Preparing For The Worst - A Practical Self-Reliance Reference Guide

Introduction

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First off, thank you for buying and reading this book, I appreciate it immensely and really hope it helps you to be more prepared and self-reliant when the time comes.  If that is the case, please let others know about this book and consider leaving a review online in the bookstore so we can start a movement for the good of everyone.

Also, you will be helping the next generation to become self reliant.  A portion of the sales from this book will be donated to worldwide scouting (WOSM and WAGGGS) organizations that help young men and women to grow and develop through all over the world from Cape Town to Mexico City, from London to Buffalo.  Additionally I will be donating to the Wikipedia drives in order to support their efforts to keep the online encyclopedia free and usable by all.

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What is this?

The goal was to create a book that combines several philosophies and approaches to preparedness, and survival to create a framework that can be applied to multiple situations.  Survival and self reliance is not just about getting lost on a hike and knowing how to make a friction fire.  This is about preparing for the worst, and not just surviving a few days, but thriving and becoming self-reliant in any case.

The book is separated into two parts- Basic Preparation and When Disaster Strikes.  The first concentrates on being proactive and preparing while the second part applies preparation and philosophy to a potential disaster during and after.

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What exactly is preparing for the worst?

To begin with, remember the two fundamental concepts of being proactive and employing conservation as much as possible are at the core of preparing for the worst.  With this understood one will be able to adapt and thrive regardless of the circumstances.

If adequately prepared, having worked through drills and scenarios with those around you, and you are confident in your skills (which you continuously sharpen)- then you will have much less to worry about when the time comes.  Knowledge will give a foundation and skill will give freedom.  With that said however, natural disasters, man made and industrial catastrophes, viral epidemics, economic collapse or what ever manner of worst-case scenario you can conjure- can not often be anticipated.  When they happen, they rarely go as planned.  So, keep sharp and don't get complacent.

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We have to be aware, flexible and nimble. We have to be able to react properly and if possible be prepared so you're able to proactively handle a disastrous situation. Unfortunately too many of us are not equipped to do this, and have not worked through the potential dangers that could happen at any time.  You have to ask yourself what do you want to be- a victim and dependent or independent and self reliant.

Not every situation can be anticipated, and if you're not ready for things mentally and geared up the way you need to be, you could make a mistake.

Knowledge is the best item to have in any situation.  It weighs nothing, takes up no space and can be obtained for little expense.  The key to knowledge is not just to possess it however.  One must practice, continuously refresh and pass on knowledge for it to be  truly valuable.

Knowledge will help  to maintain the proper mindset, to be logical in the face of adversity rather than emotional and to maintain a positive attitude because you are confident in your abilities.  You will be better prepared to care for those around you and determine your own outcome.  That’s what self reliance is all about.

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Why read this book?

There are a ton of survival or preparedness books on the market, endless blogs and even more endless videos and dozens of government sites.  In short, there are no shortage of resources when it comes to being ready and self-reliant in a worst case situation.  This book is a combination of many of those things which creates (what I hope is) a more rounded information source.

Additionally, it was important to be able to provide how to instruction and resources to make people more self sufficient, not just tell them to be that way.  William F Buckley Jr. once said An inverse proportion exists between one's reliance on the state and self reliance.  Unfortunately our dependence in general has only become worse and the power over us more entrenched and overreaching.  That means too many people just wait for the national guard to see them or police to relocate them to a shelter.  Furthermore, waiting for help to arrive in some cases will kill you.  This is the antithesis of self-reliance and what we as individuals should be fighting to avoid.

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This is a book on preparing, and knowing what to do and why- although I definitely realize this is not necessarily a step by step guide on how to construct a bow drill or in depth treatise on homesteading.  But, it is also much more than a boutique book on survival that grossly under-describes everything in it.  I'm not a professor or scientist and I don't run a survival school somewhere charging people thousands per week to attend.  I am an everyday man living in an everyday city who is prepared for a worst case situation.  It has taken years of research as well as hundreds of hours of trial and error.  I also draw on and compile the collective knowledge of like minded people and networks, government preparedness documents and websites, topic specific resources (nutrition, first aid etc) and others to make sure the information here is solid.

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This is a realistic book which does not look at preparing for the worst and it making through something as some sort of fantasy or romantic dream.  Most people would leave for higher ground if there were no other choice.  They would defend their home with deadly force if they had to.  But the notion this is something to be anticipated or looked forward to escapes me.  Therefore the information here is practical and applicable.

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Be realistic.  Which is the more likely survival scenario?

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Note:  There are recommendations in this book on gear, further reading, food, etc.  Everything I recommend, I either own and use, have tried or employ the method being described.  If a brand is mentioned, it is because I believe in it and probably did a lot of research before buying it.  I received no endorsements from anyone when compiling this book, so in no way is the mention of a specific product or company done in exchange for payment nor a suggestion they agree with any particular philosophy expressed here.

However I do want to be clear, compiling your gear, food etc. is not always about a brand-name and gear does not have to cost top dollar to be not only functional but excellent.  Most people do not buy the most expensive top dollar items- especially when starting out, nor do they choose the cheapest stuff if they can help it (budget obviously the primary factor).  The important thing is for your gear, the food you choose, your methods of storage and other things to be functional and provide in the ways you need them to.  This may mean fitting a set of criteria, and your personal knowledge or physical comfort level before having a special logo from some company.

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Although the author has made every effort to ensure the information in this book was correct, the author does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians.

This book is not intended as a substitute for the legal advice of attorneys.

Part 1 - Basic Preparation

Essential Items

Important Items

Consider Items

Essential Items

Shelter and Climate Control

Thermoregulation

Your primary shelter

Making your home a more effective shelter

Outdoor shelters

Tarp shelters

Bushcraft and survival shelters

Using knots

Sheltering in a vehicle

Water

Dehydration

Water Storage

Treating water

Filtering

Building a filter

Collecting water

Food

Macronutrients

Micronutrients

Calorie consumption and preservation

Storing food

Food storage options

Shelf life

Minimum amounts

Bin or shelf organization

Procuring food - Growing

Procuring food - Protein

Wild edibles

Common edible plants

Fire and Heat

Fire making

Fire starters

Primitive fire methods

Fire preparation

Other outside methods

Urban preparation - heating indoors

Wood alternatives

Important Items

Hygiene and Sanitation

Staying clean

Post disaster hygiene methods

Making hygiene items

Disinfection and sanitizing methods

Reducing the spread of illness

Mitigating unhealthy conditions

Environmental concerns

First Aid

Kits

Administering first aid

Non mechanical injuries

Overuse and Mechanical injuries

Other serious injuries

Having Medicines on hand

Natural medicines

Food Preparation and Keeping

Food-borne illness

Common food-born microorganisms

Food sanitation basics

Outdoor options

Food preservation methods

Curing meats

Acidic brines

Smoking

Dehydrating/Drying without power

Cooling without electricity

Canning

Consider Items

Gear

Consider your environment

Emergency Kits

Basics - FORESTS

Fire elements

Outdoor safe water container

Rope or cordage

Emergency/rescue

Shelter elements

Tools

Sustenance

Types of portable kits or bags

Other gear

Networking and Morale

Networking

Advantages

Group democracy pros and cons

Morale

Morale in groups

Protection

Fortifying your residence

Personal protection

Firearms

Improvised weaponry

Pets

Preparation essentials

Water

Other considerations

Part 2 - When Disaster Strikes, Worst Case Scenario

Have a Plan/First Steps

Deciding to Leave

S.H.T.F.

Have A Plan/First Steps

Formulation

Daily needs

First steps during and after

Specific situations

Deciding to leave

Why leave?

General Evacuation

Plan execution

Navigation

Primitive and minimal navigation

SHTF

Potential causes

Surviving SHTF

Communication

Protection

Retreat and escape

Other means of escape

Scenarios

Mob violence

Pandemic, other health disasters

Critical power failure

Economic or government collapse

Law enforcement/military

Radiation emergency

Other global catastrophes

Long term survival

Appendix

Checklists

Recommended Reading

Recommended References

Photo Credits

Glossary of Terms

Checklists

Recommended reading

Recommended references

Photos used in this book

Glossary of terms

Part 1 - Basic Preparation

Essential Items

Important Items

Consider Items

Essential Items

Shelter and Climate Control

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There is no dependence that can be sure but a dependence upon one's self. - John Gay

To find yourself, think for yourself. - Socrates

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There are things we must have to survive whether it be under the best or worst of circumstances.

These essential items are in this order because of the human need for them in order of importance, generally.  Although, depending the circumstances, shelter and water could be absolutely interchangeable.

By now many of you have already heard of the rule of 3's in survival.  3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food.  Every situation is different and although you may find yourself in a temperate area with abundant food and water- it's rare, so all things being equal, it is the elements that will kill you first.  If you are lost in the snow and you don't find or make shelter quickly, you will not have to worry about being hungry or thirsty very long right?

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Shelter can help you stay warm to conserve your calories, stay cool to conserve water, and the security will help you get rest at night.  It is, in its most simple form, a structure or device that covers or protects.

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Thermoregulation

The main goal in all of this is to do what survival experts and first responders call regulating your core temperature, maintaining the vital 98.6 degrees.  Also known as Homeostasis, this is a balance between heat generated or stored and heat lost. 

The lady sitting on the sand at our sunny beach below demonstrates how heat is lost- or gained (Thermoregulation) primarily by these 4 physical thermodynamic principles: Radiation, Convection, Conduction and Evaporation.

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•  Radiation - Heat from the sun, fire or warm rocks being given off to heat an environment, or heat from your body dissipating into layers of clothing or the air.  A great principle to understand when choosing a location to shelter or making your disaster situation better.

•  Convection - Cold or warm air or water moving around an object to cool or heat it.  Also applicable to the rising of warm air and falling of cool air.  Convection can be controlled to your advantage in many cases, using a breeze to blow heat away from you, or draw the warmth of a fire or heater toward you.

•  Conduction - An object (you, for instance) losing or gaining heat through direct contact with a cold or warm substance/object.  Being immersed in cold water, laying on the cold ground, a warm water bottle in your sleeping bag, or here the sand which has been warmed by the sun.

•  Evaporation - Cooling by the evaporation of liquid.  For example sweat or water on your skin.  Liquid requires an extra boost of energy to change from a liquid to a gas state, and that loss of heat during the phase shift is the cooling effect on your skin.

All of these can be manipulated to conform to your individual scenario, even without lots of gear or years of survival training.  Simply understanding how to control the the climate immediately around you can keep you alive long enough to be rescued or make it through a worst case scenario.  In a very long term situation, weeks months or more- these core principles can guide your rebuilding process and planning.

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Getting too cold

If your body temperature falls below 95 degrees you will become hypothermic.  In the early stages of hypothermia you lose fine motor skills and and the ability to perform basic tasks with any proficiency.  In more advanced stages you become lethargic, weak and eventually will die.  Explained further here from the Adam Encyclopedia:

"As a person develops hypothermia, they slowly lose the ability to think and move.  In fact, they may even be unaware that they need emergency treatment.  The symptoms include drowsiness, weakness and loss of coordination, pale and cold skin, confusion, uncontrollable shivering (although at extremely low body temperatures, shivering may stop), slowed breathing or heart rate.  Lethargy, cardiac arrest, shock, and coma can set in without prompt treatment."

As with virtually anything, preventing hypothermia is key, and vastly desirable versus attempting to reverse the effects of hypothermia once it has already set in.  Knowing the situation before you get in a bad place, having proper clothing and gear and the ability to care for others are all important in prevention.  Even if you are caught unprepared (which should never happen after reading this book), just having the knowledge is an advantage.  According to the CDC, from 1999-2011 a total of 16,911 deaths in the United States...were associated with exposure to excessive natural cold.

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The stages of hypothermia are as follows:

•  Mild - core temperature of 95F to 90F

•  Moderate - core temperature of 90F to 82F

•  Severe - core temperature less than 82F

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Look for these signs to spot hypothermia

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Frostbite

It may not sound like much, but this is actually a condition that occurs when body tissue freezes, namely your skin.  Localized damage occurs due to constriction of the blood vessels nearest the skin leads to poor circulation, combined with the cold the affected area (fingers, toes etc.) are not warmed and begin to literally freeze.  If the process is not stopped, the later stages of frostbite will cause tissue damage and cellular level destruction.  This is a serious danger, so do not go into cold areas without being prepared.

There are four stages to frostbite:

•  Stage 1 only affects the first layers of the skin and does not cause permanent damage.  The skin will appear red, possibly patchy and often times will itch or have a low level of pain.  This is common on uncovered parts of the face in cold weather.  Sometimes this is known as frostnip or windburn.

•  Stage 2 is when the skin continues to drop in temperature and actually freezes, just like water in a bottle.  The skin may appear or feel rough, even hardened slightly.  Damage to cells will occur and some rupturing can happen.  Once the frostbitten area is warmed again, the skin may look bruised and have blisters- both of which will subside and heal.

•  Stage 3 frostbite encompasses more serious tissue damage through the destruction of cells and blood vessels.  The skin will feel very firm and can seem top have a plastic like, cold fat feel.  Permanent loss of feeling and even use of the area can occur.  Bruise like areas and blisters are much more severe and fill with blood.

•  Stage 4 is a continuation of damage during stage 3 which leads to deep tissue damage, extreme nerve damage and even infection in the dead areas.  Frozen areas may need to be surgically removed.

To treat a case of frostbite warm the affected area gradually, allowing the circulation to return slowly.  Although there are many sources which cite rapid rewarming as a method, most seem to agree warming frostbitten skin too quickly can actually cause further damage, sometimes irreversible.  Avoid running under water that is too hot or placing the area (say your hands, for example) too near a fire or heater.  Rewarming does need to happen as soon as possible and you need to take care not to stop the rewarming process too soon or allow any cooling or refreezing.

As the affected skin gets back to normal you will feel a tingling or itching sensation and maybe even a slight burning somewhat similar to falling asleep and returning to normal circulation.

To prevent frostbite, do not wear tight, restricting clothes or boots.  Allow the blood to flow to your extremities.  Remember blood will warm those areas, but also cool down when returning to your core if those areas are cold.  Wear warm socks and gloves if possible, otherwise cover and protect your extremities as much as possible.  Keep your face, nose and ears protected.

If you have medical conditions like diabetes or if you smoke and drink, you are at higher risk because your circulation is already compromised.  Drinking a shot of whiskey out in the cold doesn’t warm you up, it does the exact opposite.

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Wind chill

Wind chill is the felt or perceived cold by the body when moving air contacts the skin.  The air, even though the temperature does not actually change, will feel colder in windy conditions.  This in itself is not necessarily dangerous, but remember convection from above?  As the wind increases, it draws more heat from the body, and will increase evaporation as well.  Wind chill only affects humans and animals which can feel differences in temperature.  Other, inanimate things like cars, plants and rocks are not affected by wind chill.  They can not feel the difference, nor does wind chill actually drop the surrounding air temperature which is the only factor that would affect these objects.

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The windchill chart below can be found for free from the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with a detailed explanation of how wind chill is calculated and how they determined the measurements for the chart.

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Getting too hot

Conversely, if your body temperature rises above the standard 98.6 degrees for too long, you begin to become hyperthermic.  Essentially the amount of heat absorbed is greater than the amount of heat shed.  Your body will begin to overheat, and you stop sweating.  Your body cools in different ways known as thermoregulation, and perspiration is one of those ways as the liquid on your skin evaporates and cools you.  This takes and already dangerous situation and quickly spirals it downward.

There are several different conditions which encompass overheating, and are all included under a general umbrella of hyperthermia.  Below is a list of definitions from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Also see the discussion of dehydration in the Essentials - Water and Important - Hygiene  portions of this book.

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Your primary shelter

Many people think of shelter in terms of a structure.  However shelter can come in many forms, in some cases a simple microclimate will do.  Dressing properly for the elements cannot be overstated.  Therefore your first form of shelter will be the clothes you are wearing, or have with you.  That can also be expanded to things like additional layers, blankets etc.  From there you can then extrapolate those philosophies of core temperature regulation to things like a medical blanket, a vehicle, a debris shelter in the woods or your home in the city.  They are all essentially the same thing, doing the same thing- maintaining your core temperature.

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There is much your clothing can do to maintain your core temperature and save your life, not the least of which is to simply trap body heat and insulate.  Layers are an important concept in dressing for a survival situation.  The ability to add and subtract layers depending on the conditions and amount of heat you are generating is a vital part to conserving your heat or cooing you.

It may be 20 degrees out, but if you are chopping wood in all your winter clothes you will get hot, and start to sweat.  It is bad news to sweat in a cold environment.  The sweat will saturate your clothing and reduce it’s insulative properties, and the cold will keep it from drying.  This will make you very cold when you stop your work and speed the process of hypothermia.  On the other hand, if you are overheated you may need to shed layers to allow the sweat to evaporate from the surface of your skin, which will cool you.  This evaporative cooling can be aided by the addition of cool damp rags, bandanas, dowsing your head and exposing yourself to wind.  Keep in mind however, if you are in extreme heat with little or no water, this will kill you faster.  This is why desert dwellers often do not remove layers of clothing- even from their heads in some cases.  They choose light weight and light colored fabrics that do not trap heat, but retain sweat and keep evaporative cooling in balance.

A good way to cool is to drink water evenly through the day to maintain hydration, do not gorge on water and apply damp cloths around your neck to cool your blood flowing through the arteries to the body and brain.  Whether mitigating the ill effects of radiation, convection or conduction, the idea is conservation.

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Here are several ways to maintain heat/cool through the use of your clothing:

•  Choose layering of lighter fabrics rather than one heavy item.  Allow for a flexible system.

•  In hot arid climates, choose light thin fabrics, linen for example.

•  In cold areas choose wool.  There are a number of different types of wool outdoor clothing now.  If you think of a wool sweater like something out of a Hemingway picture, think again.  Fabrics are high tech now and made to perform.  Merino Wool is an excellent choice.  It is soft and light, and it maintains it’s insulation when damp just like old rag wool.

•  Choose base layer fabrics (next to the skin) that are synthetic vs. cotton.  Synthetics like nylon are performance oriented, light weight and moisture wicking.  There are even blends which combine synthetics with merino wool for a really effective article of clothing.  It is available all over- everything from higher end North Face to REI mid-range priced stuff like ExOfficio and down to special buy Paradox base layers at Costco.

•  Wear gloves and good wool socks.  Keeping your extremities warm will keep the blood in your farthest parts warm as it travels back into the body.  It will also keep the tiny vessels open in your fingers and toes so they get blood flow and avoid frostbite.

•  Similarly, wear some sort of hat.  In the cold- a wool cap, in the heat a ventilated brimmed hat to allow for evaporation while sheltering your head from the direct sun.

•  Obviously the opposite can be true for hot climates.  Keep your feet out of hot confined shoes.  It will help to cool you.  With any exposed skin, you need to be aware of sunburn and the additional need for water due to evaporation.

•  Avoid cotton as much as possible in cold weather.  It retains moisture and does not dry quickly.  Especially denim.  It’s heavy and stays wet all night.  If you have to choose cotton, for a long underwear base layer, let’s say, be aware of moisture in the fabric from your perspiration, or the elements.  wet long underwear right next to your skin will chill you to the bone.

•  Do not go to bed with moist clothing in cold conditions.  You will hasten hypothermia.  Try to change your socks to dry ones before going to sleep.

•  In an environment with lots of rain or wet snow, a thin, breathable waterproof shell is an important addition.  The Columbia rain jackets with Omni-Tech fabric are excellent and well worth the price.

•  Whenever possible use down or a synthetic down alternative for an insulating ouster layer.  This keeps your clothing system light and effective.  Down will not insulate when wet like synthetics (primaloft etc.), but many clothing lines are made with what is known as dry down where the down feathers are treated with a waterproof additive.  Merino wool is good too.

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Exercise-—Test your cold and foul weather clothing.  Determine which layers make the most sense and know their limitations.  Make a list of immediate needs and future needs, and give yourself a deadline to fill those needs.  Future needs may also include gear upgrades and redundancies.

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The conservation of heat/cooling and creation of a microclimate philosophy can be applied to any shelter.  For example you would not make an enormous shelter in the boreal forest that did nothing to keep you warm at night.  Similarly, why would you try to heat the entire house, rather than everyone staying on one or two rooms?  You want to conserve the heat or cool.  Start thinking in terms of conservation.  In the canyon lands of Utah the temperature during the summer days is scorching, while at night can get into the 40’s.  You would not build your shelter in the middle of a sun baked pan, nor in a slot canyon that gets no sun.  Instead, a shelter against a large rock or canyon wall is good.  Something to provide shade during the day, and radiative heat at night.  The same logic applies to wherever you are sheltering.

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Other shelter benefits

Sleep is an extremely important component to dealing with worst-case scenarios.  A secondary purpose of shelter is to help provide you with enough sleep each night to keep you going.  You and those around you will need to be alert at all times during a worst case situation.  You may be awaiting rescue, hunting, protecting your home from looters, or hiding from zombies.  Whatever it is, it will require your fullest attention.

If you are in a safe situation which does not require you and others to sleep in shifts, it is best to stay awake during the day and sleep only at night.  Resist taking naps.  You will want to be tired when you finally do go down for the night so you will be able to get into dreaming sleep.  If you are in a cold scenario and have to feed a fire or wood stove at night, take turns with someone.

Waking up several times throughout the night for whatever reason is not good for you and will create sleep deprivation manifesting itself as:

•  Fatigue

•  Irritability

•  Confusion

•  Forgetfulness

•  Poor decision making

•  Distractible

•  Delayed reactions

•  Weakness

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At some point if you do find yourself needing to sleep during the day to catch up and refresh your body, do it in short segments, and avoid a pattern of napping during the day.

The exception to that would be in an extreme heat environment like a desert where it may be more advantageous to shelter in the shade during the day, conserving energy, calories and water- then traveling or working by night.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 20% of all adults already fail to get enough sleep.  Let alone having to deal with an earthquake, mob violence, terrorist attack, economic collapse or a pandemic killing off millions of people.  Adults need to sleep for at least 6 hours to be rested and refreshed physically as well as mentally.  REM sleep is the periods of deep dreaming sleep throughout the night.

Usually, REM sleep happens 90 minutes after you fall asleep.  The first period of REM typically lasts 10 minutes.  Each of your later REM stages gets longer, and the final one may last up to an hour.

During these deep stages of sleep, the body will repair and regrow tissue mass, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens your immune system.

During a night of sleep, one usually experiences about four or five periods of REM sleep; they are quite short at the beginning of the night and longer toward the end.  Many animals and some people tend to wake, or experience a period of very light sleep, for a short time immediately after a bout of REM.

REM sleep typically occupies 20–25% of total sleep in adult humans: about 90–120 minutes of a night's sleep. The first REM episode occurs about 70 minutes after falling asleep.  Cycles of about 90 minutes each follow, with each cycle including a larger proportion of REM sleep.

In emergencies it can be difficult to sleep, even if you are still at home and in relative comfort.  The stress from the situation, emergency vehicles on the roads, news helicopters etc. can be a major distraction from sleep.  Consider having ear plugs, to help with the noise.  Drink soothing liquids before bed and sleep close to children if necessary.  Avoid taking sleep drugs during emergency situations, especially if you are on the go or sheltering away from your home.  For obvious reasons, being impaired in a worst case scenario is a foolish practice.

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Making your home a more effective shelter

In or after a worst case happening, the most obvious shelter beyond dressing for your situation is going to be your home since all your supplies and comforts are there.  The first choice would be to stay put if possible or at a minimum make your home a primary base.

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The first thing to consider is if the home is safe, or can be made safe.  After some disasters your home may not be safe anymore.  Earthquakes and tornadoes can leave the foundation and structure badly compromised.  In floods the lower areas can be contaminated with disease causing organisms.  In this case, no matter how much you have invested in staying put, you will have to leave.

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Before and during

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•  Secure and lock all windows and doors

•  Go to a safe interior space, or highest/lowest place as appropriate

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If time permits

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•  Secure loose and dangerous items - including chemicals, glass, wall mounted items etc.

•  Seal or block airflow, windows and doorways - as appropriate depending on the type of event

•  Use mattresses and blankets as padding

•  Use spare doors to create structure if necessary

•  Gather your kits

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After

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•  Inspect the structure for damage - look for large cracks in the foundation, sloping floors, sagging walls or rooflines, water leaking or damage and chimney damage

•  Verify there are not electrical or fire dangers, including gas leaks

•  Verify there are no animals or rodent infestations

•  Check for general sanitation - there should not be mold in or on the walls, there should not be effluent or sewage present or residue around drains

•  Use caution when cleaning up glass etc. - wear gloves

•  Know your materials when cleaning up household chemical spills

•  Watch for unstable objects above and in storage areas

•  Keep dark areas lit

Clean and repair everything possible and then sanitize the house and safely dispose of all trash, dead animals and unsafe items.  More on planning for the worst in the two sections Protection and Have A Plan later in the book.

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Also handy to have

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•  Sanitation kit and items

•  First aid kit

•  Fire extinguisher (ABC type)

•  Heavy mil debris bags

•  Spare fuel

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For general rebuilding and temporary sheltering having some basic construction tools and materials on hand may help make your home a more efficient shelter whether it is damaged by a disaster or not.

•  Plywood or OSB for covering broken windows

•  Dimensional lumber for bracing and framing

•  Pressure treated lumber for outdoor construction/repair

•  Large size tarps

•  Heavy plastic sheeting

•  Heavy duty duct tape

•  Spare insulation

•  Drywall screws, nails and other fasteners

•  Foaming gap sealer

•  Hand tools

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Be strategic with climate

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•  Conserve heat and cold - Insulate yourself and surroundings

•  Compartmentalize - Block off unused areas, close doors and insulate

•  Insulate doors - hang a blanket or block with a spare mattress

•  Blanket off areas in large rooms

•  Use rugs to insulate floors

•  Block solar heating in windows using mylar blankets, car windshield reflectors, Reflectix, foil and other highly reflective reflective materials on your windows

•  Cool or heat through convection - Control air flow, allow air to rise through the house

•  Shelter in the warmest/coolest parts of the house if possible

•  Use tarps and other covers to block sunlight outside

•  Keep the air dry - use candles, or regulate the airflow to keep the air dry

•  Control cold air from fireplace flue

•  Seal off ducting that may create drafts

•  Adjust sleeping arrangements depending on the season

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Things you do to prepare in the present will pay dividends in the future should you find yourself in a worst case position.  The benefits of preparing through thermoregulation home improvements will save you money and provide comfort now too.  Not just insulation and solar power, but roof treatments in hot climates or the use of landscaping and natural materials to maintain temperature - strategically planted shade trees, grasses or hardscapes.

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Outdoor shelters

There are a ridiculous amount of portable shelter options for outdoor emergencies.  Just look at any website about preparing, camping store or military surplus store and you will find something to fit your budget and space needs whether it be for one, or a family of many.

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Pre made shelters

Tents are one of the best outdoor shelters because of their versatility and range of options.  The are anything from lightweight 1 person models to large wall tents that fit many people and supplies, including some equipped for a wood stove.

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The best option is dependent on your situation

•  How long you will be outdoors

•  Whether there is travel involved

•  How you are traveling

•  The season or weather conditions

•  How many people will be with you.

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A common 3 person dome tent from the big name sporting goods store usually weights 7-8 pounds and stores in a relatively small case, and can easily be found for $30-$50 at the time this chapter was written.  For more on tents and other gear, see the section Consider - Gear.

Sleeping bags and bivy (bivouac) bags are also a common combination for a pre made shelter to create a controlled climate for thermoregulation.  There are as many sleeping bags as there are tents, in a variety of weights and temperature ratings.  Bivy bags are essentially a waterproof bag that fits over your sleeping bag, but an be used alone or with a blanket.  A great compact option to regulate convection and radiative heat from the body.  Some bivy systems have hoops or poles for internal stability and are very much like a compact version of a tent.  Later sleeping bags are covered more, but the main point is they do not have to be the bulky bags of the past.  Sleeping bags of today are made from much better materials that insulate better with less bulk and weight.

Hammocks are something to consider too.  The days of the huge rope yard hammocks are also over.  Today's nylon hammocks are ideal for portable sheltering.  A spacious double hammock is roomy and still very light.  The popular ENO Doublenest is only 1.5 pounds and reasonably priced too.  Other brands are as little as $30.00 for a good quality single hammock and weigh very little and take up a small amount of room in a pack. 

Lightweight emergency options include Mylar space blankets, mylar backed emergency tarps, drum liners, light PVC ponchos, military poncho liners, fleece bags and more.

Later in the Consider - Gear section we will explore in depth different types of shelter for preparedness everyday, getting home and leaving home.  These items will be part of your F.O.R.E.S.T.S. which will be part of every kit.

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Tarp shelters

•  A frame - Remember the old triangular pup tents?  Many of us had one as a scout, and it remains a staple emergency shelter design after all these years.  This configuration is essentially placing a tarp (square or rectangular) over some sort of ridge structure, whether that be a fallen tree, a paracord ridge line or a small ridge pole lashed between two trees.  Most tarps have tie out points or grommets which will allow you to tie of to trees without the necessity of any ridge line or pole, however it will not provide as much rigidity.  The A-frame comes from staking out the corners  of the hanging sides to form sloped walls.  The angle of the walls can be adjusted depending on weather or needed space inside the shelter.  It is open on both ends.

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•  A frame with floor - Generally a smaller, lower profile version of the A frame where the tarp is divided into thirds, creating equal planes for the two walls and a floor, which is flat on the ground.  It is a good solution for areas with cold, wet ground or heavy rain.  This, like the other shelters, can be made with a large tarp too, creating space for two or more and gear.

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•  Lean to - Another very easy tarp shelter which can use square or rectangular tarps, staked out in the back and elevated in the front to form a simple sloping back wall.  This shelter will shed water and provides lots of room to work and airflow in warm weather.  A small portion of the tarp can be overlapped on the ridge-line or ridge pole too, to create a small overhang to help shed water.

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•  Wedge - Using a square tarp, oriented in a diamond where the back corner is staked down and the front corner is pitched up.  The two side corners can be staked out in varying widths depending on the angle of the pitch in front.  It is a good foul weather shelter and easy to erect in a hurry.

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•  Adirondack - A lean-to with small sides and a floor.  a great single person shelter with medium sized tarps, and a start to a simple super shelter.  This shelter can be created even with no trees to tie to, but will require two poles for the front corners and a small amount of cordage.

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•  "Super" shelter - a version  of shelter commonly using the Lean to or Adirondack as a base, then applying a reflective mylar (space) blanked to