Author: CityPrepping

10 easy steps to prevent home invasions
Your home is your castle. Keeping it secure and your family safe should be a high priority. While many articles focus on how to handle a burglar once they have entered your home, we’ll instead focus on methods to reduce making your home an easy target.

Consider the mindset of someone wanting to illegally enter your home. Most burglars / home invaders are opportunists: they’re looking for easy targets with a low chance of risk to themselves. Finding a way to reduce the probability that someone would want to illegally enter your home can be done in 10 easy steps which we’ll discuss below.

1.) Lock doors and windows

This may seem like common sense but many people forget to do lock doors and windows and provide an easy access point to burglars. According to the FBI, about 30% of burglaries in the US are considered “Unlawful Entry” meaning intruders were able to gain entry without breaking in, usually through an unlocked door. Each night before I go to bed, I go through the routine of checking all the doors and windows to make sure they’re locked.

Regarding locks, use deadbolt locks at a minimum (as opposed to simple push button locks). For another layer of protection, consider using a door security bar. If someone tries to kick down your door, they’ll find this will be a difficult task. The security bar provides your home with an added dose of safety by reinforcing doors from outside intruders.

Sliding glass doors and windows are also vulnerable. Using a wooden dowel or another solid object like the door security bar helps prevent windows and sliding doors from being opened should the lock be compromised. Most windows can be pinned for security. Drill a 3/16″ hole on a slight downward slant through the inside window frame and halfway into the outside frame – place a nail in the hole to secure the window.

And don’t forgot to lock the door going out to the garage. If someone gains entry into your garage, they can easily walk into your house if you didn’t lock that door as well. I have a neighbor whole recently had their car broken into in front of their house. They had left the car doors unlocked and when the burglar accessed their car, there was a garage door opener inside their car. The burglar opened the garage door and was able to steal tools. Had they wanted to, they could have also broken into the home if my neighbor had not locked his garage door.

A few additional tips:
- When moving into a new home, have all the locks changed.
- Put a lock on your circuit breaker (if it is outside the house). If someone can access your circuit breaker panel, they can cut the power to your house thus potentially defeating your home alarm or phone line (if you’re using VOIP).
- Don’t leave windows open at night that are visible to the street (this could attract burglars). I have special locks on my windows that allow me to open my windows at night to let in the cool air. But on the windows facing the street I don’t leave them open because I don’t want to attract someone looking for an easy target.
- Make sure the door hinges are on the inside of doors, not outsides.
- Never leave keys under doormats, flowerpots, mailboxes or other “secret” hiding places — burglars know where to look for hidden keys.
- For my spare key, I have a fake sprinkler head I have placed in my yard which has my house key inside. It looks just like a sprinkler head and is hidden somewhere in my yard.
2.) Make your house well lit at night

Someone looking to enter your home doesn’t want to be seen. I have several different lights on at night outside my house to make my house very visible. It’s easy to forget to turn these on so having lights setup on automatic timers, photosensitive switches or motion detectors is a simple way to ensure your house always has lights on at night.

Here’s a few different options you can use:
- Light bulbs with a photosensitive light switch.
- Motion activated light switches which are great in your backyard.
- Candelabra light control switches.
- Photosensitive light switch base s to activate your current lights.
3.) Make it appear someone is at home

Contrary to popular belief, most burglaries do not occur at night at all. Instead, 65% of burglaries occur between 6am and 6pm. Most burglars do not want to risk encountering someone so they will try your home when you’re most likely to be at work. The most common hours for a burglary to occur are between 10am-3pm.

Many times a burglar attempting to access your home during the day time will pose as a salesman to find out if anyone is home. Often would-be home burglars will knock on the door and if no one responds, will either try to gain access via the front door or other points of entry (think your patio door in your backyard).

Here are some considerations based on the time of the day:

Night time
- Have inside lights on timers
- Have music or a T.V. on. There’s also this option for a fake T.V. which from the street appears someone is watching television.
Day time
- Have music or a T.V. on.
- Build a relationship with neighbors to help watch your house which we’ll discuss next.
4.) Learn to rely on neighbors to watch your house

Having an extra set of eyes to watch your house is invaluable. I have a friend that lives outside of Salt Lake City, Utah that I used to visit from time-to-time. In his neighborhood, the children ran around without any parents nearby. I was surprised to see this coming from an area where it’s rare to see a child outside without adult supervision. When I asked him about this, he brought up the point that the neighbors all look out for each other. There was a real sense of community there and people genuinely cared and watched out for their neighbor.

The best way have to have good neighbors is to be a good neighbor. Take the time to develop a great relationship with your neighbors and develop a network with them.

5.) Removing shrubbery from around your house

Trim trees and shrubs so they can not be used as hiding places for intruders. If you have shrubs that provide cover for a would-be intruder, they can use this to take their time to break into a window. Also consider putting plants around the house that have thorns. Anything you can do to make it difficult for them to get close to your home will make it that much more challenging.

6.) Barking Dog

You don’t necessarily need a large attack dog, but rather a small barking dog will do just as fine. If the animal makes noises and barks, someone make think twice about attempting to break into your home. They will not know if you are now alert that something is wrong or if the dog is big enough to attack them. Point in case. Watch this video where a potential home burglar is scared off by a small yorkie dog. While it’s a funny video, the reality is that when someone is trying to break into your home, they’re probably already nervous and a dog like this can do the trick to scare them away.

7.) Home security systems

In the context of our discussion to prevent a home invasion, having a visible home security system or the appearance of a home security system can work in your favor. (Side note: some would argue that having a visible home security system would give a burglar a reason to suspect you have something that is worth stealing. I would argue differently. A home security system will give you an advantage if it alerts you that someone is breaking into your home.)

There’s several approaches we can take here:
- Security company stickers. These send the clear message that you have a some security system installed and will give someone 2nd thoughts before trying to force their way into your home. You can easily pick these up for cheap online even if you don’t have a home security system.
- Outside security cameras. I recently picked up a 4 pack of these fake security cameras. One day when I have the budget for it, I’ll replace them with real cameras, but for now I’m using these as deterrents.
- Have a peep hole on your front door and use it before opening your door.
- Home security system. These can range wildly in both costs, monthly fees and installation fees. Typically home security system companies will provide free installation and then lock you into long contracts to make up for their up front costs. Remember, if you have a home security system, arm it. Burglars know many times individuals will not arm their system simply because it’s not convenient. For those on a budget, there are options like this one.
Don’t have a budget for a home security system? Here’s some alternatives:
- Hang a bell on the door. At least you get alerted in the middle of the night of someone attempts to come in.
- Door alarms.
- Door security bar.
8.) Don’t flaunt your wealth

Again, our goal here is to avoid giving someone cause to break into your home. Flaunting your wealth sends a signal that you have things they’ll want. Simple things you can do:
- Keep curtains closed. No reason to show off all your nice things in your house. At night I keep the curtains that face the street closed for this very reason. If someone is driving by at night, having the curtains open with lights inside my house makes things very easy to see.
- Leaving a box of new big screen T.V. you just purchased on your curb.
- Lawn mowers, BBQ’s and bicycles are best stored out of sight.
9.) What to do if you are gone for an extended time away from your home

If you’re going to be gone for an extended period of time, here’s some simple things you can do to not draw attention to burglars checking out your neighborhood:
- Put some lamps inside your home on automatic timers.
- Have someone mow your lawn.
- Don’t post on social media that you’re on vacation. On sites like Facebook, if your friend posts a comment their friends can see the comment (and the original posts). Social media can easily provide a lot of information to people you don’t know.
- Don’t allow mail to build up on your front porch.
- Have neighbors remove the mail and newspapers that may accrue at your house or have the post office put a hold on delivery
- Also be sure to ask your neighbors to take out your trash as this can alert others that you aren’t around to take it out.
10.) Considerations if your car is outside your house

As I mentioned above, I had a neighbor recently that had their cars broken into (well, they left the car doors unlocked) and the burglar was able to access their garage. If you park your car in front of your house, here’s some things you need to think about:
- Do not leave valuables in plain view: (GPS devices, lap tops, PDA’s, cell phones, MP3’s, wallets, purses).
- Do not leave doors unlocked.
- Do not leave keys in the vehicle.
- Do not leave the garage door opener in plain view.
With these simple (and inexpensive steps), you can severely reduce the probability that your home will be a target for home invasion.
October 4, 2016
Top 12 prepper mistakes

Whether you’re new to prepping or have been prepping for years, these are mistakes that could easily derail you from accomplishing your goals when getting ready for unforeseen events.

(more…)

April 21, 2016
How to build a Bug out Bag
If you have to head out of Dodge fast, having the right items thought out in advance is critical for survival. Even more important, you need to have these supplies ready to leave on a moment’s notice without having to run around your house to try and find everything. How many times have you gone on vacation and forgot something? Now imagine an urgent “situation” out of your control occurs requiring you and your family to leave your house within minutes. Having forgotten something won’t just be a matter of inconvenience, it could cost your life. While “bugging out” is probably the last thing I want to do in an emergency situation (my preferences is to definitely “bug-in”), I may not have a choice in the matter. This is why the concept of the Bug out Bag (henceforth to be called “B.O.B.” in this article) has become so popular in the prepper community.

Writing a blog posting about the “perfect” bug out bag is all but nearly impossible. Each region has different challenges for survival and different individuals have unique physical abilities and limitations. A person living a desert area has different considerations than a person living around large amounts of water. Someone with a small frame may not be able to carry the same load as someone that is in great physical shape (side note: it’s amazing to see what someone faced with great obstacles in the face of survival can overcome). But despite the differences, there’s a common thread for what you should include in your bag.

///////////////////////////////////////////
Before going any further, big thanks to Rain6 for providing us with their Speeder B.O.B. Rain6 is an extraordinary company that provides great firearms and survival training. These guys have a great deal of experience and are excellent teachers.
//////////////////////////////////////////

Let’s start with the basics of what every B.O.B. should contain. For that, I’ll use Dave Canterbury’s 10 C’s of survival as they serve as a great primer to start building your B.O.B.

Top 10 tools your B.O.B. should contain:
1. Cutting tool. We reviewed 2 knives popular in the prepping community: the Gerber LMF II and the Ka-Bar Becker 7. Don’t skimp here and buy one of the cheap “Rambo” knives that is not a full tang knife which will break shortly after using it.
2. Combustion. The ability to start a fire is critical. Fire serves many purposes (keeping your core temperature up in cold conditions, cooking, etc.) and it’s something you’ll definitely need if you’re going to be stuck out in the elements for any period of time. In my B.O.B. I carry storm proof matches and as a backup I have a flintsteel firestarter.
3. Cover. In my opinion this should be #1 on your list of items to have in your B.O.B. You’re not going to last long in the elements if you have don’t some way to protect yourself against the elements. Having spent many years mountain climbing, getting stuck in storms is no fun (well, it can be if you have the right gear). If you don’t have the ability to protect yourself from the elements, well you’re not going to last long. I personally choose a rain tarp for my B.O.B. (lighter and smaller than a tent).
4. Container. Carrying water is critical (especially if you live in the desert like me). Having a water container that can be used to boil water is an extra bonus. I have the Klean Kanteen water bottle on my bag in addition to my 2 water bladders. Like shelter, water is is something that is critical for survival. You’re not going to last long without it.
5. Cordage. Carrying a good 100′ feet of paracord is a smart idea. It’s lightweight and can be very useful for many applications.
6. Candle (a.k.a. flashlight). I like a good headlamp. It frees your hands up and wherever you turn your head to look, well, the light is going to shine in that direction. Having light is so important for my B.O.B. that I carry a few backups. One in particular, the Eton Scorpion, serves as both a flashlight, has a hand crank charger that can charge your cell phone, has a radio and a small solar panel to charge it.
7. Cotton. Having some type of bandana can serve many purposes. I did some NGO work in Afghanistan years ago and before leaving I purchased about 10 shemaghs which I have placed in all my B.O.B.’s and vehicle EDC bags. These can serve many purposes from head covering in hot weather, wrapping around your neck in cold weather, filtering water, helping start a fire, wrapping a broken bone to a signaling flag.
8. Compass. Getting lost can be dangerous. How often have you seen news reports of people that got lost in the woods that ended up going in circles? Having the ability to quickly orient yourself and follow a direction is critical. A compass is small, cheap and can be a real life saver.
9. Cargo tape. Strong duct tape can solve many problems in a cinch. Have a pack problem? Tape it up. The uses are almost endless. How much you carry is up to you, but having a roll of Gorilla tape is a good idea for those moments when something gets busted.
10. Canvas needle. Also sometimes referred to as a “sail needle”, these needles can come in handy to sow up torn articles of clothing or gear.
OK, so I get what the most important items the bag should contain, but what about the bag itself?

I’m glad you asked. There’s quite a lot of options depending on budget and personal tastes. Here’s a few I’d recommend that range from the low to the higher end:
- TETON Sports Scout 3400 Internal frame. This bag definitely doesn’t yell “Tactical!” and at $59.00 (with stellar reviews on Amazon), this pack is hard to beat.
- 5.11 3 day Rush backpack. This is definitely a prepper favorite. In the $147.00 price range, it’s a solid backpack that many of our soldiers on deployment use and recommend.
- Eberlestock HalfTrack Military Pack. On the higher end of the price range (around $250), this pack is built like a tank and the attention to detail is impressive. Definitely one of those pieces of gear you know is going to last a long time and is used by some of the military’s special operations forces. If you have the money for this, you won’t go wrong picking this up.
How much can you add to your B.O.B.?

So obviously the 10 C’s listed above are a primer for the core essentials, but there’s quite a few other items you’re going to want to pick up for your pack. This is where weight comes into play. They say your pack shouldn’t weigh more than 25% of your body weight. As a teenager I would go on backpacking expeditions where we sometimes would carry up to 50 pounds or more of gear for a few weeks and at that time I barely weighed 120 pounds. So obviously you can carry more than 25% of your weight, but you have to factor your physical condition. Don’t think you’re going to have a 50 pound bag sitting in your closet you haven’t worn in years that you can just throw on your back and head out. It’s probably not going to be that easy.

While this article is not designed to go into detail about getting into shape and gaining strength, it’s something you need to factor in nonetheless (I’ll leave the how up to you) into how much you’ll be able to carry.

Water…you won’t get far without it.

prepping-water-bug-out-bag

The 10 C’s listed above are the core essential pieces of equipment to have in your B.O.B. but water is the most essential item you’ll need in your pack (and the ability to store a lot of it). My current B.O.B. has 2 water bladders that can hold 2 liters each (about 1 gallon combined) along with a 27 ounce water bottle. A typical person will use 1 gallon of water a day. So for 3 days of survival you’ll need 3 gallons of water. At 8.34 pounds per gallon, you’re looking at about 25 pounds of weight that will be added to your B.O.B. Next to my B.O.B. I have some standard 1 gallon water bottles you can buy at your local grocery store. I keep them ready so that I have to head out quickly, I can grab them and fill up my water bladders on my bag. I don’t keep my water bladders in my bag filled with water as I don’t want to develop mold in the bladders. Each month I dump the water from my containers and fill them back up from the tap to keep them fresh and ready. Sectionhiker has a great article on how much water you should carry. The reality is that there is only so much water you can carry (it’s heavy and takes up a lot of space) but you should definitely prepare in advance so that not only can you carry enough for survival, but know where to go to get more.

prepping-bug-out-bag-water-filter

In addition to water storage, having the ability to filter water is critical. As you can see from reading above, I have enough storage in my primary B.O.B. for a little over a gallon (I plan on expanding that shortly). So if you need 3 days worth of water, you’re obviously going to need to get more water as we go. Having a way to filter your water or make it safe for drinking is very easy and relatively inexpensive. The LifeStraw and the Sawyer water filter are both excellent options that take up little room, are inexpensive and get the job done. In addition (always think in terms of backup options for the critical components of your B.O.B.), you should have water purification tablets. They take up very little room and weigh next to nothing. Without having a means to make your water safe for drinking, you set yourself up for extremely painful times if not death. Years back I was on a mountain climbing expedition and contracted giardia. That was an experience I don’t ever wish to repeat. It taught me a valuable lesson though: make sure your water is safe to drink.

Specific items for your B.O.B.

Now that we’ve covered the essentials (the top 10 C’s, the bag itself, your physical condition and water), let’s get into some other items you’ll want to have when setting up your B.O.B.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, there’s no one perfect B.O.B. setup. Every person has different regional issues and physical issues they must consider. So while you’re putting together your own bag, consider items you may specifically need.

Here are the items (apart from the 10 C’s listed above) I have in my bag (in no particular order):
- Emergency sleeping bag. These are light weight, small and inexpensive. If you live in a colder climate, you may consider a full-size sleeping bag. I keep my sleeping bag by my B.O.B. during the winter since it can get cold in my area, but the rest of the year it’s not really needed. The emergency sleeping bag will work fine for my climate.
- Wetfire. If you need to get a fire going quickly, this will do the job. Also see my notes above about the stormproof matches and flint steel firestarter I have. The ability to start a fire in a bug out situation serves many crucial purposes.
- Batteries. I have a few different things that need batteries in my bag, the most important of which is my flashlight. Ideally it helps when all your electronics running on the same type of batteries (i.e. AAA) so that you only have to carry one type of battery. Side note: when storing your electronics in your pack (i.e. flashlights, 2 way radios, etc.), don’t leave the batteries in these devices as they may experience corrosion and destroy your device. Instead store the batteries separately in a zip lock bag. I bunch my together with a rubber band so they aren’t touching end to end. While not probable, I don’t want to risk my batteries causing a spark or fire. A quick search on Google shows the culprits are usually 9 volt batteries, but I’d prefer to avoid risking it.
- Energy bars. Try and find a balanced bar. Something that is not all sugar but is rather balanced with protein, fat and carbs. Having 4 or 5 of these in your pack can help if you’re on the move or just need something for a simple morale booster.
- Snares. You can easily make a few of these to stow in your pack. They’re small and barely take up any space or add weight and could provide an opportunity to snag a meal.
- Rain gear.
- MRE’s. I carry a few of these in my pack. If you need to cook a meal quickly, these are awesome. They come with their own built-in heater to warm up your food, so it’s great to have a few of these.
- Mountain house meals. There’s a lot of variation on these types of freeze-dried meals you can quickly heat up with hot water. They’re very light weight and provide a balanced meal. While we’re on the subject of food, you need to consider your calorie intake. If you’re on the move, a minimum of 2200 calories for the typical person per day is a good number to shoot for (which is very low). Ideally you’ll need a lot more if you’re covering a lot of ground each day, but there’s only so much space in your pack. I add up all the snack bars, MRE’s and freeze dried food to about 2200 to 2500 calories a day.
- Food prepping/eating gear. There’s an infinite number of configurations and options here, but for my bag, my goal is to be able to heat up water and have a utensil to eat with. I added a Toaks titanium cup which weighs next to nothing, a Stanley Cook Camp set and a Light my fire titanium spork.
- Stove. While not necessary, I like having this in my bag if I need to heat up some water without starting a fire (in the event I don’t want to be seen). Still, they’re small, light-weight and with a small fuel canister, you can get some water boiling quickly.
- Multi-tool knife. These come in handy in so many ways.
- Medical kit / R.A.T.S Tourniquet / Israeli Bandage. You might be on your own for awhile. Having the right medical gear is critical.
- Whistle. Great for signaling.
- Journal. Documenting important details you may need to retrieve later.
- Monocular.
- Gloves. I carry these in my EDC bag (that can be attached to my B.O.B.) and use these a lot.
- Two way HAM radio. If cell phone towers go down, having a back up means of communication is very important.
- Rescue Flash Mirror.
- SAS Survival handbook. Knowledge is power and can help to ensure you can survive. I even have a backup PDF of this on my phone.
- Tush wipes. Like toilet paper but better.
- Tent stakes x 4. These can be used to tie down the rain tarp at the corners or could be used in a fire (already driven into the ground) to rest my pot on when boiling water.
- Alcohol hand wipes.
- Foldable air respirator.
- Glow sticks. Great for light and great for signaling (attach one of these on the end of a 2 foot cord and swung around at night time can be seen far away).
- Chapstick.
- USB thumb drive.
- Super glue stick (small).
- Cash (minimum $20).
- Carabiners.
Be on the ready

Alright, you’ve built out a B.O.B. … now what? I keep my bag plus water plus clothes (pants, shirt, jacket and boots) all together in 1 closet in my house. In the event I have to bug out, I have all my gear in one place so I can grab it and go. Again, the key is to not just have the gear scattered around your house but rather to have everything in one place so that if you have to head out quickly, you can without having to spend time you don’t have trying to gather everything together.

The gear in my pack is dedicated to that pack. If I remove something from my bag for use, I make a note to return it. The approach Rain6 uses on their B.O.B. provides you with 2 bags. The primary bag has all the main gear (food, water storage, shelter, etc.) and I have a separate EDC bag that keeps the items I use on a daily basis (gloves, flashlights, pocket knife, etc.)…the small items. With this setup, in an emergency the EDC quickly attaches to the primary bag with a few snaps. It allows me to use many of the items I have listed above in my EDC that you can take to work or other outings.

Avoid prepper burnt-out.

Like so many things with prepping, it’s easy to get burnt out with all the gear to collect and things to do. I have to constantly remind myself that this is a marathon and not a sprint. My B.O.B. has taken a significant amount of time to build and I am still in the process of modifying it and updating it as I learn new things. And while the items listed above are numerous and expensive, you can build a quality B.O.B. on the cheap.

Like insurance, it’s one of those things you setup and forget about. Your B.O.B. will probably be the same. It’s one of those things you may never need, but in an emergency, having it can make all the difference.
March 1, 2016
Gerber LMF II Survival Knife vs Ka-Bar Becker BK7
Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of 2 amazing survival knives.

Gerber LMF II Survival Knife, Coyote Brown

Features:
- Lashing holes for use as spear
- Safety knife included
- Rugged, versatile survival tool
- Sheath Material: Ballistic nylon with fire retardant coating
- 2 Leg Straps
- MOLLE Compatible
- Overall Length: 10.59″
- Blade Length: 4.84″
- Weight: 11.67 oz. (w/o Sheath)
- Weight: 24.28 oz. (w/ Sheath)
- Partially serrated blade
Sheath Includes a built-In Sharpener
A low-profile sheath is included and it features a built-in carbide sharpener. The stainless steel blade can withstand a ton of abuse, but if it ever gets damaged or needs sharpening, you won’t be stuck out in the open with a dull knife. The sheath facilitates movement and attaches to a belt or MOLLE vest.

The LMF II features an overmolded handle, which helps prevent hand blisters and provides a secure grip. It is also designed with lashing holes, allowing it to be converted into a spear and extending its usability.

The pointed buttcap that is made of stainless steel. This heavy end can be used to pierce glass in the event you need to egress from a helicopter or other vehicle. The buttcap features a smart design that is physically separated from the tang in order to offer shock absorption when it’s used as a hammer and also to prevent electrical shock.

Not a full tang knife (see image here) … this was intentional: One requirement of the knife design was to insulate the handle to prevent aircrew from being shocked if they intentionally or accidentally cut through live wires while freeing themselves from their aircraft.

Blade Material: 420HC Stainless

About the metal:

Stainless steel is a preferred material for knife blades because not only does it withstand corrosion, but stainless steel also is easy to keep clean. Stainless steel comes in levels, and the 400 series is believed to be one of the top choices for knife makers since this level is quite resistant to deterioration, as well as being easier to keep the knife blade sharp. As part of the 400 series, the 420HC Stainless Steel and the 440C Stainless Steel are considered two of the top grades in the 400 series for knife blades.

420HC stainless steel holds a higher carbon intake than the 420. The “HC” in 420HC stands for “high carbon,” and can be brought to a greater hardness than the 420. Because it can be sharpened to very precise cutting edge and doesn’t rust easily, 420HC stainless steel is the preferred grade in the commercial knife making industry for cutlery, scissors, surgical tools, and knife blades.

Unlike other grades in the 400 series, the 420HC stainless steel knife blades provide extra strength, hardness, and wear resistance than other stainless steel grades. It makes a great knife blade for a general purpose knife due to its ability to resist corrosion and its edge holding capabilities.

Feels great to hold…amazing knife at the price.

Ka-Bar Becker BK7 Combat Utility Fixed Blade Knife
- Used by all branches of military and service members
- Sturdy, lightweight all-purpose utility knife
- Easy-to-sharpen 1095 Cro-Van steel blade
- Blade Thickness: 0.188″
- Blade Coating: Black epoxy powder coat
- Sheath: Black Nylon w/ kydex insert
- Handle Material: Full tang, Grivory
- Durable glass-fiber-filled nylon handle
- 20-degree edge angle; 7-inch blade length
- Measures 12-7/8 inches overall;
- Weight: 12.9 oz.
The thumb ramp on the blade is also unexpectedly convenient. It does not interfere with any normal grip or use of the knife, yet it provides a solid, comfortable spot to park your thumb which also seems to allow a little extra leverage during repetitive slicing.

About 1095 steel

The 10XX (1045, 1095) Steels – 1095 is the most common 10XX steel used for knife blades. Steel in the range 1045-1095 are used for knife blades, although 1050 is more commonly seen in swords. 1045 steel has less carbon (.45%), where 1095 has more (.95%), inversely 1095 has less manganese and 1045 has more. So in essence, 1095 steel would have more wear resistance, but would also be less tough. 1045 holds an okay edge, 1095 steel holds an edge great, and is easy to sharpen. The major drawback to this type of steel is that it rusts easily. Because of this issue, you will often see 1095 blades with some type of coating to combat rust. If you buy a knife with this type of blade, be sure to store it well and you should have no problem.
November 20, 2015
How to make a fire starter with toilet paper rolls and lint
What do we typically do with toilet paper rolls and dryer lint? We toss them in the trashcan. These simple pieces of trash can become great fire starters. If you have wax (not required), you have a fire starter that will even last longer.

Time to create these: 5 to 10 minutes

What you will need:
- Toilet paper rolls (paper towel rolls work as well)
- Dryer lint
- Plain sheets of paper (we’ll use these to wrap the toilet paper rolls
- Bonus: wax
Final result:

Steps to create a fire starter:
1. Stuff your toilet paper roll with dryer lint. Don’t pack it too tight as the lint will need enough oxygen to combust. Fire needs 3 things to burn: fuel, oxidizing agent (usually oxygen) and heat. So give the lint a little breathing room.
2. Wrap the toilet paper roll with 1/2 sheet of regular paper and then stuff the ends of the paper into the paper roll.
3. If you want a fire starter that will last even longer, pour melted wax into the middle of the lint stuff in the toilet paper roll.
4. Place your new fire starter under some tinder, light it up with fire source (match, cigarette lighter, etc.).
5. Stand back and bask in your creation 🙂
October 16, 2015
The Top 5 Prepper Firearms
In our daily lives, we often take for granted the level of protection and security we enjoy that is provided by our local police. But what would happen if there was a break down in these services due to a local disaster causing a disruption preventing the police from providing the security we rely on upon? Living in an urban environment, as long as people have the basic necessities of food and water, things are relatively peaceful. But when those things are no longer available and the police are stretched thin responding to emergencies during a time of crisis, you have all the ingredients for a big problem. People will do whatever it takes to survive and if it involves targeting you, your home and your family, are you ready? During times like this you may not be able to get (within a reasonable time frame) help when calling 911. Will you be ready to defend your family and home? Do you have the proper tools and training to handle an intruder bent on inflicting harm?

I’m going to break this article down into 3 parts:

1. The criteria I used for deciding these 5 firearms in my top 5 list. I encourage you to read to this section and not skip ahead to my top 5 firearms because it will help you understand a great deal more why I choose the options I did and will help you when you’re deciding on what firearms you want to get.
2. My personal top 5 prepper firearm selections.
3. A brief discussion regarding the role of firearms in prepping as well as comments regarding training.

Here’re the criteria I used when deciding which top 5 firearms made it into my list:

1. Reliability
Does this firearm have a proven track record? You’ll notice on my list that many of the firearms are used around the world by both military and law enforcement and have a long history in service and a proven track record.

2. Availability
Is this a common firearm? This is important for getting parts. In a prolonged grid down scenario, if you need parts and you have a firearm that is rare, getting parts or ammo will be difficult. Finding aftermarket accessories and parts is even easier. Is the ammo common that it uses? This makes finding the ammunition much easier to acquire if it’s a common round. Often when a firearm is common and plentiful, it helps drive down the price which is our next point.

3. Affordability
Is this firearm reasonably priced? This is a bit relative…firearms, in general, are not cheap, but many of these firearms we’re discussing are a little lower in the price range compared to many options which can be much more expensive. For some of the firearms, we’ll discuss, I’ll mention some more affordable alternatives for you to consider.

4. Capability
Do you have training or experience with this firearm? Instead of buying a $2300 rifle, instead, buy a $800 firearm and get $1500 worth of training. Training is critical should you be in a stressful situation. It’s easy to go to the range and just plink around, but if you’re life or death situation and you have a malfunction, would you know how to work through the issue.

My top 5 prepper firearms:

I’m going to start with number 5 and work down to my top pick. While working through each of these, I’ll try to give you a little background, why I personally chose them and on a few of these firearms, we’ll discuss some more affordable alternatives. Again, try to stick with the guidelines we mentioned earlier when researching a firearm. Cheaper is not always a good idea and it can cost you more in the long run. You’re better off saving up for an entry level quality firearm versus buying a cheaper firearm alternative.

And please remember, this is my list. There’s plenty of amazing firearms that may be better than the firearms I list below. But after doing a lot of research, these are the firearms I ended up going with. Also depending on your environment, for example, if you live in the country versus an Urban environment, the ordering of your list might change.

#5 – .22 caliber firearm

.22 caliber firearms are a popular choice among preppers due to their relative affordability, low cost of ammunition and ability to take down small game as well as carrying capacity. A 1,000 rds can easily be packed. The .22 caliber firearm that often comes up is the Ruger 10/22. An entry level Ruger 10/22 will set you back about $250. There’s over 5 million of these in circulation and been in production since 1964. This rifle is ideal for young or inexperienced shooters and great for plinking around. It’s built with a very simple construction meaning that the average person can easily replace any part in the gun with nothing more than a screwdriver, a hex key and simple punches.

If it’s the only option you have, it can be used as a self-defense rifle. With a well-placed shot, it could get the job done. While people may complain that the .22 isn’t high powered enough to be a true self-defense weapon, taking a shot to the dome at 50 yards my change your mind.

What are some affordable alternatives? A pellet gun. You could hunt small game all day with this option. Here’s a link to a video I did about this specific pellet gun.

#4 – Long rifle

remington-700

Need to reach out long distances or take down big game? A larger caliber bolt-action or semi-automatic .308 gives you long-range capabilities and knock down power. These rounds enable a trained marksman to reach out to distances as far as 1000+ yards. While a 1000 yard shot would not be easy to do, it’s possible with the correct training. You also have the advantage of accuracy with this setup.

For this option, I went with the Remington 700 chambered in a .308. The Remington 700 is a popular precision firearm used among the police department and is the foundation for military snipers and defensive marksman rifles. With a higher recoil, these tools are designed more for reaching out than close quarter engagements. This weapon will obviously need an optic. Currently, I’ve got my eye on the Vortex HST 6×24 which comes in at about $650.

Cheap alternatives. For those looking for a solid long range rifle on the cheap, there’s no better option than the Soviet Mosin Nagant which was battlefield tested during WWII and still used in conflicts around the world to this day. I owned one for several years and they’re just fun. They’re by no means a perfect firearm, but they can get the job done for around $100 to $150.

#3 – Shotgun

remington-870-shotgun

These firearms are often used in close quarters, but can print 3-inch groups at 100m with slugs and are often touted as a great home defense firearm and are devastatingly powerful. They’re a bit more forgiving than a standard rifle in relation to hitting a target and with the right ammunition plus you can avoid over penetration when shooting in your home. In addition, these can also be used for hunting. The top 2 strengths of the shotty: power and versatility, with birdshot, buckshot and slugs there are great hunting and defense loads. For example, modern self-defense shot could be compared to sending multiple 9mm bullets at once with 1,600 fps. behind them. That’s some good stuff.

I went with the Remington 870 12 gauge. Again, this is a model that has a long history dating back to the 1950’s with over 10,000,000 in production since that time. In addition, these rifles have proven their effectiveness and reliability and are used by the military and police around the world. They are extremely effective in stopping hostile targets and you can feed them a variety of types of 12 gauge ammunition. The 12 gauge round is very common and easy to purchase which makes it especially popular in the prepping community. Most have heard of the 12 gauge shotgun, but the 20 gauge shotgun can be very effective in stopping a would-be assailant as well and is great for someone with a smaller and lighter frame.

Popular alternatives:
- Mossberg 590-A1 Shotgun
Cheap alternatives:
- Maverick 88 12 gauge
If you’re not able to afford training from a professional (which I highly, highly recommend), there are other options. One of my favorite training I review periodically is Magpul Dynamic’s Art Of Tactical Carbine. It’s a great step-by-step tutorial outlining the mechanics of the standard AR-15 (discussed more below) and safety.

#2 – Handgun

revolver and semiautomatic

These come in 2 primary flavors: revolvers and semi-automatic and both have their own pros and cons. I personally decided to go with a semi-automatic because it gives me more capacity and due to magazine feeding faster reloads, you can get back on target quickly after unloading your magazine. In addition, there’s less felt recoil combined with generally larger grips and NO heavy double action trigger pull which for a self-defense firearm are all pluses to getting multiple rounds on target quickly.

One of the biggest advantages a handgun offers is that is can be carried on your person at all times, it’s easy to conceal and easy to maneuver in tight spaces which are great if you live in an urban environment. Before purchasing a handgun, be sure to try out several different models to make sure they fit correctly in your hand. Many firearm ranges will allow you to rent a handgun and finding the one that fits correctly for you is important.

I personally went with the Glock 19. With its drop-dead simplicity and ability to go “bang” when you pull the trigger make it a popular go-to for law enforcement and some militaries. It requires little training to become proficient with this pistol and has the advantage of being very popular making it easy to get parts and accessories. Due to its popularity and being so common, gun shops typically have to compete with one another thus driving the prices down on them.

This particular pistol (Glock 19) uses the 9mm round which is a very common round. You’ll hear a lot of arguments online about which ammunition is the best: 9mm, .40 or .45 caliber rounds. While this article will not get into the differences between these rounds, the 9mm round is manageable to shoot and very effective. I’ve put a lot of rounds through this particular platform and have learned how to deal with malfunctions along with learning how to reload it quickly. Do I think it’s the best option for everyone? No. The grip is a bit bigger than I like making changing a magazine quickly a bit difficult as my thumb can not reach the mag release without a little manipulation, but I’ve found work arounds. If grip and mag capacity do not work for hands or state, go with the G19’s little sibling, the G43 with extended base pad 8+1. Plus I live in California and our options for pistols are being reduced each year, so I’m fortunate at this time to at least have this option. A Glock with usually set you back about $500 but there are lower cost options on the market.

#1 – Carbine

AR-15

An AR-15 / M4 chambered in either the .223 or Nato 5.56 is one of America’s most common and powerful semi-automatic rifles. They serve a variety of purposes for preppers (self-defense and hunting) and are extremely accurate up to about 300 meters, which is farther than you could ID a target… unless it was shooting at you. And you can also reach out to 500 meters with little training and 3x magnification. These firearms are easy to learn how to operate and have very minimum recoil making it easy to stay on target firing multiple rounds allowing faster follow-up shots with user fatigue being reduced. The M-16 is the military version of these rifles that have been issued to U.S. soldiers since Vietnam and have evolved over the years to a very refined and accurate platform.

The advantage to a carbine an AR15 is that you can put a lot of rounds down range very quickly and reloading can be done quickly with the right training. Quite the force multiplier. Like the Glock 19 mentioned above, the AR-15 is a common firearm in the U.S. and as a result, it’s easy to get parts, accessories, and ammunition. In a situation where gun parts may become limited or scarce, it is very likely you’ll be able to find gun parts for the AR-15 platform which is a big bonus.

Right along having parts availability due to its commonality, the shooter will be equally as skilled and comfortable with the estimated 10 million + ARs in the country. Also, finding good training on this platform is easy with thousands of experienced veterans returning home and opening firearm training companies. The prices on these can range as low as the mid-$500’s up to several thousands of dollars. A solid entry level AR15 is the Smith and Wesson MP 15 sport which will set you back about $750: https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/mp-15-sport-ii

Alternatives
- AK47
- These are an extremely option with preppers and are renowned for their reliability even when neglected.
Cheap options
- In my search for some cheap alternatives, the Hi-Point 4095 Carbine, Semi-Automatic, .40 Smith came up a lot.
3.) Additional Thoughts

Firearms should not take top priority in your preps. I see this a lot in the prepper community. There’s almost an obsession with firearms and prioritizing them over things like food and water. You can begin to spend unbelievable amounts of money on firearms and ammunition. Very easy to get tunnel vision when it comes to firearms and you can spend an infinite amount of money on these. When I got into prepping, I thought I had to load up on firearms and ammunition immediately. If there’s an event in my area, I won’t be able to eat ammunition when supplies run out.

There are many other things when it comes to firearms you need to prioritize. Start with getting 1 or 2 firearms and then focus on things like food, water, and medical gear and once you have the priorities in place, swing back and build your armory.

Get Training!

I have done training and it made all the difference. I’ve done training with Rain6 …one of the best things I’ve done. If you’re in the Salt Lake area, check him out. Tell ‘em City Prepping sent you!

If you’re not able to afford training from a professional (which I highly, highly recommend), there are other options. One of my favorite training I review periodically is Magpul Dynamic’s Art Of Tactical Carbine. It’s a great step-by-step tutorial outlining the mechanics of the standard AR-15 (discussed more below) and safety.

Know the law

Each state has its own laws defining when or if a firearm can be used. You might start by simply Googling your state’s name followed by “firearm laws”. For example “California firearms laws”.

Understand when using a firearm is justified. Some states have different interpretations of what “standing your ground” may mean and when deadly force is allowed.

Also, prepare for the aftermath of using deadly force: you’ll either be sued by the person who may survive, by their family if they die or experience possible retaliation by their friends or fellow gang-members. While you may escape a legal action by the state when defending yourself, you’re still very liable in civil court where the family may sue you. Sad that when defending yourself against an attack you’re still liable, but welcome the U.S. where anyone can sue for just about any reason. But as they say, “it’s better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6”. I can live with that.

Secure your firearm

Not enough is said about this in the gun/prepper community in my opinion. When you have a gun in your home, you need to find a way to secure it. At a minimum, you should have a gun lock (and sometimes police departments will even give you one for free). Ideally, you will want to secure your firearms in some type of safe. Something as simple as a quick access pistol safe or a biometric gun safe for your rifle still allows quick and easy access to your firearm while keeping it secure.

Avoid conflict if possible

In most situations where firearms are used, not everyone gets to walk away unscathed. Even though I’m very proficient with my firearms and have had a decent amount of training, I’m not looking for trouble and would do all I could to avoid a conflict requiring me to use my firearm. If someone breaks into my house in the middle of the night wanting to steal my T.V., but all means they can have it. I’m not going to try and clear my house and try and hunt these guys down. If they want the T.V., it’s not worth taking someone’s life or risking my own in the process of confronting them. My first priority will be to secure my family and then call in 911…let the professionals deal with this problem. I’m not looking to show how brave I am by standing up to or confronting someone trying that is trying to injure me or my family. If the opportunity is available: run! No seriously, get out of the situation when it is possible.

But if backed into a corner, attacked or a gun is drawn on me, then yes I have a right to defend myself and my family and I won’t hesitate for a moment. But if there is any opportunity to avoid a potential conflict, I will.

Also, know what’s going on around you at all times…don’t be caught unaware. Our society today is so engrossed in their phones and devices that they rarely look up. Be aware of your surroundings when in public. I’m not recommending you become paranoid, but know what’s happening around you so you’re not caught unaware.

Summary

While firearms can be a controversial subject depending on where you live, in a disaster or some other event that affects your community, you may be forced to protect yourself. Being trained in the basics of firearms and having your own may be the difference between life and death for your family.
October 14, 2015
4 basic first-aid skills every prepper needs
As a beginner prepper in an urban environment, getting our food and water supplies going first is an important first step. The next step is getting our medical preparations started.

Medical and urban prepping

In a disaster (or even in just daily life), having basic medical supplies and the skills and knowledge to deal with a life-threatening injury could mean the difference between someone surviving and not. In an event that would cripple your area’s infrastructure (i.e. earthquake, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.), the immediate result would almost certainly mean loss of life and injuries. In catastrophes of this magnitude, the first responders will be focused on helping the largest amount of people first (schools, malls, theaters, etc.). In the first few weeks, emergency personnel will be stretched thin meaning you probably won’t be able get immediate help when dialing 911 if you are or family members are injured or if someone is attempting to harm you (more on this later). Knowing basic first-aid and having the right tools to stabilize an injured person to get them to a hospital is critical.

In addition to the tools and skills outlined below, it would be a great idea for you to get some solid training either through your local Red Cross or getting involved with other programs offered in your community (i.e. C.E.R.T. training).

It’s easy when starting to prep to focus on obtaining tools and gadgets, but having a basic level of keeping someone alive is a critical skill.

4 basic first-aid skills needed

Stabilizing an injured individual in those first few minutes or hours of injury buys them time in order to get them professional help.

Below are the bare minimum first-aid skills every prepper should learn.

1. Be able to establish an open airway and confirm a heartbeat

If someone isn’t breathing, we’ve got big problems. The typical person can’t live without 3 minutes of air. Establishing an open air way is the first and most important step if you are treating an unconscious victim.

Establishing an open airway

The first step is to check the unconscious person to make sure their airway is open by using a simple chin lift. Below is a quick and simple video explaining this technique.

CPR

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR is a technique used for getting the blood flowing to deliver oxygen to the brain and organs. It’s a simple technique that gives a victim a fighting chance until an A.E.D. can be used or until an ambulance arrives.

Get into a local class if at all possible at your local Red Cross to learn CPR. Click here to find a class in your local area to get signed up. Having just taken the class recently, it was well worth spending a day learning how to keep someone alive.

Don’t have time to take a class? At least know the basics. This simple 2 minute video can teach you the foundations, but should not be a substitute for getting certified in CPR.

2. Stopping bleeding

Minor cuts

Typically these can be controlled by applying pressure for 10 minutes and bandaging the cut giving your body time to form clots. Be sure to clean the wound with running water and ensure you’re using fresh bandages/band-aids/gauzes to wrap the wound. Proper hygiene when dealing with a cut or scrape can ensure that a simple cut doesn’t develop into something worse. If the wound is fairly small (i.e. not requiring stitches or a trip to the hospital) using a simple topical antibiotic like Neosporin will help to prevent the cut from getting infected.

The following video gives you a quick overview of dealing with bleeding.

Trauma involving heavy bleeding

If the bleeding is more than a small cut, a more aggressive approach may be needed. The sight of blood can often shock people (both the person cut and the person helping), so be aware of this going into the situation if you’re going to be administering first-aid.

The following video gives you sufficient information for dealing with heavy bleeding:

In the case of heavy bleeding that is not stopped by applying pressure and a bandage, you should have some additional tools in your kit to handle more severe trauma until either you can get to a physician or an ambulance arrives. I carry all 3 of these tools in my first-aid kit at all times.
- Tourniquet: (a belt can work as well). One thing to note about a tourniquet: after applying a tourniquet, make sure you mark down the time when it is applied as the doctor will need to know this. The typical time frame you want to apply this may range from 1 to 3 hours, but there have been cases of soldiers in Iraq leaving them on as long as 6 hours. While it’s not advised to leave these on for long periods of time, if it means saving my life, I’d take living over loosing a limb.
- Quick-clot: this has been used by soldiers that have been shot or received severe wounds causing them to bleed out. It helps the bleeding to clot up and has proven to be highly effective not only in gut shot wounds but other forms of trauma involving heavy bleeding.
- Israeli bandage: carried by many EMTs here in the U.S., these are battlefield tested by the Israeli military and serve as both a tourniquet and a bandage to stop severe bleeding.
3. Treating shock

Shock is a condition resulting in inadequate oxygen to the body’s tissues and major organs and will accompany illness or injury to some degree. Shock can cause damage to the body if not properly treated.

Shock may be caused by:
- loss of body fluids
- damage to the heart
- standing still for too long
- sudden emotional shock
- fear
- pain
- unpleasant experience (i.e. seeing Rebecca Black singing “Friday”)
How to treat shock

Lay a person down and elevate their feet to increase blood flow to their heart. While waiting for an ambulance or if you’re having to transport the person to a hospital, try and keep the person calm as stress and anxiety can worsen the condition. During this time keep the person warm and reassure them they’ll be fine, but do not give them food or water. Loosen any tight clothing to help increase blood flow to the vital organs.

4. Handle broken bones

When a broken bone occurs, the first goal is to immobilize the broken bone. You can do this with either an available splint or you can improvise with almost anything stiff and rigid like a board, a pole, a yard sign, etc. Once you apply the brace/splint to the broken joint, you will want to wrap the splint to keep the broken joint from moving.

You can also use a triangular bandage to create a sling for a broken arm.

Building a First-aid kit

You can pick up a first aid kit at your local Walmart, online or easily build your own kit.

If you choose to go the do-it-yourself route, here’s some items you’ll probably want to pick up. These first 4 are not in your typical first aid kit, but they’re definitely high priority items for my first aid kit to help deal with severe injuries beyond basic cuts.
- Tourniquet: (a belt can work as well)
- Quick-clot
- Israeli bandage
- SAM Splint (for broken bones)
- Band-aids (assorted sizes)
- Rolls of gauze
- Triangular bandage
- Scissors
- Laxatives
- Vasoline
- Silk tape
- Tweezers
- Suture and thread
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Hydrocortisone
- Rash cream
- Allergy tablets
- Lip balm
- Sunscreen
- Latex gloves
- Burn ointment
- Thermometer – traditional, not electroni
- Superglue (this can be used to hold a cut together in place of stitches)
- Aspirin
- Prescription medication
- Antibiotic spray/cream
- Antacids
- Anti-diarrhea meds
As you read over the list of things to buy above, don’t get overwhelmed. The challenge most people face when starting to prep is to be overwhelmed with the sheer amount of “things” they feel they need to get. Don’t let this happen to you. Pace yourself and budget. I didn’t get all my tools at one time and am still working on building out my first-aid kit even to this day. I set aside a certain amount of money each month and when the finances are available, I pick up the next item. Create a list and prioritize…you’ll get there.
October 7, 2015
2 easy steps to start prepping
New to prepping and not sure where to start?

So you’re giving serious consideration to prepping. You’ve thought about the possibility of what could happen if you and your family are not ready for an event that leaves you without the basic necessities you rely upon every day. Whether it’s a hurricane, earthquake, flooding, riots, or whatever else is thrown your way, you want to be ready. You want to face the oncoming storm secure in the fact that you and your family have the basic necessities to survive.

So now what? What’s the next step? Getting into prepping can be very overwhelming. If you Google “prepping” or any other combination of that phrase, you’ll be met with more information than you can possibly take in at once.

My advice is to start with the rules of “3″. In any extreme situation the average person can not survive for more than:
- 3 minutes without air
- 3 hours without shelter
- 3 days without water
- 3 weeks without food
Also consider this: after a typical local emergency (hurricane or earthquake), the infrastructure will be more than likely destroyed or temporarily disrupted while roads are made safe to drive on once again. During that time, expect the following:
- Your normal first responder services (police and fire) will be overloaded focusing on saving as many people as possible. If a tornado hit a public school, movie theater or some other location with a lot of people, first responders will focus their efforts there, not the local neighborhood injuries. “Do the greatest good for the greatest number of people”. Don’t expect supplies and re-inforcements to come to serve you and your problems. You and your family might be on their own for awhile while the large groups are handled first.
- Stores have enough supplies on hand for at least 3 days. If water to your house is disrupted, do you have enough water for your family for 2 weeks (or more)?
- Gas stations will be down if electricity is knocked out. Expecting to escape town to go somewhere safer? Do you have enough gas to drive far enough to get away from the event (assuming everyone hasn’t already jammed up the roads trying to do the same)?
- Roadways out of town. What if the major highways and interstates are destroyed during the event and you and your family can not get out?
There is a real possibility you may not be able to just pick up and leave (or at least you need to consider this possibility). You might be stuck in-place for days or weeks. So assuming our house wasn’t destroyed in the event, what do we need to do to prepare? That leaves us with food and water as top priorities which in an urban environment, you’re not going to find these easily when there’s an emergency.

1. Urban prepping and water

Water needs to be a first priority.

Water. Your body is composed of roughly 60% water. If your body starts losing it or if you drink water that is not sanitary, you’ve got a big problem. Without getting into a discussion about the stages of dehydration or water borne illnesses, let’s suffice it to say we want to avoid being unprepared when it comes to having enough drinkable water.

In prepping, serious consideration needs to be given to getting a basic water backup in place. Out of all the things a prepper should be concerned about in an urban environment, having a clean supply of water (or the ability to filter/purify water) would probably top my list. While living in an area that doesn’t lend itself to having the ability to store large amounts of water can present challenges. But there are some easy remedies that are affordable and can be done incrementally to get you started.

Storage space can be a limiting factor in urban water storage. You’re probably not going to have a 1000 gallon water storage tank sitting in your backyard. You may not have the room for it and the cost may be prohibitive to get something like this installed. The best solution that I have found that allows me to have small water storage units that are portable, affordable, stackable and can easily be carried or moved can be found here on Amazon. Small water tanks are portable in a time of crisis and you can incrementally purchase them as your budget permits.

How much water do you need?

The typical person takes in about 1 gallon/day. You might take in a lot less or more on some days, but that’s a good rule of thumb to start with.

So if you have 2 adults and 2 kids in your home, let’s just go ahead and budget 4 gallons of water per day for drinking and probably cooking (that’s not even budgeting water for other things like sanitation), but that’s a good starting point. Don’t forget pets too in your considerations.

How many days of water do you need?

The typical starting point is 72 hours (3 days worth) and this is definitely nothing more than a starting point. Plan on building on top of that as finances permit. As pointed out above, the typical person can not live past 3 days without water. My long term goal is having a month’s supply of water. Start small and work up.

How do you preserve your water to keep it from going bad?

Water preservative is your friend. Water can begin to turn bad and develop some unwanted growth if not properly treated. You may think you can just toss the water into storage and clean it up when you need it. I wouldn’t recommend that. The time and energy you’d have to spend just to make the water drinkable isn’t worth the risk. Take a few simple steps now so when you need it, it’s ready.

I use these water storage devices and rotate them every 5 years. When I dump them out, I clean them (soap and hot water), put in fresh water, drop in water preservative and then label the date on the side so I know when to rotate them next. Sure, it takes a few hours to go through and rotate all my water storage (done only once every 4 or 5 years), but if you’re life is on the line one day, it’s worth it I think.

2. Urban prepping and food storage

This one can be slightly simpler and easier to implement than the water approach above. With the water storage, there’s several steps that need to be taken, but with food, you can begin to simply add to your existing food storage. When you go to the store, grab a few extra cans of food. If something is on sale (that’d you actually eat), then load up on it. Got some coupons in the mail? Go and grab some of the products on your next trip to the store.

Storage and organization

Have a food pantry? Great, try to begin to organize things a little better. Put the older cans to the front and begin adding to the back with newer cans (be sure to rotate food and don’t let it expire if possible). In our house we rarely eat canned food. That’s fine, we still set up a small reserve in an out-of-way location that doesn’t tie up our pantry. In our home, we store the backup food in the closet under the stairs (I’ll discuss this a little more below).

Comfort foods

In your food preps, don’t overlook comfort foods. If you’re in a disaster, having comfort foods will help relieve stress to a degree and will help with the psychological effects of what’s happening around you. It might be small, but don’t overlook this.

Which foods do I eat first in a disaster?

After the power goes out, eat the perishable foods first. Those are going to be the foods that will go bad first so might as well get to them now before they’re not editable because you’re not going to be making a trip to the store anytime soon. Grab that milk and cheese or chicken you have in the refrigerator. There’s not a lot of time before they go bad, so better enjoy them why you can.

Foods to store

Try to store a good balance of protein/fats/carbs. Don’t have just a bunch of canned fruit, but be sure to grab canned tuna or chicken (or some other source of protein that can be stored away for periods of time). You may be required to do physical labor and having your body deprived of necessary macros like protein doesn’t help. Also consider the amount of sodium in the canned food. More sodium means more water you’ll need to consume. We want to make sure we’re not burning through our water if possible.

Food rotation

Keep an eye and food and water. If you’re keeping your oldest cans of food at the front of pantry and grab those first, rotate the ones from the back forward and put the new food you purchase at the back. It will become a habit and will help ensure you’re keeping food rotated at a basic level.

Where to store your food and water

Under your stairs is the strongest place in your house and is often the coolest and darkest area which is great to help prevent your food and water from spoiling prematurely.

Do not store your food in the garage – the temperature fluctuation is not ideal for your supplies plus if a disaster strikes garages are not very strong (they’re often the first part of the house that collapses).

Storing your food and water in multiple places in your house is also a smart approach. If a part of the house where you had everything stored gets hit (structural damage or theft), then you’re in luck…you had other supplies somewhere else. Ever heard “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”? This rule applies here.

Types of food to consider

Try and stock easy to prepare food. You’re probably not going to be cooking a full course dinner so try and find things that will go well together and that require minimum preparation. Also try and avoid foods that are going to require a lot of clean up afterwards. Remember, you’re probably not going to have running water so needing to clean up your cooking utensils is going to dig into your water supply quickly which is not good.

This is why I’d advise having disposable utensils/plates/forks/spoons etc. as part of your preps. Cook the food, serve it on disposable plates/bowls and your clean process is to simply toss things into the trashcan. Easy.

Future discussions

Some may read this and ask where is medical and security? I would rank those #3 and #4 for starting preppers and we’ll get into those issues in a continuation of this article. They’re definitely important, but I’d recommend getting water and food in order. Following the steps above won’t break the bank and if you just start with a goal of 72 hours for food and water, you’re on the right path (and you’re ahead most Americans).
October 5, 2015
Warning! Could you and your family survive a disaster?
With 80% of the U.S. population living in an urban environment, learning how to prepare for geographical or national disasters should be given serious consideration. Urban/high population areas present many challenges even when everything is working smoothly, but if that delicate balance was disturbed have you considered the following:
- Where would I get food or water if the grid went down and the stores ran out of food and water wasn’t coming out of my faucet? (a typical person can only go 3 days without it)
- How could I power my electronic devices to communicate with the outside world?
- How secure am I and my family if the police are overloaded and can’t make it to my house right away? What will you do if people were trying to raid your house when there were riots and anarchy in the streets?
- What if we have a medical emergency and 911 won’t answer the phone?
- When is the right time to leave town? How long can I stay put in my home? Where would I go if my house/apartment/residence was on fire or uninhabitable?
- How will I purchase items if credit/debits cards no longer work? How would I get cash if the ATM’s stopped working?
Maybe your concerns are completely different or maybe you are not that concerned at all. For most Americans, Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath that followed in New Orleans was a wake up call. Then came the housing market crash of 2007 that showed how delicate our nation’s “great” economy is.

With so many living in urban environments, individuals should definitely give consideration to preparing should a catastrophe occur. Most of us live in a very delicate ecosystem that is dependent on all the pieces of the puzzle working together to provide us with our basic needs. If one or several of those components fail, we have a problem.

Most supermarkets only carry 3 days worth of food. If a disaster hits your area and people panicked (because they were not prepared) and made a run on the stores leaving nothing behind, would your family have enough of the basic staples to stay alive for 1 to 2 weeks? While I never have lived in an area hit by a major event, I once got a small glimpse of how it could play out. In December of 2013, I was in Denton, Texas when an ice storm was coming in. The local news alerted the surrounding area to get ready. I decided to head down to my local supermarket to grab some milk and bread as we were probably going to be forced indoors for a few days. Turned out everyone else decided to do the same thing a few hours before me leaving nothing behind in those aisles. Fortunately no one considered getting bread in the bakery so I lucked out.

“Why should I worry about stocking up, the government will take care of me in an emergency.”

As mentioned above, Katrina stunned Americans (and most of the world for that matter). When did the Government show up to help people? It took several days for responders to finally show up and offer aid to the population stranded. Are you ready in the event to take care of your family if help doesn’t show up within, let’s say, 3 days? In 3 days, a lot can happen (and did in New Orleans). A typical person can not go much beyond 3 days without water. If your faucet turned off, what clean, drinkable water do you have available? A typical person will go through a gallon of water a day (just for drinking). Cooking, cleaning, and other sanitation requirements will use more water.

Now, consider this fact: Hurricane Katrina was a regional event. The Gulf states took the brunt of the storms with Katrina taking the worst of the damage inflicted on the area. The population was caught unprepared and things got bad quickly. What would happen if there were multiple “events” that occurred in the U.S. at once. We saw how woefully unprepared our Government was to respond to 1 disaster. But if there were more than one event, what then?

How prepared is your family? Do you have a plan in place if a storm hits or some other catastrophe disrupts the infrastructure you depend on each day?

While every region has it’s own set of challenges, being prepared is not as complicated as most people make it. For years I was discouraged when looking at all the things I thought I needed to do to get ready. If you read enough about prepping, it can get a little overwhelming. While prepping can become a long term endeavour to build upon, there are simple steps that can be implemented to get you ahead of most people.

Where do you start? Let’s discuss the basic steps you can take now in our next blog “Urban Prepping – where to start”. By following a few basic steps and getting things lined up, you put yourself way ahead of the game.
October 2, 2015