What, You Don’t Own a Gas Mask?

            Many years ago I was browsing around eBay when I came across some gas masks. I was not yet a Prepper, but as I looked at all the various kinds of gas masks available I started to think about why I would possibly need one. Again, I was only looking to satisfy my curiosity more than anything, but as the minutes passed I began to think more and more about whether or not I needed one. After considering the idea for a short time, I decided I needed a gas mask for everyone in my house.

            Let me explain my reasoning. I live in the southern San Joaquin Valley. It is a bowl-shaped depression in the ground 2 hours north of Los Angeles and 4 hours south of San Francisco. The way the winds work in CA, a lot of the cruddy air from both cities eventually ends up here. My fear was, and is, that if there were terrorist attacks of a nuclear or biological nature in either one of those large cities, the fallout could end up in my back yard eventually. 

            Not knowing a lot about gas masks at the time, I decided to look at what the best sellers on eBay were as well as what was cheapest. I found a guy selling Russian GP-5 gas masks and bought one for each member of my household in their specific size. These masks fit over the entire head and provide protection from nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) products. I got them in the mail a week or so later, put them in a box and promptly forgot about them.

            A couple of weekends ago, I found them. They were still sealed and in great shape. The rubber parts of the masks were still very pliable. I took out the biggest one (mine) and put it on. It was comfortable for me, but it was very tight-fitting. A child or claustrophobic would have a lot of trouble wearing this for very long. Then I noticed I had bought an extra large (mine), a large (wife’s), a medium (older son) and an extra small (toddler). The problem is these kids are no longer medium and extra small. So I decided to find some new masks.

            Now, I could have just bought more of the Russian GP-5 masks. After all, it is better to use the same ones so I only have to own one type of replacement filter. I decided, though, that these masks were just too constricting for my family. I couldn’t even get a single person to try mine on much less live in one for a short time. Instead, I looked around the web and decided no one knows gas masks like the Israeli’s. 

I settled on the Israeli Civilian Defense gas mask. This is the same mask almost every Israeli citizen owns or has access to. There are definitely more expensive types out there with more bells and whistles I imagine, but I think they will do the trick and they only run about $24. And replacement filters are only $8 each. [Note: Some sellers sell very old filters, so check the dates when they arrive. While these masks last a long time, 20 or 30 years is pushing it.] I bought two for now and will buy a couple more next month, then some replacement filters the month after. 

Some people will laugh at the idea of gas masks. Even some Preppers will probably groan a bit when they read this. After all, I’m supposed to be the “Reluctant” Prepper, not the crazy mountain man survivalist-type. Well, all I can say is a $100 investment spread out over a few months is not crazy, it’s just good preparation. Besides terrorist attacks, we also dust storms, nuclear power plants, oil fires, etc. I’ll buy them and store them in a proper location to be used if necessary. If I never use them, it was worth the $100 for peace of mind.

I highly suggest you look into purchasing your own set of gas masks for your preparations. Some protective coveralls and gloves aren’t such a bad idea either.

          

Resolutions?

           I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions. Sure, I’ve played the game a bit just for fun, but I don’t really see a reason to wait until a particular date to make a commitment. That would be like an engaged man sleeping around right up to his wedding date, and then never doing it again. It’s silly. Once you are ready to commit to something, you commit to it right then.
 

            When I decided it was time to begin preparing for disasters, I started right then. I didn’t wait until January 1^st or Monday or even payday. I sat down and sketched out what I wanted to do and how I could accomplish it. Resolutions are simply excuses to put something off to the end of the year.

            That being said, there is one resolution that is extremely popular this time of year: Getting into better shape. The sad fact is that this should be your very first step in becoming a Prepper. Being in good shape prepares you to meet challenges. I’m not talking about bugging out and being on the run necessarily. I’m talking about filling and stacking sand bags, digging a ditch, building a fence, or carrying water. How about going without medication or having your body become more efficient in its use of energy?

            Being a Health instructor, the idea of being healthy to me has broad connotations. Most people would look at it as being fat or being skinny. Some look at it as being strong or weak. Others see it as being sick or well. Personally, I think of it as how well you can do certain activities. How likely are you to need to run 26 mile or bench press 300 pounds? Now, is it possible you may have to dig a hole in hard pan dirt or drag someone larger than you into a car? 

            If your resolutions include engaging in a healthier lifestyle, then may God bless your endeavor. Statistically, we know that you are not likely to stick with a dramatic change. So, just remember that baby steps will get you to your goals (eventually) and tend to have a longer lasting impact. Don’t forget to set a goal, though, instead of generalizing. What does “work out more” really mean? What does “eat healthier” include? 

            The first step is often the hardest to make no matter where the walk may lead.

   

Prepping in Social Media

In case you haven't had a chance, there are multiple outlets for The Reluctant Prepper.

Twitter: @ReluctPrep
I like Twitter, I really do. However, some people seem to do all of their talking through Twitter. I am following some people that do 30-60 updates a day. It clogs the Twitter-verse with the same, canned, recycled proclamations every hour. That is just too much. Follow me and I will not bother you that much, I promise.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReluctantPrepper
You have a Facebook account, so you might as well "like me." Generally, I re-tweet on Twitter and compose original stuff on Facebook that then automatically updates to Twitter.

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/reluctantprep/
If you are not on Pinterest, you are missing a whole new world. If you are more of a picture book person (like me) than a novel person, you will absolutely love it.


Feel free to follow!

“I’ll Just Grow My Own Food”

           Ever hear anyone say this? My reply is, “Have you ever tried that before?” Growing food is not easy. It is labor intensive and requires, at minimum, seeds, space and water. Oh boy, is that making it much simpler than it is.

            Let’s set up a survival scenario. Society has collapsed due to economic troubles, natural disaster, or some outside military influence. Let’s say the worst part is over. The physically weak have died off and order has been restored to some degree (at least regionally). Your limited stored food preps have held out. But there is no deliver trucks rolling to the grocery store which has long since been cleaned out. You still have a few months worth of food, but you need another food source soon to augment it. You can forage around for food, but there are a lot of other people foraging, as well. And how well do you know your edible, wild plants? (That’s a whole other blog entry, I promise) Do the work now so you don’t have to become an “overnight expert.”

Seeds. What kind of seeds should you buy? Well, you should buy a variety of seeds that are shown to do well in your climate and in your soil. You need some fast growing seeds (like radish or other green, leafy that can be edible in as early as a month), some seeds for sprouts (alfalfa sprouts can be ready in a few days) and some seeds that provide more substantial sustenance including essential vitamins and minerals (like, kale or corn).  Instead of giving you a long list of seed to look for, I will bow to the masters that have already done the work for you. Remember 2 vital things: heirloom or organic seed is best since you will want to save some of the next planting and you need to store your seed in a cool, dry place.

            You may need to fertilizer, too. Luckily, that is easy to come by since you make it yourself. Also, composting is a good idea. And, of course, try to choose seed that you will actually eat. A five gallon bucket of okra is nice, but if no one is willing to eat okra it is useless. Sure, you might feel differently if you are starving, but why not plan ahead and get something you like.

Space. There is dirt everywhere, right? Well, not all dirt is equal. You will need fertile soil for your garden and lots of it. A lot of bare ground is bare for a reason. It has been drenched in herbicide or is completely devoid of nutrients for plant growth. Neither is going to give you much edible plant material. How about if you live in an apartment? Sure, the building has land, but you don’t own it and will have a tough time defending it from foragers who see a meal. Containers would be a start, but you are not going to get super yields from a small container garden on your patio. It takes a lot of space to grow enough plant material for you and your family to live on. Of course, any food will be helpful. A community garden would be even better since you can share the burden and defense of it.

            Let’s summarize: You need to find space close to where you will be living. It needs to be secure, either behind a fence or hidden to some degree. The soil needs to be good for growing (are there plants already growing on it?). There needs to be at least 8 hours of full sun each day.

Water. Pure and simple, plants, like us, need water. Growing plants need a lot of water. Maybe you’ve heard of dryland farming. Don’t rely on the clouds to give you all your water. You need access to plenty of water. A hand pumped well, a canal, a reservoir, or even city water if you still have it. Sure, some areas get lots of rain in the growing season, but you can’t count on it. Rain barrels attached to your rain gutters or some other catchment system would help augment any shortages of water.

           We call it “Prepping” for a reason. If you have never grown a large garden, you had better start now. There is a lot of knowledge that can only be learned from doing it. Pledge to grow a small garden in your back yard this Spring. You have plenty of time to prepare over the next couple of months. I recommend people build raised beds in their yards since they are much easier to tend. Research the types of seeds you can grow AND that you would likely eat. Ten healthy Kale plants are beautiful and nutritious, but if no one eats kale you just wasted a lot of time and resources.

Prepper Stocking Stuffers, Pt.3

Water is the most important part of your preparation. Having safe, potable water will save your life in any environment. I guess that is why I concentrate so much on it. In the near future, I am going to discuss rain barrels, but for now I will look to portable water solutions. The SteriPen is awesome if you find a water source and you’re not sure it is safe. The SteriPen is small, but does a big job: Saving your butt! There are several kits you can buy, but really all you need is the basic SteriPen, some cheese cloth and some back up batteries in your bug out kit and you are set for roaming.

Everyone should have a first aid kit in their home and vehicle. That is a no-brainer. For Preppers, we tend to do a little better than your basic First Aid Kit. You can go all out and buy an emergency room in a bag, but that is not really a stocking stuffer, is it? My pick would be the Tactical Trauma kit sold by Cheaperthandirt.com. For $30, you get a lot. I won’t list it all, but trust me, it is a lot more than your Target brand hard pack. This one is on my list of near future acquisitions.

Any Prepper worth his own salt needs to have a green thumb. Some people, though, are short on space. Using a Mini-Greenhouse to get your seed sprouted or even using it to maintain to small garden is a great start. I’ve used these in the past and even added my own grow lights to the back for continued growth and warmth in the winter months. Perfect if you only have a patio or porch.

What? You don’t have a Tactical Tomahawk yet? Besides being a formidable weapon for close quarters defense or short distance throwing (I throw mine across the yard in “some” accuracy), they are a great tool for digging, scoring and chopping small, wood things. And don’t rule out the cool factor. Strap one of these babies on your hip for your next camping trip and watch everyone’s eyes move to it as you walk by.

            My final recommendation is a little more loose. I have recently begun to search for more hand tools. By hand tools, I mean the opposite of power tools. Things like drills and files and planers and such that allow you to make or break things without any power other than living tissue. You can never have too many hammers! Do you even own an axe or a hatchet? How about a rough tooth saw? And let’s not forget the kitchen. There are choppers, hand blenders, sifters, and all manner of knives for breaking down dead animals. They not only have a cool, antique display factor, but they actually get the job done. Flea markets and “antique” stores are great places to find these things.

I hope you enjoyed these lists. While I certainly didn’t cover everything, hopefully you found something for that wide-eyed Prepper in your family. You should definitely check out some of the other Prepper websites for more ideas or if you are looking to spend a little more. There is a list of some of my favorites on the right side of this page.

 

Prepper Stocking Stuffers, Pt. 2

            We all have that person that is sooooo hard to buy for. Maybe they have a lot of things. Maybe they don’t like anything you buy them. Maybe they just don’t want you to “waste your money” on them. This is the beauty of being a Prepper. We believe in redundancy. We LIVE redundancy. It doesn’t matter if it is an item you already own or that already have two of. We love to have backups for our backups. So, if you are reading this guide, feel free to pick up any of these items or similar items for that Prepper, or potential Prepper, on your list.

            Water is so important to our survival. Having an adequate supply can not only save your life, but those in your care. The WaterBOB is simple. It is a large plastic container for holding 100 gallons of clean water for short term use. It is made of food grade plastic and folds up to the size of a folded bed sheet for easy storage. This is not something to tote around with you when there is water in it. This is best used in the bathtub or other container that is a snug fit. While the plastic strong, I have serious doubts if it would last long full of water with no support for its walls. I have not used one myself, but I have seen them used by others successfully. A great little Prepper item for around $25.

            Fire is a big deal. The ability to make fire separates us from the other animals. Sure, you can rub two sticks together or scrape some fire steel. You can make tinder from cotton balls and sawdust. However, the old standby is waterproof matches like these from Cabela’s. There is no school like the old school. I remember getting a set of waterproof matches in a waterproof holder years ago and they were viable for many years. Having your matches in a waterproof container is important because the matches are often made of wood. If the wood is wet for too long, it goes limp from water log. Just try and start a fire from a limp match (oh boy…). Yep, you can waterproof your own “strike anywhere” matches (and I suggest you do  for your own long term supplies) but for a gift you may as well shell out the six or seven bucks and get a great holder for the matches, too.. I’ve used this brand of waterproof match and it works well even when soaked. Plus, it actually does fit in a stocking.

            Maybe you know someone who is just starting out with Prepping, but is serious. There is no one person in the world better schooled on Prepping than James Wesley, Rawles. While I still don’t know why there is a comma in his name, the man knows his business. His “Patriot” series of books is a must read for all serious Peppers, but for beginners I suggest his book “How to Survive The End Of The World As We Know It: Tactics, Techniques And Technologies For Uncertain Times.” It is a compendium of things you can do to help you plan and prepare for just about any catastrophic event. It is a very dry read, but the information is solid, tested and easy to find. It is worth so much more than the $10 or so you will pay for it. I have it on Kindle, audio and paper form.

More next time!