Smoke Detectors Smoke is responsible for three out of four fire-related deaths. Install smoke detectors on every level of your home, outside of sleeping areas, and in bedrooms.  Test every smoke detector once a month. Replace the batteries once a year or more often if the detector makes a chirping sound. If you buy a new one, make sure it is approved by U.L. and the State Fire Marshal. Photo courtesy of https://www.pinterest.com/pin/230668812498780498/Fire Extinguishers Your fire extinguisher should be a minimum of 4A10BC (see specifications on nameplate) and U.L. or State Fire Marshal ap ..read more

Lots of us like to store wheat as part of our long-term food storage. It has a long shelf life, it’s nutritious, and you can use it to make that beloved staple of Western Civilization: bread. In fact, in Medieval Europe, all other foods – meat and vegetables – were considered, “stuff you eat with bread.” However, the ovens the Medieval Europeans used to make this bread were huge, required enormous amounts of fuel, and took most the day to heat up. We are certainly spoiled with our nice little electric ovens that come up to temperature in less than twenty minutes, but without modern convenience ..read more

I am a great believer in carrying good quality knives.  A couple of years ago I purchased a Benchmade 940 Osborne.  Since then I have been using it as my everyday carry and it gets some rough treatment. Recently I was involved in insulating two buildings with 2-inch rigid foam insulation with a thin aluminum facer.  After experimenting with a few ways of cutting the insulation, I ended up cutting it with my Benchmade.  I used it to cut most of the insulation in both projects.  The knife held up very well.  Here is a link to one of the projects Shipping Containers ..read more

Today I am sitting here listening to my emergency radio.  After trying several, the one I own is the Kaito Voyager KA500.   This a perfect radio for everyday use, emergencies and disasters, it comes with all the features that you need in any emergency situation. Right now the radio is running on solar power.  The radio has several alternate power sources: solar, hand crank, batteries, USB cable, a built-in rechargeable battery pack and an AC adapter.  I have never put batteries in the radio.  I have had it for years and have always ran it off solar.  The sol ..read more

With the advent of summer now is a good time to take a look around your yard and make sure you are fire safe.  I have spent many years in the fire service and have some understanding of Wildland fires. Table Of Contents Your House Your Yard Defensible Space Fire Ladder or vertical clearance The first thing is to make sure that your yard meets local fire codes.  In California that means you have a defensible space of 100 feet around your home.  A hundred feet sounds like a lot, but consider the number of homes that are destroyed by wild fires in California every year.  ..read more

Evacuating or bugging out is not at the top of my list of planned responses to a emergency.  I will stay in place until it becomes more dangerous to stay than to leave.  Now my plan like anyone else’s may change on the spur of the moment depending on the emergency.  So I always have a plan for bugging out. Because I am getting old I am planning to use a vehicle if at all possible. Table Of Contents Map the Routes Choke Points Family Evacuation Plan PACE Planning Mode of Travel Many years ago I had a chance to review some of the old civil defense evacuation plans that were ..read more

Some people might want to make a hidden compartment in their car because they don’t want other people to see what they have in their car. Maybe they have a lot of money or something else that they don’t want other people to know about. Whatever the reason, making a hidden compartment in your car can be a good way to keep your things safe and out of sight. Steps to Create a Concealed Compartment in SUV, Van, or Hatchback The first step is to measure the floor of the trunk in your SUV. You will need to know the dimensions so that you can cut the plywood to size. Cut the plywood to match the dim ..read more

I live near a stream and every year the mosquito abatement district sprays along the stream and as a result, I don’t get many mosquitoes in my yard.  Now after TEOTWAWKI that will change, there will be no spraying which in some ways will be healthier for most of us. But mosquitoes carrying diseases like malaria, west Nile virus and dengue fever, and yellow fever will be a problem. So I have been thinking about how to keep the mosquitoes from eating me alive.  Your first defense is to not let them breed.  It takes still water for them to lay eggs in.  So the first thing you ..read more

Summer is rapidly approaching and it is time to plant our garden.  I have lived in this house for years and recently for the first time, I had a problem with deer attacking my garden beds.  This year I expect them to be more of a problem.  With the drought, many of their food sources are not available and they are getting desperate.  Hungry deer are more willing to invade a neighborhood to find something to eat. I live in a semi rural area and there is a stream and a large blackberry patch directly across the street from my house.  Last year they ate all the flowers an ..read more

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also sometimes called a transient electromagnetic disturbance, is a short burst of electromagnetic energy. These can be caused by natural or man-made events. It’s important to know the difference, since the results would be different and, therefore, survival considerations different as well. Examples of natural EMP and CME Lightning electromagnetic pulse (LEMP) This would only be confined to the area of the strike. Other than a direct hit this would not normally present a threat to a preppers electronics. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) An ESD is a ..read more