The Record Heat Waves

With the record heat waves and drought across the nation, the American Preppers Network hopes that you have been prepared.  Disasters of any type can and do happen anywhere, at anytime, and without warning.  We are now witnessing and will continue to witness a prime example of how one disaster can cause a chain reaction leading to other disasters.  Here are some potential disasters to be aware of as a result of the drought and heat waves.


1) Water shortages.  Water is the number 1 most important necessity to survival.  The average human can only survive 3 days without water, and even less in a heat wave.  I hope you've stored some.  If the water system shuts down or does not have enough, you could turn on the tap only to have a few drips.  If you run into a situation where there is not enough municipal water supply to your home, start looking for other sources of stored water.

• Your hot water tank may have 30 - 50 gallons of water stored. 
• The top supply tank to your toilette is typically clean water that you can use.
• Your plumbing in your house could have a few gallons.  Open a higher faucet in your house as in a shower, sink, or upstairs source to relieve pressure, then open a lower outside faucet to retrieve water from your plumbing system.

Don't short change yourself on water!  Make sure you have plenty for personal consumption.  If you stop sweating, that means you are dehydrated!   

Got Water?

2) Heat.  Heat poses many risks, including but not limited to:

• Heat Stroke.  Watch family members closely, especially the elderly, watch for slurred speech and disorientation.  When in doubt, call for help.  Time lost is brain lost.  Never leave pets or children in a vehicle, and keep them out of the direct sun.  Drink lots of water.
• Fire.  Fires are much more common in the heat.  Things dry out and become more flammable.  Keep dry brush and trash picked up.  Do not store fuel in or around your house, and keep well ventilated in a cool area out of the sun.  Keep grass cut short, especially if your city is rationing water and not allowing watering of lawns.  Do not store any flammables in the direct sun or in your attic.  
• Vehicle breakdowns. Avoid driving unless it's absolutely necessary, or drive at nite. Check your fluid levels and make sure your oil and coolant are topped off.  Bring extra oil and coolant with you in case you need it.  DO NOT top off your fuel tank!  Make sure your tires are property inflated and not over or under inflated.  Bring extra water with you in case you do break down.  Drive with the A/C off when going uphill.  Watch your vehicles tempature when climbing grades.  If your car starts to overheat when going uphill, pull over at a safe location to let it cool.  Check to make sure your thermostat is working before you make your trip.

3) Blackouts.   The nations grids are maxed out.  With everyone using A/C, expect rolling blackouts.  If you are in a blackout, you can wrap sleeping bags around your refrigerator or freezer to help insulate it.  To conserve power, only use what you absolutely need.  Keep lights turned off and keep your A/C set to the warmest temperature that you can safely stand.  Do you have a generator?  Be prepared to use it.  Do you have plenty of non-perishable food stored?  If there is an extended blackout, you may need it.  Stores and gas stations will be shut down in a blackout.  Do you have an emergency battery powered radio and flashlights?

4) Food Prices   Expect food prices to increase.  Especially meat.  Many ranchers are butchering all of there livestock as there is not enough food and water to care for them, this means shortages in the future.  Produce crops are drying up. Prices of corn, wheat and other grains will increase.  Even produce grown in unaffected areas may increase in price as well due to demand.  If the blackouts are too severe, stores, gas stations and truck stops may close down temporarily disrupting the supply chain and preventing food from making it to the stores.

Stay safe during this heat wave and dought.  This is a serious and potentially devastating national disaster.


If you have tips, ideas, news, videos or pictures that you wish to share regarding this heat wave you can submit your article to americanprepper@yahoo.com.  If your article is chosen we will post it on your states preppers network blog.  Top articles will get posted on APN.  The top article of the week will win a free flashlantern valued at $49.95 (made in the USA).  Articles must be submitted before 7/29.

Feel free to copy and repost this article in it's entirety.  Credit source as AmericanPreppersNetwork.com

Here are some free helpful pdf files to download

Fire and Heat Waves
- ARC - Are You Ready - Fire

- ARC - Are You Ready - Heat Wave

- ARC - Are You Ready - Wildfires

- Fact Sheet: Fires

- Fact Sheet: Fire Safe

- WildFires

Water
- ARC - Food and Water in Emergency

- Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water 

- How To Make A Solar Still (Plastic Cover)

- Purification Of Water On A Small Scale 

- Simple Solar Still For The Production Of Distilled Water

- Slow Sand Filters

- Water Purification

- Water Treatment

Fire Safety 

- Fighting Fire 

- Fire Safety

Get More Free Downloads here:
http://preppers.info/Free_Downloads.html

Preparedness 101

3 part lesson

Phase 2

Physical Preparation

This phase is in my opinion is where the wheat gets separated from the chaff because in the cerebral phase although you have to think there are many things that can help you. In the Cerebral phase many people get mired down by paralyzation through analization in which I will be writting about soon. however, getting beyond the Thought process we get to the Action. In the Physical Preperation phase you have to actually do something! There are not magical Prepping fairies to bippidy boppidy boo your Prepping heaven into existence nor can you just will It into being. Much like Noah and a few supporters, you are on your own kid.

You can reach out to the other like minded people within the prepping community to lend a hand and you will reciprocate I am sure! Use the community for help but for the most part you are going to have to actually physically do something and that my friends is where the "Sheep" shine!!!! The Sheople will be glad to stand by and watch. They will be anti-encouraging telling you there is no sense in what you are doing and it is an exercise in futility. If the big boom happens they would just as soon go out with the bang. The Pirates Republic call them the Sheople or Naysayers. The very same Sheep that will come knocking at your door for a handout at the first sign of any trouble or anything that will rock their little worlds they will look to you to set it upright.

Physical Prepping is the place where you will put into action your thoughts. Once you have cleared the cobb webs from head with the onslaught of advice from the "experts". You will finally settle down and start processing the vast amounts of information and start working on a plan. a plan of what and who you are prepping for. Think about where you are going and what you need to get there. Remember you are building on the cerebral phase using it as a foundation for the next phase. The first thing Pepper's have to do to begin the next phase of physical is develop a plan. This plan will be the starting point of your roadmap. Even though you will and should put a lot of conceptual thought into your plan, you will undoubtably make mistakes! Everyone does so dont be discouraged just keep moving forward with the absolute certainty in what you are doing, not arrogant just certainty and with purpose.

(Can you see how you transition from just thinking it into doing it, using one phase of the process to prop up the next. You will get stronger in your resolve. )

Your Plan will be and should be revisited often to revise the functionality of your plan. As your situations change so shall the plan. For example if you add members to your family then the plan should change accordingly. You start branching out into the Prepper network so shall the plan change as outlined in an article titled "assets to your inventory". This may sound like something rather difficult and you may at this point want to retreat back to the Cerebral phase to gather your thoughts, go ahead we can wait……………tick tock, tick tock……

Okay now for the reality check. The making of the plan is actually easier than it sounds. There are a ton of resources out in cyber land that is at your disposal. I suggest you take advantage of these resources. Not all Resources have a fee attached to them; in fact there is a ton of good quality information out there that the only cost associated with them is your time. We offer many a mate council and opinions just for the asking.

I suppose for some it does comes down to time if you want to put in the effort to develop your own plan through the research and advice of trusted people then the rewards are many and the knowledge is a valuable.

There are many plans out there that will guide you through the processes. There are "72 hour kits", "Every Day Carry Bags", "get out of dodge bags", "Bug Out Bags" and "Get Home Bags" which I believe are the same but I guess it helps people sell more bags. There are gardening and storage devices products. We have Gun dealers and ammo suppliers, Clothing manufactures and of course Bag makers. There are people everywhere, some trying to pontificate and just selling fear. However, There are trustworthy merchants actually trying to help and provide a service and trying to make a living at it.

People write Magazines and Ezines and you can buy subscriptions to this and that. Stores are popping up all over the internet as well as your local towns. Apparently Prepping is the new trend for now. For some of us we have been doing this most of our lives we just didn't know it was cool and trendy until now. I wonder if Barbara Mandrell will right a "Peanuts in my Coke" song for us? it could go like this ...I put dehydrated food in my potable water.........hmmmm, maybe not, i think it has a good beat but you just cant dance to it. Well not to worry we will still be here after the new labels and the trendy crapola has faded, in fact we will probably be the ones they sell their "never been used" survival items at a ridiculously (everything must go) fire sale prices.

There are many plans that will suffice for your needs but remember all survival is based on shelter, food and water. First satisfy these immediate needs and you are moving in the right direction. Yes I said FOOD, you have to eat, WATER, you have to drink and SHELTER, you have to have a place to store your items as well as rest your little head, correct?

Making a plan can be fun, No really it can be fun. You should involve all the members that the plan will effect because they may have specific concerns that you may not immediately think about.

Guys do not think of all the necessary items that women may need likewise women may underestimate the necessity of a three stooges DVD (the complete collection of course) for the emotional well being of everyone. Laughter for all I say! Therefore let it be so!

yuk, yuk, yuk!

Hey MO,

why I oughta.

I know the dooms day folks are going to trash me and say "Well what if there is no electricity then what now funny guy"? My retort is you should have a power backup such as a solar charging station and a 12 volt T. V. complete with a built in DVD player which happens to fall under the necessities of any RV camper. Besides even if you choose not to have this type of back up then at least the covers are funny to look at and just think of the countless hours of you trying to explain to the women why you think the stooges are funny, yes hours of entertainment to be had by all.

Back to the plan! There should be a master plan that is broke down into several smaller "direct issue" type of plans. It's a little thing we like to call the "what if, then, else" game. For all you computer geeks out there stop chuckling. Here's how it goes take a scenario and play it through to fruition. For example in our area we are prone to tornado's which always cause quite a stir (pardon the pun) but, we can start with that scenario What if a tornado was coming straight at us? Then we will do? Else we will do?

This formula can be used to process any and all situations as well as program computers. What if an earthquake was to occur? Then we will do? (If that solution is not available) Else we will do? If we were caught in a wild fire, then we will do? Else we will do? Now taking it through to fruition what if the world collapsed as we know it? Then we will do? Else we will do? Sorry to get apocalyptic however I did mention it would work in every scenario.

This is a game that is meant to offer positive solution to negative scenarios.

The outcomes should be positive ones that are used to teach and reinforce the positive solutions that have been thought out in advance of the scenarios being played out in real life. If you need help making a plan please ask someone you may trust rather than just throwing your hands in the air and giving up.

If you question your solutions then by all means run them by a trusted source and get feedback that is why the Prepping community is important. The Pirates Republic helps people with their plans and you should do this as well. This is what a community is supposed to do!

I know there is a thirst for the knowledge and you just need to find the trusted sources to assist you on your quest and believe me when I say I strive to learn new things everyday and I believe everyone has the capability to teach me something. Those who have chosen to move past the ability to learn have already died they just haven't been made aware.

We can help each other with our plans then we can learn and grow together. Then maybe we can get our own TV show and parade around barefoot in the swamps and sell ourselves as survival experts or maybe not! Oh well it puts me right on track with the next phase namely Actual SURVIVAL.

My Beautiful and lovely Bride asked me to lay off the Rum References for ye land lubbers not knowing I be a teaser. so Where's me milk it's closing time?

I have never claimed to be an expert, just experienced. so as always if you have inquires or positive comments then drop us a scribe at saltydawg@thepiraatesrepublic.com

Salty Dawg

there need be a captain in thar somewhere Mate!

Preparedness 101

3 part lesson

Phase 1

Cerebral Preparation

Alright so you have an interest in joining the ranks of the prepared. Good for you have a seat we have cookies. No matter the reason you have come to these decisions congratulations you are here.

The entry course to your new life long journey is called preparedness 101. It begins by assessing the need to prepare for the "what if's" in life. Many Prepare for the apocalypse and others prepare for more minor events that may occur in their local regions.

Regardless the reasons you have decided to take on this challenge we all started off the same way. Let me reiterate NOT ONE PERSON POPPED INTO THIS WORLD KNOWING HOW TO PREPARE AND HANDLE EVERY SITUATION regardless of what the so called experts hocking their goods WILL TRY TO CONVINCE YOU OF. Everyone started off right where you are right now. They had the benefit of knowledge and someone passing that knowledge onto them to enable them to be in the position they are in currently.

Through the years our first teachers were our parents or care givers. Advanced skills were learned through hands on instruction and then taught to those who wish to learn those skills. This is how it is supposed to be its called passing on the knowledge, teaching, genetic instruction, the nature of things, the circle of life, hakuna matata!

I believe there are solid foundation blocks of the survival pyramid and they are Cerebral and physical preparedness leading to the actual act of survival itself.

Each phase builds upon the other to culminating into the final result in which we all hope we never have to deploy but want to have the skills to do so if the situation warrants.

Let's discuss the first phase Cerebral Preparedness.

This process seems pretty simple and straight forward all you have to do is think about a couple of things as you watch some barefoot hippie types running around some jungle somewhere. After watching a couple of episodes you have thought you needed to prepare a little something in case you have to jump out of a plane onto a hot lava field and make it back to civilization before the zombies get you or your camera crew.

Regardless of what brought you here, you are here and I suppose I can't complain too much eh? A simple process of thinking. You think about a can of beans, a case of water, some Girl Scout cookies and some wieners in the freezer and you are set ready for anything. Great, let's move on shall we…………or just for giggles and grins we take the thought process to a more relevant level hmm, what say you?

Think about why you decided that you had the need to prepare. Think about what you should prepare for. Think about where you should to prepare and when to prepare. Think about whom you should prepare for. Simple stuff right?

Great, now that you have all that down let's move on………or maybe we should just stay on this subject for just a tinsy bit longer………. humor me alright?

First and quite possibly the most important thing beyond making the decision to start preparing in the first place is the remembering the reason you made the decision to prepare in the first place. This decision will be a motivational factor throughout the entire process. Whether you are a Newby or an ancient you will use that reason to motivate yourself beyond the sheople or naysayers (usually your family or friends) and propel yourself forward because you believe you are right and just in doing this craziness we call prepping.

You must imprint into your genetic code the reason you have started this journey. Your reasons may evolve as you move forward but always remember you're first reason. Hold onto that reason when the task seems overwhelming. Every Prepper has gotten discouraged at the scope of the overall plan but that is why we have thin mints and the Prepper's networks across this great nation. Whether it is for self preservation and or the preservation of the people God has put in your charge.

It doesn't matter the reason, it only matters that the reason, for you is strong enough to motivate you into action. You need to think about the reason every day, not as an obsession but as a reminder to act. You do not have to justify your decision to the naysayers or even to yourself because you know you have made the right decision is good enough! Now that I have gotten philosophically preachy about using your noggin for more than a hat rest so let's move on because Sittin' and thinkin' ain't all there is to it just one important phase and it can seem to careen out of control so Keep your hands inside the ride at all times because we racing further into the rabbit hole and next stop the magical place called The Physical Prepping arena where there are many a wonderful things.

As always if you have any questions or just want to blow wind in my sails drop us a line matey. saltydawg@thepiratesrepublic

Salty Dawg