Prepping for Down Range

I’ve wanted to put together some First Aid Kits for a while. I’ve got several trauma kits that I use for work and have staged in key locations. But I don’t yet have a good system of First Aid Kits. With as busy as I’ve been for the past several weeks, I recently asked my wife for some help with this project. Although she is not in the medical field, she has far more knowledge than I do about these sorts of things. She is also a researcher by nature. I asked her for help on this about a week ago. To my surprise, she told me last night that she has been looking into several aspects of this project.

She started on a basic Word document with numerous items listed, websites where she found various information and resources, and even some brand recommendation with products they offer. It was not only a surprise, but an impressive one. She has already gone above and beyond what I expected. I should have known better, she’s pretty awesome. She then told me that this was only a rough draft of the start of the project. She intends to put together enough information that I can then create posts that will address various levels of needs and options for people in all different levels of need (single individuals, married, married with children, vehicles, etc). Like I said, she’s awesome. I was also excited to see that someone I love so dearly wants to be included in my prepping. She’s never been averse to it, prepping has just always been one of my “things”. My hope is that this will be only the beginning of us prepping together.

I say all of this to get to a separate point. Sometimes prepping can be a bit too much for one person to handle along with all else that life requires. Sometimes you just need help. In my case, I have an incredible helper.

I am a firm believer that every prepper needs a group, people that can be relied upon for assistance. That assistance can come in many forms. If you are fortunate, that group will start at home. For some, there spouse or significant other is not into prepping. For some, maybe a small “push” is all it takes to get them involved. For others, that group must be built from outside the home. Regardless of your personal situation, don’t be too proud to ask for help when necessary. Your group may start small and slowly. It’s still a start. Just get started.

Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.

Last week, my family experienced the loss of a great man, my stepfather. He was 95 years old and in good health until about six weeks before he passed away. He lived an incredible life. I will take just a moment to share some of his character. He was a man of faith, polite and courteous to everyone, kind, fair, honest, hardworking, intelligent, and a servant. That doesn’t even scratch the surface. To comment on all of his positive attributes and how he lived, this post would be many pages long. Instead, I’m going to focus on the parts of his life related to prepping.

He and my mother lived in a typical suburban neighborhood. The whole lot was probably not half an acre. For all the years that I knew him, he had vegetable gardens in his back yard. With the help of my mother, he tended his gardens daily. He planted spring gardens, fall gardens, and whatever other gardens he could to maintain a steady supply of fresh vegetables. After “harvesting”, my parents had far more than they could make use of. They gave away more vegetables than they ate. They never sold the extra, they gave it away. He even had plenty left over to can and save. After each season, he would work on repairing anything that needed it and making sure that he had what was needed for the next planting. If a tool was used, it was cleaned up and put away daily.

When it came to the house itself, everything was kept in working order. If something broke or needed to be replaced, it was fixed correctly or replaced with the correct, quality part. He did not believe in getting the “cheap version” of something to get by. He believed in getting the right thing to do the job. He wasn’t extravagant by any means. He just wanted quality that could be counted on. He also kept his home clean and organized. Paperwork was filed. Trash was thrown away. Dishes were washed. He, and my mother, ran that house like a well-oiled machine. Everything that needed to be done, was done immediately. By staying on top of the daily tasks, they were able to relax and enjoy without having to worry about what was being left undone. The house was also not full of random stuff. There were mementos from their lives and careers, but there was no clutter.

He treated his vehicles the same way he treated his home. They have a small truck and a small SUV. They were kept in good (actually great) working order. They were also kept clean. Anything kept in the vehicles had a reason to be there and was kept in its place. There were no messes, no random wrappers. If anything spilled, it was cleaned up immediately. I don’t mean wiped up, I mean CLEANED. He believed in keeping things in the best condition possible. Oil changes were done like clockwork. Tires were never allowed to get too worn. When he bought a vehicle, he intended to have that vehicle for quite a long time. He was not the type to buy a truck every five years; it was more like every twenty-five years. When it was time to sell an old vehicle, you could bet that it would be in the best imaginable condition for a vehicle of its age.

His finances were kept in impeccable order. Aside from the typical checking and savings accounts, he kept an emergency fund on hand for surprise expenses. Not much, just enough to handle the smaller bumps in life. He did not believe is using credit cards. If he couldn’t pay for something outright, well, he didn’t buy it. He kept his finances in order, his bills paid, his groceries bought, and vehicles fueled. He also didn’t throw money away on frivolous purchases. He spent money on necessities and saved the rest. Everything he owned had a use and that use had to be apparent and the item necessary.

Yes, he did own things for enjoyment. He liked to fish. His last fishing trip was about six months before he passed away. Fishing also put food on the table and provided some recreation while enjoying nature. He had an aluminum boat and trailer. He had fishing rods and all that goes with them. Even with fishing, he didn’t have the newest, nicest, most advanced gear. He had the gear that did the job. He took people fishing for the enjoyment of seeing their enjoyment. I often heard of him spending more time baiting hooks and taking fish off than doing his own fishing. Just like with his vehicles, he kept his boat in perfect working order. As soon as he got back from even the shortest fishing trip, he would spray off the boat and trailer, scrub off any grime, and make sure it was ready for the next trip.

In addition to having his day-to-day life squared away, he even had the end of his life in order. All of the paperwork was in order for all medical care. This prevented anyone from having to make difficult decisions in already emotional times. He had even gone as far as having his funeral, etc. planned and paid for many years ago. Every part of his life was in order, including his death. He provided as many answers as possible before the question even had to be asked.

There is something that amazes me about the way he lived his life. I don’t know of a single time that he ever referred to prepping, survivalism, or the like. In his mind, he was not a prepper. This was just the way you were supposed to live. Take care of your business, take care of your home, take care of everything you can for yourself, and provide what you can for yourself. Most importantly, take care of your family. That wasn’t prepping for him. That was being responsible.

While I already tried to live as close to this as possible, knowing this man and seeing how he preemptively took care of so many things, it only drives me to put in the effort to do more of what I can. His life is an example to preppers and non-preppers alike.

Bill, we will love you and miss you. You are an example to us all. You will never be forgotten.

Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.

The life of a prepper is certainly not dull. It has been a little over a week since the end of the Great Freeze of the South and there is still way more to do than there is time to do it. A crew of friends helped to gather a good bit of the fallen limbs and pile them of for burning/disposal. With a crew of about twelve, it only took about an hour and that was a major chore completed. There is still a good bit to do with the debris but at least now it is all gathered into one place.

The list of daily chores is still there, along with the extras like getting equipment ready for the spring. When you add in the curveballs that life throws at you, it’s easy to get behind. Any spare time I have will have to be devoted to getting caught up. I can’t make more time. I can only spend the time I have wisely.

For the moment, the first step will be to actually put pen to paper and make a “to do” list. From there, I’ll arrange it by importance. Taking it a step further, I’ll put time estimates next to each so I can knock out one or two when time allows. Getting caught up will be the priority for now. Once that is done, I’ll transition back into little side projects.

Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.

We are in the aftermath of a winter storm that just came through. These kinds of storms are unusual for my area. Many lessons were learned. For this prepper, it was a humbling experience. It is my hope that sharing these lessons will help you not face the same issues I faced but also help me not face them again.

Power Loss:

The storm hit hard and within 24 hours the power was out…. For almost a week. Fortunately, we have a whole home generator (natural gas fueled). That generator was a huge blessing that resolved MANY issues for me, my family, and even some friends. We lost power for about 15 seconds while most people went without power for several days. The generator did not resolve all our issues, though. The generator will only run the house. Anything not connected to the house was left without power, including the storage shed and the shop. Keeping a flashlight handy is something I have done for years. Over the past week, I used that flashlight more than I ever expected. I had to make repeat trips out to places that were dark as a tomb; shop, shed, etc. Fortunately, the flashlight (Streamlight Wedge) is rechargeable, and I wasn’t replacing batteries repeatedly. Lesson learned: I need to station flashlights strategically through the house.

A refrigerator and freezer (not in the house) had to be checked repeatedly. Thankfully, the well below freezing temps helped the fridge and freezer temps stay right where they were supposed to be. Had the temperature risen above freezing, I would have cranked my portable generator to power those appliances. I keep about 20 gallons of gas on hand for just such an occasion. I’ll need to cycle that gas soon though. I did not add a fuel stabilizer to it, due to the likelihood of using it. As it turned out, I did not use the stored gas. I have had it for a few months already and will use it to fill a vehicle before refilling the cans with fresh gas. I realized during the storm that I am out of fuel stabilizer. Lesson learned: keep ample fuel stabilizer on hand. You never know when you’ll need it.

Warmth:

As I prepared to leave the house in 20-degree weather, I learned that my gloves were not where I thought they should be. I looked everywhere I could think to look, but to no avail. Instead, I had to wear my leather work gloves that were better than nothing. They kept the wind off my hands, but the cold was still bitter. I was also limited on my thermal leggings. Even in the cold, working outside clearing limbs can work up a sweat. If you’re not able to wash clothes daily, those will start to smell bad, really fast. Having a couple of extra sets to cycle through would be helpful. Lesson learned: I need to get a few pair of cold weather gloves and thermal leggings, and soon. Winter isn’t over.

I have one of the Mr. Heater Buddy heaters that runs off those little one-pound propane bottles. If I had needed to use it, I would have gone through numerous little bottles. It would have been ideal to have one of the adapters that allows for a 25-pound bottle to attach to it. At least that way I would have been able to heat a decent size room for an extended period of times. Lesson learned: get an adapter and keep it with the little heater.

Animals:

The animals all had to be watched closely. The dogs are all short-haired, indoor pets. During warmer weather, they can play outside all day. In this cold, rainy weather, their time outside had to be limited. This also meant that they had to be watched closely while inside. The last thing we wanted to deal with was pee and poop in the house. We had plenty else to deal with. For the outdoor animals, making sure they were kept warm through the night and bad weather meant taking extra precautions as well. No power to the unattached shed meant having to come up with different ways to provide warmth. Lessons learned: 1.) food and water intake may need to be limited/reduced for indoor animals, 2.) trips outside need to be scheduled, and 3.) extra precautions means extra time; plan accordingly.

Weather Damage:

Numerous limbs fell in our yard. Some of them hit the house. Luckily, no damage caused leaks or other problems. It did leave one heck of a mess to clean up. A few small trees fell across our driveway. As this is the only means of ingress and egress to the house, it was priority for clearing and maintaining. This work required many hours. With more than one outing to clear debris, I am estimating that a total of 8 hours was spent working on cutting and clearing limbs/trees. My Stihl brand chainsaw came in very handy and was used for several hours. By the time I have cleared all the debris, the chain will need to be replaced and possibly the bar too. I found that I was out of bar and chain lubricating oil. Fortunately, I found a full quart in one of the storage buildings, left by someone else, and not yet opened. The fuel for the chainsaw is the same mixed gas that I use on my weed trimmers and leaf blowers. I had roughly three gallons of the premixed gas, and that was plenty for the jobs at hand. Lessons learned: 1.) I need to get a few quarts of bar and chain oil to keep on hand for the chainsaw, 2.) I’ll need to get a replacement bar and chain for the saw, and 3.) An entire workday was spent clearing debris and that time needs to be considered in the future.

Hygiene:

House cleaning had to be increased. All the outdoor work that had to be done caused an increase of dirt, mud, whatever tracked in. This meant cleaning the house more often. Also, with the increased amount of food being cooked and people in the house, the amount of garbage created also increased. The garbage trucks were not running. The increased amount of garbage, and no trash pickups, meant I had to store garbage until the trucks were running again. This was easily resolved by the bed cover on my truck. I was able to throw garbage bags into the back of my truck and not worry about animals getting into them or wind blowing trash around. Lesson learned: You better have a way to handle the increased amount of garbage to deal with when the trucks aren’t running. This could include burning or finding alternative dumping locations. I’ll need to look into the options.

Vehicle:

A truck driving by our house slid into the ditch and got stuck. I did what I could to get the truck out but it just wasn’t happening. It was too far into the ditch for my truck (2500 diesel 4×4) to pull out. I tried using a tow strap, but it broke in the process. I was able to give the man, his wife, and two small children a ride back home though. It was made glaringly obvious that my tires were well past the point of handling this sort of weather. The tread was worn down and the traction was decent, but not ideal. Although serviceable, they were near the point of being replaced. I was just trying to get every mile I could out of them. That could have been bad in the weather we were having. A day or two after the roads were clear and businesses were opening back up; I got a new set of tires. I noticed an immediate improvement in how the truck handles. Lessons learned: 1.) get a better-quality tow strap and a chain, 2.) make sure vehicles are serviceable prior to getting into a bad situation, 3.) put cold weather needs in vehicles (including those gloves I need to get), and 4.) replenish the emergency fund after buying a set of tires; that was financially painful.

I didn’t have to face many of the problems that other people in my area faced. I will be talking with many of them to see what would have made them better prepared. From there, I will further increase me preparedness needs. Until then, I have a few items to buy to get ready for the next one. There is plenty of winter left ahead and I don’t want to face the same issues if they can be avoided.

Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.

A few years ago, I wanted to get into competitive pistol shooting. I haven’t gotten into anything official just yet, but I have had some friendly competitions with friends and coworkers. Anyway, when I was looking at getting started, I did a little research and bought a handful of gear from Bladetech. It is a fairly basic setup. I got a range belt with under belt, a holster, and a few mag pouches. It’s basic, but it works well.

While doing my research, I kept coming across Bladetech holsters. I dug into them a little bit and found that they had what I wanted. Basic, durable, and fairly inexpensive in comparison to many other brands. I’m a “no frills” kind of guy and this is “no-frills” gear. It’s built for an intended purpose and isn’t dressed up, or flashy. The belt is rigid, which helps keep pants up, but more importantly, your gear secure and steady on your waist.

I have been pleased to the point of buying various other gear from them; various holsters, pouches, etc. I have bought single pistol magazine pouches (a couple of different styles), single AR15 magazine pouches, and a couple of holsters. I have used Bladetech gear over many hours of training and even more hours on duty, for several years.

In no way am I compensated by Bladetech, or anyone else. This is just my opinion of gear that I have purchased. They make great gear and I am more than happy with it.

As far as prepping, if you’re looking for some solid gear to carry a defensive loadout that can be donned quickly, Bladetech works for that too. Give Bladetech a look and see what you think.

Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.

I have been rather impressed by a very inexpensive knife. Morakniv Companion. I have bought several of these over the years and they are quite affordable. I believe the first couple I bought were from a gun show in town. At that time, they were about $13.00 each. Over the years their price has crept up a bit, closer to the $20.00 range. I now see these knives at just about every outdoor store and on several online sources.

The Companion series is the only one with which I have experience. They feature a fixed blade design and come with a plastic/kydex/whatever sheath with a simple belt slot that can be slipped on and off over a belt without having to undo the belt. The knife is secure in the sheath. They also come in a variety of colors. They blades are easy to sharpen and seem to hold their edge very well. They appear basic but the perform quite well.

I would consider these a good general-purpose knife. I’ve used them to cut weedeater line, paracord, and even vegetables. I’ve never really put them to the test, though. To be fair, I’ve never expected much from such low-cost knives. But, so far they have handled everything I have put them through. I keep one of these in each Go-Bag and vehicle.

If you’re looking for a gift idea for that prepper in your life, I think they would truly appreciate one of these knives.

I went on the company website as I wrote this post. I was surprised to see that they offer quite a range of styles that fit an array of purposes. You can spend about as much, or as little as you’d like. Here is a link for those interested: https://www.morakniv.com/en-us.

Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.

It’s been nearly a year since the shop was built. When I first started moving things in, I thought I was putting everything in just the right places. Now that enough time has passed, I realize that several items (just about everything) could be better placed. To be fair, I didn’t do much “permanent” placement of things for just this scenario.

It looks like I’m going to end up doing a near total reorganization. The tools that I regularly need are across the shop from where most of the work happens. Other gardening items (shovels, rakes, etc.) are in a place that would be more convenient for other more frequently used things. Several rarely used things really need to be put up high once some shelving is installed.

Some things are going to be sold, either in a garage sale or online. The extra funds would definitely be nice to have on hand for hard times.

The end goal is to have enough floor space that a vehicle or two could be parked in the shop in cases of bad weather, i.e. ice accumulation, hail, etc.

I can see now that several more storage totes are needed. Being a little OCD and needing to have things labeled for ease of finding, a roll of Gorilla tape and a Sharpie marker will come in handy as well. And yes, Gorilla tape is so much better than just duct tape. That cheap stuff just sucks.

Although it is frustrating doing a full reorganization like this, it provides the opportunity to go through nearly everything to see what is good and what needs to be discarded/replaced. Getting junk out of the way and having everything organized is all a part of preparedness. Whether it’s a broken water line or a fallen tree, having quick access to needed items in a designated place with cut down on the time it takes to handle those little emergency moments.

This is going to be an ongoing project for the next few weeks. I’m looking forward to seeing how much more useful, and enjoyable, this shop is when it’s all done.

Don’t just prepare. Prepare to Thrive.

This post may be a little late in the year for most people. But, maybe you didn’t do it when you needed to.

I went through my Go-Bag several days ago. This was mainly just to make sure that everything was still where it was supposed to be. Batteries are good. Knives are sharp. Tools are squared away. We have had a few cold days so far this year, but the real winter has yet to hit. That being said, I need to add a few winter items to the bag before it’s too late. This will likely consist of a thicker pair of socks, winter glovers, and a beanie cap. That’s it? Yes, for the most part I wear what I need on a given day. However, I will have a few other things in my vehicle preps that will take care of anything else I need.

If you haven’t done so already, go through your vehicle and Go-Bag to make sure you’re better suited for the colder weather.

Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.

I am a hunter (almost exclusively deer). While I only get to go a handful of times a year. I really do love it. I certainly am not a “Trophy” hunter, in the usual sense. There are many reasons why. It may seem odd to have a post about trophy hunting on a prepping blog. However, keep reading and I think it will become clear how this post fits here.

I hunt to enjoy being out in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of normal life. Fresh clean air and peaceful quiet is what I look forward to the most. Being out in the woods with no distractions is just plain peaceful. Watching deer truly is beautiful. You are seeing natural animals, moving naturally, in nature. (Man, I sound like a freaking hippy.)

I hunt for meat for my family. Yes, I can go to the grocery store and buy meat like most people. And, for the last three years, that’s exactly what I have done. Hunting does provide very clean meat, with no additives or preservatives, from animals that eat natural foods. Deer meat (venison) is a very lean and clean meat. Harvesting a “medium” size deer (for my area, 120 lbs pre-field dressing) can provide upwards of 60 lbs of meat. It doesn’t take much to fill the freezer. If I were to harvest 3 deer in one season, I would have a full freezer that would feed a family of 4 for nearly a year (rough estimate).

Some hunters kill as many animals as possible in a given season. That’s just not my style. I have passed on SO MANY deer, that the real avid hunters would probably say that I am not a real hunter. On the contrary, I put in as much effort and time as my life allows. I have watched countless deer through the scope on my rifle. But I don’t go hunting just to kill. I go to harvest needed meat.

For me to shoot a deer, it has to meet a certain criterion, more of a personal need vs opportunity thing. When I have meat in the freezer, I get picky about the deer I kill. I prefer large does. An older doe (as the large ones usually are) is a very wary animal that has lived through several hunting seasons. They are intelligent and sly. Plus, the larger does offer more meat in a single animal than the younger bucks and does. When it comes to bucks, I see plenty of the smaller bucks. Smaller antlers for sure, but also smaller bodies. Typically, you’re not going to see a small bodied buck with large antlers, and vice versa. The smaller body is the part that prevents me from shooting them. Again, I’m there for the meat.

That all being said, there are times that I consider a buck I kill to be a trophy. In the usual sense, a trophy is something that exceeds all expectations in regards to antler measurements, etc. To me, a trophy is something that has deeper meaning. As I write this, I can see the only two buck mounts that I have hanging from the wall. One is from a trip with several other guys about 15 years ago. It is no record breaker by any means, but still a nice deer. I was on a guided hunt (the only I have ever been on). This buck represents the knowledge I gained on that hunt. In the four days I was able to spend with that guide, I learned and saw more than I had in nearly two decades of hunting prior to that hunt. A lot of what I saw and learned gave me the outlook I have now. I use those lessons to find the deer I want, not to shoot every deer that gives an opportunity. That hunt showed me all that could be enjoyed, apart from pulling the trigger.

The other deer mount on the wall was all me. Again, no record breaker. It is the biggest buck I have ever killed, and also the last. That was nearly 6 years ago. I bought about 12+ acres in an area I knew nothing about. I bought the property to live there (which I did). After buying the property in early spring, I explored it. While doing so, I noticed several things about the property that told me it would be good for my outdoorsy side. A small pond with fish, a few spots for hunting, and the quiet that I so desperately wanted. I scouted the property for hunting and put in the work to see what all this little personal paradise offered. The first season I hunted, I didn’t see much. Then I had a week off from work that I dedicated entirely to being in the woods. To say I enjoyed being out in the woods would be a vast understatement. The whole week was cold. There were clear skies and a breeze on one day. There was freezing rain and clouds on another. Then, on about the fourth day, in late afternoon, a doe came trotting by rather close to my stand. As I peacefully watched her, I noticed movement about 15 yards behind her. I turned my head to see the biggest buck I have ever been blessed enough to see. His body was BIG, lots of meat. It was the middle of the rut (deer mating time) and this buck had one thing on his mind. A few seconds, and a well-placed shot, later and he was on the ground. I dressed that buck and processed the meat myself. I got him mounted as a reminder of what a trophy means to me. I had put in the work on property that I owned. I used the lessons I learned over the years to increase my chances of seeing deer. I was rewarded with an animal that fed my family for quite some time. I would find out later, from a couple of neighbors, that numerous people (mostly hunters) had game camera photos of that buck spanning several years. Not one of those photos was during daylight hours. They were all during the night. Not only did no one have a photo of that buck during the day, this buck had not been seen during the day. Yes, that buck did have a good set of antlers on his head. I can honestly say that I did not kill him for the antlers. I just happened to be blessed with a buck that I would remember for a lifetime. That mount is not bragging material, it is a representation of many lessons over the years and memories that were so personal, from buying the land to packaging the meat in my kitchen. That is what makes this buck a trophy, to me.

Hunting is a great opportunity to provide meat. Hunting is also a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. You don’t have to shoot the deer with a gun. You can do so with a camera, if that is more appealing to you. Hunting can also help with honing skills, whether it be navigating/orienteering, bushcraft, or whatever.

Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.