Those of you who know about Selco of SHTFSchool already know this is a must listen to episode. For those of you who don’t, you are in for a treat. We all do our best to think about all the different aspects of preparing for a large scale SHTF event, and hearing from someone who has actually been through it can help us do that.

Imagine for a second that our country is in deep financial and political crisis, and several states are contemplating seceding from the union. Because of this, the national government decides to cut off all supply lines, electricity, and critical infrastructure until your state comes to it’s senses.

You may be thinking that something like this happening here in the United States is highly unlikely, but something very similar to this scenario happened a little over 150 years ago… It was called the Civil War. While a “Civil War” in the typical sense is highly unlikely, there are many scenarios that would have the same consequences.

This is basically what happened during the Balkan Wars in communist Yugoslavia, which emerged shortly after the end of World War II, was made up of six republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Macedonia. The town where Selco lived was held under siege for over a year in what he calls “One Year in Hell”.

SPP255 Surviving One Year in Hell: Interview With Selco of SHTFSchool

In this weeks show, I had the chance to pick Selco’s brain about bartering, food, water, looting, rioting and a number of other issues he experienced during a true SHTF situation.

The Realities of a SHTF situation

Below are some of the topics we covered in this weeks show, I included a short description of his answer, but I highly suggest you listen to the full show.

Question: What was the population of the town/village you lived in? (urban/suburban/rural)

Answer: Selco lived in an area that encompassed both urban and suburban areas.

Question: On your website you talk about “1 year in hell” Can you explain why that year was so much worse.

Answer: The Balkan Wars lasted a little over 4 years, but that 1 year the town was under siege, meaning no supplies and resources were getting in or out.

Question: People always talk about the time frame when things go from bad to worse, how long did it take for things to escalate? (looters, crime, gangs, hungry people etc…)

Answer: The answer is not so simple, but smaller things like looting happened very quickly, and some things took some time to develop.

Question: What are some things you did to get food, water, energy, supplies etc? (did you have to go out and find things, and what did you do?)

Answer: This was quite a detailed answer, but for the most part everything we think about with a SHTF scenario is accurate. Rain catchment, bartering for food, and burning wood taken from the walls of your home was common place.

Question: People always talk about hunting and foraging in a SHTF scenario, how realistic is that, and did you ever do it?

Answer: After a short time there was nothing to hunt, and dogs roaming around became a food source. As far as foraging, it was done, but there wasn’t much available.

Question: As preppers we think about bartering supplies all the time. How necessary was bartering, and what was most commonly used for barter?

Answer: Bartering was an absolute necessity for survival. Selco was an RN, so along with bartering his skills, smaller items like lighters and batteries were commonly used for barter.

Question: What was the availability of guns and ammunition during that 1 year in hell?

Answer: It was interesting to me that he mentioned that guns and ammo ac...

This week of the Survivalist Prepper Podcast I was honored to have Jonathan Hollerman on to talk about his books, what Grid Down Consulting is, and his thoughts on a number of situations we might face in a SHTF scenario.

During the interview we went over quite a bit about what Jonathan does and why, but he has a fantastic website, and I highly suggest you check it out. Even if you are not interested in his consulting work, Jonathan offers much more than that.

Grid Down Consulting: A big part of what Jonathan does is his Survival Retreat Consulting where he helps people with their existing survival retreat, or even people starting from scratch. This is not for everyone, but if it is something you are interested in, Jonathan really knows his stuff.

Fiction and Nonfiction Books: Jonathan has a number of books already published, and is working on more. He has his EMP series (Equipping Modern Patriots) and also his nonfiction book “Survival Theory” which is a preparedness guide.

Bug Out DVD’s: Jonathan also has a 2 hour DVD called “Survival Bug Out” where he goes through secrets of the bug out bag, what to take and what to leave, and how to minimize your visibility along the way.

SERE Training: Before I talked to Jonathan, I thought I knew what a S.E.R.E. Specialist was, but I honestly had no idea. He has a video on his biography page that shows just how difficult this training is. We can all sit and think about what a SHTF event would be like, but S.E.R.E. training looks like SHTF training that most of us just couldn’t do… and hopefully we never need to.

SPP254 Interview With Jonathan Hollerman of Grid Down Consulting

In the beginning of the show we talked about what Jonathan is up to and why he chose this path in life. After that we talked about Mutual Assistance Groups (MAG), long term food storage, setting up a survival retreat and more. Below is a list of other topics we covered in this weeks show…

Fan Questions

During the show we went over a couple of questions that were submitted by the listeners, here are a couple of those questions we went over in the show.

Steve: I have been listening to the audiobook “Survival Theory” and it is on of the best practical books on prepping. It is really in your face about the grid going down and how hard it will be. It also doesn’t pull any punches about bugging in or hiding in a bunker.

Wayne: Once you have a good bug out location, how do you go about organizing and selecting members of a mutual assistance group (MAG)?

Todd: When will book 4 of the EMP (Equipping Modern Patriots) be out?

Also From the Show…

The Doomsday Prepper fallacy and the “Hollywoodification” of prepping.

Some of the most likely and least likely disaster scenarios.

The vulnerability of the power grid, and living without electricity.

The government will NOT be there to save you.

Why bugging out is so important.

Don’t ignore the “worst case scenario” disasters.

Considerations for a MAG group or prepper group.

The realities of long term food storage.

The dangers of people in a SHTF scenario.

We went through quite a bit of great preparedness information in this podcast and it’s easily one of my favorites. Make sure and check out Jonathan’s website, and if you have any questions leave a comment below.

As I’ve said many times, building preparedness skills are more important than any supply you can buy. With that being said, you just can’t escape the fact that prepping costs money. We can do DIY projects, and we can look for deals, but unless we get lucky, supplies cost money.

Because of this, Todd over at Prepper Website and The Prepper Website Podcast has put together an eBook and forums to help people earn an extra few bucks each month for prepping. His eBook is titled “Guide to a Micro Biz and Increasing Your Finances” and also a preparedness forum to go along with it.

Some people seem to have all the money in the world for prepping, but for most of us it’s more of a juggling act, and a couple hundred dollars a month could go a long way with prepping. These days it’s easier than ever to start a business from home, or just earn a little extra money for prepping. 

SPP253 Extra Money for Prepping With Todd Sepulveda

This week in the show Todd and I talked about what his eBook is all about, why he created the forums, and also talked about some ways to make a little extra money to spend on prepping supplies. We talked about why this is important, as well as how to get it done.

An Unstable Economy

With all the greed and corruption in politics and big business, and the “if your not in debt, your not doing it right” mentality in America, and economic crisis looms large on most preppers radars. With the federal Reserve endlessly printing money, and with our government spending money like a rich housewife with too many credit cards, it seems inevitable that something is going to give.

Below are a few of the topics Todd and I covered while we we’re talking about why an economic collapse is such a big priority for preppers, and why it’s so much harder to get by these days.

* The political landscape keeps up an atmosphere of uncertainty

* Everything costs more

* Automation is killing jobs

* The stock market is unstable

Prepping Costs Money

There are also some ways that we can stretch our prepping dollars, and some ways to become better prepared that don’t cost a dime. While figuring out how to make some extra money is great, we can’t forget about the skills that go along with the supplies.

With that being said, you can’t escape the fact that prepping just costs money, but it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. The more research we do, and the more we learn about the “why” the less we waste on unneeded or expensive supplies.

* We need to focus on preparedness skills

* There are many free resources available online

* But to be prepared, you need food storage, water, and quality gear…that all takes money

Extra Money for Prepping

What would you do with an extra $50 or $100 a month? For some people an extra $100 is a drop in the bucket, but for most people it’s the money they need to become better prepared. The first thing we can do is pay more attention to where our money is going, and stick to a budget, but even that isn’t enough sometimes.

Creating a micro biz, selling your skills and knowledge, or even just selling some of your old junk online. It’s becoming harder and harder these days to just get the monthly bills paid, let alone put something aside to become better prepared.

How to Start a Micro Biz

It’s easier than you might think to start a small business. With the internet, forums, and websites like eBay, Amazon, Craigslist and Etsy you can reach a massive audience. Just 30 years ago, starting a small  business (or micro biz) meant putting ads in newspapers,

When anyone first begins to think about preparedness I believe it’s not only important to get off on the right foot, but get your information from credible sources. That’s why I decided to write this post and list 10 helpful podcast episodes for new preppers. We also have a list of 40 great YouTube and Prepping website here. 

Every prepper on the planet, regardless of how advanced they are have been a beginner at some point in time, and faced some of the same challenges. Quite a few of us have fallen for the gimmicks and hype, and some of us still do.

Prepping can also be very overwhelming at first. With so many directions you can go, and with so many needed supplies, it’s hard to figure out what your game plan should be. It does become easier in no time at all, but at first it seems like climbing Mount Everest.

SPP252 10 Helpful Podcast Episodes for New Preppers

This weeks show was basically a recap of some of the shows I think would be helpful to new preppers. This isn’t a “best of” episode because quite a few of our podcasts and articles are geared towards new to intermediate preppers.

Also, If you don’t do the whole podcast thing, that’s OK, Along with each podcast episode we have written a full article about what we talked about. If you have time later, I suggest you do listen to them though, they go into much more detail about that subject.

The Prepping Basics

While we focus quite a bit on general preparedness here at Survivalist Prepper, it can be difficult to weed through the other articles and find the articles for new preppers. I have put this series of beginning prepping articles together, and will continue to add to it in the future.

The 10 helpful Podcast Episodes

Preparing at Home: This isn’t a podcast, but it is an article that goes into what you should do at home when you first begin prepping. It also has a couple of downloads that will help you with inventory and rotation.

Water Filtration With Kevin Reiter: While making sure your water is clean isn’t brain surgery, it can be pretty complicated at first. In this podcast “Water Filtration for Preppers” Kevin and I talked about what you want a water filter to do, and also what some of the most popular water filters can do.

Prepping Supplies You Can’t Skimp On: In episode 227 Lisa and I talked about some prepping supplies that you can afford to use a lower cost product, and some prepping supplies that need to be good quality.

The Necessary Conveniences: In this episode titled “The Necessary Conveniences” was a fun episode. Lisa and I talked about some overlooked supplies, and some things we need to try and maintain our sanity in a disaster type scenario.

What Should Go In Your First Aid Kit Part 1 (And 2): This episode is an oldie but goodie. This podcast about first aid kits goes all the way back to when Lisa first joined me on the show. Lisa is an RN, and in episodes 1 and 2 she went through basic first aid kits, intermediate kits, and advanced first aid kits.

The Different Types of Prepping (And Preppers): In e...

In this installment of our prepping supplies series we go over get home bags, EDC (Everyday Carry) and what you should have in your car or automobile. We didn’t spend much time on get home bags and EDC gear because we have 2 detailed articles and podcast (linked to above) that go into much more about those.

We decided to focus this podcast and article on car kits because with the amount of time we spend in our car, and the dangers we could face make an emergency car kit one of the most important kits we need.

Along with a regular emergency car kit you can get from your local auto parts store that contains jumper cables, extra fuses, road flares, road signs and the spare tire (with jack) that should already be in your car you need to add a few things to make this even better.

SPP251 Get Home Bags, EDC, and Car Kits

As I said, this week we covered get home bags, everyday carry items, but we spent quite a bit of time talking about prepping and emergency supplies we should have in our automobiles. Next week we are going to wrap everything up talking about prepping at home.

Another article I suggest you take a look at is our 12 most important survival supplies Article. This article goes over what the most important supplies and prepper gear is in the preparedness community.

Prepping Supplies and Car Kits

You need to make sure and rotate the supplies in your car kit at the change of each season. This is because winter supplies will be a little different than summer supplies, and food, water and first aid supplies will need to be rotated.

First aid supplies kit: A “boo boo” kit will just not cut it in your car, your car first aid kit should be pretty extensive. The odds of something serious happening increase tremendously when we get behind the wheel. Include items you might need for injuries that would be caused by a car accident.

Water: You will want 2 to 3 gallons of water, this can be a case of water, or gallon jugs. Water will not go bad, but temperature changes in your car are extreme compared to outdoor temperature changes. Weather below 0 degrees will cause the water to freeze and expand. In the winter months leave a little room in the container for expansion.

Food: Make sure to include foods that will withstand extreme temperature shifts and are “nonperishable” Unlike your bug out bag, you can actually put canned food in the trunk of your car…just don’t forget a can opener.

Tool Kit: Include a set of tools in your car kit. This can be as simple or as complex as needed, include tools like screwdrivers, socket set, wrenches, pliers, vise grips, adjustable wrench, tire pressure gauge, etc. You don’t need tools to change a transmission, but you do need tools for minor repairs.

Flashlight: You might as well have a few of these. Make sure you have multiple light sources and make sure they don’t all run on batteries. It can be a small pocket sized flashlight, a solar lantern or even glow sticks. It gets pretty dark at night no matter where you are so make sure you have this area covered.

Headlamp: You might be thinking that this is the same thing as a flashlight but it’s not. If you have ever tried to work on something while holding a flashlight in your mouth you know what I mean. If you are working in the dark,

In this second post  and podcast in our beginning prepping series, and today we are going to go over bug out bags for beginners, and the essential bug out bag supplies. The first podcast was about prepping in general, The next post in this series will be about get home bags and everyday carry items.

One of the first things you should do when you start prepping is work on your bug out bag, get home bag and every day carry items or kit. The reason I do this is because most of us are always on the go, and even though this is our bug out bag or our get home bag, it doesn’t mean it can’t be helpful around the house or on an everyday basis.

When I say the first thing, I don’t mean the only thing you should work on. While you are working on these bags you should also be working on building your food and water storage. We will go into this more in a bit, but food and water storage can be done with little extra cost and on an ongoing basis.

SPP250 Bug Out Bags For Beginners

Think of your bug out bag as a mini version of your overall preparedness plan. We have more room around the house to prepare for a longer period of time, but the 5 areas of preparedness apply to any survival situation.

This list is just the general items to start a bug out bag, you will want to add what you see fit later to personalize your bug out bag for your situation, but keep in mind the 5 areas of preparedness when you are doing this, and also think about multi use items. Items like hand sanitizer can be used as a disinfectant and in your fire starting kit. Bandannas, tarps, para cord and Duct tape also have multiple uses.

Basic Bug Out Bag Contents

Fixed Blade Knife: Fixed blade knives will stand up to heavy use, whereas a folding knife will eventually break. If you need to chop anything you will want a sturdy dependable knife to do it.

Folding Knife: These are convenient and take up little space. Having the right tool for the job is important, and sometimes a big knife is just too big. Because a folding knife has many movable parts, quality is more important with a folding knife than a fixed blade knife.

Multi Tool: You never know when a multi tool might come ...

So, over the next few weeks, Lisa and I will be doing a series of podcasts and articles that will go through getting started prepping & the basics. Something that seems pretty simple on the surface can get a little confusing the more we get into it.

When we first come to the realization that preparing ourselves and our family is important, it can be a little scary and a little exciting all at the same time. It can be scary because usually one thing or another leads us into preparing.

It could be something that changed our lives personally and uncovered areas that we need to improve in, or it could be the fact that everywhere we turn now we hear about someone or something that could do us harm.

SPP249 Getting Started Prepping & The Basics

This week Lisa and I went through the very first steps that we should take we are just getting started with prepping. Our first reaction is that we need to buy a whole bunch of prepping supplies, but that is not the case.

We will be going over all the supplies we need in the next few podcasts, but it’s important to understand what you need, and why you need it, before you go out and spend a lot of money. Over the next few weeks we are going to go over, bug out bags, everyday carry, first aid and all 6 areas of preparedness.

Building  Preparedness Foundation

This could be just me, but I think it’s a little exciting also because I know I have the opportunity to increase my chances and insure the safety of my family as much as I can. Excited might be the wrong word to use, but it does give me a feeling of satisfaction and security knowing I did what I could, and every day I am making my family stronger regardless what happens.

In the beginning it can be frustrating though. You start out by stocking up on some extra food, storing some water and buying a few supplies, but as you dig deeper into preparedness you begin to realize that to become completely prepared you need to do more than you thought you did. Pretty soon you have a little of this and a little of that, but you really aren’t prepared for anything.

I say it all the time but it’s true, prepping is like building a house. You need a good foundation to build on before you start putting up the walls and the roof.  A quick shelter will protect you from the elements for a little while, but eventually it will come crashing down. Building a strong fortified home will protect you and your family for years to come.

I remember when I first started, I stocked up on some food and water, I got my bug out bag ready and started working on adding to my supplies. The excited feeling I had quickly turned to an uneasy feeling as I learned more about preparedness and realized that while I was “kind of” prepared, I wasn’t “really” prepared for anything.

When you are building the foundation of this preparedness house it’s not about how pretty it is yet, a foundation is an ugly slab of concrete that needs to be put in place to insure that everything you put on top of it stays where it should be for years to come.

It’s really easy to start getting pulled in every direction and forget what your main goal was in the first place. We have natural disasters like tornados and earthquakes, we have bigger disasters like EMP’s and terrorism and all of these could lead to Martial Law or a grid down event.

Everything I would read about these different events would tell me about something else I needed to be prepared for that event. Pretty soon my brain was swimming and I didn’t know which direction to go first. At this point I only saw two options…

* Rob a bank and buy everything I could.

* Stop getting pulled in every direction and focus on one area of preparedness at a time.

Because prison didn’t fit into my preparedness plan I decided on option 2. I decided that instead of trying to juggle 5 balls at a time, i would get the basics down,

Because prepping involves so many different aspects of life that some people would call hobbies, it can get expensive very quickly. You have bushcraft, ham radio, bugging out, food storage, and firearms just to name a few, and all of these can tap your bank account.

There is literally no end to the supplies that we “need” for prepping, but sticking to a budget will not only help us become better prepared, it will help our financial situation regardless what happens. Going into debt may help in the short term, but overall it will severely hamper your ability to prep.

The first thing we need to understand about prepping is that knowledge is more important than supplies. All the supplies in the world will not stop you from making poor decisions, and all the supplies in the world doesn’t guarantee your survival. The key is to stay out of the situations that would require those supplies.

You may have heard the saying “knowledge weighs nothing” and while it may seem a little cliché, it may well be one of the most important rules of prepping. You could put $500 into your bug out bag setup, but if you don’t know the first thing about bugging out, your bag is only going to be useful to the guy who finds it next to your dead body.

With that being said, there are still quite a few areas of preparedness that we need to spend money on, but if we do it right, we can become better prepared, while keeping our heads above water.

SPP248 Prepping, Budgeting & Priorities

This week in the show, Lisa and I not only talked about prepping on a budget, we went over some ways to be smart about prepping, earning a few extra bucks, and gave a few money saving tips.

Extenuating Circumstances & Unavoidable Expenses

Before we even begin to think about putting together a budget, we need to assess our personal situation and figure out where corners can be cut, and what expenses are unavoidable. Our age, our health, our job, and our family makeup will all play a role in what we can and cannot do.

On top of all that, it seems that something unexpected always comes up. Just when you think things are going great, the car breaks down, the house needs repairs, or an accident happens. Kids are also great at springing unexpected expenses on you at the worst possible moment.

There are also some unavoidable expenses that take up the bulk of our income. Our homes take up a large portion of our monthly budget, followed by food. Everything else sort of falls by the wayside if you don’t have a place to live and something to eat.

Keep your personal situation in mind when you are figuring out a monthly budget, and ask yourself what do you have more of, time or money? To some people $100 is a drop in the bucket, to other people it means getting by until the next pay check.

Setting Up a Budget

Setting up a budget is not only a great way to find a little extra cash for that new water filter, or that bug out bag you have been wanting, but it’s also a good idea for life in general. Setting up a budget will not only help you keep track of what’s been paid, and what hasn’t, it also helps you save some money for those unexpected expenses.

In the video below I show you how to use the budget worksheet I created that you can download free at The Preparedness Experience. I have used this same worksheet going on 6 years now and created it because the online apps and tools just don’t do what I needed them to do.

Regardless how you decide to budget each month the key is consistency. The more we pay attention to how much money we have,

For those of you that live in the southern states, there isn’t much of a difference between summer and winter. For those of us a little further north, summertime means we can get outside, and get back to prepping as usual.

After being stuck inside for a number of months, the summer is when we can stop adding to our “prepping to do” list and start working on it. Although I’m not sure we ever stop adding to our list. Over the winter you have probably watched hundreds of videos and read hundreds or article. With summer right around the corner, it’s time to turn off the computer and get to work.

SPP247 Your Summertime Prepping Plans

This week in the show Lisa and I talked about some of our plans, and some of the not so fun things like inventory and rotation that need to be done with summer approaching. We also talked about some other prepping ideas that the warmer weather makes easier to do.

Getting Outside

The main advantage of summertime prepping is the ability to get outside and get some work done. Every year at about this time I start to get cabin fever and can’t wait to get outside on a consistent basis.

The warmer weather opens up opportunities when it comes to getting exercise, gardening, applying the new skills we have learned, and just about everything listed below. The summer also offers us more daylight hours to get all this stuff done.

Get the Family Interested

A challenge most preppers have is trying to figure out the best way to get their family and loved ones on board with prepping. This can be tough in the colder months because there is a whole lot of talking, and not much doing.

The spring and summer allow us to get outside and be more hands on with some of these preparedness topics. Most people learn more by doing it, rather than watching someone do it, and it’s a lot more fun. If someone in the family is interested in gardening, outdoor skills, or DIY projects, we can focus on what they enjoy, and hopefully make that the icebreaker into preparedness.

Apply the Knowledge

Over the winter you have probably purchased some supplies, watched some video and read a bunch of articles, and now is the time to get out and practice.

This is one area where quite a few people fall short in their preparedness planning, having the supplies and skills is great, but if you don’t know how to use them, they are useless.

Inventory and Rotation

One of the “not so fun” aspects of prepping is inventory and rotation. As much as we may dread doing this, it not only saves us money, it insures we are as prepared as we think we are.

At the very least inventory should be done a couple times a year. I like to do it just before winter, and just before summer. This doesn’t just include your food storage, this should include supplies in your car, bug out bags, and anything else that might have been moved, used, or expired.

Home Improvements

Any outdoor home improvement projects that involve being outside tend to get put off until summer, and if they don’t get done in the summer months, the odds are they will be put off for another year.

Home improvements include making the home more energy efficient, and also making your property more secure. Last year we put in a few new windows, and this year it’s been so dry in Colorado fire mitigation is a high priority to us.

Car Maintenance

Making sure your car is in good running condition is important all year long, but it’s a little easier to do in the summer months. Just like our inventory, our cars need to be checked just before winter, and just before summer.

This also goes for the supplies in your automobile. During the winter months you may have supplies in your car to keep you warm,

When it comes to preparing for a pandemic, it’s not something that is high on our preparedness list, although it’s nowhere near the bottom either. I think this is because in the United States we generally take a proactive approach to disease and sanitation, and it doesn’t affect us like it does in other 3rd world countries.

As humans we can go anywhere on the planet within days or hours, traveling through busy airports and flying on airplanes with god knows who. This means that regardless how prepared we are as a country, we still at risk. All it takes is 1 flight, with 1 sick person to start the ball rolling.

Epidemics throughout history have been somewhat localized, and with our advances with medicine and sanitation, most threats have been eradicated or put in check. We have seen a few near misses in recent history though such as the H1N1 virus, the Avian Flu, SARS, and most people don’t think of HIV/AIDS as a pandemic, but it was/is.

Hollywood has almost made pandemics seem like “something that only happens in movies” because when people think about pandemics they think of movies like Contagion, 28 Days Later, and the hundreds of zombie movies out there.

A pandemic doesn’t need to be a large-scale statistic breaking event to affect your life. For a disease to be considered a pandemic, it only needs to affect a small number of people on several continents. Epidemics are localized (Malaria), pandemics are worldwide (H1N1). To be a pandemic, the disease must also be deadly, and contagious.

SPP246 Preparing for a Pandemic and Other Biological Threats

This week in the show we talked about how even a small-scale pandemic or epidemic could affect our lives and our family, and how something large-scale would require extreme precautions. We also covered what supplies you would want, and how to use them.

Staying Safe During a Pandemic

Shelter in Place: The safest place to be in an event like this is away from the danger. We have control of how clean our homes are, and this is where all of our supplies are. In smaller scenarios we may still need to venture out to work or school, but we should take precautions, and remain home whenever possible.

Safe Rooms: This would only be necessary in an extreme pandemic scenario, and safe rooms come in all shapes and sizes. For the purposes of a pandemic or viral outbreak, a safe room should be completely sealed. You will need to get clean air into the room, and that can be done with a HEPA filter and a shop vac. 

Quarantine Areas: This is a little different than a safe room, but serves a similar purpose. A quarantine area is used when someone shows up late and you want to make sure they are not contagious before letting them into the home.

Know the Symptoms: In a situation like this we need to get as much information as possible. This means the lifespan of the disease, the severity of the outbreak, and what the signs and symptoms are. This is especially important if someone is in quarantine, and you need to evaluate them daily.

Personal Protective Gear: In the video below Lisa and I showed the proper way to put on and remove PPE (Personal Protective Gear). Further down in the article we have a list of pandemic supplies you may need.

Disinfection and Sanitation: One of the most critical and easy steps we can take to protect our home is to make sure it is clean…REALLY clean. We can’t see these little biological threats, and they could literally be anywhere. It’s also important to make sure we are clean, and paying attention to personal hygiene.

Entertainment Items: Being stuck in the home, or worse, being stuck in a quarantine room will get pretty boring.