

Description Main Materials
Debris hut Short stakes with ridgepole covered by
shelter debris
Dig trench into sand and use driftwood
Beach shade
for roof framework, cover with natural
Shelter
materials
Tree Pit
Dig snow out around tree trunk, cover
Snow
with boughs
Shelter
Find 4 trees in a rectangle or drive 4
Swamp or poles into ground, attach 2 poles to
standing tree so they run parallel, lay a series of
water bed perpendicular poles, cover with grass or
broad leaves
Secure a pole to a tree waist high, lay 2
more poles on the ground on each side
One person of secured pole, lay a tarp or other mate-
shelter rial over attached pole, spread ground
poles and tuck material under them to
secure
Tie line at top of parachute, toss line
Parachute over tree limb and tie to tree trunk,
tepee stake edges of parachute and tie with
line
Tie rope between 2 trees, hang poncho
Lean-to or tarp or other material over line, stake
each side to the ground

These wilderness shelters can be adapted to urban
environments. You may not have two trees left, but
there may be two cars and lines can be tied to the door
handles. When there has been a disaster, sometimes any
kind of shelter is welcomed when it is not possible to
reach an emergency shelter or emergency supplies.
One final note on shelters is that you should always

research evacuation routes for your area and have a
plan of escape should it be necessary to leave. In fact,
you should drive the route and an alternate route
periodically and make sure you know the way out.
FIRE
Can you build a fire....without matches? Probably not,
but don’t worry most people if handed a bow drill or
friction saw would not be able to produce a fire. Even
the most skilled survivalist doesn’t produce a roaring
fire every time.
If you plan ahead, primitive fire starting can be

bypassed for most short term disasters. That said,
having the skill and knowledge to produce primitive
fires is ALWAYS a good idea. After all you never know
when that zippo isn’t going to light!
There is a good chance you will need to build a fire after a

major disaster if you are unable to reach an emergency shelter
and are experiencing a power outage. A fire can be used for:
33 Cooking
33 Providing heat
33 Killing bacteria in water
33 Signaling distress
33 Sterilizing metal items
33 Repelling insects
33 Providing light
33 Drying clothes
33 Providing security lighting
33 Repelling predators
Building a fire is not difficult. Starting a fire can be,

depending on whether you have matches, a fire starter
and decent weather. If the wind is blowing, it is raining,
or there’s snow on the ground, starting a fire can be
challenging. When you assemble your disaster kit,
remember to more than one fire starter.
Like most products today, there are many choices.
Windproof and waterproof matches

Wood matches you coat with wax
Magnesium blocks
Emergency fuel tablets
Sterno
Flint and steel kits
Fire sticks
fero rods
Butane lighter
Inexpensive materials you can use to start a fire include:
CHECKLIST: FIRE STARTING MATERIALS

Description
Cotton balls (coated with petroleum jelly for a
slower burn)
Dryer lint
Shredded newspaper
Tree fungi (scraped from the tree trunk)
Moss
Char cloth (pieces of charred t-shirt stored in
watertight container)
Kindling or twigs
Charcoal
Dry leaves or pine needles
Bark

If it is sunny outside, and you have a magnifying lens,
it is fairly easy to start a fire with kindling. When the
kindling begins to smolder, blow on it until it ignites. It is
also possible to spark two wires attached to a 9v or higher
battery and ignite kindling, but it is important to know
what you are doing to avoid injury. Once kindling is lit, it
can be transferred to the fire pit.
By the way, you should never start a fire in your shelter.

Wherever you do start a fire should have plenty of
ventilation and not present the possibility of creating a
new disaster by catching something on fire.
FOOD
We will always have food available. Right?
You would not agree if you lived on Staten Island, New

York in the days following Hurricane Sandy. The roads
were closed, transportation trucks could not deliver
food, and power outages led to the loss of all refriger-
ated food. Hurricane Katrina left approximately 100,000
people without food for several days because no one
could reach them.
In other parts of the world, we get a glimpse of the food

problems disasters can spark. The massive 2010 Haiti
earthquake led to food riots, and the 2011 flooding in

China displaced approximately 5 million people and
destroyed vegetable crops.
Believing that living in a country like the U.S. means

never going hungry is a mistake. You are as likely to ex-
perience a major natural disaster as anyone else in the
world. Food shortages can result from:
zz Natural area disasters that create power outages

and blocks roads
zz Crop destruction of essential food items as a result

of flooding
zz Food supply interruptions due to international

natural disasters or economic and social crises
zz Economic disasters that force food prices up and

make food temporarily unaffordable
zz Riots that make it impossible to leave the house
zz Runs on grocery stores leading to empty shelves as

people panic before storms arrive
Preparing for a food shortage is the key to surviving any

kind of crisis, whether created by nature or people. The
type of food stored should have certain characteristics:6
zz Non-perishable
zz Must include items that do not need cooking

zz Does not have to be refrigerated
zz Simple to prepare and eat
zz Contains high amounts of nutrients that promote

energy
zz Rich in calories
zz Meet dietary restrictions or special needs
The food you store can be a mixture of items that do and

do not need cooking. Not all disasters lead to situations
where you are unable to cook. Sometimes it is simply a
case where emergency personnel tell you to remain in
your home because roads are blocked by trees, the city is
experiencing domestic turmoil, or weather events make
driving impossible. You may still have power and water,
but are virtually trapped in your own home, possibly for
days.
The reigning king of emergency food is the freeze dried

version. Food is flash frozen, and then placed in a
vacuum chamber where all moisture is removed. The
dried food is then sealed in packaging that serves as a
barrier against oxygen, moisture, and light.
zz Most can be stored for up to 25 years
zz Maintains its nutritional value
zz All food categories are available, including meats,

dairy, vegetables, fruit and juices
zz Compact and easy to store
zz Does not need to be rotated out every few years
zz Easy to prepare
zz Can easily be purchased on the internet from

reputable businesses
zz Can purchase as individual entrées or items or buy

in bulk
Of course, you can also buy canned, boxed and packaged

foods at the grocery store. Most of this food has a much
shorter shelf life than freeze dried food. However, if
you are willing to keep track of expiration dates and are
willing to re-invest in food supplies, canned and boxed
food are storable.
Some good options are canned foods with pull-top lids,

so there is no need for a can opener. Remember that
grocery store foods will require more storage space than
freeze dried food. That is one reason you probably do
not want to buy large meal-sized canned foods unless
you know for a fact there is enough storage room.
Ultimately, the best plan is to mix up your food stock a

bit. Freeze dried foods need water for reconstitution, so
it is not good food for a crisis in which water supplies

are limited or non-existent. For this reason, commercially
dehydrated foods are also not a good option because they
require a lot of water during preparation. Conversely, if
you need a long-term plan, canned goods solve the water
issue but require space and rotation. Thus, a mix will
help you cover all your bases.
The foods chosen for storage should provide enough

daily calories for all family members for the chosen time
period.
FOOD OPTIONS
Description Advantages Disadvantages
Stores well; must be kept in air

tight containers; can be pur- Requires significant
Dehydrated chased pre-packaged; up to 20 amount of water;
year shelf life; can dehydrate needs cooking
home grown foods
Stores well; pre-packaged; 20-25 Requires water and
Freeze
year shelf life; maintains nutri- cooking; can be
Dried
tion and flavor expensive
Simple to prepare; shelf life Can purchase foods
Canned or ranges from a few months to that may or may not
boxed a few years; must be rotated require water and
regularly cooking
Complete balanced meal with
MREs Expensive
cooking source; 5 year shelf life;
Time consuming to
Can use home grown garden
prepare; requires
foods and agricultural prod-
Home training; glass jars
ucts; supplies are re-usable as
Canned are breakable; glass
food is rotated; shelf life usually
jars require storage
under 5 years
in dark, cool location

A minimum 3-day supply of non-perishable food should
be stored. For a 3-day food supply, the recommended
foods generally do not need cooking but supply high
energy. They include:7
33 Protein bars
33 Fruit bars
33 Ready-to-eat canned foods, including meats,

vegetables and fruits
33 Dried fruits and nuts
33 Peanut butter
33 Crackers
33 Dry cereal
33 Non-perishable pasteurized mil
33 Canned juices
33 Vitamins
33 Special needs foods for infants, elderly or those with

medical conditions
The Washington Military Department Emergency Man-

agement Division offers simple to remember, practical
guidelines for determining how much food to store:8
MINIMUM 2 cans of food per person, per day

For a person a normal 2,000 calorie diet per day, food
storage would include:
FOOD OPTIONS
Description Type Amount
Meats,
Meat, turkey, chicken, or seafood;
Beans & 5.5 ounces
legumes, nuts
Nuts
Vegetables
& Vegetable Variety of vegetables and juices 2.5 cups
Juices
Fruits Variety of fruits and fruit juices 2 cups
Dry cereals, pretzels (low salt);
Grains crackers, granola, snack bars (oat- 6 ounces
meal or granola); white rice
This chart represents absolute minimum amounts to

stay healthy. The quantities of food are multiplied by the
number of emergency days and the number of people
to be fed. It is necessary to add items like formula for
infants and foods for restricted diets.
These are just guidelines. Some people buy a basic

three supply of food and then add to the supply as their
budget permits. Just buying a couple of extra cans of
food each time you go to the grocery store or ordering
one box of freeze dried food each month will quickly
create an adequate food supply.
As you add foods to your supply, mix it up a bit. No one

wants to eat white rice and tuna every day for 3 weeks.
Buy cans of chili, tuna fish, dried soups, a variety of

cereals, accent foods like salt and pepper, and even some
treats like cookies.
Finally, it is important to keep a food inventory that includes

the month and date of purchase. Then write the same date
on the food items with a marker. Before storing the food item,
make sure you are satisfied with the packaging. Some items
may need re-sealing if they are packaged in:
zz Paper
zz Plastic
zz Cardboard box
zz Oxygen permeable plastic containers
Before resealing, make sure as much air is removed as

possible. If bulk items like rice or corn is stored, the storage
container needs to be very tightly sealed.
SAFE, SECURE AND READY TO DEFEND

“The desire for safety stands against every
great and noble enterprise.”
- Tacitus Roman Empire Senator
When disaster strikes, it creates a threat to you and your family’s

safety and security in more ways than one. Your personal safety
is jeopardized by the lack of power, water or shelter and poten-
tially by damage to things like gas valves or electrical systems.

However, it may also be threatened by the way people act after
the disaster.
It is unfortunate, but disasters often bring out the worst

in people because they see it as an opportunity to loot
damaged homes. Looters prey on whoever they believe is
vulnerable.
Damaged homes or property are like personal invita-

tions to looters who are looking for an easy way to rob
property owners of their possessions. In this section, we
review steps you can take to secure your home before
and during a crisis and some self-defense methods
should you have to confront looters or those who are
acting irrationally due to fear and stress.
SECURING YOUR SHELTER

BEFORE A CRISIS
The best time to secure your home is before a crisis
ever occurs. There are a number of steps you can take
that range from ensuring window and door locks work
properly to creating a safe room.
Below are some checklists to help you identify inexpen-

sive and more expensive steps you can take to secure
your home. You’ll also find a checklist of items you need

to be familiar with before a crisis or a disaster to protect
yourself from harm.
SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO SECURE A SHELTER

Description
Install motion sensor flood lights at entrances and
around property
Add anti-shatter film to windows
Add a peephole to the front door
Change existing locks to higher quality, more secure
models
Secure deadbolts with longer screws
Display warning signs for security system or guard dog
Secure pet doors
Remove tall trees or shrubs near house that provide
hiding places
Keep shrubs trimmed below windows
Make sure there is a clear line of sight between street
and entrance/windows
Move heavy items to lower shelves
Ensure all gas connections are strong and flexible
Secure flammable materials
Create secrete hiding places for food and money

MORE EXPENSIVE WAYS TO SECURE A SHELTER
Description
Purchase 24-hour monitored security system
Add video camera system
Install door alarm security bar
Install magnetic contact alarms for windows

Consider adding steel bars to windows (in high risk
areas)
Install security screen doors with bars
Install solid-core or steel exterior doors
Install steel door in at least one interior room for backup

Install double-pane or reinforced glass windows that are
harder to break or non-breakable Plexiglass
Add high-tech locks that operate electronically, by re-
sponding to a command, or by fingerprint recognition
Build a safe room with thick walls and fire-rated doors
Install surface mount deadbolts on every exterior door

Get a guard dog or install a security system with barking
dog sounds
Install fencing and electronically controlled gates
Install fire resistant roofing
Install hidden trap door for undetected escape

ON A NEED-TO-KNOW BASIS
33 Location of:
zz Main water valve
zz Main gas valve
zz Main shut-off valve wrench!
zz Hot water tank shutoff
zz Appliance shutoffs, including dryer, oven, fireplace
zz Garage door manual override
zz Main electrical breaker box
33 Know how to shut off:
zz Main water valve
zz Main gas valve
zz Appliances, including dryer, oven, fireplace, hot

water tank
zz Main electrical breaker box
33 Floor Plan Showing:
zz Exit doors
zz Windows
zz Fire extinguishers

zz First aid kits
zz Emergency water and food supplies location
zz Emergency equipment location, like generator
zz Family assembly location
33 Other
zz Draw picture of breaker box and label
zz Tag utility box keys and hang in easily reached

location
zz Tag and hang other spare keys to car, utility rooms

etc.
zz Determine best escape route from second floor and

place escape ladder or rope in accessible location
zz Cut emergency cover-up boards to fit windows, mark

and store
zz
SECURING YOUR SHELTER

AFTER A CRISIS
Remember the old adage about trying to close the barn
door after the horses have escaped? If so…just forget
it. Sometimes life happens, and we find ourselves in
situations requiring post-crisis action. Even the most

prepared person can’t anticipate every single event. Un-
fortunately, one of the facts ordinary and honest citizens
must cope with is looting. Sure, it can be anticipated but
until you know what is damaged during the disaster, it
is impossible to make a specific plan for securing your
shelter.
For example, you may have installed specially constructed

doors and door frames able to withstand a battering ram.
However, what happens if an earthquake damages the door
or a tornado rips out a portion of a wall containing the most
secure door in the world?
Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with, but man is

a creature to be feared
You must be prepared to secure your property against

people as well as the weather.
Some steps you take will help manage both types of

problems: Those associated with looting and those as-
sociated with shelter damage. The following checklist
will help you determine the types of supplies you need
to have handy to respond to a disaster, like the pre-cut
plywood, bolts for securing the plywood, and a drill.
The first checklist addresses the steps to take immediately

after a disaster.11 The second checklist assumes you stay in
your home and must secure the residence for safety and
security reasons, including preparing for potential looting.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DISASTER HITS
Description
Initiate disaster plan with family, first locating all mem-
bers
Check for injuries and quickly attend to emergencies
first (triage)
If able, leave house until able to check for damages or
additional injuries
Turn off electric utilities at main valve
Put on heavy shoes for safety reasons and begin shelter
inspection
If gas leak is suspected, turn off gas main valve, open
windows and leave house
If no gas leak, assess for fires or fire hazards, watching
for smoldering material and flames
Listen to battery powered radio for information,
weather alerts, etc.
If determined safe, assess damage to house, roof and
chimney, looking for risks to personal safety and shel-
ter security (if high, leave residence immediately),
If necessary to leave, implement evacuation plan
If able to remain, move to the safest part of the shelter
(safe room, undamaged area)
Charge up cell phones

STAYING IN A HOUSE AFTER A DISASTER
Description
If able to remain, move to the safest part of the shelter

If necessary to leave, implement evacuation plan or set
up temporary shelter in safe area
Cover roof openings with plywood and tarp
Cover broken windows with plywood

Do not use lights at night (they let people know you have
supplies and equipment)
Board up windows if looting seems likely
Black out windows so light and movement is masked

Assemble items for defense like pepper spray and fire-
arms
Place a “prepper’s welcome mat” on porch at main
doors or under windows (large pieces of plywood with
nails sticking up)
Set-up trip wires attached to soda cans at the outer prop-
erty perimeters and in doorways (as a inexpensive and
quick alert system when power is out)
House damage and looting are the two biggest threats

after a disaster or during a societal break down. People
who have not planned ahead will soon start looking for
easy food and water, which is why grocery stores are
often the first stores to get looted. However, looters do
not stop at essentials and will begin looking for easy
targets like your house.
In many cases, people can’t leave their property, even

if they want to, because roads are closed or they have

a family member that is physically unable to leave.
Whether you stay out of choice or circumstances, it will
be necessary to dig in and defend your property.
It is impossible to predict all of the circumstances that may

occur, but looting is almost a certainty. Some people suggest
placing random trash around the yard to give the impression
the house has already been looted. That may or may not work.
Your best options are bolting plywood to the windows, leaving
yourself a view and lookout, booby-trapping the doorways,
and arming yourself with both non-lethal items and firearms.12
BASIC MEDICAL CARE

“You don’t ask people with knives in their stomachs what
would make them happy; happiness is no longer the point.
It’s all about survival; it’s all about whether you pull the
knife out and bleed to death or keep it in.... ”
- Nick Hornby
in How to Be Good
Perhaps the above quote from Mr. Hornby is a bit

dramatic, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
If the sight of wounds or blood makes you feel the urge
to run screaming from the room, in an emergency you’ll
have to get over it.

In a disaster there is almost always someone injured,
and that person (possibly you) will need help. An
injured person is in no position to listen to anyone
gagging and whining that blood makes them squeamish.
You need to get over your fears and learn to act. A lapse
between thought and action, even a few seconds , can be
the difference between a speedy recovery and a hole in
the ground.
Being prepared to give basic medical care has two

benefits. First, you plan in advance for a medical event
and are forced to think about what could happen.
Second, running for the medical supplies on hand and
thinking about basic first aid practices will distract you
from any squeamishness you might experience.
The best offense is a good defense, and that means

having a quality first aid kit prepared in advance and
knowing how to treat the most common injuries. You
are not expected to do surgery in the field, but it is
critical to know basic first aid because it can save a life.
The following checklists provide guidance for preparing a

first aid kit and identifying the types of injuries you should
be able to at least minimally treat until emergency help is
available.
Below is just a guideline: In order to fully help in first

aid you should take at least an introductory course in
first aid and CPR.

Remember: Preppers plan ahead!
BASIC FIRST AID SUPPLIES

Description Purpose
Sterile non-stick Control bleeding; apply pressure to
dressings wounds
Sterile and non-
Covering wounds
sterile bandages
Immobilize broken bones or injured
SAM splint
neck
Butterfly strips Close small wounds
Tape Hold bandages in place
Breathable coverage for wounds; hold
Gauze
bandage in place
Adhesive Cover blisters, small burns, bites,
bandages scratches
Eyewach Flush eyes
Betadine—disinfects wound, medical
Disinfectant
equipment or water
Scissors and
For cutting bandages
knife
Thermometer Take person’s temperature
Self protection from contamination;
Latex Gloves
protect patient during treatment
Hands free light for first aid delivered
Headlamp
at night
Treat allergic reactions and anaphy-
Allergy meds
laxis
Antibiotic
Prevent infections
ointment
Burn gels Treat burns and scrapes
Laxatives and
Anti-diarrheal Treat diarrhea or constipation
medicines

BASIC FIRST AID SUPPLIES
Description Purpose
Decongestants Treat congestion
Treat headaches and minor aches and
Pain Relievers
pains
Space blanket Keep injured warm and dry
To counteract poisoning and overdose
Activated char-
of orally
coal
administered drugs
Moist antiseptic
and Non-an-
For cleaning wounds
tiseptic Tow-
elettes
Prescription
Medicines
(with written Administer required medications like
instructions for asthma inhalers, insulin, blood pres-
dosage frequen- sure or heart medicines
cies
by name)
Soap For sanitation
Chapstick Lip protection
Any type of injury can occur during a disaster, of course,

but some are more common than others. Preppers
need to assemble their first aid kit and then learn how
to use the items in it to treat typical injuries. Some
injuries will be very severe and beyond the capabilities
of a survivalist to treat, but that is out of your control.
What you can do is prevent minor injuries or illnesses
from turning into bigger problems.

Here is a chart listing typical injuries that occur during
natural disasters, like tornadoes or earthquakes, and
truth be told, may also result from altercations with other
people.13 It does not begin to list all possible injuries but
will get you thinking in terms of basic medical care needs.
TYPICAL INJURIES
Type of Injury Basic Treatment
Apply direct pressure, pressure point
Bleeding pressure, elevation, tourniquet, digital
ligation
Cover and cushion small blisters. Disin-
Blisters fect, open, and cover large or infected
blisters.
Apply antibiotic ointment to ease itch-
ing and prevent infection; remove bee
Insect Bites & stingers with knife blade; clean and
Stings dress spider bites and scorpion stings;
watch for life-threatening reactions liked
airway swelling
Animal bites Apply antibiotic ointment
Lacerations,
abrasions, Clean, close with butterfly bandages, ap-
cuts, scrapes ply antibiotic; dress with bulky bandages
etc
Use weights or manual traction, or pull
Dislocations
joint back into place and then splint
Sprains Compression wrap or splint, elevate
Use SAM splint, branches or saplings as
Broken bones splints, then tie series of strips or ban-
dages around splint
Clean and cover wounds, monitor the
Head injury
person’s well-being for at least 24 hours.

TYPICAL INJURIES
Type of Injury Basic Treatment
Apply clean wet dressings over burn,
Burns treat like a wound, keep airway open,
watch for shock
Wrap person in a warm sleeping bag or
Hypothermia immerse in a warm bath, administer hot
fluids
Breathing Clear foreign objects, administer ab-
problems dominal thrusts; use jaw thrust method,
(obstructions, give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation; keep
inflammation, warm; if asthma, sit person up and lean
tongue block- forward while quickly administering
age) medications
Bring body temperature down by apply-
Heatstroke ing cool wet compresses to joints; wet
head; administer fluids
Constipation Administer laxatives
Diarrhea Administer anti-diarrheal
DEFENSIVE STRATEGIES
Defensive strategies can be grouped into three main
categories: simple self-defense strategies using no
weapons, defense measures utilizing less lethal
protection devices, and lethal defense of your home with
firearms. This section complements the section on safety
and security.
In other words, you have taken steps to secure your

home from intruders and looters, as much as possible.
However, there could come a time when you must
deflect potential invaders who want your food, water,

supplies, or personal possessions.
Once again, you should review the checklists, decide

which ones fit your personal needs and life philosophy,
and then learn how to effectively and efficiently
implement them.
SIMPLE SELF-DEFENSE METHODS WITHOUT A FIREARM

Description
Lock yourself and family in the safe room
Chopping the throat or neck with the edge of a flat-
tened palm
Kick the attacker on the body part closest to you
Headbutt the attacker
Use a common item as a weapon (pen, hammer, golf
club, baseball bat, umbrella, stone, etc.)
Attack vulnerable and vital body areas like the eyes,
ears, throat, groin, and especially the kneecap
Biting
Arm yourself with a kitchen knife
Complete basic self-defense course
Escape through secret exit
Smoke bomb
Temporarily blinding strobe light
Every situation is different. The first goal is to keep the

looter from entering the house, in the first place. If an
armed looter gets into the house and you do not have a
firearm, it is not wise to directly confront the invader.
Surprise him from behind with a golf club swing to the

head or leave the house, but don’t try to defend yourself
with maneuvers like kicks and chops unless formal
training has been completed.
Of course, there are desperate situations in which you may

have to charge the person, while ducking and weaving. If
so, try to grab a shield first, like a television tray or piece of
metal roofing.
LESS THAN LETHAL DEFENSE

MEASURES
Less lethal measures are intended to incapacitate the
looter or convince the looter to leave. They can cause
bodily harm but are not intended to kill the person.
These items are purchased and should be kept in
multiple and easily accessible locations.14

LESS THAN LETHAL WEAPONS
Description
Pepper spray
Wasp spray
Mace
Stun gun
Thermal guns
Shotguns firing nets
Darts tipped with (legal) drugs

Bean bags filled with metal shot and fired
from an adapted grenade launcher
Batons
LETHAL DEFENSE OF YOUR

HOME
Lethal defense of your home is another option after
a disaster or during a crisis. Legal lethal weapons are
generally classified as:
33 Firearms
33 Knives
This could very well be the best option if you are con-
fronted with a group of looters or a people on the edge
due to their uncontrollable fear and desperation. Knives
are a distance second choice to guns. You can purchase

firearms for a lot of reasons, and self-defense is one
of them. The U.S. Constitution protects the right of
citizens to own and bear arms. However, there are some
important points to keep in mind.
First, you need to learn firearm safety and learn how

to correctly use the weapon. A firearm in the hands of
someone unfamiliar with guns creates a high risk of self-
injury. Training includes:
33 Firearm safety
zz Handling
zz Storing
zz Firing different types of weapons
33 Weapons loading and unloading
33 Tactical use for effective results
33 Maintaining a safe weapon
33 Laws concerning firearms
Use of lethal force has consequences, and you must

be prepared to accept them. For this reason, use of
lethal force embraces psychological, moral, and legal
issues. Recognizing that firearms or knives used against
intruders are intended to take a human life, you must
be willing to live with the potential guilt should that
happen.

Anyone who says, “I just want to scare someone away!”
should not attempt to use a gun. Chances are the intruder
will sense the reluctance, take the gun away, and turn it on
the person.
You also need to understand that there will also be legal

repercussions, if someone gets killed. The burden will be
on you to prove it was a life and death situation for you
or your family. That may require hiring an attorney and
spending a lot of money proving your case. Yet, you have
a right to defend yourself, and no one can take that right
away. However, you do need to know the law.
33 Learn federal, state, county and local firearm laws
33 Thoroughly learn your rights and when lethal self-

defense is allowed by law
33 Learn the terms, like “immediate threat”, “self-de-

fense”, “aggressor”, “justifiable force”, and so on
Here is a chart with some points to keep in mind:

DO’S AND DON’TS OF LETHAL DEFENSE
Description
Do Choose weapons comfortable to use
Do store plenty of ammunition for all weapons

Do store or hide firearms in places children cannot
access
Do know the firearm safe combination by heart (and
practice quick openings)
Do have all required firearm permits
Do practice shooting often
Don’t overestimate your abilities with firearms

Don’t underestimate the abilities of intruders to use
firearms and to harm
Don’t try to balance a firearm and flashlight in a
single hand
Don’t shoot anyone not threatening your life
Don’t shoot out of the window unless able to prove an
immediate and direct safety threat
Don’t use non-lethal bullets when defending home
during a crisis
Don’t hesitate to shoot when the right time arrives
Don’t draw a firearm just to scare someone off—be
ready to use it
The decision to use firearms to defend your shelter is

a serious one. After a disaster or during a crisis, there
is a good chance that police response will be slow or
completely unavailable for a long period of time. In the
meantime, your family is left vulnerable to riots, looters

and desperate people that may be willing to do whatever
it takes to get something that you have. For this reason,
millions of citizens bear arms solely to defend the lives of
their families and their property.
PLANNING
“Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only
those who can leave behind everything they have ever
believed in can hope to escape.”
- William S. Burroughs, Writer
DECIDING TO BUG-IN OR
BUG-OUT (STAY OR GO?)
Stay or go? That is the question after a disaster or
during a crisis. Sometimes, it is clear that it’s time to
bug-out. For example, during a wildfire that is close to
burning down your neighborhood or when ordered to
evacuate by government officials, you would clearly
want to leave.
However, even during an ordered evacuation, some

people choose to stay. The decision to bug-in or bug-out
ultimately lies with you and will depend on a number of
factors.

The time to consider these factors is before a disaster or
crisis occurs. In that way, you know by given conditions
what the decision should be for that event. Following
are a couple of checklists to help you assess situations
that you might encounter during a disaster.
The fact is that each event must be evaluated on its own

merits. The decision to bug-in or bug-out ultimately rests
on a family’s ability to stay safe, secure, and healthy
during the duration of the event.
No two events are identical. The power may go out

during a hurricane one year but stay on through a
tornado the next year. Looters may be a problem in
the big city but not in your town. A blizzard may last
one day or a week. An economic crisis creating a food
shortage may endure for months.
Review the checklists and think through your family’s

needs and your ability to meet those needs with the
preparations you have made. The right decisions are
usually clear.

BUG-IN
Description
Able to remain in home without endangering family
Enough supplies are stored to last through expected

event timeline
No family member’s health is threatened by loss of
power
There are alternative heating sources should the power
go out during wintertime
There are no available alternatives for sheltering within
easy reach
Are prepared to protect home from looters
There is no evacuation route
Leaving would expose family to contaminated air
Alternative sheltering on property is available should it

be necessary to abandon a damaged house
Willing to live under martial law should it be imple-
mented
Not able to leave quickly and efficiently (traffic log, fam-
ily health issue, road conditions, etc.)
Leaving would expose family to worse problems like ter-
rorism or radiation
Rioting and looting is underway in home area and leav-
ing would force family to make contact with participants
Can still make decision to bug-out after a few days to see
if power comes back on
Not able to walk any distance should it be necessary

BUG-OUT
Description
Event appears to be getting worse than anticipated, put-
ting family in danger
Not enough food and water is stored for event duration
Evacuating later, should it be necessary, would not be
possible
Infant, elderly or sick members of family cannot live in
a home during a power failure
Conditions are life threatening, i.e. fire, mudslides,
flooding
Home is not habitable after disaster and it is not fea-
sible to setup outside shelter
Necessary to have access to medical treatment and
medications
Not able to defend yourself against potential intruders
READY FOR THE FIRST 72

HOURS
The first 72 hours of a disaster are critical because it is
a time of potential panic. It is also the most likely time
period during which power, gas, and water supplies
will be interrupted. In addition, relief workers are
swamped and unable to help everyone who needs it
right away. Advance preparation ensures your family
can take care of themselves for the first few days.
Every family needs to have several kits or bags

assembled. Based on the previous discussion, you
should know that food and water are most critical.
However, there are eight categories of items that need to
be in the house and readily accessible. The bug-out bag
is designed to grab and go.15
BUG-IN BAG/SUPPLIES
3-day water sup-
See Chapter 2
ply
3-day food supply See Chapter 2
See Chapter 2, 1 kit for home and 1
First aid supplies
for each vehicle
Include warm clothing for each
Clothing family member in event disaster oc-
curs in winter months
Sleeping bags able to handle mi-
Bedding nus 20 degrees F preferred in cold
climates
Tools & Emergen-
See next checklist
cy Supplies
Special items for For infants, elderly, people with
family members medical conditions, disabled
Medications Especially prescription medications

TOOLS & SUPPLIES
Description
Plates (paper and plastic) and cups
Plastic utensils
Non-electric can opener
Utility knife (multi-funtction knife is most useful)
Battery operated or solar powered radio
Hand crank power generator for cell phones, radio
Flashlights, light sticks, battery operated lamps
Fire extinguisher
Waterproof matches
Hammer and nails
Hand axe
Screwdrivers (various sizes)
Pry bar
Wrenches (various sizes)
Saw
Nylon line, twine
Dust masks
Duct tape
Utility valve shut-off wrench
Tube tent
Non-electric cooking stove and fuel
Candles
Water purification tablets or solution

BUG-OUT BAG
3-day water
See Chapter 2
supply
3-day food
See Chapter 2
supply
First aid
See Chapter 2
supplies
Include warm clothing for each fam-
Clothing ily member in event disaster occurs
in winter months
Sleeping bags able to handle minus
Bedding 20 degrees F preferred in cold cli-
mates, emergency blankets
See previous Tools & Supplies list and
Tools &
select those for which you are able to
Emergency
accommodate, always carry a good
Supplies
multi-function knife
Special items
For elderly, people with medical
for family
conditions, disabled
members
Water purifica-
tion tablets or To purify water
solution
Toilet paper Sanitation
Portable toilet Sanitation

To protect gear or use for temporary
Plastic bags
shelter
Feminine hy-
Sanitation
giene supplies
Indestructible
Carrying water
water container
Bandanas Multiple purposes
Extra eye
Extra protection
glasses

BUG-OUT BAG
Denture needs Extra protection

Firearm and
For protection
ammunition
To house, vehicle, safe deposit box,
Spare set of
storage facility, safe haven shelter
keys
location, etc.
Emergency cash Emergency purchases, at least $500
Now that you are ready to bug-in or bug-out, it is time to

consider disasters that may last up to 3 weeks.
READY FOR 3 WEEKS

Three weeks seems like a long time, but disaster
recovery often takes that long and much longer. There
are some things to keep in mind.
33 Food and water needs to be rationed beginning week 3
zz Inventory food
zz Eat spoilable food first
zz Eat available natural foods (i.e. garden vegeta-

bles)
zz Calculate food portion sizes for children and adults

based on revised expected length of emergency

situation
zz Distribute food based on the plan
zz Collect additional food and water whenever

possible and add it to the inventory
33 If winter is approaching, prepare well in advance
33 Assist the community with recovery because

everyone benefits when people work together
zz Volunteer at food and water distribution points
zz Work with community sanitation efforts
zz Check on neighbors, especially the elderly and

infirmed
Unfortunately, it is important to not tell people that you have

stored food and water. As is discussed in the next chapter,
tensions rise during a disaster or crisis and people can act
irrationally when desperate. You do not want to put your
family in danger by letting others know you were well
prepared. That encourages looters.
SETTLING IN FOR THE

LONG-TERM
Stockpiling food, water, and supplies helps for a certain
period of time, but a long term situation presents new
challenges. The consequences of disasters can endure

for months, and if your supplies were designed to last
for weeks, there must be options.
Emergency rations distributed by disaster recovery

workers will be inadequate over the long term, and
municipal water supplies may be erratic, even if the
power is restored.
When you plan for a long term disaster, you will need to
think in terms of self-sufficiency.
33 Renewable Water Source
zz Learn natural purification methods like solar pas-

teurization
zz Construct a rain catchment system
zz Rain barrel system
zz Rainwater
harvesting
zz Install a water storage tank
33 Sustainable Food Source
zz Plant a garden
zz Build a greenhouse
zz Learn long term storage techniques, i.e. freeze

drying, canning, freezing, drying, preserving

zz Collect natural, local foods like berries and fruits
zz Learn to cook using native vegetation as much as

possible
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
There is a good chance each family has a member who
is a special needs person. Following is a checklist of
people who may need special accommodations during an
emergency. A bug-in and bug-out kit will need to include
the items necessary to ensure they stay safe and secure.
Special needs people may simply need certain supplies or

particular foods. However, someone who is blind, mentally
challenged, or confined to bed due to a medical condition,
will need the help of other people. A disaster or crisis is
stressful for everyone, but for someone dependent on
others for their well-being, it is four times so.
Following is a checklist of things to consider if your

household has special needs.16

SPECIAL NEEDS
Description
Infants
Elderly
Physical disability
Sensory disability
Cognitive disability
Disabled
Chronic illness
Current medical condition
Pregnant
Female hygiene
Dietary restricted
The special needs supplies can be added to family kits or

separate special needs kits assembled. In some cases it
may be as simple as adding backup hearing aid devices
and batteries, and communication cards to the kit.
However, as mentioned earlier, infants probably require
their own bug-in and bug-out kits, as would someone
who is chronically ill or has dietary restrictions.

MAKING A PLAN FOR SPECIAL NEEDS PEOPLE
Organize a support Family, friends, neighbors; include at
network familiar with least 3 people that you know can be
your needs trusted
List needs and avail-
To identify where help is needed
able resources
Personal care re-
Adaptive equipment
quirements
Feeding devices Special equipment
Mobility equipment Wheelchair, electric lifts, walkers, etc.
Transportation Specially equipped vehicle
Food restrictions Food storage requirements
Assistance needed to leave home or
Evacuation needs
evacuate area
Interpreter Communication needs
Service animals Pet accommodation
Local special assis- Check for emergency assistance avail-
tance programs ability
Personal care atten- If currently using, plan with the per-
dants son or agency for times of emergency
List of names, phone numbers and
Develop communica-
location of family, caregivers, and
tions plan
support personnel
Allow room for person and their
Identify safe place in assistive equipment, in addition to
home for disabled family members; allow for alternative
plans for different hazards
Allow room for moving essential
Plan escape routes
equipment with person, i.e. wheel
out of house
chairs, mechanical beds, etc.
Backup power supply For medical and assistive equipment
For example, manual wheelchair in
Backup equipment case electric wheelchair stops work-
ing
Special needs bug-in, Assemble kits that contain supplies to
bug-out, first aid kits accommodate special needs

Once the special needs emergency plan is developed,
it is important to review it at least every 6 months. Cir-
cumstances can change, which will require amendments
to your plan. You need to meet with all family members
and ensure that more than one person is able to assist
the special needs person should you not be able to carry
out planned duties.
In 2009, an interesting study was completed by Temple

University. The study compared the preparedness of
households with and without special needs members.
The results sadly reported that, despite having greater
vulnerability to a disaster, households with special
needs family members were not more likely to have
prepared in advance by planning and buying.17
DEALING WITH OTHERS

“We feel free when we escape - even if it be but from the
frying pan to the fire.”
- Eric Hoffer, Philosopher
Successful preppers plan ahead for everyone in their

circle.

IT’S NOT “ME AGAINST THE
WORLD”
“Why me?” That is often the initial feeling when disaster
strikes. Why was my house destroyed, but my neigh-
bor’s house is still standing. Why is my friend calling
me looking for food and water, when he should have
planned ahead? Why did my husband get injured during
a tornado, at a time when I needed him most?
These kinds of questions are normal because we feel

personally attacked during a disaster or crisis. One
fact you can count on is that a lot of seemingly unfair
events will surround disasters.
The nicest person in the neighborhood is mortally

wounded trying to help someone escape a damaged
house. The 3-month old infant loses an arm when it
is crushed by falling debris. Your house burns to the
ground due to a gas leak caused by an earthquake, while
everyone else in the area suffers minor damage. The
looters try to rob you of your food and water but leave
your neighbors unharmed.
The first thing to remember is that a disaster or crisis

can strike at any time, but it is not targeting you or
your family or your friends. Therefore, you must strive
to avoid falling into the trap of thinking that it is “you
against the world” and that you now must stand alone in

your defense of all that is important in your life.
Here is a fact: Survival applies to one person, but recov-

ering and thriving takes a village. We opened the discus-
sion on survival by pointing out that “it takes a village”
or teamwork to move beyond the damage, fear, and
stress that inevitably accompanies a disaster. To survive
means to you stay alive and healthy. To thrive means
you rebuild a community and move forward with life.
Humans were not meant to be alone. We are social

creatures and without the interaction and teamwork
with other humans we would have never made it this
far up the food chain. Think about it, we are not the
biggest, nor the strongest. We don’t have razor sharp
claws and bone crushing teeth. We are small, fragile,
pink animals that need each other to continue on.
Rebuilding is a group effort, and people need to help

each other. Ten pairs of hands can build a shelter in a
fraction of the amount of time it would take you to do
it on your own. Five pairs of hands can remove a large
tree from a road in a matter of hours, as opposed to days
for a single person.
The people who manage the best during a disaster are

those who maintain the right state of mind. Negative
thinking will impede the ability to make good decisions
and to solve problems. Keeping your family safe requires

the ability to adapt to conditions and to keep a “can do
attitude”. It is quite possible that you will have to deal
with the basic problems of thirst, hunger, cold, or heat.
However, as a prepper, you have planned ahead and
those problems should be temporary.
To ensure you maintain a “can do attitude”, first assess

your skills for several reasons:
zz Identify personal
capabilities
zz Identify need for additional training
zz Assist community with rebuilding
zz Supplement group efforts by contributing missing

skills
In addition, you will have to learn how to work within

the community to get what you need to survive and then
thrive. Do you know how to network and barter? Those
skills could be as important as being able to repair a roof
or cook food over an open fire. It just all depends on the
type of disaster and how long recovery takes.
In the meantime, the most useful tool in your inventory is

a positive mental attitude. This is of as much importance as
your physical, body for survival.
While you may start off the end of a disaster fighting off

hordes of looters or whatever else may be thrown your
way, ultimately, once you know your family is safe and
secure, it is time to rebuild the village.
SKILLS ASSESSMENT
CHECKLIST
Most of us never stop to assess or list our particular skills.
However, when your home and community is ravaged by a
disaster, all skills are important to someone or some group.
Also, assessing current skills will help you identify

weaknesses and the need for additional training.
The checklist begins with the most basic survival
skills and then proceeds to skills requiring spe-
cialized training.
The World Bank Building Resilient Communities report,

which addresses disaster risk reduction, disaster
response, and disaster recovery, says that international
experiences have proven that:18
zz Disaster effects are first felt at the community level
zz The community is the first to respond
zz The most successful risk reduction measures are

those involving the community exposed to hazards

SKILLS ASSESSMENT
Description
Build an emergency shelter using natural resources
Filter water using natural resources
Identify area edible plants
Build a fire without matches
Signal for help using available resources
Wilderness survival training
First aid skills
Tree removal
Carpentry
Plumbing
Electrical
Roofing
Masonry
Equipment repair
Vehicle repair
Heavy equipment operation
Technology skills
Road repair
Firefighter
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training
Emergency Rescue training
Military training
Veterinarian
Counselor
Dentist
Health professional (doctor, nurse, nurse’s aide etc.)

It takes many different types of skills and participation
of community members to rebuild a disaster stricken
community. Combining your skills with the skills of
others leads to faster recovery efforts.
ASSESS A THREAT
During times of disaster or crisis, people’s stress levels
will rise dramatically. Unfortunately, some people
will turn violent. Learning the warning signs that a
person may pose a threat to your safety and security is
important, and there are many verbal and physical cues
to be on the lookout for.
When someone appears to be in an extreme state of

agitation, there are two choices: leave or try to calm the
person down. Sometimes, if the other person is angry
or scared enough, he or she may not let you leave easily.
In the following section, we briefly discuss how to calm
rising tensions.

WARNING SIGNS A PERSON MAY BE VIOLENT
Description
Clenchintists
Eye bulging
Clenching teeth
Going red in the face
Puffing out the chest
Screaming
Excessive cussing
Rocking on feet in agitation
Making moves toward you
Making threats
Waving a weapon (even if not pointed at you)
Sudden flashes of uncontrollable temper
Incoherent or delusional ranting
Refusing requests to leave property
Expressions of extreme confusion or paranoia
Profuse sweating
Refuses to listen to reason
Rapid, heavy breathing (not due to physical activity)
Excessive crying
Rise in the pitch of the voice
REACTING APPROPRIATELY TO
THE SITUATION
When people are in a panic, scared, and tense, they
can adopt the “pack mentality”. That is how situ-

ations quickly get out of control. There is a good
chance you may encounter situations in which
tensions are on the rise and a pack mentality is
clearly forming.
CALMING TENSIONS
Description
Organize productive activities, like cleanting the area
of debris
Stay calm in the face of rising tensions and don’t join
the fray
Walk away from stressful situations that do not im-
prove (don’t become part of the problem)
Help people find solutions to their problems, when pos-
sible
Show confidence in the ability of the community to
recover
Be willing to listen to people’s concerns and express
empathy
Suggest ways people can better direct their energies
Ask community members to join a volunteer group
with you
Recommend people experiencing high levels of stress
use church and community counseling resources
Help families reunite
Provide information about community resources (gath-
ered during your pre-planning efforts)
When one or more people approach you and are

agitated and tense, you can help relieve the tensions in
many cases. In the following checklist, you will find sug-
gestions that may reduce panic levels.

During your initial planning, you will want to spend
time researching how to talk to agitated people in a
calming manner. People who are frightened experience
emotional and physical effects that may make them
irrational. Blood pressure rises, adrenaline flows,
and mental anguish impairs thinking. Someone must
maintain rationality and calm, and that is much easier
for a person who has fully prepared themselves for
this situation than those to whom disaster was never
a thought in their mind. However, as a community
member, rising tensions can only bring trouble.
If you are ever put in a position such as this you need to know
exactly what to do or say to defuse the situation.
BARTERING FOR SURVIVAL

Most urban Americans have never bartered, or have
they? If you have ever been to a flea market then you
have been a patron of the barter system. If when you
were younger you agreed to do your brother or sister’s
chore in return for yours, or perhaps you offered to do
their chore for a part of their allowance, you have effec-
tively completed a barter transaction.
Bartering in its most simple form is the exchange of

goods or services between persons without the use of
money. During a disaster, bartering can be a useful skill
when supplies get low and cash isn’t worth the paper it’s

printed on.
Of course, some supplies are more important than

others. Food and water top the bartering list. However,
there are other items that you can barter with or for,
depending on your need. Knowing the most valuable
bartering items can help you with your planning efforts.
Maybe a carton of soap really is worth storing!
Following is a list of items commonly used in bartering ac-

tivities after a disaster. However, in theory you can barter
for and with just about anything in your survival store-
house.
SPECIAL NEEDS
Description
Soap Ammunition
Coffee Pain relievers
Condiments (salt &
MREs
pepper)
Canned or dried
Cigarettes
food items
Food from your
Alcohol
garden
Sugar Hand tools
Bleach Bic lighters
Feminine hygiene
Candles
products
Hygiene products
Toilet paper (toothpaste, dental
floss, etc.)

Remember, just because an item has little or no value
to you doesn’t mean that it will not be a highly sought
after prize to another person. Often, you can barter with
items that have no value to you, but will net you what
you need.
That concept instantly turns otherwise useless barter

items into prized commodities. You may not smoke, but
the man with the matches you need just might like the
pack of cigarettes that Uncle Henry left at your house
a few weeks before the disaster. The cigarettes have no
value to you, but they do to the other man.
CONCLUSION
Knowing the items people will most likely need and
want means you can stock up on them, even if you don’t
want or need them for your own personal use. It’s like
having currency in the bank.
A thousand pages could be written about survival and

responses to disasters or crises but there is no way that
that amount of information could ever be contained in
one book let alone inside your head.
The key to preparation is to start where it benefits you

the most. You wouldn’t need to pack snow chains and
ice picks if you lived in the desert would you?
No each person is going to have their own opinions on

what needs to be prepared for, what supplies need to
be kept on hand, and what skills need to be trained for.
Preparedness is not a singular path.
However, this report gives you an excellent foundation

for taking action. One of the mistakes people make is
telling themselves that they will start buying items “soon”
or “next paycheck” or “next month”.
The main problem with this frame of mind is that a

disaster doesn’t happen on schedule. That next big
quake or F5 tornado could hit much “sooner” than your
next paycheck..
It has become apparent from the tragedy of the many

recent natural disasters that most people do not plan
ahead, and they end up hungry, thirsty, and out of luck.
Building survival boxes, kits, and bags does not require

taking out a bank loan. You can begin by making a com-
mitment to buy several items each week. For example,
when you grocery shop this week, buy 2 cans of food
and a bag of rice. Clearly mark a plastic container with
the words “survival food”, and you are on your way to
being prepared.

Granted, some items you want to purchase may cost
more, like a hand crank battery recharger, but as your
budget permits, one day it too can be crossed off the list.
Not everything in your kit has to be brand new! Don’t be

afraid to reuse something that you already have on hand.
Scrap wood and nails can be used for weapons or home

fortifications.
Left over lint from the dryer screen makes a perfect

tinder bundle ( why do you think so many houses burn
down each year from a clogged dryer?).
Before you throw something away, take a second look at

it and try to find a reason to keep it. Could it be reused
for a different purpose? Would it make a great barter
piece for someone else?
Remember that skills are even more important than

your gear. When gear can fail you, you need to make
sure you have a back up that will not.
Practice your skills to hone new ones and sharpen old

ones, never let them rust. The best part.
The information in this report has covered the basics of

storing water and food, and taking shelter in or out of
the home. There was as a discussion about safety and
security, defending your family and home, and planning
to bug-in and bug-out.

Finally, your relationship to other people during a
disaster was considered. It is a lot of information, but
there is something for everyone.
You have probably noticed that the Ultimate Survival

Skills Book represents a blend of both urban and wilder-
ness survival techniques. The fact is that a disaster in
the city can quickly turn people into outdoors men and
women.
You may not ever go camping for recreation, but you

should know the basics of how camp, should Mother
Nature destroy your residence and suddenly remove the
option of staying indoors.
Ultimately, this information is meant to help you

prepare to stay safe, secure and healthy.
The only way this information will ever be useful is if

you implement the suggestions in your daily life, practice
them, and expand on them as much as possible.
You won’t have the time or ability to absorb all of the

information to keep you safe and even if you print all
of this out, there is no guarantee it will be of any use to
you if you haven’t already reviewed it and put it into
an actionable plan.
One of my mentors said this to me and I have never

found it more applicable than now.

“You never want to be doing something for the first time
when you need it to save your life.”
So read this report fully, decide how you want to

approach your own personal preparations and get
started...
Right Now!
CITATIONS
1
American Red Cross. “Disaster Relief”. 2013. Retrieved
from http://www.redcross.org/what-we-do/disaster-relief
on January 20, 2013.
2
FEMA. “Ready—Risk Assessment, Hazards”.
2012 November 05. Retrieved from
http://www.ready.gov/risk-assessment on January 20,
2013.
3
California State University Dominguez Hills. “Four
Steps to Safety—At Home”. 2010 March. Retrieved from
http://www.csudh.edu/admfin/risk_management/risk_
management_four_steps. pdf on January 20, 2013.
4
Modern Survivor Magazine.
“Water from Condensation” 2010 May 12. Retrieved from

http://survivor-magazine.com/water-from-condensation/
on January 21, 2012.
5
Bradley, Ryan. “Classic FYI: Is It Ever OK to Drink Your
Own Urine?”. 2011 April 21. Retrieved at http://www.
popsci.com/science/article/2011-03/fyi-it-ever-ok-drink-
your-own-urine on January 21, 2012.
6
Mississippi State University Extension Service.
“Disaster Relief—Emergency Food and Water (Infor-
mation Sheet 1691)” 2008 February. Retrieved from
http://urbansurvivalsite.com/files/
Emergency_Food_and_Water.pdf January 22, 2013.
7
FEMA. “Food—Suggested Emergency Food
Supplies”. 2012 September 13. Retrieved from
http://www.ready.gov/food January 22, 2013.
8
Washington Military Department—Emergency
Management Division. “What Should Your
Emergency Pantry Look Like?” (n.d.) Retrieved from
http://www.emd.wa.gov/preparedness/documents/
emergencypantrychart_CFA.pdf January 22, 2013.
9
FEMA. “Taking Shelter From the Storm: Building a Safe
Room Inside Your House”. 1998 October. Retrieved from
http://urbansurvivalsite.com/files/Taking_Shelter.pdf.
January 22, 2013.
10
“AAA Wilderness Survival: How to Build

a Shelter”. 2002 March 30. Retrieved from
http://urbansurvivalsite.com/files/
Wilderness_Shelter_Types.pdf January 23, 2013.
11
San Diego County Office of Emergency Services.
“Family Disaster Plan and Personal Survival Guide”.
(n.d.) Retrieved at http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/oes/
docs/FamilyDisasterPlan.pdf January 28, 2013
12
“Your Fortress Home”. Off the Grid
News. 2010 August 9. Retrieved at
http://www.offthegridnews.com/2010/08/09/
your-fortress-home/ January 28, 2013.
13
Urban Survival Site. “Medical Emergencies”. (n.d.)
Retrieved from http://urbansurvivalsite.com/files/
Medical_Emergencies.pdf January 29, 2013
14
Off The Grid News. “Non-Lethal Self Defense Consid-
erations” 2012 March 21. Retrieved from http://www.
offthegridnews.com/2012/05/21/non-lethal-self-defense-
considerations/ January 28, 2013.
15
Disaster and Emergency Services—Montana. “Your
Family Preparedness Needs”. (n.d.) Retrieved from
http://urbansurvivalsite.com/files/72_Hour_Supplies.pdf
January 28, 2013.
16
FEMA. “Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabil-
ities and Special Needs”. 2004 August. Retrieved from

http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do;jsessionid=
C007940772A0FFB013958316BFEAD784.Worker2Library
?action=back&id=1442 January 28, 2012.
17
Uscher-Pines L, Hausman AJ, Powell S, DeMara P,
Heake G, Hagen MG. “Disaster preparedness of house-
holds with special needs in southeastern Pennsylva-
nia”. 2009 September. American Journal of Preventive
Medicine. V37:3, 227-30.
18
World Bank. “Building Resilient Communities—Risk
Management and Response to Natural Disasters through
Social Funds and Community-Driven Development
Operations”. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://siteresources.
worldbank.org/INTSF/Resources/Building_Resilient_
Communities_Complete.pdf January 30, 2013.

Contents
The Top 3 Food Storage Mistakes that Will Destroy Your Long Term Food Supply ..................................... 3
Mistake #1: Not Rotating .............................................................................................................................. 3
Food Shelf Life........................................................................................................................................... 3
Food Rotation Plan.................................................................................................................................... 4
Mistake #2: Wrong Storage Containers ........................................................................................................ 5
Mistake #3: Not Creating the Right Storage Conditions ............................................................................... 7
Instructions on How to Store Food for the Long-Term with 5 Gallon Buckets and Mylar Bags ................. 10
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The Top 3 Food Storage Mistakes that Will Destroy
Your Long Term Food Supply
Your food stockpile is an investment in your family’s security and prosperity. You must do everything in
your power to make sure that your investment stays safe so it is there for you when you need it. Before
you start heedlessly buying dry goods, canned foods, and other survival foods, please take the time to
read through this guide to make sure you aren’t making these mistakes which will destroy your long-
term food supply.
Mistake #1: Not Rotating

Yes, even canned foods and dry beans can go bad! Do not buy any foods to stockpile until you have take
some time to research the shelf life of various types of food. You will need this information to come up
with a plan on how to rotate your food.
Food Shelf Life

The most common types of survival foods to stockpile are dry products like grains, flours, beans, nuts,
seeds, and freeze-dried fruits and vegetables. These foods have a very low moisture content which
makes them ideal for long-term storage. Seeds and beans also contain natural barriers in their shell
which help them survive for long periods. This is nature’s way of keeping them safe until they are in the
right growing conditions. A seed can sit for years and still start to sprout when it gets wet.
When seeds or beans are processed, it can destroy their natural barrier and cause them to go bad faster.
You should always choose natural, unprocessed seeds and beans for storage.
Many people choose to stockpile flour, which isn’t always a good idea. First off, how do you actually plan
on using flour in an emergency situation? If you want to make bread, then you will need to have yeast
as well. You might find that you don’t really need as much flour as you thought and it is better to
stockpile whole grains instead.
While it is better to buy unprocessed seeds and beans, this isn’t necessarily the case with flour. Whole-
grain flour contains germ and this can go rancid fairly quickly, even in ideal storage conditions. In white
flour, the germ has been removed so it will last much longer. The same goes with whole-grain rice
(brown rice) as opposed to white rice. There is a tradeoff here though: whole-grain flour and rice are
much more nutritious than the processed white versions. So you will have to decide which is more
important to your long-term survival goals: having food which lasts longer or staying healthy.
Here are the shelf lives of some common survival foods. The shelf lives are calculated based on ideal
storage conditions (low light, low moisture, low oxygen, proper temperature). If you don’t store these
foods in ideal conditions, they might still be edible but will probably have virtually no vitamins left
because of oxidization:
 Home Canned Foods: 2 years

 Commercially Canned Foods: 2-5 years
 Soft Grains: 8 years
 Hard Grains: 10-12 years
 Beans: 8-10 years
 Dehydrated Vegetables: 8-10 years
 Dehydrated Dairy Products: 15 years
 Flour: 5 years
 Pastas: 8-10 years
 Dehydrated Fruit: 5 years
 Peanut Butter Powder: 5 years
 White Rice: 8-10 years
 Brown Rice: 1-2 years
 Textured Vegetable Protein: 15-20 years
 Yeast: 2 years
 Oils and fats: 1-2 years when unopened
 Honey: Indefinitely
 Salt: Indefinitely
Food Rotation Plan

The #1 mistake that people make when prepping is stockpiling foods they don’t normally eat. For
example, many people stockpile rice and beans even though they never eat them in their regular life.
While this mistake won’t necessarily destroy your food supply, it does make it really difficult to rotate
your food supply. You can’t rotate what you aren’t eating!
Before you start stockpiling food for storage, take inventory of what foods you normally eat. Write
them down on a list and start stockpiling these items.
You will also need to come up with a plan on how you are going to effectively rotate these items. For
canned foods, you could get a food dispenser like the one shown below. Or, better yet, make your own
canned food dispenser.
For items like grains, dry beans, and flour, rotating can be a bit trickier since you need to seal them. In
our family, we solve this problem by storing the foods in smaller packages and then putting them into
buckets. When we use up the contents of one bucket, we refill it and put it at the back of our storage
area. This way, we are always rotating through all the food supply and keeping everything fresh.
Mistake #2: Wrong Storage Containers
If you are just getting started with prepping for disasters, then it is perfectly fine to start with canned
goods and bags of beans, rice, and other dry goods. However, these foods won’t hold up very long in
their current packaging.
When my wife and I were just starting out with food storage (and didn’t know what we were doing), we
kept dry goods in mason jars. We ended up with a lot of rancid food (especially since we forgot to
rotate it too) and a pest infestation (which we will talk about in the next section).
Simply put, the original packaging of your food isn’t going to cut it over the long-term. Neither will
Tupperware or glass jars!
There are three things which affect the shelf-life of a food item:
1. Moisture level
2. Oxygen content
3. Temperature
For example, when dry beans are stored in their regular plastic packaging, they go bad in about 2 years.
Since they are exposed to oxygen, many of the vitamins and other nutrients will break down during this
time. While they may still be edible after 2 years, there isn’t much nutrition remaining. By contrast, dry
beans stored in an environment with low oxygen and moisture with the right temperature will last
upwards of 10 years.
In order to achieve the right storage conditions for your food supply, you MUST have the right
containers.
First Choice: Plastic Buckets + Foil Pouch

You cannot just dump dry foods into a plastic bucket and expect them to be safe. Plastic buckets have
very tiny pores which will slowly leach air into your food. You must first put the food into sealed foil
pouches.
Note that rodents can get into plastic buckets. Always choose thicker-walled buckets as these are
harder to break through. It is also recommended to choose buckets which have a gasket and gamma lid
as these seal off air better and are easier to open.
What foil pouches should you use? The term “Mylar” pouch is often used synonymously with foil
pouches, but they aren’t necessarily the same thing. Mylar is a trademark name for a type of PET
polyester film made by DuPont. Not all types of Mylar are suitable for food storage. The pouch you use
for long-term storage must consist of several layers, and one of those layers must be foil. Do not choose
pouches just made from plastic because they will leach air.
Unfortunately, buying quality foil pouches can be expensive. You can seal them with a cheap hair iron,
but this method doesn’t produce a strong seal. The best way to seal the pouches is to invest in a
professional sealer which will remove the air while producing a strong seal.
Second Choice: Cans

You can buy empty #10 cans and purchase canning equipment. Once you get the hang of it (it is pretty
easy to do), this method of home canning is very easy and one of the best methods of long-term food
storage. Since the foods are stored in smaller containers, they are easier to rotate. They will also be
easier to open and use in emergency situations. For example, you could trade some of your cans for
other supplies you need. The only downside is that the equipment can be expensive. If you have friends
or family who are also prepping, you could share the equipment.
Third Choice: Glass Jars

As mentioned before, you can’t just dump dry products into glass jars and expect them to last a long
time. However, if you add oxygen absorbers (more on this next), your food will last much longer. For
those of you who don’t want to invest in foil bags and buckets, this is a good option.
Glass jars can also be used for home canning of fresh vegetables and other preserves. The shelf life is
only 2 years for home-canned foods in jars, but this is still a great goal. Plus, it is nice to have some
freshly-canned veggies instead of just freeze-dried or dehydrated veggies.
Mistake #3: Not Creating the Right Storage
Conditions
As mentioned earlier, there are three things which will affect the shelf life of your food: temperature,
moisture, and oxygen. You must control all of these factors if you want your food to last. The last thing
that you want is to open your food stores during an emergency only to find that they’ve gone rancid or
were infested by moths.
Temperature Control
Each type of food has its own ideal temperature for long-term storage. I doubt you are going to create
separate areas for storing your beans, grains, dried fruits, etc. though, so you shouldn’t worry too much
about getting a perfect temperature. Do note though that, for each temperature increase, you are vastly
shortening the shelf life of the food. Heat will also cause many of the vitamins and nutrients in foods to
break down, so food stored in warm conditions won’t be as nutritious as those in cold conditions. Try to
aim for a constant temperature of 40 to 50 degrees F. A root cellar is ideal for this.
General Guidelines for Temperature and Food Storage Life
Temperature (F) Years

---------------- ------------
39.76 40
49.84 30
59.92 20
70.00 10
80.08 5
90.16 2.5
100.24 1.25
Oxygen Control
Oxygen absorbers are packets which contain a material which absorbs oxygen from the air. By removing
the oxygen, you prevent oxidization from occurring and greatly extend shelf life (and nutritional quality)
of the food. Without oxygen, molds, fungi, and aerobic bacteria are also unable to grow.
Oxygen absorbers also kill pests which may get into your food such as eggs, pupae, larvae, and adult
moths and other insects. You’d be surprised how easily a moth infestation can occur when you keep
food for a long time. This is because the tiny eggs are often in the dry bulk foods when you buy them.
When you store them for a long time, the insects have time to reproduce and you soon have an
infestation on your hands. This is something I know firsthand!
*Adding bay leaves to your dry food stores can inhibit insect reproduction.
Note that oxygen absorbers start to absorb oxygen immediately. You can’t leave them sitting out or
they will absorb their maximum capacity of oxygen before you even put them in with your food. Always
work quickly with oxygen absorbers! For large buckets of food, you can first flush the bucket with
nitrogen and then toss some oxygen packets in it and seal it. This way, the bucket will be free of oxygen
before you even start adding your food.
Also note that oxygen absorbers will create a vacuum seal as they suction out the oxygen. You will see
this yourself when you toss one into a Mylar bag with some food and then seal it. The air which was in
the Mylar bag will get absorbed and soon you will have a tight package.
Some types of containers don’t hold up well under vacuum-sealed conditions. This is one more reason it
is important to choose quality Mylar bags. As for glass jars, they can usually withstand the seal for about
2 years.
Oxygen absorbers are not edible but they are non-toxic, and they won’t affect the taste or smell of your
food. They come in different sizes based on the amount of cc’s of oxygen they absorb. You will need,
for example, about 2000 cc’s of oxygen absorbers for a 5-gallon bucket.
Moisture Control
Moisture degrades food by contributing to mold and pathogen growth. Your storage container, such as
a plastic bucket, will help control some of the moisture levels so long as it is sealed well. However, the
container isn’t effective for controlling moisture over the long term. Even canned goods can be
susceptible to moisture. For example, you shouldn’t store cans on cold floors (like in your basement)
because the temperature difference can lead to condensation buildup inside the can.
One effective way to control moisture is to use a desiccant. Contrary to common belief, a desiccant will
not absorb moisture. Rather, they absorb and release moisture depending on humidity levels. In this
way, they can help control the moisture levels of your food stores.
Unlike oxygen absorbers, desiccants are toxic. If one breaks open in your food stores, you must throw all
of the food away. Also note that you shouldn’t add a desiccant to flour, sugar or salt as these require a
certain level of moisture. If you add a desiccant to them, they will turn into a rock-hard brick.
There are two main types of desiccants which are used for home food storage:
 Calcium Chloride
 Silica Gel
You’ll need to check with the manufacturer to see how much of the desiccant to add to your storage
containers.
You can also use diatomaceous earth as a desiccant. It is made from the fossilized remains of marine
animals. It doesn’t work as well as the other desiccants, but has some benefits. Firstly, it is safe to eat
so you don’t have to worry about it breaking open and contaminating your food stores. Secondly,
diatomaceous earth is a natural insecticide. The sharp spikes of the diatomaceous earth will destroy
insect exoskeletons, so it will kill adult insects (not the eggs or pupae) that come in contact with it.
Note: Not all types of diatomaceous earth are edible. Only use the food-grade type.
Instructions on How to Store Food for the Long-
Term with 5 Gallon Buckets and Mylar Bags
1. Wash the bucket that you will be using and let it dry.
2. Put the Mylar bag into the bucket. The Mylar bag should be fitted for the bucket.
3. Add oxygen absorbers and desiccant to the bottom of the bag.
4. Pour the food into the Mylar bag. When the bag is about half full, give it a shake to make
sure the food is settling and there aren’t any big air pockets.
5. Keep adding food until the Mylar bag is ¾ full.
6. Add oxygen absorbers to the top of the bag.
7. Fold the top of the Mylar bag down so the air is pushed out.
8. Using an iron or heat clamp, seal the Mylar bag. When using an iron or hair iron, you
must close the bag slowly so it doesn’t get damaged. Leave 2 inches of the bag
unsealed.
9. Push the remaining air out of the bag.
10. Seal the remaining 2 inches of the bag.
11. Push the sealed Mylar bag into the bucket. Put another oxygen absorber on top of the
bag. Put the lid on the bucket and make sure it is tightly sealed.
12. Label the bucket with its contents and date of packaging.
13. Store the bucket in a cool, dark place.

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Whoever so elegantly said

Preppers are not doomsdayers. They are strategic

In other words, survival starts with an open mind and

Though many crises are natural disasters, there are

2 Ultimate Survival Skills

So, preppers are realists. They understand that disasters

However, they do understand that should a disaster

Let’s face it: Urban dwellers are usually not prepared

3 Ultimate Survival Skills

So, the bottom line is this: Survival starts with an open

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

Californians know they should be prepared for earthquakes,

Gulf Coast states experience numerous hurricanes,

A riot is much more likely to occur in Chicago than it is

However, a hazardous chemical spill, gas explosion, fire,

4 Ultimate Survival Skills

The FEMA site categorizes disasters as natural, human-

2. Cyber attacks (bringing down essential

3. Dam or levee failures

4. Disease outbreaks (epidemic)

9. Fire (wildlands or structures)

11. Food shortages (due to supplier interruptions,

5 Ultimate Survival Skills

15. Nuclear plant disaster (radiation exposure)

16. Power outages

17. Riots (demonstrations)

18. Structural failures (i.e. bridge collapse)

19. Terrorist acts (chemical, biological, nuclear,

20. Thunderstorm (severe with lightning, hail and

22. Tropical storm

26. Municipal water contamination or plant failure

27. Winter storms

6 Ultimate Survival Skills

After all, there is no sense storing snow shovels if there

You can find out what could happen or is most likely to

zz Contact your state Emergency Preparedness Agency

zz Contact your local health department

zz Contact the local chapter of the American Red Cross (to

The questions to ask include the following:

1. What specific disasters are most likely to occur in

2. Can the agency send free information on prepared-

7 Ultimate Survival Skills

4. What should you do when you hear the warning

At this stage, you are merely collecting information in

In addition, it makes sense to keep everyone informed

8 Ultimate Survival Skills

Thus, during a disaster, teamwork is important. Getting

The old adage “A place for everything and everything

You can hold an informal meeting in your home and

When holding the meeting below is a list each person,

zz Why survival planning is so important

zz The most likely events for the area

9 Ultimate Survival Skills

zz The importance of not letting stress lead to panic,

zz At least 2 areas where everyone agrees to meet with

zz How to communicate should family and friends get

zz Contact information for one or more people outside

zz An evacuation plan and route if ordered to leave

zz A predesignated emergency shelter for pets