The basics of a survival kit

Are you prepared for the unexpected?  Do you have an emergency preparedness plan?  The importance of having a survival kit cannot be understated and can come in many forms, from a basic commercial survival kit to an ultra rugged and durable all-inclusive disaster kit like a survival package.  If you desire to build your own survival kit, there are basics that should be included in every emergency kit:

1)      Food and water – One cannot survive without food and water and cannot survive long term without the means of obtaining more safe and clean food and water down the road.  Your emergency kit should include some kind of water filter and water purification tablets to guarantee safe drinking water.  Trying to carry a lot of water can get heavy; however the filters and tablets themselves are not.  Your survival kit should also include a supply of emergency food bars or dehydrated food.  Again, carrying a lot of food might get heavy unless you plan to shelter in place.  You may need to be prepared to hunt or scavenge for your own food after a period of time.

2)      Shelter – This is another vitally important item for your survival kit.  In very poor weather conditions, a human will last only a couple of hours if they do not have a proper emergency shelter.  Popular shelters in commercial survival kits are the so called “tube tents”, these tents are compact, lightweight, and generally OK for a short period of time.  However, in poor conditions, you are going to want a sturdy 3- or 4-season tent packed away in your kit.

3)      Fire starting – Starting and maintaining a fire is an extremely important skill for outdoor survival if you are faced with many days out in the wilderness.  Carrying storm matches, flint starters, waterproof matches, and various forms of tinder is highly recommended.  Redundancy is the key as not all methods of starting a fire may work in adverse weather conditions.

4)      First Aid – Chances are when you are “roughing it” with your family, someone will eventually get hurt, sick, or injured.  Keep a quality first aid kit in your survival kit, one with enough supplies so that it can be used over and over again.

5)      Navigation – Carrying a compass, GPS, and/or local maps can mean the difference in staying out for a long cold night or being at home in a warm bed.  Make sure you are adept at using it before heading out.

6)      Light and Signaling – I recommend carrying some survival candles or lanterns, along with at least one compact and durable flashlight with a couple extra sets of batteries. Also, along with your campfire, carrying a small, pea-less whistle and a signaling mirror, it ideal for signaling and flagging down help.

7)      Communication – The obvious one is your cell phone, but what if the batteries go dead? or you are out of cell phone range?  Plan to take with an emergency radio as well, like the voyager radio.

8)      Sturdy Backpack or bag – All the contents of your kit should be portable and contained in 1 (or 2 if for a family) emergency backpack in case you need to evacuate or move locations in a hurry.

9)      Survival Literature – Keep survival books on general survival training or preparedness.  It is also wise to keep some kind of guide on what plants may be edible or could be used for medicinal purposes in your region.  It never hurts to have a quick reference guide handy as it can become hard to remember certain things when the mind is under stress.

If you wish to see any of the items we have for sale from the categories above, please visit our survival store at Shepherd Survival Supply.  If you wish to skip the hassle of trying to plan and prepare your own ultimate survival kit, we’ve already done the work for you; please visit our Survival Package page for more details.

Aug 26: Hurricane Preparedness Tips

Hurricane Preparedness Tips

With Hurricane Irene on the verge of sideswiping the entire East coast, I thought it would be appropriate to give some last minute Hurricane preparedness tips.

Tip #1:  Common sense.  Use it.  If the authorities tell you to evacuate but you are having second thoughts, seriously consider your situation and emergency plan if things do not go well.  Keep flashlights, batteries, first aid kits, and emergency supplies in a safe location and away from potential flooding on lower levels.  Charge up all cell phones, laptops, and gadgets before the power gets knocked out.  After the storm when you walk outside, keep your eyes peeled for downed power lines, leaking gas lines, and other hazards that are left behind.

Tip #2: Water. Your water supply can easily be contaminated by flooding.  Buy some bottled water, fill up old milk jugs with water from the tap, or if things start to look really bad you can fill up your bathtub with water.  Also, if you have time to buy some ice, do it. Pack it away in an ice chest or cooler to keep any perishables cool if the power goes out.

Tip #3: Food.  Buy at least 3 days worth of food for everybody in the house, including pets.  Food bars like these: Food Bars.  Or dehydrated, long shelf life food like this: Wise Grab n Go buckets are highly recommended as they will almost always ready when you need them due to their long shelf life: 5 years for emergency food bars all the way up to 25 years for Wise freeze dried food.  Never worry again about running to the store with everyone else just to find empty shelves.

Tip #4: Gas and Generators.  Fill up your gas tank in your car and any gas cans you have for reserve.  This also might be a good time to purchase that extra gas can or 2.  If you are without power for days, you may need the gas to run a generator.  Remember to always properly vent your generator or even better: keep it outdoors.  Carbon monoxide poisoning often kills more people following a hurricane than the hurricane itself.  If you do not own a generator, now may be a good time to purchase one if your local store has any left in stock.

Tip #5: Be prepared and have a plan.  If you are staying behind to ride out the storm, make sure you have a survival kit sufficient enough for meet the needs of everyone in the family.  Remember, the power may be out for days or even weeks.  Your house may become unlivable for a period of time so have a plan on how you will shelter.  Ask yourself, do you have enough food, water, first aid supplies, fire starting capabilities, and survival supplies on hand to last a minimum of 3 days until up to a week or longer?  Do you have any way of recharging cell phones or other gadgets?  If not, maybe you need a portable solar panel like This.  Have a plan ready and be ready to use it if the situation deteriorates more than you expect.

If you are looking for disaster preparedness supplies or survival kits so you are prepared for the next big one, we have it here at Shepherd Survival Supply.

August Facebook Giveaway

If you haven't already found us on Facebook now is the time! This month we are giving away a Benchmade 556 Mini Griptilian pocket knife, a $70 value!!

Benchmade knives are some the best pocket knives on the market. This is a great addition to your survival kit, every day carry kit, or a great tool to start you off in your path to preparedness! The winner will get to choose either a black or pink handle.

To enter the contest follow these steps:
1. Like us on Facebook
2. Share our Link
3. Like the giveaway post.

You must complete all three steps to enter!! Winner will be announced September 1.

July 19: The Importance of Potassium Iodide (KI) in a Radiation Emergency

How important is it to have potassium iodide (KI) available during a radiation emergency?

The thyroid gland in the human body is especially vulnerable to radioactive iodide during a radiation emergency.   The thyroid gland will readily absorb the radioactive iodine 131 that enters your body and the iodine could remain there for weeks or even months.  The advantage having and taking potassium iodide before you are exposed is that your thyroid will be inundated or flooded with the non-radioactive iodide, therefore “filling up” your thyroid and blocking the dangerous radioactive iodide from being absorbed in the gland. It is important to note that KI will not keep radioactive iodine from entering your body; it will only protect your vulnerable thyroid gland from absorbing the toxic radiation.

So how important is it to protect your thyroid gland? Well let’s take a look at history.  According to the World Health Organization revised estimates, the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster will cause 50,000 new cases of thyroid cancer among young people living in the areas most affected by the disaster.  Children are especially vulnerable to long term thyroid problems associated with radiation.   The rate of thyroid cancer in adolescents aged 15-18 is now 3 times higher than it was before the 1986 disaster.  The incidence of thyroid cancer in children in the Ukraine is now 10 times higher than it was before the nuclear disaster.  The most alarming increase is in children who were ages 4 and under when the Chernobyl accident occurred.  Researchers have found that in certain parts of Belarus, up to 37% of these children have or can expect to develop thyroid cancer in their lifetimes.  It is still unknown what the long term effects of the Japan nuclear disaster might be.

One important factor to consider is that you will need to take a potassium iodide supplement (like Thyrosafe) at least 45 minutes - 1 hour before being exposed to radioactive iodide.  This highlights the importance of having a supply of potassium iodide included with your basic emergency supplies.  During a real nuclear disaster KI supplies will vanish within hours, or even minutes and it will be too late to run to the store or order any KI once an event has started.

It is recommended that you should take a potassium iodide solution only after being instructed by local emergency personnel to do so; however, I believe in some cases you will have you use your own discretion.  One dose of KI will last 24 hours. The recommended doses are as follows:

·         Adults (including women who are breastfeeding) or children who are adult size and over 150lbs should take 130 mg per day (two 65 mg tablets in Thyrosafe OR two mL of solution with the Potassium Iodide Vial USP Mixture).

·         Children between 3 and 18 years of age and under 150 lbs should take 65 mg per day (one 65 mg tablet of Thyrosafe OR 1 mL of solution of the Potassium Iodide Vial USP Mixture).

·         Infants and children between 1 month and 3 years of age should take 32 mg (½ of a 65 mg tablet of Thyrosafe OR ½ mL of solution of the Potassium Iodide Vial USP Mixture). This includes both nursing and non-nursing infants and children.

·         Newborns from birth to 1 month of age should be given 16 mg (¼ of a 65 mg tablet of Thyrosafe or ¼ mL of solution of the Potassium Iodide Vial USP Mixture). This dose is for both nursing and non-nursing newborn infants.  Infants who receive KI should have their thyroid hormone levels checked and monitored by a doctor due to the risk of developing hypothyroidism. Avoid repeat dosing of KI to newborns if at all possible.

Taking higher doses than the recommended does not offer any higher level of protection.  You should stop taking potassium iodide once the threat has dissolved or once you have evacuated the area.  It is important to stock up on your KI now and not wait for the next disaster.  Visit the Shepherd Survival Radiation protection page HERE.

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July 6: July Giveaway!!!

Announcing a new monthly giveaway!

July's giveaway: You could win one of our Adventure Medical Sportsman First Aid Kits (a $38 value)! This first aid kit is excellent for the home, car, or any outdoor adventure.

 Want to win this product? There are three ways to enter! Here's how:

1. Like us on Facebook
2. http://twitter.com/shepherdsupply
3. Share our link on your Facebook page

Each option counts as an entry into the giveaway. You must leave a comment on the giveaway post on our Facebook page, letting us know all the ways you have entered, in order to be included in the drawing for the giveaway. Winner will be announced August 1!!!

July 5: Types of Radiation & Your Radiation Exposure Limit

Types of Radiation and your Radiation exposure limit

What is Radiation exactly?  A simple definition of Radiation is energy sent out in the form of waves or particles.  It is invisible, silent, and odorless.  You are being exposed to radiation as you read this: from the earth, the sky, the sun, and the world around us.  We refer to it as background radiation.  Radiation is given off by a wide variety of processes, such as thermal activity, nuclear reactions, and by radioactive decay.

The 3 most common types of radiation are Alpha, Beta, and Gamma radiation. 

·         Gamma radiation is essentially photons, except with much higher energy, that can travel hundreds of miles through the air.  Gamma radiation and x-rays are basically the same thing (a high energy wave), the difference being in how they are produced.  A massive amount of gamma radiation is released during a nuclear blast or a nuclear plant meltdown.  Gamma is considered the most dangerous form of radiation due to its ability to travel long distances and penetrate through the body.

·         Beta radiation is made up of fast moving electrons.  Beta, unlike gamma, is a particle and is capable of penetrating through several feet of air.  They are most dangerous when combined with fallout dust and is taken into the body through the lungs or with contaminated food or water.

·         Alpha radiation is made up of fast moving helium atoms.  They contain very high energy, but due to their large mass they can be stopped by simply a few inches of air or a sheet of paper.  The concern with Alpha, like Beta, is when it is absorbed into the body by getting inhaled or ingested.  The number of lung cancer cases from inhaled alpha particles among uranium miners is much higher than the general population.

How can these levels of radiation be quantified?  There are many different radiation units that are used, so it can get confusing.  The following units of radiation are what you will most likely run across: Roentgen (R), RAD, REM, Sieverts (sV), and Gray (Gy).  How are all these related?

·         Roentgen(R) is a unit of exposure used to measure the strength of a radiation field at some point in air. The main advantage of this unit is that it is easy to measure directly with a high range survey meter or Geiger counter, but it is limited because it is only for deposition in air, and only for gamma and x rays.

·         RAD stands for “Radiation Absorbed Dose” and represents the amount of radiation actually absorbed by some material.  Different materials that receive the same exposure may not always absorb the same amount of energy.  Therefore a RAD is used to refer to the total concentration of radiation that was absorbed in that material or body.  For simplification: 1 Roentgen of Gamma Radiation exposure will result in approximately 1 RAD of absorbed dose.  1 RAD is the equivalent of 0.01 Gray (Gy), the standard SI unit.

·         REM stands for “Roentgen Equivalent Man”.  Some forms of radiation are more efficient at transferring energy from one object to the next.  Therefore the REM unit levels the field by giving certain types of radiation multiplication factor (X).  REM = RAD * X.  For gamma and beta radiation, X = 1.  For alpha radiation, the X factor can be as high as 20. 1 REM is the equivalent of 0.01 Sieverts (sV).  1 RAD of Gamma or Beta Radiation exposure will equal 1 REM of dose.  Therefore, it can be said that 1 Roentgen = 1 RAD = 1 REM.  Devices like the Nukalert will measure radiation doses of 0.1 R/Hr, all the way up to 50+ R/Hr, which is an optimal range when finding your way out of a radiation zone.

What exactly are your radiation exposure limits?   The average American receives approximately 0.5 REMs (or 0.005 sV) of radiation per year from a wide variety of sources: cosmic, rocks, medical procedures (xrays, etc), Radon, internal sources, and consumer products.  The maximum annual dose permitted by US radiation workers is 5 REM (.05 sV).  The lowest dose that has been associated with a detectable increase in cancer rates is 10 REM (.1 sV) when absorbed over a short period of time.  For reference, the Chernobyl incident recorded doses of at least 43 REM for some of the closest to the radiation plume.   100 REMs when absorbed in a short period of time, is enough to cause radiation sickness in an adult.  450 REMs is the lethal dose for a human being.  In the case of a large 2-3 Megaton nuclear blast, those within a few miles of ground zero who survive but do not take shelter immediately will be exposed to up to 5000 REM per hour immediately after the explosion.  The extremely high initial release of radiation from a nuclear weapon shows the importance of evacuating immediately out of the potential fallout zone.  How will you know how much radiation you’ve been exposed to when you do find medical help?  The RADsticker personal dosimeter will record a dose rate of up to 500 RADs.  It could prove to be extremely useful to medical personnel to know how much dose you’ve received when treating you for various injuries from your exposure.

Don’t get caught in radiation fallout or near a radiation leak with no information and nowhere to go, get your Nukalert or RADsticker(s) today.

Click here to see all of our Nuclear/Radiation Survival Products & our Exclusive Radiation Survival Kits

May 16: Guest Post-The 9 basics of preparedness

**Note from Shepherd Survival: The post below is a guest post from the writer at www.modernamericapreparedness.com. If you have any comments or questions for him please visit his website by clicking the link above**

Posted May 15, 2011 By: Modern America Preparedness

 

Today’s post lays out what I believe to be the 9 basic principles of preparedness, and why they are important to everyone.  I believe one of biggest problems facing Americans today is the loss of life skills. In one generation alone, such skills as home gardening and canning are all but forgotten in modern America. In one generation the importance of having 2 weeks worth of food in the pantry is fading from the minds of America.  In one generation the availability of clean, abundant water is taken for granted.  That is why I think each one of these core principles has a significant roll in our individual and family preparedness, and supports the 5 critical elements of survival: water, food, shelter, fire, and security.  We will cover each principle in detail in later postings.  Remember these are my thoughts and priorities and they may not work for everyone.

1.  Determination - having the right attitude and mental focus (tenacity) is essential to dealing with any problem. Survival in life and death situations demands determination.  I'll share an example when I cover this topic in greater detail, maybe in the next post.
2. Health - good physical health is important because emergency situations usually require extra physical demands from our bodies.
3. Budget - most households have limited cash reserves, therefore a budget is critical in our prepping efforts.
4. Action plans - It is important to have an action plan for just about everything, whether it is severe weather, civil unrest, long term unemployment, or a global flu pandemic.
5. Gear - having access to the right gear is important in an emergency.  One way to facilitate this is to build emergency kits. One of my favorite kits is an EDC (Every Day Carry) bag, more on this topic very soon.
6. Training - having the right skill sets in an emergency is helpful. In addition, training always increases your personal knowledge and ability, which promotes personal freedom from the bureaucratic system.
7. Practice - practice, practice, and practice.  Using those skills from principle number 6 will help you perfect them, and make them seem like second nature.
8. Silence - always fly under the radar.  It is best to keep your level of preparedness to your self. We should always be willing to help other people, but you don't want to compromise your safety, or the safety of your family.
9. Life style - remember preparedness is a way of life, which means you should be in this for the long haul. True long-term preparedness consists of long-term goals and plans.  These goals include things like gardening, long-term food storage, remote property, debt elimination, knowledge, and skill base.

 I hope that today’s topic will inspire you to think and plan for possible hardships that life might bring your way. I look forward to covering these principles in greater detail.  Until next time be safe, prepare, and actively pursue your freedom.

**Visit Modern America Preparedness to read more from this writer or to leave comments**