Tactical and Preparedness Tips
Quite some time ago, we offered up some information on preparedness. We were actually quite surprised on how well this information was received and numerous people even came into the shop to ask Dianne how she fashioned / organized her Bug Out Bags. So on that note, we decided to start another page on Tactical and Preparedness Tips offered up by us and some technical advisors that we network with.
Some of these tips will be new to you, some of them you will know, some of them you may have known but forgotten. We hope all of them will keep you thinking about your responsibility to always be mentally and physically prepared for the benefit of you, your family and your community.
Our technical advisors and us believe it is the individuals responsibility (not Governments or other agencies) to take the initiative to be well prepared with the proper equipment, training, and mental attitude to not only survive a crisis but be victorious. One only needs to look at Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans to understand the importance of this. The City had four days notice of the impending storm and floods. No one moved. The City had hundreds of school buses at its disposal to move people. None were utilized. People were already under flood waters before they tried to stock up on water and essentials by looting stores. Now it was too late to move. The people blamed the City for not keeping them safe and secure, watered and fed. The City blamed the state and the state blamed the Feds. Yet it was the citizens themselves who were in “condition white” and clueless to their pending predicament.
It’s highly unlikely that we will see a hurricane here in Edmonton but we have had severe tornado’s and extreme winter storms. The Province as a whole has been experiencing power “brownouts” and these are expected to get worse as the power grid has not kept up with development, hence power requirements. That forces us to survive at the very least for possibly hours, off the grid. We should be prepared for worse. As has been said before, we are martial artists and as such we train to make our minds and bodies strong. We should also be prepared to not only look after ourselves but those who cannot look after themselves such as the weak, handicapped or elderly. Hopefully you can glean a few tidbits of knowledge from this page. Stay tuned for more additions.
Emergency Rations
Ok, so the power has gone out and the ATM doesn't work. You head over to your local food store and they can't sell you anything because their electronic till systems don't work and they are incapable of processing simple cash transactions. Now it's over to the little private neighborhood grocery. He's capable of going low tech and taking cash, but he's already sold out. Now what?
If your one of those people who does not keep any amount of food in the home, what will you subsist on for a day, or two, or more, given some issue that has shut everything down?
Meal Kit Supply Canada has the answer. They specialize in what used to be termed MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat). Some people now refer to them as IMP's (Individual Meal Packages). Whatever. These meals are not cheap, working out to about $10 to $12 a piece. However, they have a shelf life of several years depending on your storage temperatures. They can be had with integral heaters so that when you add water, a chemical reaction occurs and your food heats up. The calorie count is high which if you are stressed, or cold, you will need those extra calories. Or, you could just split a meal with someone else. They also make for good meals to take back country hiking, etc. The only issue we found with them is the high sodium content which could be detrimental to some people.
Check them out here http://www.mealkitsupply.com/pages/en/emergencies
Road ID
Every once in awhile, a new product comes onto the market that makes so much sense. A couple are listed below on this page. Well, here is another one.
Last summer while watching the Tour De France, I noticed a lot of people wearing wristbands but they didn't appear to be your average "event" style wristbands. I thought at first that perhaps they were just something along the lines as the Lance Armstrong "Livestrong" type of thing.
As it turned out, after a little surfing, I found out that they were called Road ID and most of the cyclists were wearing them. If you know anyone that has any health issues what so ever, these are just what the Doctor ordered. Road ID can be used as a wristband, ankle band, and a few other styles. On the band will be your name and an emergency contact number. As well, you will find a "code number" and with that, EMS or hospital personnel can access the Road ID interactive web site and not only see your picture on there, so they know they have the right person, but they can see your medical history. If you are taking a lot of meds, have allergies, or other medical issues that they need to know about, it can all be stored on their secure site. This is definitely a worthwhile investment for anyone with health issues. Check it out at Road ID.
Planning
Do you have a plan ? Why not ?
We still have fire drills in schools, after decades with no fires. Why ? Because we know what happens to people when they are stressed. So we continue to this day to have fire drills in public buildings even though there has been no life threatening fires in these structures for decades.
There are many advertisements in the written media and on TV about us using nine one one (911), not nine eleven. If you tell people to use nine eleven, they will look for 11 on the phone to dial and guess what...it's not there!
Several years ago, some of you might remember, we had a freak hailstorm in July that caused serious flooding. Dianne's mothers home was flooded but we couldn't take the Quesnell bridge across the river because it had two feet (literally) of hail on it and had been closed down. Plan B, we had to drive around so that we could help her with the flooding, so it took us longer to respond. This was a very localized situation. Today, we have plans in place should something similar happen and we need to get to her or vice versa.
When you are stressed out, that is not the time for debating alternatives. If something happens within your family unit, who does what ? Who goes to the school and picks up the kids ? Who picks up the Bug Out Bags at home ? Where is your meeting point if you can't get home in a severe winter storm as an example ? Do you have enough cash on hand if you must purchase items and the power is down, hence no ATMs / Debit machines ?
These are all issues that you should sit down with your partner and discuss. Write it out and review it on occasion.
Day Bags
We have mentioned on here and in our newsletters about Bug Out Bags, Go Bags, GOOD (Get Out Of Dodge) Bags, Blow Out Bags etc. The response we have had to this has been very positive.
A Day Bag is basically a scaled down version. In your day bag (man purse), you would typically have what you need to get by for a day should you somehow find yourself in a predicament. In it should be some protein type bars / carbo gel packs, perhaps a "boo boo" med kit in case you or someone has a minor issue, medications that you might require should you not be able to make it home, or in the event that you have a condition like allergies. A small folding jacket or something similar should the weather turn sour might be a good idea. A knife, flashlight and matches. Perhaps a notebook and pen. These are just a few suggestions. You may wish to alter yours according to your specific requirements. All of this will fit into a very compact package that can be easily carried with you everwhere. Something else for you to consider.
Cold Weather Survival
With the recent cold snap and Edmonton being the coldest city in North America for a day, this seemed like a topic to be covered.
It never ceases to amaze us here in the shop with the way people dress. All fashion, no function. Even here in the city, if you break down, no one is going to get to you for quite some time. That means you might have to walk at least a couple blocks, if not farther, to get to a public building, convenience store, etc. where you can stay warm. That little walk in minus 40 degree temps could easily cause frostbite. Yet we've had gals come in the shop with skirts, no hose, and small shoes! That bare skin will freeze in no time.
To start with, in these sub zero temps, you should never be below a half tank of fuel. That way you can stay warm in your running vehicle if you get stuck or have a flat tire. You should always have a Go Bag in your vehicle with season specific extra clothes, some winter boots, perhaps a power bar or two and maybe even a candle. Even in a confined space like a vehicle, a candle can keep you warm although you will have to crack a window just a touch.
As discussed in the Cell topic below, always keep a charged cell phone with you. Keep a vehicle charger it case it starts to run down while your trying to summon help. Cells will start losing power faster in sub zero temps.
A "working" flashlight is always a handy item to have especially at night. They can still be valuable in the daytime when you are trying to look under the hood or should you drop something like your keys or cell phone under the seat.
If you don't want to keep something like the Powerflares (mentioned on this page) in your car, buy one of those plastic reflective triangles. If you break down in the dark or in a snow storm, make yourself as visible as possible.
Also, purchase a set of booster cables and keep them in your car at all times.
Cellular Communications
This has been a pet peeve of Dianne and I for quite some time. This should probably be under the Rant file but it has more bearing on Preparedness. Cell phones have been around for about 20 years now. I had one of the first "bricks" on the market and have carried some form or another of this technology for that long. Cell phones save lives. That is an indisputable fact. Many a person has had an accident of some form or another and been able to summon assistance due to this small electronic gizmo. I believe everyone should have one. I believe that if you cannot operate a motorized vehicle while talking on a cell phone, you are mentally deficient and have an IQ around freezing. You should be forced to drive a Smart car with one seat and no radio because you are too easily distracted and therefore incapable of driving with passengers.
The other part of this equation is those people, and yes in this instance we are gender biased, who drop their phones into the bottom of their purse. Usually said cell phone is turned off or the battery is dead. What that means is that the family member mentioned above who is facing an urgent or critical incident cannot contact you.
What purpose then is this cell phone when no one can contact you or worse, you need it and either can't find it or the battery is dead.
Cell phones are great technology. Use them wisely and they will serve you well. It is unfortunate that the bureaucrats will be legislating us back to the stone age because of a few mental midgets who cannot drive and talk at the same time or think it is ok to let go of the steering wheel while they text and drive. Get a phone, get one for everyone in your family if they are old enough to talk, keep it charged, and keep it with you. Use it responsibly.
August 2009
I was originally told about this device about a year ago by one of our martial arts customers who is an avid outdoorsman. He frequently goes back country on a quad where cell reception is typically non existent. So if he were to have an issue, no one would know about it or be able to find him.
With my bike trips, Dianne thought that besides the obvious safety issues, the tracking functions would be a neat way to follow and log a trip. So this spring she bought me a SPOT http://www.findmespot.ca/en/ I used it just a week ago on a trip through BC and it was very cool. Just by punching a button, Dianne would get an email that showed my exact location via Google Earth, usually at a Starbucks (;
Again, aside from the novelty, this product makes just too much sense if you are a backpacker, hiker, mountain biker etc. Check it out.
Another product we came across this year is the Powerflare http://www.powerflare.com/index.html
These little LED units are about the size of a hockey puck and are capable of several different lighting modes and several colors. Instead of the old standby "reflectors" or worse, flares, these units can be kept in your vehicle and used for those emergency breakdowns, flat tires etc. They can be used for helicopter landing zones or even as a beacon if you were lost while backcountry hiking. One of the flash modes is actually an SOS.
We don't carry the above products and don't get anything for the referrals, but once in a while you just see products like this that make sense. Check them out.
May 2009
As promised, we have put together what we consider to be a very basic list to assist you in building your own Bug Out Bags. You may have your own medical or dietary requirements, etc. that may require you to make changes to this. This list is not all inclusive by any means, but it is a starting point. Put all this in a decent quality backpack that you take with you in your vehicle and will always have close at hand in the event you need to grab it and go. Each person in your family should have their own.
SHELTER
Tarp(camo)2 space blankets, 50 ft 550 cord, duct tape, adult sized poncho, garbage bags
FOOD-some of this stuff has been packed w/ a food sealer-nice and tight.
MREs, either military style or MEC boil in a bag, small zip bag of coffee / tea, sugar, creamer, salt & pepper Crackers, MRE peanut butter bars – powerbar or similar carb jell packs
WATER
3 liter Camelbak and / or bottles of water. Water treatment tabs and / or filtration, empty water bag (in case you are near a water source)
FIRE
bic lighters, steel / flint, waterproof matches, candles, stove
COMMS
wind up radio, GPS and or a SPOT, Signal kit w/ mirror, penflare and flares, whistle, signal panel, 2 GMRS radios – for communicating to each other
TOOLs
multi tool, knife – more than one, folding saw, metal cup, spoon, forks, knife, cook pot, Solar battery recharger Waterproof case with extra 123 batteries and coin batteries for Red dot sights, M3 and Surefires
LIGHT
white 8 hour light sticks, red stick, green stick, Flashlights
HYGIENE
baby wipes, toilet paper, Feminine products, Soap, toothbrush, chap stick
CLOTHING (sealed to keep dry)
socks, underwear (short & long), pullover, vacuum sealed-nice and tight, gloves, hat and / or beanie, jacket, spare glasses
MEDICAL
boo boo kit w/ bandaids, neosporin, meds, eye drops, dental repair kit, tape, etc. Blow out med kit w/ H bandage, Tourniquet, Quick clot sponge, ACE, safety pins, catheters, Nasal airway, gloves, USGI dressings, 2x2, 3x3, and nonstick pads, short SAM splint, syringe, EMT shears, bandage scissors, hemostats, forceps, scalpel blades, 3M 5 shot stapler and remover.
OTHER STUFF
Cash, maps, Pen, pencil, waterproof paper, grease pencil, sharpie, Contact list, Thumbdrive w/ business and personal info, compass New April 28 / 09
As this is beng written, the Mexican swine flu is moving across the globe. The W.H.O. has this epidemic listed as a category 4. A cat. 5 is considered a "world" epidemic and cat. 6 as a pandemic. What I would like to know is: what are they not telling us ?
The numbers do not add up. A typical bad flu season will see less than a one percent fatality rate. A nasty flu season, bordering on epidemic status will see about a two percent fatality rate. If you read what the Mexicans are "admitting" to, they are sitting at about a ten percent rate. That's quite significant.
On the plus side, the cases outside Mexico have not been nearly as serious as those in country. Nor, as of this writing, has anyone contracted the disease from someone outside Mexico. The second that happens the W.H.O. will move to cat. 5 on their scale.
So what does this all mean ? It's not a sign to get all paranoid but it is a precurser to what may come down the pipe later. The W.H.O. has been telling us for a few years now that we are on the verge of a major flu pandemic that will make tens of thousands of people very sick and kill thousands of people.
Precautions: On your end, you should be looking at getting some masks, N95 or better. The cloth jobs that hang over your ears with all the gaps, are pretty much useless for viral particulates that small. This virus by the way is also airborne capable from what we have read. Use a hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol. Use it often after touching "anything" in the public domain. Better yet, wear gloves when you are out and about. Just be careful not to touch your face when wearing them. Avoid public gathering places.
There are no vaccines as yet. Typically when a new viral strain pops up, it takes several months to identify it and start creating a vaccine. There are drugs available such as Tamiflu which may not prevent you catching the virus but may possibly mitigate the seriousness of it. Masks, latex gloves, sanitizers, etc can all be stocked up on in preparation of the "big one". At this early stage, we don't know if the Mexican swine flu is "the" one or just the precurser. In keeping with the preparedness mindset, one should be good to go in this regard as one would be for any other event.
Canadian Government Site
http://www.safecanada.ca/beprepared/beprepared_e.asp
It's not much but it is a very good starting place. It also tells you that this is not an issue to be taken lightly when even the Feds have established an entire department to deal with this. Take a look at the lists and see where you stand.
Here is a private Canadian web site dedicated to this type of info also. http://www.xurbia.ca/
Batteries die; you should be a survivor.
We depend on battery operated devices more today than ever before. Besides the battery operated non-essential devices we use, think about the ones that use replaceable batteries that would be important to you in a tactical or emergency situation; flashlights, most red dot optics, GPS systems, watches, radios, and “walky talkies” are just a few. Add devices that use rechargeable proprietary batteries like cell phones, SAT phones and portable computers and the list is longer still.
As to the devices that use replaceable batteries; If you can't remember the last time you replaced the batteries, Change Them Now! Don't let the old saying "A flashlight is a storage container for dead batteries" pertain to you. Once you have replaced the batteries, keep a list as to the dates or put a piece of tape on the unit with the date on it. Sounds like a pain, but it will be a bigger pain and potentially life threatening if you or your family need a device to work in an emergency and the batteries are dead. This is where another saying comes to mind; “one is none and two is one”.
We suggest not storing cheap batteries in a device like a flashlight or emergency radio (how about a windup radio?) until you need it because of the fear of leakage and damage. However, most believe if the batteries are replaced regularly, this should not be a problem. You should keep at least two flashlights handy and ready to go at all times. In addition to having fresh batteries in your battery powered devices, it is smart to have spare batteries in your home, vehicle, bug out bag, survival kit and even toiletry bag when travelling. This sounds like a no brainer but we will say it anyway, make sure they are stored in a manner so that they cannot short circuit. The commercial packaging is pretty good, but may be susceptible to getting wet in certain situations. That's why it is a good practice to place the commercial packaging in a waterproof pouch, ziplock bag or other container when storing them.
WHICH ONES DO I USE?
Lithium batteries are the only batteries to consider for your tactical and emergency battery powered devices. Do not cheap out on batteries, even if they say "Heavy Duty" on the package. Batteries are now marked with expiration dates. If they are not, don't use them and don't buy them. Stay away from the liquidation store battery sales!
As mentioned, the best choice for a battery is the lithium battery. Yes, they are more expensive, but they are worth it. They have a long shelf life and retain over 90% of their capacity. In most battery powered devices like flashlights and radios, they afford a longer run time over alkaline batteries. The lithium batteries reportedly give better performance in cold climates as well, although I have had to change out my batteries in cold desert temps with spares I kept in my pocket to keep warm.
We do not recommend using rechargeable batteries for tactical or emergency devices unless you have back ups for these devices. Rechargeable batteries have their place and are getting much better in their design and method of manufacture but they still pose some problems where tactical or survival situations are concerned. On the flip side, an economical portable solar panel can keep your rechargeables up for those non essentials. As a side note, do not mix and match battery manufacturers in your devices. When this is done, overheating, battery failure and / or leakage could occur thereby destroying your device.
We will soon have a totally new flashlight utilizing new technology in the shop. It is the 5.11 Tactical Series “Light For Life” which has no batteries. It stores energy via a capacitor, runs for several hours and only takes 90 seconds to recharge. It is said to withstand up to 50,000 recharge cycles which is literally a “life” time of use. We are very much looking forward to getting these units in and will certainly get several for our home and vehicles. Come on in and check out this new technology.
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