By ​Conrad Novak 

As parents, we can be hesitant to leave our loved one's home for an extended period. It's our nature to worry. We feel as though our families become more vulnerable without us. If we prepare for emergencies when we are away from our loved ones, we can feel more comfortable leaving them.
Most disasters tend to happen when you least expect it. When you're far away from your family, these 5 ways to prepare an emergency plan will allow you and your family to respond to emergency situations in the best way possible.

Put Someone in Charge
First, establish a chain of command when you are away. Who is next in line to lead the group? The person to be left in charge should be the most responsible for the bunch and be someone that has the rest of the family's respect. The person in charge should be groomed to do what you would do in an emergency.

This person may be your oldest child or your youngest child, depending on the level of maturity. Without having someone in charge there is no order. To prevent panic, someone should take the lead in case of emergency.

It's crucial that your family understands the importance of working together, as one wrong decision could lead to a life or death situation. Emergency plans only work if your family members execute it out correctly. It's important for them to know that in case of an emergency everyone needs to stick together and not panic.
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Traits to look for when choosing a leader are effective communication, positive attitude, trustworthy, and innovative. Be sure that the person in charge knows that they are in charge and will step up and accept responsibility for the others in your absence. This person should have access to the emergency plan and everything needed to execute it. Knowing that you have a second in command will ease some worries until you can get back to your family.
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About the Author:
Conrad Novak is a proud father of two children. His journey as a prepper began when Hurricane Katrina hit and he lost his job due to the 2008 economic crisis. That made him realize that everything can change for the worst in a very short time. This experience was the detonator for him to pursue learning and becoming better prepared to face the kind of unexpected disasters that may occur at any point in our lives. You can read more of his content at SurvivorsFortress.com

​When does preparation ever become over-reaction?  In my mind, never.  And my guess is: people who have lost their homes to disasters, lost their loved ones to an epidemic, and lost all they have to tragedies feel the same way. The bottom line is: you have to be prepared to survive.
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The “polar vortex” officially became a thing this year as it turned weather conditions upside down. Epidemics and viruses, threats of war, and economic meltdown — these are some of the occurrences no man could stop from happening.  In June 2012, four million people went without electricity when an unexpected summer storm knocked out power across the mid-Atlantic region.  Hardest hit were the Washington suburbs of Northern Virginia and Maryland.  A storm during the summer? Who would have thought?
 
On that fateful day, I decided to never compromise the safety of my loved ones.  On that day, I decided to be a prepper.  Yes, a prepper — a growing community that gave National Geographic its highest ratings ever. The majority of people who saw the “Doomsday Preppers” series were not very kind, calling preppers crazy and wild-eyed people waiting for the end of the world as we know it.  But the thing about preppers is they don’t wait, they prepare and not just for the apocalypse (as most assume) but for emergencies and occurrences that most people don’t take seriously.
 
However, if you were with my family who huddled in the basement as the storm ripped through our neighborhood, tearing our roofs, slamming windows, and blowing down trees, you would probably understand.  More than 20 people died.

​Photo 1 via Flickr

​The next day after the storm, temperatures reached triple digits again. The extreme heat was hurting recovery efforts. Our house was damaged, we had no power, supermarkets and shops were mostly closed, and we ran out of food.  During those weeks, I thought: I will never let this happen to my family ever again.
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A Prepper In All Of UsIt dawned on me that I was not alone.  I was not the only one who will do whatever it takes to keep my loved ones safe.  I was not the only one who fights hard to survive.
As many as three million Americans call themselves preppers.  They are regular people who like regular things.  They are professionals, couples, rich and poor, old and young. You could be living next to a prepper and not know it.  They are the new breed of survivalists whose preparedness guide and practices go beyond the norm.

A prepper’s emergency management includes not just a 72-hour survival food kit.  Prepping means sustainability.  Keeping a stockpile of food and artillery, getting survival training, and having an escape plan are among prepper practices that make people cringe and laugh.  But the truth is: there is a prepper in all of us.  Preparing for the future, preparing for simple home emergencies, preparing for hurricanes make everyone preppers.  The difference probably lies not in magnitude but the extent and degree of wanting to survive which transcends beliefs, orientation, and practices.
 
Being A PrepperIt is not easy to be a prepper.  The “Doomsday” series was more like a weekly invitation to laugh at us, “lunatics”.  Some imagine preppers as armed zealots hunkered down in bunkers.  When visitors drop by my house, I still don’t have the courage to show them my own survival kit.  We call them bug-out bags: our own array of disaster swag.  Members of the New York City Preppers Network proudly exhibited them at a church in Washington Heights last year.  They contain: compasses, hand-cranked radios, solar-powered flashlights, fire starters, road maps and pills.  Some preppers tweaked bug-out gear to suit their needs and interests.

Photo 2 via Flickr

Preppers often have their own checklists and preparedness guides. Prepping seems like a tough practice and the common question is: “where do I start?”  If you are the type that will do everything to protect your family, then prepping should not be a difficult task.  Everything will come naturally with training and practice.  There is no single formula for prepping — emergency survival kits must be patterned with what you and your family need and the training required varies with what specifically you are preparing for.
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However, for beginners to have an idea of what prepping is all about, the basics are food kits, the art of stockpiling food and preserving it, first aid kits and skills, keeping your place warm or cold, locating sources of water and power, and disaster training.
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Preppers And Pop CulturePreppers are an ever-growing community, thanks to television shows, documentaries, movies, businesses and dedicated websites that make the idea of preparing popular and common.  Taking after the National Geographic’s “Doomsday Preppers,” the Discovery Channel launched its own series called “Doomsday Bunkers” and the TV special “Apocalypse Preppers.”

Movies such as “2012,””Contagion” and “World War Z” show viewers that, while fictional, the world is not safe from disasters and epidemics.  Like these movies, preppers do not intend to cast paranoia among people.  They simply remind that complacency has no place in this world.

There are also hundreds of websites and blogs, personal or official that are dedicated to preppers.  Top websites such as SHTF Plan and Survival Blog get as much as 60,000 visits a day combined.
Whether for long-term or short-term emergencies, people seem to be taking action and industries cashing in on preppers are proof of this — from ordinary household items to bug out gear.  The demand has made prepping a multi-billion industry.

Prepping is often seen as overly-dramatic but to me it is nothing but preparing to survive.  It is survival revolution.  No one deserves to feel the pain of losing someone we love or losing everything we worked so hard for.  Prepping is more than just a phenomenon; it is here to stay because danger does not discriminate — it can happen anytime, it can happen to anyone. Preppers are regular people who will do everything to keep themselves and their families alive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
 
Author’s bio:
Jack is an experienced hunter, shooting & self-defense instructor. On Secretstorages.com, he writes about self-defense knives, security camera systems, surviving in the woods, etc.

Keep in mind that, unlike other new endeavors, becoming a prepper is a goal the beginner may feel a lot of accomplishment right away, because there is a much higher likelihood of shorter-term disasters happening, and shorter-term disasters are easier to prepare for.  So dive right in!  

Start by storing some stuff for you and your family to survive a three-day power outage:  a case of bottled water, some dehydrated food (from the camping sections of Target or Walmart), some flashlights with good batteries, and some clean clothes, coats and blankets are all that would be needed to get most people through a short-term disaster.

Beyond that, it would be a good idea to look into “bug-out bags” for everyone in your family, and for those family members who commute or who may be away when a longer-term disaster could hit, that family member should keep their bug-out bag in their car.  The contents of the bug-out bag depend on your surroundings and what disaster you envision could happen.  I have a bug-out bag in my car, and in it I have a change of clothes, a Berkey Sports water bottle, bottles of water, a few power bars, camping food and pans, a minimal first-aid kit, a flashlight, pup tent, lots of cash, toilet paper, copies of important papers, a tire-iron and a small hatchet (the last two for protection but also for foraging if need be).  All of these items can be bought on Amazon or at Walmart for not much money.

Beyond that, I see no reason why preppers would not plan on anything and everything going wrong, and prepare accordingly.  If you plan on the end of the world with a full-blown survival retreat, survival group members all trained and ready to go, and the end of the world never happens, so what?  You have some extra stuff stored up and friends who have prepared for something that never happened.  No big loss.

I recently wrote a non-fiction book on the subject of prepping, entitled Dirt Cheap Valuable Prepping, by Cal Wilson.  In the book I prioritize the items new preppers should stock up on, with an emphasis on really cheap items you can buy, and where to find them.  For example, a sleeping bag, which is an important item to have on hand, could be bought new at a store for hundreds of dollars, or used on Ebay or at a thrift store.  Even a laundered, used sleeping bag would be a huge savings over a new one.

In the book I also included a lot of ideas that have not been covered anywhere else.  For example, many prepping experts advise stocking up on toilet paper, which could run out of in a prolonged disaster.  I advise buying a travel bidet, which take some getting used to but will still keep you clean after you have run out of toilet paper.  $15 on Amazon, and unlike toilet paper, reusable.

I also wrote about details on the brands of good and inexpensive flashlights (Dorcy) and rechargeable batteries (Eneloop) to buy, what types of containers to use to store stuff in, the importance of electrolytes and recipes, dryer lint to start fires, medicines for skin fungi, and so on.

At the end of the book I also included a list of prepper-themed TV shows, movies, websites and prepper podcasts that I advise the reader watch or listen to.  Prepping is not only something to do, or a series of things to buy.  It is a lifestyle, and the prepper podcasts and other media I recommend get you into that lifestyle pretty quickly.

Become a prepper!  You can do it!  And you don’t have to spend a ton of money or become rabid to do it.

My book, Dirt Cheap Valuable Prepping, by Cal Wilson, is available on Amazon, Kindle and Audible.

--Cal Wilson
Author, Dirt Cheap Valuable Prepping

Reusable menstrual pads are among items you should have in your emergency survival kit in order to be prepared for any crisis or SHTF event that may happen during your lifetime. In addition to clean underwear, a torch and wet wipes, reusable cloth menstrual pads or reusable menstrual cup should be one of the essential ‘just in case’ items you have packed in your survival purse, ready to go.

If you’ve never used before, cloth menstrual pads are just like your regular disposable pads, except that they are made of fabric and come in a whole bunch of colors, sizes and styles. They are perfectly safe to use in place of the disposable types and provide just as much protection. You simply put them on as you would with the regular types and replace them every 2 – 6 hours, depending on your flow. Instead of discarding, however, you would lightly soak your cloth menstrual pads to prevent stains then you can toss them in the washing machine or hand wash if you prefer, and they are ready to be used again.
With that said, are cloth pads also a good choice in times of crisis when surviving is paramount? Here is why the answer to that is a resounding yes and why you should include a set in your emergency survival kit. They are:

• Reusable

After a catastrophe, businesses may shut their doors, and even if they are open, stock may be damaged, depleted, or looted. If you run out of disposable sanitary napkins, you might be left in an embarrassing situation. The best cloth menstrual pads can be washed and re-used for as long as you want until things return to normal.
 

• Safer for you

Menstrual cloth pads contain no chemical by-products that will interfere with your body’s natural chemistry; neither do they have in toxins that have been linked to toxic shock syndrome. In a survival situation, it would be an even bigger tragedy if you had to worry about dying from a bacterial infection or catching an annoying yeast infection, so you should invest in some high quality cloth menstrual pads as part of your survival kit.
 

• Better for the Environment

Research shows that women can use as much as 11,000 feminine hygiene products throughout their lives, of which disposable pads make up a significant proportion. That in turn leads to a lot of garbage in the landfills, which contributes to pollution. The idea of catastrophes in the world is already based on pollution, but using environmentally-friendly cloth menstrual pads may not only help you survive but possibly prevent future disasters.
With all the different changes your body goes through on a monthly basis, seeing your period is one event that you have to be prepared for at all times, including when there are floods, earthquakes, or  tsunamis. This is a sensitive topic that many women might not be eager to address. But, if you want to be truly prepared for an emergency, it’s one elephant in the room that you will have to face. If you’re not sure where to start, there are many high quality cloth menstrual pads available on Amazon. They come in many patterns and sizes, from light flow to heavy flow or overnight pads.  Be prepared and use reusable cloth pads for all the reason stated above.  It’s an essential item to stock up that also come with little wet bags, which you can use to store used pads in until you can wash them later. Check them out and be prepared for any time of the month.
 
By Amy Napoli
www.periodmate.com
periodmatemama@gmail.com

A few days ago I was reading some comments and questions on our Facebook group (The Bugout Network), and I saw a few questions regarding the topic of bugging out or evacuating an area if you or a family member has limited mobility due to a disability or injury. I personally understand this concern. Not too long ago I found myself in a very serious vehicular accident that left me with some serious injuries, none of which were life threatening, but it did throw me into a 6 months journey to recovery before I was able to walk again. Those 6 months felt like a lifetime and for someone like me it was REALLY hard to feel that vulnerable. From my own experience, and with some time on my hands, I made some changes to my bugout plan in order to alleviate the risk if something like this were to happen again. I know this is a common problem and its obvious that not every person, and for that matter, not every family is going to be perfectly healthy and capable of strapping on a heavy pack and walking for miles. In fact, most families will have at least one member who is physically not able to do something so strenuous. Depending on when you have to bug out, you or a member of your family may be ill or injured. This certainly throws a gorilla size wrench in the bug out plan.
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​If you or a family member has a condition that will prevent you or them from being able to keep up or even walk out, you need to plan for that. In addition, whether disabled or not, its sensible to have a contingency plan in place in case someone is ill or injured when it is time to get out of dodge. You are not going to leave anyone behind, but you don't want to put the entire family in jeopardy. Obviously there are going to be challenges that others will not face, but the whole idea of preparing for anything far ahead of time is how you will overcome those obstacles. 

The following are some tips to bugging out with the infirm or disabled. 

Have Aids and Tools Available

Be prepared to handle limited mobility by having the necessary equipment. Sometimes an elderly person may just need a walking stick to lean on. This is something you can keep tucked away with your gear. Knee braces and ankle braces can also provide support if that is an issue. A back brace can also provide some support for anybody suffering from back issues that may slow them down.
If walking is truly an issue, a wheelchair will be helpful. Ensure you have a working strap to hold, yourself or the person in the chair as you travel over rough terrain. It won't be easy to get it up steep, rocky inclines, but with a couple of people, it can be done. It is a good idea to practice and if t’s a family member, make sure you take him or her on the evacuation route to get an idea of how to navigate some of the more difficult terrain. Don't wait until your life depends on it to figure out the best way to carry the chair and person over a rocky path.
A stretcher may also be a good idea to keep on hand, just in case someone gets injured before you bug out. These are fairly light weight and two to four people can easily pack the stretcher and injured or disabled person out.


Pack Light

If you or your family member can physically walk, but is weak or not all that steady on their feet, make it easier by carrying or giving them a very light bug out bag. You don't want to  be strained or strain them anymore than necessary. This applies to children too. Make sure they have the essentials like water, a flashlight and a way to start a fire and divvy up the rest of the gear to the healthier members of the group. If the person is going to be in a wheelchair, it isn't that much more difficult to attach the bag to the chair or have the person carry it in their lap.
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Consider a BOV—Bug Out Vehicle
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If walking or traveling even short distances is going to be extremely difficult or impossible, you may want to put your efforts into creating a bug out vehicle. For those who are bedridden, riding in a wheelchair may be too much. A BOV is one way to get the whole family out without any real effort. The only drawback to a vehicle is the possibility roads may all be blocked. This is why it is a good idea to find a rig that is off-road capable. Make sure it has a good set of traction tires and can take a beating. 

​Limit Your Walk

Although you may have the perfect retreat 45 miles away, if you have someone with limited mobility, you will want to look for somewhere a bit closer. That is a long way to carry or push someone in a wheelchair. If that retreat is the only possible refuge, you will need to make several stops. You may only be able to travel a few miles a day. You must be prepared to sleep outside or have shelters identified along the route. If that is the plan, make sure you have the necessary bedding and shelter to allow yourself or your limited mobility member adequate rest for the following day that will be just as trying.
Ideally, if you can find something that is much closer, you will be doing yourself and the rest of the family a huge service. The strain and frustration on both sides, those who are capable and those that are struggling, will wear you down and make the journey very difficult.
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Focus on Strengths
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The members in your group who have limited mobility or other physical limitations can be real solid assets. You will need to shift around some responsibilities to use those talents. Maybe the person in the wheelchair is an excellent navigator or knows how to start a fire faster than anybody else. Discover what everyone's strengths and weaknesses are and distribute the work load. Every member of your group can and should contribute. This will make it easier and everyone will feel valued.
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While it may be a little unconventional and not typically something you think about when you imagine bugging out, you have to be prepared to deal with anything. If you are escaping a natural disaster or some other calamity, there is a very good chance someone may be injured and need assistance to get to safety. Never assume you all have to stay and hope for the best or that you must do the unthinkable and leave a loved one behind. It just takes a little extra planning and a willingness to put in a little more effort than those families who are all healthy and mobile. Do what you can to get in shape and in good health so you can be prepared to put forth a little more effort. 

Related:
Can't bug out?Read how you can protect your home (Security Measures to Protect Your Home)

​In today's world, we fortunately still have the luxury of technology, and a working power and communication infrastructure. We can still connect with people we have never met, over the internet anywhere in the world, including people in nearby communities. We can turn on our tablets and surf the internet to find people with the same goal of surviving after a disaster without ever leaving the couch. The anonymity that goes with internet connections is one many people prefer.

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​There are numerous places you can utilize to find fellow preppers who would appreciate being a part of your network or welcoming you into theirs. It is important you use this service to your advantage today. After a disaster or collapse, the internet will not be up and you would likely not have the power needed to charge your internet devices, anyways. This includes calling your fellow neighborhood preppers. Use the technology available today to establish signs that will be used to send messages. It would also be a good idea to buy 2-way radios that will transmit several miles. This will allow you to keep in touch with your network when the phone lines are down and cell towers are not functioning.

​Right now, the ability to connect with people you don't know over the internet is a very lucrative option. It gives you that anonymity you desire while allowing you to do lots of research about a particular organization.
Although the internet and technology in general gives you a great deal of anonymity, it is still important you follow some basic rules. You wouldn't tell the guy you met on the street your full name, address and everything you have and you certainly don't want to put that information out on the internet.
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Never offer where you live. It is best to keep it general. If you live in a particular neighborhood, that would be safe to mention. However, avoid street names and any particular details about your house. Some folks are okay with using their first and last names, but keep in mind; with technology as it is today, it is very easy to find someone's address.
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​Avoid discussing personal details and especially don't talk about any valuables like guns or gold you have stored away. You have to remember it isn't just your fellow preppers that are looking at the boards. It could be anybody. That includes the people that are looking for places to loot and steal from today.

There are some major advantages to using technology today to build up your prepper groups. It is one way to get to know someone so to speak. Each person in the group will know the others' strengths and weaknesses. This is what makes a community. You don't want to build a group of people who all know the same thing and have the same skill set.

The goal is to use the meetings and internet groups to learn about each other. To discuss what one person is doing and how it works and how it can be improved. Nobody is going to have all the answers, which is why community networks are so crucial to long term survival.

You will want to vet the groups before you make a final decision to join. You may have different ideologies and goals. You may be a peace-loving kind of person who prefers to focus on living and let live while the group you are looking into may be more of a kill the competition. Don't join a group you cannot mesh well with.

Personality conflicts within a group can be a real issue. If you put everything you have into the group, but end up not getting along with all the members, you are forced to make a decision. Leave the group and likely lose what you brought in or stay and deal with the conflict.
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Another benefit to using technology as a lead is the ability to check out what others have said or are currently saying about a group you are considering joining. Many local groups will have online sites or Facebook pages. It is a good idea to comb through current and past posts. Look at what other members are talking about and how the group works with each other. Is there a lot of bickering? Do you agree with the leaders of the group and their values and direction?
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When you join online, you have the freedom to leave a group if it isn't working for you. Easy come, easy go. There isn't an awkward exit. You simply leave and find another. If it is a group you are putting together, you have the luxury of asking another member to leave if it is obvious they are not going to be a positive contributor.

Make sure you ask the hard questions up front and save yourself some time. It is often easier to talk openly when you are only looking at a computer rather than an actual person. Use it to your advantage to ask the questions, research and get to know the other people before you make that initial face to face contact.

Even after you commit to a group, it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep some things to yourself. You may all be great friends today, but when it comes down to every man fighting for resources to survive, it can get ugly. Ideally, your group would work together towards the goal of survival, but there are no guarantees in life. Getting into a group now, working together and getting to know one another better will help develop trust. That trust is what will help sustain you and keep your merry band of survivors together.

By Dennis Diaz

Lighting 
Lucky for us, in most EMP type conditions, basic small equipment like flashlights will most likely still work. Unless you are relatively close to the EMP's effective radius, technologies like flashlights should still work (They generally have very simple designs and minimal friable components). A great fix to lighting is going to be solar powered flashlights. 

Avoid the ones you shake, as these generally are more vulnerable to failure during a blast. In going old school, something I really enjoy using while camping is my Kerosene lantern. Not only do they look cool, they can last a very long time and are cheap to maintain. If you really want a flashlight and your concerned about it getting fried, build your self a Faraday Cage

Hopefully you have been able to get a better idea on how to prepare for an EMP attack. Although this is one of the most unlikely event's to happen, it can still be a very scary thought and would probably cause the most harm to our standard way of living. Start thinking about the things you do every day that rely on technology. What would you do if you no longer had the technology to support this requirement, and how would you manage without it?

I still appreciate the technologies of the past, non-dependent on electronics and simple in nature. Going old school is the best way to prepare for an EMP attack in today’s world.
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​These items have lengthy expiration dates, so you can stash them away for long periods of time. Make a list of everything in your stockpile and check expiration dates every 6 to 12 months to keep things fresh. And don’t forget to have a can opener on hand at all times—all that food won’t be of any use if you can’t open it.
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P.S: There several ways to improve your food supply security. One way is "aquaponics", which is a system of aquaculture where the waste produced by fish supplies nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water. It sounds very complex, and it can be, so research is critical if you want to get started. Here's a course that significantly cuts the learning curve and simplifies the whole process of getting going and maintaining an "aquaponics" system. Learn More Here