COVID-19: Personal observations over the past couple of days

I continue to believe that the current "panic stations" response by many to the threat posed by the coronavirus epidemic is overblown.  Nevertheless, practical preparations are in order for most of us:  and the evidence that they're needed is growing.  Here are just a few things I've personally observed over the past couple of days.

1. Stocks of some China-sourced products are getting low, and stores are unable to tell me when they'll receive new stocks.  Example:  I was in Sams Club yesterday morning, and heard a couple complain that the automotive department couldn't supply a battery to fit their car.  Intrigued, I wandered over there and asked about a battery to fit my six-year-old vehicle.  They had one, and only one, in stock:  and when I asked, they told me they had no idea when they'd get more, because the central supply system was "overloaded".  Guess where almost all automotive batteries, and/or the materials used in their manufacture, are made?  Yep - China.  Guess what?  I bought that battery.  My vehicle's old enough that I don't know how much longer its battery will last.  This one can sit on my shelves until then, along with spare air and oil filters.  Even if there are others available when the time comes, I've lost nothing by buying it early - and I know it'll be there when I need it.
2. Among the things I shopped for yesterday were feminine hygiene products.  The specific brand and type I wanted were not easy to locate.  I eventually found just three packets of them, wedged in the bottom shelf of the display stand behind other products.  When I asked one of the shop assistants, she said that whilst many of them are made in the USA, others (and many of the materials used in US-manufactured products) come from - guess where? - China.  She told me they've been warned to expect disruptions in supply as a result.  I bought all three packages that they had, and I'll be checking other supermarkets in town to see if I can get a few more.  Man with happy wife is happy.  Man with unhappy wife is unhappy.
3. Yesterday evening I saw the fifth mile-long train this week of empty double-stack container cars passing through town, this one heading east.  That's at least four more than I usually see in any given week.  My comments last Wednesday apply.
4. Amazon is asking its selling partners whether their products may be affected by the shutdown in China.  It looks as if the company is worried about having enough goods for sale to keep up its volume of business.  If it can't, expect thousands of warehouse staff to be furloughed or laid off until more goods are available.  I'm in touch with someone who used to work for that company, and who knows their staffing situation.  It'll bear watching.
5. A number of vehicle models are imported from China (for example, Buick's Envision SUV).  Right now, none are being built there.  It's too soon for that to have led to a shortage in the USA, but if China's shutdown continues, that'll happen sooner or later.  Other vehicles may be made elsewhere, but depend on Chinese parts.  If you're likely to be in the market for a new car, you might do well to check on whether or not your preferred make and model is likely to be available - and whether it'll cost more, thanks to delays and shortages.  The same applies to spare parts, if you're planning to do maintenance that will require them.
6. I continue to be surprised by the number of products made in China and almost nowhere else.  For example, did you know that most consumer-grade electricity generators come from that country, irrespective of brand or model?  Miss D. and I have been planning to buy one for some time, to have in reserve in case of extended power failure (if we buy a freezer-full of meat, we don't want to lose it!).  I suspect we may bring our purchase forward, to get one while it's available.  (We want a name-brand product, which according to owner and user reviews is far more reliable and trustworthy than cheaper competitors.  However, thanks to their well-earned good reputation, and the extra time, trouble and care put into their manufacture, such products are more likely to be in short supply than el cheapo knockoffs.)

Miss D. and I have stocked up on basic over-the-counter medications, hygiene and sanitation products, and other basic necessities, enough to get us through six months or more without worrying.  That gives us greater peace of mind in this developing situation.  We already have sufficient food and essential supplies for a good three months.  It's comforting to have them available, in case local quarantines become necessary.  My next step is to fill our empty jerrycans with gasoline, to have extra available for our vehicles and generator if required.  Our goal is to keep two gas-tanks-full for each vehicle in reserve, but we've used up a fair amount of that over the past year and not replaced it.  That was short-sighted, and I'll rectify it now.  (What's more, I'll buy non-ethanol gasoline.  It works better in smaller engines like our generator or lawnmower, and it stores better over the long term, too.  Those are factors worth thinking about.)

What additional measures are you taking, readers?

Peter

Preparedness book proposal - what do you think?

Last week I reviewed Selco Begovic's new book.

At the time, I concluded:

As a matter of fact, Selco's book has got me wondering whether I shouldn't write one of my own, about the lessons learned in SHTF situations in the many and varied circumstances in which I've found myself over the years.  I must think about that.

Many of you left comments or sent e-mails to say that I should, indeed, write that book:  so I'll add it to my plans for this year.  I'd like to get your input on how it should be structured, and what it should contain.  I'm in a bit of a quandary here.  If it's too much "I was there, and I saw this", then it won't have enough room for the practical information I'd like to include.  If it has too much of the latter, it won't have space for very much of the former.  What balance should I aim for?

Also, I don't want to write multiple books on the subject.  I'd rather write just one.  That means being selective about the number of issues it covers.  It'll therefore address the most likely real-world problems and their solutions, but not more off-the-wall situations (otherwise it would be too long and complicated).  To take one example, a lot of people speak rather glibly about "bugging out" when a crisis hits, and setting up somewhere else.  I don't think that's practical for most people.  I've already written about the subject on this blog, and I can add more information and more real-world examples to illustrate the point.  That's the point of the book:  to be practical about emergency preparedness, not go off on a zombie-apocalypse, TEOTWAWKI tangent.  (If that happens, we're probably all going to die anyway, so I don't think it'll be very practical to prepare for it!  I'd rather address emergencies that are more likely to happen.)

So, how best to structure the book?  I'm thinking I should start with a short introductory section about disasters and emergencies I've experienced, witnessed, etc. and what I learned there.  The next section should involve analyzing your own situation.  What risks are you most likely to encounter?  Which among them can you prepare for, in realistic terms?  That would be followed by several sections covering the practicalities of preparedness:  food, water, clothing, shelter, family needs, etc.  They won't involve big, dramatic, Hollywood-type dystopian fantasies;  they'll be down-to-earth, focused on solutions to problems that are likely to arise.  I don't want to encourage the Rambo-fetishist, knife-between-the-teeth survivalists who infest so many online "prepper" forums and discussion groups.  I'm trying to help people like you and I, seeking to have a backup plan in case anything goes wrong in our lives.  (As all too many of us have learned, through earthquakes, floods, fires and storms, that's not a remote possibility.)

If you have suggestions to offer, or want to nominate subjects you'd like me to cover, please let us know in Comments.  I'll take them into account in planning the structure and content of the book.  Also, if there are areas in which I have little or no experience, I might bring in others to write those sections, to make it more practical.

Thanks in advance.

Peter

"Prepper" foods: you may not like what you eat

A news report last weekend mentioned that a major retailer is offering various "package deals" on freeze-dried foods, designed to provide nutrition for up to a year for individuals or families.  It's not a bad idea, albeit rather expensive . . . but there are other factors to consider.

Such foods offer a number of advantages;  light weight, ease of preparation (usually, just add hot water), and a certain variety.  However, they also rely on additives such as salt, spices and preservatives to provide or enhance flavor.  These can get very monotonous after a while.  If you doubt that, try living on such foods alone for just two weeks, and you'll see how quickly you can become tired of them.  A year of eating them would probably drive anyone to desperation!  There are also obvious health risks in eating too much salt.

I have no objection to freeze-dried foods.  I have several dozen freeze-dried meal packets in my emergency food storage.  However, they're there as quick-and-easy food for times when it may be inconvenient to take longer preparing meals.  They're not the largest or most important part of our preparations.  I think most of us will be better served by storing food in three categories.

Category One is the stuff we eat every day.  If you usually use several cans of beans each month, why not double or triple your usual quantities of them, and treat the surplus as a short-term reserve?  A dozen cans each of black, navy, pinto, kidney and baked beans gives a total of 60 cans - enough for two to three months, when used with other foods as well.  The same goes for canned corn, peas, green beans, carrots, or whatever.  Simply increasing the supply on hand will go a long way towards meeting short-term needs.

Category Two is medium-term food, things we might not use on a regular basis, but which will substitute for them at a pinch.  I classify freeze-dried meals in this category.  I'd also add cans of meat, such as corned beef, Spam, tuna, and so on.  Again, buy more of what you usually consume, and store it.  You can add cans of meat products you might not ordinarily use, such as beef stew, chicken breast, etc., and rotate them as they come near to the end of their useful life.

Category Three is long-term food:  rice, dry beans, pasta, dried milk, sugar, flour, and other foods that can be stored in bulk, usually vacuum-sealed using mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, or #10 cans.  We put them aside in suitable storage containers and conditions, and forget about them.  Ideally, we'll accumulate enough for at least two to three months;  some recommend sufficient for a year or more, if you can afford it and have enough space to store that much.  I can't and don't.  YMMV, of course.

Of course, we don't use each category in isolation.  We'll stretch our Category One and Two foods by adding Category Three foods as "fillers" or base items.  A bowl of pasta served with a can of tuna makes a nutritious meal, and is easy to prepare.  We can also fill out our freeze-dried foods by layering them on top of a pile of rice.  However, the variety also means we don't have to eat just one type of food to the point where we get sick and tired of it.

Don't forget flavorings and seasonings, either.  Salt, pepper, herbs, spices, sauces (Worcestershire, Sriracha, ketchup, etc.), mustard, vinegar, pasta sauces, etc. - all should be stored along with our emergency food supplies, to help make them more palatable and flavorful.  That's very important if we're having to exist on such foods for a long period.  Don't forget cooking oil and other ingredients necessary for cooking - including dish-washing soap or detergent!  Of course, some means to purify and store water is also essential, given that we'll be cooking, cleaning and washing with it, as well as drinking it.  It's no good having a thousand pounds of rice in store if there's no water in which to cook it!

Peter

Contaminated water awareness goes mainstream?

Last week I published some thoughts about emergency water supplies, in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Now Accuweather has put up two interesting articles dealing with the threat from contaminated water following a hurricane, and how to deal with the problem.

How to avoid drinking contaminated water after a hurricane

6 ways to purify drinking water in emergency situations

I highly recommend reading both articles, as well as my earlier article and a longer one that I wrote on the same subject some years before.  Many people put some effort into storing emergency food supplies, but pay little or no attention to their need for water, keeping only a few flats of 16-20 ounce bottles of water on hand.  That may supply drinking water for a few days, but it won't be enough for cooking, personal hygiene, etc.

Furthermore, I'm hearing many reports from survivors of both Hurricanes Harvey and Irma that sewer lines 'backwashed', flooding bathrooms (if not entire homes) with the contents of sewers pushed back up into toilets, baths and basins by overflowing storm water.  This is particularly problematic if you plan to fill your bath in an emergency, to use it as a water reserve.  Even the smallest backflow will ruin that water.  As the old saying goes, "If you add a glass of wine to a barrel of sewage, you have a barrel of sewage.  If you add a glass of sewage to a barrel of wine, you have a barrel of sewage!"  What's more, any sewer backflow that overflows your toilet(s), basin(s), bath(s) or shower(s) will cause a major contamination problem, one that will probably require (expensive) professional attention to clean up.

It begins to look more and more desirable to install a sewer backflow valve to prevent this problem, particularly in flood-prone areas.  FEMA has instructions on how to do that (link is to an Adobe Acrobat file in .PDF format).  Even though we don't live in a flood-prone area, I'm going to look into that as part of our next residential upgrade.

Peter

A useful tip for storing emergency water supplies

I thought that, in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, my readers might like to hear a useful tip about keeping reserve water supplies.  FEMA suggests keeping a minimum reserve supply of one gallon per person per day, for a minimum of three days.  However, I regard that as far too little.  It leaves nothing for personal hygiene, and precious little for cooking, cleaning, etc.  I prefer to work on three gallons per person per day, and keep a minimum of one week's water on hand at that rate - preferably two.

I use three sizes of storage container;  5-gallon, 6-gallon and 7-gallon (follow the links to see them at their respective suppliers).  Their price and availability can vary widely from time to time, as demand waxes and wanes, so it might pay you to shop around, and wait for better prices if necessary.  Also, if you're limited in terms of physical strength or dexterity, these large containers are very heavy and awkward to handle when full.  You might do better to purchase smaller containers (such as, for example, one of the many 2-gallon designs).  I also try to keep half-a-dozen flats of drinking water bottles in stock, each with 24-28 16-20oz. bottles of water.  We use them regularly, and replenish our stocks as needed.

Unfortunately, every aftermarket plastic water container I've ever used has tasted strongly of plastic - or, rather, the water in it has tasted of plastic.  The only way I've found to reliably remove that taste is to follow these steps.

1.  Pour half a gallon of plain ordinary white vinegar into each container, fill it with water to the very brim, then put the cap on.
2. Stand the container in the hottest place available (e.g. direct sunlight in a warm place, or next to a heater if it's in the middle of winter - but don't melt it!).  Let it stand there for a couple of days.
3. Dispose of the water/vinegar mixture, rinse out the container, and refill it to the brim with fresh water.  Cap it, and repeat step 2.
4. Empty the container and allow it to air-dry.  That should remove most of the plastic taste from the next batch of water.

It's important to use a potable water hose to fill the container.  Ordinary garden hoses can have contaminants such as lead that will leach into water passing through them - something that you really, really don't need!  I also store an inline potable water filter with the hose, in case our local water supply becomes dirty or polluted.  That will remove a lot of contaminants that you'd otherwise have to filter out, jug by jug, as you use the water for drinking and cooking.  I add water treatment drops to each container prior to putting it away.  They keep the contents fresh for up to four years.  I have powdered "Pool Shock" chlorine bleach in my emergency supplies, so I can purify any water I get from unknown, untrustworthy sources (here's how to use it);  and I have a family-sized water filter as well.

Finally, we have in reserve a 100-gallon-capacity WaterBOB.  Given even half an hour's warning of an emergency, we can unfold this in a bathtub and fill it with water.  With all our containers full, including the WaterBOB, we'll have over 200 gallons available, plus (hopefully) the contents of our 50-gallon hot water heater.  That should last Miss D. and I for up to a month or more, all being well;  and even if we don't have time to fill the WaterBOB, we'll have enough water for two to three weeks.  I sleep better at night, knowing that.

(I covered this subject in a lot more detail some years ago, if you're interested.)

Peter

Storing your emergency supplies

I've had a few queries now and then about how best to store and organize one's emergency supplies.  This is a very good question, because we need to be able to find them when we need them, and also move them in a hurry, if that becomes necessary in a 'bug-out' situation.

I'd begin by establishing the level of preparedness you're talking about.  If you want to supply your family's needs for a full year, you're talking about enough goods to take up an entire store-room - and not a small one, either!  That quantity of material requires a lot of storage equipment such as shelves, racks, cupboards, etc., and will be too heavy and bulky to be easily moved.  If you're like Miss D. and myself, looking to keep our heads above water for a few weeks if necessary, that can be done using two or three shelving units arranged along the wall of your garage (or a store-room in your house).  If you only want a minimal vehicle bug-out kit that will keep you going for a few days, a couple of storage totes or backpacks or duffel bags will probably suffice.

I'll use our preparations as an example.  They take up three shelving units against the wall of our garage.  One is this heavy-duty metal unit, designed to hold heavier weights such as filled water containers, etc.  (Water is surprisingly heavy;  one US gallon weights 8.34 pounds.  Allocating two to three gallons per person per day for all purposes, including basic hygiene, drinking, cooking and cleaning up, a week's supply for two people should be at least 40 gallons, which weighs over 330 pounds.  I prefer to keep at least two weeks' supply on hand.  There's also gasoline, which should never be stored inside your house, of course - put it in the garden shed, or somewhere that it's less of a fire hazard.  I try to keep enough on hand to fill the tanks of both our vehicles at least once.)   The other two shelving units are these lighter-duty snap-together plastic ones, rated to hold up to 150 pounds per shelf (although I find it more realistic to limit them to between half and two-thirds that weight limit, otherwise the shelves sag over time).

To store my supplies on the shelves, I use plastic totes or storage crates.  There are any number of them out there, but I've learned the hard way which work well, and which are not so good.  In brief, my recommendations are these.

1. The absolute best, toughest and all-round most suitable totes, in my experience, are the Homz Durabilt Tough Totes.  (Note that the link describes all Homz' heavy-duty totes, but I'm speaking only of their Tough Tote line with the diamond-pattern lid, like the 15-gallon example shown below - not their latching-lid totes.  The company also makes a useful heavy-duty foot locker.)  I use three sizes of their totes, 12-, 17- and 27-gallon;  there are others (see the link for details).  The 12- and 17-gallon sizes fit into my shelving units, but the 27-gallon size is too tall for that.  They're more expensive than their competitors, but they're almost impossible to break in normal use, and they're designed to stack easily.  Even when heavily loaded, their stronger plastic seldom buckles or gives way, even if piled six high.  For heavier items, I simply won't use anything else.  (EDITED TO ADD:  The HDX Tough Totes sold by Home Depot are identical, obviously a house brand made for them by Homz.  I regard them as interchangeable.)
   
   
   
   
   
2. My second choice is Rubbermaid's Roughneck storage boxes.  They range in size from 3 to 31 gallons;  I use mainly the 14-gallon size, as shown below (two of which fit conveniently onto a single shelf of my plastic shelving units), and the 18- and 31-gallon containers for larger items.  These totes hold up well to long-term storage, but they aren't as strong as the Tough Totes mentioned in (1) above.  If you load them heavily and stack them three or four high, the totes at the bottom of the pile tend to start bulging and losing their shape, and may collapse.  Therefore, I use them for lighter items, usually no more than 25-30 pounds to a tote, and don't build tall stacks when I move them.  (I recommend the Roughneck series exclusively;  Rubbermaid's other brands of totes don't seem as strong or flexible, in my experience.)
   
   
   
   
   
3. I've used a number of the Sterilite 'Basic Clears' totes, particularly the 16 quart clear storage box.  These also fit two to a shelf in my storage units, and, being clear, one can see at a glance what the contents are.  However, the lids in particular are very brittle.  They crack or chip easily, and bend out of shape if the totes are stacked.  Also, the clear plastic sides discolor as they get older.  I've broken most of those I bought some years ago, and discarded them;  I'm down to just four now.  Nevertheless, their transparent sides do serve a purpose for some items.  As for Sterilite's 'Basic Totes', I've owned a couple of dozen, but gotten rid of almost all of them by now.  The plastic is brittle, and bends, chips or cracks easily if heavily loaded;  and when stacked heavy and high, the lower totes crumple under the strain.  I've replaced them with Rubbermaid or Homz totes, as described above.  Sterilite also makes a foot locker, which is a useful size, but it's less strong than the Homz product mentioned in (1) above.

How you organize your storage is entirely up to you.  I use totes (and 5-gallon buckets, about which I've written a separate article) to separate supplies by type and use.  It's important not to put strong-smelling items (e.g. cleaning/hygiene supplies) in the same container as food, which might absorb the odor and become less palatable as a result.  However, using shelving units, buckets and storage totes makes it relatively straightforward to keep things together, where you can lay your hands on them easily if and when the need arises.  That's also very useful if you should have to leave home in a crisis, because most of your critical emergency supplies will be in one place.  You can grab some or all of the totes and buckets, load them into your vehicle or onto a trailer, and get out of Dodge with minimal delay.

It's useful to color-code your storage containers.  They may be the same color, but you can apply different colors of duct tape to their sides and lids, making it easy to distinguish groups of containers.  (For example, red totes, or those marked with red duct tape, might contain food;  green might hold kitchen and eating utensils;  yellow might hold personal hygiene items;  and so on.)  Within the color codes, label each tote with its contents, so you can easily locate what you're looking for.  A quick and easy label can be made using wide masking tape;  just tear or cut it to the right length, and write on it with a fine point marker pen.  The tape stays firmly attached in normal use, but peels off easily if desired, without leaving glue residue or torn scraps of paper, making it easy to re-label the container.

For storing water, there are any number of options out there.  I find these 20-liter (approx. 5 US gallon) plastic jerry-cans to be very versatile;  if lifting heavy weights is a problem, there are also half-size and quarter-size versions.  Water weight will be 44, 22 and 11 pounds respectively.  I also use some of these 7-gallon and 6-gallon containers, but they aren't as strong as the 5-gallon jerry-cans, and need to be handled more carefully to prevent damage and resultant leaks.  (You can get larger water containers, such as this 55-gallon barrel kit or this 260-gallon tank;  but neither is easily portable when filled, due to their weight and bulk.  I prefer the convenience of portable containers, in case I need to take them with me in a 'bug-out' situation, or take them to a water source to refill them.  YMMV, of course.)

Remember to add water purification materials such as filters, chemicals, etc. to your supplies, for use when refilling your containers with water of unknown purity (or lack thereof).  For larger-volume filtration and purification, Berkey filters and cartridges are still pretty much the standard against which others are measured, but there are many more options.  Some require the use of chemicals after filtration, to be sure all bacteria and viruses have been killed or removed.  Also, when replenishing your stocks with water of unknown purity (e.g. from a stream or pond), do not use your clean water containers for the purpose.  Rather, reserve some containers for refilling, then filter and/or purify the water as it passes from them to your ready-use containers.

For fuel, I prefer NATO-standard metal (not plastic) jerry cans.  Current environmental regulations make it difficult to find the 'real deal', but they can be had from time to time.  Again, for the weight-challenged, half-size and quarter-size versions are available, as are pouring spouts to make transferring fuel easier.  Remember to add a stabilizer to your gasoline for long-term storage.  If you have different types of fuel, it will be helpful to color-code the cans;  either spray-paint them the appropriate color, or mark them with different colors of duct tape.  The standard, legally-prescribed (in the USA) colors for fuel containers are red for gasoline, yellow for diesel, and blue for kerosene (paraffin) - but don't confuse the latter with a blue water container such as the plastic jerry-can mentioned above!  The taste would leave something to be desired . . .

Peter

A get-home kit for emergency use

In the light of potential disruptions to our everyday lives, we need to think about preparations for emergency situations when we're not at home, where our supplies can be a lot more extensive and ready to hand.  There are any number of articles about so-called 'bug-out bags', designed to get you away from trouble and keep you going for a certain amount of time;  but they vary widely in their usefulness, and some are so elaborate and complex that they're frankly unusable for the average person.

You'll need to account for your physical environment, of course.  Someone in the middle of winter in Minnesota will have very different needs in terms of clothing, nutrition, etc. compared to someone in the middle of summer in Arizona!  You also have to take into account factors such as your own capabilities.  For example, I'm partly physically disabled.  I'm not capable of walking very far, even if I want to!  My get-home-safe needs will, of necessity, involve a vehicle of some sort, whether I like it or not.  Also, thanks to my disability (caused by spinal injury), I can't carry a heavy load for any distance.  A fit, strong person will have a wider range of options.

Nevertheless, we can make a list of headings, and outline a minimum get-home outfit for each.  That can then be supplemented according to local and seasonal needs and concerns.  I suggest you should provide for at least 24 hours, and preferably 48 to 72 hours.  Here's my approach.  I invite you to adapt it to your own situation, as you see fit.


1.  Nutrition.

We need food and water to survive, and to support our expenditure of energy.  At a minimum, I suggest that a day's supply of each must form the basis of our get-home kit.  I advise four 16- or 20-ounce bottles of water, rather than a single larger container, because the smaller ones can be stuffed into pockets if need be, or refilled after use, or discarded once they're empty if they're getting in the way of other things.  (Buy bottles that are strong enough to be re-used, and have waterproof screw-on caps - cheaper bottles are sometimes not crush-proof or fully watertight.)  I also strongly recommend an emergency filter such as a LifeStraw, in case you need water and no fresh supplies are available - only pools of water in a ditch, for example.

As for food, I strongly advise using compact, long-shelf-life supplies such as Mainstay emergency food ration bars (which are my choice, but there are many alternatives).  A 3,600-calorie supply (sufficient for one day of high-energy activity, or two days of lower activity) is very cost-effective, and has a shelf life of several years in your emergency kit.  If you wish, you can add some hard candy or chocolate for flavor and variety.

A single pack of emergency ration bars (3,600 calories), plus four 20-ounce bottles of water, plus a LifeStraw, will weigh less than 7 pounds in total.  Add that weight for each extra day's provisions you pack.


2.  Clothing.

You'll need at least one set of comfortable clothes that are easy to walk or run in.  Build your kit around an average summer in your area, then add clothes for colder seasons.  I'd suggest a pair of lightweight hiking shoes (already broken-in to your feet), a good pair of socks, underwear, a pair of trousers and a comfortable shirt as a minimum.  It's probably a good idea to double up on the socks and underwear:  you can wear dirty outer clothes, but clean underwear can be a big boost to your morale!  If you expect the nights to be chilly, add a light fleece zip-up jacket or a hoodie.  A lightweight emergency rainproof poncho is very desirable, adding little bulk or weight, and is probably more useful than a raincoat, in that it can cover a small backpack or shoulder bag as well.

The weight of such an outfit, including shoes, should probably not be more than 10 pounds.  If you need to add or substitute heavier items for colder climates or seasons, obviously, that weight might double;  but you'll probably be wearing them, rather than packing them, so the weight will be evenly distributed.  Don't forget warm gloves, a scarf, etc. if needed for your area.


3.  Equipment.

A get-home kit isn't a fully-fledged survival outfit.  It can't be.  You have to be able to carry it with ease.  Your vehicle can, of course, contain a much more comprehensive selection of gear, but it may not be available if the roads are blocked and you have to abandon it.  This is a minimum selection.

I'd include the following:

• A way to make fire (matches, lighter, etc.).  This should be weatherproof if possible.  Small items of kindling (which can be as simple as pages from a small notebook, or something better) are probably a good idea, too.  I use Esbit cooking tablets, which can both start a larger fire, and prepare food over a pocket stove, if necessary - since you never know when you might have to do that, even if you haven't planned for it.
• A source of light.  I strongly recommend an LED flashlight powered by AA or AAA batteries, which are more readily available than specialized cells.  (Check the batteries regularly, and replace them every year.)  Since light may be critically important, I'd suggest a second flashlight or a battery-powered pocket-size work light, to back up the first unit.  Pack at least one set of spare batteries for each light.
• A good utility knife.  You don't have to spend an inordinate amount, but I strongly suggest that quality is important.  I currently use this pocket knife, and back it up with this Mora knife in my emergency kit.  There are many alternatives.  Remember to check your local rules, regulations and laws to ensure that your knife won't get you into trouble with the police, if it's seen or found during a search of your possessions.  I'd also suggest a multitool of your choice, to take care of minor tasks or maintenance needs during your journey;  and a pair of work gloves might be useful, too.
• Eating utensils.  You can pack a camping set, or even just a spork and a few paper plates and cups;  nothing fancy, but they'll be there if you need them.  Believe me, you won't miss them until you don't have them - and by then it's too late!  (I like this set, for economy and convenience, but there are many alternatives.)  If there's a chance you might have to cook food, the pocket stove mentioned above is very compact and useful, and you can add a set of camping cookware to your kit.
• String and/or twine and/or paracord.  There are many alternatives out there.  Choose something that can serve as emergency shoelaces, tie up parcels or packages, substitute for a belt if necessary, and so on.  I'd suggest you carry at least 50 feet of it, and double that if possible;  or, carry 50 feet of lighter string or twine, and 50 feet of paracord.  A roll of fishing line might be handy, too - it's low-bulk, but very versatile.
• An emergency space blanket, for warmth and/or shelter at night.  I prefer this heavier-duty one, which resists tearing and has pre-punched grommets to allow it to be hung from any convenient support for use as a shelter.  They make it more versatile.
• A few ziploc bags in quart and gallon size.  These are amazingly useful.  They can contain wet and/or dirty clothes, to keep them segregated from the rest of your gear;  they can hold food or even water (make sure to buy quality bags that seal properly!);  they can even serve as makeshift first aid bandages, if you tape them over or around a wound after cleaning it.  They can also compartmentalize your gear;  for example, you could keep your fire-lighting equipment together in one bag, your food in another, your flashlight(s) and spare batteries in another, etc., making them all easier to find and keeping like items with like.
• A roll of duct tape.  This has innumerable uses;  repairing shoes and clothes, rigging up a shelter, a makeshift bandage, even twisting it into rope if nothing else is available.  Don't be without it.
• A small first aid kit.  Pre-packaged ones are widely available, but you can build a better one yourself by buying individual components.  It's a specialized subject, so I won't go into detail here.  An Internet search will provide much food for thought.  You should add any prescription medications or specialized hygiene items that you require - I'd suggest at least three days' supply of your needs in those areas.  More might be advisable.  I also strongly suggest a bottle of eyedrops, preferably the anti-allergy type, so that you can wash out your eyes if any contaminants (smoke, dust, pollution, etc.) get into them.
• For hygiene, I suggest a package of personal cleansing wipes.  You'll be amazed at how much better you feel if you can clean yourself, even if no bath or shower is available.  Add deodorant, feminine hygiene items, etc. to suit your own needs.  Toilet paper is an essential item, and can double as facial tissue.  A small hand towel and/or a facecloth might be useful, if you have space for them, or a few shop towels might suffice.  I add some anti-chafing powder as well.
• Eyeglasses.  If you have prescription spectacles or contact lenses, include a backup set in your get-home kit.  A pair of sunglasses is probably a good idea, too;  I suggest protective safety glasses with shaded lenses, for toughness.  If you use reading glasses, have a set of those as well.  Hard protective cases for your glasses are probably a good idea, too, since they'll be bounced around in your get-home kit and may be crushed by other items.
• Personal defense items.  I'm not going to go into detail here, because jurisdictions vary in what they'll permit, and individuals have different ideas about what's important.  Suffice it to say that at a minimum, I'd carry a stout cane or walking stick, which can double as a defensive instrument if necessary.  Get training in how to use it!  I'll almost always have a firearm available as well, and I strongly suggest you do the same if it's feasible (and, of course, legal).  (Don't leave one in your vehicle or an unsecured place - it's an invitation to thieves, and you'll have to live with the moral responsibility if a thief later uses your weapon against another innocent person.)  If you can't carry a firearm, consider something that can appear innocuous, but double as a weapon, such as a pry bar, a large wrench, a camping axe or hatchet, or a machete.  They add a lot of weight, but may be useful enough to offset that.  (Again, watch out for local laws and regulations!)

Almost everything mentioned above can fit into a cheap, simple day pack.  (Pack it carefully;  for example, socks can be folded inside shoes, underwear can be tucked into your mug, etc.)  You can leave the day pack in the trunk of your car, or lock it in a cupboard or drawer at work.  It's easy to grab in an emergency, and it'll give you everything you're likely to need to get from wherever you are, to your home, even if you have to walk for a day or two to get there.  The whole thing, fully packed, should weigh no more than 20-25 pounds.  (If you're carrying more than one day's food and water, that'll be extra, of course, and you may need a larger pack.)  Add extra equipment and/or clothing as needed for the season of the year and your local climate, as well as local threats and difficulties you're likely to face.  (No, I don't suggest walking through a high-crime area carrying all that stuff.  Why make yourself a target?  It may take longer to walk around, rather than through, a danger zone, but that's preferable to becoming just another crime statistic!  Simply pack extra supplies to allow for the detour.)

If your journey home might be longer than average, there's another very useful item you can add if you have secure storage for it at or near your place of work;  a folding bicycle.  This can provide extra mobility and speed to get home in an emergency, particularly if you have children or others depending on you to look after them.  On the other hand, others may find it equally desirable, and try to steal it or take it away from you, which brings up additional defensive considerations.  Nevertheless, it's a useful option.

There's also the question of money.  I always have at least $100 in cash on my person, in $20 bills or smaller;  and I try to have double that.  I recommend that to you, too.  Credit cards are all very well, but they only work in businesses.  If you want to buy some food from a house you're passing, or some bottles of water from an itinerant street vendor, your credit card won't cut it.  Cash is king, particularly in an emergency.

These are my ideas.  Yours may vary, and your needs will almost certainly be different from mine, depending on your age, physical condition, location, season of the year, etc.  There's no 'one-size-fits-all' solution to a get-home kit.  I suggest you take my ideas as no more than suggestions, and build your own kit based on them and your own needs.

Peter

Keeping your eye on the ball this New Year

There's an awful lot of deliberate misdirection in our society at present.  What's more, an awful lot of people are allowing themselves to be taken in by it.  In the New Year just ahead, when we traditionally take stock of our lives and make resolutions to improve at least some aspects, it's not a bad idea to see where we may have fallen prey to misdirection in and about ourselves.

Let's examine a few examples of misdirection and how it's being used.

• The Democratic Party and its left-wing and progressive allies are making all sorts of noise about Russian interference in our recent Presidential election.  This is occupying the time and attention of a large part of our society - all without a single concrete fact, admissible as evidence in a court of law, that proves Russian interference actually took place.  It's all insinuation, allegation and obfuscation.  They also make a fuss about Hillary Clinton having won the 'popular vote', despite the fact that never in the history of the United States has our president ever been elected by popular vote.  All this fuss is designed to take people's minds off the fact that Donald Trump won the election fair and square, according to the provisions of the US constitution.  It's designed to de-legitimize his presidency in the minds of the American people . . . and, for some of them, particularly left-wingers and progressives, it's working.
• Businesses are accustomed to launching pre-emptive counter-attacks on each other, to safeguard their own 'turf' and reduce the risk that competitors might try to 'muscle in' on it.  Amazon.com is a prime example.  One commentator says that Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon) is 'building moats' (bold, underlined text is my emphasis):

Let’s say that a well-respected brand like Netflix decided it wanted to move into other kinds of content besides movies and television. Like, say, ebooks. Suddenly the Kindle Store, and Amazon’s vice-like grip on the ebook industry, is under threat. Or what if personal food delivery apps like Seamless decide to expand their product offerings? Then it may start eating into Amazon’s e-retail offerings. And if the Washington Post app and Amazon Prime’s video offerings can sell a few more Kindle Fires, then he’ll have a more direct line between the customer and the Amazon ecosystem of products. By encroaching into the spaces of other industries, Bezos keeps those other industries from finding cracks in the walk with which to encroach on his main cash cows. And once he has firm moats around his main profit castles, he can start increasing the price on those castles, capitalizing on competitor-free profit margins ... Seen this way, Bezos is more concerned with future competitors who are nipping at the edge of his margins than traditional retail companies trying to move into his space. He’s cornered the e-retail market, now he’s simply scorching the earth around it.

• In abusive relationships, one of the main techniques of the abuser is to keep the abused partner focused on some things - negatives - to the exclusion of others - positives.  The abuser will criticize the abusee's appearance, or education, or capabilities;  emphasize mistakes or shortcomings over positive attributes;  and generally try to keep the focus on how poorly the abusee is performing, rather than on how badly the abuser is treating him or her.  It's a classic tactic, and it works surprisingly often.  I've worked a great deal with people in such relationships.  When the abused can be made to see that he or she really isn't that bad, but they've been made to focus on specific negatives rather than the overall picture, and therefore become blind to the reality of the abuse they're suffering, the transformation is often dramatic.
• When trying to improve our lives, it's amazing how often, in the words of the proverb, we "can't see the forest for the trees".  That means we focus on individual, specific problems, rather than look at the overall picture of where we are.  Unless we do the latter, we'll never be able to identify trends and patterns, ask ourselves why they're there, and deal with them.  (Often, modern society does little or nothing to help us see the 'big picture'.  News and social media will often focus on the latest fad or fashion - diet, clothing, technical gizmos like the latest model of smartphone, etc. - instead of something really helpful.)  Again, as a counselor, I've had to help many people break out of this stultifying mold, take a good, hard look at themselves - where they are now versus where they want to be - and begin planning to break free of the things that are holding them back.  (See, for example, my series of articles on personal strategic planning.)

You might be wondering where I'm going with these examples.  They relate directly to the biggest single problem most of us have.  We can very easily allow ourselves to be misdirected - or, for that matter, misdirect ourselves.  We fail to see the 'forest' of our overall lives for the 'trees' of the people, problems and circumstances that make it up.  Because we never consider the overall reality, we fail to plan (or act) to improve it by dealing with the things that weaken it and reinforcing the things that strengthen it.

New Year's resolutions are notorious for being honored more in the breach than in the observance.  Most of us make them lightly, without thinking, and discard them within weeks or even days because we achieve little or no success.  Nevertheless, they aren't a bad idea.  It's a good thing, now and again, to take stock of where we are, decide to change at least one major negative in our lives, and do something about it or them.  Why not try that this New Year weekend?

Start by looking at the 'forest' overall, and identify the 'trees' that make it less than it could be.  Think about all the things in your life with which you're not happy.  Ask yourself whether they're truly important, or just little 'niggles'.  Prioritize them.  Losing weight may be desirable from the perspective of appearing more attractive, but getting your finances in order may be a lot more important in the short term!  Pick just one or two problems or negatives that really do need short-term, serious attention, and work out a plan to tackle them.  (Again, see my articles on personal strategic planning if you need help with that process.)

I'm doing precisely that at present.  One resolution I've already discussed here - planning to write four books during the coming year.  Another is health- and lifestyle-related.  I'm working on an action plan for it right now.  I'll need the help and encouragement of my wife and friends to achieve it, but I know I'll have that unsparingly.  They're a huge blessing in that regard, for which I'm devoutly grateful.

Try to make a meaningful, serious New Year's resolution or two this weekend, and act on it/them.  You might be surprised at what you can achieve, if you plan - and work - to succeed.

Peter

End of a loooooong day

Well, the truck's loaded, all except for a few things (particularly our bed, in which we'll spend a last night here before loading it).  U-haul did us proud, and provided a brand-new Ford 26' truck with less than 3,000 miles on the clock.  It's a lot more comfortable than other trucks I've hired from them, and from other companies in the field. 

Tomorrow morning we'll do a quick donation run to Goodwill with a few items we simply can't fit into the truck, then head back to U-haul to connect a car trailer to the rent-a-truck and load Miss D.'s vehicle onto it.  After that, we'll saddle up and hit the road.  Tomorrow night will probably be spent somewhere in Arkansas, and on Saturday evening we hope to be in Texas.  We'll probably overnight with Old NFO before unloading our stuff into our new home on Sunday.

It was an exhausting day.  I'm very glad we hired a couple of experienced movers from a local company to pack the truck for us.  They managed to get more into it than I would have believed possible, and justified the expense many times over.  Miss D. and I could never have been as efficient.  Experience tells, every time.  However, this may be the last time we do most of the moving work ourselves (i.e. the packing and other preparations).  Since both of us are partly disabled, it's taken a heavy toll of our strength.  If my books continue to sell well, I'll have to save enough money to pay someone else to do all that for us next time, for the sake of our backs and our sanity (not to mention my advancing years).

We're both utterly exhausted now.  Time for a quick shower, then we'll hit the sack.  Last-minute preparations tomorrow morning, then it's hi-ho for the Lone Star State!

Peter

Time to load the truck

Miss D. and I have done as much packing and preparation for our move as we can.  It's not finished yet;  she and I are both partly disabled due to previous injuries, so we simply haven't been able to accomplish as much as we'd have liked to, but we've done our best.  Thankfully, all the most important stuff is out of the way.  What's left can be put to one side until we've loaded everything that's ready to go.  The rest won't take more than a few hours to break down, pack up and slide into the truck;  and we have enough dollies, hand trucks and other moving equipment to make it relatively easy.  We'll finish the last bits and pieces tonight and tomorrow morning before we hit the road.

A good friend and his wife came around last night to help us disassemble the refrigerator (it's a big unit, so the doors and some other bits and pieces have to come off to allow it to fit through standard doorways).  We'll move it disassembled, and clean and reassemble it when we reach our new home.  We may have to ask for his help again tonight to deal with a couple of last-minute issues, but he's the kind of guy we can rely on in fair weather or foul - the very best kind of friend to have!

I've just realized we still haven't completed all the termination-of-service and change-of-address formalities with some of the companies whose services we use.  (Sigh . . . who was it said that the job isn't over until the paperwork is done?)  I'll ask Miss D. to tackle that this morning, while I get the moving truck and prepare other things for loading.  We've hired a couple of helpers, who'll be here at one, so the afternoon will be a busy one.  By this evening I hope to have time to catch my breath - long enough to put up another blog post, at any rate, and probably take a painkiller, because my back will be screaming at me by then.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  It's going to be a long, busy day.

Peter

Musings on packing

Idle thoughts as Miss D. and I do the final round of packing before loading the truck tomorrow.

1. Why is there always one gun more than there are gun cases/sleeves/rugs to hold them?
2. Why, when I drove my ammunition stocks down to Texas a few weeks ago, am I still finding ammo in odd corners, drawers, nooks and crannies?  I've found enough to fill two ammo cans so far.  No, of course I'm not a compulsive ammo hoarder!  Why would you think that?  (Hangs head, shuffles feet.)
3. What do you do with a cat that's growing steadily more paranoid as she watches her world being packed into boxes?  We're trying to reassure her by giving her lots of extra attention (and treats), but she seems unconvinced.
4. On the other hand, she enjoys some parts of the experience.   For example, every time I have to tie things together with string to form a bundle, I'll find a cat tugging enthusiastically on the other end of the line.
5. I must remember not to assemble plastic shelving units too forcefully.  When I have to take them apart again, all those blows with a rubber mallet (to make sure they stayed fastened together) come back to bite me.  This is not good.
6. A big roll of bubble wrap is worth its weight in gold.
7. If you pack all the dishes and cutlery early on, it's a great excuse to eat out every meal until you leave.
   

Back to the fray . . .

Peter

Coming down to the wire

Miss D. and I are finishing up our packing and sorting, getting ready to load the truck (with the help of a couple of hired helpers) on Thursday afternoon.  It's been a schlep getting everything organized, but I think we'll be ready in time.  This morning we made a run out to the airport where she keeps her aircraft, and brought home most of the contents of the hangar where she parks it.  (It'll remain here for a few months until she's able to arrange hangar space near our new home, when she'll come back to collect it and fly it down.)

The list of last-minute things to do gets longer and longer, of course, as each of us remembers something important.  Getting copies of our medical files from our physician and a specialist . . . getting last-minute prescriptions from the pharmacy . . . collecting a last batch of mail from our post office box and handing in change-of-address and mail forwarding notices . . . making sure our bank has our new details, and arranging to carry on using our Tennessee account for at least a few months until we find a bank in Texas with whom we're happy . . . saying goodbye to friends and acquaintances . . . the list goes on and on.  We'll never get it all done in time, but we'll do as much as we can.  The rest will have to be accomplished by letters, e-mails and phone calls.

We're going to be without regular Internet access from Thursday morning until at least Monday next week.  We may be able to get access at a hotel on the road, and/or borrow Old NFO's home network now and again when we arrive in Texas, but it'll be intermittent at best.  I'm going to queue up a few blog posts to publish automatically from Thursday through Monday morning, and ask your indulgence for a less regular posting schedule until we're able to get our new Internet service operational.  (That's scheduled for early Monday morning.  Here's hoping!)

Peter

The joys of packing, Part 2

I'm glad to say that this morning I finished packing our library.  It took 39 of Lowe's small moving boxes to hold all the books, and they're stacked against the walls of our living room at the moment.  My back and legs are scolding me for doing too much, too fast . . . but what else is there to do when you're snowbound?  (Don't answer that!)  Miss D. just had the fun of getting on a short stepladder to unscrew and remove the brackets holding our 72"x36" bookcases to the wall, so we can take them out when the time comes.

I think we're about 80% through with packing now.  Our freezer has been emptied and defrosted, its contents reduced to the point where they all fit into the freezer compartment of our refrigerator.  Some will come to Texas with us in cold chests;  the rest will be donated to friends.  I was a bit stymied when it came to cooking supper last night, when I found that my wife had already boxed up all the herbs and spices!  I had to make do with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning.  It made the flavor of the spaghetti sauce a little more interesting than usual, but it was edible.

I've ordered a 'Shoulder Dolly' to help maneuver the refrigerator and freezer around a couple of tight corners and out into the back yard when the time comes.  It's by far the easiest and simplest method I know to move big, bulky items into and out of confined spaces.  We already have an appliance dolly and a hand truck, plus a furniture dolly and some cheap moving blankets on order that (according to Amazon.com) should be here by Wednesday.  God willing and snow permitting, we'll be ready to load on Thursday.  The cat is alternately sleeping in a sunbeam and getting schizophrenic about all the strange activity.  She hasn't (yet) managed to get sealed into a box along with its contents, but I think it's only a matter of time.  (Cat + box = a match made in heaven . . . at least, according to the cat!)

Now to get stuck into the remaining bits and pieces that have been packed into small boxes and containers, but need to be combined into larger boxes to make moving them easier (and losing them harder).  That'll be this afternoon's job.

Peter

The joys of packing

Miss D. and I are hard at work packing our belongings, in preparation for loading them on a big U-haul rental truck next Thursday.  The following day we'll load her car onto a trailer behind the truck, then hit the road for our new home in Texas.

I've been trying to pack smarter this time.  I've usually tried to use all the space available in each container, even if that means cramming in things that don't really belong together.  This time I'm trying to pack by functional groupings.  As for books, instead of putting those of the same size together, I'm packing them in the order into which I've sorted them on the shelves.  That's less efficient and takes more boxes, but it means I save at least a week on the other side re-sorting them all.  I'll take the saving in time over the cost of a few more boxes, thank you very much!  (The Lowe's small moving box has proved ideal for packing books.  One box - 12"x12"x16" - holds approximately one 3' shelf of books, so one can predict how many one will need;  and it's not too heavy, either.  The cardboard is lightweight, but since there are stacks of books inside, the latter will take the strain of several boxes piled on top of each other - I won't have to worry about them crumpling under the weight.)

I have a question for readers who've used U-haul's Auto Transport trailer.  The instructions emphasize that one shouldn't tow it faster than 55 mph;  yet I've seen many people zipping along at 70 mph or more, towing a vehicle behind them on one of these things, without turning a hair.  Am I missing something, or is that trailer actually safe to use at higher speeds?  I wouldn't want to do more than 60-65 mph in a heavily loaded truck anyway, but I'd appreciate your input, please.  (Miss D. will do something unmentionable to me if I splatter her prized car all over the landscape through my stupidity or negligence.  This way, I can blame your advice instead . . .)

The cat is eyeing all of the packing and preparations with a jaundiced eye.  She doesn't like it when we go away, and she's pretty sure we have something like that in mind;  but this time is different.  We're not packing suitcases or duffel bags, but cardboard boxes and totes.  One can almost see the wheels turning in that little feline brain.  She doesn't know (yet) that she's going to be in a pet carrier in the cab of the truck with us for a couple of days.  Let's hear it for kitty Quaaludes!  We'll have to find a pet-friendly hotel in the Little Rock area to spend Friday night next week.  The hotel where we usually stop, in Maumelle, is a bit too high-toned to accept pets, I'm afraid.

It's still Snowmageddon out there, with little prospect of getting out of the house for the next day or two.  We'll put the enforced 'idle' time to good use and redouble our packing efforts.  Who says there isn't a good side to bad weather?

Peter

Well, the house is ours . . .

. . . now for the fun of getting it ready to move into!

We signed our lives away several times over at the closing this morning, and handed over a big chunk of our savings as a deposit, then walked away with the keys.  There's a lot of hard work ahead.  We meet with a contractor tomorrow morning to discuss a few modifications we want to make;  some may be done right away, some may have to wait until we have more savings.  (Not all contractors take credit cards.)  We're in the process of measuring for and selecting laminate flooring, which will have to be laid before we move in at the end of the month.  We've identified all the shades of paint in the house, and will repaint the master bathroom and one wall in the kitchen, again before moving in.  Tomorrow we'll also be buying replacement locks and deadbolts, plus another remote door opener for the garage, and re-programming both remotes.

We'll have to have all the preliminaries completed by the weekend, when we head back to Nashville.  Old NFO, Lawdog and Phlegmmy will supervise getting everything done before we come back.  Isn't it great to have reliable, trustworthy, willing, easily manipulated friends?




Peter

A busy day

Miss D. and I had an enjoyable day.  We chatted with Old NFO over breakfast, during which we (or, rather, he) discovered that his stove top isn't all that reliable as far as holding a temperature was concerned.  Char-broiled bacon . . . er . . . yum?

After that it was all hands to unload firearms, ammunition and other bits and pieces.  NFO reckoned he probably had more ammo than we did, but as the boxes kept coming . . . and coming . . . and coming . . . he began to revise his opinion.  By the time we had it all neatly stacked, we agreed that between the two of us, he and I could comfortably outfit a platoon!  We'll have to move it all again, of course, as soon as our new home is ready for occupation at the end of the month.

Next we headed into town, to look at laminate flooring, door locks, etc.  Miss D. and I agreed on half a dozen potential shades, and bought sample pieces to look at in the house itself.  Tomorrow morning we'll be inspecting it at nine, before the closing at ten.  After that we'll go back, brandishing our new keys, to take a close look at what has to be done before we move in.  That'll include changing all the locks and the frequency/code of the garage door opener, putting flooring into the three bedrooms, repainting the master bathroom, and possibly replacing the external doors and their frames if they aren't strong enough for my sense of security.  There are other things needing attention, but those are the priorities.

It's going to be a busy few days ordering all that's necessary, arranging to connect all the utilities, getting Internet service, talking to contractors, and getting all our duck in a row.  After that it's back to Tennessee, where for the next couple of weeks I'll be writing up a storm while also packing the bulk of our belongings for the move.  At the end of the month it's hi-ho for Texas and our new home.

Thanks for being patient with what will probably be limited blogging over this week.  I'll try to line up enough posts to keep you interested, while still allowing me the time I need to deal with everything on my plate.

Peter

Packing lessons learned (and re-learned)

As Miss D. and I begin to get our stuff in order for the big move south-westwards to Texas, we're learning (and re-learning) some time-honored lessons in how best to pack our stuff.  They apply particularly because we're moving ourselves, rather than having professionals do it for us.  For the sake of anyone who's looking at the same process in the near future, I thought I'd share them here.

• Get rid of excess stuff well in advance of moving day.  It pays to go through your possessions with an eagle eye, discarding what you don't use or don't need, rather than packing it all to take with you - and decisions like that can't really be made in the stress of last-minute preparations.  It's easier, simpler and less stressful to do so at your leisure before the big day.
• Big moving boxes are not necessarily a good idea.  They're great for bulky, lightweight stuff like comforters, but a terrible idea for heavy things, because one inevitably wants to fill them up, making use of all the available space.  That makes them too heavy to be easily handled.
• Carts, trolleys and hand trucks are your friend!  I bought a heavy-duty appliance dolly several years ago, which has proved invaluable in moving appliances, gun safes, etc.  I also have a small folding cart that moves two or three boxes at a time, and a bigger one that moves up to eight when it's converted from vertical (two-wheel) to horizontal (four-wheel) mode, so that the back now serves as a load bed.  They're invaluable, particularly if you have a bad back as I do, and I'd hate to move without them.  Get good-quality ones, too.  Don't skimp on cheap stuff.  You'll be thankful when you need them.
• Small boxes are great for heavy items like books and crockery.  Trouble is, you need a lot of them if you have a lot of books or heavy things.  We've learned to simply 'bite the bullet' and accept large quantities of smaller containers, rather than worry about it.
• Crockery has to be well padded.  If newspaper isn't available in large quantities (and today, with newspaper sales going through the floor, that's more likely than not), use blankets, jeans and T-shirts to separate your plates, bowls, mugs and cups from each other.  It's a bit tricky folding multiple items into a single blanket, but it can be done - just as long as you unfold it very delicately and gently when you unpack!
• Don't buy your shipping boxes from a moving company.  They want a relatively high price per box.  Lowes offers moving boxes in small, medium and large sizes for very much less money, ranging from $0.69 to $1.36 (compared to $4.99-$9.99 apiece at some storage and moving companies).  I bought about a hundred in assorted sizes.  We're unfolding them, taping them to add strength to the joints, and using them as needed.  If we have some left over, we'll take them down with us - there are bound to be people moving who can use them.
• I've always had a fondness for using plastic totes rather than cardboard boxes to store and move things.  Unfortunately, they take up a lot of space when you're not using them, and they cost a lot of money relative to the cheap cardboard boxes I mentioned above.  I've got something like twenty or thirty that will be surplus to requirements when we finish this move, and rather than stack them up and keep them for future needs, I think I'm simply going to pass them on to someone else.  They're probably more trouble than they're worth.

Just a few 'lessons learned' so far.  I hope they help you, too.  Those of you with more moving experience than the rest of us (particularly 'military brats', who've done so very often) are welcome to leave your own suggestions in Comments.

Peter

Wilderness & survival tools - price versus quality

I've been puzzled by something for a long time, and talked about it with Miss D. this evening.  I'd like to put the question to my readers, and ask for your input.

Most of us have used wilderness and survival tools such as a hatchet, a machete (which I knew as a panga in South Africa), a fixed-blade belt knife, a folding pocket knife, and so on.  However, when I came to this country I was surprised to see the number of people who insisted on buying very expensive tools in those categories - knives from Bagwell, or Randall, or any of a number of custom and semi-custom knife makers.  Even more common brands such as Cold Steel charged more than I expected for their knives and tools.

In Africa, the lesson I learned from an early age was that tools of this sort are disposable items.  Sooner or later (and probably sooner under hard use) you're going to break it, bend it, lose it, or have it stolen (either by other people, or by a jackal or hyena wanting to gnaw on the blood-scented handle of a skinning knife, or something like that).  For that reason, 'designer' or name-brand tools were not very common among my contemporaries.  They mostly carried cheaper tools, ones they could break or lose without worrying about the cost;  and they usually carried or had available multiple copies, so that when one was gone, they could replace it without difficulty.  I used wilderness tools according to that philosophy for many years.  It became second nature for me to expect to lose or break one from time to time, shrug my shoulders, and pull out the next one.  They worked as well under normal conditions as the more expensive tools, and I was never heartsore at losing one when the time came.

I was therefore surprised to realize that friends here routinely took multiple-hundred-dollar knives, axes, tomahawks, etc. on hunting camps and cross-country treks.  Sure enough, I saw them broken or lost from time to time, amid wails about the financial cost involved.  I stuck to my African habits.  For example:

• When it comes to folding pocket knives, I use them mostly for small utility jobs like cutting string, opening parcels and packages, etc.  Any cheap pocket knife will do for that, provided it's kept sharp and the mechanism is in good working order.  The most I'll spend on one is $20-$30.  Lower-cost models from Cold Steel, Gerber or Kershaw (particularly the latter) suit me fine, and there are really cheap Chinese knock-offs if economy's the thing, although their quality leaves a great deal to be desired.  I treat the latter as throw-away items.
• My favorite general-purpose belt knives (for skinning, whittling, striking against firelighters, even for use when eating) are Mora knives from Sweden.  At $8-$12 apiece, they're very affordable.  They're the sharpest blades I've ever known straight out of the factory, and they're tough enough for most routine jobs.  This one is currently my preferred model, mainly because it has a finger guard - something I find important, given the extreme sharpness of the blade.  I have several of them ready for use right now.
• My heavier-duty belt knife, for tougher jobs in the field, is the Glock field knife (model 78) or survival knife (model 81).  The latter is the same as the former, but with a saw-back to cut roots, etc.  Both are very tough indeed, come with a polymer sheath, and are reasonably priced at $28-$35.  (The olive drab knives are frequently cheaper than the black, for some unknown reason.  Since a knife is a working tool to me, not a fashion statement, I buy the cheaper option.)
• Machetes have to stand up to a lot of abuse.  Frankly, I find the expensive ones don't do much better than the cheaper ones under normal use, although under extreme conditions I daresay the former would have an edge (you should pardon the expression).  One that I really like from a design and utility point of view is the Cold Steel gladius machete.  Not only is it sharpened on both edges, meaning you can simply turn it over in your grasp and continue chopping when one edge gets blunt, but it's modeled after the Roman legionary gladius or short sword, making it a very viable defensive weapon against snakes and nasty aggressive critters (even those on two legs, in a pinch).  On the other hand, you do have to be more careful when using it, as the back edge can cut you or a companion if you mishandle it.
• As far as small camp hatchets go, I again buy cheap units (like, for example, this one), and carry a low-cost but effective sharpening tool to keep its edge (and that of my machete) in good cutting order.  This tool is also very useful to dismember animals.  A Mora knife can take care of the hide, sinews and muscles, and the hatchet can cut through bone, joints, etc.  The combination makes it unnecessary to spend a lot of money on a high-end skinning and butchering knife.  (Some cheap hatchets have poorly-shaped blades.  I find it worthwhile to re-shape them using a grinding wheel and/or files, then re-sharpen them.  YMMV.)
• I choose to spend more money on a good-quality wood axe, to fell small trees, break up larger branches, and to use its blunt top as a hammer if necessary.  This tool might have to work very hard, and a better-quality blade will hold its edge longer and not suffer nicks so easily.  The haft will also probably be of better quality and last longer.  My personal preference is for Gransfors Bruks Swedish axes, but there are many other choices.

I can put together an outfit with one each of all of the above items of equipment for less than the cost of a single knife from a high-end manufacturer (never mind a custom bladesmith, who may charge several times as much again).  I think I get much better value for my money that way.  What say you, readers?  Do you think it's worth paying higher prices for better-quality tools in these categories, knowing that they're going to be not just used, but probably abused, and are easily lost or damaged?  Are my African habits out of sync with the American way of doing things?  Let us know your views in Comments.

(I apply the same perspective to many aspects of camping, preparedness, self-defense, etc.  I'd rather have a strong, practical but low-cost tool, instead of spending much more money on a high-end product that I know will inevitably suffer damage or be lost in due course.  Even in firearms, for the same price I'd rather have several Glocks than a single high-end 1911 pistol.  That's heresy to some people, I know, but . . . )

Peter

Earthquake damage and emergency preparations

This report makes interesting reading in the light of our preparations for emergencies.

According to a USGS study called the “Shakeout Report”, when a high-magnitude earthquake rocks the San Andreas fault, the damage will go far beyond the collapsed buildings and freeways seen in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

For example, L.A.-area supermarkets now depend on internet systems for warehousing and shipping food to stores, and the food is stored on the other side of the San Andreas fault.

“With the development of the internet and the new just-in-time economy, none of them store food on the Los Angeles side of the San Andreas anymore,” Jones said.

. . .

Fiber-optics is another vulnerability that is expected to be cut off when a disastrous earthquake hits the San Andreas fault.

“Two-thirds of the connectivity from Los Angeles to the rest of the world go through fiber-optic cables crossing the San Andreas fault,” Jones explained. “So we expect at the time of the earthquake when the fault moves, we will break these fiber-optic cables and two-thirds of the data capacity between L.A. and everyone else will disappear,” she said.

Natural gas pipelines also cross the San Andreas fault, so gas for cooking and heating is expected to be in short supply.

And the aging water pipes in L.A., which seem to break with great regularity even without an earthquake, are not expected to stand-up well when the big earthquake hits.

. . .

Much of the high-tech damage could hinder the recovery effort in the weeks and months after the earthquake, according to Dr. Jones, so getting Southern California back on its feet could be a wrenching process.

“The world wide web wasn’t in existence at the time of the Northridge earthquake,” she said. “Right now think of how much both your personal life, but also our economic system, depends on having cell phone communications and internet connectivity.”

There's more at the link.

All the elements she mentions are worthy of urgent consideration.

• If your family emergency plan involves coordinating movements and rendezvous points via cellphone, what happens to your plan if the cellphone network goes down?
• If you've accumulated a decent stash of emergency supplies, but your home is too badly damaged to safely enter it to retrieve them, what will you do then?
• What if you can't get to your home at all, thanks to damaged or blocked streets?
• What if communication is an essential part of your job?  Your home and work locations might have survived the earthquake, but you can no longer communicate with your clients.  There goes your job and income stream, right there.

It's useful to think about these things before a disaster happens.  For example, I'm preparing a stash of a week's emergency supplies - food, water, a sweatsuit and a change of underwear for each person, a five-gallon jerrycan of gasoline, etc. - that I'm going to store in my small cargo trailer at the rear of our property.  They won't last as long out there as they will in an air-conditioned house, but they can be rotated and/or replaced fairly cheaply - and if we can't get into our home to access our main supply cache, we should still be able to get to the trailer.  I can see where that might come in very handy . . .

Peter

A great storage idea for canned food

(Other articles in this series are listed in the sidebar, or you can click here to display them all in reverse chronological order.)

Readers of my emergency preparation articles will recall that I recommended canned food as a much more cost-effective solution than freeze-dried or other specialty emergency foods.  Sure, it's bulkier and heavier, but you can buy up to six servings of canned food for the price of a single serving of the freeze-dried stuff.  On a limited budget like mine, that's a very important factor!

One problem, though, is how to store your canned food in such a way that you know how much you have, and can use the oldest cans before the newer ones, so that your food supplies don't become out-of-date and risk deterioration.  There are all sorts of solutions out there.

• Amazon.com has lots of alternatives.
• Large free-standing systems (like these ones, for example) are available for those who can afford them and have sufficient space in which to put them.
• There are instructions available to build your own wood storage racks.
• There are also instructions to make cardboard racks that will store canned food and allow you to use the oldest cans first.

All those ideas are useful if you have money to buy them, or time and the necessary skills to make them.  However, I'm time-limited because of all the work involved in publishing four books this year, and given my physical limitations as the result of a crippling injury in 2004, I'd probably have a hard time investing several hours in cutting, sticking, gluing and tacking cardboard or wood.  I needed something cheap, simple and easy.

One of the cardboard rack articles above mentioned an outfit called Can Organizers.  Their storage boxes looked to be both cost-effective and very practical.  Here's their advertising video.

I ordered one pack each (containing four units) of their three smaller sizes, to test them, and four 4-packs of their largest 'Pantry Organizer' size.  They arrived yesterday, well shrink-wrapped and undamaged after a four-day ground shipment from Utah.

I've so far assembled three of the 'Pantry Organizers' for use with my bulk emergency supplies in our basement.  They hold fewer cans than claimed on the company's Web site;  it states they'll hold up to 16 cans of vegetables, but mine only hold 14.  (I suspect they may want you to ram them in harder, to make a couple of cans pop up over others in the sloping stack, but I'm not going to do that.)  You can load them with the oldest cans first, then newer ones, so that as you take cans out of the bottom opening for routine use, you're automatically using your old stocks first.  They fit easily in the heavy-duty storage units I use - I reckon I'll be able to fit eight of them onto every shelf.

I plan to fill a 'Pantry Organizer' with each variety of canned food we keep in stock, and add a flat or two of extra cans of those items we use most.  As I empty each organizer I'll refill it from the flat, or buy a few more cans during routine weekly shopping runs.  When the flats of frequently-used tins are empty, I'll replace them.  That way I'll never fall below about a dozen cans of each type of food.  I'm going to try the smaller Can Organizer units upstairs in the kitchen, where I'm sure they'll come in handy to hold supplies of the canned goods we use most often (like diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tuna, black beans, etc.). 

Overall, I'm very pleased with the Can Organizer range, and I recommend them to help organize your can storage.  It's about as simple and cost-effective a system as I've found short of making your own racks out of scrap cardboard or lumber.  If you want to do that, I've provided links above to plans and instructions.

(In case you were wondering, no, Can Organizer hasn't asked or paid me to endorse their products - I just like them, and intend to order more for my own use.)

Peter