I'm one of millions of Americans who is over weight and out of shape; but those days are numbered. Being in shape can be very important after a nuclear event. Healthy people heal faster, which will be very important when it may be nearly impossible to go to a doctor for serious illness. Many of the physical things you may be required to do are similar to the things many military personnel have to do: carry an injured person to safety, remove rubble, did latrines, be on guard duty, etc. Plus, once the radiation is at a safe level, you will probably have to plant a far sized garden and really care for it.
With these things in mind, maintaining a healthy body and mind is very important. A few extra pounds won't kill ya, but when you're 10 or more pounds over weight, it make things harder on your body. More important than the weight thing, I think, is being in shape. If you can run a 10-minute mile, walk or jog for an hour or two straight, and do some sort of weight lifting (even if it's low weights, but high reps), I think you will much better prepared for a future with a lot of hard work. Plus, you'll probably feel better overall.
August 21, 2009
August 15, 2009
Guard Duty
One thing a lot of people probably haven't thought about needing is guard duty. Right now, if someone tries to hurt you or your family, or tries to steal from you, you can call the cops. But what about after a nuclear event? If you live in a highly populated area (that wasn't destroyed) the cops will be there to control mobs, but will be short staffed to handle individual problems. If you live in a rural area, there probably won't be any cops around at all.
So what do you do? Buy a few guns to hunt with (wait a few months before hunting any animals), and a few for protection. I have 4 hand guns and a .22 rifle, and I only use 3 kinds of ammo for these guns. Eventually, I would like to get a 20 gauge shotgun for protection, but that's a few hundred dollars I don't have right now. Try to get guns that take the same ammo. If you only need 4 kinds of ammo, you're less likely to grab the wrong box of ammo when you're in a hurry to reload. And have a lot of ammo. I'm not saying have an entire room full, but have plenty. After a nuclear event, you may not be able to buy ammo for a few years. And hide most of it well. If soldiers move through your area, they may be given permission to search and take ammo for themselves or to help keep the peace. Hide a few guns, too.
My situation isn't perfect, because only 2 adults are capable of guard duty. We would only need 1 at night, but 2 during the day when our mom would be caring for animals and gardening. My brother and I would have to rotate the 12 and 24-hour shifts. And yes, it will be exhausting. The best thing you can do is prepare yourself. Practice being on guard duty. Sit where ever you might sit on guard duty and be vigilant for however many hours you would have to be after a nuclear event.
My best solution is to move out of my small town. There is a house just outside of my town that I know will be for sale in the next 5 years. It has 9 acres (7 of them grass, 2 woods) and a large house with a large basement that sits quite a ways back from the road. Saving money to buy this house is as big of an issue as stocking up on supplies.
So what do you do? Buy a few guns to hunt with (wait a few months before hunting any animals), and a few for protection. I have 4 hand guns and a .22 rifle, and I only use 3 kinds of ammo for these guns. Eventually, I would like to get a 20 gauge shotgun for protection, but that's a few hundred dollars I don't have right now. Try to get guns that take the same ammo. If you only need 4 kinds of ammo, you're less likely to grab the wrong box of ammo when you're in a hurry to reload. And have a lot of ammo. I'm not saying have an entire room full, but have plenty. After a nuclear event, you may not be able to buy ammo for a few years. And hide most of it well. If soldiers move through your area, they may be given permission to search and take ammo for themselves or to help keep the peace. Hide a few guns, too.
My situation isn't perfect, because only 2 adults are capable of guard duty. We would only need 1 at night, but 2 during the day when our mom would be caring for animals and gardening. My brother and I would have to rotate the 12 and 24-hour shifts. And yes, it will be exhausting. The best thing you can do is prepare yourself. Practice being on guard duty. Sit where ever you might sit on guard duty and be vigilant for however many hours you would have to be after a nuclear event.
My best solution is to move out of my small town. There is a house just outside of my town that I know will be for sale in the next 5 years. It has 9 acres (7 of them grass, 2 woods) and a large house with a large basement that sits quite a ways back from the road. Saving money to buy this house is as big of an issue as stocking up on supplies.
August 11, 2009
Who Needs to Prepare?
Some people think, "Why should I prepare? If something happens, I can stock up then." This is not the case. For example, I live in a part of the country that gets snow usually a dozen times or so every winter. Still, every time snow is predicted, most of the people in the area are rushing to the stores to stock up. By evening, there are a lot of empty shelves in the stores. And that's just when 2 or 3 inches are expected! Can you imagine if a blizzard was expected? If a nuclear event was a serious possibility, I can't even imagine what the stores would look like.
I used to make $10.95 an hour as a manager in the food service industry, but I recently left this job because three years was too long at that stressful place. Now, I am an overnight stocker at a Wal-Mart (where I work fewer hours for less pay), and I can tell you, stores don't have a whole lot of stuff on hand. From one night to the next, I see how much of the food has been bought, how much is still on the shelves, and how much is in the backroom. There is probably enough to service normal shopping needs for 3 or 4 days without another truck. Except for water. I cannot believe how much bottled water sells each day, and that's without an emergencies! Unprepared people who panic at the possibility of a nuclear event could completely empty the store (which is a Supercenter) in a 24 hour period.
So, please, heed my warning. Even if you don't have much money (like I don't now) you can still prepare. Buy 1 extra can of something you buy each week. If you drink soda, buy 2-liters and reuse them to store water. Buy 1 extra of non-perishables: when you buy soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. buy an extra. It may take a long time, but any step toward being prepared is a step in the right direction.
I used to make $10.95 an hour as a manager in the food service industry, but I recently left this job because three years was too long at that stressful place. Now, I am an overnight stocker at a Wal-Mart (where I work fewer hours for less pay), and I can tell you, stores don't have a whole lot of stuff on hand. From one night to the next, I see how much of the food has been bought, how much is still on the shelves, and how much is in the backroom. There is probably enough to service normal shopping needs for 3 or 4 days without another truck. Except for water. I cannot believe how much bottled water sells each day, and that's without an emergencies! Unprepared people who panic at the possibility of a nuclear event could completely empty the store (which is a Supercenter) in a 24 hour period.
So, please, heed my warning. Even if you don't have much money (like I don't now) you can still prepare. Buy 1 extra can of something you buy each week. If you drink soda, buy 2-liters and reuse them to store water. Buy 1 extra of non-perishables: when you buy soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. buy an extra. It may take a long time, but any step toward being prepared is a step in the right direction.
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