In thinking about water storage for you and your family, I’ve been fascinated by how Israel solved their water problem. In his book, Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World, Seth M. Siegel tells how Israel, which is 60% desert became a water superpower. One point that stood out to me was getting residents to “buy in” to the importance of cherishing a most valuable resource. Real market pricing took care of that in a way that subsidized water never could. If something like water was free or cheap, then why not use as much of it as you could? Whereas, when charged a … [Read more...]
Search Results for: Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster: Water Purification
As I wrote to you in my five-part series on water storage here, here, here, here and here, there are plenty of ways for you to store potable water. But how can you turn stored water into great tasting water? I’ve learned that taste can be an issue if water has been sitting in a plastic container for perhaps five years. Who wants to drink water that tastes like plastic or Clorox? I don’t. The best solution I’ve come up with is to use a water purifier. But, as one survivalist points out, storing treated water and then purifying it with a filter is like wearing a belt and suspenders, it’s … [Read more...]
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster: Water Storage Part V
Your final goal in storing water is: To have water when you need it most. To do that, you need to determine what containers work best for your situation. Once you have your container(s), you want to make sure they are rinsed and disinfected before filling them up. Most come ready to go out of the box, but you want to make sure. You can watch how to disinfect containers on YouTube. I like rinsing with plain old Clorox and letting them sit for about a half hour. Then let them stand overnight before filling with water using an RV potable water hose. Next, you want to treat the water for … [Read more...]
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster: Water Storage Part IV
Good Karma If you’ve been reading my series on water storage, here, here, and here, then you may be paying closer attention to your water usage. I know I have. I’ve caught myself letting the water run needlessly while shaving, brushing my teeth and doing the dishes. For some reason, in addition to not wasting water, I feel good just turning it off. In a way, I’m hoping it will be good karma for when I really need water. Believe me there’s something to this karma stuff. Feeling good about what you’re doing, like being careful with your water usage and water storage makes you feel like … [Read more...]
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster: Tailgating at the Patriots
Preparing yourself for the next disaster gives you a certain mindset. You’re always trying to absorb as much information as possible from all of life’s experiences. And they all don’t have to be gloom and doom. Take tailgating at a New England Patriots game for example. The parking lot before a game can be surprisingly educational from a disaster prep standpoint. Any successful tailgating involves prep days before the actual game. Saturday afternoon, for example, I was at Staples picking up a storage bin for cups, paper towels, and other stuff I didn’t want to slide around in the back of … [Read more...]
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster: Water Storage Part III
You’re making progress. How to store water isn’t easy. It requires your attention. But you can do this, because without water you’re toast in three days. Don’t get overwhelmed. There’s an endless combination of ways to store water for short, intermediate, and long-term needs as I discuss here. Today I’m focused on providing you with a two-week supply or an intermediate-term storage solution. I’ve chosen four fifty-five-gallon barrels. These barrels aren’t small. Imagine those big-yellow barrels getting dragged off the Orca in the movie Jaws and you get the picture. They are about … [Read more...]
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster: Water Storage Part II
Congratulations! The simple fact that you’re reading about water storage puts you ahead of the pack. Believe me, it takes work to figure this stuff out for your family. My goal is to share with you what I’ve learned to help you create your own plan. I’ve broken my water plan into three phases: short, intermediate, and long-term storage. Your short-term needs may last from two hours up to three days and can be covered by heading to your grocery store today. I want you to be able to satisfy your short-term needs right away should you lose access to water by the time you’re done reading this … [Read more...]
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster: Water Storage
Do you live in a bone-dry, hot, desert? Then your water storage strategy may differ from someone that lives near a well, lake, river or reservoir. The same is true if you live in a third-floor city condo, compared to a quarter-acre in the burbs or 25 acres in the boondocks. You want to build your water storage capacity around your situation. That’s it. Your situation is unique. There are already tons of barriers when it comes to water storage. Don’t beat yourself up about what Joe Shmoe in Alamo is doing. Focus on yourself. You have enough hurdles to get over. For example, I’ve … [Read more...]
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster: Water Requirements
You never want to miss an opportunity to improve your situation when it comes to water. You simply cannot afford to be without it. You can’t live without water beyond three days, give or take. That’s why I suggest a short-term solution by simply making sure you have enough water on hand for the next couples of days, and then work from there. You’d be surprised at what you already have, as I explain here, and how easy it is to do as I point out here. But how do you prepare for when you will be without water for longer than a few days? In thinking about intermediate-term water storage … [Read more...]
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster: Drinking Water
When thinking about water storage, I like to break it down into three needs: short, intermediate, and long-term. Short-term needs are immediate and can last anywhere from 2 hours to 3 days. In some situations you may have some time to prepare, such as for a storm. But I’m thinking about a short-term emergency that catches you off guard. Imagine, right now, if you lost your main source of water. How would you fare for the next couple of days? You don’t want to be the one waiting in line at the store. You don’t want to be told that there are no more water bottles. The solution for … [Read more...]
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster
If you’re trying to digest the recent disasters, both natural and human, then you know it’s nearly impossible to live free without vulnerabilities. Instead of making this political (who doesn’t believe they have the answers?) what we have learned is that sometimes help isn’t coming. No doubt there is most likely a desire to help you, but desire doesn’t get you or your family out of life threatening predicaments. Therefore, my goal is to help you and your family prepare to survive on your own for as long as it takes—seconds, hours, days, or weeks—until things get back to "normal." This will … [Read more...]
Survive: Hurricane Maria Deadliest Storm Since 1900
After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, I have followed along closely, taking note of survival implications. The storm was a real world worst-case-scenario and unfortunately thousands were caught in its path. The Economist reports that Maria was America's deadliest storm since 1900. They write: WITH vicious winds gusting at 120mph, the hurricane that made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20th 2017 was expected to be deadly. Hurricane Maria wrought destruction across the island, cutting power, communications and drinking water to nearly every home. Yet most of the 3.3m islanders … [Read more...]
World Water Day 2018: Is Your Water Source Secure?
Today is World Water Day. Each year World Water Day is used to highlight the plight of the billions of people in the world with poor access to water. It is also a good day to check up on your own water security. How secure is your water supply? Where would you get your water if your well or town water source were shut down for some reason? Would that water be clean? If your power shut off, would you be put in the same situation as the 2.3 billion people living without access to improved sanitation, or the 844 million who don't have access to safe water at all? Here are some facts … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive April 2022: Dream On! Fishing the Double Down in Key West
Dear Survivor, “Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after,” wrote Henry David Thoreau. But if it’s fish you’re after, then get yourself aboard the Double Down out of charter boat row in Key West and go fishing with captain Brice Barr and first mate Shawn. You can tell them Your Survival Guy sent you, and you can thank me later. I promise. Aboard the Double Down is exactly where you could find us in mid-March at what I refer to as Summer Camp in Key West for our second trip in two years. We caught sailfish and an assortment of pelagic on both … [Read more...]
Wildfire: Prepare for the Flames
With fires once again threatening Californians, it's a good time to reread this post I put up on January 15, 2018 regarding preparing yourself to escape the dangers of wildfires. You can never be too prepared. After I wrote a piece about building better homes in areas prone to wildfires, a client and I began talking about the subject. He lives in California and is already ahead of the game in preparing for potential wildfires that could affect his neighborhood. In our discussion he mentioned the “Six Ps” of wildfire evacuation preparedness. The first thing you need to know about … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive January 2021: Are You Ready for The Great Reset?
Dear Survivor, In my conversations with you, you’re telling me you want firearms training. And you want to know where to get it. You know about my professional training at Sig Sauer in Epping, NH here, here, here, and here. But not all of you can get there. My advice: Go to your local gun shop and ask around, or visit the NRA’s website. A friend of mine had a great experience training with SureFire, and it’s important to remember these companies offer off location options too. You might want to hurry too. Joe Biden's team is already talking about the gun control measures it wants in … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive January: Is Your Cash Safe? Probably not This Safe
Dear Survivor, How well are you securing your cash and valuables? Do you have a safe at home? A safe is an obvious choice for convenience, but unless you have serious security, you wouldn't want to leave major wealth sitting unattended while you're at the office or on vacation. You need a better option. The obvious choice for most is a safe deposit box. That is the route an increasing number of the world's wealthiest are taking. Disasters like the wildfires and hurricanes that have hit the United States in recent years have made securing wealth an urgent endeavor in the minds of many. … [Read more...]
Emergency Water Storage: How Much, Containers, Purification and More
Your emergency water storage needs to be addressed on a regular basis. Simple questions like how much your emergency water storage should cost, what containers to use, and how to purify the stored water need to be answered. Here are my answers to those questions and more. Emergency Water Storage: Duration Do you live in a bone-dry, hot, desert? Then your emergency water storage strategy may differ from someone who lives near a well, lake, river or reservoir. The same is true if you live in a third-floor city condo, compared to a quarter-acre in the burbs or 25 acres in the boondocks. You … [Read more...]
You Need to Get Out of Your Survival Comfort Zone
You cannot allow yourself to get into a survival comfort zone. It's easy to do. The best example is the time spent at the gun range. Are you sitting at the bench, firing round after round from the perfect position? Or do you test yourself in a variety of positions like prone, one-handed, and standing? Are you practicing your draw, or simply plinking away in controlled conditions? If you answered the latter, you're in a survival comfort zone. And you need to break out of it. A recent article in Guns America reminded me of the necessity of breaking out of your comfort zone. Jordan Voight … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive September: As Our Family Celebrates Babson’s 100th, a Reminder on How to Make Money
Dear Survivor, Recently Becky and I had the pleasure of attending Babson’s Summer Reception in Newport. Hosted by Mary and Thomas Gilbane, Jr., it was an opportunity for the entire Babson community in Rhode Island to get together and speak with Babson’s new President Stephen Spinelli MBA ‘92. Spinelli as President makes this year for Babson—it’s 100th—even more special. As you may know, Babson has played a special role in our family with Becky’s dad Richard Young ’63 (a former trustee), brother Matthew Young ’92, Becky ’94, and me ’94 all graduates of the college. Seeing and … [Read more...]