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I've just begun to explore this whole topic and visit this forum; frankly I have a LONG way to go before I'm prepped for any kind of disaster. With that in mind, I'd like to recommend the following site which I have found helpful:
1. Its creators have real-life experience. The site was started by survivors of the Joplin, Missouri, tornado. One of them tells his story at the "About Us" link and if it doesn't give you goose bumps, nothing will. Because they have "been there" they have thought of things others probably wouldn't have -- for example, including playing cards in your bug-out bag so you have something to pass the time while the power is out. :-)
2. They give back to others in need. 5% of their proceeds go to disaster relief organizations including the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Convoy of Hope, etc.
3. It includes practical tips and information that anyone, regardless of their situation, can use to decide what they need and don't need. Just browse the site and check out the blog and you will find lots of interesting stuff.
4. You don't have to be a hard core prepper/survivalist or have lots of money to get something out of this site. You can get useful stuff for as little as $5 (small flashlights, emergency supply of matches, small knives, etc.) Sales tax is added for MO residents only.
5. It offers a wide variety of items tailored to different needs. They have pre-packed bug out bags in different sizes and for different purposes (school, car travel, 1 or 2 persons). There is gear useful for all kinds of climactic conditions. If you are a single person you don't have to buy gear intended to outfit a family, or vice versa.
6. Most of what they sell is useful for other purposes such as camping, hunting/fishing, hiking, etc.
Thank you preppers for the vast info . We rely on Blackout . Com Sportman's Guide, Harvest Right, Disaster Plan 123.com , Jim Baker Show , The Blaze ( Glenn Beck) , Food For Health, Wise Foods, Major Sporting Good Stores, Food Stores.
Suggestion: Always prepare with the anticipation there will be no FEMA , Red Cross , medical care, communication,vehicle transportation, food , water( filters) , gasoline, security, ammo,
light, fire/heat/starters , toilet /chem ., dog/cat food ,shower (solar),cash, duck tape, first aid , grab and go bags 48-72 hours
ponchos , I.D., port. stove /utensils, light thermo blankets, meds.
emerg. radio, cord, knife, pocket saw, bite kit, 38 special /holster,
compass, whistle, cord, port. shovel.
Pelican*Products*SabreLite™ 2000 Flashlight I tell u monkeywrenchin, the co. gives us these lites to use in the oil field. They are the real deal, I'd be surprised if the rest of there stuff wasn't top grade. A regular maglite wont last a week where I work.
They used to send a warranty bout they'de guarentee from anythang, but a 10 year old kid, lol.
Well truth be known they came w/an even better light, twice as strong, twice a light and burns 10 times longrt
Pelican*Products*SabreLite™ 2000 Flashlight I tell u monkeywrenchin, the co. gives us these lites to use in the oil field. They are the real deal, I'd be surprised if the rest of there stuff wasn't top grade. A regular maglite wont last a week where I work.
They used to send a warranty bout they'de guarentee from anythang, but a 10 year old kid, lol.
Maglites are obsolete these days for anything except clubs. LED flashlights are so last week. You want a portable flashlight that can pick a squirrel out of a tree at fifty yards? Get something with the Cree T-6/bulb/chip in it. Settle for nothing less. You can blind someone with those, at least temporarily. The ones that take the 18650 battery and the AAA batteries are good. The ones that take either three AA batteries or the more powerful 26650 rechargables are better.
Pick up a radio that tunes in every band possible. And will play your MP-3 files from a flash drive. Forget the cheapie crank-up versions and go for something that plugs in and takes rechargables.
Water is tricky to store on the long term. You have to keep changing it. The only real solution for long-term drinking water is Blue Water, the company that puts water in 12-oz. pop cans guaranteed for 50 years shelf life. And it will cost you about fifty bucks a case with the shipping. That's two bucks a can. The reason it costs so much is they put it through several stages of filtering and use a special lining in the can. And get a good water filter (preferably from the Lifestraw people) so you can use natural sources as well.
Get something solar for your immediate power requirements. There are now fold-away solar chargers rated at 60 watts (more like 30 in reality) that fold up to the size of a laptop cover. Find them at Amazon and make sure you get the one that has the 12V alligator clips on it as well. You will need that for 12V charging, and only a few offer it. Buying a deep-cycle 12-V battery rated at 35 amp-hours or more, and an inverter, and you're in business for the basics. If weight is a concern, just go for the portable charger.
If you know anyone who works at a hospital, they can obtain portable medical kits better than anything you can buy on the open market. The military ones, if they are well-stocked, are the closest thing but you'll have to add your own items to round it out.
Last edited by XoXSciFiGuy; 02-21-2017 at 02:05 AM..
Maglites are obsolete these days for anything except clubs. LED flashlights are so last week. You want a portable flashlight that can pick a squirrel out of a tree at fifty yards? Get something with the Cree T-6/bulb/chip in it. Settle for nothing less. You can blind someone with those, at least temporarily. The ones that take the 18650 battery and the AAA batteries are good. The ones that take either three AA batteries or the more powerful 26650 rechargables are better.
In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.
While Maglites may not be current tech, if your alternative is a candle, the Maglite will be desirable.
If you have one already and you have other options, keep the Maglite as a spare or a hand-out light.
I've used Streamlites at work for over 20 years, and while I've switched over to LED models for daily use, I've maintained the older incandescent bulb lights I have as back ups.
There are also a lot of situations where you don't WANT a lot of light at night, but just enough to illuminate a particular need. That's why the military has used red lenses and chem lights for decades.
In my BOB I've primarily focused on headlamps. I figure if I'm needing the bag, I need my hands freed up for other tasks. They're cheap lights, so I don't cry when one dies or is lost. But they work.
LED-based flashlights for survival purposes are dead. They are so last week, so last year, just like a MagLite with an incandescent bulb.
You can go xenon, but they are very expensive. When you see a Hollywood movie and a really powerful, bright bluish beam shoots around that monster cave, it's probably a xenon.
For smaller lights, the way to go is anything with the Cree T-6 bulb. This Link will take you to my favorite one at Amazon. I like this one because it comes with two batteries, the charger, the flashlight itself with five modes, (lo/med/high/strobe/SOS) and a cute snap-on end cap that makes your flashlight into a lantern. I have field tested this one and it really works. You can pick a squirrel out of a tree in the dead of night with it...at fifty yards or more.
Spend $21 on one of these lights, you'll never be sorry. Getting all the accessories, the extra batteries, and the charger, along with the white dome attachment is a real bonus.
I just ran across a new survival tool that is going into every first aid kit I have. It's called Zip Stitch, and is a field wound closer. Somebody just invented a better butterfly bandage. Apparently this has been available in military field kits for a while, but only recently has been marketed to civilians.
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LED IS DED - That's What I Said
