http://www.downundernewslinks.com/ATD/Australian_Terrorist_Database.html

 

 

　

The Swedish Trangia stoves are lightweight and very portable, making them ideal for camping and backpacking. Their design is so basic that it eliminates moving parts, pistons, pressurized tanks, jets, tubes and pipes, throttles and valves, etc. The Trangia stoves come complete with cookware. There are several different packages available, each will depend on your own individual needs: different size models with different cookware options.

Trangia stoves come in three sizes and three different finishes. The 27, 25 and Mini in either UL (Ultralight Aluminium), Non-Stick or HA (Hard Anodized).

The mini comes with a 0.8 litre in aluminium pan, non-stick lid/frypan, 15 cm. Spirit burner, windshield and handle. Weight 330 g and suited for the ultralight lone camper.

Series 27 offers a good size stove for the lone walker or two people. The pans are smaller and the kettle is sized accordingly.A small, compact stove that takes up minimal room in the rucksack. Here too, the large pots can be placed on the raised supports in the upper wind-shield. All the stove systems in the 27 series have two 1-litre saucepans (1 graduated, 1 ungraduated), an 18 cm frying pan, windshields (upper and lower), a burner, a pan grip and a strap. Dimensions 18,5 x 10 cm.

Series 25 includes somewhat larger stoves suitable for groups of about 3-4 people. They are excellent family stoves with capacious pans, a wider frypan and a larger kettle. With the supports in the raised position, the stove can be used with large billies from the rest of the Trangia range. All the stove systems in the 25 series have two saucepans (1.75 and 1.5 litres), a 22 cm frying pan, windshields (upper and lower), a burner, a pan grip and a strap. Dimensions 22 x 10,5 cm.

Versions vary as to whether a kettle is included or in the material of the frypans, UL, HA or Non-Stick.

A small brass burner is filled with alcohol, then lit, and voilà, no pumping! “Alcohol is alcohol is alcohol – This isnt the case”. There are two main types of alcohol: food grade and industrial grade. The following types listed are the most commonly available, but it’s in no way a complete list of all alcohols.

Denatured alcohol (‘methylated sprirts’, ‘meths’, ‘solvent alcohol’) is made mostly from ethyl alcohol or ethanol and some added methyl alcohol or methanol. To make a food grade ethanol undrinkable, methyl alcohol (this was mainly wood alcohol which is methanol derived from fermented wood) is added and it thereby separates it legally from alcoholic beverage products, with all of its associated implications (taxes, laws, places that can sell it, people that are allowed to buy it, etc.); or

Isopropyl alcohol is available as rubbing alcohol, which is made by combining isopropyl alcohol and water (normally 70% alcohol to 30% water). This is used for medical purposes (for external use only!). The water will lessen the amount of heat generated, but it will still work fine with the Trangia burner. (Avoid using the ‘Wintergreen’ version; this has added mint aromatics — this will still burn, but smells like $#%! )

Grain alcohol, (pure ethanol), food grade alcohol made mostly from corn. Less likely to be readily available.

 

“Warning be careful not to refill the burner while it is still hot as the alcohol might ignite while being poured from the bottle, the bottle could explode. Never refill until the burner is cool enough to hold in the hand, use a second smaller container for refuelling not the main fuel storage container”.The advantages of alcohol stoves

 

Alcohol stoves have some significant strengths. Alcohol burns well in an unpressurized burner, so alcohol stoves are often stone simple, sometimes little more than a cup to hold fuel. This lack of complexity means that there is virtually nothing that can go wrong. In Roland Mueser’s book Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail, Mueser did a survey of stoves used by thru-hikers and found that alcohol was the only stove type with a zero percent failure rate. The simplicity of an alcohol stove also means that constructing one is well within the means of anyone who can follow directions. There are numerous plans for homebuilt alcohol stoves, below in the links using materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill: soda cans, mint tins, and tuna cans are commonly used.

Alcohol, unlike white gas, butane and propane, is not a petroleum by-product and is less damaging to the environment. Alcohol is often used for marine stoves as it is considered the safest stove fuel for use in confined areas. Alcohol vapor is relatively light compared to the vapor of petroleum fuels, and is less likely to concentrate and create a hazard. Alcohol stoves don’t flare up as often as white gas stoves. Unpressurized alcohol stoves are quiet and don’t intrude on the wilderness experience the way pressurized stoves can. Both the price of alcohol stoves and fuel compares favorably to other fuels. The lack of complexity in construction means that alcohol stoves are often the lightest available and some homemade stoves weigh less than half an ounce!

The disadvantages of alcohol stoves

Like all stoves, alcohol stoves require care in handling. The fuel cup is open, so if the stove is knocked over, burning alcohol can spill out. The most common forms of alcohol fuel are poisonous, and like all stove fuels, should be handled with respect. Alcohol stoves have blue flames that can be difficult to see in direct sun light. Never add alcohol to a stove that is already burning! Since it can be tough to tell if the stove is lit, it’s a good practice to add fuel from the fuel bottle to a second container, like the stove’s cap first, and then from the cap to the stove. This minimizes the possibility of a flame path directly from the fuel bottle to an already lit stove. Alcohol doesn’t vaporize well in freezing temperatures, so for best performance in cold weather, the stove should be heated. It may seem surprising to heat a stove with what is in effect another stove, but it is a simple and effective technique.

The biggest downside to unpressurized alcohol stoves is that they only produce about half the heat output of a butane or propane stove. This means cooking times are slower and you need to carry more fuel. I enjoy the quiet simplicity of alcohol stoves and don’t mind the longer boiling times. This also gives me extra time to do work around the camp site once the food has started to cook and not as much care is needed till it starts to boil. To bring water to the boil quicker I use a small kettle, having an enclosed top takes half off the boil time at sea level. This can vary between 3 to 10 minutes.

Ive owned the Sigg variant of the Trangia for over 10 years. This particular model is stainless steel with a black anodised exterior. Its quite a bit heavier than the standard UL model but has held up well over the years, pitty I havent seen another for sale in that time. The Stainless Steel and Hard Anodised versions are seldom kept in stock by camping stores due to the significant price increase over the Ultralight Aluminium models.

Doing up my bus for a Bug Out Vehicle (BOV) has given me an excuse for purchasing a trangia model 25-1 (HA) as a comparrision to the older models. The fold up pots with no handles are easy to stack within a vehicle. I just have to purchase several spare pot grippers. I use these for my main cookware on small butane stoves and the alcohol stoves as backup. LPG (gas) will run out pretty quickly from refilling stations in an emergency along with other petroleum based fuels. The butane fuel cylinders are only avilable from large markets or specialized camping stores, which I buy in bulk when on sale. Denatured alcohol, Metho in OZ is available from every camping and hardware store in the country and safe to store within a vehicle. I already have several spare kettles from trangia to suit the 25-1 or else I would have brought the 25-2 which already comes with a kettle included.
http://www.trangia.se/english/

Pepsi Can stove Construction

http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html

http://zenstoves.net/Stoves.htm

http://zenstoves.net/Construction.htm

http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.html

http://www.boblog.org/at/cobrastove.htm

http://ygingras.net/b/2007/6/a-better-soda-can-stove

http://hikinghq.net/sgt_stove/sgt_soda.html

http://home.att.net/~ofuzzy1/alcohol.htm

 

　

Once again, I’ll describe products as being lightweight, medium and heavy, although all will be designed for ultralight hiking requirements. Beggining with the basics to get them out of the way. Depending on what your view point is on bug out bags, half a dozen heavy duty contractor grade garbage bags may be your choice to provide shelter in conjunction with evergreen branches. Knowing the skills of utilizing available materials is always an ability worth procuring but having a bag set up for prolonged exposure may warrant good quality products that wont biodegrade or tear.

The basics of shelter begins with the concepts of insulation and layering. This starts with clothing from a base layer, mid layer and outer layer. Then leads onto insulation and layering from the ground by using insulation pads. The thinnest being the NATO folding pads that are good for lightweight and can be folded up within a pack to aid in keeping pressure from other gear from presing into your spine. The most common are the usuall camping rolls of hard foam. basic cheap but fool proof. Nothing can go wrong with them. To the self inflating mattresses, being the most comfortable in colder climates. They can puncture but are worth it in the cold. Nothing a small ground sheet cant fix if on unsure ground.

From here, sleeping bags. I choose these more by the foldable size rather than the temp rating. If trying to fit a bag into the smallest space. The -5 bags are about the size of a softball, the -10 about twice this size in the military recon versions. These have an additional reflective inner lining aswell as a foot support for wearing boots inside the bag. The heat rating can be added to by using an inner sheet and bivi bag, along with wearing your clothes.

From there we get into rain shelters, the topic of this article. For small kits such as shoulder bags I recomend Silnylon. Silnylon Tarps can be very expensive if brought complete from hammock manufactures but Speer Hammocks make kits that can be sown up yourself at a much lower price. These are very light weight and fit into any size bag, being paper thin.

I used to use hootchies but have since found Swack Shacks. These are made in a silnylon/ripstop type material, slightly heavier than a hootchie but much larger in size and well worth it for comfort in wet weather. Made by survival Solutions in a multicam colour. These suit the next size up in bug out bags.

From that level we go to hammocks, these have the advantages of, no more bending to set up camp, no bugs, spiders or snakes to deal with, break camp with out getting wet, unlimited camp sites-set up over rocks, soggy ground, slopes. Takes less time to find suitable spots to set up. I prefer sleeping on the ground but in jungles, wet weather environments or where spiders etc are a problem, nothing beats a hammock. In an urban environment they also have the advantages of being able to set up anywhere. From fence posts, shed rails, if in the emergency services and came back after a night of rescues and are too tied to drive, instead of trying to curl up on a concrete shed floor a hammock can be set up in minutes between shed fram work to catch up on sleep before trying to drive home. Ive even tied them up between vehicles. Eagle Nest outfitters have also changed their hammock colours to an olive/Khaki combo suitable for military deployment or the khaki/black suitable for urban use.

In terms of tents being the heaviest of the bug out shelters, I prefer teepees. Only the one pole, if no over hangs are available and a contained fire can be set up inside for heating and cooking. That cant be done with any other sort of shelter. They also come in plain coyote brown to camo colours and sizes to suit an individual bob up to a family size bug out bag.

Hootchies – Australian Auscam

http://www.kitbag.com.au/category354_1.htm

Silnylon tarps

Speer Hammocks – Sharkskin Grey

http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/Tarps.htm

Swack Shack – Multicam

http://www.survival-solutions.com/The_Swack_Shack_Details.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjrB_GIjh04

Teepees

http://www.kifaru.net/

Golite
http://www.golite.com.au/

Wyoming Lost and Found Silnylon Tipi- ACU Camouflage or Digital Woodland Camouflage

http://www.wyominglostandfound.com/siltipi.html

Hammocks

Eagles Nest Outfitters

http://www.eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com

SGT Rocks Hiking

http://hikinghq.net/hammock/hammock.html

Hennessey Hammocks

http://www.hennessyhammock.com/

Clark Jungle Hammock

http://www.junglehammock.com/

Mosquito Hammock

http://www.mosquitohammock.com/

Just Jeffs Hiking Page

http://www.tothewoods.net/

Risks Ultra Light Hiking

http://www.imrisk.com/

DD Hammocks

http://www.ddhammocks.com/

Shane’s Hiking Journal

http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/hiking/sections/gear/shelter/whyhammock.htm

Stealth Camping-Crazy guy on a Bike

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=lt&page_id=30251&v=bx

Bunt Line Hitch

http://www.iland.net/~jbritton/KnotPhoto%20Hitches.html#Bunt%20Line%20Hitch

Setting up tarps

http://www.equipped.com/tarp-shelters.htm

http://www.woodcraftwanderings.org/shelter.html

http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/shelter/tarpology-setting-up-your-tarp-in-different-configurations.html

 

 

I’ll class Bug Out Stoves into three sizes, small, medium and large just to make it easy and to also include, possibly the use of more than one type of fuel. Timber and Alcohol. Timber being a renewable resource and metholated spirits being safe to store, with no fumes when cooking inside a tent awning.

Im not going into petrolium based fuel stoves, if Ive got petrol or diesel Id rather use it to run vehicles or generators. Multi-fueled stoves capable of being pressurised by hand pump do come into their own at high altitude temperatures. I like to keep things simple though and not have to worry about carrying spare seals and jets. the two I recomend over all others are at the bottom of the links section. Jets do need to be changed when swapping between using denatured alcohol and petrochemical fuels.

All need to be portable, but not neccessarily lightweight. The light versions are the hiking variations for use when cooking using a cup and utilizing small precooked dehydrated style of meals.

The medium are also lightweight and usually the same type as the smaller models but in a larger size for when wanting to cook a non-prepared meal, like a stew from fresh foods, or when using larger pots to feed more than one person or families. Both these types of stoves can be carried in backpacks.

The third type of stove, the large are not so much for carrying in a pack but still portable and designed for carriage in a vehicle or trailer etc for use in a base camp. Having a premade stove or the knowledge to make something like a rocket stove can be valuable information in more ways than one. Such as being in a refugee camp and being able to construct your own camp cooker and then produce food to sell as seen in tent cities after the GFC. This size is also usefull when choosing to stay in place and not bug out, when trying to cook in your backyard if not having a wood burning bbq already built or if in a rental premises etc.

You may be asking why not just make a Dakota Hole fire pit, this may well depend on energy avilable, type of soil, time to dig, etc. The concept behind premade stoves are to have a confined fire that is efficient in its fuel use. Something that may be lacking in an urban environment, especially when everyone else is trying to scrounge timber to burn at the same time. They may also help hide light even if they dont hide the smoke or smell of food cooking. All of which can attract unfriendlies in a SHTF situation.

Below are links to most of the stoves Ive looked at. Each will depend on your own personal choice and price range. Ive just purchased a Pocket Cooker to try out, being able to fold flat for storge benefits. The Ozpig is sitting in my backyard ready to cook bread on the first time the weather changes, permitting fires to be lit again. I have a chiminea for heating but having it set under a roof Ive needed to add a chimney and now cannot be used for cooking. The Ozpig lets me move the chiminea and use the ozpig to cook on under cover. This is for my initial stay in place plan and then it can be taken apart to be transported within a vehicle to another location. I Like these for the built on chimney, no smoke in the face when cooking.

I dont think Id ever be without a trangia as a backup to any of my cookers but particuarly the home gas system going out. All the pots, stove and wind shield fold up inside of itself and as mentioned, alcohol is safe to store compared to other liquid fuels. In my BOBs are two sizes of Littlbugs. These are great little stoves and can use either timber or alcohol, depending on how the fins are positioned. Up for timber, inverted for metholated spirits. The small model I have for my smaller bob for quick meals like cuppa soups and the larger model for mres etc for in my primary bag.

I’ll also mention butane stoves briefly that run off pre-pressurised canisters as part of my stay in place plan aswell as a bug out senario. The canisters may not be the easiest things to find after a SHTF event but stocked up with in bulk on sale before hand dont cost too much and the little single jet burners are ready for instant use to cook with at home. Instead of rigging my bus up with LPG copper gas fittings I now use these stoves. Doing short meals and nothing that takes hours of simmering to become tender you get about 4 hours out of a canister.

Dakota Hole Fire Pit

http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/the-dakota-fire-hole/

Littlbug

http://www.littlbug.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sesECu07Pxs

Trangia Stoves

http://www.trangia.se/english/2913.trangia_stoves.html

Ozpig

http://www.ozpig.com.au/

Zen Stoves

http://zenstoves.net/

Rocket Stoves

http://www.rocketstove.org/

http://transitionculture.org/2006/03/10/top-five-things-to-do-with-oil-barrels-when-theres-no-more-oil-to-fill-them-4-build-a-rocket-stove/

http://www.kenweb.net/woodstoves/?q=content/rocket-stove

http://livingthefrugallife.blogspot.com/2009/06/we-built-rocket-stove.html

http://www.stockstorage.com/

http://phoenixstoves.com/

Pocket Cooker

http://commonoutdoorsurvivalskills.blogspot.com/2010/02/lite-wood-burning-camp-stoves.html

Esbit Stoves

http://www.osg.com.au/stoves.htm

Volcano Stoves

http://www.volcanogrills.com/

Cylinder Stoves

http://www.cylinderstoves.com/

Vargo Titanium

http://www.vargooutdoors.com/Titanium-Hexagon-Backpacking-Wood-Stove

Trail Designs

http://www.traildesigns.com/stoves/caldera-ti-tri

Caldera Cone

http://www.traildesigns.com/stoves/caldera-cone-system

Titanium Goat

http://www.titaniumgoat.com/products.html

Pig Monkey Review

http://pig-monkey.com/2009/01/18/trail-designs-ti-tri-titanium-stove-system/

Bush Cooker

http://www.bushcooker.com/

Multi Fuel Stoves

Optimus Hiker

http://www.optimusstoves.com/seen/optimus-products/products/katadynshopconnect/optimus-outdoor-kocher/optimus-hiker/

Britelyt stoves

http://britelyt.groupee.net/stoves.htm

I came across the following course some time ago and started to rewrite it to suit Australian conditions. Since then I have submitted it to so many Government agencies and had replys from only two. One said to try the Redcross and the second said that the Australian Government was not ready for anything like this to be taught to civilians. So short of starting up my own company to teach it here, which would require Government funding. HaHa. Im going to go into different sections of the course in more detail throught the Blog. Such as tents, water purifiers, stoves, tools etc. Some have already been posted. 

http://www.w4ava.org/races/KKauxcomm33.htm
By Ed Harris

OBJECTIVES:

Why teach “survival” in the city?
Catastrophes vs. disasters
This is about your SURVIVAL, not volunteering
Priorities for human survival
Break-out sessions:
Shelter construction
Fire making
Signaling
Equipment and supplies
Social implications of disasters
Personal security concerns

Why?
Complete loss of civil infrastructure
Minimal or no police, fire or EMS response
No electricity, municipal water, communications
Transport of fuel / food is severely impaired
Public safety agencies will be overwhelmed
Recovery is long term (over 30 days)

Disaster V. Catastrophe
Disasters are short term
“Make do for 3-4 days until help arrives…”
Catastrophic events are long term
Katrina-scale hurricane, tsunami, earthquake
Major terror attack, nuclear detonation, dirty bomb
No help is coming soon, “you are on your own”

What the military survival schools teach:
Seven Priorities For Survival
“Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”
Positive mental attitude
First Aid / Sanitation
Shelter
Signaling
Fire
Water
Food

Situational awareness, basic knowledge and
a “survivor’s mindset” enable you to cope effectively

STOP Calm down, and size up your situation…
THINK Anticipate which hazards are most likely
Take stock of materials and resources around you
OBSERVE Orient yourself to your surroundings
PLAN Select equipment and supplies appropriately
ACT! Execute your plan, evaluate progress, adjust, “party on.”

PREPAREDNESS
Have an evacuation kit ready at all times
Don’t presume that a disaster will be short-term
Pack essentials first, then consider comfort items
In real emergences, forget last-minute purchases
Plan for more supplies than you “think” you may need
Inspect / renew your supplies each spring and fall
Provide entertainment for young children.

SIX STEPS TO PROBLEM SOLVING
Size Up Your Situation
Determine Objectives (stay or evacuate?)
Identify Resources (either stored supplies or salvaged materials from your surroundings)
Evaluate Options (use the safest way)
Plan (use your head)
Act…Improvise and overcome

FIRST AID AND SANITATION
Maintain personal and family health
Prompt treatment reduces infection risk
Sanitation reduces risk of disease vectors
Water borne illnesses, diarrhea
Major cause of dehydration
Increases your survivability!

Disaster Injury Risk Factors:
Tool / equipment hazards, risk of hand, eye, head injuries, electric shock, chemical burns
Human factors, stress / fatigue
Structural instability
Trauma risk, falls, building collapse potential
Terrain, loose rock, fallen limbs, wet or insecure footing, risk of falls, puncture wounds and lacerations from debris.

Disaster Contamination:
Stagnant surface water
Mosquito breeding
Contaminated flood waters
Sewage treatment system overflow
Petroleum, industrial, agricultural chemical contamination
Airborne contaminant plumes
Smoke, dust, toxic gases,
or radioactive fallout.

SHELTER
Protection from the elements
Wind and rain resistant
Insulation from cold

The “Stay or Evacuate” Decision
If evacuation is not mandatory, the same safety rules
for entering a structure apply to using your home as shelter

DO NOT OCCUPY IF:
There is structural damage
(6 sides of the “box” are not plumb)
Utilities cannot be controlled
Structure was damaged in a fire
DO NOT occupy a floor that has been flooded,
micotoxins from molds are respiratory hazard!

EVACUATION PLANNING
Best to relocate with friends or relatives outside of affected area
Don’t rely on government-run shelters
They are an “option of last resort” for those unable to evacuate
Evacuation route selection is important
Make sure your vehicle can carry essentials
A huge “bug-out” vehicle is a handicap on crowded roads
It uses more fuel, which may be expensive / scarce in an emergency.
Don’t plan on fuel being available en route
In normal times always keep your gas tank at least half full
Upon warning an event is imminent, conserve fuel, keep tank ¾ full
Carry extra fuel containers outside the vehicle

EVACUATE OR STAY?
Conclusion from FEMA Urban-Rural Evacuation State Planners Workshop Sept. 2006
Given:
● Population of the DC Metro area
● Propensity to self-evacuate, overwhelmingly by automobile
● Wide distribution of evacuation destinations,
● Perceived vulnerability to terror attack, and anticipation of multiple attacks
Result:
● A large-scale, chaotic mass self-evacuation should be anticipated.

Nuclear Detonation – 10-Kiloton Improvised Nuclear Device
http://iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/21872/D … Report.pdf

Contamination from a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD)
would cover up to a few hundred acres with low-level radioactive material;
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/pdf/dirtybombs.pdf

A nuclear detonation would affect large areas (10-100 sq. miles)
damaged by direct effects and 100s to 1,000s of sq. miles with radioactive fallout.
http://www.nti.org/e_research/cnwm/over … print=true

Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) – a terrorist attack would most likely be a small device <10 kilotons yield, EMP effect of a ground burst would be mostly within the Moderate Damage Radius, but also propagated by conductors such as power and telephone lines, railroad tracks, pipelines, etc.

EVACUATION
Feasible only if all personnel can evacuate before fallout contamination arrives and;
Essential functions for Continuity of Operations are transferred to an alternate facility
Affected area would have to be small and warning time adequate to execute the evacuation
Detonation effects (blast/thermal/EMP) will likely impede evacuation
Evacuees may be exposed and/or contaminated.

SHELTER IN PLACE
Critical facilities that cannot evacuate (hospitals, EOCs) must continue to operate
Necessary if fallout/contamination would arrive before evacuation can be completed
Fallout Shelters will be needed to protect against high level radiation/detonation
Shelter-in-place (not necessarily Fallout Shelter) near RDD/very low level
Shelter stay may range from a few days to 2 weeks.
Authorities outside affected area can organize rescue/evacuation effort
Shelter occupants may be exposed and/or contaminated.
Necessary if operations can not be transferred or if staff, patients or clients cannot evacuate
Necessary if needed to support operations of other response agencies
Must have Radiological Monitoring & Exposure Control capabilities
Critical Facilities may be used to shelter families of the staff
Critical Facilities will not be used to shelter the general public.

DECONTAMINATION after a flood or attack
start immediately, even if you don’t know what the agent is.

EXPEDIENT FIELD DECONTAMINATION
If you are contaminated:
Remove everything, including jewelry
Cut off clothing normally removed over the head
Place contaminated clothing in plastic bag, tie closed
Wash your hands before using them to shower
Flush entire body with cool water
Blot dry with absorbent cloth
Put on clean clothes
Avoid use of affected areas, to prevent re-exposure
If professional help arrives, report to responders
for thorough decontamination and medical assessment.

NUCLEAR ATTACK ISSUES:
Structural damage to shelter from nearby detonation
Fire in the shelter
Dangerously high radiation levels
Severely high temperatures and humidity
Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide imbalance in the shelter
Depletion of essential supplies
Disease and injury
Unrest, anxiety, crime or defiance of order or authority

Time – Fallout radiation intensity decays rapidly;
90% in just the first 7 hours. The less time you
spend in a radiation field, the less dose received.

Distance – The farther you are from a source,
the less dose you receive.

Shielding – Denser (heavier, massive) materials
absorb more radiation. Greater thickness of any
given material absorbs more radiation.

Protection Factors & Mass of Materials
*PF = “Protection Factor” refers to the ratio between the radiation dose rate of the OUTSIDE to that INSIDE the shelter, for instance a PF = 10 means that the inside dose rate is 1/10th the outside rate.

How Much Protection?

PF* Lead Steel Concrete Earth Water Wood
2 .3″” .7″ 2.0″ 3.3″ 5″ 9″
4 .5″ 1.5″ 5.0″ 7.0″ 10″ 15″
8 1.0″ 2.0″ 6.5″ 10.0″ 15″ 27″
16 1.2″ 3.0″ 9.0″ 14.0″ 20″ 3 ft
32 1.5″ 4.0″ 12.0″ 15.0″ 2 ft 4 ft
64 2.0″ 4.2″ 13.2″ 19.8″ 2.5ft 4.5 ft
128 2.1″ 5.0″ 15.0″ 2 ft 3 ft 5 ft
1000 3.0″ 7.0″ 22.0″ 33.0″ 4 ft -
2000 3.3″ 7.7″ 2 ft 3 ft 4.5 ft -

Outside radiation, divided by the Protection Factor, is reduced in proportion. For example, if the outside radiation rate is 1,000 R/hr, a person shielded by 3 ft. of earth would receive a dose rate of .5 R/hr. but a person shielded by 1 ft of earth would receive about 10 R/hr.

Sheltering at Home During an Emergency
For using a building without working utilities as shelter

Exhaust – candles, camp stoves, lanterns, generators,
heaters, charcoal grills, all generate carbon monoxide
and must not be used indoors!
Open flame – above ignition sources
must never be left unattended!
Fuel – most of the above require flammable fuels
to operate, which must be stored outdoors.
Use Fire Marshal approved fuel containers

Improvised Emergency Shelters
As in all real estate, most important is location:
Avoid low spots with poor drainage
Seek a gently sloped area so that surface water drains away
Sheltered from prevailing winds
Away from bodies of water (attracts insects and animals)
Insulated from direct contact with ground, rock,
or concrete, which conducts away body heat.

Avoid as shelter:
Areas around downed utility lines
In or near culverts
Within the “collapse zone” of a damaged building
(maintain 2:1 ratio of distance away to building height)

Improvised Shelters:
Sheds
Tents
Tarps
Vehicles

Don’t disable a good car!
Remove car batteries to power communications and
shelter lighting only from cars that do not start
If a car starts reserve it for emergency evacuation, or
Use it as a “battery charger”
Salvage lighting, remove dome lights, tail lights,
trunk lights, etc. & with at least 36″ of wires.
Position batteries in shelter; attach wires & lights
As batteries discharge, replace with new batteries
or recharge batteries.

Emergency Shelter Materials:
Salvage building materials from debris or
from damaged structures only when it can be done safely
Plastic sheeting
Roofing paper and shingles
Siding, plywood
Chain link fence
Lumber
Carpeting
Wire, rope, and fasteners

Build Your Shelter In Layers
Structural framing: lumber, plywood, fencing, metal
Fasteners: reinforce structural connections with nails, wire or rope ties, wooden spikes
Water and wind proofing: plastic sheeting, tarp, shingles, roofing paper
Insulation: drywall, leaves, tree branches, carpeting, (may also be used as ballast to hold water/wind proofing layer in place)

SIGNALLING

Day: Mirror flashes – best daylight signal device
Smoke
Brightly colored cloth flag / panel (VS-17)
ICAO surface-to-air signals
V Require assistance
X Need medical assistance
Y Yes – affirmative
N No – negative
→ I am proceeding in this direction

Night: Flashing strobe light
Fire
Signal flares
Sound, i.e. whistle, siren, vehicle horn

FIRE:
Maintains body temperature
Great morale booster
Deters wild animals and insects
Boils water
Cooks food
Used as day (smoke)
or night (light) signal

FIRE MAKING METHODS
Matches or lighter
Flint and steel (Doan Machinery Corp. Fire Starter)
Use cotton ball and petroleum jelly as tinder
Battery and steel wool
Fresnel lens

WATER SUPPLY
Minimum for drinking
1 gallon per person, per day
More water is needed for
Cooking and food preparation
Personal hygiene, sanitation and decontamination
Store a two week supply as minimum
Food grade containers with screw caps
Away from direct sunlight

EMERGENCY WATER SOURCES
Captive water in household hot water tank and interior plumbing is OK
Filter cloudy water to remove particulates, using an EPA-rated filter
with a pore size ≤ 1 micron, then:
Disinfect with Clorox (6% sodium hypochlorite) add 8 drops of Chlorox
bleach per gallon if clear, 16 drops if cloudy, let water stand 15 minutes before use
Or boil vigorously for 15 minutes
Store potable water in clean containers.

All natural sources (from springs, ponds, rivers or streams)
must be boiled or chemically disinfected.
Chemical disinfection or boiling – Kills bacteria and viruses
Doesn’t remove particulates or chemical pollutants
Filtration – Coffee filters, etc. remove gross particulates only
EPA-rated filters (pore size smaller than 1 micron) are needed
to remove bacteria, viruses and Giardia cysts, but don’t remove chemical pollutants.
Distillation is the most effective method.

FOOD
Lowest of the seven survival priorities
Need is mostly mental, because we are used to eating regularly
Healthy people will do OK without food for a week or more, if they are well hydrated
Balanced nutrition is a important health factor for elderly and infants.

SHELF LIFE OF FOOD STORED IN THE HOME
Food in a refrigerator is safe for a day after the power goes off,
either use it in 24 hours or throw it away
Frozen food is safe if there are still ice crystals,
once thawed, cook and consume it within 24 hours
Next use non-perishables and dry staples
Canned foods are best for long term storage
(up to 4 years) but are heavy to transport and bulky to store
Dry packaged foods are easiest to transport
Choose foods requiring minimal preparation
Eat at least one balanced meal daily
Include nutritional supplements in supplies
Drink enough water.

EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLIES
MREs, or Heater Meals
Prepared survival rations
Primitive survival methods:
Fishing
Hunting
Trapping
Foraging

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
Folding utility knife or multi-tool
Scout type, Leatherman, Swiss Army
Manual can opener, if not on utility knife
Sturdy fixed blade, such as 5″ Military knife
For chopping, digging, or as pry bar
Shovel, Gerber field spade or similar
Hand saw, #7947 Fiskars Woodzig Pruning Saw, folding 10″
Axe

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES
Each person should have their own backpack of personal essentials
Flashlight
Portable radio
Extra batteries
First Aid Kit, (containing a first aid manual)
Personal medications and sanitation supplies
Cooking and eating utensils
Wool blanket or sleeping bag for each person
Sturdy shoes and extra socks
Rain gear
Change of warm clothing and underwear
Items for special needs, care of infants

DISASTER FINANCIAL PLANNING
http://www.redcross.org/services/disast … y/FinPlan/

Electronic transactions, account verifications may be impossible
Evacuate with enough cash for at least two weeks of essentials
Carry account numbers, contact addresses and telephone numbers for all important persons and institutions
Helping one’s unprepared friends and neighbors may prove expensive!

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF DISASTERS
Cumulative psychological effects upon survivors

Evacuate or Stay? – Do you have a plan?
Where will you go? Is it safe to travel? Can you REALLY get there? Do you have enough resources to make it work?
Warn friends not to invite others to come and evacuate with them
They’ll overwhelm your limited resources!
Never allow family members to be separated
Even if it means waiting for later rescue and/or evacuation
The well prepared may be threatened by those who weren’t – get to know your neighbors NOW for a safer community later in case of a disaster
Make plans to ensure neighborhood security/family protection
Post a guard in rotating shifts, to deter roving criminals or looters
Keep firearms and ammunition safely secured
Take a home firearms safety-protection course

Lessons from Hurricane Katrina
When help arrives, you may get it
“…….whether you want it or not.”

Don’t believe that all rescuers will respect your property
Relief workers from other States often don’t know local laws
Relief organizations have their own bureaucratic requirements that may conflict with your needs
Expect frustration over lack of communication and empathy by rescuers and local/State government.

COURSE SUMMARY:
Positive attitude – Stop Think Observe Plan
First Aid / Sanitation – Maintain proper hygiene, preserve family health, prevent illness or injury
Shelter – Protection from environmental hazards – use Time, Distance, Shielding
Signaling / Communication- be heard / seen
Fire – Warmth, light, food prep, water sterilization
Water – Prevent water-borne illnesses through filtration, chemical sterilization, boiling or distillation
Food – Eat at least one balanced meal daily, drink enough water, include nutritional supplements
Equipment- Flashlight, knife, saw, axe, shovel
Planning – Prepare a Kit, Make A Plan!

This youtube post is what led me to doing a home prep test. Took me a while to find it again after a mate showd interest in doing the same thing. I thought it might encourage his wife to consider turning the power and water off for the weekend. What interested me the most is the ammount of fuel it takes to purify water. After watching the following links I brought a water tank and a katadyn gravity filter. The tank covers 900 litres for flushing toilets and the filter elements will purify 150,000 litres.

PT 1 of 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx4wZyG6AVI&feature=relmfu

PT 2 of 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFLaEyvE_io

PT 3 of 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPizCn_vsJE&feature=relmfu

PT 4 of 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8kfgFVm1mg&feature=relmfu

Ive tried to put together a short list of tools that could be considered for carriage within Bug Out Bags, varying from small, medium and large to suit everyones taste in the size of the set ups in which they carry. Whether a bumbag, Jacksack shoulder bag, Knapsack right up to large rollar bags. These tools cover the initial bug out from exiting a building, or entering a vehicle for rescue purposes to foraging in the aftermath and camp chores.

The Hitchmaster hand winch I purchased at a 4WD show many years ago after seeing that it could lift a car engine block with nothing more than a couple of pieces of engineered steel and a length of rope. Not only handy in an emergency situation if needing to lift debris of an injured person but also in building a shelter from more permanent means, that require more than one person to lift materials to fixing an automobile when a hoist is not available.

Prybars come in many sizes from the pocket widgys for key rings and escape and evasion style kits to the TOPS Prys for rescue work. Every rescue worker should have a TOPS model, they fit quite easily onto a belt for carrying all the time. I have several of each secreted around my BOBs. The Becker Tactools come into their own when needing a non-offensive chopping tool combined with a prying device. I always have one of these in my bags where a large knife or axe will stand out too much. Stanley wonder bars are under $20 and Ive started placing one in my heavier bags aswell as my vehicle kits. They always come in handy and can be dressed up with a paracord wrap to enhance the grip.

When it comes to axes I now generally recommend Gerbers/Fiskars brands. I do have other better quality Gransfors bruks models. I havent tried a wetterlings as yet. Theyre now both made in the same workshop. I believe Wetterlings have now come out with a wilderness weight head on a smaller hand axe grip that Id like to try out. The advantage of timber handles are that they can be replaced in the field if broken but for the price of one high quality axe I can fit out three BOBs with gerbers. I havent had one break yet. The small Paxe is one of the few belt axes that is actually comfortable on a belt. Not something that yourd want to use all day long but doesnt stand out on a belt like a large 10 inch chopping knife will. The 14″ Sport axe is the perfect length for carrying on a backpack all day, if planning to hike out of an area. The 18″ model comes into its own at a base camp when having to bring in firewood for extended periods.

Entrenching Tools or E-Tools and Trowels. Im only mentioning trowels as they do fit into smaller kits where weight is an issue, but I can usually get around carrying one of these by using a sharp stick to dig with. I wouldnt be without an Entrenching Tool in my larger kits. There are several on the market, each with their advantages and disadvantages. The cold Steel model may not fold down like the other brands but is fashioned after the Spetnatz Special Forces shovel if wanting an improvised weapon when the edges are sharpened up. Great for snakes. I havent owned the Glock or SOG. Im not a fan of saws on the sides of shovels, but am tempted to grab a Glock just for the size it folds down to. I doubt Id ever open it up to its full dimensions and use it as a trowel instead, I like a full handle for leverage. The gerber is my favorite. Not practical if wanting a weapon with the triangle grip but very comfortable to use. Id rather have a large E-tool than a trowel for longer term use when digging long drops, drainage trenches around shelters or preparing a garden bed. They also come in handy for holding TP rolls with a piece of wire or the nylon bag holders now made by camping companies.

Mutli tools, what can you say about these. If you dont always carry one on your person, then have one in your evac kit. I like the smaller models like the 400 Sport for wearing and the larger Surge for carry within a bag. What cant you do with a multi tool, from cut through a car roof to picking up a boiling pot of water.

Saws may not be the tool that comes primarily to mind when thinking of BOBs, but make life easier when used in combination with an axe. Cutting branches with a saw takes less effort and wastage of material, then use an axe for splitting the fallen lengths. The trailblazer comes in two sizes. I have the shorter of the two for inclusion in my BOB but for all day use would prefer the lager of the two models for added draw pull. The Sabre Cut saws are one of the few survival type saws that I like to use and fold up in one of my smaller kits to conserve size in smaller kits.

One of the hardest materials to find in nature at a moments notice is cordage. Its fine if the right material is on hand at the time you need it or you have the time to sit down and make it from scratch, but in emergency situations why not make sure you always just carry several lengths of appropriate lifting capability. I carry small hanks of 2mm nylon cord, its a shame to cut up expensive 550 cord for making shelters and you want it to break if too heavier wind picks up instead of having a tarp tear apart when using something thatll support a humans weight. 550 Paracord, always have it on hand. Doubled over will support almost anything youll ever need. I also carry 9mm rope in short hanks of 15 metres. Usefull for tie downs for gear on roof racks to pulling another vehicle out of a bog. It wont hold heavy work for long but will get you out of trouble.

Hitchmaster Hand Winch

Pry Bars

Stanley Wonder bar

Becker BK3 Tac-Tool

TOPS Pry and Punch Tool

County-Comm EOD Breacher Bar

Pocket Widgy’s

Axes

Gerber

Paxe 9″

Sport 14″

Camp 18″

Entrenching Tools/Shovels

Sog

Gerber

Cold steel

Glock

Ipood Sea to Summit

U-Dig-it hand trowel

Multi Tools

Leatherman-Wave/Surge

Gerber-400 Sport/600 Scout

Saws

Trail Blazer Take Down Buck Saw

Sabre Cut Saw from Ultimate Survival Technologies

Cordage

2mm nylon

550 Paracord

Rope 9mmx15m

　

Hitchmaster Winch

http://www.akcooltools.com/hitchmaster.html

 

　

 

 

Andy the local distributor for Nok Trainers was good enough to send me a pair of Talons to finish off my collection. The Talons come in a two piece set, one a trainer/impact tool and secondly a live pointed model. The 9 hand hold positions that can be used are;

1) Carry position hand open

2) Reverse grip hook in

3) Reverse grip hook out

4) Forward grip hook in

5) Forward grip hook out

6) Hidden carry or loaded position

7) Push knife grip

Index finger point

9) Pinch grip

Designed for immediate access under pressured attack. Allows you to go hard into the opponent for striking and soft into a block, adding speed. Switching grips happens in the transition to the chamber saving on time.

Switches are performed by opening or closing the hand. Close the hand, wrap the thumb and close the hand again. To go back to reverse grip just snap open the hand again. Another way to switch is to press down with the thumb, open the hand and close the hand again. Once again to go back to reverse is to snap the hand open. (See Link).

Two days since having the Talon my speed and technique have improved significantly. This model fills out the hand more making it much easier to manipulate. Unlike the other models that require, slightly more intricate techniques in hand control. This translates directly to using the more advanced designs, improving my skill level dramatically. I highly recommend purchasing the Talon firstly, before the other types to learn with.

The hand holds methods mentioned above use slightly different terminolgy than I generally use. FMA uses Forward and Reverse grips. I generally describe Hammer grip (Blade up) forward as blade facing forward to the opponent and reverse having the blade facing rearward toward yourself. Icepick (Blade down) and the same with the directions. FMA describes Reverse as Icepick and Forward as Hammer grips. I use hammer/icepick, forward/reverse being simpilar to desrcibe in an article. Depends on what method yourve been trained in as to the terminolgy used.

Method

http://noktrainingknives.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/6512086-nok-talon-fighting-method

Distributors

http://noktrainingknives.webs.com/yourlocalretailer.htm

From the ammount of preppers I know, Ive noticed that each goes about their food preperations in a different way. Some depending on knowledge and others on time and funds available. A friend visited the other day and we discused this idea. She and her husband grow 90% of their own food including chickens, among vegetables and fruit. Many in cities dont have this sort of space. The conversation turned to why many people were into MRE’s and thats what prompted me to start and write these ideas down.

Two things in particular made me think, as our converstion revolved around the following topics. One, that MREs were good for bug out bags being complete meals and made for long term storage but not something you could buy and use for 3 months straight, due to price alone and secondly, many people think that you can just go out and start a garden and have food available in two weeks.

Depending on how prepared you are, if a disaster were to strike. The following levels of food use would be something like as follows:

The first food used, comes directly from the freezer. With power out, frozen food will soon spoil and become unuseable. Even if you cant eat everything within the first day. Defrosted cooked food will last another day in a fridge if used as an ice box or get your neighbours together and have a cook up and share out what frozen food will otherwise spoil. Depending on the sort of community you live in.

Secondly, the fresh food stored in the fridge will have a couple of days left if the doors arent opened constantly or extended if ice or generator and fuel is available. Frozen and fresh food should be used first before moving onto using tinned food stocks.

Then the type of disaster will dictate whether you can supplement stored foods with foraging from local sources. Theres a fine line between looting, scavenging and foraging. Im writing this in the context of a long term disaster, that could last for several years and not just over a few weeks.

The next level is tinned food. When this runs out you wont have a choice but to forage unless government shelters are up and running. Once again this depends on the type of disaster. In a Pandemic level event youll want to stay in place for 3 months, with minimal contact till it burns itself out.

Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) have the calories and are designed for three meals a day, with a shelf life of 5 to 10 years depending on how theyre stored. These along with dehydrated backpacking meals are great for long term storage in bug out bags but too expensive to purchase in bulk if intending to try and live off nothing else for 3 months straight.

Ive tried living off frozen microwave meals for several months and Ive also tried living off nothing but canned goods for two months. Apart form energy levels dropping, you also become constipated. I have regular blood tests to check my medication levels and neither type of food had any effect on my vitamin and mineral levels from medium term use. I just didnt feel like a healthy person should, the protien and carb levels werent available to provide enough calories and fat and salt levels increased. The preservatives used arent the greatest unless mixing every other meal with fresh foods. Finally youll find it hard to feed yourself on tinned goods for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Next, to have food available that will both last 10 years in storage so your not throwing out stored items every year and a decent level of protiens and carbs are dried grains to combine with a rotatable tinned food store. Youll need to have staples such as dried sliced potatos and rice but also wheat and corn to make bread and have beans to mix with the rice to form a complete protein.

Whether your primary plan is to bug out or to stay in place for several weeks to let the first evacuees leave, to open the main excess roads then bug out or to stay in place for several months and then bug out. My questions are, does having a cupboard of tinned rotatable food stores and 25 buckets of dried grains make for a sustainable option? And if not, what are when it comes to the next level of food accquisition.

Firstly in a pandemic senario, transmissionability relies on person to person proximity for the initial crisis and secondly cholera, dysentry, fammine appear from unburied bodies and garbage when there is no system in place for disposal. Secondly the countryside will be stripped bare from everyone having the same idea of leaving the cities. not only large game but farm animals, shops etc.

The next level of food preps are gardening and preserving the food harvested. There are a few fallacies with the idea of bugging out and starting a garden to live off. These are the points Im trying to make. The first is it may take from 10 weeks to 20 weeks before being able to harvest any crops. In that time youll still need to provide enough food to not only live off but to have a high enough calorie intake for hard manual labour to build and maintain a garden. Thats even if you can provide the nutrients and water levels up or keep insects and other pests from eating your seedlings.

Secondly it will depend on what climate your in, whether staying in place or your intended bug out location as to what can be grown at that time of year. Here in Australia we have Tropical, Sub-Tropical, Arid, Temperate and Cool Climates. Each will have their own growing requirments in terms of what can be grown and at what time of the year. (See link below for growing guide for complete vegetable to season/month guide). You just cant throw a whole lot of seeds in the ground and expect a meal in two weeks. Your looking at 3 months just till your first harvest and the plants grown wont be in a sustainable system. This takes several seasons to have up and running to expect a crop coming in every month and then need to preserve those plants to have a variety of fruit and vegetables to form a complete diet all year round and then have the seed stock to continue that rotation of continual growing cycles.

Youll also have to work out at what times of year depending on climate you can set up a “Three Sisters Garden” consisting of Corn, Squash and Beans to providing a complete protien source aswell as a complete amino acid structure. Not everything is fruit and vegetables but also an alternative protien source until chickens, rabbits and fish can be brought into a sustainable sytem. Fish for example, Perch in particular can take 12 to 15 months to reach table size in a closed aquaponics system.

This is my question? What happens when yourve “Stayed in Place” for 3 months to avoid contagion, ran out of food and been required to then bug out and use up your two weeks of MREs and still need atleast another 3 months of calories before a garden can provide you with a sustainable food source. Keeping in mind that the surrounding countyside will most likely have been cleared of large game from everyone else that has survived and tried to leave the cities.

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/vegieguide/

Beans climbing Sep-Jan 10-12

Beetroot Jun-Feb 10-12

Carrots Jun-Mar 12-16

Choko Jul-Sep 18-20

Cucumbers Aug-Jan 8-12

Herbs Jun-mar 12-20

Marrows Sep-Jan 8-14

Melons Sep-Dec 14-16

Onions Feb-Jul 24-32

Spring Onions Jul-Apr 8-12

Parsnips Jun-May 18-20

Peas Feb-Aug 14-16

Pumpkins Aug-Nov 14-16

Radishes Jul-May 6-8

Shallots Feb-Jun 12-14

Spinach Feb-Jun 8-10

Squashes Aug-Nov 12-14

Swedes Jan-Mar 12-16

Sweet Corn Aug-Jan 12-16

Sweet Potato Sep-Nov 18-20

Tomatoes Aug-Nov 12-20

Turnips Jan-Apr 10-12

“After Armageddon” is a docu-drama narratting the tale of what changes occur to North America after the region is struck by a severe flu pandemic, wiping out an overwhelming majority of the population. Depicting the lives of a family hailing from L.A. who struggle to survive among the epidemic struck region and battles all odds. The father in this family is a paramedic and takes every precaution to keep the disease at bay. The film also has a narrator who informs the viewers about the severity of the situation.

The son and wife of the man wants to move to a safer location but he refuses to oblige them. It is quite horrific to see armed gangs looting houses for scarcity of food and essential commodities. Finally, the family is forced to leave their house and find a safer location. The filmmaker excels as he depicts the process of degeneration among humans in such a severe situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r97xoSOEjM

Tendancies for governments to plan for the normal – disasters arent normal, may become overwhelmed and not ready

People form together in gangs to obtain resources needed

No law and order – preditors appear

Find things along the route that will be usefull and your going to take them

Going to have to forage which is a nice term for looting

Without food, water, or power cities become waste lands

Variations of skill sets required to survive

When cities become inhabitable youll have to leave

Will have to become invisible to be passed by

Harder to protect family members

If enough people try to evacuate at once, roads will become jammed and impassible.

Major gridlock a secondary event

Desperation rises after exits blocked

People will pretend to be authorities

Who are really officials and who arent

On average a pandemic occurs every 30 to 40 years as a predicable cycle. Its been almost 100 years since seeing a rapid moving virus such as swine flu, combined with a mortality rate of avian flu.

Takes dense populations to allow a pandemic to arise and then spread. Cities most vunerable.

2007 is the first time that most of the worlds population has lived in cities

Transmissionability relys on person to person proximity

Global networking can mean a disease can now spread in hours or days, faster than we can react.

When warned a few times before, the level of sensible reaction goes down

When a potential pandemic first appears and it cant be identified, they will transport a patient to specialist hospitals where two hospitals will then be infected.

Potential for vacine production, but not time or volume needed.

Initially many will try and leave cities, this may be one way of letting it spread to the country side

Not many examples of mass migration that have gone peaceably

Hard to evacuate a small space in a short ammount of time without there being complete chaos

Trying to maintain critical services when many wont turn up exactly when and incease in servies is required

Medical care providers will do best but will be overwhelmed

Hospitals will become full and be closed/barracaded. They will become places of infection and wont have drugs or vaccines anyway

LA County has 10 mil people, average hospital have beds for 25,000. 4000 available on any given day. When close to capacity maybe only several hundred beds.

Medical supplies in critial ammounts

Antibiotics will be worth their weight in gold

When or if, will care givers say “I have a family, their at risk and leave patients”

When point comes to say lets close the borders the damage will already be done

Individuals will recognise that survival and well being is in their own hands and may not be prepared for it

9 Meals to anarchy, in less than two weeks the world may be changed

Infection rates rise, not containable (reduce travel)

Mass comunication systems break down from overuse adding to general chaos

Effects police, ambulance, fire, rescue services, the people that look after power supply and internet

Global internet designed to survive a nuclear strike but cant withstand failure of human labour

When internet fails then transport, freight, logistics, goods and services stop production lines

Mother of all dominos liquid fuels. When fuel slows or stops then other dominos start to fall

No trucks then no grocerys, shops replenish every few days

Most people have 3 days of food in the house, to go to ground would need 3 months

When you no longer have goods or services, then you have pandamonium

How thick in the veneer of civilization is how many days to anarchy

Pandemic may last 90 days, very few people have supplies to last long enough to not need to go out and resupply during that time

Staff and fuel shortage trigger multiple power and fuel outages and power station failures

102 nuclear power plants in US but only 5000 workers to run them

When system out of balance there will be a series of shut offs, with comunications down. Dependant on information by electronic means

Domino Effect – Power, Water, Comunications, Food, Fuel

First Immediate problem in cities in an aftermath are unburied bodies with no organised services for removal

After pandemic burns out then survivors succomb to cholera, dysentry, fammine

Disease declines, people become imune for atleast that cycle

Sit and wait it out – gripped by despair and boredom, no electronic entertainment

Some will not be able to emotionally transition this stage of nothing being the same as before – State of disassoctiaion when cant deal with situation

Reliant on freezers to store food before that they used cold stores

With blackouts sewage stops. How to deal with sanitary issues along with water supply

When hungry one way or another youll need to feed your family

When garbage piles up a city closes

Dead bodies have pathagens and require burying asap

People can become preditory to secure supplys for themselves

Prisons effected, cant keep criminals locked up

Stores Cleaned out by third day, thats when things get crazy

Gangs formed to obtain resources

Security becomes first and foremost

Become invisible by making house look like its already beeen looted

Better not to be seen than to try and fight

Reduce interior lighting to blackout conditions, reduce smoke and cooking smells

At some point in a crisis the city becomes uninhabitable and will need to leave

Sheltered in place for so long and exhausted food supply – will have to leave city

Lots to think about and lots to plan in that event

Fuel – milage of vehicle, ability to carry goods by foot or push bike

Bug Out Bags – water is heavy and bulk of weight

Use easy to carry foods with lots of calories, shelter

Security will become paramount – people will kill for what you carry

ID for incase situation stabilises

Making it to another state may be more difficult but making it out of the city may be even harder, blocked roads etc

Avoid roads chocked with dead cars

Travelling light and fast by foot will be a challenge

Main roads will be ambushed, this will be the most expected way to travel. Use alternative routes

Find routes to travel sector to sector to get through dificult points

Larger towns will be abondoned to try and find better places, hoardes of people will strip the countryside as they go, refugees will swamp surrounding city areas

Safer to travel by foot but may not be practical, or efficient to reach a safe destination

We will become Opitunivores – find things along route and take advantage of them

Every level you rise in survival, competition gets different

People in smaller communities block roads and arm themselves to keep out contagion and reduce impact on resouces

Lifeboat Senario – If lifeboat is full after ship sinks, do you pick up people in water and kill everyone too or do you row away

Parents have to worry about taking care of their children on top of taking care of themselves, adds to stress and vunerability

How would people react to no matter where you go it will be dangerous and my children might die

Abandon cities in search of food

Sources of water most important when bugging out

Need to remain invisible by not taking an easy path

Most of the time to maintain safety and security youll want to avoid roads even if clear, they will still be the most frequently travelled

People are capable of barberism and selfishness but also great generosity when banded together against a common enemy. There is a limit to generosity – not infinate

Obvious food sources will be emptied earlier, check nooks and crannies that may have been overlooked – industrial complexes

First things most critical after a disaster are food and fuel

Food will be power as a resource

Bartering worth more than money

Fuel – Cary extra fuel containers and check every vehicle when passing. Dont need a syphon, just pierce tank with a hammer and screw driver or use drain plug and wrench. Destroying the tank wont matter with no fuel to replace long term use.

Farms are reliant on fossil fuels for fertilizer and mechanical agriculture

3 months into senario, easy pickings already gone. Youll have to be creative and know where to look for food and resources

Longer the senario lasts the more food will spoil

Filtration of water becomes important – either treat with chemicals, filter or boil

Under dire circumstances people look at pets as a source of food, usually other peoples not their own

Children adapt faster to famine states of mind

Order may become established faster within smaller towns – secure borders and limits on who enters like nations do but in smaller regions

Authority is local butpower to enforce is through coercion and threats

Phases – destruction, reconstruction and resurgence

Amature radio requires no infrastructure to work

Living by wits

No prisons, penalties are shooting on the spot

We like to think that progress has made us nice people but were nice mainly because were rich and comfortable. When not comfortable we wont be that nice

Areas will be repopulated due to water resouces

Limited health care, will go back to 1700-1800s no immediate pain relif or antibiotics

Without medications mortality rate rises

Salvage for trade will only be worth transporting high value commodities