What can we learn from disaster in the Philippines?

The storm that hit the Philippines was the storm of a century and its been ten days since it hit shore.  It completely devastated the country and has created a dire survival situation for everyone there.  For many there is no food, or help in sight. It is a sober reminder for everyone that disaster could strike any of us and sometimes even with all our preparations Mother Nature can throw a curve ball.  That being said the fact that the situation there has been covered so extensively by media gives us a unique opportunity to look at what the people there are dealing with and to use that knowledge to prepare better ourselves. 

Before and after pictures of Santa Catalina neighborhood in Zamboanga City, Philippines

Basic Canning - How to get started

One of the most popular methods of food storage is home canning. It follows the basic principle of putting your food in a jar, sealing it, and setting it on the shelf. That's about it! It's no wonder that the method is so popular, as it is one of the easiest and can preserve a wide range of foods. Whether it's fresh tomatoes, carrots, or beans from your garden, or meats from the butcher (or even your farm) canning has you covered. In this introductory article we will take a look at the equipment needed, what you can preserve and how to do it.

The first thing you will need is a set of jars with which to preserve your food. Many sets are available for purchase online or in some home goods stores like Target, Wal-Mart, and Bed Bath and Beyond. You will probably want to start with a kit like this:

 

Site Updates and National News

TUPH Readers - Just wanted to point everyone to the top of the page to take a look at and register at our forums. They are up, running, and waiting for some lively discussion. If anybody needs help navigating them or setting up an account, email us and let us know. We will gladly help to get you involved!

Here at TUPH our message is to prepare you for small scale but likely disasters - and two of them were in the news today. First, our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims of the disasters mentioned. We are not trying to glamorize or capitalize on what happened, but it is our job to make you aware of their deadly potential and help you get ready for them. Read after the break for today's important news and events.

Basics of Food Storage

It’s becoming that time of the year when the seasons start to change and it gets cold. The growing season is over, and as a result certain foods are no longer available. We don’t usually think about it, but almost all of our food comes from all over the world.  During the winter months fresh food is always brought to us from places that are warmer via a complex modern transportation system.  I have discussed in previous blogs though that this system is not perfect, and could easily fail. Many years ago when transportation was not as advanced, people had to learn to store food themselves so that it would last into the winter months. Because there isn’t any significant supply of food in any given area, because of the large populations we have now, if transportation were to be stopped due to an emergency, our food supply would effectively be cut off.  Most stores would be cleaned out within a few days, leaving you with nothing for a prolonged amount of time.

The Vehicle Emergency Kit

How much time do you spend in your car every day? You go to and from work, take your kids to school, or even go on road trips. The average person spends 600 hours a year in their vehicle, that’s 25 days! For most of us our car is a lifeline for our day to day business, and that can be the case during an emergency too. Due to the amount of time we spend in our vehicles, it is almost inevitable that we will eventually find ourselves in a hairy situation.  We can’t prepare for every eventuality but we can prepare for what we think is most likely. 

Transportation - Post Emergency

Having a plan for disaster preparedness is great; our job here is to help you with that. One of the things we want you to consider is how to get around in the face of a disaster. We take many modern conveniences for granted - including automobiles. Consider the logistics involved, however, in getting a car to run: you need gasoline, which is transported via trucks, roads in the case of most cars (trucks and 4x4's have extra capability here), a fresh battery, and good maintenance. These things might not be available during a crisis. You can reasonably expect there to be gas shortages (especially if your town is cut off from fresh supplies), lack of fresh oil, and no way to charge a battery if it goes bad.

Keep reading to learn other methods of travel during a crisis.

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Becoming Self-Sufficient

I have mentioned in previous posts that prepping is all about becoming more self-sufficient or self-reliant.  What I mean specifically is that we need to lessen our dependence on other people for our basic needs. We don’t realize on a day to day basis how much we rely on other people for absolutely everything.  We get our food, water, gas, entertainment, electricity, ect, from outside sources. People really have no idea how to get any of these basic needs for themselves, and this is a serious problem.

The basics of OPSEC

Who knows you are a prepper?  Or how much food you have stocked up? It could be just family and friends, or do your coworkers and acquaintances know as well.It may seem like a trivial thing to talk about prepping, because it can easily be viewed as a hobby. The problem is that if life ever comes down to a survival situation, then anyone with knowledge about you and your family could become a threat

Five Simple Ways to Start Preparing Now

When you start prepping it can be overwhelming. There is a ton of information online, on television, and in books. Most of it can get very specific and technical.  It’s hard to find a place to start, especially if you’re not ready to make any financial commitments yet.  Here is a list of some simple things you can do, that doesn’t cost any money, but could make all the difference in times of hardship.

Get home bag

The get home bag, little brother to the bug out bag. I think jjsre at reality survival has the right idea here. The average person spends 40 hours a week away from their home and loved ones while at work. If any type of emergency happens I know that my first priority would be to get back home. I work about 15 miles away from home, so if there was a crisis situation, that fifteen miles could become a very long distance. A kit like the get home bag could certainly mean the difference between life and death. Its small enough to be thrown in your car, and forgotten about until you do need it.

The important part here is that you need to customize it to your needs and your area while still  keeping it light. You may find that you don't need some of the things he listed in his article, but other supplies are more appropriate for where you live. I for one like to keep a good pair of boots in the trunk with my bag.

This is not a bag for long term survival. Its supposed to be light, so you can get home a quickly as possible, but still have basic supplies if you need them along the way.

Check it out at Reality Survival get home bag

Five Nightmares Facing Humanity

I stumbled upon this infographic today, and while it is a bit outdated referencing the supposed end of the world scenarios we all heard of in 2012, these situations are some of the most probable problems that we could (or will) face as a society in the future.

(View larger size here)

Unfortunately, some of these are unavoidable, and many will lead to massive die offs of the human population.

Common Myths About Preppers.

Television shows like doomsday peppers, have created a persona for Preppers and survivalists that isn’t entirely true. Obviously there are crazy people who horde everything, and hope for a disaster so they can use all their cool stuff, because someone decided to make a reality television show about them.  The problem is that is not even close to what most of us are about.

Another blogs view on bugging out.

This is just something I stumbled upon today and thought it was interesting. The author from Ready4itall is in the opinion that bug out is never a good idea, but you should still have the option available to you. I mentioned the same points he made briefly in my blog post yesterday. Like I mentioned in bug out or stay home, leaving your home should be your last option, but still an option that could be useful to have.

There will be cases in which you may have no other option. For example I live within 20 miles of a nuclear power facility. If it were ever to melt down for whatever reason; Terrorist attack, natural disaster, human error, take your pick, I don't think I would have any choice but to leave. Nuclear fallout is not something you want to try to survive in.

Just food for thought, I for one hope that I never have to go rough it in the woods to survive for long period of time.

Top 4 Reasons Why You're Not Going to Survive a Bug Out in the Woods

Product Review:

MAGLITE S4D016 Heavy-Duty 4-D Cell Flashlight, Black 

In the world of flashlights, few names are as well known as Mag-Lite. Mag-Lite is a brand of flashlight created and manufactured by Mag Instrument, a company founded in 1955 in a Los Angeles garage belonging to Anthony Maglica. With an initial investment of $125, some machining skills, and some perseverance, he fashioned what came to be called the Mag-Lite, the world's first flashlight with dependable reliability, durability, and a lifetime warranty. 

That tradition continues today. In fact, all Mag-Lite instruments are still manufactured in Ontario, California, USA, and held to the highest standards of design and functionality. The heavy duty 4-D cell flashlight I'm reviewing here is no different. Upon initial inspection, you will find one really solid piece of kit in your hands. This flashlight is probably best left in a vehicle or at home due to its size and weight - definitely not one you'd want to lug around in a backpack all the time. On the other hand, the intense beam of light supplied by the standard krypton bulb puts out enough light power to brighten up a whole room in your whole house, and will easily blind an unsuspecting intruder. 

Bug Out or Stay Home?

Where do you live? Way far out in the country, in a city, or in a suburb in between? I'm willing to bet that most of us live in pretty populated areas, because statistically that would just make sense. So what is your plan in case of an emergency? For many, they have chosen to bug out. To get away from all the people that will be causing all the problems.

Today among preppers and survivalists there is a mentality that getting out and getting as far away from population centers as possible is the best plan. In many cases this may be true, but most people just assume that their prowess and skill in escaping a disaster center will overcome any obstacle. As a result every prepper has a bug out bag and one or two escape routes planned. Although it is a great option to have, I think most people underestimate how crazy it can get and how fast. In many emergency situations, getting up and leaving just isn't an option, especially if you have a family. What if the emergency starts while you are at work? Getting home back to your family would be its own chore.

The Urban Prepper's Handbook - A survival guide for city dwellers and suburbanites

Hello, fellow preppers, and welcome to TUPH.

TUPH is being started by a couple of guys who notice one major flaw in disaster planning handbooks - it assumes you all live in the woods. Frankly, that's just wrong, and if everybody runs to the woods in a disaster, how does that help everyone? What if your best chance of survival is to hunker down right at home?

Our blog (and eventually our soon to be released e-books) will focus on this one aspect of disaster preparedness: how to survive in suburbia. We will apply many of the most well known techniques of wilderness survival and tailor them to fit your needs in the city. We will challenge you to come up with your own solutions to common problems during a disaster and help you make a personalized plan of action for your situation to help your family. Preparedness is one thing; knowing how to survive is another. We want to educate everyone to increase your chances of successful survival in a number of situations, whether they are floods, earthquakes, blackouts, logistical problems (town cut off from food delivery?), or worse.

We will also strive to ensure user interaction and participation - asking questions unique to your situation will only benefit everyone who wants to learn about survival techniques. As mentioned, our future e-books will also feature a section where you design a personalized disaster plan for your family, as only you know the best way to provide for them in a time of need.

-CT