Check list time...just in case.

I used to post this at the beginning of every month, but felt it was too repetitive. In light of the seeming looming govt shut down, which may or may not happen, thought it would be good time to maybe do a check now, before a possible panic. If no deal is reached, even for a short time, there may be some areas of unrest and/or panic....or the people will rejoice. Either way...always good to check items you haven't looked at in a while and check food storage for pest infestation, leaks, etc.



urbanverbal


Time for the monthly rotation checklist. I've adapted this from alpharubicon's site (they have more info than I can ever read). Usually do this the first Friday of every month (you pick best time for you). Some of these actions may only pertain to those living in a moist (and in my case salty) environment. If you have a suggestion of what to add...let me know!

____Check water supply.
____ Check storage containers for leaks, mold, etc.
____Check function of hand pumps.
____Rotate water if needed (every 6 months if possible..use to flush toilet or water garden. (CAUTION! If water was treated with chems may not be good for plants)

____Food storage.
____Check expiration dates on regular foods.
____Check dates on long term survival foods.
____Check for leaks, pest infestation.

____Weapons check.
____Inspect for rust, mold.
____Check stock/grip for damage/cracks.
____Lubricate if needed.
____Rotate/inspect ammo and mags. (Range time!..woohoo!)
____Check slings and holsters for fraying and mold.
____Check cleaning kit supplies.

____Personal Go bag/vehicle bag (not large/main BOBs)
____Inspect contents, for mold, expiration..rotate as needed.

____ Medical
____Check first aid kits for expired meds.
____Inspect bandages and wraps for package frays/tears....loss of sterile integrity.
____Check supply of prescribed meds.

____Vehicles
____Check tires and fluids.
____Check hoses, filters and cables for fraying, clogs or pest infestation (they like to make nests and chew wires).
____Check tool kit (missing parts, rust, mold etc.)

____Home
____Check smoke, CO2 detectors, intrusion alarms.
____Lube window and door locks (important in coastal areas).
____Virus scan computers and system backup.
____ 360 exterior inspection.
____Check battery supply.


3-6 Month checks:

____NBC
____ Inspect masks and suits, gloves, boots for tears, mold, infestations.
____ Check expiration dates and seals on unused filters.
____ Inspect and test NBC detection devices (remember to store batteries outside units when unit in storage mode).

____BOB/ BIN (Bugout/Bug In bags/boxes) "The big stuff"
____ Inspect contents for mold infestation.
____Rotate out expired contents.
____Inspect temp. shelter or tear, mold, infestation.
____Inspect sanitation items (personal hygene, porta pooper, TP, fem. products, etc.)

____Misc.
____Inspect back up communication devices.
____Inspect tools for mold, rust, wood deterioration (apply linseed oil to handles).
____Inspect BO route... has it changed (construction etc.).
____Inspect BOL is everything still the same (plumbing, electrical, back-up power, water supply, etc.)?
____Rotate batteries in flashlights, check bulbs.
____Rotate/inspect fuel supply (gasoline, liquid gas, wood pile, etc.).

____ Test (partial or full) this should be done a minimum of once a year quarterly is best (you pick the scenario).
____Full Bug in test....cut the power...cut the water....no using the toilet (unles you have septic) for one weekend.
____Full Bug out test (family camping trip!!!)... 3 days min.

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Hurricane season is ramping up...

Hurricane season is beginning to ramp up a bit. It has been fairly quiet for Florida the last few years, but don't let your guard down. I recommend, if possible to check the National Hurricane Center at least twice a day (once in the morning and once at night). Check your preps, go over your evac plan and routes (have more than one). Remember travel times during evacuations typically triple and quadruple. Don't forget important documents and plan for the pets....I know I'm preaching to the choir. Those bugging in, don't forget to check you exterior area for potential flying debris such as lawn furniture or dead trees and branches. Have plan for the furniture and other items. Get those dead trees and branches on the ground.

No threats to us at the moment...though there is a broad area of rotation over Hispaniola slowly moving east. This has the potential to become an issue once out over water.

Another good site for those a bit more into tropical weather is Central FL Hurricane site.

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The Strategic Advantages of Community Building...or why the lonewolf mentality doesn't work for survival.

A great article on ZeroHedge written by the folks at Alt-Market. Brought up a great real life point as to why going on your own, or just you and your family, is probably a bad idea in times of widespread collapse. Using the example of Argentina in 2002 (collapse actually occurred in Dec of 2001) went relatively unnoticed in the US as we were reeling from the attacks of 9-11.

Argentina was in the midst of total collapse, driven by banker fraud and extreme currency devaluation in tandem with government mismanagement and corruption.

Sound familiar?
The results sound like something from a fictional apocalyptic novel (items in bold are my emphasis).

First, cities exploded with rioting and violence as Argentinian police and military attempted to crush all dissent. Soon after, displaced refugees from population centers along with roving bands of thieves flooded into the countryside, wiping out isolated farms, murdering families, and hunting down any small group of survivors weaker than themselves and flush with supplies. The authorities (and I use the term loosely) were too busy trying to suppress civil protests to bother protecting those who were caught unprepared.

This behavior is part and parcel of economic destabilization, regardless of the time or place in which it occurs. Only nine years ago, a very modern and technologically savvy nation of people, nearly cannibalized itself. Those who survived and thrived did so through family aid and substantial existing wealth, or, the tactical building of communities for the purpose of mutual defense and alternative trade. Farmers armed themselves and formed regional groups along with security measures. City dwellers formed neighborhood watches and barter networks when the mainstream economy disappeared. The bottom line; lone wolves and isolated country families were nothing more than tempting targets at the onset of the breakdown in Argentina.

Let me hit that last sentence again...
"The bottom line; lone wolves and isolated country families were nothing more than tempting targets at the onset of the breakdown in Argentina."

The purpose of APN is to gather like minded people together to gain knowledge and prepare for the worst. What seems to lack is a concerted effort to pursue the 'strength in numbers' mentality. Though there are many groups that get together for events, most of the effort is centered around BOBs, EDC, etc.. Though these are important, a more critical aspect would seem to be the formation of local communities of strength. More of the...ok I have bugged out now what? This seems to be the area of largest weakness.

I see many mention they have land far away or plan to travel to some remote area. As the example of Argentina shows, this almost turns out to be a death sentence. Realistically, anyone who has had to evacuate due to hurricane knows how the roads get. Travel time that normally took 4-6 hours easily turns into 24+hrs. Now add roving bands looking to take what you have and you are trapped on a road, in your car with your family. Not a good position to defend from.

I encourage everyone to read the article completely.

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Mountain House notice on shortage of on-line ordered foods.

An interesting notice up on the Mountain House website, brought to my attention by the head of our local meet-up prep group. FEMA posted a Request For Information (RFI) for suppliers of long term foods. This apparently prompted people to start the rumor that MH was the de-facto supplier to FEMA thus the shortage.

The jist (bold is my highlight not the notices):

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) procures and stores pre-packaged commercial meals to support readiness capability for immediate distribution to disaster survivors routinely. The purpose of this Request for Information is to identify sources of supply for meals in support of disaster relief efforts based on a catastrophic disaster event within the New Madrid Fault System for a survivor population of 7M to be utilized for the sustainment of life during a 10-day period of operations.

The RFI was pulled 7 days after posting. Either they got the info they wanted or people panicked prompting FEMA to pull it. Personally, if that gets people to prepare...leave it up!

Costco seems to have a decent supply on hand either in store or on-line. I buy a couple of cases every quarter.
EDIT!: Costco as of today is basically out of MH foods, but has other brands.
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