Wildfires, Ducks, And Firetrucks

Once a year we take a much needed time out to Mt. Charleston, Nevada from our home in Las Vegas. 

This year brought a close to home event of a wildfire being seen over the mountain edge from Carpenter Canyon. 

The fire did not reach us but the smoke sure did. I spent the evening with a slight cough from the hazy air and caught these images drifting into the area.

This event reminds me how very important it is to keep on hand a ready made go kit. A bug out bag that is more of an overnight kit so to speak.

This emergency kit would be different from your Bushcraft kit. It would not require survival gear.

 If an area you are in is prone to wildfires, leaving in a moments notice is necessary. You will not have time to pack your essentials. Having a bug out bag stored and already assembled with personal items is a necessity.

This bag does not need to contain your 3 day rations or a ton of survival articles if you are evacuated to a nearby city or family or friend's home. You will only need a change of clothing or two, your hygiene items like a toothbrush and comb. Just the essentials.

Keeping copies of important records in this pack would be a good idea, too. Insurance papers and anything you would need in the event your home and property were severely damaged, God forbid. Keep a gallon of water near this emergency bag for each member of the family and lift and go if a situation calls for it.

Another thing to consider is what each member of the family would need to get through a day or two away from the home. Does Jr. need his asthma meds? Does Dad have the equipment and medication needed for his Diabetes? Will your family need allergy pills or anything to get them through just 2 to 3 days of and away from home when having to bug out to a civilized area?

Plan for emergencies like this accordingly and you won't have to think about what you need to bring with you  if this does happen close to your home. Grab that bag and go!

Related Articles: 

Bushcraft Kits 

Emergency Supplies - www.survival-recovery.com

The rest of the retreat was a nice time out:

Duck Pond And Images From The Mount Charleston Resort and hiking areas:

What is your favorite time out?

Bushcraft Kits - Extreme Survival Gear

A Bushcraft kit contains tools for surviving off the land in very primitive surroundings and harsh conditions

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Think extreme survival gear and tools on a small enough scale that you can carry them in addition to a 72 hour kit.

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Morguefile.com

The basic 72 hour kit is great if you had to bug out to a shelter in your area. These shelters are not a place you would want to have weapons or gear such as an axe or firestarting materials. The smaller area you and your gear take up the more people can be housed in in the shelter. Emergency shelters are for situations such as a hurricane, tornado, or an earthquake taking your neighborhood off of the map.
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Sort out emergency gear into sets for mild or extreme emergencies.

We all know we should pack and have ready a 72 hour or bug out kit. These kits are designed and personalized to contain what we need to feed and clothe ourselves for approximately 3 days in the event of a disaster. Having food, water, first aid supplies, a bed roll, and a change of clothes is in the ideal bug out kit and are for general purposes. The basic necessities in these kits aren't something that need to take up a lot of space.

But what about the other gear you might want to consider?

Image: Morguefile.com

Video: How To Use An Axe For Bushcraft

In a Bushcraft kit we need to be ready to do some hunting, foraging, and fishing.
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Two items that come to mind are a buck (or bowie) knife and an axe (or hatchet). 

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These two tools are something that would not be allowed in a shelter but are necessities in roughing it and setting up camp in the great outdoors. 

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In addition to these tools also consider packing a standard mess kit like the ones the scouts use. It takes up very little space and packs neatly into itself.

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Don't forget a set of utensils!

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Bushcraft Kit Supplies:

Supplies such as a few yards of rope and twine can be invaluable for things like lashing together branches for a lean-to or tie down a tent in windy conditions. Twine can be handy for making a primitive bow or lashing sticks together. It can also be used for making animal traps. 

Suggested list for a basic Bushcraft kit:

Axe or Hatchet
Buck Knife
Fillet knife w/ knife sharpener
Magnesium Firestarter
Rope
Twine
A small fishing tackle box
Mess kit
Utensil Set
A small tent
Small shovel or trowel

Bushcraft tools and supplies in a portable kit can be an essential life saving set in the event of an extreme emergency OR maybe just an impromptu camping trip. Keep your skills fresh and tools handy!

There are other things I am sure I am leaving out but this list is basic enough to get you started. If you have any suggestions on what to put in a Bushcraft kit or would like to list the contents of your kit, feel free to post it!

Thanks for visiting! =)

Preparedness - Communication Devices

Useful preparedness emergency skills include communication. 

Having a radio or even a simple whistle in your emergency kit aids you in connecting with other survivors. It also can help alert another that you are in trouble or danger. In a hiking area where a climber is stuck or stranded and out of visual range, a simple whistle sound can lead rescuers to the fallen hiker. This can also apply also to anyone trapped in debris. That small, shrill tone may just save your life. Pack this with your preparedness emergency kit.



Mirror reflections and smoke signals are a way of communicating on a primitive level. Signal flags are used in many situations to broadcast information. Learning the basic language of Morse code is a great skill to have. Many people have been rescued using the simple S.O.S. signal after being trapped in debris. They apply it by tapping on a pipe or wall to cause a patterned noise repeating the code. This  pattern helps to alert rescuers.

Sign language and hand signals are useful in times when you may have to remain quiet or when you are in a situation that is extremely noisy and talking or other ways of communicating is not possible such as incidents of high winds or heavy storm activity.


A radio that receives news or weather reports is an essential part of preparedness planning with in your 72 hour kit. A simple radio to an Am station with local weather and news can alert you to climate changes and announcements to help assess safety.


Using radio codes is part of the language of broadcasting over the airways.


Broadcasting safe zones or even hazards would greatly assist anyone in a radio signal's area. Radios can be used to set up a perimeter system or even alert others to danger. In the movie I Am Legend, Will Smith's Character, Dr. Robert Neville set up a repeating signal to let possible survivors know there was help available in the area by programming a repeating message on a radio broadcast.


For a more advance communication system, two way radios or a CB radio can connect you with others who can assist you or the other way around, need your help. 


In this article on emergency preparedness drills,  Ham radio operators practice setting up an emergency radio station.

Radio Equipment ~ Image: MorgueFiles

Ham radio operators use Field Day event to test emergency readiness
By Lisa Yates, Editor
Weekly Citizen
Posted Jun 29, 2012 @ 02:57 PM

Gonzales, La. —

Members of Ascension Amateur Radio Club joined thousands of other amateur radio operators nationwide demonstrating their emergency capabilities last weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, folks met with amateur – also known as “ham” – radio operators to see technology that allows the operators to provide critical information and communications during emergency situations. Al Taillon of Gonzales, the club’s treasurer, said this is an annual event known as Field Day, which is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League – the national association for Amateur Radio. “The event is three-fold,” he said. “First of all, it’s a drill to set up our trailer and equipment. In the event of an emergency we may have to set up out in a remote location somewhere, so this is good practice. Second, it’s a public awareness event; and, third, it’s a contest to contact as many other ham stations as possible in a 24-hour period.” Todd Trosclair, the club’s vice president, said it took approximately two hours to set up the mobile station. “We run our equipment on a battery and a generator,” he said, noting that they can alternate power sources as needed. The outdoor equipment included a pneumatic telescoping mast with a camera, satellite antenna and emergency repeater, which is used for amplifying the signal; and, a crank-up tower located on a separate trailer. Inside equipment included: a command center, state police and other .. (more...)

Emergency communication devices need to be checked regularly for condition. Batteries need to be replaced or recharged on occasion. Extra batteries stored must also be checked and replaced if needed. If you need to evacuate is the equipment in a portable bag ready to go with you? Learning the basics of Morse code and the language of radio is an essential set of skills for communication in preparedness. Ham radio operators require certification to have and use these advanced tools. Taking a class on using any of these communication skills should be on your emergency preparedness to do list!

That radio or whistle may save a life or be a beacon of hope.

When the SHTF ~ A Rant

This is about as harsh as I am going to get.. Let other preppers set the doom and gloom tone.

Thinking about all the ways that the SHTF events can impact our lives and what some of us are doing about it makes me think. What about dear friends and family members who are too busy, too caught up, and perhaps not serious about where their lives may be if a situation should occur in their lives that they could have prepared for. Come knocking on my door when it's too late and I am going to want to tell 'em I told ya so, but I won't because I am really not that mean, or can I be???

Fires, storms, riots, unemployment, floods, medical problems, and loss of homes are the SHTF events of today. Preparing for any or all of these crisis can help you to better understand what it takes to prep for a larger event. Starting small and moving onto major survival levels pushes you and your family into a better readiness state and closer to being a family that is ready to survive  and not a family ready to starve, die, or be victimized. 

The emergency teams that are associated with natural disasters do not have time to hold your hand because you neglected to address these issues before these events happened. They need to to find victims who need medical care, locate and prepare the dead, tend to hazards, and organize rescue operations, and deliver emergency first aid to those who need it.

Facing the destruction of all you held dear being gone isn't the time to say I could have done more. It's the time to roll a preparedness plan into action and sustain your family until circumstances turn around and you can be guided back to a reasonable living situation. With the essentials of food, water, shelter, and emergency energy covered you can be ok no matter what you have lost. Your life, your health, and your family with you is more important than the pile of stuff that is no longer there.

Where does one begin?

Gather your emergency 72 hour kit together, now. Arrange a set of emergency supplies that can be stored in the trunk of your car. Sit down with your family and review what measures you need to take for your particular needs. Set aside a stock of food storage. Collect drinking water and energy sources such as batteries, charcoal, sterno, and similar items. Make bed rolls to go with each emergency kit as well as a change of clothes.

Ask anyone in a hurricane zone what's the first things to disappear in the markets? They will all tell you: Bread, Water, Batteries.

Having these life sustaining items in store long before a disaster is on your front step is wonderful insurance for your family.

Preparing to support your family in times of trouble is as important as planning to pay your bills every months and planning to go to work to tend to their needs. Why leave preparedness out of your planning? You plan a family vacation, do you not? Plan a survival team family meeting and implement a contingency plan in your lives.

The more you talk over the needs of emergency preparedness and gather against the SHTF crisis the better off you are going to be, no matter what happens!

More by this author @

www.survival-recovery.com

and 

Home and Family Preparedness

Highway Accident - How many had an Emergency kit?

Chemical spill creates havoc on I-15 

Is there an emergency kit in your car? Being prepared for emergencies in any situation makes sense with so much going on these days. Fires in the news and things like this highway accident should be warning signs to get on with readiness.

Why be stranded somewhere when proper planning with preventative measures means you don't have to be?

I wonder exactly who had emergency kits with them when a chemical spill stopped up the highway for hours. Trouble on highways and traffic tie ups can take you well past your next meal break and into schedule disruption. What if this event kept people trapped out there for days? Now, that's a scary thought. 

Accident Closes Highway... From: LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL 

BY LAWRENCE MOWER AND BRIAN HAYNES

A chemical spill shut down three of the four lanes on Interstate 15 near Primm for hours Friday morning, causing traffic to back up for miles in both directions.

If you have a survival kit ready to go for in your vehicle, scrambling for food, water, and some kind of shelter is not necessary. It is already taken care of. Supply a bag for your car with items that can take the heat of being stored in the trunk. Food items, water in GLASS bottles, a blanket, a change of clothes, and a first aid kit can take you a long way in these disasters.

Start collecting those small drink bottles and refill them with sanitized drinking water. Make sure to clean the bottles and sterilize them before adding the water. Wash well in hot, soapy water and dunk for 10 minutes in boiling water to kill bacteria. Let cool and dry. Add mixture of water that is three drops of bleach to one gallon of water. The bleach will keep bacteria and algae from forming. Change out the bottles every 3-4 months or so. In summer and deep winter, skip the glass bottles and remember to bring a few bottles of water with you or a gallon of drinking water. If you get into the habit of carrying a few supplies with you, an emergency breakdown in scheduling will not affect you too terribly. P.S. Don't forget to bring a good book with you!

ER Bar

Carry items in a bag with you for nutritious snacking. Packages of nuts, cheese crackers, jerky, and granola bars take up very little space and can aid in times when we can't get to our next meal immediately. Gum and hard candy can help with a sugar burst or two. Hard candy also helps with thirst as it counteracts a dry mouth. Even a small amount of nutrition is better than sitting someplace with an empty stomach. Good too are the emergency cookie bars. I call them cookie bars because that is what they taste like.) They provide sustenance and will give the body enough energy to get to the next step in a crisis mode.

Lastly, carry emergency equipment. A small shovel, basic tool kit, roadside emergency kit, and maybe a portable grill for heating water or cooking. The better the planning and emergency kit, the easier the crisis is handled. Don't be one of the people out there wishing they had supplies. Be the one who planned well.

If you have any suggestions on items for a car emergency kit, please, add them in the comment section below. Thank you for visiting!

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Food Ideas For 72 Hour Kits

Emergency meal and power bars packed with nutritious ingredients lend much needed nutritional resources to our supply. For situations where cooking a regular meal is not possible or the need to conserve our resources is present, a power bar can float us through to a more convenient place and time.

High calorie energy bars don't have to be expensive.

In seeking the right ones make sure they can with stand heat and have long, stable shelf life.

Garden of Life's Raw Meal is a great addition to your list. With a full meal daily requirement in a simple mix and consume powder you don't have to skimp out on your full dietary needs.

For more nutritional information on what to store see article: Survival Foods Requirements

Additional food support for emergencies see site: Survival Recovery

Vitamins for Emergencies

Vitamin's Benefit in High Stress Crisis

Disasters and crisis deplete our bodies of necessary nutrients. Stress can rob us of the building blocks we need to recover quickly and the stores we gain energy from. Vitamin and supplement items added to a bug out kit and emergency food stock makes great sense.

Tablets and powders that contain high nutrients take up very little space. The nutritional supplements help replace needed vitamins and minerals burned by stress. Common vitamins such as Vit C and D reward the body with defence against colds and support the immune system. With the nutritional needs packed into tiny tablets and helpful powders space is conserved and our daily required amounts (RDA) are helped to be met.

Multi-vitamins and other convenient supplements can aid our body's energy stores and carry us through events that could deplete our systems nutrients through stresses and physical effort. Choose wisely and match your family's particular health needs to the right supplement.

Additional Links:

USDA's site for vitamin nutrition
http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/food-composition/vitamins-and-minerals

Survival Recovery.com

What if's we don't think about...

Photo credit: jusben from morguefile.com

From a conversation with one of my preparedness clients:

What if?
Where you live it is a possibility. The power grid shuts down. Guess what! No power means no water. Without electricity the city's water pumps aren't working. No water in the home?
No toilet, no water at the kitchen sink or shower. Family with no water? Sunk!

What if? You are sitting on a highway miles from anywhere with modern conveniences. There is a wreck on the highway and guess what!? You are left on that patch of road for hours until the emergency vehicles and authorities clear up the scene and get traffic flowing again. Having a kit with some basics in it is going to make that wait a little easier. With energy bars and a couple bottles of water, YOU won't be famished and dehydrated by the time things get going.

What if? Your neighborhood has a major fire or is close to a chemical spill. Your home isn't affected but they have blocked off the entrances to where your home is. They need to contain the fire or clean-up that poison. Waiting until you can return home again may be hours or days.

What if? You get a few water jugs filled. Prepare a bug out kit for your home. Put a 72 hour and a first kit in your car. Have some food storage and emergency energy sources standing by.

Plan for a what if. May it never happen, but if it does, be grateful you made sure you had your supplies ready.

For more information see: www.survival-recovery.com

72 Hour Kit and Bug Out Kits

A 72 hour kit usually entails a couple days of supplies. Small easy to eat foods, MRE's, and a few bottles of water. A bag of hygiene products such as a roll of toilet paper, a small towel, washcloth, and some kind of soap or hand sanitizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant. Packed, also, is a change of clothes with a couple of pairs of socks and under garments, a warm jacket to double as a pillow. A space blanket or a microfiber blanket is a nice item to have. Even if it isn't cold you can have it for comfort.

My kit includes a whistle, a flashlight, meal bars that supply a high calorie count for energy. Small water packages are tucked in there. It has a tube tent and hand warmers, though here in the desert where I live I don't think the hand warmers are going to be used, but you never know. I added a camp dish set and the utensil set to it to make sure I had something to eat out of and cook with. I grab this kit and my handbag and I can go anywhere in a moments notice.

These things are extremely important to anyone living in an earthquake zone, coastal areas that experience hurricanes or strong storms, and the tornado prone states. Civil unrest and natural disasters can occur anywhere.

For More information:
Survival and Emergency Management at Home

Survival Handbag

LADYS!!! What's in your handbag? Can you use it in conjunction w/ your 72 hour kit and bug out bag? I can just because of the work I do and the schedule I have to keep. Are you carrying.... a can opener???

Ideas to turn your regular day bag into your survival tool kit!

There are 4 basic tools you need in any survival situation. And NO it isn't a weapon of any kind. And it is not a flashlight. Well, one if them is a knife. I have mentioned 2 of the tools here. What's the third and fourth one?

     

What's in your purse, handbag, or tote? I hope it's a little more than makeup and lip balm! 

See Full Article here: A Lady's Survival Kit List

A little silly a lot serious! 

Why Survival Preparedness?

Looking at ways we need to support ourselves in relation to preparedness planning brings me to address certain issues in uncertain times. 

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Scouring through reasons to plan  for crisis and disaster isn't difficult. 

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Look at the events in today's headline news with serious examples of why to prepare. Why Survival Preparedness? For me some of the reasons are clearly evident with natural disasters in the forms of floods, fires, storms, and financial difficulties. 

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Hedge your bets! Insure with your family for times when the budget is tight or the seasonal weather is rolling in. There are dozens of reasons to prepare! Bet it won't happen to you by planning ahead that it does!

From: The NEW! The Survival Recovery Blog on Wordpress
Author: RiaB

Descriptions of why you would need preparedness is as follows:

Severe storms ~ Image: MorgueFiles

Minor events vs Major Catastrophies

The lights went out last night in our home. Ok, so we won't be able to use the computer, and what else.

1) No electricity?

In our home in Florida this would have also meant the water supply was cut off because we have a drilled well with a water pump and a water softener filter system that both need electrical power to supply the home.

In my home in Nevada no electricity means the temperature of our home is increasing to unhealthy proportions in our blistering summers.

2) No water supply?

With no electricity and no water, we have no heat, no air conditioning or ways to cook, no bathing or showering.

Let's imagine this is a county wide situation. The absence of ...(more..)

Planning against disasters in these modern times is often approached with skepticism and views of preppers being paranoid. The events unfolding just in news headlines TODAY tell us otherwise. I am preparing for the same reason I would would fill up my car with gasoline. I want to make sure I have the things on hand I need. Fuel in the tank means I don't have to sit on a roadside because my car ran out of gas. Prudent planning is a smart idea! Two reasons are listed above for preparing. There are dozens more...

Additional preparedness issues:
 Preparedness Keys 

"American Red Cross Emergency Smartpack for One Person, Nylon Case"