Archive for May, 2011

Readiness Watch for the Week of 30 May 2011

Monday, May 30th, 2011

Readiness Watch is a weekly publication intended to provide current, relevant, and actionable readiness information to people determined to be ready for whatever comes next, and especially for those people who are just starting their journey down the road to readiness. Readiness Watch will include observations, commentary, advice, links to resources, and related news.

I always welcome input from my readers, especially tips on information or ways to make this publication better. Feel free to contact me with information, advice, or tips or for ways you can support this effort.

Readiness Watch for the week of 30 May 2011

Previous Readiness Watch posts.

DLH

Be ready now: 3 things you can start doing this week to be ready for whatever comes next: Minimum skills

Monday, May 30th, 2011

Be ready now is a weekly post about things you can do right now to get ready for whatever might come next courtesy of Dennis L Hitzeman’s Readiness Weblog. You can find other posts in this series in the “Be ready now” category.

This week’s theme: Minimum skills

  • Immediate: At a minimum, everyone involved in your readiness plan should be trained in basic first aid, CPR, and rescue breathing. Other useful minimum skills can be fire-starting, use of basic clearing tools such as saws, chainsaws, and breaker bars, and orienteering.
  • Intermediate: At least one person involved in your plan should have some level of training in the following areas: medical care, knife sharpening, sewing, shelter-building, skinning and butchering game animals, small engine repair, large engine repair, and weapon repair.
  • Long-term: Long-term readiness skills include raising food and livestock, construction of weatherproof shelters, finding sources of fresh water, negotiation, and self-defense.

 

Do you find this information informative and helpful? Feel free to contact me and let me know. You can also contact meabout ways you can support this effort.

DLH

 

Readiness Watch for the Week of 23 May 2011

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Readiness Watch is a weekly publication intended to provide current, relevant, and actionable readiness information to people determined to be ready for whatever comes next, and especially for those people who are just starting their journey down the road to readiness. Readiness Watch will include observations, commentary, advice, links to resources, and related news.

I always welcome input from my readers, especially tips on information or ways to make this publication better. Feel free to contact me with information, advice, or tips or for ways you can support this effort.

Readiness Watch for the week of 23 May 2011

Previous Readiness Watch posts.

DLH

 

Be ready now: 3 things you can start doing this week to be ready for whatever comes next: Immediate Readiness Response Checklist

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Be ready now is a weekly post about things you can do right now to get ready for whatever might come next courtesy of Dennis L Hitzeman’s Readiness Weblog. You can find other posts in this series in the “Be ready now” category.

This week’s theme: Immediate Readiness Response Checklist

Many things may need to happen at the moment a disaster occurs, but it is important to keep track of your immediate readiness plan:

  • Where is everyone involved in your plan? Is someone missing? Does anyone know why? Where was the missing person last known to be?
  • Is anyone present injured? How badly? Does the injury require first aid? Can you or someone nearby perform that aid? Does someone need to call or go for assistance?
  • Is the place you are safe? If not, can you get to someplace safe? If you can’t get to someplace safe, can something be done to make where you are safe?
  • Once everyone involved in your plan is cared for and safe, are others in need of immediate assistance?

Several things to consider in the wake of a disaster:

  • If possible, shelter in place.
  • If sheltering in place is not possible, evacuate to your predetermined rallying point.
  • If evacuating to your rallying point is not possible, follow your contingency plan.
  • Be sure that you have as many of your immediate readiness supplies as possible given the circumstances.

 

Do you find this information informative and helpful? Feel free to contact me and let me know. You can also contact meabout ways you can support this effort.

DLH

 

How about Wednesday

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

I’ll try for the weekly readiness posts Wednesday.

DLH

Weekly readiness posts will happen Tuesday

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

I will post the weekly readiness posts tomorrow as a result of running out of time today.

DLH

Readiness Watch for the Week of 16 May 2011

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Readiness Watch is a weekly publication intended to provide current, relevant, and actionable readiness information to people determined to be ready for whatever comes next, and especially for those people who are just starting their journey down the road to readiness. Readiness Watch will include observations, commentary, advice, links to resources, and related news.

I always welcome input from my readers, especially tips on information or ways to make this publication better. Feel free to contact me with information, advice, or tips or for ways you can support this effort.

Readiness Watch for the week of 16 May 2011

Previous Readiness Watch posts.

DLH

Be ready now: 3 things you can start doing this week to be ready for whatever comes next: Transportation

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Be ready now is a weekly post about things you can do right now to get ready for whatever might come next courtesy of Dennis L Hitzeman’s Readiness Weblog. You can find other posts in this series in the “Be ready now” category.

This week’s theme: Transportation

  • Immediate: Maintain a fuel reserve for every vehicle you own. Optimally, your reserve should include enough fuel to refill each vehicle’s tank once. Take care to store fuel in proper containers and in safe areas. Keep each vehicle’s tank filled to at least a quarter tank, with a half tank being better.
  • Intermediate: How will you transport yourself if fuel or vehicles are not available? If you intend to walk or bike, are you physically fit enough to make the trip?
  • Long-term: Consider owning alternative forms of transportation, such as bicycles, quad-cycles, or ridable animals.

 

Do you find this information informative and helpful? Feel free to contact me and let me know. You can also contact me about ways you can support this effort.

DLH

Readiness Watch for the Week of 9 May 2011

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Readiness Watch is a weekly publication intended to provide current, relevant, and actionable readiness information to people determined to be ready for whatever comes next, and especially for those people who are just starting their journey down the road to readiness. Readiness Watch will include observations, commentary, advice, links to resources, and related news.

I always welcome input from my readers, especially tips on information or ways to make this publication better. Feel free to contact me with information, advice, or tips or for ways you can support this effort.

Readiness Watch for the week of 9 May 2011

Previous Readiness Watch posts.

DLH

 

Be ready now: 3 things you can start doing this week to be ready for whatever comes next: Bugging out

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Be ready now is a weekly post about things you can do right now to get ready for whatever might come next courtesy of Dennis L Hitzeman’s Readiness Weblog. You can find other posts in this series in the “Be ready now” category.

This week’s theme: Bugging out

  • Immediate: The main part of being ready to bug out is to know where you are headed. Develop a plan around the kinds of emergencies that might occur in your area and consider everyone involved in your backup plan. Be sure to have secondary and even tertiary rendezvous points in case the primary location becomes inaccessible. Also, be sure that everyone involved in your plan has the proper gear available in the case of a bug out. Such kits should contain at least a three day supply of food and water as well as appropriate foot and weather gear.
  • Intermediate: Consider what you will do if a bug out lasts more than a few days. Where will you go? Why will you go there? If you are headed toward a particular place, is anyone there expecting you? How will you get there? For every answer, you should also develop alternatives.
  • Long-term: Plan how not to be a refugee. Refugees are people fleeing an emergency but who do not have the capacity to care for themselves in any appreciable way. The best way not to become a refugee is to accumulate the necessary gear and skills to be able to survive even if every other part of your plan falls apart. For instance, learn how to hunt with simple tools like bows or spears and learn how to properly prepare and preserve meat. Learn how to start fires without matches, and so on.

 

Do you find this information informative and helpful? Feel free to contact me and let me know. You can also contact me about ways you can support this effort.

DLH