A coworker at the Fire Dept I work at sells water like you mentioned. I asked him about the same thing as I am about to purchase several of the 5 gallon containers full of spring water. The 5 gallon containers will be good for about 2-3 years as long as the seal is not broken and they are stored in a cool dry place.

JJ

I just received this link from work. The "Be Prepared" and "Take Action" sections look like a good place to start. There are checklists, downloads, etc.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml

Just a smart thing to do
 

I treat my 23 gallon gas tank on my jeep as a 10-12 gallon tank always refilling at the earliest convenient time when it hits the half way point. If something looks un-easy in news I might top off, or if prices dip for a day or two in town I top off. However no mater what happens I know that I have a 4x4 with ½ a tank or more ready to go weather a family member is put in the hospital and I go to be by their side or WWIII puts gas at $5+ a gallon.

I hope The Reaper comes back soon...we don't seem to do very well without close supervision. :munchin

Another good set of books for backwoods medicine and other survival info are: The Foxfire Books - Ithink ther are about 10 of them.

Useful links to download and print...
 

Sequence for donning and removing personal protective equipment

Protective clothing; adaptations and local expedients

Infection control guidelines for influenza A, disinfection, etc.

Disinfection protocol using bleach or hypochlorite

Protective clothing

Handwashing, more complicated than you thought

Disinfectant solutions, expedient (this uses 70% HTH which is hard to get, use the formula in the Pandemic Flu thread and then follow the guidelines here for uses)

Emergency disinfection of drinking water (if you are using the hypochlorite solution from the Pandemic Flu thread, follow the instructions there -- this still has useful information beyond that in the thread and for use with purchased bleach)

25 buck downspout diverter

Smart downspout diverter - it better be for 65 bucks. It diverts the first several gallons overboard, so you don't get bird crap washing into your rain barrel.

Power
 

I live in a densely populated area and this is a big concern of mine. Our freezer is stocked, at any given time, with 20 pounds of beef, 5 to 8 pounds of pork, 6 to 8 chickens, 2 turkeys, 2 to 3 packages of corned beef (thanks to St. Paddy's day sales :D ), a duck or two, several game hens, etc. We don't need electricity except for the freezer and perhaps battery chargers.

We have a natural gas quick-connect for the grill. I looked into doing a "3 fuel" conversion for a gasoline generator but that would let my neighbors and would-be looters know that I have electricity and something I want to keep cold. Refrigerated items are less important unless they are medications.

I'm leaning steeply towards an inverter and deep cycle marine batteries and a small, quiet, generator to keep them charged.

Pat

Don't worry about the noise. If you are cooking beef my wife will smell it even if it's 200 miles away. :D

Hmmm, didn’t consider that. I may have to open up a restaurant called the "Pandemic Pantry." :D

Pat

As for the water I did some homework, one 5-gallon container cost 15.50 in Missouri.

On respirators, I got the un-opened sales sample from a 3M dealer of a model 6900 full-face mask. I put the 3M 6001 Organic Vapor Cartridge on it. Can’t hurt based on the something is better than nothing plan. However I do not fully understand the capabilities regarding this setup and the threats we are talking about here.

As this is a setup sold for painting in enclosed spaces and other airborne chemical work, I am assuming (yes I know what this dose that why I am asking) that it is ok to don in a chemical spill or chemical factory fire or whatever up wind. Is that correct?

My main question is what level of protection dose this offer when faced with bio/radio… also is there any chemical threats that this would be worthless for?

Here are some links to the 3M page regarding my set up. MSRP is in the $140's, cost is $65 for most dealers, and this can be found on the net, new for about $85 with out much research.

http://products3.3m.com/catalog/au/e...er/output_html

http://products3.3m.com/catalog/ca/e...er/output_html

More importantly than my questions regarding this setup and its protection, where should the average Joe, like myself, start researching this and what should I be researching, what concepts should I understand in order to protect myself and respond to these three threats.

thanks,
JPH

Speaking of generators I was thinking about lining the bottom of my freezer with gallon jugs of ice to give me more time between generator runs on the freezer. If we go til deer season I can make 2 does into summer sausage and I wont have to worry about refrigeration. Would take lots of crackers to go with those though.

I like the way you think, but won't the ice in the jugs melt just as fast as the frozen meats on top of them? Maybe a better solution would be to further insulate the deep freeze in some way.

Anyone have a thought on what might work best?

I was thinking a freezer without power is like a big insulated cooler. Usually what is on top will thaw out first. I was thinking the gallon jugs would act like blocks of ice without the mess. You know in the old days a refrigerator was kept cold by adding a large block of ice in that little door. My garage tends to stay on the cool side so long as you dont open the big door so I was thinking easily spoilage items on the bottom and things like summer sausage on top.

Sorry, I've been on vacation for the past five days and catching up.

I heard that the freezers on a normal household fridge will stay cool for three days after power is shut off, as long as you're not opening them.

My wife suggested cooking the meat in a pressure cooker and letting the steam out slowly so that the smell is dissipated over a longer period of time. A pressure cooker also saves fuel and can be rigged to distill seawater.

Pat

Generator Noise
 

I know that some units, when they deployed to the field, would bury their generators to cut down on noise. Maybe something like that could be worked.

Lights can be shielded, or at least use a low watt bulb to mask them.

Won't work here. Our "yard" consists of two 60'x3' dog runs, a 200 sq ft rear deck and a 100 sq ft front garden.

Pat

Brother-in-law found this (he's a boater). Smokin' deal on Honda generators -- no sales tax, shipping included.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/t...02832&posts=27

1) One HONDA eu1000 Generator - $629.99

2) One HONDA eu2000 Generator with FREE 10ft battery charging cable ($16 value) - $860.99

Generators and stuff.
 

Honda does make a nice generator but are a little steep in price for the Kw's. A standard 5Kw generator can be had most times on sale at Lowe's and Home Depot for between 750.00 - 890.00. May have gone up a bit since last year when I got mine.

Yes they are bigger and make more noise but they will run everything I need on the ground floor. 5 gallon tank, 3 five gallon gas tanks and a 27 gallon gas tank on the truck. That should do me as we eat our way through the frozen stuff.

Neighbors hearing it? Way past time to make friends. Of the 8 houses in my immediate section of the block we have 4 retired Army, 2 Active Army and 2 "others". One of the "others" families does not eat Bar-B-Que.

Pete

Edit to add - Just checked the Lowe's web site - Troy Built 5,500 Kw generator is listed for $699.00 (That's the one I got last year).

Home Depot also gives a military discount if you are looking at a generator there. If the price is the same at both places, that makes the difference for me.

VHF Radios
 

Per this thread, I am looking for a handheld VHF radio to add to my emergency supplies. I know absolutely nothing about radios.

What features should I look for? Are there any specific models you'd recommend?

Thanks very much.

:munchin

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...1/howtovhf.htm
Here is a very basic review of handheld civilian marine VHF's. You can read this and then wait for the experts in commo gear to chime in on this subject.

I have an easily removable full size unit on my boat so that I can have the full 25watts of power if I need it. It isn't hard to pull a battery or buy an inverter to power it in your house. It is a line of sight system so the antennae really matters too. I have an 8' ant. which gives 8db gain I think. The newer radios have a built-in linkage to civilian GPS units and have an emerency button that transmits personal info along with your current gps coordinated to the authorities that monitor the frequencies.

A good VHF will give you access to emergency officials (coast guard, etc) as well as a marine operator for phone calls ($$$). Of course, weather and other info besides basic commo with friends is available on these systems too.
Course, I will wait and let the gurus speak.

Must be "Operater head space and timing", worked fine for me.....:rolleyes:

Fear not, she of the deciduous derriere! You have more than enough space in your head, and should not seek to add any more, lest you chance even more frequent misfires.

Teeth
 

I was looking into dental first aid. I really hope I never encounter the situation where I need it performed on me. Anyway, here's what I've found so far...

Common Dental Emergencies

The World Health Organization has developed a process known as Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART). The ART technique involves caries removal and tooth filling with adhesive filing materials using hand instruments only, no drills. It has been specifically designed to be delivered by people with limited experience in dental procedures under primitive field conditions.

Atraumatic Restorative Technique Demonstration

ART - WHO website

Instrument set for the WHO ART process

oops... sorry MW. I have been swamped at home trying to fish at least 12 hours a day on the weekends.:D I will get you something posted soon. If not, keep smacking me with the obvious posts. LOL

Sac -
you forgot to mention the 5w handheld that icom makes for west marine - will run off a recxhargeable LiOn or AAs - great feature. on sale West sells them for about $140. Mine has a good 30 mi range at 5w, and it will scann all 10 Wx bands.

West is also a great place to get line.

Btw - pm me re boats - are you a sail or motor guy?

What has your experience been like with the Icom units? They look nice, but I read a review where they failed the dunk test, so I've been focusing on the Uniden and Standard Horizon models.

I love mine - it's been rained on pretty fiercely, in the bottom of a dinghy with 6" of H2O, dropped, hung off my stern pulpit in the heat and rain and cold and still works like a champ - very well sealed, of course I try to take care of it, but competitive sailing doesn't always allow that. Haven't dropped it into 6' of H2O yet, and hope I never do...

Go for one wit hthe West marine branding - the warranty is better, and has full replacement.

Rather than a marine band radio I would go with an aviation band transceiver. Try raising Coast Guard Station Wichita sometime. Since VHF/UHF comms are LOS only, “up” gives you better range. Even if you’re on a boat in mid-ocean you will have aircraft flying over monitoring (supposedly) 121.5. There are NAV/COM units (which I have not used) that might prove useful in some instances.

Pat

Thanks, I just ordered the M32 with lithium ion battery. The price at West Marine was $150 after rebate. It should make a great addition to the pack that I keep in the back of the truck.

Thanks!
 

Thanks, Great info! Looks like you put alot of time and effort into this in order to keep us informed. Really appreciate it. :)

JP

Great work!
 

Excellent information everyone. I would like to especially thank Mr. Reaper for his first two posts, as they both reinforced and more narrowly defined my plan of attack in designing the best disaster preparation and response for my area.

Given a few days I will likely have the basics, if not the more advanced items worked out, or addressed in some form, to account for the most likely scenario in my area.

Just a thought about getting anything battery operated: If possible, maybe get them so that all your gear works on the same batteries. I know that some can't, but if your radio, flashlight, etc all work on AAs, you don't have to keep different types.

Our GPS system works on AAs and so do our strobes. That way, if the GPS goes TU, we can use the batts from the strobe, for example.


Important radio frequencies:


121.50: This is the international aeronautical emergency frequency

138.225: This is the prime disaster relief operations channel used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; it is active during earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and other catastrophic events.

154.28: Used for inter-department emergency communications by local fire departments; 154.265 and 154.295 also used.

155.160: Used for inter-department emergency communications by local and state agencies during search and rescue operations.

155.475: Used for inter-department emergency communications by local and state police forces.

156.75: This channel is used internationally for broadcasts of maritime weather alerts.

156.80: This is the international maritime distress, calling, and safety channel. All ships must monitor this frequency while at sea. It is also heavily used on rivers, lakes, etc.


I got these from:

http://www.dxing.com/scanfreq.htm

What no FOX NEWS or SPORTS? :confused:

PM inbound

Radios
 

I forgot I had my little scanner sitting beside my desk. I only turn it on during bad weather or an emergency.

The Fayetteville area has gone to the 800mz trunked system and you need a programable trunk scanner.

Since I'm not an 18E it took me most of the first weekend to scan the user freq.s and start locking out the trash men, bus system, parks etc and get down to City/County Police, Fire Dept and State Patrol.

For normal listening I lock out the County and State just because of the traffic load. Even with that the city uses a number of channels and to scan all of them you miss a lot of traffic.

This thread really got me thinking about all the little ways that life can go sideways, and how I can prepare without going overboard. The goal of my preparations is to allow me to respond to accidents or threats confidently and decisively, whether that means defending myself, rendering aid to others in distress, bugging out on foot or in a vehicle for up to four days, or falling back to a safe spot with family members for an extended period of time.

I decided to follow a tiered approach. This means that for each category that TR originally named, I've thought about what needs to be:

1. In my vehicle (using a dedicated pack in the back of a heavy SUV)

2. At my home

3. At our family's rally point in event of a large-scale disaster

Here is what I have done so far:

Breathable air: Purchased 200 N95 masks (3M 9211's w/ respirator). Four in the pack, the rest stored at home.

Escape: Added a 3" wrecking bar and come-along w/ rope and chain to back of truck. I am considering replacing the wrecking bar with a multi-purpose fireman's tool.

Navigation: Nav CDs and a good road atlas for the truck. Ranger Silva and topo maps of three areas where I know I can go on little notice and avoid contact with others. Waterproof map case and RiR pads for notes. (I figure that a little redundancy is justified in this area).

Rehydration: Sealed tub of powdered gatorade in the truck. More at home.

Personal defense: 1911 on my person or in the truck at all times. 4x CMC 10 rd. mags in the pack. Harsey T2 and multitool in the pack. Carbine w/ extra mags, 1000 rds. of rifle ammo and 500 rds. of handgun ammo at home. Other family members have their own defense items well sorted out.

Shelter & Warmth: Waterproof tarp, stakes and tie-downs in the truck. 2 space blankets, a light shell, fleece gloves and cap, polypro top and dry socks in a ziploc bag in the pack. Sleeping bag and tent are kept at home.

Light: Petzl Tikka LED headlamp in the pack for hands-free use. Surefire G2 and assorted chem lights, 10 extra 123A's also in pack. 100 extra 123As at home.

Water: 4L bottled water in truck. Miox purifier, empty hydro bladder and 2 empty Nalgene bottles in pack. 15 gallons of bottled water at home. Wading pool and drop cloths being purchased for family rally point.

Food & Cooking: 4x large Mountain House meals and MSR stove in pack. Looking into a deep freeze and generator for the family retreat.

Sanitation: Etool, hand sanitizer and wet wipes in pack. Pool shock at home for makeshift slurry pit.

Communications: Car charger for cell phone. ICOM M32 VHF radio w/ li ion battery in pack. Car charger for that as well. Orange M18 for signaling help, other uses, in pack.

Fuel: Syphon kit in truck. 4x 5 gallon Specter fuel cans at home give the truck an 800 mile range w/out stopping for gas, if need be. That is sufficient to get me to any of the four spots I have determined to go. Cinch strap to hold them together when full.

Weak points that I am aware of and am working on are first aid and provisions for the family rally point. I have a really basic FAK in the pack that includes items mentioned in other threads, but the process of putting it together has made me sensitive to just how little I know about this area. I'm considering the Wilderness First Responder course that NOLS is offering in September in Chile, since I was planning on being in SA for most of the month anyway.

I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions (lurkers included!). :)