What you've done right -- toot your own horn

Post some of the stuff you've done to prep/ learn/ communicate lately.

Me? Stored 7 gals of water.

I stuck 30 cans of tuna in my basement among other supplies.

I started buying a few gallons of water and some canned foods every paycheck. I have 14 gallons and 10 cans of Chunky soup so far and will be picking up another 6 or so gallons tomorrow, along with some more food, a gallon of bleach, and an eyedropper.

I also bought a set of risers for my bed to give me room to store my bug-in stuff underneath my bed.

I'm getting a silnylon tarp for the BOB, along with a few other things. And I just re-packed the BOB too, to make it a little more orderly. And bought 2 more Mainstay 2400 rations to go with the one 3600 I had (need to get some 1200's, I know).

I've been going to he gym regularly, getting into some intense workouts again. I guess it does more for my preparedness than just stockpiling supplies.

I've done quite a bit since I first showed up here in August.

But the single thing I am the most happy with is a telescoping ladder that I can use to get down from my bedroom balcony if I'm cut off from the front door. (The design of the balcony rail precludes a "standard" fire escape ladder.)

My home was not defensible or capable of being very self-sustaining due to homeowner association rules and local ordinances, without investments beyond my means. I am glad I have moved onto a modest sailboat which at least gives me "home base" mobility.

Beyond that, I continue taking outdoor and wilderness skills courses, have assisted teaching the basics at some, and next week have my CERT application meeting. And, of course, learn and share with my ETS friends!

A little off track but.....

Yesterday during a community project two workers were involved in an accident. One guy was using those big scissor-type hedge clippers to clear some heavy grass from around a grave marker. Another guy was clearing the cuttings away. YUP!! You guessed it. Two objects tried to break the laws of physics and occupy the same place at the same time. The guy clearing was clipped rathr severely at the base of his middle finger. He was bleeding rather heavily. It was pretty deep. As soon as I saw it I ran to my car and opened my FAK. I grabbed a 12-ply 4x4 and some tape. I met him and the other guy at the car. I doubled the dressing and taped it on. The hospital was only 3-4 minutes away. They took off. I looked on the ground and there was a good-sized puddle of blood. That was not a little cut! I thought I did good. Not exactly getting prepared as being prepared and acting on it.

In hindsight I realize I need to have gloves more readily available. I think I will use someone's example of having one quart ziplock quick-FAKs. I need to get on that.

Everyone knows about first-aid, then there is self-aid...

I worked on my self-aid skills, uh umm, unintentionally....

I found DD walking one of our German Shepherd Dogs. Seems a neighbor's dog got away from the leash and decided to come charging at DD. Our GSD took offense,( she saw the other dog as a threat to DD ) and was in the beginning process of dismantling the offending dog. I drove around the corner about 1.5 seconds before the dance began, and dove in to stop the festivities.

This is the second time in 12 years I have had to do it. I really hope there isn't a third.

Treating bite wounds from accidentally coming between the bite-er and the bite-ee is a little more difficult than I expected. DD was a trouper, until she saw the blood. The she was a hinderance.

Luckily I know both dogs, so no issues there.

Coban tape and 4x4's are your friend when working on yourself.

Switched my car FAK from a super boo boo kit with some trauma mixed in to two more organized containers. I kept the boo boo kit in the original box & expanded the trauma stuff into its own box.

Ditto on the quart ziploc bags, put a mask and gloves in each.

What have I done? Just routine stuff that everyone should do:
* Stockpiling food that we eat -- rotating to use the older stuff and replacing with new. Only two weeks of water though.
* Regular trips to the gym three/four times a week. Cardio, core and strength training.
* No mortgage on either my home or the house I'm building. As far as I can tell I'm debt free except for the credit card I pay off each month. Truck's paid for too.
* I keep various kits at home and in the truck: winter kit (warm clothes and such), GHB, et al. Big FAK is in the truck along with extra 4x4's and a buttload of 14"x17" white towels I got at Costco cheap. Not sterile, but they've never been used and they're big.

Labour day is passed and geese are heading south.
The car trunk kits are winter ready again now.

edit:
winter tune ups on the vehicle are happening in mid October.
(snow tires checked, fan belts, heaters, fluids, windshield wipers, etc, etc)

Yesterday I budgeted buying a years worth of food from the Mormons, the local Mormon cannery ended up being over 50% cheaper than beprepared.com.

Today I bought 2 "cubes" of water at Sam's club, which is another 10 gallons. I started converting the "coat closet for the rear entrance" into a emergency food storage closet which currently has some canned food, MREs, and about 20 gallons of water.

Tomorrow I will probably buy a compound bow and arrow or crossbow. I used to really enjoy archery when I was in high school. I'm becoming more motivated to provide "harvesting solutions".

If it sounds like I'm doing a lot to prepare, its not normal. I joined this forum about 12 or 18 months ago and I was a "normal" person (read: relatively unprepared). I've been slowly increasing the pace and putting more and more into being prepared, whether it be knowledge, equipment, or supplies.

WOW!! Didn't realize how much I have already done until I started adding it up. Unfortunately I was so far behind that I am still playing catch-up. Anyway, here's what I've done so far:

1) I have been gathering QUALITY equipment for EDC, personal-sized kits, and larger day-pack sized kits, including Pocket Survival Paks, Heat Sheets blankets and Bivvys, large bandanas, mil-spec snare wire, and more.
2) Using these items I have put together three day-pack sized kits, three personal kits, and one mini-kit for EDC.
3) Tons of research online that has led to some hands-on practice and teaching opportunities with my son and will culminate in his first Boy Scout campout the last weekend of September.

It may not sound like a lot and though I have come a long way I admittedly still have a long way to go (including two more mini kits and some quality and practical FAKs). Wish me luck.

I'm helping my sister get ready. She lives on the beach, under a volcano.

Good luck, Mark, and welcome to ETS!

It took me a while to come up with something to be proud of - I made a 72 hour kit for my daughter who is starting at the local university across the lake (which will be 24+ hours from home if a disaster takes out the floating bridges). We moved her in, and the University gave her an Emergency Kit (good) - on examination it consisted of glow sticks and a Mayday lost at sea food ration brick in a red backpack. So, not so good. I went home, and assembled from spares a complete 72 hour kit, including a good Kelty daypack (with rain cover), poncho, wool cap and gloves, AMK bivvy bag, work gloves, radio, flashlights (2), crow bar (for extraction), some food, and First Aid Kit (actual kit contents is longer, but you get the point). I included some additional things for her imediate roommate too (building her her own 72 hour bag would have seemed a little weird on day one). It should easily get both of them away from their dorm to either my mom's house 30 blocks to the north or to my sister's house 20 blocks to the east.

My daughter is used to my preparedness ways (last Easter her candy came in an upside down hard hat), but she is doubtful about the crow bar, she thinks the administration will see a weapon there - I told her if there's any questions, I'll take it up with the Dean. The university actually gives out these kits and expects the kids to return them at the end of the year. Space is an issue, I told Emma to tell her Resident Advisor she was ready to return the issued kit immediately, that apparently has caught them short, they haven't had anyone want to return one before...

Sad thing is (or horn tooting, take your pick), I built the kit from existing stock, without pillaging my own supplies, right down to the First Aid Kit. From memory. So I'm not sure whether I'm prepared or have a Problem...

Have been fairly lazy, as I feel I'm pretty decently stocked...

But, since I now live with DGF, I've been reorganizing things.

-Bought 2 2.5gal water jugs from the grocery store (in addition to the 2 pallots of bottles already in the pantry).
-Placed some of my supplies into a large plastic storage bin, as a "grab and go" for my GF and I. Not enough for more than 2-3 days, but it sits UNDER the rest of my supplies and camping gear. Figure I'll toss it all into the back of the truck if needed.
- Bought a fire extinguisher and 2 1.5L water bottles for the car. They all fit nicely behind the rear seats in the storage area.

Want at least 5 more gallons of H2O, buy a 5-gal gas can (store empty), and would love a second case of MREs, if I can find them around here. Seems the Navy Exchange doesn't sell them through their grocery store any more.

After recently moving into a new property in a different county and with winter approaching I have been quite busy.

I have updated my bugout bag: mainly changing over the documentation for the property, change of doctor details and the like.

I have moved to a rural village next to a small city that has experienced some major floods over the years. I have checked the flood risk maps and am confident that I am not in a flood risk zone. Although I live within 5 minuets walk from the coast I am also out of any storm surge zone which is predicted at 4 meters on a 50 year cycle.
here

I have also checked the counties community risk register to understand the risk assessment for any likely threat I could expect.
http://www.sussexemergency.info/index.ph...e=1&mod=139

On the home front, I have been through my kit store and moved candles and candle lanterns, spare stove and fuel, a head torch and spare batteries into a kitchen cupboard for easy access if there is a power cut. I still have to get some spare food as a store but that’s not a big problem. I do need to get a couple of large jerry cans for water storage. I do have 20 litres of water in storage but could do with some more capacity.

Finally I have filled a couple of paint cans with sand to use as Benghazi Stoves. These are for long term power outages for cocking on and to use as area heaters. I am fully aware of the danger of using naked flames inside the house and have taken safety measures and will give ventilation. I will use meths as the fuel for the Benghazi stoves as this is safer, cleaner and less polluting than other fuels.

On the whole I am happy with the transition into the new property and am pretty much prepared.

Me,
Well I landed a new gig that will require me to travel to Canada.

So I sought out help here from folks who live in Canada. Then I re-built my kits and winter prep'd my RV since it is what I will be living in while there. Then I sent my kit lists to several experts and had them reviewed.

Now here I sit all "fat and happy", only to learn the position MAY have been cancelled before I even left Texas....


At least I was ready...

More later

Well, this past week

- Bought a 250 GB external harddrive and made full backup of home and work PC's.

- Checked the (paper) backup copies of my documents and updated some.

- Listed the multitools I have, and re-assigned some of them to different kits depending on their tools/components.

- After testing the cheap nylon man-purse I have for two years now, I am staisfied with it. So, I bought two more ( each for $8 ) and now thinking of assigning each for some task. Maybe I leave one in the office as a backup GHB instead of the tougher and better one already sitting there.