Welcome back! Aren’t we having a GREAT November?!
How did your inventory surveillance go? Now that we have a list of what’s available in the cupboard, we need to sit down a take a serious look at how to prep so that our families have enough to eat for an extended amount of time.
Speaking of time…how much time do we need to consider? One week? Three months? A year? Our Dept of Health advises at least 3 days. This is a decision you need to make based upon your resources. It’s always best to start small and work up. You don’t want to freak out your spouse by suddenly filling the basement with 50 gallon drums of water and 5 gallon storage tubs of dried eggs and cheese among a multitude of MREs!
I suggest writing a list of your loved one’s favorite meals. Your family won’t be happy if you prep for your taste buds only! Many families and even institutions plan a 2 week menu cycle. I’ve never been that organized, but I do believe it’s a good idea. Break down the ingredients and start prepping there.
Take advantage of seasonal shopping. With Thanksgiving approaching, there are great deals on meat, canned pumpkin and other related foods that we can not only pick up for this Thanksgiving, but for meals down the road.
Enjoy the day! I’m going to do some yard work…in November!!!
PrairieMoon
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Welcome to South Dakota Prepper Network!
November 10, 2009
I’m so excited that you are here! Let me introduce myself: I am a 40 something gal from eastern South Dakota. In some circles, I go by PrairieMoon. Our moon it is such a beautiful sight! Especially this time of the year. I live on an acreage and often yearn for the ‘simple’ life.
I discovered the prepper lifestyle last year by cruising around the ‘net. The stock market crash that rumbled the world set me and a lot of others off on a search for self-sufficiency ideas. I found some great sites that helped me get started and here I am! I have learned that everyone preps differently. We all need to figure out what works in our own homes and how to accomplish our goals. So as we travel this road together, I welcome ideas, success stories, and better ways of doing what we do!
Thus, our journey to preparedness living in South Dakota begins…so come on…let’s get started!
For you new preppers: take an inventory of what you have in your cupboards. Create a chart and count each can of veggies…each jar of tomato sauce…pound of hamburger. For some of you, the list may seem short. For others, endless. I was raised by parents who grew up during the depression, so I have an inherent tendency to hoard things. Drives hubby nuts!
So this is your first ‘assignment’: inventory. Organization is key to a great start. By the way, I will be joining you by checking my cupboards and preps too. It is, after all, autumn, and time for a thorough house-cleaning!
See you in a couple days!
PrairieMoon
I’m so excited that you are here! Let me introduce myself: I am a 40 something gal from eastern South Dakota. In some circles, I go by PrairieMoon. Our moon it is such a beautiful sight! Especially this time of the year. I live on an acreage and often yearn for the ‘simple’ life.
I discovered the prepper lifestyle last year by cruising around the ‘net. The stock market crash that rumbled the world set me and a lot of others off on a search for self-sufficiency ideas. I found some great sites that helped me get started and here I am! I have learned that everyone preps differently. We all need to figure out what works in our own homes and how to accomplish our goals. So as we travel this road together, I welcome ideas, success stories, and better ways of doing what we do!
Thus, our journey to preparedness living in South Dakota begins…so come on…let’s get started!
For you new preppers: take an inventory of what you have in your cupboards. Create a chart and count each can of veggies…each jar of tomato sauce…pound of hamburger. For some of you, the list may seem short. For others, endless. I was raised by parents who grew up during the depression, so I have an inherent tendency to hoard things. Drives hubby nuts!
So this is your first ‘assignment’: inventory. Organization is key to a great start. By the way, I will be joining you by checking my cupboards and preps too. It is, after all, autumn, and time for a thorough house-cleaning!
See you in a couple days!
PrairieMoon
Monday, November 2, 2009
“Emergency Communication....What Works???”
“Emergency Communication....What Works???”
Original posting at Canadian Preppers Network
Edited and re-posted at American Preppers Radio Net
How people communicate with one another when land line phones, cell phones and the internet are at best unreliable or nonexistent, is one thing that seems to get very little attention and is wide open to speculation.
A small group trying to survive hard times (which, depending from your viewpoint seems inevitable) will need to have a plan to communicate with each other. Aside from carrier pigeons, or smoke signals, there are modern options to consider and prep for. Three most readily available are GMRS or FRS radios, CB radios, and Ham radio.
GMRS/FRS: These radios are good for short distances with little terrain interference. Used as pagers/communicators inside a building or a camp, GMRS/FRS radios offer low-cost & convenience. Small and easy to carry, GMRS/FRS radio family biggest drawback is their range. While fine as a group communications tool, they lack the ability of medium or long rage communications.
CB radios: Around for several years as an offshoot of Ham Radio,CB does not require a license and, unlike amateur radio, it may be used for business as well as personal communications. Enjoying a boom in the mid-seventies and are readily available today, CB radios are still the main short range communications choice for Truckers.
You can find CB’s fairly cheaply at yard sales and flea markets. Mandated by regulation as a low power device, the range on these radios is much greater when combined with a signal amplifier, or “Linear” Amp. It is not advocated using a linear amp, however for the most part, enforcement of the restrictions are few and often only when an illegal stations signal interferes with other communication methods. Long distance communication is possible when atmospheric conditions permit.
CB radios come in many different forms, ranging from legal 40 channel/4 watt models, to a grey-area type of “export radio”, that skirts legality by being built for ham radio use, but are easily modified for the CB band. Operating within the 10-12 Meter HF Band, CB radios need a longer antenna than UHF/VHF GMRS/FRS radios. The unregulated “outlaw” nature of CB radio often fills the airways with raucous and foul language. At times, it’s best to keep small children out of the radio shack when the CB is on.
Ham or Amateur Radio: Offers the farthest operating range, and broadest array of communication modes, from voice communication, to text, photo, video, and digital telemetry. Requiring a license to operate, ham radio is well organized and self regulated.
Ham radio is fairly cheap to get started in as there are many used radio bargains around. New ham radios cost run from hundreds, to several thousands of dollars, but with frugal shopping, one can set up a rather nice base station and talk all around the world.
Some of the best ham antennas are homemade, simple to conceal, wire antennas strung between trees. This type set up is very portable if need be, and can be setup almost anyplace. Mobile ham rigs are available that can talk all over the world... A typical ham might check into a long distance radio net during a morning commute, rag chew with regular’s everyday from Florida to Canada and make contacts from east coast to west coast hams with ease.
Choosing a way to communicate outside normal everyday methods, can be a daunting task. So much of it depends on your needs, but how you apply your limited resources, and for what return is inconsequential as long as your ability to get your message heard at a critical time can be assured. For further help in weighing options and to learn more about what choices are available, these websites can be of some help.
Links that you may like
CB/Ham and Other
Ham Radio In US
Ham Radio In US
Ham Radio In US
Ham radio in Canada
Ham radio in Canada
(C) 2009 W4DMH.com
Original posting at Canadian Preppers Network
Edited and re-posted at American Preppers Radio Net
How people communicate with one another when land line phones, cell phones and the internet are at best unreliable or nonexistent, is one thing that seems to get very little attention and is wide open to speculation.A small group trying to survive hard times (which, depending from your viewpoint seems inevitable) will need to have a plan to communicate with each other. Aside from carrier pigeons, or smoke signals, there are modern options to consider and prep for. Three most readily available are GMRS or FRS radios, CB radios, and Ham radio.
GMRS/FRS: These radios are good for short distances with little terrain interference. Used as pagers/communicators inside a building or a camp, GMRS/FRS radios offer low-cost & convenience. Small and easy to carry, GMRS/FRS radio family biggest drawback is their range. While fine as a group communications tool, they lack the ability of medium or long rage communications.
CB radios: Around for several years as an offshoot of Ham Radio,CB does not require a license and, unlike amateur radio, it may be used for business as well as personal communications. Enjoying a boom in the mid-seventies and are readily available today, CB radios are still the main short range communications choice for Truckers.
You can find CB’s fairly cheaply at yard sales and flea markets. Mandated by regulation as a low power device, the range on these radios is much greater when combined with a signal amplifier, or “Linear” Amp. It is not advocated using a linear amp, however for the most part, enforcement of the restrictions are few and often only when an illegal stations signal interferes with other communication methods. Long distance communication is possible when atmospheric conditions permit.
CB radios come in many different forms, ranging from legal 40 channel/4 watt models, to a grey-area type of “export radio”, that skirts legality by being built for ham radio use, but are easily modified for the CB band. Operating within the 10-12 Meter HF Band, CB radios need a longer antenna than UHF/VHF GMRS/FRS radios. The unregulated “outlaw” nature of CB radio often fills the airways with raucous and foul language. At times, it’s best to keep small children out of the radio shack when the CB is on.
Ham or Amateur Radio: Offers the farthest operating range, and broadest array of communication modes, from voice communication, to text, photo, video, and digital telemetry. Requiring a license to operate, ham radio is well organized and self regulated.
Ham radio is fairly cheap to get started in as there are many used radio bargains around. New ham radios cost run from hundreds, to several thousands of dollars, but with frugal shopping, one can set up a rather nice base station and talk all around the world.
Some of the best ham antennas are homemade, simple to conceal, wire antennas strung between trees. This type set up is very portable if need be, and can be setup almost anyplace. Mobile ham rigs are available that can talk all over the world... A typical ham might check into a long distance radio net during a morning commute, rag chew with regular’s everyday from Florida to Canada and make contacts from east coast to west coast hams with ease.
Choosing a way to communicate outside normal everyday methods, can be a daunting task. So much of it depends on your needs, but how you apply your limited resources, and for what return is inconsequential as long as your ability to get your message heard at a critical time can be assured. For further help in weighing options and to learn more about what choices are available, these websites can be of some help.
Links that you may like
CB/Ham and Other
Ham Radio In US
Ham Radio In US
Ham Radio In US
Ham radio in Canada
Ham radio in Canada
(C) 2009 W4DMH.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
