Be Prepared

[TF Kilo]

Originally Posted by Ryanr

Thank you, much appreciated. I read on some gun forum (which I'm currently failing to locate and link) that USPs can be more difficult to detail strip with minimal tools, and may require more specialized parts -- is that accurate at all?

You can clean what needs cleaning on a USP with a toothbrush, some oil, and the parts it breaks down into.

I've done it before using a hotel supplied toothbrush and CLP.

I'd be interested to read the "link" you're misplacing.

Speaking of survival guns. Interesting website, survival guns.

It looks a little far out, but the comments on guns seem to be worth reading.

I have given some thought lately, about learning gunsmithing for no particular reason than it interests me. It seems something worth having in the skills bank for possible future use.

[LarryW]

Good gouge re: survival guns, AM. Thanks!

[Axe]

Originally Posted by Randyha

An interesting product for bulk water storage. I'm building a new house and am considering a place for 2 to 4 of these in my garage.
http://incaseof.ca/supertanker.htm#dealers

A bit of a necropost here, I realize. I was looking at these tanks earlier, then later did some research on earthquake preparedness, and had a lightbulb moment.

If you install any water tanks like these and live in a seismic zone, be sure you strap them very securely to a good, strong wall.

Each one of the large tanks weighs 2000 lbs, and they have a very small footprint relative to the weight distribution. They are going to want to fall over if the ground starts moving.

[The Reaper]

One good water storage solution I have used is 275 gallon food grade industrial totes.

They take up a bit of space, the footprint is roughly 48"x40", maybe 40" tall, but it is hard to find a way to pack water in more tightly. I put mine in my garage, you could put them outside, but the weather and sunlight will cause algae and other undesirables to grow in them more quickly. Remember that each one weighs more than 2,200 pounds when filled, so it is not for apartment storage. It has a metal tube cage around a poly bladder, so you can stack them up to three high, it has a port 6" or so on top and a 2" NPT ball valve on the bottom. You can sometimes find them in your area on Craigslist, soft drink and other food companies use them. I would make absolutely sure what was in them previously, and rinse them thoroughly regardless. If I was going to keep them filled, I would put in an appropriate amount of chlorine and then dump and refill them at least annually, sooner if it starts showing signs of bacteria growth.

Best thing is that they usually run less than $100 each.

HTH.

TR

[Axe]

If you have children in schools, you need to know the schools' plan for several situations, a few of which are listed here:

If a lockdown extends past the end of school, how the school will communicate that and other information to you.

How and when the school will release students in a lockdown that goes past normal school hours.

In the event of school evacuation, where the good weather evacuation location is;
where the inclement weather evacuation location is;
and where the remote evacuation locations are.


I (and the local School District) got caught flatfooted a couple of weeks ago when a hostage-taking bank robbery occurred at a bank essentially across the street from my kids school. The bad guys fled on foot, and the school was locked down until just a little after school normally lets out.

My wife was unable to make contact with the school to find out if the children were being released because every other parent was trying to call as well, and the school only has a few phone lines.

I was out of town, but involved by phone as the bank is close to my business, which also went on a lockdown. My wife was able to pick up our children 1/2 hour late as the school ended the lockdown. It could have been hours before the kids were released, however, depending on the circumstances.

As much contingency planning as I have done, I had never thought through these possibilities.

To aid the school in their after-action debriefing, I called the Superintendent, and found out the school's contingency plans for non-threatening lockdowns, threatening lockdowns, and evacuations.

My call made the Superintendent realize that the district had not given thought to advance briefings of parents regarding these issues and also had no plan for communications to parents during an incident. They are now looking at telling parents how lockdowns after hours and evacuations will be handled, as well as possibly adding info to the website and making cell phone broadcast texts during an incident.

The Superintendent thought that information should go on the school's websites and go in the school handbook for next year. I suggested that it might be wiser to provide that information to parents only, and not disseminate it widely so it is easier for bad guys to find it out. He then agreed with me.

Should a city-wide or larger power failure occur, there won't be any access to the internet or texts on the phone. Most parents currently would have no idea where their children would be if the school were evacuated to a remote location. I now know where my children will likely be should there be an evacuation during a commo failure.

[regular guy]

I would like to thank TR, and all of the other very wise contributors to this post for a very enlightening read. Almost 4 hours of reading along with note taking and I am finished to date. I look forward to more reading.

[Axe]

If washing clothing was discussed in the thread, my apologies. I see where the topic was brought up, but I can't find where it was discussed. I skimmed through the thread, searched on site, and did a google forum search for "wash clothes", "outhouse","laundry" "washboard" and other permutations.

If it was discussed, does anyone know the page?

If it wasn't discussed, how do folks here figure on handling laundry and other similar sanitation issues in a crisis lasting long enough for your clothes to stay standing when you take them off? Does anyone have a washboard, tub, and an adequate quantity of soap and experience using it?

[Defender968]

Originally Posted by Axe

If washing clothing was discussed in the thread, my apologies. I see where the topic was brought up, but I can't find where it was discussed. I skimmed through the thread, searched on site, and did a google forum search for "wash clothes", "outhouse","laundry" "washboard" and other permutations.

If it was discussed, does anyone know the page?

If it wasn't discussed, how do folks here figure on handling laundry and other similar sanitation issues in a crisis lasting long enough for your clothes to stay standing when you take them off? Does anyone have a washboard, tub, and an adequate quantity of soap and experience using it?

Clothes can be washed using a washboard which you can still get or which could be easily fabricated using scrap wood and aluminum or galvanized flashing if needed. If you've got somewhere to go/hold up a roll of aluminum and or galvanized flashing is a great supply to have on hand, it's easy to work with, inexpensive and can be used for lots of things. In a pinch however you could also use a bar of soap the old fashion way. Having a sufficient quantity of soap on hand (and access to clean water of course) to last the duration of the event is the big issue when it comes to disaster planning IMO. I currently have plenty of bar laundry soap (Fels Naptha) stockpiled, the bars last a long time, I've been using it for treating stains for years, my grandmother swears by it and so do I (it works like a champ, takes out ink, blood, you name it, it's saved more than a few pieces of clothes for me). I'm not sure how long a bar would last if I were using them to clean larger quantity of clothes, my best guess is that a bar (properly dried out) would last a family of four a month or so, obviously YMMV. On top of being very effective at cleaning clothes/taking out stains, 12 bars take up very little space and would provide a sufficient supply for several months at the very least.

I stocked up last time I was up north because it's a little tough to find in the south, but you can find online at the link below.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...LAID=143758942

For those who don't want to have to fabricate one, they still make washboards, and they're relatively inexpensive.

http://cox-dev.com/p-7343-clothes-wa...-24-12-in.aspx

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Axe

......If it wasn't discussed, how do folks here figure on handling laundry and other similar sanitation issues in a crisis lasting long enough for your clothes to stay standing when you take them off?......

All depends on what facilities each person has and the amount of water available.

Old school was to place some cloths in a waterproof bag, add soap and a little water, twist the top shut, roll and shake a while, open, wring out, clean bag add freash water and repeat for the rinse cycle. Hang in the shade to dry.

Stains I could live with, just want to get the stink, dirt and salt out.

[mugwump]

Costco has a good web-only deal if you're a member -- $60 off of their already good price, although the package includes <shudder> their eggs. Eighteen #10 cans for $279 while they last. Number 10 cans might be problematic for a small household because after opening they have to be consumed fairly quickly.

Link to Costco-Mountain House

From the page:


From the makers of Mountain House, Oregon Freeze Dry introduces NEW Easy Meals. All of the Easy Meal products are created with the same superior quality and taste you have enjoyed from Oregon Freeze Dry for over 40 years. Every Easy Meal item is fully cooked and then freeze-dried. Most all of the Easy Meal items just require water.



The Easy Meal package offers a mixed case of lunch and dinner entrée’s, breakfast entrée’s and fruit, and ingredients. Now you can have a quick hearty meal or vegetable wherever hot water is available. Easy Meals are shelf stable and a perfect solution for any emergency situation. In addition, Easy Meals are ideal for a family get-togethers, potlucks, group feeding or simply when you don’t have time to cook.

Shipment arrives in 1 bundle that contains 3 separate boxes
Total Servings: 302
Shelf Life: 25+ year if unopened (on all items)
Best if used by date printed on all cans

The Easy Meal package contains 18 #10 (gallon size) cans. See below for package contents:



Breakfast Case:
1 can of Scrambled Eggs with Ham & Red & Green Peppers (17 servings)
1 can of Breakfast Skillet (10 servings)
1 can of Granola with Milk & Blueberries (20 servings)
1 can of Scrambled Eggs with Bacon (16 servings)
1 can of Raw Egg Mix, Butter Flavor (50 servings) – Requires cooking
1 can of Sliced Strawberries (16 servings)
Entrée Case:

1 can of Lasagna with Meat Sauce (10 servings)
1 can of Pasta Primavera, Vegetarian (11 servings)
1 can of Beef Teriyaki with Rice (11 servings)
1 can of Beef Stroganoff with Noodles (10 servings)
1 can of Chicken Teriyaki with Rice (9 servings)
1 can of Chili Mac with Beef (10 servings)
Ingredient Case:

1 can of Cooked Diced Beef (15 servings)
1 can of Cooked Diced Chicken (14 servings)
1 can of Cooked Ground Beef (18 servings)
1 can of Garden Green Peas (23 servings)
1 can of Golden Sweet Whole Kernel Corn (22 servings)
1 can of Cut Green Beans (20 servings)

[Crue]

Originally Posted by mugwump

Costco has a good web-only deal if you're a member -- $60 off of their already good price, although the package includes <shudder> their eggs. Eighteen #10 cans for $279 while they last. Number 10 cans might be problematic for a small household because after opening they have to be consumed fairly quickly.

Link to Costco-Mountain House

From the page:


From the makers of Mountain House, Oregon Freeze Dry introduces NEW Easy Meals. All of the Easy Meal products are created with the same superior quality and taste you have enjoyed from Oregon Freeze Dry for over 40 years. Every Easy Meal item is fully cooked and then freeze-dried. Most all of the Easy Meal items just require water.



The Easy Meal package offers a mixed case of lunch and dinner entrée’s, breakfast entrée’s and fruit, and ingredients. Now you can have a quick hearty meal or vegetable wherever hot water is available. Easy Meals are shelf stable and a perfect solution for any emergency situation. In addition, Easy Meals are ideal for a family get-togethers, potlucks, group feeding or simply when you don’t have time to cook.

Shipment arrives in 1 bundle that contains 3 separate boxes
Total Servings: 302
Shelf Life: 25+ year if unopened (on all items)
Best if used by date printed on all cans

The Easy Meal package contains 18 #10 (gallon size) cans. See below for package contents:



Breakfast Case:
1 can of Scrambled Eggs with Ham & Red & Green Peppers (17 servings)
1 can of Breakfast Skillet (10 servings)
1 can of Granola with Milk & Blueberries (20 servings)
1 can of Scrambled Eggs with Bacon (16 servings)
1 can of Raw Egg Mix, Butter Flavor (50 servings) – Requires cooking
1 can of Sliced Strawberries (16 servings)
Entrée Case:

1 can of Lasagna with Meat Sauce (10 servings)
1 can of Pasta Primavera, Vegetarian (11 servings)
1 can of Beef Teriyaki with Rice (11 servings)
1 can of Beef Stroganoff with Noodles (10 servings)
1 can of Chicken Teriyaki with Rice (9 servings)
1 can of Chili Mac with Beef (10 servings)
Ingredient Case:

1 can of Cooked Diced Beef (15 servings)
1 can of Cooked Diced Chicken (14 servings)
1 can of Cooked Ground Beef (18 servings)
1 can of Garden Green Peas (23 servings)
1 can of Golden Sweet Whole Kernel Corn (22 servings)
1 can of Cut Green Beans (20 servings)

Just came home to find my order on my doorstep. Offer is still good until 10 October. Might order another if I can time the order to be delivered when the wife is not home...

[Stingray]

Bump.

At Freeze Dry Guy's website, under products, pay as you go Clubs, there is a good reasonably priced monthly option for stashing Mountain House.


Knuckledragger alert* I don't know how to link it without the copy/paste or I would insert it.

Sincerely,

[koz]

Freeze Dry Guy

[PSM]

After watching the aftermath of the recent tornadoes, I would add hardhats.

Pat