achieving adventure

Don’t Allow Fear to Define You

If I allowed my fear to take over, then I never would have started my business. Fear would keep me from taking action. 

People fear failure, because they don’t really know what it is.

You Are Wrong, THEY Taught You WRONG!

The basic definition of failure in Merriam-Webster dictionary is the “Omission of occurrence or performance or Lack of success or falling short.”  

This is because, popular opinion dictates what is written… that and money.  Your parents taught this to you as well.

Don’t Let THEIR Ignorance Define You

Redefine the word failure.

Instead of lack of success or non-performance, we can define it as just part of the process on the path to success

Instead of something done wrong or messed up, we can redefine it as innovation lessons or character building exercises

Thomas Edison’s teachers told him he was “too stupid to learn anything.”

Oprah Winfrey was fired from a job as an anchor is Baltimore.

Failure is a Learning Opportunity for the Awesome

Learn from your failures.  This will provide you with success.  You now know what NOT to do.

Fail NOW Before it is Too Late

Fail while you still have the main availability of your current income streams.

You aren’t getting younger.  Decisions and consequences get harder, the older you get.  If you put off what you need to do, the problem will grow.  If you get moving today, the results will get bigger as well.

Our current situations in the U.S. are more forgiving that those you are preparing for.  It will not get “better” without work on your part.

You aren’t emotional.  Doing it when times are decent and you have a steady income stream will allow you to make level headed rational decisions, and then learn from any mistakes made.

You are learning new skills and knowledge when you fail. You can make it a learning opportunity because you are rational

Who knows?  You may even accidentally succeed!

Respect Failure, Don’t Fear Failure, Reduce Failure

Don’t fear it to the point of inaction, just enough to understand the risks, how to mitigate them, your escape strategy.

Everyone Can Use Failure and Jump Start Success, Even YOU

If you overcome failure, stop making excuses, and learn from it, You would be amazed that your WIN is right around the corner.

Feel it:

Don’t move on too soon.  You need to allow yourself to understand that you had a failure.  Allow some time for it to sink in and for you to process the emotions. Don’t get attached to them.

Reflect on it

In your pause, reflect and decide what went wrong.  Was it careless, was it a trial and error.

Claim Responsibility

If it is your fault, don’t blame others.  If it is outside your control, don’t blame yourself.

If your involvement was the cause of the failure, accept it so you can learn from it.

Admit it

Acknowledge your misstep, and move on so you can refocus going forward.  If you can’t admit it, you can’t fix it.

Take Action

Create an action plan with steps you will take to correct the problem, and how you will prevent it in the future.

At this point, you don’t try, YOU DO.

You learned from your mistakes and came up with a plan to fix it.  Now take action.

If your actions fail, all you have to do is to come back to the steps for using failure.

You Can Also Destroy Your Life and Any Chance of Recovery

Do all of the following items if you don’t want to learn from your mistakes, and you never want to achieve anything.

Move on Too Quickly

Don’t dismiss the failure as small or trivial.  You won’t learn from something that you see as a minor issue.

Blame Others and Make Excuses

If you don’t take ownership, you can’t learn and correct the mistake.

Really,

Christmas is an extremely important time of year!

During Christmas, people have good will to others, and they tend to enjoy giving to others.  It doesn’t matter what religion you are, there is usually a great holiday this time of year.

The holiday season is an excuse to be happy, and be with your family

Time to shut everything down.  

It is an excuse to stuff yourself.  You diet all year round, so take this time to make yourself fat, and tired due to overeating and relaxing.

The holidays are an excuse to quiet yourself down

Contemplate the personal, emotional, physical, and religious ideals that make this time of the year great.

 

What is important to you?  Are you happy or joyful with who you are and where you are in life?  If you were to pass on right now, would you be happy with your life?

Christmas is a time to observe the amazing things people are doing

Watch the good will others are giving to each other.  People show how much good can be done by the human race.

Listen for awesome stories about people giving to the less fortunate.  Tell these stories to your children.

Theft / Burglary are rampant during this season, but this is how to protect yourself.

People are purchasing new items worth lots of money.  They place all this stuff in one central place, with a flashing, multicolored beacon to show where it is.  Home theft is a piece of cake during this time of year.

Because of this, you should do the following items to make your home less susceptible to burglary:

Always leave a light on in your home so you

This will deter most people from attempting a break-in.

Use an LED faux Television:

You can make it look like an insomniac is at home with an LED box that flashes in such a way, it looks like there is a TV on.  A good one would be the FakeTV FTV-10 Burglar Deterrent.

Lock your car while shopping

This will reduce the chance that the unskilled thief will successfully break into your car and take your stuff.

Hide your purchases

Place all the items that you purchase in your trunk or in your hatchback with the roll out shade to cover what you have in your car.  This doesn’t help with keeping people out, but it does reduce the amount of people that will see expensive gear, thus reducing temptation to break in.

Check your entrances

Lock all the doors of your home and cars.  Use 2 inch screws on your strikeplates and locks to provide frame strength against “mule kicks.”

Check your garage security

Lock your garage and disable the manual pull.  This can be used by thieves.

Lock your balcony doors

Lock your balcony doors and jam them.  This is an easy entry point to the athletic.

Secure your Windows

Lock them.  Place 3m sheets or clear tinting on your windows to strengthen and raise thermal efficiency.

Homeowners, Renters, Car Insurance

You are the best driver on the road, but everyone else sucks.  Don’t get into an accident without insurance.

Fires and Theft are rampant, so have homeowners or renters insurance to cover your home and stuff.

Know what you have, so you know what is taken

Use the Allstate Digital Locker app to organize your personal property by room, category, by item. You can also photograph items and attribute a cost and quantity to each one.

The Biblical Story of Christmas

Luke Chapter 2: 8-14 (Authorized King James Version):

You can’t beat today’s podcast before Christmas.

Amazing Preparedness Christmas Presents for that Prepper in your life!

Christmas is fast approaching and you haven’t figured out what to get your prepper spouse.  Or you want to help your children become more prepared and realize this is the perfect opportunity to get them prepared.

There is only ONE MAJOR PROBLEM… No One wants a pack of Freeze Dried Food or a bag or rice or beans for Christmas!

That is why I came up with an amazing list of really neat stuff that people would love to get, even if they aren’t “die-hard survivalists.”

Preparedness is the Best Gift You Could Ever Give a Loved One.

Giving preparedness to your family is probably the best thing you could give them.  There are many benefits of getting survival gear for Christmas.

You get the FUN Prepping Gear

You don’t have to follow your “5 year plan.”  You can look at the cool stuff that you WANT… just because.

Introducing others to survival

Even if someone isn’t a prepper, many fun gifts are survival-related.  If that person is a gadget nut, or even a hiker, you can hook them up with amazingly fun prepping gear.

You can provide others with multi-purpose items

I am giving my son something that he can use for preparedness AND to make money!  It is something he can use to build crafts, such as a survival paracord bracelet, and more.

You can borrow the really cool survival items you chose

The gift I mentioned for my son, I plan to borrow when I want to make the items that I need for my own preparedness gear.  This is a way for me to buy other people, what I want, and borrow it!

Superb Stocking Stuffers for Prepping Prowess

Small doesn’t mean “not-useful.”  Some of the most important survival gear can fit directly in a  sock on your Fireplace Mantle. Take notes, because you won’t want to forget these cool little items.

Schrade SCPEN4BK Survival Tactical Pen with Ferro Fire-Starting Rod and Whistle

Neat pen with the following:

Glass Breaker

Incorporated Whistle

Fire Starter

Replaceable Ink Cartridge

Junk Silver

These are essentially silver dimes, quarters, and nickels.  Don’t spend it though.

UltraFire® Mini Cree 7w 300lm Led Flashlight

This is one bright little flashlight!  You can also get a 3 mode version that is about 200 lumens.

Zoomable

Waterproof

A perfect item for hiking and other outdoor sports, focus adjustable, support Zoom in and zoom out.

Up to 100,000 hours long life LED

Aluminum alloy body

Coast HP1 Focusing 220 Lumen LED Flashlight

220 lumen light

1 hour 15 minute runtime using Li-Ion battery

Uses AA or 14500 Rechargeable Batteries

Aluminum Body

Water Resistant

One step up from the Cree Flashlight

Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System

This is good for outdoor recreation, hiking, camping, travel and emergency preparedness.

Thanksgiving is a Great Time to Slow Down and Recharge

Holidays are here, time to slow it down a bit.

 Take time to enjoy our blessings

Survivalists always talk about the problems in this nation,

So many times we forget just how good we have it

We should take time to talk about how great things can be in the United States, or anywhere.

Poverty level in the U.S. is more privileged than the “wealthy” in other countries.

Overall, this country is still not that bad a place to grow up

You can grow up in poverty and change your outcome

Opportunities are Abundant in this Country, Be Thankful for That

I am a good example to the opportunities in this country

Poor and lacking government assistance

Explain my home with broken windows and heating up food for my brother

If this were many other countries, I would still be the trade of my parents.

I was given a chance to learn (trade, skill, or collegiate)

I am able to give my children a life of privilege

I was able to start a business and flop

I was able to start a business and then develop and grow it

True our government is corrupt, like all governments

True they watch our every move

True the infringe on our rights and steal a percentage of our wealth

But the fact is this:

We have the right, privilege and the ability to change our lives based on our desires

I am on a journey

Never thought I would be where I am at now

Not at my destination but I am changing my life in a continuous journey

You Choose Your own Outcome, Instead of Having it Dictated to You

Many other countries don’t have our freedoms.

Past and future

You will grow into the family occupation and social status

You didn’t choose it, you were pushed into it

It was chosen for you

There were very few exceptions

Show Thanksgiving and Enrich the Lives of Others By Following These Simple Steps

First I want you to enjoy

Spending time with family

Overabundance of food

A warm home to sleep in

The electronics and technology that brings this podcast to you

Next, I want you to give

Find one person that has less than you

Give that person something from the heart

If you have children, teach them how great it feels to help someone less fortunate

And Now, I want you to

Listen to my very first thanksgiving on The Prepper Podcast

A History Lesson of Thanksgiving, the real story of the first thanksgiving, and how it was started

First Prepper Podcast Thanksgiving: 009 True Crafted Story Behind the Pilgrims First Thanksgiving

The Typical Story of Thanksgiving is WRONG! So what is the TRUTH?

What is the typical story of thanksgiving?

1621

The feast was actually a hunting party and it lasted 3 days long.

There was no thanksgiving

Alternative Versions of Thanksgiving are JUST AS WRONG!

Another view of Thanksgiving was of a Mass Genocide

1637

700 indians killed

Housekeeping:

I have been fighting Hackers for the Last Month.  This is why my podcast has been less frequent.  Don’t worry, everybody’s information is safe!

Veteran’s Day 2015

Veteran’s day used to be Armistice Day.

WW1 was supposed to be the the war to end wars, which was obviously a lie.

At the end of WW1, we agreed on a treaty.  But instead of making it official that day, it was decided to wait over 12 hours.

A decision was made by a fat cat in a suit that we wanted to officially sign the treaty on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

What you don’t know is that there was a large group of soldiers that walked in to death and destruction between the actually peace agreement and the signing of the armastice.

United States Veterans Deserve YOUR Honor and Respect

They serve with a sense of obligation to our country.

They serve with a sense of value.

They serve with humility.

Veterans aren’t happy with their own contributions.

Veterans love you

Our veterans are the ones with character

Our veterans are the ones that children run to.

Stop confusing the acts of Congress with those of our veterans

Anti war doesn’t mean anti veteran.

Veterans Feel Obligated to Our Country. They are More Selfless than Simple Obligations.

They give up part of themselves for the greater good of others.

(Tell Story of Steven PTSD Issues)

Most veterans don’t really understand what it is that they are passionate about.

Many have a sense of duty to the country infrastructure or the flag, but this is only because they haven’t tapped into what made them truly passionate.

The core values that this country was founded on are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness for ALL citizens without persecution because they believe differently than their neighbours.  

Freedom RINGS in their minds, whether for speech, religion, or otherwise.

Veterans are PASSIONATE about the CORE VALUES of the foundation of the United States.  This they will almost all agree.

This is why I respect them!

Veterans Want to be Valuable to Us

Most people that go into military service are knowingly entering into a contract of service for YOU. 

They feel proud when they think of YOU. 

Daily, they wake up, thinking about being able to help YOU.

The very LAST thing any veteran wants to hear is that his job isn’t valuable to the military or the citizens of the country.  Most have a “servant mentality.”

This is why I cherish them.

Veterans are Usually Extremely Modest

Every time we see any person in any armed service or emergency responder uniform, my children and I ALWAYS thank them for everything they have done.

I always see their face light up at the sight of children thanking them and saluting them with big goofy, resisted smiles.

Soon after, I see them drop their demeanor when they say, “you’re welcome.”  Their shoulders and heads lower and so does their tone.

Veterans Desire to Do More for Us

When they drop their head and shoulders, it is because they feel a little humiliated.  Why? 

Because, they know that some gave all. 

They feel that whatever they are doing is not as much as someone else is doing.

Veterans in the most REMOTE capacity and most SUPPORTIVE roles are fulfilling a servant’s duty,

Housekeeping:

Episode 100 is coming up, and I would like to do something for you.  Give me ideas of what you would like.

Today is an interview podcast because Travis went to and filled out the form at http://theprepperpodcast.com/guests and you can do the same thing.

Topic:

Why You Should Build a Bug Out Bag Instead of Buying a Pre-Made BOB

Who are you?

Travis Hoglund of http://ebugout.com/

Ken: Ebugout is an amazing platform created to enable the average person to build a cost-effective, high quality, DIY bug out bag.  Everything listed on the site is from Amazon, so you get pricing of a giant online store, but the amazing front-end of a personally tailored store.  The clean look and feel of the site is better than ANYTHING I have ever seen!  I even interviewed the owner at http://theprepperpodcast.com/ebugout.

What is your experience in survival, and how did you get into it?

Been in survival a bit, but still a beginner in my eyes.

What made you decide to get into Bug Out Bags?

Bug out Bags can be a versatile resource to be used daily when any type of emergency occurs.  It can be used as a source of survival whether bugging in, bugging out, camping, driving, or hiking.

In Your opinion, which comes first, the bag or the gear?

Travis: I think you need to get the proper gear first, and then choose a bag so you know you have all the best stuff in your bag.

Ken: I disagree.  I am a hiker, so I like to choose a pack first and, using quality items, pack it with your gear so you don’t end up with a 75 lb pack during a 20 mile march.

Why is tracking weight important in a bug out bag?

We both fully agreed that weight is important in a bug out bag because every ounce becomes a pound when you’re trekking it for more than a few miles.

//

Why is a pre-packaged bug out bag not a good choice for people?

BOB Scenario #1: You get crap.

The items that you get are the cheapest items possible with the highest markup possible for the seller.

BOB Scenario #2: You Get Over-Charged.  

Someone finds you quality items, but they have to make money.  Therefore, you pay for the items and markup.

BOB Scenario #3: Your BOB isn’t Made for You.  

Although someone gave you a well-priced bag with good gear, it is not the gear that YOU need, it is the gear that HE LIKES.  You are different, have different skills, live in a different area, and have different needs that the bag creator.

Why is it important for people to select their own gear?

Know Your Gear!  You know what you have, why you have it, and how to use it.

How important are quality items in a bug out bag?

Quality items are paramount. You don’t want your life to depend on sub-par equipment and gimmicks.

How do people with low income make a quality bug out bag?

Prioritize your gear.

Purchase small amounts of gear at each time.

You will spend around 270 on a good BOB.

Don’t buy crap because it is cheap.

Purchase tried and true gear on http://survivalgeartools.com/ and http://ebugout.com/

You can create your own DIY gear.

Are there any products specifically that have really stood out to you in your experience?

Lightning Strike Fire Starter: Costly but Awesome.

Even though your striker can strike double the strikes, they don’t start fires in one strike, so get a quality steel and they will outlast the cheaper items.

Climate Sleeping Pad: 2.5 inches of air.

Lighter, takes up less space than, and is more comfortable than foam mats.  They do tear more easily.

Housekeeping:

If you don’t know where to start in prepping, check out my resource page at theprepperpodcast.com/gettingstarted, this is where I am getting the outline of my discussions here!

Don’t forget to give me a review at theprepperpodcast.com/itunes or theprepperpodcast.com/stitcher and you could win a consulting call with me.

Episode 100 is coming up, and I would like to do something for you.  Give me ideas of what you would like.

Topic:

72 Hour Kit, Bug Out Bag, Get Home Bag, Get Out of Dodge Bag, or Whatever Else You Want to Call It

Bug Out Bags can Give you Everything You Need for a Weekend Camping Trip.

This is just a 72 Hour bag based on getting you from your location to your destination.

You have to carry this on your person while trekking, so size, weight, and components are a priority.

Yes, I have done a bug out bag podcast before, but when I did that, I was new at podcasting.

Today, I also am keeping in mind that this is for beginners, so I am going to leave some more advanced items out.

Choose a Backpack or Hiking Pack for Hands-Free Awesomeness.

I choose back packs over duffles because packs are much easier to carry.  You can go hands-free.

I used to say that Internal Frame packs were my favorite, but now I think hybrid packs are a better option (part internal frame and part external frame) for stability and weight distribution.

Just go over to last weeks podcast on how to pack your bug out bag for suggestions.

Carefully Choose Your Supplies for a Lightweight Multipurpose Bag.

Keep Your Energy Levels Sky High with the Proper Food and Water.

Keep foods you normally eat.  I recommend, based on your needs, a mix of the following:

Granola and Energy Bars

Trail Mix

Dried Soup Packets

Vacuum sealed rice

Water (1 gallon per person per day)

Water purification tablets and/or sawyer straw filters

 

 

Unless You are a Nudist, Keep the Elements Off with the Right Clothing.

You will need a full set of clothing, Both short and long sleeve.

Have several pairs of socks to keep feet dry.. 

Get a Poncho, or rain jacket and pants for adverse weather and a hat to keep the sun off.

Get Excellent Shelter and Bedding For a Packable Castle that is “Good-to-Go”

Shelter is a big deal during a bug out. 

It can be your separation from weather, insects, or critters. 

Bedding performs a couple functions. 

Bedding acts as a miniature shelter.

Bedding acts as insulation.

Keep a variation of the following bedding items for a good night’s sleep:

Space blankets and wool blankets will keep you warm.

Space blankets take up less space, but are Mylar, which isn’t very durable.

Bedsheets take very little space but will make a space blanket more comfortable

Hammock or hammock net.

Both can be used as a hammock,

Housekeeping:

If you don’t know where to start in prepping, check out my resource page at theprepperpodcast.com/gettingstarted, this is where I am getting the outline of my discussions here!

I will be doing a Warrior Dash 5k on October 10th.  We will be doing the St. Jude heat, because it’s not worth doing unless we raise some money for charity.  If you would like to donate to St. Jude, please go to http://theprepperpodcast.com/warrior2015

Episode 100 is coming up, and I would like to do something for you.  Give me ideas of what you would like.

You will notice that this is a replay of a previous podcast, but as I have been going  through the beginning stages of starting your journey into preparedness, I thought it best to cover choosing bug out bags before I discuss what goes in it.

Topic:

Choose the Correct Bug Out Bag and How to Pack it for Stability and Proper Fit

Which comes first, the bag or the gear?

Gather supplies, then choose bag

Get bag, then choose supplies

I recommend getting bag first

So you don’t pack your house in it

When choosing your bag, keep this in mind for a great fit

Color

Capacity

Torso Size

Load Support

Gear Access

You will be visible if you look different than everyone else

Do not want to draw attention

Be prepared without “looking prepared”

Choose neutral or mute colors

If you use camo, OD green, or black you scream, “I am prepared and tactical” or “I have lifesaving equipment in my bag… Just take it.”

If you use bright colors, you draw attention.  People can’t help but notice you

//

If you are going on a night trip, don’t pack for a month’s trip.

Choose the correct bag.

1-2 Nights

20-50 Liters

1.5-4.5 lbs

2-3 Nights

50-60 liters

2.5 to 5 lbs

3-5 Nights

60-80 liters

2.5 to 5+ lbs

5+ Nights

80+ liters

4-6+ lbs

Choose a Pack based on Torso Size, not overall height.

Measure yourself

Base of your neck to your hipbone

Women and children sizing is available from most manufacturers

Their torsos are shorter

Up to 15.5 in

XS

16-17.5 in

S

18-19.5 in

M / Regular

20+ inches

L / Tall

Determine the Load Support or Frame of the Pack

Types of frames

External

Better Weight Dispersal

Further from body

Internal

Close to body

Poor weight dispersal

Hybrid Framed

Perimeter Frame

Trade off

Better weight dispersal than internal

Closer to body than external

Get to Your Gear Easily when it Matters by choosing the right pack.

Unloading your pack stinks

You want a pack designed to organize and compartmentalize

Typical Pack Pockets

Main Compartment

Where you will place the bulk of your items.

Pack items that you don’t need constant access to

Heavy items need to be center of pack, near your back

Medium weight items get packed around the heavy core.

Keep all the weight possible at your spine

If weight is too high, you will be off balanced

If weight is too low, you will lean forward to balance and overwork your back

Housekeeping:

I will be doing a Warrior Dash 5k on October 10th.  We will be doing the St. Jude heat, because it’s not worth doing unless we raise some money for charity.  If you would like to donate to St. Jude, please go to http://theprepperpodcast.com/warrior2015

Episode 100 is coming up, and I would like to do something for you.  Give me ideas of what you would like.

Topic:

Analyzing Your Preparedness and Getting Your Prepping in Gear

Today is a full length survival consultation with M.L.Riggle.

Prepping costs money!  Get your finances in order.

There are two ways to get money for your preparedness: make more money and spend less money.  DO IT!

Keep a budget so you can keep everything on track.

Pay off your debt!  Student loans do not go away during a bankruptcy.

This one single item that will prepare you the most will cost you less than a cup of coffee!

Get a disaster plan together for your family in the event of a catastrophe such as fires, storms, or blackouts.

Taking Action is your key to proper preparedness.

If you don’t get started, knowing what to do is useless.

Get Your Spouse on-board with preparing

Things are much easier when families work together toward the same goal.

NO ONE is keeping you from taking action other than YOU!

Your spouse is not your problem.  Your children are not your problem.  You have to be willing to take the next step.

If your spouse is uncomfortable with firearms, here are some quick steps to get him/her familiar.

Take your spouse to a range.

Teach your spouse basic range safety.

Use large-frame, but small-caliber firearms such as a .22 or 9mm.

Ease your spouse into the use of the firearm.

Take basic firearm training

Don’t be intimidated to take a scenario based firearm training.  Your fears are usually unwarranted.

If you just cannot get comfortable with firearms, you can use non-lethal defense aids.

Tasers and Pepper Spray are great tools.

You can quickly achieve food preparedness with copy-canning and a food log.

Get to a minimum of one month of food supplies.

Store what you eat and eat what you store. Don’t buy a bunch of crap because you can.  Eat what is normal for you.

If you have land access, garden it.  Make your own food.

If you think this is an awesome list of items that you need to follow, I have created an actionable checklist.

 

Just Sign Up Below to get the Checklist.

Water collection can be difficult to understand, but these items can clear it up.

First flow dumps will dump the excess chemicals in rainwater from roofing systems.

Use screening material to keep bugs out of your barrel.

Pull water from the bottom of your storage containers and run the water through a filter.

Barrels are typically overflowed to the ground when they fill up.

Barrels can be interconnected for shared level.

You can cook.  You have backups of backups.

But do you have fuel for those backups.

If you have maintenance medications, you need to get more.

There are many excuses you can make up to need another month of medications.

You aren’t getting drugs for “escaping reality,” you will be getting them for heart and other problems.

Sanitation can be easy for shorter periods of time.

Here are some easy steps for quick sanitary waste management.

5 gallon bucket

Camping seat

Blue toilet water treatment

If in the wilderness, you may just have to dig a hole in the ground.

 

Housekeeping:

If you don’t know where to start in prepping, check out my resource page at theprepperpodcast.com/gettingstarted, this is where I am getting the outline of my discussions here!

Don’t forget to give me a review at theprepperpodcast.com/itunes or theprepperpodcast.com/stitcher and you could win a consulting call with me.

I got no response from people wanting me to the NPS Prepper Expo in Kentucky, so, I am not going.  I will be doing a Warrior Dash 5k instead on October 10th.  We will be doing the St. Jude heat, because it’s not worth doing unless we raise some money.  If you would like to donate to St. Jude, please go to http://theprepperpodcast.com/warrior2015. Our minimum goal is $600 total.

Someone sent me an email: I mentioned in my podcast a few weeks ago that I have flouride tablets, but actually it is iodine tablets.

Episode 100 is fast approaching, email me with your suggestions on an awesome 100th episode.

Topic:

Make it Through Any Blackout with This Amazing Lights-Out Kit

A Blackout Kit is a simple, MUST-HAVE Part of Your Preparedness

It provides you with:

Necessary Lighting

Insane gear organization

Real-time information

Blackouts Suck, and Can Happen for Many Different Reasons

Blackouts can occur for minutes or for weeks.  If you live in a rural area, think that it will happen during the latter.

I am not discussing extended blackouts.  This is your home bug-in preps.  What I am talking about today is your short term lights-out kit.

Heavy wind is a major cause of blackouts.  Wind can come from:

Tornados

Large Storms

Dense Squall Lines

Hurricanes

We can lose our power lines and transformers if they are weighted down.

Snow Storms

Ice Storms

The power company could intentionally shut your power down.

You don’t pay your bills

They make a mistake about your bills

There is maintenance that needs to be done on a connected part of the grid.

Obviously I didn’t cover everything, but that isn’t important.  Basic blackout kits are!

The first and most important Black-Out Kit component: Lighting!

 

Always look at lighting as your first item in a lights out kit.

Lighting is the only component that I am not telling you to place in a central container.

The reason for this is:

You need to have lighting available to you at all times no matter where you are.

You could hurt yourself if you fumble around in the dark.

Lights are your way to find your gear.  How can you find your gear if your light is with it.

Because it is your main resource when power goes out, you need a mega butt-ton of lights.

Every single room in the house should have a small LED flashlight like the CREE 7w.

It is durable, cheap, and extremely useful.

For less than 30 dollars, you can have one in each room of the home.

I recommend buying one for each child with their names on it, so they know how to use them.

Headlamp trumps flashlight every time.  They are hands free.  Now your hands are freed up to:

Mess around with your generator when it is rainy and pitch black outside.

Easily grab your bag and set your supplies up.

Always have light pointing in the direction you are looking.