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When a disaster strikes, Your Survival Tools are What-You-Know, What-You-Have-on-You, or what you can reach.
Why Carry a 72 Hours Survival Kit? (also called Bug-Out-Bags or GOOD Bags)
Most Disaster Scenarios are over in seconds, minutes or hours but Help may not reach you for 2-3 days.
MY GREATEST FEAR: Forget wind storms, fires, terrorism, etc for the moment. NASA (our space agency) says Solar Storms are strongly possible. On September 1–2, 1859, the largest recorded solar storm occurred. The flares set fire to telegraph lines and office in the US and Europe. Do you know anything with wiring?
Imagine - IF a Super Solar Flare (Mass Coronal Ejection) occurs, the first wave slams into our communications satellites. All cellphones and the entire Banking ATM system shuts down. When the solar flare strikes Earth, the electrical wave would overwhelm and burn out major sections of our electrical grids. Unprotected motors would burn out. IF cars were drivable, roads would be restricted to Military and Emergency Vehicles Only. How Far Might You Have to Walk to Get Home? or, to reach children, family or friends?
Why Carry a 72 Hours Survival Kit? (also called Bug-Out-Bags or GOOD Bags)
Most Disaster Scenarios are over in seconds, minutes or hours but Help may not reach you for 2-3 days.
MY GREATEST FEAR: Forget wind storms, fires, terrorism, etc for the moment. NASA (our space agency) says Solar Storms are strongly possible. On September 1–2, 1859, the largest recorded solar storm occurred. The flares set fire to telegraph lines and office in the US and Europe. Do you know anything with wiring?
Imagine - IF a Super Solar Flare (Mass Coronal Ejection) occurs, the first wave slams into our communications satellites. All cellphones and the entire Banking ATM system shuts down. When the solar flare strikes Earth, the electrical wave would overwhelm and burn out major sections of our electrical grids. Unprotected motors would burn out. IF cars were drivable, roads would be restricted to Military and Emergency Vehicles Only. How Far Might You Have to Walk to Get Home? or, to reach children, family or friends?
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Signing UpStep 1The Basics of a Great 72 Hour Survival Kit or Bug Out Bag
FIRST LESSON: Ounces Add Up to Pounds and Pounds Add Up to Pain.
The size of your backpack should be based on what you can realistically carry - At A Minimum - to survive 72 hours or more.
The pictures below show my current two favorites. You can buy backpacks with Water Reservoirs. Daily I carry the 72 hour kit on the left with the two external pockets for water. One is full and the other is a "filtered water bottle" for a dip-and-drink scenario. <<It's ALWAYS best to boil water.>>
The larger, green 72 Survival Kit is called an Alice Bag and they come in various sizes. It has a light metal frame which supports your lower back. It's famous in the US military for its large, deep pockets.
The size of your backpack should be based on what you can realistically carry - At A Minimum - to survive 72 hours or more.
The pictures below show my current two favorites. You can buy backpacks with Water Reservoirs. Daily I carry the 72 hour kit on the left with the two external pockets for water. One is full and the other is a "filtered water bottle" for a dip-and-drink scenario. <<It's ALWAYS best to boil water.>>
The larger, green 72 Survival Kit is called an Alice Bag and they come in various sizes. It has a light metal frame which supports your lower back. It's famous in the US military for its large, deep pockets.
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Sold on line and at DICK'S type outdoor stores.
Would watch just how close you got to an actual fire with them tho; have heard from other bikers that they can melt if they got too close to exhaust pipes but haven't had that problem with ours. Generously cut to fit over riding clothes and the biker model has reflective striping. Also now make an even lighter weight model for less $$$ that would be a great addition to a survival pack. Worth their weight in gold for just the dry and warm factor. And will fold into a small pouch to stow.
Motorcycle saddle bag "Survival kit"---
Tire gauge
Leatherman
Glucose Gel and hard candy (diabetic)
MAPS--Plain. Old. Paper. Maps. How we navigated thru Hurricane Irene here in Vermont and NY when there WAS no GPS and cell service--oh and NO ROADS either
Crackers and cheese
Tire fixer kit
Swiss Army Knife--always in pocket since 1976
Two sets of Frog Togs
Bandanas
Extra Gloves
Extra eye wear
Water---in bags and in handy hang off the side holders
Sun/rain "fly" for bike---could be used as a small shelter if needed and has bungie cord ends-plus it keeps the dreaded Fried Butt Syndrome away.
Bungie Cords
Just built a pull behind the bike travel trailer so we will be expanding this---and I am sure there are things I have forgotten.
Lighter
Bike specific tool kit
Quarters----if there is no cell service---HOW ya gonna call?
Your cell prob has a flashlight feature BTW---as long as it is charged!
We have two charger ports we added to bike for just this reason.
Not planning on getting too lost in the wilderness on the bike but we live in a wilder-than-usual area of the planet and after Irene---well--we learned a LOT about what can happen in a very short time period and from what seemed like an ordinary rain storm that shut down our entire part of the world for a long time. Any rainstorm that can carry your house away---
For "instant" water purification:
When you get the 22.4% solution of Sodium Chlorite and 50% Citric Acid (available on the internet market,) put 3 drops of each in a small glass container and cover for 20 seconds. I use a wineglass because it can mix together in that dimple at the bottom, to activate properly,) then pour this into your gallon of water.
If you can wait 24 hours to treat your water:
Put a flake or two in a gallon of water, shake until dissolved and wait. More flakes for grey water. Sodium Chlorite is as harmful as Sodium Chloride (table salt,) so use with some discretion.
For most disease treatment:
Use 3 activated drops (3 drops Sodium Chlorite and 3 drops Citric Acid per dose as shown above,) for 8 hourly doses a day.
To make your 8 doses at one time:
Using a quart or liter bottle, fill it with water,
Sharpie mark 8 even portions, and pour in (24 drops Sodium Chlorite activated by 24 drops Citric acid as shown above,) then add 1/8 Tablespoon of baking soda to water to neutralize the acidy taste, making it more palitable.
Please, write me if you have any questions.
Readers - Yes, You who are asking, 'Is he really talking directly to me?" Yes, I am.
This is a demonstration of what makes the Web powerful. One thread can teach us so much. What can you teach? Maybe your 'Wisdom' is part of a different topic. That's fantastic because there are others who are waiting for what you know.
Apply this great wisdom, "Let everyone who encounters me be better off for my having been there."
OR, "Let me be the person my dog thinks I am."
As for your comment about the earthquakes you are wrong. While the earthquakes caused by the New Madrid fault line were large quakes they were only about a 7.5 to 8 magnitude. The top three largest earthquakes on record are Valdiva, Chile 1960 Mag. 9.5, Prince William Is., Alaska 1964 Mag. 9.2, Sumatra, Indonesia 2004 Mag. 9.1-9.3. Now let me say that if another earthquake were to hit the New Madrid fault line it would be a horrible disaster being that Memphis, TN. and ST. Louis, Mo. are so close but I just wanted to help out a little with the facts.
Your bag would be an excellent addition to anyone who needed after a disaster as such.
I also appreciate your praise. When You and I 'share', Like or 'retweet' things like this, we encourage others to 'Be Prepared'. IF an "Event Happens", the more people who are prepared, the less we will have to "deal with" (help or hurt - depends on the Unprepared).
In a social breakdown (no utilities), Think about this "You WILL Fight Zombies, or become one!" (look up the symptoms of "Final Stage" dehydration - IT IS the classic Zombie Walk). The problem with Zombies IS they just keep coming.
Educate the potential Zombies or Fight Them.. I've chosen Edu-taining and I Need People like you to help me. Thanks for making a difference.
As a microbiologist I can correct the following error for you: "The moment water reaches boiling, all of the biological organisms are dead"
Thermophiles are organisms which typically live in hot springs and some can certainly live above 100C. The converse is also true of psychrophiles which can live AND CONTINUE TO BE ACTIVE below freezing. I must add that these types of organism tend to be harmless to humans though. The golden rule of boiling water before drinking it still holds more or less true for PATHOGENIC organisms.
Another factor is time, you don't necessarily kill ALL organisms the INSTANT the water reaches 100. That is why autoclaves have timers.
It is my understanding that to render water safe for consumption you should ideally:
1. Filter out all particulate matter and "gunk" with a t-shirt or some other filter
2. get it as hot as you can (somewhere above boiling)
3. keep a relatively tight lid on the pot to save the steam - creating an autoclave-like environment (doesn't lose water and it will partially sterilise the entire inner surface of the pot)
4. keep the water atleast above boiling for 10-15 minutes. longer if the water looked really nasty.
I hope you find this useful :)
Peace!
I agree with 'filtering" the water. I agree that it may look nasty and taste bad (thus the number of 'drinks' in my kit). I trust the above information. Second, most people in a dire emergency may not have a "lid on the pot". Actually they may not have a pot.
Mr. Thompson - try one experiment. Measure out two cups of water - let it boil for 15 minutes and remeasure, How much of your precious water is left?
Perhaps it's safer but will it last as long, or help as many people?
Please remember the Real Point - carry something. Why would you expect the rest of us to share our water & supplies with you in an emergency?
... "but have never actually done myself."
Sir, I'm 65 and I'm doing it. I learning and I'm leading. 91% of Americans are NOT ready for a Haiti or Japan sized disaster. <<***the 3 largest Earthquakes in recorded history were in between St Louis and New Orleans.>> Everyone needs to be better prepared.
Remember - Enjoy Life's Best but Prepare for its Worst.
sorry if my comment offended, I just re-read it and it sounds a little arrogant. Your information is great, I am just perfectionistic about technicalities and I have an inferiority complex that I sometimes compensate for by placing myself in authoratative positions. For that I apologise.
I feel that given the way we have abused this planet we should not be at all surprised to find an upward trend in natural disasters. Would I expect someone to share with me? I don't know. That's their choice.
For the record I am South African :)
Peace to you man.
For Example, I misstated something above "the 3 largest Earthquakes in recorded history" should have read "the 3 largest Earthquakes in the contiguous U.S. history ..."
Always - correct my 'errors'. Even at 66, I'm young enough to learn. Be Honest, Be Excellent and Walk About Prepared™
IF I'm low on water, sucking a hard candy provides me saliva and the illusion I've 'gained water'. It buys me time psychologically, cleans my palate (think of dust after 9-11) and gives me a little sugar rush.
IF I needed to create a distraction to escape a crowd, I might throw / 'slingshot' behind them for noise, or drop candies and coins (cash) in their path to slow them - hopefully. (It is Best to Win the War without Fighting. Sun Tsu)
When I look at my "Survival EDC" (Every Day Carry) items, I always want to see "multifunction tools". Hard Candy gives me options AND I haven't mentioned that hard candy has helped diabetics regulate their blood sugar.
The question is ALWAYS. "Does this item provide me with a physical or psychological advantage worth the weight I'll be forced to carry?" Ounces Add Up To Pounds and Pounds Add Up To Pain. Are hard candies worth their weight to YOU?
Live Life for Its Best; but Prepare for Its Worst!
Encourage them to take 1st Aid also - perhaps in a Holiday greeting.
For DIY or Budget reasons:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Customize-Your-Altoids-Survival-Kit/
More of my Ideas will be available soon. The National Geographic TV just finished two days of shooting "Doomsday Preppers". I'll post when I have a "showtime date".
How do you treat your water? I've got some 20 l containers and some bleach I'm about to put in them. Initially I stored some water in old 3 l fruit juice containers- filled with cold boiled water with the last bit topped up to the brim with boiling water, they don't seem to be going green yet.
Your kit, though, seems to be that "just right" size. It's easy to carry and small enough to keep in your car at all times. You just have to make sure to swap some foods and batteries out every so often. Thanks so much. I will probably be making a couple of these for my wife and I.
We live in a bad area, there's a drug house a block from out house. we bought 26 years ago when it was still a good area. the question is, is it better to lock the car and have it broken into, or just toss stuff in the car and hope it won't be stolen.
how could I camoflage a 72 hr kit so it wouldn't be so tempting.
I'm diabetic so water is so important that I can't go more than two hours without it. Protein also, very important. I don't want to include a knife IN the kit due to it could be used on me, so I carry a folder in my purse. I'm thinking there has to be a way to hide my stuff, but it's a van so there's easy accessibility when it's not locked.
ANy ideas gratefully considered. thanks, Kitty
Think Like a Predator to Keep From Becoming Prey.
If I'm looking in cars to steal things, I'm looking for easy money. If I'm going after I-phones, pads, laptops, expensive stereos. I'm probably not attracted to a 'simple' backpack. Maybe a visible pair of Expensive Camelbacks .....
One easy solution is to put your "survival stuff" in garbage bags. IF I'm a thief, I'm less likely to risk jails for two garbage bags. You could be on the way to the dump. I'll look for easier, less risky pay.
** Lesson 2 - your purse would be the first thing a thief is likely to go for. Suddenly, you are disarmed and they have your folder. I suggest - for both men and women - a clip knife. As a lady, it can "clip" to the inside of a pocket, belt, bra or undies. BUT - do not carry one unless you are willing to use it. Think - if someone is close enough that you feel your life is threatened, .... that's a very personal decision.
"A man's got to know his limitations." think Clint Eastwood voice