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One thing you need to have in an emergency is a good battery-powered radio.  If you want a great one, consider buying this one:

I purchased a Sony ICF-SW7600GR a few years ago based upon several outstanding recommendations and reviews.  Its an AM/FM/SW radio that is well-built and easy to use.  Many people use this as their everyday radio, especially in more remote areas.  The quality is second to none (Made in Japan), which is great when you have to rely upon it during bad times.

After I purchased mine, I created several lists of channels that I can access during an emergency.  I also set the clock so I can use it as a clock-radio alarm if the power is out for a long period of time.  The AA batteries in it will last over 40 hours, giving you a lot of time between changes.

The only downside to this unit is that the short-wave radio can only be tuned in 1kHz increments.  This isn’t a problem if the radio station you wish to tune in uses whole numbers like BBC (ex. 11910 MHz).  However, many broadcasters like NOAA Weather Radio use fractional frequencies (ex. 162.425 MHz) to transmit their signals.  This can be a problem because you won’t be able to hear broadcasts from FEMA, NOAA, local police, and other official agencies.  Just keep this limitation in mind if you are thinking about purchasing this radio.

Overall Rating:  7/10

Click here to buy the Sony ICF-SW7600GR AM/FM Shortwave World Band Receiver

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What firearms should you have?  That’s a simple question that can have many answers.  However, in the interest of clarity and simplicity, you should have three.  Call it the holy trinity of protection, the triad of firepower, the troika, a firearms trio or something else, but your arsenal should include three guns.

My friend Kevin over at Misfires and Light Strikes wrote about this a while back and shares what he has.  Give it a read and some thought, it may help your decision-making process as you arm yourself.  Also, stop by his website and read some of his other postings.  Kevin is a great guy, a good friend, and an informed individual so keep his site in your bookmarks.

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Chances are you own vehicles that have pneumatic tires on them.  The problem is that they can lose air due to porosity, punctures, or catastrophic failure.  All these will eventually result in flat or destroyed tires that will prevent your wheeled vehicle from moving.

How do you prevent this from happening to your car, truck, van, Jeep®, SUV, trailer, ATV, UTV, motorhome, tractor, motorcycle, or bicycle?  The best product out there that prevents flats and reduces porosity air loss is Ride-On® from Inovex Industries.  They produce several different formulas that are specifically designed for various types of tires (ex. autos, motorcycle, ATV/UTVs) you may have.  Ride-On TPS has been around since the mid-90s and has been used world-wide by military, government, and civilian vehicle fleets.  I’ve been using the Auto/SUV formula in my vehicle for the past year and believe in it.

To find out more information, you can go to the manufacturer’s website and browse for more specific information.  You can click here to order the correct Ride-On® formula for your vehicles.  I would strongly suggest doing so in order to keep your tires properly inflated and ready to roll.  A flat tire is a liability so take steps now to prevent that from happening.

Click here to order the correct Ride-On formula for your wheeled vehicle(s)

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You checked your batteries and you have corrosion.

What do you do now?

One helpful battery corrosion remedy it is to use baking soda and water to neutralize and remove it.  Here’s an article from a few years back that walks you through the simple steps that will get your battery-powered items cleaned-up and running again.  Don’t have time to click on the link?  Well, here’s what you do:

For flashlight and other small electronic devices, first remove the batteries, then use a paper towel to gently wipe away light corrosion. Use two tablespoons of baking soda and a little water — just enough to form a paste. Apply the paste to the battery terminals, and the corrosion should foam up and go away. Wipe all the areas with a clean, damp cloth, and dry everything well.

All this only take a few minutes and costs only pennies per use.  Its a great way to save money, maintain equipment, and be ready.

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What should you have in your disaster supply kit?

It depends on a lot of things, but the Weather Channel has a list that you can start with.  The good news is you probably already have most of these items in your home, they key is to assemble them into kits that can be used in emergencies.  We will cover how to kit your gear in future posts, for now make sure you have the essentials.  If you don’t, make a list of what you are missing and shop for them.  Remember the concept of “Two is One, One is None” to ensure redundancy and you will be well on your way to assembling a useful disaster supply kit.

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Cars break down, often times at the wrong place at the wrong time.  It will happen, the only question is when.

How does one prepare for this?

Nationwide Insurance has a fairly helpful page on what you should have in your car and what you should do when you experience a break-down.  We’ll cover more details on what should be in your car kit in future posts but the Nationwide page is a good starting point.  You will want to fine-tune your car emergency kit based upon where you live and other factors, the key concept though is to learn principles that you can apply in your preparations.  So take some time and put together your car’s emergency kit today.  It doesn’t have to be complete, the main idea is to get started and add to it over time.

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If you ever have to shut off the water supply to your house, you will need one of these.

The technical name for this devices is a T-Handle Water Meter Key, but most people I know just call it a “T-Handle.”  Its a long steel rod with a handle on one end and a notch on the other.  To turn the water off, put the notch on the meter stub and turn right (clockwise).  To turn the water back on, turn the stub left (counter-clockwise).  You can watch a short YouTube video on how to do this too.

Make sure you have one of these handy because water leaks, equipment failures, and ruptures do happen.  I have used mine a few times over the last few years and will never be without one.  T-Handles aren’t expensive and you can purchase them online or at most hardware stores.  If you don’t have one, buy one today!

Click here to purchase a Jones Stephens Water Meter Key

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How many times have you heard people say “It can’t happen here…” after something bad or unexpected takes place in their neighborhood.

Guess what, it can happen here!

Case in point, my quiet neighborhood just the other day. I came home from work to the sight of six police cruisers, a K-9 unit, and a police helicopter circling overhead. I have no idea what the situation was all about but apparently it was serious enough to involve a bunch of police assets.  Keep in mind that I live in a golf course community in a nice section of town populated by middle-class families and wealthy retirees.

Bad things will happen no matter where you live, no matter what your income, no matter what the color of your skin is, no matter what god you worship, and regardless of your age.  Even though normalcy bias conditions us to think otherwise, bad things happen everywhere.  If you take this into account, you can be ready for the unexpected and be better prepared to handle the situation.  For the most part, “security” and “normalcy” are just abstract concepts that reside in our minds.  The reality is, even in “safe” neighborhoods like mine, the unexpected can happen at any time.

Plan accordingly…

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You checked your batteries and you find corrosion.

What do you do now?

The good news is that in most cases you can clean the corrosion and have your battery-powered device back in working order.  It only takes a few minutes and only costs a few pennies for each cleaning.  There are multiple ways of doing this, but here is a video that explains battery corrosion remedy that uses white vinegar and Q-tips to clean battery corrosion.

There are other ways to clean corrosion that I will cover in future posts but keep this one in mind the next time you encounter it.

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Hopefully your only addiction is to love.

When things go wrong, supplies of common items get interrupted.  Look at what happened during Super Storm Sandy or the recent snow storms that impacted most of the Lower 48 states.  Bad weather means trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes can’t operate normally and deliver the goods we normally buy.  The result is stores run out of everything within a few days and even after conditions return to normal, it can take a week or more before inventory levels return to normal.

This happens from time to time though and can be planned for, however supply interruptions can be a big deal if you can’t feed your addictions.  If you are physically or psychologically dependent upon certain things (ex. smoking, drinking, chewing tobacco, recreational drugs, hard drugs, caffeine, chocolate, junk food, gambling, porn), an interruption in supply can become painful within hours.  This can seriously compromise your ability to handle a stressful situation.

So what do you do?

The solution is to free yourself from your addictions, after all its a matter of survival.  A healthy body and a sharp mind are the two most critical tools you have to overcome challenges.  If you have addictions, ask yourself this question…what would happen if you had to suddenly go without your “fix” for a day, a week, a month?  How would you handle yourself and cope with a stressful situation without being able to feed your habit?  Being dependent on something puts you in a vulnerable position, both physically and financially when your supply is interrupted.  You could try and stock up to get you through, or you could decide to get healthy and not be a prisoner to your addictions anymore.

My suggestion is if you have an addiction, get help from a medical professional.  Breaking bad habits is difficult, both physically and mentally, so you will need help to help you overcome.  You will also need a support network to get you through the difficult times, there are organizations and resources for all manner of addictions so consult with a medical professional to determine which one(s) may be appropriate for your situation.

The main goal is to get help and free yourself.  This will allow you to sharpen your body and mind so you can be prepared for adversity.  It will also enable you to live a longer, healthier, more full life.

Get healthy, get clean, get ready.