BUDGET PREP: FARADAY CAGE - Protect Your Electronics From an EMP With this Simple Solution

A simple metal trash can will act as a Faraday Cage.

Inspired by prepper Kevin Poole's galvanized steel bunker with faraday cage, but lack the space or resources for such a large undertaking? We're bringing you budget versions of the preps inspired by our very own season three prepper builds.

PROBLEM:
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) can be caused by a solar flare or a nuclear blast. An EMP can instantly fry electrical components in almost all electronic devices that we use today. From cell phones, to radios, to walkie-talkies, to GPS, any electronic devices that may be useful in a post-apocalyptic world would be gone if not protected in a Faraday Cage.

SOLUTION:
Faraday cages can be complex or amazingly simple. A conductive material surrounding an electronic device will keep the pulse from frying the device with an electric charge. A metal trash can will act as a Faraday cage.

WHAT IS A FARADAY CAGE?
A Faraday Cage is a conductive structure that acts as a shield against electromagnetic energy. Electromagnetic waves naturally flow around a surface of conductive materials, not through it, so by placing your electronics in a Faraday Cage you can shield them against an electromagnetic pulse.

To some preppers a galvanized steel bunker hidden deep in the recesses of their property would be the ultimate dream-come-true Faraday cage. Unfortunately, this dream would turn to pixie dust (for most) when the realization set-in of just how much a structure of this magnitude would cost, as well as the time, space, and resources it would require to build.

But what if you could have the benefit of protecting your electronic devices from an electromagnetic pulse at a fraction of the cost? Say, the price of what the hinges alone would cost on the steel bunker?

WHAT'S AN EMP, ANYWAY?
A galvanized steel trashcan would work in the same way the bunker would in protecting your electronic devices for a post-apocalyptic world. But first, you need to understand how an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) works in order to understand how valuable this inexpensive item could be for your electronic preps.

Without getting too “techy,” an electromagnetic pulse happens when a nuclear event unleashes gamma rays above the atmosphere – either caused by a solar flare hurled from the sun or by a nuclear attack from a terrorist up in the atmosphere. Gamma rays are extremely high energy photons and when they strike atoms in the atmosphere they knock large quantities of electrons free producing a pulse of electromagnetic radiation – an EMP. At the speed of light, this electromagnetic pulse travels through the air and is also picked up in all telephone and power lines. So if your electronic devices aren’t hardened or shielded; it could fry them… all of them.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:
The critical point in making a Faraday Cage out of a galvanized steel trash can is to make sure the items you put into the trash can do not touch the sides, bottom or top of the trash can. To do this, line the trash can with cardboard, including the bottom and up under the lid. Before you place any item in the trash can – and as an extra measure – you can wrap the items in heavy gauge aluminum foil. Once the items are wrapped, place the items you’re not likely going to need or get to right away on the bottom and then pack items that you may need to be periodically checked on top. Once all your items are in the trash can, place the lid on securely; metal to metal, making sure nothing is caught in or obstructing the lid and trash can from making complete contact. As an added step, you may want to tape the lid with a metal foil tape, to provide a total metal seal between the two surfaces.

Holiday cookie or popcorn tins can be used for Faraday Cages.

But let’s say you don’t have the space for a galvanized steel trash can. Not a problem. You know those cute tins we get at the holidays filled with cookies and candies? Or, those huge tins filled with popcorn? Those tins can be used as mini-Faraday Cages. By placing those tins in numerous areas around your house as decorations, you could have quick and handy Faraday Cages at your fingertips, should you get notification that a solar flare is coming our way. This is important because you may only have a few minutes to get valuables like cell phones into those cans.

TESTING YOUR SET-UP:
To test your faraday cage, whether it is a big or a small can, the procedure is the same. Take a working cell phone and put the volume as high as it will go. Then, place the cell phone in the Faraday Cage and put the lid on it. Call the cell phone that you put in the Faraday Cage. If the Faraday Cage is working properly, you should not be able to call the cell phone. In other words, the cell phone won’t ring (if you hear the phone ring then the tin is not sealed well enough to keep out an EMP). An electromagnetic pulse travels just like radio waves, so if the radio waves going to the cell phone are stopped, then an electromagnetic pulse would be stopped too.

Keep in mind, no one knows for sure what will happen if we are struck with an electromagnetic pulse, but as the saying goes - two is one and one is none. Or in the case of an electromagnetic pulse - all may be none if not protected.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED:
31 Gallon Metal Trash Can - $24.98
Cardboard - $1.96
Heavy Gauge Aluminum Foil - $5.29
Metal Foil Tape - $3.98

THE STEPS:


Line the walls and floor of the can with cardboard.


You can line the cardboard with foam for additional protection.


This 31 gallon trash can will hold all these electronic devices.


Wrapping radios and other electronic devices in aluminum foil gives even more protection.


Wrap your most important items in foil. Hearing aids, and other electronic devices you may not want to live without, could be invaluable after an EMP.


Having a small solar panel, along with a battery charger and rechargeable batteries, can keep your electronic equipment running, even if the whole power grid goes down.


You can make your own silica gel moisture absorbers with crystal cat litter and nylon stockings.


Pack all your items so that none will touch the walls of the metal can.


Place foam and/or cardboard on the top of the can.


Place the lid on the can.


Seal the can and lid completely by wrapping a metal foil tape around the top rim and the can.

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do

1. They Don’t Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves
Mentally strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry about their circumstances or how others have treated them. Instead, they take responsibility for their role in life and understand that life isn’t always easy or fair.

2. They Don’t Give Away Their Power
They don’t allow others to control them, and they don’t give someone else power over them. They don’t say things like, “My boss makes me feel bad,” because they understand that they are in control over their own emotions and they have a choice in how they respond.

3. They Don’t Shy Away from Change
Mentally strong people don’t try to avoid change. Instead, they welcome positive change and are willing to be flexible. They understand that change is inevitable and believe in their abilities to adapt.

4. They Don’t Waste Energy on Things They Can’t Control
You won’t hear a mentally strong person complaining over lost luggage or traffic jams. Instead, they focus on what they can control in their lives. They recognize that sometimes, the only thing they can control is their attitude.

5. They Don’t Worry About Pleasing Everyone
Mentally strong people recognize that they don’t need to please everyone all the time. They’re not afraid to say no or speak up when necessary. They strive to be kind and fair, but can handle other people being upset if they didn’t make them happy.

6. They Don’t Fear Taking Calculated Risks
They don’t take reckless or foolish risks, but don’t mind taking calculated risks. Mentally strong people spend time weighing the risks and benefits before making a big decision, and they’re fully informed of the potential downsides before they take action.

7. They Don’t Dwell on the Past
Mentally strong people don’t waste time dwelling on the past and wishing things could be different. They acknowledge their past and can say what they’ve learned from it. However, they don’t constantly relive bad experiences or fantasize about the glory days. Instead, they live for the present and plan for the future.

8. They Don’t Make the Same Mistakes Over and Over
Mentally strong people accept responsibility for their behavior and learn from their past mistakes. As a result, they don’t keep repeating those mistakes over and over. Instead, they move on and make better decisions in the future.

9. They Don’t Resent Other People’s Success
Mentally strong people can appreciate and celebrate other people’s success in life. They don’t grow jealous or feel cheated when others surpass them. Instead, they recognize that success comes with hard work, and they are willing to work hard for their own chance at success.

10. They Don’t Give Up After the First Failure
Mentally strong people don’t view failure as a reason to give up. Instead, they use failure as an opportunity to grow and improve. They are willing to keep trying until they get it right.

11. They Don’t Fear Alone Time
Mentally strong people can tolerate being alone and they don’t fear silence. They aren’t afraid to be alone with their thoughts and they can use downtime to be productive. They enjoy their own company and aren’t dependent on others for companionship and entertainment all the time but instead can be happy alone.

12. They Don’t Feel the World Owes Them Anything
Mentally strong people don’t feel entitled to things in life. They weren’t born with a mentality that others would take care of them or that the world must give them something. Instead, they look for opportunities based on their own merits.

13. They Don’t Expect Immediate Results
Whether they are working on improving their health or getting a new business off the ground, mentally strong people don’t expect immediate results. Instead, they apply their skills and time to the best of their ability and understand that real change takes time.

Earthly Father, Heavenly Father

Security: Defense Training

Nobody wants to hurt other people, but many preppers believe you must be able to defend your community against an attack. Having the training and skills to use firearms is essential, according to Practical Preppers consultant David Kobler. But there are plenty of other skills that Practical Preppers recommend:

• Martial Arts Training. In the heat of a close-quarters confrontation with robbers or looters, Kobler says that preppers may have to defend themselves without using weapons. He doesn’t recommend a particular martial art, but advises that whichever program you choose should include some grappling and ground-fighting techniques. Those skills also may be useful in controlling less-than-lethal threats, such as aggressive beggars, without having to inflict more harm than is necessary. Krav Maga, a martial art that was developed for use by the Israeli military, incorporates both striking and grappling techniques, as well as tactics for defending against attackers wielding knives or guns and attacks by multiple assailants. Here’s a link to the international Krav Maga Federation, and Darren Levine’s and Ryan Hoover’s how-to-manual, Krav Maga for Beginners.

• Fitness:  All the combat training courses in the world aren’t going to do you much good if you get winded easily, or don’t have strong enough muscles to handle the demands that a life-and-death situation may place on you. That’s why Kobler recommends that preppers start a physical fitness regimen and stick to it religiously. “You want a good workout that's balanced,” he explains. “Don't bulk up and become a person with huge muscles who can lift 500 pounds, but who can’t walk for four hours.” He recommends a training regimen that emphasizes functional fitness—that is, the ability to perform the sort of physical feats you might actually have to do in real situations, such as climbing or lifting awkwardly shaped objects. One popular regimen of that sort is CrossFit, which mixes aerobic work with weight lifting, calisthenics  and  gymnastics-type exercises utilizing bodyweight resistance.

•  First Aid:  Kobler says that ideally, at least one member of a prepper community should have advanced training on how to treat injuries that preppers may suffer in armed or unarmed confrontations. At a minimum, that person should complete a course and earn a certification as an Emergency Medical Technician, which requires 120-to-150 hours of lectures and hands-on training. But to develop an even higher level of skill, invest in earning a Paramedic certificate, which requires between 1,200 and 1,500 hours of work.  (From the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care, here’s a primer on the difference between EMTs and Paramedics.  The American Red Cross also offers basic disaster preparedness courses, which include some first aid training.

• Combat Shooting:  If you’re going to be able to competently handle a firearm, you need plenty of training and practice. “Shooting is a perishable skill,” Kobler counsels. But too often, he warns, people try to get that by going to a conventional shooting range and standing in a booth, and shooting at a stationary target. “Static ranges make people get killed,” he explains. “In a real gunfight, you’re moving, as is the target, and you’re trying to minimize your own exposure as well as get off a shot.” Instead, preppers should take a combat or tactical shooting course that better simulates the heat of battle, and emphasizes survival skills and decision-making as well as marksmanship. The website of the U.S. Practical Shooting Association is one place to look for more information.

If You Only Do Three Things – Recommendations from Practical Preppers:

• Take a basic disaster preparedness course.  The American Red Cross offers this sort of training.
• Watch some Krav Maga videos on YouTube. If you don’t have access to a class, you can at least familiarize yourself with some basic self-defense tactics and practice them with a partner.
• Take a basic gun safety course.  Even if you don’t really want to use a gun, it’s good to know how at least how to keep from shooting yourself if you have to pick one up in an emergency.

Security: Enhancements

For preppers, weapons and training are an important part of security, but both will be of limited usefulness if preppers’ protective measures end there. Many preppers want to have an array of other preparations, such as communications equipment for keeping in touch with one another and coordinating efforts. Equipment such as body armor and night-vision gear can help maximize preppers’ chances of surviving an attack. Preppers also strive to have physical infrastructure—such as security perimeters, surveillance posts and fortifications inside the compound—so that members of a community can mount an effective defense. All of these things fall into the grab-bag category of security enhancement. Here are some tips from Practical Preppers about what to put in place:

• Body Armor:  Practical Preppers consultant Dave Kobler, a combat veteran in the Iraq War, says protecting your body from bullets is crucial, but that you can’t deck yourself out like Iron Man. “The military gave us leg protection, but I never wore any of that, because you lose a lot of mobility,” he explains. “You have to make some compromises.” Protecting the head and torso with a helmet and vest, however, still allows a prepper defender to have some agility. A lot of different manufacturers make protective gear, but Kobler recommends looking for equipment which scores highly on the National Institute of Justice’s performance standards for body armor.

• Surveillance Technology:  Night vision goggles are extremely useful, because they can enable a defender to spot an intruder from a safe distance. (“From 100 yards away in complete darkness, I can see the features on a person’s face,” Kobler says.) Again, there are numerous makers of night vision equipment hawking their wares on the Internet, but unfortunately, NIJ hasn’t set a standard for such equipment since 1975, so it’s a challenge to evaluate which is best. From Defense Industry Daily, here’s a detailed primer on various types of night vision equipment and their uses and limitations.

• Listening and Observation Posts:  Kobler recommends setting up LPOPs continually manned by lookouts on the edge of a property, in order to detect an impending attack and relay warning back to the rest of the community. Such posts should be carefully concealed, ideally in wooded areas, so that attackers don’t spot them and sneak up on them. He also emphasizes that once an observer is on a shift, no one else should visit the post for any reason. “You want to make sure that your leader doesn’t walk around from post A to post B and C, checking things out,” he says. “That’s the way that the enemy will spot those positions.” Here’s a U.S. Marine Corps manual on scouting tactics and preparations, including the use of camouflage.

• Communications: Because a sophisticated attacker may be able to detect and even intercept wireless communications, it’s a good idea to set up a land-line phone system with buried cables that connect back to the main dwelling. But during a confrontation or a medical emergency, when quick communication is crucial, two-way radios can help defenders to coordinate their efforts. From Advancedsurvivalguide.com, here’s a guide to radio equipment for preparedness and survival.

• Fortifications:   Preppers should surround the main house, barn and critical storage areas for supplies with a cordon of foxholes or barriers that give them cover as they shoot at intruders. From Modern-Prepper.com, here’s a U.S. Army guide to constructing fortifications.

• Obstacles: Routes to the center of the compound should be blocked with barriers that slow vehicles, and thorny bushes and other obstacles can be used to hinder intruders on foot. From Globalsecurity.org, here’s a military primer on creating various types of obstacles.

• Medical Supplies: Having an adequate stock of medical supplies to deal with injuries and health emergencies is also a must, Kobler says.

If You Only Do Three Things – Recommendations from Practical Preppers:

• Plant thorny bushes around your windows. That’ll make it more difficult for intruders to get at you.
• Get some handheld walkie-talkies. Remember, if civilization breaks down, so will cell towers and networks.
• Stock up on essential first aid supplies.  Bandages, anti-bacterial ointment, and other basic emergency supplies are a must-have. Refer to this American Red Cross guide entitledAnatomy of a First Aid Kit.

Want to see a cool way to build a stove using sawdust?

How to Vacuum Seal Clothing

Shelter: Heating and Cooling

The human body likes to stay at a uniform temperature—typically, a little more than 98 degrees, according to Harvard Medical School—and deviating too much from that can cause trouble. If an environment gets so cold that a person’s body temperature drops below 95 degrees, hypothermia can cause slowed breathing, gradual loss of motor skills, and eventually death. In an extremely hot environment, where the body rises about 104 degrees, the result can be heat stroke, which can be fatal as well.

But even if you don’t encounter extreme conditions, run-of-the-mill cold weather can threaten weaker, more vulnerable members of your community, such as infants and the elderly, as this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web pageexplains. Ditto for heat waves; here’s a Scientific Americanarticle on the effects of excessive heat on human health.)

So no matter how hardy you think you are, you’re going to need a way to keep your shelter warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Additionally, unless you relish ice-cold showers in January, you’re going to probably want to have a way to heat your water supply as well. But don’t worry, because there are multiple heating and cooling options at your disposal.

• Design Your Shelter for Thermal and Energy Efficiency. Adequate insulation, for example, can help protect you against both heat and cold, and cut down on your energy needs as well. From the New Zealand website Wanakahomestead, here’s a primer on designing a sustainable home with optimal thermal efficiency.

• Install a Wood Stove. If a source of firewood is nearby, Hunt favors using a wood stove. “Wood really is the best renewable resource out there for heating your home and your water,” He explains. “That’s what the Amish do.” Check out Woodheat.org, the website of the nonprofit Wood Heat Organization, for useful how-to guidance on how to pick a stove and use it for heat.

• Utilize the Sun.  You’ve probably been thinking of solar energy as a way to generate electricity, butwith the right design, you also can collect solar heat and store it, and then utilize it to heat your home in cold weather. But you need to do know about how to properly orient windows and set up a distribution mechanism. Here’s a U.S. Department of Energy website that explains how passive solar heating works. And one good option for heating water is to have a passive solar water heater. Hunt offers a caveat: It’s still necessary to pump the water, which requires additional energy. For a more detailed explanation of the technology, consult the how-to manual Solar Water Heating, by Bob Ramlow and Benjamin Nusz.

• Biodiesel for Heat. Utilizing vegetable oil to heat your home may seem like a far-out idea, but according to thisMother Earth News article on the subject, you can run an old-fashioned oil-fired boiler on biodiesel fuel mixed with with some tinkering. Here also is a Wired article on the promise of biodiesel for home heating. The best part is that you can actually grow the raw material to make the fuel yourself. An acre of sunflowers, for example, yields about 102 gallons of biodiesel fuel.

• Resort to Old-Fashioned Technology to Keep Cool. It may come as a shock to those of us alive in the 21st Century, but there was a time when people lived in extremely hot places such as Arizona and Nevada without central air conditioning, or even those ineffectual little window units. From Fiscalgeek.com, here’s a detailed, picture-laden how-to guide on how to build a “swamp cooler,” which uses evaporation to cool a room.

• Propane is an Option. An on-demand propane-fueled water heater, which only burns fuel when a prepper actually needs it for showers, cooking or washing, is another option, according to Hunt.

If You Only Do Three Things:

• Make sure your shelter has a lot of insulation.  That will help keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
• Get a wood stove.  Burning wood  is a tried-and-true method of staying warm.
• Think about installing a solar water heater. Hunt notes that the ability to take a warm shower can be a morale-maintainer, even in trying circumstances.

Free mini-ebook: “It’s a Disaster and what are you gonna do about it?”

Here’s a gift for readers.  Download this free 57 page mini-ebook version of the popular disaster preparedness manual: “It’s A Disaster and what are you gonna do about it”

Bill and Janet Liebsch have forever changed disaster mitigation by introducing this book to communities, organizations, clubs, churches and municipalities all across the U.S.  Even the city of Washington DC uses this book as their disaster preparedness manual.  As our faithful readers, we are giving you a free 54 page condensed version of this highly informative book.

Download your free 57 page mini copy here

The 2013 LDS Christmas Devotional will be streamed LIVE on December 8, 2013 at 6:00PM MST. 

(Click on the picture below to watch the devotional)

Endless Food Systems: Fish-Powered Aquaponic Gardens

Endless Food System 

Published Oct. 25, 2013

On the third season of Doomsday Preppers, we follow Chad Hudspeth as he builds an underground escape tunnel. And while the 140-foot pipeline may be one of his biggest preps, it's certainly not his only one. Brooklyn Bagwell recently caught up with Chad at the Self-Reliance and Preparedness Expo in Prescott Valley, Arizona, where he was offering a line of aquaponics products from his company, Endless Food Systems. We asked Chad to tell us a little about aquaponics and why it is such a crucial prep to have?

When I first started prepping, I soon realized that storing up freeze dried foods is not only expensive, but not a great plan for long-term survival. If something devastating happened that changed our society forever, stockpiles will eventually run out no matter how much you have stored. It's a big investment to put so much money into something you hope you will never have to use.

When I came across an endless way to grow food called aquaponics, it revolutionized my way of thinking in terms of long-term survival. The benefits of an aquaponic Endless Food System are immediate, and will generate clean, non-GMO food for your family right away. Many people have also found eating natural and eliminating toxic pesticides and chemicals used in many of today's processed foods has strengthened their immune system.

An aquaponic garden is something that will benefit your family right away, and will also be crucial in the event of a long-term food crisis. Growing your own organic fruits and vegetables (and fish!) can save a lot of money on your grocery bill. And the best part, besides the fresh taste, is that you don't have to own acres of land. These systems are able to generate around five to ten times more food per square foot than a traditional garden. 

Aquaponic beds use 90% less water than a soil garden because the water is contained, and never has to be changed out. On top of that, growing vegetables in the elevated beds eliminates bending over and many traditional insect problems. Endless Food Systems are easy to operate and maintain, requiring only 5-10 minutes per day. I often get asked if the food tastes good. The truth is, once you've tasted vegetables grown the natural way in these systems, you'll never want to buy from the big box stores again. It is truly amazing how much better food tastes when it's allowed to ripen completely on the vine and grow without any chemicals. 

So How Does Aquaponics Work?

An Endless Food System combines fish and plants together in a natural, symbiotic way. The fish provide food for the plants, and the plants clean the water for the fish. A water pump constantly moves the water from a fish tank into gravel-filled grow beds full of vegetable plants. The only inputs needed are fish food and a very small amount of electricity (can be from a car battery & solar panel) to run the water pump and air pump. 

You can grow your own fish food, or even hang a hand-crank flashlight over the fish tank at night to attract bugs. The water and tanks never need to be cleaned. In fact, if you did, it could kill your beneficial microbes and bacteria that are doing all the work of converting the fish waste into plant food. The only thing that is really needed is a simple once-a-week brushing of the fish tank to stir up the sediment and send the fish waste up into the grow beds (where you want it). The idea of aquaponics is quite ancient, but has only recently been re-discovered. And while the overall concept is simple, designing and building a system can be quite complex.

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly how much food an Endless Food System will produce, but in our experience, it is very possible for most families to drastically improve their food independence and health. As with anything, you generally get out what you put in, and an Endless Food System is no different. The better a system is managed, the more it will produce. We have found that a 12 foot wide by 20 foot long set up will generate around 1,200 pounds of vegetables and 50 to 80 pounds of fish per year. There are a lot of factors involved that could affect that number, such as your climate, type of plants and fish, and whether you are growing in a greenhouse that is climate controlled or in a basement.

For those in an urban environment without much space, we offer a compact indoor system, Eden. The peaceful sound of the constant water fountain cascading over the pebbles acts as both an accent piece, and functional aquaponics system for indoor growing.

From compact to full size kits that can be expanded all the way up to 128' of grow space, Endless Food Systems offer a wide array of products to suit many needs. As a general rule, a well-managed system will produce 10 pounds of vegetables per every square foot of grow space. A 300-gallon fish tank will produce 50 to 80 pounds of fish per year.

Interest in this growing technique is beginning to escalate quickly. At www.EndlessFoodSystems.com we have developed several out-of-the-box systems and a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) video and handbook. We believe if the knowledge of growing this way could spread across the globe, it may be possible to eliminate world hunger along with a multitude of diseases!

Water: Purification Methods

When Lewis and Clark explored the nation’s vast interior in the early 1800s, they actually obtained some of their drinking water directly from the Missouri River. Amazingly, they didn’t do anything to purify it, other than probably leave it sit in barrels so that the silt would drift to the bottom. Today, of course, if you did that, you’d become extremely ill; after a hard rain, the river is filled with all sorts of pollution, including poorly treated sewage overflow from waste water treatment plants. The upshot, for preppers, is that you have to get used to the idea that we no longer live in a pristine world, and even if civilization collapses, it’s not going to revert immediately to its unspoiled state. Thus, whether you resupply from a stream or from rainwater, it’s not safe to drink that water without treating it to remove harmful substances and pathogens that can make you extremely ill.

Fortunately, according to Practical Preppers’ Scott Hunt, water purification is something that preppers can easily accomplish, thanks to a multitude of technologies that are available, ranging from the old standby of boiling water, to ceramic filters and ultraviolet light. As prepper author James Wesley Rawles notes, various purification methods may remove one sort of contaminant or pathogen, but let others slip through. Treating water with chlorine will kill bacteria, but not all viruses, for example, and no filter system is 100 percent effective at removing herbicides and pesticides that may contaminate an open body of water. So if you filter water, you’d be smart to use distillation, ultraviolet sterilization, and/or chemicals as an additional precaution. One how-to manual that gives a detailed rundown on pathogens, contaminants and various methods of water purification is the Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family, by Arthur T. Bradley and several co-authors.

Here are some tips on how to make sure that the water you collect is fit for drinking and other uses.

• Know Your Water. Huntrecommends testing the water source in advance to determine what sort of microorganisms or contaminants it might contain, so that a prepper can have the right filters to deal with each problem.

• Master the Easy, Basic Techniques for Killing Bacteria.  Boiling is one of the safest and most effective methods of treating water, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In  a large pot or kettle, bring water to a boil—you’ll notice the bubbling and steam streaming out out the vessel—and keep it there for one minute. (Keep in mind that some of your supply will evaporate, so don’t let it boil too long.) Then let the water cool to a temperature that’s comfortable for drinking. Boiled water will taste better if you re-oxygenate it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. Another way to kill loathsome critters in your water is to treat it with bleach. Use a regular, unscented variety that contains 5.25 to 6 percent sodium hypochlorite, and buy a lot of small bottles, because bleach’s potency diminishes after it’s opened. To treat water, add 16 drops (1/8 of a teaspoon) to a gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. Hunt notes that  ceramic filters provide good protection against bacteria, and they don’t require any energy expenditure—just gravity. “You just dump the water in the top, and it filters down,” Hunt explains. “The bacteria can’t get through the top.

• Use Distillation to Get Rid of Really Nasty Stuff.  Distilling water will remove microorganisms that somehow survive bleach, boiling, and other methods. In addition, it will remove heavy metals, salts, and other chemical pollutants that can harm your health. Basically, the process involves boiling water so that it leaves behind all the stuff that has contaminated it, and then collecting the vapor and allowing it to condense back into liquid water. You can create a simple distilling apparatus simply by suspending a cup by attaching it to the inside of a large pot’s lid, and then putting a layer of water in the bottom of pot and boiling it for 20 minutes. As the pot cools afterward, the water that drips down into the cup is purified. If you’re concerned about using up fuel, it’s also possible to build a solar energy-powered distiller. Here are some simple instructions on that from a prepper blogger.

• Get an Ultraviolet Light.  Large water treatment facilities have used ultraviolet radiation to kill pathogens for years, but small portable units for use in the home or out in the wild have only recently become available. Basically, an ultraviolet purifying unit is a bottle with a small light source that’s inserted into the water. After 30 to 80 seconds, the radiation kills most microbes. Ultraviolet treatment won’t remove impurities such as dirt, metals or chemicals from the water, however, so you’ll have to combine it with another method to get really clean water.

If You Only Do Three Things:

• Get a Basic Ceramic Filter.  This is the lazy man’s way to get rid of bacteria, but Hunt says it’s pretty effective.
• Stock Up on Bleach. It’s great for killing microorganisms that can may you really sick.
• Boiling Water is a Really Easy, Quick Method of Purification.  You can bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil and keep it rolling for a minute, let it cool, and you’re pretty safe from bacteria.

How to make your own sourdough starter...

Commercial yeast is a relatively new idea. But sourdough has been around ever since somebody figured out that raised bread tasted better than unleavened wheat cakes.
Essentially, sourdough refers to a bread that is made with a natural, liquid yeast mixture for the leavening agent.
There is always a mystique associated with sourdough starter. For some reason, the story sounds better if the starter is old and established.
For example, that famous San Francisco sourdough flavor may be reported to come from a starter that has been around since the gold rush of 1849. Or you’ll hear about starter that goes back to the Alaskan Klondike gold rush around the turn of the century.
My sourdough starter was given to me by my sister, Karla Moore. She got it in a trade, and legend has it that the starter goes back to the Oregon Trail in 1847. 

But I have used that starter since I got it in 2004. For years it was the basis for my kids’ bread for school lunches. My sourdough dinner rolls made with that starter have won several Dutch oven bread competitions, and it has appeared twice in the finals of the International Dutch Oven Society’s World Championship cookoffs.

Regardless of its real genealogy, that starter has a family history already.

There is authentic heirloom sourdough starter available, and you will decide how important that is to your baking. IMHO, any authentic/heirloom starter would inevitably get changed and mutated by native wild yeast spores. I also think that sourdough flavor is heavily influenced by the natural environment of the area it is being made in. 

For the prepper/survivalist, sourdough baking is a practical method of  bread baking. You don’t have to worry about running out of yeast, and once you acquire a taste for sourdough bread, other types seem bland and tasteless. But first you have to have the starter. It is not difficult to create.
Airborne yeast spores are everywhere, and to make a starter an appropriate landing place is required. All you need is flour and water.

This technique for catching wild yeast comes from Ernie Hahn of La Pine, OR. Ernie is a retired baker, a former competition cooking partner of mine, a Central Oregon Dutch Oven Society member, and the terror of the dessert category at any Dutch oven competition.  He is an instructor at many Central Oregon Dutch Oven Society seminars, specializing in breads.  Here is Ernie’s method for catching yeast and making a sourdough starter.

Sourdough Starter
2 c flour
2-1/2 c lukewarm water
Put flour in a crock, jar or plastic bowl that is room temperature. Add lukewarm water. Gently fold the flour and water together. Set the batch of starter in a warm, not hot place. Cover with a towel.
In about four or five days, the pot will be bubbling slowly and a wonderful aroma will fill your kitchen. When you have used up a cup in a recipe, you will want to replenish the starter. Generally, fold 2 cups of flour and 3/4 cup of  warm water together and add to your starter.
(If you are not going to use your starter for a couple of weeks, put the starter in the refrigerator. If you are not going to use it for a month, put  it in the freezer. Bring your starter to room temperature to get it working again.)

Being Prepared While Traveling for Work

 I am a thirty something woman. I travel for work alone which generally always takes me to the other side of the country thousands of miles from home. Now as a general rule of thumb, our company won’t send people to any part of the country or world that is under threat of a severe weather event or is experiencing current civil unrest, but I don’t always get a warning that something is going to happen.

So I am addressing unexpected events, like a terrorist attack, or a flu epidemic, or even an EMP attack. Basically, any incident that would shut down mass transit and leave me stranded. I have read One Second After and I have watched Revolution and Jericho, so these questions got me thinking. Regardless of how likely or unlikely these things are portrayed to be, I wanted a plan. The details can change, but having a plan will put me miles ahead of most people as it will for you as well.

The first thing I learned from other experienced preppers is: don’t be afraid – be prepared. However, this is more tricky than it sounds for anyone who travels for work. First, I have to keep in mind that I am representing my company and therefore my wardrobe is somewhat predetermined along with some of my luggage. There are somethings I will be reimbursed for – other things I won’t be. My company pays for my travel expenses which include one regular weight ‘checked’ bag, my plane ticket, a certain amount of meals, parking, a rental car, and my hotel. If I want an extra bag I pay for it myself, if I want to ship extra supplies to myself, then I also pay for that – and since this is not in my budget I must work within my company’s travel reimbursement parameters.

For more advice on this matter I reached out to the American Preppers Network Forum and tapped into the experience and expertise of others there. I got a good start, a basic packing list down and a lot of really interesting ideas of what to do, but I wanted more. I still felt lost, if a disaster happens and I am sitting in my hotel room, I wanted to answer the “what do I do now?” question. That question needed a big detailed answer, so through my contacts on the APN Forum I sought the advice of Max at Max Velocity Tactical. Through Max’s work and his contributions to the APN forum, I felt confident he could help address my travel concerns. Not only did he address my preparedness concerns, but he agreed to collaborate with me on this article to help others be prepared as well. Please note, while his information is applicable for either sex he wrote it with me in mind – here is his advice:
The key thing about this scenario is that it takes you completely away from any preps you have made, and also your family.

It is very much akin to a classic survival scenario, with the exception that it is not simply you that has crashed in a plane in the wilderness, but that society has collapsed around you. You will only have your wits, what you have with you, and what you can acquire, in order to survive.

So, let’s look at that. The assumption here is that you have some sort of family or group back home and you ultimately want to get back to your base and your preps in order to be able to survive long-term with them. If you don’t have such a base, then really it is about surviving in the location you find yourself, without the need to get back anywhere. You will in effect be a little different from the other non-preppers in that city and you will have to go from there with your survival plans.

In terms of your wits, mental preparation is the key to your survival. If you find yourself hundreds or thousands of miles away from your home base in a strange city, you will have minimum equipment. You will have to rely on your will to win and survive and any skills and training that you have been able to work on now. Tied in closely with mental preparation is physical preparation. It is paramount to be as physically well-conditioned as you can be. If you hit a disaster situation, the fitter you are, the more endurance you have, the better able you will be to survive. The fitter you are, the less mentally tired you will get, and thus you will be able to remain alert and make better decisions for longer, under the stress of the situation.

Another key factor is the type of disaster that you encounter. These include: Mass Transit failure, Local vehicular travel (fuel permitting), Full power grid shutdown, Quarantine (forced localization), and even an EMP event.

Equipment is important and requires forethought and planning.

When traveling on business, people like to go with a carry-on to get through the airport faster and avoid baggage fees. With airport security rules, knife-type items must be in checked baggage. For those traveling in business suits with a carry-on bag, I suggest checking a bag, preferably a rucksack or an item of luggage that can be turned into a rucksack even if it has wheels. You can still look ‘business’ and non-prepper by doing this, just have a smart-looking bag with some zip-away ruck straps. 

In that baggage, pack smart. In addition to your business stuff, pack a set of clothing and boots appropriate to the location and environment. Pack a light sleeping bag and tarp. Put in a multi-tool and knife, water purification equipment and tablets, fire lighting equipment, spare socks and rain gear, first aid supplies; you get where I am going with this. For the purposes of the TSA, it should to be a backpacking load, nothing that will set off red flags. Remember how the TSA sees preppers! So pack a sensible rucksack in addition to your business carry-on, that will give you an outfit and rucksack to make the transition from your business suit if the hammer does fall when you are in that strange city. For all they know, you plan a couple of days hiking at the end of the business trip. 

Remember that it is not to hard to fly with a handgun correctly cased, so you can do this if you want. Just ensure that you carry it correctly with any licenses and laws in the state you are visiting. You may have to purchase ammunition locally. But even if you do nothing with the handgun but leave it locked in the case in your luggage at the hotel, you have it in case of an emergency.

Another item to throw in your pack as well as the maps of the cities you are visiting, would be a road atlas of North America, if you can get out of the city you may be able to transit areas of very little population density, such as crossing the mid-west. You may be able to make decisions based on the map. Perhaps you can procure a bicycle and move on smaller roads staying away from danger points. Again, a female (or male), alone faces dangers and you have to consider this. Don’t be too trusting and make sure you are alert to your intuition.

You should also carry some cash and/or barter items as part of your survival gear. Depending on the situation, your banks and ATM machines could be down and you will have no method of accessing your money in order to pay for your rental car, ammunition, or other necessities. How much currency you carry will depend on what you are comfortable with, and knowing the risks of carrying large amounts of money. The more obvious risks are robbery and accidental loss. However, one little known risk that many are unaware of, is law enforcement seizure also known as ‘asset forfeiture’ or ‘confiscation’. Even if you have not committed a crime and the officer has no evidence that you have committed a crime, law enforcement may seize your cash. Ensure that you review the laws in the state you will be traveling to and carry the proper paperwork in order to prove that your currency was legitimately earned. Also make sure you carry it either in a money belt or on your person in order to maintain constant control.

If extreme emergency situation occurs when you are away,

you will need to take care of your immediate survival needs.

You will likely be in a hotel or need to get back to it to get your gear. You need to lay low while any civil disorder rages outside. If you can get out of the city initially before the chaos sets in after the shock, then do so. Rent a car and drive if you can, before any gridlock sets in. If it looks like you will be trapped in the city, then you are a female alone and any kind of trustworthy allies you can make will be good. They may only be temporary. You may know work colleagues, or you may be able to link up with someone who appears trustworthy. It will be best to look to females, or you may be able to get with a couple, group, or family if they are willing to help you. The key thing is to seek safety in some sort of numbers if you can, and stay with them so long as they are acting rationally and are helping you further youragenda to survive.

Security is, therefore, essential. Try to find somewhere to hold up until an escape from the city is feasible. Either hunker down alone, or with a group. Remember to trust your intuition, and do not suppress any ‘red flags’ you have due to societal norms of politeness etc.

If you find yourself in a self-defense situation, then prior training will be priceless. A full coverage of self-defense techniques is outside of the scope of this article. Just be prepared to defend yourself by any means if necessary. Depending on the situation, you may consider using ruses to make yourself less of a target and avoid the predators. For instance you should wear loose-fitting clothes in order to conceal your femininity. If you have long hair wear it up and under a cap, this will serve to help conceal your femininity and can be a safety/survival mode…i.e. hair getting caught etc. Perhaps smear mud in your hair and face, even blood or whatever. Use your initiative. Your best tactic is always to remain grey and unnoticed; if this is not an option you can try to reduce attention by altering your appearance and perhaps a ruse such as mental instability. Be cautious with this tactic as ‘acting crazy’ can in some instances dissuade male attention but can also be seen as a sign of weakness. Use your judgment. If you are walking out of a city, and it is hot and humid, you still need to be wearing long hiking pants and a shirt.

If you intend to try to get out of a city in a pro-longed grid down situation, then the normal routes may well be gridlocked and/or too much of a threat. This is where prior planning and reconnaissance will come in to play. The more you visit a city and do ‘sightseeing’, the more you will be familiar with it and potential routes. Buy maps of the city and study them, as well as resources such as Google Earth. Look for routes to and from your hotel and consider how you may have to walk, perhaps along less-traveled routes such as storm drains. But remember, you may come across unsavory characters out there also, so be prepared to defend yourself, with the handgun you brought or a weapon you picked up.
In all this, you must have realistic goals.

You may be facing extreme situations such as grid down and mass civil unrest, with thousands of miles to go to get home. It may take a large amount of time, planning, good fortune and risk-taking. You may have to walk long distances. Make quality alliances with others, going the same way, for mutual protection. Follow your intuition, or any red flags, and ‘barter’ in order to survive. The motivation of a mother trying to get back to her children is immense and unstoppable. Keep your goal in mind, and work towards it.

Your driving force is coming home. If you are doing all you can to survive and get back to your family, you have to make sure that they are mentally and physically equipped to survive the time it takes for you to return. Also, consider having a system of ‘dead letter drops’ setup, so you can get in touch with them if they are unable to stay home. This can be very simple, just a system where they can leave you a message of their destination and intent. When you get home you will be able to follow the message. Have a strong home base so they will be able to survive and have the faith that you are doing all you can to get back to them, however long it takes.

The first instinct will be to get home by any means necessary. This may be a great motivator in the early stages and have the effect of breaking you from the freeze one might experience, getting you moving in the right direction. However, the more extreme the disaster, the less likely it will be that you will be able to make a straight shot home, in, for example, a rental car. The more serious the disaster, the more challenges will be in your path. Hunker down, approach each situation properly, and set realistic goals. It might take time, but your goal is worth it!

I would avoid the temptation, in this kind of disaster situation, of approaching the authorities for help. FEMA and other agencies will likely be overwhelmed, with a possible state of emergency or martial law. If you present yourself as an out-of-state refugee you will likely be put in a ‘camp’ and your return home will be delayed. If you want to continue a move over long distances, you will have to travel unnoticed, under the radar so to speak.

To conclude, if you are caught out on a business trip, then your greatest asset is your mind, your training and your physical ability. These are all within you. You will be limited in equipment that you can carry to a basic backpacking ruck and perhaps some tools and maybe even a handgun. The situations that you may find yourself in, both in a strange city or on any trip cross-country, are too numerous to count. You best asset is your strength of will to fight to get back to those you love.

Based on advice from Max, I have altered the way that I travel so that I am not just along for the ride, but traveling smarter so to speak. Prior to work trips, 15 minutes of pre-trip planning on Google Earth provides me with several free maps showing different routes I can take out of the city. I pack smarter using a plain-looking backpack as a carry-on that looks just like any other laptop backpack but has an extra-large capacity, hip belt and a variety of straps for expansion and add-ons. I also have a short list of gear that I add to my checked luggage. Based on Max’s advice, my gear is very similar to the gear I would take hiking so as not to draw undue attention to myself. I have also recommitted myself to furthering my self-defense training. In future articles, I will go into more detail on the supplies I picked to take with me and why. The most important thing I have now is a plan. It is my hope, that you will also be able to use this information to help formulate your own plan.

Max Velocity is an APN forum sponsor, author, and trainer providing tactical instruction and advice for those preparing for disaster survival and high threat, as well as protection and combat operations. He is a lifelong soldier with extensive military experience. He has served in both the British and US Armies. Max passed both Parachute Regiment selection and also UK Special Forces Aptitude Selection during his career.

He retired from the British Army in 2003. Following his retirement, he spent five years serving as a security contractor in both Iraq and Afghanistan. This included working on contract for the US Government in Iraq, a year of which was based out of Fallujah, and other places in Iraq. He also spent two years working for the British Government in Afghanistan.