Preparedness Blog
Training, education, and organization for home defense, personal protection, and emergency preparedness.
45 Important Documents to Have in the Event of a Disaster
Should the unthinkable happen, and a disaster takes your home and all your belongings… Having these with you, when you evacuate, can help make the rebuilding of your life a lot easier. From insurance claims, to short term loans, having the right paperwork can help make a disaster a little easier to recover from. Most of these documents can be replaced but many take time, energy, and money. All things you’ll be short on. Some of these documents require the others in order to get replacements. I hope you never find yourself in the situation where you need this but I hope this helps you to recover. Print this out, highlight any that apply to you and then check them off when you’ve put them together with your other documents. Here’s the list: Contact info for your family/group Emergency out of area contact info Cell phone numbers, Radio frequencies, Contact time schedule for your group Birth Certificates Passports Drivers License Marriage Certificates ID Cards Military Service Records Child/School ID Adoption, Foster Care Papers Immigration Papers Legal Will, Living Will, Power of Attorney Inheritance Documents Deferred Payment Records Immunization Records Medical Prescriptions Medical Insurance Paperwork MediCare/MedicAid Paperwork Loan Papers (Home/Auto/RV/Bank, etc…) Titles/Deeds Mortgage Vehicle Registration/Title Lease/Rental Agreements Home/Auto/Business Insurance Home Inventory (Photo/Video, with serial numbers if possible) Property Taxes Banking Info (Checking/Savings/CD) Safe Deposit Box Info Credit Card Statements Pay Stubs Investment Portfolio/Retirement/Pension Social Security Documents Tax Returns Business Records Business License Business Lease/Property Records Business Equipment/Inventory Records Employee Records Diplomas Training and Certification Records School Records Firearm Licenses Firearm Make/Model/Serial Numbers Family Photos and Videos (saved on disc or USB...
Harvey – The Good, The Bad, And the Helpless
By now, the storm is just a memory but we’ve all seen accounts from those devastated by Hurricane Harvey. So many people STAYED in harms way. Why didn’t they evacuate? Why were so many people unprepared? They live in Hurricane Country… They live in a flood prone area… why were so many of them, seemingly caught off guard? After the following email, from a fan, I decided to unpack this convoluted situation and mass evacuations in general. . The email: You know you are my go to guy for keeping me on the right path so to speak! I am having serious angst over these people in Houston! It’s not like I have family down there. I do but they are in Austin and are faring well. Anyhow….. My son says he cannot understand my faith in people. I have many thoughts about this stuff. 1) How are so many so unprepared? They live in a FLOOD ZONE in a HURRICANE prone area! WTH??? 2) I was watching Good Morning America this morning. Their doctor was on discussing the medical implications of the hurricane/tropical storm/rain/flooding. I have read the Coming Home series and One Second After series. The first folks to go are going to be the elderly and chronically ill. She was talking about how dire the situation is going to be for those needing dialysis, those who have heart disease, those on oxygen, diabetics on insulin, etc… I don’t understand. These people had 3-4 days to evacuate. Why did they stay? (Maybe these are rhetorical questions, but these are my thoughts) You know even sometimes...
Why do Preppers Hate Preppers?
I REALLY didn’t want to write this article… “Can’t we all just get along?” . Recently, I read an article, and the comments that followed, on Facebook. Based on this article, and a few I’ve read in the past few months, I’ve come to the conclusion that we hate each other. Really, we do. Preppers hate preppers. It’s the reason I quit joining prepper groups on Facebook. You’ll probably hate me for writing this. I’m ok with that because it needs to be said. To some extent, I’m guilty too. We use the phrase “It’s not Doomsday Prepping…It’s everyday prepping”. We use it more to describe the difference in the mindset of those who prep as a lifestyle versus prepping for the end of the world as we know it. I could see where it might be interpreted as shaming the “Doomsday Prepper” types. I don’t really want to do that. It’s just a different mindset. Do knitters have this much animosity toward each other? With statements like these, it’s hard to find much encouragement. “Sorry, poser-guy at Chick-fil-A, but you looked pretty dumb when I saw you there last week.” “You know I’m all in favor of firearms and am grateful for our Second Amendment rights, but come on!” “I’ve even heard of people putting a year’s worth of food on a credit card because they can’t afford it any other way. Dumb.” …and those statements were from the article, not the Facebook comments. Now, I don’t want to get into a big First Amendment debate. This isn’t about “can you talk like that?” it’s about “should you...
REVIEW – TUFF Products EDC Kit
This review of the TUFF Products EDC Kit is a little biased… Not because of anything they did. It’s just that I love their flashlight but I hate “Tactical pens”… I’ll explain in the article below. This kit includes: Break Out Tactical Pen T180 Rotating Head Flashlight Stainless Steel Money Clip Gift Box Batteries are included. -TUFF Products T180 flashlight.This is a well-made flashlight of the every day carry size and is essentially unique in its ability to use both CR 123 and AA batteries. Output is reduced when swapping from the CR 123 battery to the AA. Maximum output on CR 123 is approximately 130 lm, while output with a AA battery is limited to about 90. The switch is comfortable and gives a positive click when initiated. The body is anodized aluminum with good knurling. This should provide a good grip even in wet conditions or with gloves. All indications are that this flashlight will last you a very long time. Runtimes are comparable with several other flashlights from manufacturers such a Surefire, Thrunite and Nitecore. Many lights in this category offer the ability to run for several days in a “moonlight mode” but that is not the intended purpose of this light. It is rated to run approximately 106 minutes on a cr123 and 50 minutes on a AA in high mode. I exceeded both by nearly 50% They don’t provide a low mode runtime but I got up to 44 hours on a cr123 and a 37 hours on a AA. I was impressed that it came with Energizer batteries and not the standard off...
Solar Lights for Power Outages
You know those cheap solar lights you find at discount stores or on clearance? Not the Dollar Store ones. Those are a little too cheap. These are $3-$6 each. We use them when we are camping. We mark the entrance of each tent with one. Well, after our last camping trip, I had an idea. If we use them camping, where we have no power…why not use them at home WHEN we have no power? Those would work perfect in an extended power outage. Take them out in the morning and bring them in at dusk. Virtually all of them can be removed from their mounting stakes. Most have a flat top where the solar cell is. This works two ways; it makes it perfect to set on a counter, table, or shelf and most sense light through the solar cell. By flipping it over and placing it on a solid surface, you’ll activate the “Dusk to Dawn” feature. Essentially, the sensor will think it’s dark and turn on the light. Some have a multi-function switch; on, off, and Dusk to Dawn. You can choose what works best for you. They should give enough light to get around the house easily without eating into your flashlights or lantern fuel. They’d save on candle use too. Best part of this? No open flame for kiddos or pets to knock over? Sounds like a great option to me. I just ordered this set. Amazon Affiliate Link Good reviews and seems like enough light for the job. It’s even has a base designed to sit flat on a...
