Weekly readiness posts will happen Tuesday

May 23rd, 2011  / Author: dlhitzeman

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

May 16th, 2011  / Author: dlhitzeman

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

May 16th, 2011  / Author: dlhitzeman

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

May 10th, 2011  / Author: dlhitzeman

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

May 10th, 2011  / Author: dlhitzeman

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

 

Weekly readiness posts will appear tomorrow

May 9th, 2011  / Author: dlhitzeman

Be ready now and Readiness Watch will post tomorrow (Tuesday 10 May).

DLH

Readiness Watch for the Week of 2 May 2011

May 2nd, 2011  / Author: dlhitzeman

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 2 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: Sanitation

May 2nd, 2011  / Author: dlhitzeman

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: Sanitation

  • Immediate: The best rule of thumb for proper sanitation is to keep waste products away from people. Consider storing non-potable water for the purpose of flushing toilets, and designate a place to dispose of trash and other waste at least 50 yards downwind and down-water from people. Do not dispose of waste near well heads or open water. Make sure you have sanitation supplies, such as toilet paper and trash bags, on hand. Consider purchasing a sanitation kit to allow for safe storage and removal of waste.
  • Intermediate: Consider purchasing a self-composting toilet or self-composting waste system for the number of people involved in your readiness plan. Locate sites for compost piles and trash pits that are at least 50 yards away from water supplies and are downwind from human habitation areas.
  • Long-term: Long-term sanitation involves finding ways to permanently dispose of waste products and will generally involve three components: disposing of human waste, disposing food waste, and disposing of or recycling non-food waste.
    • Human waste can be safely buried at least 50 yards away from potable water sources, and functioning septic systems (that is ones that have access to water) will continue to function if cared for. Otherwise, an outhouse with a leach bed or a self-composting toilet can also be used. At worst, a pit that is periodically buried or burned can be used.
    • Food waste (yes, even meat and bones) can be composted, although compost sites should be located away from water areas. Composting can be accelerated by adding animal feces to the compost, by the regular addition of soil, and by turning the compost periodically.
    • Non-food waste should be handled based on what it might be. In a long-term readiness situation, most waste will need to be recycled for its raw material value.

 

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 25 April 2011

April 25th, 2011  / Author: dlhitzeman

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 25 April 2011

Previous Readiness Watch posts.

DLH

 

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

April 25th, 2011  / Author: dlhitzeman

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: Hygiene

  • Immediate: Buy a stock of body cleaning products that do not require water. You should have at least one package on hand for each person involved in your plan. In addition, consider stockpiling extra water, soap, and towels.
  • Intermediate: Emergencies of any duration require a different approach to hygiene, especially if water resources are scarce. Remember that hygiene does not require potable water, but you should never used fouled water for hygiene. Consider stockpiling extra water, soap, and towels for hygiene purposes. You can build homemade water filtration systems from readily available components to recycle water for hygiene purposes. Consider stockpiling fuel and containers to purify water.
  • Long-term: Long term hygiene concerns involve constructing systems that allow for the collection, filtering, and recycling of non-potable water. In many places, the best method is to construct an outdoor shower facility with a rain collection system, a collection basin, a hand pump, and a drum water filter. Water can be kept from freezing during the winter months by the addition of a stove and heat transfer elements.

 

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