2aHawaii
General Topics => Preparedness and Survival => Topic started by: Jaydawg on February 05, 2010, 03:09:11 PM
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Just starting myself. Check in (if you want). Maybe get some discussion going about our island environment and whatever preparations you have done.
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I don't have that much survival equipment, but I do have a .22 should I need to catch small animals. I also have a dull knife to skin and gut them with.
Luckily we live in Hawaii where we don't have to deal with snow or surviving through horrible weather.
What do you have or recommend getting?
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:shaka: Jaydog
pineapplemouse here, I'm a bit of both preparer/survivalist. Been into gathering bits and pieces over the past 20yrs. A lot of reading and seeing if methods work. Prepping so I don't end up like Haiti .
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I keep stores of chlorinated water and bottled beer on hand. Plenty of canned food and a propane grill. Guns and ammo go without saying. I could last a week without power or service no problem. 2 weeks, if I was careful with the water. I'm definitely not prepared for the end of civilization, but reasonably prepared for a hiccup.
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I've got a stockpile of canned goods enough to last a few weeks if eaten sparingly. I've got a propane stove and lamp. I've got one of those hand-crank flashlights so batteries won't be too much of an issue if I run out for my main 4D LED maglite. My main concern would be a fresh water supply. Is it best to just stock up on water or to have some sort of purification method? What is the best way to purify water if there is no tap water to use as a source?
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In regards to water, filter it for the big stuff and then boil it to kill the biological stuff. There's also the purification tablets and another method is the drop of bleach(straight...not the scented or for color kind). I'll have to look up the ratio.
A friend told me he fills his bathtub full of water when a hurricane is imminent.
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I've heard really good things about those water filetration straws, (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000OR115W/?tag=2ahawaii-20) I haven't used them yet and haven't heard anything about one particular brand being better than another, but I do hear good general comments. The great thing about them is that they are light, compact, and relatively cheap. I'll probably picking up some of these to get ready for an emergency.
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Here's something to think about...
After the wake of the Haiti earthquake, I ask my wife, "so what's our plan if an (insert natural disaster here) while we are at work? Take an earthquake, for instance, where will we meet and how long do we stay before heading back home to take care of our 3 year old and 1 year old? We both work in town and luckily within 1/2 mile of each other. I had to consult the tsunami evacuation zones to make sure it wouldn't be under water in the event of a tsunami.
Then I ask her, "so how will you get home if both our vehicles are "stuck" in the parking lot?"
Her answer..."wait till the city puts together a plan to bus us out of there. " :shake: Then I begin to explain to her that it may take several hours for the city to coordinate an evacuation plan...and then many more hours to wait if everyone else in downtown is in the same line. I suggested she put a semi-old pair of shoes in her office as well as a Bug Out Bag mostly consisting of meal replacement bars and a first aid kit. We may have to hike it home. Which brings me to the last bit...an up to date map to stuff in the bag.
Hope this helps with your planning. :shaka:
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Here's something to think about...
After the wake of the Haiti earthquake, I ask my wife, "so what's our plan if an (insert natural disaster here) while we are at work? Take an earthquake, for instance, where will we meet and how long do we stay before heading back home to take care of our 3 year old and 1 year old? We both work in town and luckily within 1/2 mile of each other. I had to consult the tsunami evacuation zones to make sure it wouldn't be under water in the event of a tsunami.
Then I ask her, "so how will you get home if both our vehicles are "stuck" in the parking lot?"
Her answer..."wait till the city puts together a plan to bus us out of there. " :shake: Then I begin to explain to her that it may take several hours for the city to coordinate an evacuation plan...and then many more hours to wait if everyone else in downtown is in the same line. I suggested she put a semi-old pair of shoes in her office as well as a Bug Out Bag mostly consisting of meal replacement bars and a first aid kit. We may have to hike it home. Which brings me to the last bit...an up to date map to stuff in the bag.
Hope this helps with your planning. :shaka:
Good action item! My preparations have mostly centered on being home when the hard times hit, but I shouldn't assume that. When the earthquake hit, I was at the shooting range getting ready to conduct class! I should work on bug out bags, not only for the respective offices, but for each vehicle.
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That's a very good idea. I have energy bars and the occasional bottled water rolling around in my trunk somewhere, but having it all packed and ready to go in a backpack with a map sounds like a much better idea. Anybody else carry a flashlight in their car?
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I think I need to get a shopping list together :)
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I think I need to get a shopping list together :)
Here's a little "light" reading :wacko:. http://www.survivalblog.com/newbies.html (http://www.survivalblog.com/newbies.html)
Simpler terms...beans, bullets, & band-aids...then add as you see fit.
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canned food and a manual can opener and flashlights. thats all i have for now.
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Don't forget the knife, the most important tool for survival.
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now, now, Redtail, we all know that the MOST IMPORTANT tool in a survival situation is your WILL TO LIVE. No fancy straw or super duper combo knife is gonna give that to you, you gotta find it yourself. the best way to find it yourself Jaydawg, is to make that trek with your wife, kids, and gear...that should get your mind in the right place. Maybe you decide it would be smarter to shelter in place than risk it on foot with the fam., or maybe not.
I dont claim to be a survival guru, though imho hawaii is a good place to be in a shtf situation.
oh yea, if you wanna see a great survival movie, again imho the most realistic, check out 'The Road'.
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I watched 'The Road' and it looks like when SHTF and you are one of the last people left alive on earth, everyone will be crazy!!! And you can't trust anyone.
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now, now, Redtail, we all know that the MOST IMPORTANT tool in a survival situation is your WILL TO LIVE
Of course, it is. I'm talking about the material stuff. :thumbsup:
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Yea "the Road" is a nutz movie...no super hero savior of humanity or do-gooder justice bringer that takes on swarms of baddies unscathed, just a grim survival reality of people eating people cuz ain't nuthin' else left!! I personally dont have the guts to eat another human being, even in that sit. i would continue to scavenge, hunt, fish, search homes, etc.
As far as gear goes my top three picks would be 1. a large fixed blade knife, 2. a canteen or 2 liter bottle or something for carrying water, 3. good boots
Of course i could load up a back pack or an entire convoy of great survival gear, but as far as essentials go, these are my top three. :shaka:
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Denzel Washington's new flick is pretty good if you are gun guy. Book of Eli.
History Channel had a good one... After Armageddon or something like that. I'll try to find it on youtube.
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We'll see what glaring defects I have today if/when the tsunami comes.
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The hurricane scenario seems more applicable to a survival situation since it would affect everyone and not just the coastal areas. In such a situation I would:
- Whip out my battery powered radio
- Fill up the bathtub with water (for washing, cooking and if need be, drinking)
- Tape up the windows in the event that they get broken they don't send shards of glass everywhere
I like Tom's idea of cooking rice in advance too. I have enough meat, vegetable and even fruit canned goods but getting starch and carbohydrates might become a problem over an extended period.
In addition to my hand-crank flashlight, I've been thinking an upgrade to a hand-crank radio might be in order so batteries get ruled out of the equation entirely.
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Somebody posted this on FH. I've gotten through about 1/4 of it but it's been pretty interesting reading so far. His lists are very comprehensive: http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html (http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html)
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Thanks Antithesis. The page on documents (http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/p/0006.html) was really good.
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jeez, I dont think our state is prepared to handle a katrina type sit. we have nowhere to evac, there would prob. be massive amounts of homeless, I think a direct hurricane hit would completely disable our state for quite a while. Some of my guard friends who responded to Iniki on Kaua'i, say the same. I cant even imagine how we would prepare for that, I guess we better start investing in 55gal. drums of water and diesel. :thumbsup:
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Well we already have massive amounts of homeless and tent communities living in Hawaii. ;D
It doesn't help that the politicians are looking to raid the rainy day fund to fix various other shortfalls in the budget. If that happens and a natural disaster hits, we are screwed.
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Somebody posted this on FH. I've gotten through about 1/4 of it but it's been pretty interesting reading so far. His lists are very comprehensive: http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html (http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html)
Excellent link! Thanks.
jeez, I dont think our state is prepared to handle a katrina type sit. we have nowhere to evac, there would prob. be massive amounts of homeless, I think a direct hurricane hit would completely disable our state for quite a while. Some of my guard friends who responded to Iniki on Kaua'i, say the same. I cant even imagine how we would prepare for that, I guess we better start investing in 55gal. drums of water and diesel. :thumbsup:
i think the major difference in what happened in New Orleans, was that the levees broke, compounding the problem of the hurricane. We should, nevertheless, take notes and learn from their experience.
I was also fortunate to not be living here during Iniki. As shown by the actions of Civil Defense this past tsunami warning, I think the government, in terms of preparations, will be well equipped. My only stories are from family and friends who live on Oahu so I cannot confirm what went down on Kauai. Oahu, for instance, had about 3 days without power, some areas a little longer. Some roads were impassable due to downed wires/poles and trees. There were no reports of loss of water pressure. There are stories of neighbors helping neighbors. The aloha spirit was alive and well. (Little of which made the national news.) I'm curious to hear the stories you've heard from Kaua'i.
If we take any lessons from the tsunami warning, it would be that water would become scarce if you didn't already have a stash, and that gas stations can and will run out of gas in just a few hours.
Just a note on 55gal drums for water. 5 gallon food grade buckets are practically free (or close to free) from food/restaurant places (just ask) and easier to transport if needed. These are made from a specific type of plastic blend that doesn't leach chemicals into the water. Get the ones with covers.
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jeez, I dont think our state is prepared to handle a katrina type sit. we have nowhere to evac, there would prob. be massive amounts of homeless, I think a direct hurricane hit would completely disable our state for quite a while. Some of my guard friends who responded to Iniki on Kaua'i, say the same. I cant even imagine how we would prepare for that, I guess we better start investing in 55gal. drums of water and diesel. :thumbsup:
As someone who responded to Iniki, who's team went to Katrina and Rita, and who was in the EOC for the duration of the Tsunami warning, I can tell you that Hawaii is relatively well prepared to deal with something like a direct hurricane. But, that being said, I think most folks have a an unrealistic expectation of what that response would/should be.
Regardless of how well prepared Hawaii (or any other State or governmental organization) one should be prepared to care for themselves and their families for a MINIMUM of 72 hours. If a major event were to strike, infrastructure would be compromised, meaning roads would be impassable and thus delivery of any relief supplies would be hampered/delayed until they could be cleared. EMS, fire and police would be similarily hampered. Airfields (such as the airport on Kauai after Iniki) would be fouled and support from unaffected islands would also be affected.
The bottom line is that even in the best responses it may be days before organized relief can reach most of the affected population. That's what you need to prepare for.
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jeez, I dont think our state is prepared to handle a katrina type sit. we have nowhere to evac, there would prob. be massive amounts of homeless, I think a direct hurricane hit would completely disable our state for quite a while. Some of my guard friends who responded to Iniki on Kaua'i, say the same. I cant even imagine how we would prepare for that, I guess we better start investing in 55gal. drums of water and diesel. :thumbsup:
As someone who responded to Iniki, who's team went to Katrina and Rita, and who was in the EOC for the duration of the Tsunami warning, I can tell you that Hawaii is relatively well prepared to deal with something like a direct hurricane. But, that being said, I think most folks have a an unrealistic expectation of what that response would/should be.
Regardless of how well prepared Hawaii (or any other State or governmental organization) one should be prepared to care for themselves and their families for a MINIMUM of 72 hours. If a major event were to strike, infrastructure would be compromised, meaning roads would be impassable and thus delivery of any relief supplies would be hampered/delayed until they could be cleared. EMS, fire and police would be similarily hampered. Airfields (such as the airport on Kauai after Iniki) would be fouled and support from unaffected islands would also be affected.
The bottom line is that even in the best responses it may be days before organized relief can reach most of the affected population. That's what you need to prepare for.
Thank you for your insight.
Here's the Civil Defense webisite: http://www.scd.state.hi.us/ (http://www.scd.state.hi.us/)
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.....In retrospect, a scanner would be nice. Listening to the callers on KSSK was downright irritating. Can't hurt to have more water either.....
You can never have too much water...most folks have no concept of the actual amount of water they use on a daily basis. And, a scanner is quickly becoming useless...most agencies are transitioning to the 800MHz intraoperable frequencies and those cannot be listened to via a simple scanner...a battery oerated radio/weather radio is a good idea though.
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.....In retrospect, a scanner would be nice. Listening to the callers on KSSK was downright irritating. Can't hurt to have more water either.....
You can never have too much water...most folks have no concept of the actual amount of water they use on a daily basis. And, a scanner is quickly becoming useless...most agencies are transitioning to the 800MHz intraoperable frequencies and those cannot be listened to via a simple scanner...a battery oerated radio/weather radio is a good idea though.
Thanks HiCarry,
I knew they were switching over, but wasn't sure what the frequencies were. Radioshack does have some scanners in that range, although most users have a hard time programming them.
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I found a post written by a tourist/visitor in regards to the recent tsunami warning and his prep/evac in response. ~A small bit about our concealed carry law. ~Also a bit on what HiCarry touched on regarding what people expect for the state's emergency response.
Letter Re: Experiencing the Recent Hawaiian Tsunami Evacuation Alert
Jim,
I had the recent somewhat surreal experience of going through the Hawaiian costal evacuation during the most recent tsunami alert. It was a near-miss natural disaster scenario that unfolded in slow motion because of the distance from the Chilean earthquake and the presence of tsunami alert sensors and monitoring officials. There are a few observations that I'd like to share.
I managed to stay ahead of the Golden Horde phenomena by a few hours and it was interesting to just acknowledge some of the predictable elements: most people were not alerted to the risk of the tsunami until 0600 when the civil defense sirens went off. The gas stations and grocery stores were subsequently mobbed and quickly were depleted of supplies. For the most part people were civil with each other but there were some conflicts despite the local radio hosts admonitions to "remember people, love, love, love -- aloha". I think the conflicts were minimal because this was a "potential" disaster only. The costal highways of course were packed. Look at a map of Maui and you can see how egress from many of the more densely populated areas is limited to a single road (right on the coast).
The other folks who were up with me at 0200 beating the crowds tended to be folks with increased "situational awareness". For example, I talked with a guy that had worked for the powerplant and knew that it was in the inundation zone and was threatened. This also included the main airport and of course the harbors. He currently works for the public utility and also knew that water and sewage pumping stations would be: a) turned off in expectation of the tsunami surge and b) out of commission if the island took a big hit. In a place where everything has to be shipped from somewhere else, it didn't take much imagination to realize that 120,000 inhabitants and 60,000 tourists could be quickly SOL for services and supplies.
All of this was of course to be expected. Somewhat more subtle revelations include:
-Even if you are going to Hawaii for your 25th wedding anniversary a preparedness awareness and travel kit are in order
-Consider the potential threats in your travel destination. For example a hotel room could be selected not just for the view but with the knowledge that in a tsunami you can vertically evacuate to above the 3rd floor, trying to balance with concerns for fire, or earthquake (these are volcanic islands of course and while there we also got to experience the Vog - volcanic smog, coming from the big island).
-When we arrived we didn't "need" anything more than a compact car - but it turned out to be prudent to have rented a vehicle with extra cargo carrying capacity when suddenly I was packing cases of water and food and supplies for potential camp out for multiple days
-It reminded me that the being in a state that disallows for conceal carry and personal/ family defense is not just a quaint ideological or cultural shift, but has potential real implications
-I was lucky in that I was up late enough to get the earliest tsunami warning reports. If it weren't for the Olympic coverage on television (which I normally would not be watching), I too would had my first awareness of the situation at 0600 with the rest of the clueless. It taught me that in your travel environment, (or home for that matter) some kind of monitoring of news and or civil defense sources is a good idea.
| -One shouldn't rely on the hotel or your other hosts for timely prep or information -- they still had their maintenance folks sweeping sidewalks just off the beach as part of their tsunami prep.
-We had selected a hotel room outfitted with a kitchen and this really helped when it came to taking essentials for cooking and cleaning, (as well as self defense if you count a 10" chef's knife)
-Civil Defense plans and their orchestration with local agencies was pretty good - but: a) a lot of sirens that were supposed to did not go off, and there were "gathering points" for evacuees that had no supplies (food, water, etc) because this was not part of the plan. Obviously the civil defense planning has not yet included secure power and water supply systems either. Your travel situational awareness might also include taking in the strength and weakness of governmental agencies and infrastructure. This now goes on my travel checklist.
I feel very lucky to have been able to watch and learn from all of this without having had to experience a full blown catastrophe. The process is going to light a fire under my tail to get going with my preparedness plans and to give all of them some needed hard reflection.
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This is straight from Dean Nakano, deputy chief engineer with the Honolulu Board of Water Supply:
In a power outage, the island would have no more than a 24-hour supply of water. “We do have the capability to move emergency generators to serve pumps, to temporarily maintain levels in the reservoirs,†Nakano explains. “But heaven forbid we should have an extended, island-wide blackout.â€
from Honolulu Weekly Dec 23, 2009
http://honoluluweekly.com/story-continued/2009/12/its-the-water-2/ (http://honoluluweekly.com/story-continued/2009/12/its-the-water-2/)
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^Scary thought. I've been doing a little internet research into how long bottled water actually "lasts". Apparently the scientists have yet to determine if there is a shelf life for bottled water. Asside from a slight change in flavor, there isn't really any way for the water to "degrade" and get you sick since it is sterilized and vaccum sealed. All the more reason to stockpile another case or two.
bottled water shelf life remains unclear (http://www.wwdmag.com/Bottled-Water-Shelf-Life-Remains-Unclear-NewsPiece6599)
Shelf life of bottled water? (http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/DrWater/drinkingwaterfaqs.php#shelflife)
Does bottled drinking water go bad? (http://ask.yahoo.com/20031125.html)
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I really wonder if there is a 24-hour supply of water everywhere. If I'm not mistaken, some of the areas work off of gravity and don't need to rely on a pump. I can only remember the last power outage we had and I think it was more than 24 hours at my place, but we still had water.
Bottled water is great and if you worry about old water, just cycle it out like canned goods.
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I really wonder if there is a 24-hour supply of water everywhere. If I'm not mistaken, some of the areas work off of gravity and don't need to rely on a pump. I can only remember the last power outage we had and I think it was more than 24 hours at my place, but we still had water.
Bottled water is great and if you worry about old water, just cycle it out like canned goods.
It's not exactly a 24 hour supply...it's what is in the elevated storage containers contain when the power stops and the consumption rate thereafter. All of the water pressure is generated by letting the stored water flow "downhill" to the tap in your home. Some highrise building have supplemental pumps, as do some hospitals, but essentially that's it. Water is pumped into the holding containers, generally at night when the power grid can more easily accomodate the demand, and that volume (which differes depending on holding tank capacity) is generally partially depleated during the day. At night the cycle repeats. As Nakano says, there are some generators that can be moved to push the water into the tanks, but the capacity to do that is far less than "normal" demands and an extended power outage would indeed result in limited water availability. To what extent and for how long would be dependent on the ability to power the generators that pump the water to the tanks.
And, to comment on storage options: earlier someone said 5 gallon buckets were a good resource, which they are. Another container that will work are the plastic 55 gallon drums. They can be had at Aloha Shoyu (I think that's the company...it's in Halawa valley). They will sell to the public the used 55 gallon drums for a very reasonable price....they will wash and clean them for you. I have used one for camping and it works very well...even pulled the bung on mine and installed a cheap plastic faucet. Worked like a champ while the drum was on it's side.
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Ah....I see. Thanks for the great explanation and the source for drums. :)
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You also have to take into account that the public will hoard water when they become aware of the imminent disaster. Any public reserves in the water towers will be depeleted faster than if it were just a normal day without water.
If just electricity were knocked out, I think I could survive several weeks if need be.
If electricity and water were knocked out (without any time to fill up buckets, bathtubs, or drums) as it stands now I only have enough water for a few days.
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I really wonder if there is a 24-hour supply of water everywhere. If I'm not mistaken, some of the areas work off of gravity and don't need to rely on a pump. I can only remember the last power outage we had and I think it was more than 24 hours at my place, but we still had water.
Bottled water is great and if you worry about old water, just cycle it out like canned goods.
I remember the last outage we had, i think it was last year when the branch hit the transformer or somethingy, and I dont remember a loss of water...of course that wasn't an island wide outage and it didnt last more than 24 hours. I, however, can pretty much guarantee that if the island of Oahu was in imminent danger of a katrina scale hurricane, either category 4 or 5 (cant remember offhand but i think it was 4), this island and the others would be in chaos before the storm even hits, maybe even a week before the storm hits. The State of Hawaii is NOT prepared, the stores dont have but a few days to a week worth of inventory, and the hardware stores definitely do not have enough plywood for all our windows. I shit you not, it took FEMA weeks to get their shit straight in the gulf coast, how long do you think it would take to get supplies for say 1 million people stranded 6,000 miles from D.C.?!
My point is this...a 72 hour kit is great if you live on the mainland, but out here in middle of the ocean your gonna need food, water, sanitation, shelter, and medical for at least 60 days. :thumbsup:
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I really wonder if there is a 24-hour supply of water everywhere. If I'm not mistaken, some of the areas work off of gravity and don't need to rely on a pump. I can only remember the last power outage we had and I think it was more than 24 hours at my place, but we still had water.
Bottled water is great and if you worry about old water, just cycle it out like canned goods.
I remember the last outage we had, i think it was last year when the branch hit the transformer or somethingy, and I dont remember a loss of water...of course that wasn't an island wide outage and it didnt last more than 24 hours. I, however, can pretty much guarantee that if the island of Oahu was in imminent danger of a katrina scale hurricane, either category 4 or 5 (cant remember offhand but i think it was 4), this island and the others would be in chaos before the storm even hits, maybe even a week before the storm hits. The State of Hawaii is NOT prepared, the stores dont have but a few days to a week worth of inventory, and the hardware stores definitely do not have enough plywood for all our windows. I shit you not, it took FEMA weeks to get their shit straight in the gulf coast, how long do you think it would take to get supplies for say 1 million people stranded 6,000 miles from D.C.?!
My point is this...a 72 hour kit is great if you live on the mainland, but out here in middle of the ocean your gonna need food, water, sanitation, shelter, and medical for at least 60 days. :thumbsup:
I respectfully disagree. Hawaii is well prepared to deal with a catastrophic event. It is the populace at large that are generally NOT prepared. Could Hawaii's preparations be better? I think most would agre that any system, including Hawaii's, could be improved. But, as I said, I think most folks misunderstand that despite the best possible preparations and contingency plans, they should NOT expect help from governmental agencies for a period of time after the causative event ends and response plans could be implemented. Generally speaking, the recommended time frame is 72 hours of self-sufficiency. If you can increase that time frame, all the better. I keep a minimum of 14 days emergency supplies on hand at any point in time. Sometimes, depending on rotation of stock or availability of certain supplies, that may be slighly less, but often is more.
The isolation from the mainland is not a factor in State wide response plans, with the possible exception of response personnel that might come to assist on-island assets.
You are correct in noting that most stores, especially grocery stores, replenish fresh foods on a 48-72 rotation. And that other durable supplies may be limited, but this is why you should plan for, and obtain the supplies you deem necessay well in advance of any known event. If you start your emergency preparations, especially the provisioning, after the threat of a major event is announced, there is a good chance you will not be able to get all the supplies you need.
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I just wanted to post a first impression about the 10-PACK BRINKMAN 6LED FLASHLIGHT on sale for $9.97 at Home Depot til 03/24/10. When I first saw the ad, I thought wow, LED flashlights for a dollar each with free batteries those gotta sell out. Nah, there was still a bunch left at the HD Pearl City location.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r114/jnjulie/REVIEWS/DSC07938.jpg)
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r114/jnjulie/REVIEWS/DSC07940.jpg)
Housing is made of plastic with a "no-slip grip" that feels like rubber, but I assume is plastic also (if that makes sense). I am able to scratch it with pressure of my fingernail. I haven't weighed it yet. It's not hefty enough to be used as a palm stick/kubotan. It uses and comes with 3 generic brand AAA batteries. It has a push button switch in the rear which gives a positive click. It only turns "on" and "off." No fancy strobe setting. My 3 year old was able to manipulate the push button quite well. I've tapped it on the table a couple of times and my son accidentally dropped the flashlight on a tile floor with no ill effects.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r114/jnjulie/REVIEWS/DSC07945.jpg)
At almost 4" long and approx 1" diameter it fits nicely in the palm...not overly bulky. It comes with a lanyard, but the section that ties directly to the flashlight is pretty thin. Probably would be able to fit paracord through the attachment point. I am able to fit my medium/large hand through the lanyard quite easily.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r114/jnjulie/REVIEWS/DSC07944.jpg)
Illumination is quite bright and brighter than my incandescent light and creates a headache after being flashed in the eyes multiple times by my 3 year old son (he likes to shine them on people). Bright enough to disorient someone in the dark.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r114/jnjulie/REVIEWS/DSC07948.jpg)
There's a prominent warning label on the back "TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO EYESIGHT, NEVER LOOK INTO HEADLIGHT WHEN LIGHT IS ON. DO NOT SHINE LIGHT INTO THE FACE OF SOMEONE ELSE." Shucks...should've read that first.
Now I have a flashlight for each of the vehicles, bug out bags, and 1st aid bags and I still have some more to spare. At a $1 each, I don't have to worry about them being stolen out of vehicles.
(again disclaimer...I do not get paid by Home Depot or Brinkmann)
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Ah that's a great find Jaydawg. I'll buy a pack today if they haven't sold out.
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Okay so I went down yesterday, and they are sold out in all the stores on Oahu. Some of the neighboring islands might still have.
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:( That was a really REALLY good deal.
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That was a DAMN GOOD DEAL !!!! dont forget to hang a couple round the house by the light switches...
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Found a post about what happened after Iniki struck Kauai.
Unknown if this was 1st hand account though. "personal recollections of a member of the command and control element."
Hurricane Iniki - Some Lessons Learned, by B.
Permalink
Hurricane Iniki, which struck the island of Kauai on September 11, 1992, was the third-most damaging hurricane in U.S. history and provides some valuable insights into how people react when an entire self-contained community loses most of their creature comforts. By way of background, Kauai is the fourth largest island in the Hawaiian Archipelago. It, along with a small, privately-owned island off its western coast make up the County of Kauai. The population in 1992 was about 50,000.
On September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki made a direct hit on the island with winds upward of 150 miles per hour. Approximately 70 percent of the buildings on Kauai were destroyed or damaged. Telecommunications and electricity were lost and not entirely restored to all areas for six months. Due to early warning and good Civil Defense planning, there were only a handful of deaths attributed to the hurricane. The hurricane missed the rest of the state except for brushing the leeward coast of Oahu.
National Guard troops from other islands were on Kauai eight hours after the hurricane had passed. Within three days, there were approximately 1,000 National Guard personnel on the island. The command and control element reported directly to the mayor of Kauai County and to the Governor. These lessons learned are from the personal recollections of a member of the command and control element.
Most striking was the number of relief agencies that arrived on-island within a week to two weeks after the storm. At one point there were 5,000 relief workers representing 80 different governmental agencies and private organizations supporting a population of 50,000. The 1:10 ratio of relief workers to residents was one reason that there was almost no looting or lawlessness in the aftermath of the storm. This ratio of 1:10 would be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in more densely populated areas or disasters that affect larger geographical regions (as we saw following Hurricane Katrina) . In New Orleans, the military response was initially focused on rescue or recovery and not on law enforcement.
Military planning is built around “operating systems†i.e. maneuver, communications, etc. To facilitate planning, the operating systems inherent in all civilian communities were identified, assessed and tracked to determine their current status to coordinate support and to help estimate how long before each system would be brought back on-line.
These systems were:
* Water
* Food
* Communications and electricity
* Sewage treatment and waste disposal
* Traffic control and public safety
* Medical Services
Each of these operating systems presented unique challenges and insights as they relate to disaster planning.
Water - There are few private wells on the island. The County owns the water system, which consists of reservoirs in the mountains and some wells that service the drier parts of the island. The first priority for Civil Defense was to install generators at all pumping stations. In most areas water was back on-line within 3-to-4 days.
Food - MREs, supplied by the Federal government, were available within a few days after the storm. They became the main source of calories for most people. However, the novelty of eating MREs quickly wore off and distributing food became a high priority. Feeding stations serving a hot lunch were set up at various locations around the island using military cooks and idle chefs from the various resort hotels. However, headcounts changed daily and it was difficult to ensure that sufficient food was available at each location.
Communications and electricity - In 1992, there were few cellular phones. Nearly everyone relied on land lines for their telephone service. The hurricane downed perhaps a third of telephone/electrical poles on the island. Crews were flown in from as far away as the east coast and worked months to repair the damage. Replacement poles were obtained from the mainland and shipped to Kauai. Reportedly, the base yards in several western states were emptied of poles to support the recovery operation for a community of 50,000. It should be noted that Hurricane Andrew had hit Florida three week before Iniki and the two areas were competing for some high priority items like telephone poles and the, much prized, blue plastic tarps used as temporary patches for leaking roofs. There were microwave relay sites on the island to transmit communications signals from Kauai to the other islands and, then, worldwide. Some of these sites had only minor damage and were quickly repaired. Others were destroyed and replacement equipment was flown in from Oahu or the mainland. Within a week. telephone service was available to the public via mobile phone trailers that were set up around the island. However, telephone service to individual homes, like electricity, was delayed for up to six months as crews replaced downed poles.
Sewage treatment and waste disposal - Kauai is a mix of public sewer systems and [private] septic systems. FEMA provided generator support to the Kauai County sewage treatment facilities and sewage never became a major health issue. Waste disposal was more challenging. The hurricane created a lot of destruction and debris. County sanitation workers had been furloughed to take care of their families. The County landfills were initially closed. People began to dump trash along side the roads. About three weeks after the storm over 1,500 active duty soldiers were brought to the island with their equipment and went door-to-door cleaning up yards and hauling away debris. A new landfill with an expected life of ten years that had been opened shortly before the storm was completely filled within a couple of months.
Traffic control and public safety - It became apparent within the first few days that the Kauai Police Department was overwhelmed. A decision was made to free-up police officers whenever feasible to take care of their own families. Restoration of electricity to key intersection was given high priority so that traffic signals would be operational. Interestingly, there was little civilian traffic for the first week since few businesses were operating and most of the roads were blocked by downed poles. A military police unit was flown in to provide traffic control as needed. However, as conditions improved, people adapted to driving without traffic lights and were generally courteous to other drivers when arriving simultaneously at intersections. Few accidents were reported. Looting was minimal due to the large presence of the military. The Honolulu SWAT deployed to Kauai and operated at night in high priority areas such as near jewelry stores, banks, etc. Two looters were arrested within the first week following the storm. In what amounted to lighting justice, they were charged, tried and convicted, and incarcerated within a week. The case was widely publicized and served as a great deterrent. The fact that access to the island was tightly controlled for the first month also stopped any outsiders from taking advantage of the situation. The lesson learned is that highly visible military and police presence coupled with quick convictions served to keep criminal activity at a manageable level. However, the local police department, as we saw in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is probably incapable of maintaining law and order.
Medical - All medical personal who live on Kauai were affected by the hurricane and, with the exception of emergency rooms, normal medical support ceased. State and County Civil Defense had air evacuated most expectant mothers and dialysis patients to Oahu a few hours before the hurricane struck. Interviews with doctors from the various relief organizations uncovered a pattern of medical emergencies. The first few days saw broken bones from falling off roofs, nail punctures and similar wounds. After about a week, diabetics and people on mood altering prescription drugs started to show up at the clinics looking for medication. These were followed by people who had ran out of medicine for chronic maladies like high blood pressure and epilepsy.
Drug addicts presented a special problem in that their regular supply was disrupted. No illegal drugs were getting on the island because the airfields and seaports were controlled by the military. Initially, addicts turned to known drug dealers and, if necessary, broke into the dealers’ homes looking for drugs. As a last resort, they started to appear at medical aid stations. Typically this occurred 7-10 days after the storm.
Medical challenges provide some of the most relevant lessons learned for people interested in preparing for a breakdown in local, regional or national government. As any infantryman will tell you, the welfare and location of the unit medic is always on your mind. If you don’t believe you have any skills to offer a group, you should develop your first aid and medical skills. There will always be a need for a “doc†to take care of group members. Research and build your own medical kit. Talk to emergency room workers and find out how they triage incoming patients. Research and memorize the checklists that first responders use as they assess patient needs and prioritize casualties. Research the process doctors use to diagnose patient complaints and symptoms. Medical equipment and a confident air could be your passport to safety. One of the most prized items turned out to be generators. Without the immediate influx of generators from FEMA and the military, life of Kauai after the hurricane would have been much tougher. Generators pumped water, cleaned sewage, provided electricity to medical facilities, and refrigerated perishable food that had been barged and flown to the island. In many instances, relatives of Kauai resident living on the other islands or the mainland bought generators and have them shipped to the Kauai. Military and civilian generators arriving at the port on Kauai were occasionally stolen by enterprising homeowners who simply backed their trucks up and drove off with a generator that had been off-loaded and staged for pickup by the legal owner. Apparently some local residents felt that it was worth the risk to provide refrigeration and lights to their families. The willingness to risk jail to obtain a generator can likely be traced to the desire to eat fresh food. MREs quickly lost their savor, especially for children.
Kauai residents would tell you that the most stressful time came immediately after the hurricane when all communication was lost and people were restricted to their immediate neighborhoods by the downed poles and trees. They simply did not know if they were going to get any help because they did not know whether the other islands had been hit by the storm. A communication plan that is well thought-out ahead of time would be a great psychological boost following a catastrophe. In addition to a good electronics, something as simple as a bulletin board that is updated every few hours would help the cohesiveness and bonding of the group.
Finally, I need to say something about the way people reacted and adjusted following the storm. In 1992, people in their 70s and 80s had lived through the Great Depression and World War II. They proved to be tougher than one would expect . They usually had a better attitude and often adapted better to living without television, electrical light and refrigeration than did many younger people. Military people found the duty easier than most field training exercises. Military veterans had often endured tougher times and also quickly adapted. In general, the more outdoor oriented people were, the easier their transition and recovery. Some folks could not cope with the dramatic changes in their routine and committed suicide. Others left the island; never to return.
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Wow, that is a really good find.
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Great write up and generally accurate...at least from my first hand experience there. The injury pattern was as described. Lots of lacerations, abrasions, falls, and other minor to moderate trauma. THe NG presence as definitely there....we had a couple of Humvees parked outside Wilcox ED with what appeared to be M60s on them. I knew one of the guys so during a break I got to ride around on a brief patrol with him.
A few days after we got there we got a farily heavy rain storm...water was literlly cascading from the ceiling of the ED and we thought we'd have to relocate services to the parking lot in a tent...good thing the rain finally slowed down and we were able to get the maintence guys to make repairs on the exterior roof.
Some interesting sights as well...on a brief trip to the north shore, we noted all the leaves were blown off the trees and brush....palm trees looked like burnt match sticks stuck in the ground and the tangled branches of the roadside brush looked naked without their leaves....
Thanks for sharing the find...as the piece mentioned, one of the most memorable things was that folks generally were helpful and kind to each other. It was really heartwarming to see the aloha everyone shared.
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Wal-mart has 20 pound bags of rice on sale for 10 bucks...stock up while you can
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Wal-mart has 20 pound bags of rice on sale for 10 bucks...stock up while you can
thanks for the tip. I'm looking into doing my first long term rice storage soon. Anybody got a good source for Mylar bags and desiccants?
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Y'know what I was really disgusted with? When we had the impending tsunami and hordes of people went to Walmart and the local supermarkets and bought hoards of canned goods, rice, packaged food, batteries etc etc and then after the tsunami passed they went right back to return everything they had bought. So much for preparedness. We can expect those same people to do the exact same thing when the next disaster strikes.
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Y'know what I was really disgusted with? When we had the impending tsunami and hordes of people went to Walmart and the local supermarkets and bought hoards of canned goods, rice, packaged food, batteries etc etc and then after the tsunami passed they went right back to return everything they had bought. So much for preparedness. We can expect those same people to do the exact same thing when the next disaster strikes.
are you serious? :wtf:
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Wow, that's messed up.
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Yes I kid you not. And the added cost of restocking the merchandise, taking in the return, repackaging, and repricing is ultimately passed on to you and me, the legitimate customers.
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I guess the lesson here is to buy when it's cheap and don't go shopping right before, during, or after emergencies. :thumbsup:
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well said.
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Wal-mart has 20 pound bags of rice on sale for 10 bucks...stock up while you can
thanks for the tip. I'm looking into doing my first long term rice storage soon. Anybody got a good source for Mylar bags and desiccants?
I store my food in 22 gal. rubbermaid tubs. I think I paid about 12 dollars each and they hold more food than one person can lift alone. The lids are also pretty solid but not airtight, so I keep everything in its original packages as well.
The dessicants I get from maui divers jewelry, just ask any person working there because they have tons of the little packets, and they also have different size ziplock bags that can be used for anything and everything.
Y'know what I was really disgusted with? When we had the impending tsunami and hordes of people went to Walmart and the local supermarkets and bought hoards of canned goods, rice, packaged food, batteries etc etc and then after the tsunami passed they went right back to return everything they had bought. So much for preparedness. We can expect those same people to do the exact same thing when the next disaster strikes.
are you serious? :wtf:
Execellent point. Wal-mart is great pre-disaster, not so good during disaster.
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Heads Up...just checked the Home Depot ad today and they have a 6 pack of aluminum case led flashlights for $9.97.
Includes 3 slim & 3 tactical style flashlights. Beam distance of 35-30ft. 9AAA and 3AA Everready batteries included.
It doesn't say what brand. They also have 4 pack LED headlamps on sale for $9.97 with batteries included.
On another note...I have another review and a DO NOT BUY advisory for the Ozark Trail 6LED mini lamp. Review to be added later.
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^ went down to the Pearl City Home Depot and they were sold out of the 6 pack flashlights.
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I guess you'll have to go in on the day the sale starts.
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cheehoo....now a full member. (whatever that means. lol.)
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i went to go look at the town one and they were sold out too. they always sell out fast.
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Couple of new things, FH has a pretty good thread with some Hawaii specific survival instructions/tips. It's pretty much that Katrina guy's blog but summed up into about a page:
http://forumshawaii.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=614416 (http://forumshawaii.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=614416)
Also through that I found these forums, which have been great so far:
http://www.survivalistboards.com/ (http://www.survivalistboards.com/)
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I usually visit http://www.survivalblog.com/index.html (http://www.survivalblog.com/index.html) once a day. That's where I got those Iniki quotes from.
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Hurricane Preparedness week is next week. Here's what's forecasted:
Two to three storms seen in Hawaii hurricane forecast
Advertiser Staff
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center's 2010 forecast calls for two to three tropical cyclones to form this year.
Quantcast
Jim Weyman, director of the hurricane center, said this morning that projected climate conditions point to a 70 percent chance of a below-normal season, a 25 percent chance of a normal season and a 5 percent chance of an above-normal season.
An average season in the Central Pacific has four to five tropical cyclones, which includes tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes.
Still, officials are urging the public to remain vigilant and prepared to act in the event a large storm reaches Hawaii.
"It is important to pay attention to forecasts and take each tropical system seriously," Weyman said. "Last year we had a scare when Hurricane Felicia approached, but fortunately it dissipated before hitting the Islands."
Hurricane season in the Pacific begins June 1 and runs through November.
Gov. Linda Lingle has proclaimed May 24-30 as Hurricane Preparedness Week.
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When we had the tsunami, I took four 5-gallon buckets, filled them with clear water and 1/2 tsp bleach, per instructions from the bleach manufacturer's website. And I forgot about them. I mean, why not? What's it gonna hurt?
Then a couple of weeks ago, it was time to brew beer again. I needed to reclaim one of the buckets for the process. Popped off the lid, and was astonished to see 3 or 4 colonies of radioactive-green algae in the bucket! Popped the lids on the other buckets, same thing. There wasn't much of it, the biggest colony being about the diameter of a coffee mug, most of them quarter-sized or smaller. They were growing on the plastic, not free-floating. The water still looked clear and smelled only of bleach.
So, WTF? What nuclear-green algae crows in bleach water?
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My DisPrep/SHTF is a .308, a 5.56, a Mav 88 in 12g, a Kimber .45, three .22lr's about a week of canned food, two Cases of bottled H2O, an American bulldog, a 04 Rubicon, and a deep feeling that the Sheep will all die in a week or two and leave me their surfboards to enjoy ;) !!!!!!!!
Mike
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Mike...I know you're joking, but how about we take this further out.
Let's assume that all the sheeple die after eating whatever is in their cupboards, including all the water. No running water because DOW are sheeple. No incoming cargo because no dock workers...sheeple too...which means no more rice/wheat/potatoes come in. No farmers...you guessed it...sheeple.
You are going to need a way to filter a source of water. You have to find a source of carbs...(breadfruit maybe?) and prepare it. You're going to have to figure out how to preserve the meat that I'm assuming you will use the .308 on.
One thing I thought of just now... find a hot woman and save her from dying. At least it will make the nights less cold. lol.
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Aww thank's for playing mike but unfortunately with only 7 days worth of food and even less water that deep feeling is now a reality,your own...I won't leave you without a door prize though,and here it Is!! (drum roll please)... less guns, more food and water.
Sorry for squatting on your idea though.
ETA: Jaydawg, I believe they refer to the survival hottie as a Bug Out Babe.
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Thanks...gotta add that to my dictionary. lol.
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No problem.
Hey just a reminder to all those would be hunters and gatherers...Oahu has a HUGE population that will STRIP THIS ISLAND CLEAN within days. I hunt regularly and i can tell you i see more and more hunters and less and less pigs!! so if you plan on surviving "off the land" , good luck to you...unless of course you will be hunting the two legged variety.....kangaroo anyone?...j/k., no seriously, buy food, save water, at least, AT LEAST, a months worth per person.
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We go through a 20lb bag of rice every 3 weeks.
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For water ... rainbarrels & biosandfilter. Ever measure how much comes off your roof? Bleach is tough, as are purification tablets, on the kidneys. It wouldve been better to brew 5 gal buckets of weak ale, like the sailors used to do when fresh water was scarce.
For food ... Were good for a couple months, with the occaissional chicken, mongoose, fish or pet in the stock pot. This island could feed a lot of people if they changed their diet.
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For water ... rainbarrels & biosandfilter. Ever measure how much comes off your roof? Bleach is tough, as are purification tablets, on the kidneys. It wouldve been better to brew 5 gal buckets of weak ale, like the sailors used to do when fresh water was scarce.
For food ... Were good for a couple months, with the occaissional chicken, mongoose, fish or pet in the stock pot. This island could feed a lot of people if they changed their diet.
you must have alot of pets!!!!!
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Never said I was gonna eat MY pets ... ;)
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ToG= love the Bug Out Babe
Yes, I did realize that and have two oh i guess, 12x12x30 inch boxes full of canned food now. I also have two cases of thirty half liter bottles of water and we save the last case of bottles for refill if needed, so i would have 45 liter's if needed. Also I am now looking at bargin's like guys found. I am learning alot from listening so I will stop talking and learn more now, Tanks
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Can't go wrong with cans, they last about 2-3 years(freshness wise, though I never tried), can be eaten cold, and usually contain 2-3 servings. The generic stuff from wal-mart is less expensive than most store sales and I figure I spend maybe $20 a month or so just buying a little extra here and there. It really does add up. Don't forget to include water for sanitary and hygiene purposes, even easier is baby wipes which can be had at costco for $20 per 1000 wipes. These are very handy for washing up quickly.
I know I said it before but I'll say it again, 72 hours of food and water does not apply to these islands!!! we are on our own, and i wouldn't expect us to be rescued by gov't efforts for at least 2 weeks. Look to Katrina for your example, it took our gov't weeks and weeks to get that place initially under control, and N.O. still has not fully recovered. Even during the tsunami scare, our state officials were unsure if they should shut down certain infrastructure or not, I guess when you have a bunker fully stocked in the side of a mountain its easy to have a 'wait and see' attitude. We(the people) just have to remember that these islands are supplied by the mainland on a weekly basis, and it would take weeks to gather and ship the supplies needed to get us stabilized after a major disaster. Now, in the meantime, wouldn't it be great if we had at least a months worth of food and water stored for our family so we didn't have to venture out into the hordes of the unprepared.
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If you're into reading, a good long term fictional SHTF book is "One Second After" by William R. Forstchen
It's basically about the effects on a national and local scale of an EMP attack on our country.
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+1 me for prepper/survivalist. Though only budding. I had a vacation which was a hiccup for my preps, but now that I'm back I will have to continue.
Currently working on dry foods (rice, etc) and canned goods. I really need to get my water worked on though.
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Can't go wrong with cans, they last about 2-3 years(freshness wise, though I never tried), can be eaten cold, and usually contain 2-3 servings. The generic stuff from wal-mart is less expensive than most store sales and I figure I spend maybe $20 a month or so just buying a little extra here and there. It really does add up. Don't forget to include water for sanitary and hygiene purposes, even easier is baby wipes which can be had at costco for $20 per 1000 wipes. These are very handy for washing up quickly.
I know I said it before but I'll say it again, 72 hours of food and water does not apply to these islands!!! we are on our own, and i wouldn't expect us to be rescued by gov't efforts for at least 2 weeks. Look to Katrina for your example, it took our gov't weeks and weeks to get that place initially under control, and N.O. still has not fully recovered. Even during the tsunami scare, our state officials were unsure if they should shut down certain infrastructure or not, I guess when you have a bunker fully stocked in the side of a mountain its easy to have a 'wait and see' attitude. We(the people) just have to remember that these islands are supplied by the mainland on a weekly basis, and it would take weeks to gather and ship the supplies needed to get us stabilized after a major disaster. Now, in the meantime, wouldn't it be great if we had at least a months worth of food and water stored for our family so we didn't have to venture out into the hordes of the unprepared.
Agree with TOG that 72HRS supply wont cut it here. Being remotely located, one should prepare for a longer period. On canned food...It will last for 2-3 years, BUT the nutritional value of the contents of some canned food starts to dive exponentially after about a year. Yes, it may taste fine and fill you up, but it may be like eating flavored cardboard, you aren't getting much from it. This timeframe is based on ideal conditions (the cooler the better) The garage is not the spot to store your canned foods. The same applies to MREs.
Rotation is key also. Rotate your stock into your normal meals so that you replentish it with your normal grocery runs. First in/First out.
Remember that certain items like whole wheat, grains, and legumes will store for a very, very, long time if they are stored properly. Eating beans and rice for a lot of meals may suck, but not as much as watching your loved ones starve to death. Recommend a pressure cooker for preparing these items as it saves time and more importantly your heat source. This is really important since power/gas will be in limited supply. For example. Brown rice ~45 minutes in a regular pot. Pressure cooker -15 minutes.
Chuck
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^ Good points vooduchikn. I write on all my canned goods with a sharpie the date I purchased them to make it easier to know which canned goods are newer and which ones are older.
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FYI, Spam does Not last forever. A while back, I had 7 cans go bad on me.
I admit that they were almost 8 years old. They were in a box waaay in the back of the pantry.
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FYI, Spam does Not last forever. A while back, I had 7 cans go bad on me.
I admit that they were almost 8 years old. They were in a box waaay in the back of the pantry.
Noooooooooooo!!!!!
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I thought I'd share some pictures.
Rice sealed in mylar with an oxygen absorber.
[smg id=33]
Empty bags of rice.
[smg id=34]
Buckets where the rice is stored after being sealed in mylar.
[smg id=35]
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Nice.. :thumbsup:
But how do you keep the beer from going bad?? ;)
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Thanks 2aHawaii. :shaka:
Wondering though if you have anymore info on your rice in mylar storage? How did you seal the bags?
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Thanks 2aHawaii. :shaka:
Wondering though if you have anymore info on your rice in mylar storage? How did you seal the bags?
I just poured the rice in, stuck in an oxygen absorber, and took a hot iron to the mylar. I don't know if that is how you are supposed to do it, but it seemed to seal it just fine. We'll see how it worked in 10 years. :thumbsup:
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Should be fine, esp if you're storing it again in those buckets. The dessicant should take care of the moisture, so long as you don't open it prior to use for whatever reason :thumbsup:
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Where do you keep all your buckets? I can only fit 8 or so in my closet in my small quadruplex we live in. lol.
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Nice.. :thumbsup:
But how do you keep the beer from going bad?? ;)
You drink it and store it as survival-hibernation fat like a bear. :P
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You drink it and store it as survival-hibernation fat like a bear. :P
Didn't think about it that way. I've been storing it that way for years! :thumbsup:
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Any one have any Info on the use of add on faucet mounted water filters(Brita or PUR)?
I have a PUR mounted on my kitchen faucet. Takes the treated taste our of the BWS supplied water.
If time permitts, Wife will fill up our water gallons with filtered water. Takes a long time per gallon.
Same time she will be filling our City & County supplied trash bins(after good rinsing) with water for toilet.
All this while I'm out getting gas for vehicles And 2 Honda generators.
Funny: While getting food at Foodland just before Iniki hit Oahu, Wife saw people stocking up on Frozen TV dinners......
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Old Guy,
I'm not really sure what you're asking...but I think you're asking for a faster alternative to get as much potable water as possible prior to a natural disaster hitting?
I would say that depending how much other stuff needs to be done, perhaps you're better off doing the vast majority of your water unfiltered and using other methods to purify as needed. Also, why not just have a couple 5 gallon water jugs stored for drinking purposes?
Furthermore, if you were so inclined and have the space, you can set up a collapsible rain catcher (http://www.improvementscatalog.com/product/code/372529.do?cm_mmc=Shopzilla-_-GutterAccessories-_-2010-_-372529&code-macs=MP0SZILLA&code=MP0SZILLA&mr:referralID=6eac3fad-e1ac-11df-ad8e-001b2166c62d (http://www.improvementscatalog.com/product/code/372529.do?cm_mmc=Shopzilla-_-GutterAccessories-_-2010-_-372529&code-macs=MP0SZILLA&code=MP0SZILLA&mr:referralID=6eac3fad-e1ac-11df-ad8e-001b2166c62d)) to give you more than enough water after the storm.
- Alex
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Alex, thanks for the tip.
Yes, my question was in reference to potable water for drinking.
Your suggestion is great for general storage of water for non food purposes.
I would never ingest rain water off the roof or let the dogs drink quantities of it.
Good for toilet use.
Another way is to fill extra large plastic refuse bags for emergency non drinking use. I would question drinking that water because of chemicals
leaching out of the plastic. Make sure you have ways of holding the filled bags to keep from spilling. In our case we have several plastic rubbish
containers (Very used and not really cleanable) which would well as a container.
Again in these situations, thinking out of the box is the rule.
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I would never ingest rain water off the roof or let the dogs drink quantities of it.
Neither would I...until it was purified. It is quite easy to set up a small filtration setup and then use the various methods of purification (sunlight, chlorine, etc...) to render it potable. The reason I prefer this method over trying to get all of your potable water needs met from the beginning is two-fold: 1) the infrastructure is already in place in the event that the "fallout" of the disaster runs much longer than originally anticipated, and 2) if done properly, this method can save alot of time since it is kind of a set it and forget it purification setup (and can be done as needed) as opposed to trying to front-load all of the effort when there are so many other important tasks to take care of in preparation for a disaster.
But of course, YMMV....I personally just have a bunch of guns, ammunition, and camo paint...I figure that'll be enough to get me through any disaster that comes our way. :crazy:
- Alex
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About rice, good idea, but what about the pre-packaged 1 minute micro wave stuff?
I know you need power. I have Honda generator and given enough notice hurricane or tsunami, I can get gas before hand.
I'm out of luck with an earthquake. Only 24 to 36 hours of gas on hand at any given moment, plus what's in the 2 vehicles.
I usually have at least enough for 40 meals on hand. And rotate stock as we eat and renew.
About fire power, Never think you're the best on the block. Always figure that there is some one Better or Luckier than you out there
and Plan accordingly.
Do Not get over confident in what You know. I'd rather be Lucky than be good........
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Ahh yes, I hear the voice of Yoda whenever OG posts! lol
"This be true young padawun" (hope I spelled it right) ;D
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I only keep the instant rice around for my disaster preps....saves propane because instead of having to cook the rice in boiling water, all you have to do is bring the water to a boil and then add it to the rice. The generator is nice, but it's important to have a plan B (i.e., small camp stove).
And the guns and ammo thing was a joke. I actually have far more disaster preps than I do weapons and ammo.
P.S: I'll take good over lucky any day.
- Alex
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I would never ingest rain water off the roof or let the dogs drink quantities of it.
Neither would I...until it was purified. It is quite easy to set up a small filtration setup and then use the various methods of purification (sunlight, chlorine, etc...) to render it potable. The reason I prefer this method over trying to get all of your potable water needs met from the beginning is two-fold: 1) the infrastructure is already in place in the event that the "fallout" of the disaster runs much longer than originally anticipated, and 2) if done properly, this method can save alot of time since it is kind of a set it and forget it purification setup (and can be done as needed) as opposed to trying to front-load all of the effort when there are so many other important tasks to take care of in preparation for a disaster.
But of course, YMMV....I personally just have a bunch of guns, ammunition, and camo paint...I figure that'll be enough to get me through any disaster that comes our way. :crazy:
- Alex
Rain water is great. You can easily use SODIS to treat your rain water as long as your roof and your gutters aren't holding much debris. Ever looked in your rain gutters? SODIS will kill any bad bugs, but it wont remove chemicals collected from the roof. Leptosporosis is the main concern here in Hawaii , it can get anywhere animals take a dump. Your roof is that place (birds, rats, parrots if you live in Wailuna, etc).
Nice thing about Hawaii is that it rains often and your roof is usually free from crap that collects. Bad thing is your gutters trap most of that crap and it sits there unless you ensure they are clean. I have found some strange shit in my gutters....dead geckos, birds, and once a greasy tool (no idea where that came from)
Most roof materials are made from petroleum based shingles and that stuff washes off after heating up, but it usually reaches a point of no return in that its done leaching out petrochemicals. Unless you have recently had your roof reshingled or are in question, consult your contractor to find out what you have above you. Always look for sand (or gravel) ...seems to be the biggest offender with shingled roofs in my experience. Sand sinks, so set your cistern up to draw from mid level or put a filter in it if you are paranoid.
I have a friend on the mainland who's entire household's water supply (5 people) comes from the roof alone. You would be surprised by the amount of water caught by one rainstorm on a flat surface. He live exclusively on this and has had his water tested VS the available public supply and his is much cleaner in comparison in the mineral and chemical department. This is consumed only after treatmeant VIA SODIS on the same roof! I have a design for a SODIS disenfection setup that will cost you a few bucks and lives on your roof. It is adjustable based on your view to the sun (not an issue here as long as you can see south).
He does not treat his bath, dishwasher, or clothes water. He uses a simple roof t and gutter to funnel water to his cisterns. He uses several drums that are painted black and some white and has never had an issue. He has been using this for about 10 years and hasn't paid a water bill since then. His power is strictly solar and has a generator, but can't recall the last time he fired it for other than making sure it was still operational, it runs on LP gas and Petrol as well.
While he is truly living off the grid in a 2500 square ft house in TX, he is very well armed (25+ guns and over 500 rounds for each) and retired. He is also well prepared and has been practicing food rotation for over 10 years (since Y2K).
Out of all the shit he has going on, I asked for the ONE thing he felt was necessary for survival and his answer was CLEAN POTABLE WATER..
Seems this is the worlds' elephant in the room.
I think at one point we were going to grab some stream water and SODIS treat it and either drink it or have it tested....
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What is SODIS?
Got a link to a site?
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What is SODIS?
Got a link to a site?
http://www.sodis.ch/index_EN (http://www.sodis.ch/index_EN)
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the movie "the road" is probably the worst case scenario. Something that happened that also affected the planet and soil so you can't even grow food. Not really sure what one can do in that situation. Sure the movie sorta ended on a happy note, but i couldn't help but think, how much longer will they be able to survive? Without being able to grow food, the planet is going to run out of things to eat eventually.....and then that's the end. Of everyone and everything. So gloomy.
After Armageddon seems somewhat more of a realistic scenario. I saw it on youtube and made sure I downloaded it to my hdd before youtube deletes it due to copywrite issues.
As far as prepping....i have 6 cans of beans and a case of bottled water that will expire in a year or two lol. And some guns and ammo -_-
If anyone really wants to see it and can't find it, i can try post the vids of after armageddon on youtube, but the quality might suck since it will be a re-up of a vid that was downloaded from youtube.
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Remember...alot of us have guns and ammo too.
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Remember...alot of us have guns and ammo too.
yea ok..and that means what exactly
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Focus on food & water. Is all that means. ☺
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Well said Dregs.
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Bug-Out meaning like tsunami or other less-than-2hr-notice event.
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I would skip the bug out bags all together as the premise of those are out dated in my opinion. We live in a world where surviving out of a backpack off the land is near impossible at best. If I were you I would build around some type of small four wheeled cart. In this solution you could carry far more supplies for your entire family.
I have some of these carts where I work and I'll get a pic up friday for you.
Edit: could you give a little info on where you live and what type of terrain you'll be bugging out in?
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:wave:
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I keep my gas in a vented shed out back. Make sure you close the gas cans tight and you should be OK.
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other than youtube, anyone else have a good source for BugOutBag opinions/instructionals? I wanna put one together, but since i've got kids, the size and weight it can be is limited.(have to prep lots of "other" essential stuff too)
Bug-Out meaning like tsunami or other less-than-2hr-notice event.
The problem with living on an island is, no matter where you go there are already other people there. Having a spot to yourself in the woods within walking distance of your house/residential area, is about as likely as having a beach to yourself all day for a weekend. It's near-impossible because Hawaii (especially Oahu) is just teaming with people.
To me a BOB is to get me from work or my car, to my home, my parent's home, or my GF's house as safely and effectively as possible. The supplies and resources I have at any of those three places will always be greater than what I could carry, wheel around on a cart, or even hope to load up in a vehicle.
Possible scenarios that could happen to Hawaii:
Hurricane/Tornado - I'm better off inside a sheltered home than outside
Tsunami/flood - same, but mainly because my house is outside of a possible flood zone.
Acid rain/hail - Again, better under a roof than out in the woods
Earthquake - this is 50/50 for me. Inside I run the risk of getting crushed, outside I run the risk of falling boulders or trees
Military Invasion/economic collapse/government overthrow - again this is 50/50, there's a chance I could avoid detection living in the woods somewhere, but I would have to be pretty deep in the woods to do it. Not all of my loved ones are able to travel that far, or sustain themselves that way. In my house I have more ammunition and food.
Nuclear attack - Either way, inside or outside I'm probably fried and dead. I might as well be comfortable in my house.
The one instance where I could see a BOB being preferable to bugging in is in the event of a wide spreading fire. In that case, I'm better off running away than staying inside.
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I have about 15 gallons of gas stashed around my place. Some gets rotated into the lawn equipment, some into the bikes, some for the trucks. The gas I use is ethanol free which works great for me, and nothing I use it in complains. I believe it stores better and a lot of boaters would agree too. I keep a five gallon can on my 4 wheeler, which gets rotated about once a month or so, and I have ten or so gallons around the yard in various size cans.
Out of curiosity, you got a spot picked out in kunia, or are you planning on finding one when you get there. I ask because I know some folks that have ranches in that area, and are quite unfriendly to new faces.
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on a side note, i'm starting to buy 5 gal plastic gas cans to store fuel. I've learned that it is a complete waste of time/gas to get in line at the gas station once an emergency is announced.... not to mention dangerous. Last time I did that, people were pretty close to fighting. So, i'm thinking i'll just store enough for a complete fill-up of my car so I don't have to get fuel. After doing research, I found out that storing gas in a enclosed garage is DANGEROUS. The fumes can build up and one spark, kaboom. Anyone store gas? How do you do it? i'm thinking i'll put Sta-bil in it and rotate it through my vehicles every 3 months or so.
One bad thing about the gas that is available now is the ethanol contained within. It is a useless additive to the gas, it barely does anything to reduce pollution because it is being burned in um, gas, it adds to the growing cost of the stuff, and worst of all, it Effs up any thing you put it in.(unless you burn it up very frequently)
The ethanol will eat many gaskets and rubber used in most of the older engines and carburetors that people use, such as generators, automobiles, boats, and motorcycles. Also, gas stored, even in a plastic can, can absorb moisture in the air. You'll end up with bad gas on top and water/sludge on the bottom. I know, because that s***t effed up my motorcycles gaskets, which I now have to fix, under my own coin. This is also why boaters hate this stuff. How'd you like to be 5 miles out, and find that your engines hoses and gaskets are eaten up, and your fuel tank is half full of water/sludge?
If you cannot get non-ethanol gas, like Tons suggests, then go down to Westmarine and get those additives that are made specifically for treating the ethanol gas. I think the best one, the one many boaters use, is called 'Star tron'. It is pricey, but the gas that has been stored will have a better chance of being good when you need it the most.
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good insight everyone.
tonsofguns, nowhere specific in Kunia, it's just that it's straight up from the area i live, and i'm talking tsunami where I gotta head for high ground. I think that most other SHTF scenarios, i'd go to a relatives house if I could not stay at home.
Good info on the gas and marine community. They are the ones that are taking it in the A$$ when it comes to ethanol. I even heard that the ethanol brings down fuel economy. I'm willing to rotate it out every 3 months, and stabil has keep it "ok" for that length of time from what I have experienced.
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I buy my ethanol free gas at the Aloha station (not all offer it though), costs a little less than premium. You should be able to find it at stations around harbors or boat ramps. Maybe Costco or Sams offers it, but I don't know for sure.
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This looked fun so I had to do it!
Possible scenarios that could happen to Hawaii:
- Hurricane/Tornado - Staying home. Concrete walls, and a second floor to take most of the damage for me.
- Tsunami/Flood - Staying home. Live on the side of a hill. It's got to be a really, REALLY, bad flood or biblical tsunami for it to affect us.
- Acid Rain/Hail - Staying home. Same reason as #1. Emphasis on the last part >:D
- Earthquake - Definitely BOB'ing it. We live downhill of a high-rise condo. I'm no physicist, but something tells me that if that building is going down, it's more likely to fall downhill than uphill, depending on the stress points.
- Military Invasion/Government Overthrow - 50/50. Depends on the situation! French Resistance style? Or Guerilla warfare style?
- Economic Collapse- Bugging in but bugging in somewhere else. Either my parents or her parents.
Nuclear Attack - Definitely outside. No need life-sustaining BOB though. LOL! - Zombie Apocalypse - Need BOB to conduct salvage operations or scout for resources and safe spots. Better to have it before-hand than having to scrounge for it afterwards!
- Alien Encounter - Definitely have a BOB on hand. What goes in it depends on if they're here to save us or enslave us. lol. Comfort items? Or WAR!! items?
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I buy my ethanol free gas at the Aloha station (not all offer it though), costs a little less than premium. You should be able to find it at stations around harbors or boat ramps. Maybe Costco or Sams offers it, but I don't know for sure.
Is this gas free of road tax? Which one are you going to?
Thanks Tons.
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Don't forget a bug out bag stashed at work in case you need to get home.
Water, boonie hat, food bars, walking/running shoes.
Antithesis & Dregs - how about a nuclear attack that fell short and caused an EMP.
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Aloha gas across from the Hygeinic store, by the Heeia Kea harbor.
I forgot about the bag for getting back home from work or some place. That I will definitely recommend. For the bag I keep in my car I use a small backpack, inside I keep a poncho, socks, para cord, canteen, and a mayday bar. Don't really need more than that for walking home.
BTW, Hawaii was already hit once with an EMP. Also, in any event, you should be prepared to be cut off from the mainland for at least a few months.
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- Gas: I never let my tank go below 1/2 full. I also carry a small 5-gallon container of gasoline in the bed of my truck locked up by a cheap bike lock. Whenever I go to fill up, I use the 5 gallons from the container and then top off the rest of the tank; then obviously I fill the container back up. Assuming the worst case scenario (disaster strikes when my tank is at the 1/2 way point), this gives me about 12 gallons total of fuel...more than enough to get me where ever I need to go on this island.
- BOBs are a very individual thing. I live 200 yards from the ocean, I know that if a 7+ magnatude earthquake hits the Big Island, I have 15-25 minutes after the sirens go off to get the hell out of dodge before the tsunami rolls in. That means that I need to be out of there within 5-10 minutes, TOPS. As it stands right now (and I drill myself on a regular basis), I can get my BOB, my 3 primary tupperware bins of preps, and my dog into my truck in 3-5 minutes (depends if the elevators are working) from the moment the sirens go off.
- Some (all?) water and sewage treatment facilities use chlorine gas to remove contaminates. If there is an incident (man-made or natural disaster) which causes the gas to be released, then anyone upwind needs to be able to bug out ASAP. I am not at all versed on the facilities here in Hawaii, so this may not be something that applies to most people, but it's something to consider.
other than youtube, anyone else have a good source for BugOutBag opinions/instructionals? I wanna put one together, but since i've got kids, the size and weight it can be is limited.(have to prep lots of "other" essential stuff too)
Bug-Out meaning like tsunami or other less-than-2hr-notice event.
Dood, there are so many resources if you know where to look! :D
http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4103 (http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4103) (You can literally spend weeks reading all of the BOB info they have in this forum)
http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/tag/bug-out-bag (http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/tag/bug-out-bag) (Jack Spirko is the heat. End.)
http://chipmonk.podbean.com/?s=bug+out (http://chipmonk.podbean.com/?s=bug+out)
http://handgunpodcast.com/jack-spirko-bug-out-bags-069/ (http://handgunpodcast.com/jack-spirko-bug-out-bags-069/)
- Alex
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Speaking of bugging home. Anybody know of a walking trail between waipio and mililani?
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- BOBs are a very individual thing. I live 200 yards from the ocean, I know that if a 7+ magnatude earthquake hits the Big Island, I have 15-25 minutes after the sirens go off to get the hell out of dodge before the tsunami rolls in. That means that I need to be out of there within 5-10 minutes, TOPS. As it stands right now (and I drill myself on a regular basis), I can get my BOB, my 3 primary tupperware bins of preps, and my dog into my truck in 3-5 minutes (depends if the elevators are working) from the moment the sirens go off.
Just FYI, where I live, just because of the earthquake, the roads were gridlocked. I could not get up to the freeway. I would add some time to a evacuation plan just due to the traffic
Dood, there are so many resources if you know where to look! :D
http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4103 (http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4103) (You can literally spend weeks reading all of the BOB info they have in this forum)
http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/tag/bug-out-bag (http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/tag/bug-out-bag) (Jack Spirko is the heat. End.)
http://chipmonk.podbean.com/?s=bug+out (http://chipmonk.podbean.com/?s=bug+out)
http://handgunpodcast.com/jack-spirko-bug-out-bags-069/ (http://handgunpodcast.com/jack-spirko-bug-out-bags-069/)
Wow, thanks for those links, will check those out :thumbsup:
- Alex
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As I said, they're an individual need. Compared to people who live down-island, my location on the North Shore gives me a significant advantage in a disaster when I have almost any amount of forewarning. Plus, even if my very fast response time doesn't let me get out before BOTH of my routes away from here are clogged, I have a secondary location that doesn't require me to leave the North Shore. It's not nearly as good as my primary BOL, but it would certainly do in almost every instance except for a big hurricane.
On the topic of emergency alerts, I have an EAS (Emergency Alert Sentinel), email, and text messages all set up to warn me in the event of an incoming disaster. Hell, I have barely been able to sleep the last few weeks with all of the rain and Flash Flood Watches/Warnings....which in reality is a great thing. At least I know that my notification system works. On more than one occasion, I've been up and loaded up before anyone else in my building/neighborhood is stirring. I like using those crappy warning times in the early a.m. as a REAL test of my evac ability.
- Alex
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On the topic of emergency alerts, I have an EAS (Emergency Alert Sentinel), email, and text messages all set up to warn me in the event of an incoming disaster.
- Alex
How do we sign up to get alerts like that? I'm sure i'm not the only one who would like to sign up
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Focus on food & water. Is all that means. ☺
Very perceptive Dregs. You knew where that convo was going. However, attitudes like that is the reason why we'll never get CCW.
In any case, :stopjack:
I totally agree with tonsofguns. Bugging out on this stupid little island is going to be impossible. There's no where to go. However i do plan on making a "get home" back. Consisting of things that may help me get out of some kind of disaster. Namely an earthquake which causes the building to collapse or a terrorist bombing. I keep remembering 9/11 when the tower collapsed, there were so many people covered in dirt and dust. Just imagine if you were in that situation and had full faced respirator?
Things that I was thinking of having in my get home bag would consist of a pry bar, respirator (hell maybe even a full on gas mask? ???), flashlights, extra batteries, container of water (maybe even those sealed packets of emergency water), gloves, glow sticks, rope and collapsable grappling hook, first aid kit, small emergency radio, 2 way radio, whistle, maybe a few other things i can't think of right now off the top of my head.
The rope would work for me since i work on the 2nd floor of a building. If something happened and i was unable to get to the staircases or elevators to get down, the rope and grappling hook would work well in that situation.
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When someone says they have 6 cans of beans and guns and ammo for their preps, its easy to read that as 'I plan on eating good for one day and using the guns for the next'....kinda gives a bad impression.
Anyways, you obviously meant different.
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Next time I'll put a smiley face for sarcasm.
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This looked fun so I had to do it!
Possible scenarios that could happen to Hawaii:
- Hurricane/Tornado - Staying home. Concrete walls, and a second floor to take most of the damage for me.
- Tsunami/Flood - Staying home. Live on the side of a hill. It's got to be a really, REALLY, bad flood or biblical tsunami for it to affect us.
- Acid Rain/Hail - Staying home. Same reason as #1. Emphasis on the last part >:D
- Earthquake - Definitely BOB'ing it. We live downhill of a high-rise condo. I'm no physicist, but something tells me that if that building is going down, it's more likely to fall downhill than uphill, depending on the stress points.
- Military Invasion/Government Overthrow - 50/50. Depends on the situation! French Resistance style? Or Guerilla warfare style?
- Economic Collapse- Bugging in but bugging in somewhere else. Either my parents or her parents.
Nuclear Attack - Definitely outside. No need life-sustaining BOB though. LOL! - Zombie Apocalypse - Need BOB to conduct salvage operations or scout for resources and safe spots. Better to have it before-hand than having to scrounge for it afterwards!
- Alien Encounter - Definitely have a BOB on hand. What goes in it depends on if they're here to save us or enslave us. lol. Comfort items? Or WAR!! items?
Gah, how could I have forgotten about the Zombie Apocalypse?! That's the most important scenario for any true survivalist. :rofl:
Things that I was thinking of having in my get home bag would consist of a pry bar, respirator (hell maybe even a full on gas mask? ???), flashlights, extra batteries, container of water (maybe even those sealed packets of emergency water), gloves, glow sticks, rope and collapsable grappling hook, first aid kit, small emergency radio, 2 way radio, whistle, maybe a few other things i can't think of right now off the top of my head.
Good list Ichigeki. I think you nailed down the purpose of a BOB nicely. I would add in a good knife/multi tool with a sawback edge for cutting rope/seatbelts etc, and some light rations like chocolate or energy bars.
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How do we sign up to get alerts like that? I'm sure i'm not the only one who would like to sign up
The Weather Channel offers free email and text alerts for your zip code. I have two different alerts set up: one for work and one for home.
https://registration.weather.com/ursa/alerts/step1?from=svralrtpg&initAlerts=SVR (https://registration.weather.com/ursa/alerts/step1?from=svralrtpg&initAlerts=SVR)
As far as the EAS, I can't seem to find the website anymore. I bought it from a small company called ASI in Ohio. I hope they didn't go under, their little alert radio thingy is awesome.
Things that I was thinking of having in my get home bag would consist of a pry bar, respirator (hell maybe even a full on gas mask? ???), flashlights, extra batteries, container of water (maybe even those sealed packets of emergency water), gloves, glow sticks, rope and collapsable grappling hook, first aid kit, small emergency radio, 2 way radio, whistle, maybe a few other things i can't think of right now off the top of my head.
The rope would work for me since i work on the 2nd floor of a building. If something happened and i was unable to get to the staircases or elevators to get down, the rope and grappling hook would work well in that situation.
I think you're on the right track with this bag, but some of the stuff seems kinda bulky/extraneous. For example, I personally feel that N95 dust masks would be sufficient for almost any situation that doesn't require full CBRNE gear. For the pry bar, I would look into something like this: EOD Robotics Breacher Bar (http://countycomm.com/eodrtool.htm). For the grappling hook, there are other ways to rappel down a face and retreive your rope that require either no equipment or something smaller/lighter than a grappling hook (even a collapsable one). As far as the water goes, I personally use a camelback Mule for my Get Home Bag and keep a gallon of water in my truck (that I rotate out every few months). If I have to bug out, then I just dump the gallon of water into the bladder. Other small things that you're forgetting are fire (lighter and magnesium block), shelter (compact heat blanket or poncho + 550 cord + business card duct tape), some type of knife (I prefer a medium sized fixed blade, like the SOG SEAL Pup and a multitool for this type of BOB) and of course food (I keep a couple CLIF bars, a pouch or two of dried mango slices, some beef jerky, and one Mainstay 3600 calorie bar). One last thing that I keep in there is a Silcock key, this little gizmo can be bought at any hardware store and allows you to turn on a spigot that doesn't have a handle.
Lastly, my PERSONAL philosphy regarding a Get Home Bag is that I need to have enough stuff to be able to take care of any passengers that are with me. Luckily I have a truck so that's easy for me. The reason I say this is that if you have a friend(s) with you in the car when the SHTF, you're gonna have a problem if you both(all) need to hoof it on foot and you only have enough gear/food/water for yourself.
I'm pretty sleepy, so I probably missed some stuff or wasn't very clear, so if I confused you just let me know and I'll try to clarify it.
- Alex
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On the topic of emergency alerts, I have an EAS (Emergency Alert Sentinel), email, and text messages all set up to warn me in the event of an incoming disaster.
- Alex
How do we sign up to get alerts like that? I'm sure i'm not the only one who would like to sign up
http://www1.honolulu.gov/dem/ (http://www1.honolulu.gov/dem/)
Look for the link that says NIXLE and sign up. You can get it sent to a cell phone or email.
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Got it, thank you!
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Yeah, H2 or Kam Hwy.
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Yeah, H2 or Kam Hwy.
Both are bridges. Is there another route down into the valley? I read there was a footpath going to some underground hangars that were used during WWII. I guess I'll have to look up a hiking book.
If anything, I guess I could go up Kunia road.
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Still letting the dust settle from the move so dont have many beans or bullets, but in the event of the most likely scenario tat could affect me (tornado) it really wouldnt matter anyways. Ive got a ton of insurance through USAA to cover anything like that financially, if civil unrest/Zombie/Alien Invasion hits Im in the best part of town to bug out on I-20 westbound. EMP hits Im not far from a large lake and I have an infinite amount of squirrels and pidgeons around me.
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Just got a Smith & Wesson tactical pen with fire starter and glass breaker. woo hooo!!! first present of the birthday. ill post back if I get anymore survival/tacticool stuff.
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Well here is the cart for bugging out>>
(http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz81/survivaljoe/IMG00705-20110218-1551.jpg)
These carts are about 4ft. by 2ft. and can easily can over 100lbs. The tires are air filled. This would be better than backpacks or great as an addition to backpacks. i would personally use this to hold the bulk of my water, food, and supplies. If you welded a steel plate over the mesh, you would also have a makeshift barricade ;)
And if you really get creative, you might lash up a team of dogs to pull it for you... :o
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Aloha all.
Been away but look into the boards time to time. Anyways some of my soup cans haven't been rotated so I opened one Cream of Mushroom, best by dated March 2010 and it looked, smelled and cooked up just fine. Although the nutrional content no doubt is questionable. Lucky able to dispose of the remaining stock and just replace with new. Those are in the preps because with dovetails with other supplies to make half decent meals ie. the soup, water and tuna, topped with grated parmesian to make a decent emergency casserole (sp). season to taste with salt, pepper, heck add tobasco if you want :) Anyways, just a test and the soup was fine.
I will be possibly eating a can of peaches later from similar batch date though I'm less confident those kept as well so might just look at it. Heck wait a sec and I'll open it up..
Nope, not edible. While still smells ok, the juice is cloudy and thickened, the fruit way soft and falling apart. Enough experimenting. Toss and resupply.
Had a can of mandarin oranges blow it's lid off in the pantry! As I was away for a long time it sat there, shrank up inside, with the exploded juice turning into a hard brown syrup like mess to clean up.
Just tales from another prepper. I do not depend on any government agency to "take good care of me". That is the last line want to be in.
"clean, potable water" bears repeating in caps too CLEAN, POTABLE WATER. Get it now before the rush of emergency.
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I too am just getting started with my "beans, bullets and band-aids". I hear if your looking for Mountain House freeze dried food, the guys making em are backed up a couple months and aren't taking orders for the #10 cans. I wanted to order at least a month supply but I was out of luck. I did get some calcium hypochlorite for water purification and some mil-c-5040 paracord(the real stuff, not the typical commercial stuff u find) re: paracord, alot of the stuff you find is not the real stuff. If anyone wants to see the real stuff lmk and I can email a pic.
On another note I was thinking of taking a class at the frontsite academy in Las Vegas as soon as I can raise the funds. It may be a while because that's gonna come after I get the 3 b's taken care of.
Still looking for:
Mossberg 500/590
Ruger MKIII
Ar type rifle
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I personally feel that N95 dust masks would be sufficient for almost any situation that doesn't require full CBRNE gear.
- Alex
Bulky yes; heavy, not really. M40s you cant buy, but the MSA's you can. Eventually Id like to have one for each member of my family.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/Gear/DSC01145.jpg)
ETA: M40s are for sale, at $500+ a pop...
http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/3m-fr-m40CBRN.htm (http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/3m-fr-m40CBRN.htm)
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ETA: M40s are for sale, at $500+ a pop...
http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/3m-fr-m40CBRN.htm (http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/3m-fr-m40CBRN.htm)
I suppose those might be useful seeing as how Halloween is right around the corner.
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ETA: M40s are for sale, at $500+ a pop...
http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/3m-fr-m40CBRN.htm (http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/3m-fr-m40CBRN.htm)
I suppose those might be useful seeing as how Halloween is right around the corner.
If the weather is right I might go full MOPP4 this year.
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ETA: M40s are for sale, at $500+ a pop...
http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/3m-fr-m40CBRN.htm (http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/3m-fr-m40CBRN.htm)
Never buy anything from them...they'll rip you off on stuff that is out of date/fail inspection.
I suppose those might be useful seeing as how Halloween is right around the corner.
I wore one of these last year while handing out candy...
(http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt203/Colt808/GasMaskcom/IMG_0386.jpg)
It scared the lil' ones enough that they wouldn't approach. Older kids/parents thought I was some Star Wars fanboy.
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HI. It's your friendly neighborhood thread necromancer...
I suppose that I am techinically a prepper or survivalist. Part of that comes from my more recent work - I do a lot of video and media work for NOAA and FEMA. I spend a lot of time around the people who's job it is to imagine all the things that could possibly happen and make plans for them. Part comes from living on the islands: if a tsunami, earthquake or hurricane damages the docks, airport and/or bridges we could easily be on our own for a week or 2. FEMA recommends 5 days of supplies minimum.
When we moved into this house we ripped out the electric stove and put in a gas system. We keep a fair amount of ice in the freezers - partly because we use it a lot for coolers, and partly so that we have a bit more leeway if the power were to go down for a while.
All of us have survival skills to one degree or another, too. Brain tanning, herbal medicine, primitive shelters, using rocks when you don't have a knife, fire by friction, etc. I learned a lot of that stuff just out of curiosity and a desire to feel manly and self-reliant. (I was young, what can I say?) I also worked as a locksmith for a while and still have a couple sets of lockpicks. They have come in quite handy over the years - and the fact that I tend to carry a small set in my wallet makes me kind of a prepper, doesn't it? Came in handy a couple times when coworkers forgot to bring important keys... though they looked at me a bit strange after I popped the locks. Its not like its hard, just most people like the illusion of security so they don't look to close at how the things work.
One of the things that we do that I don't hear most preppers and survivalists talking about is community work. Communities are MUCH more resilient than individuals and families. Groups working together are FAR more likely to do well while waiting for the power to come back on, the roads to open, etc. One of my roommates was in the initial disaster relief crews that sailed over to Kauai after hurricane Iniki and that is what they set up: survival communities. The rich folks, suddenly useless for things that mattered like hunting, cooking, etc, found themselves washing clothes down at the river. Everyone helped out, everyone got taken care of. And the wild chickens went from being a "problem" to being protected...
And that is where I part company with a lot of survival and prep talk. In the event of an emergency anyone who comes walking your way is far more valuable as a friend than as an enemy. In most likely scenarios the chances are they are friendly or at least neutral. Its only the far less likely end-of-the-world catastrophe type scenarios (which are the ones most often talked about, for some reason) that even remotely justify preparing for all out violent survival.