Cheap and easy ways to prepare for long periods of martial law or civil war without power or water. (theawakening)

submitted ago by ObamasPinkSock

Are you and your family prepared for a lengthy period of martial law or a civil war without power or water?

During such times, the difference between a helpless family and one that thrives can be a matter of $100, a bit more if you don't already own a gun.

  • Buy a gun and learn how to use it. If you can't afford a gun, buy an aluminum baseball bat.

  • Have an agreed meeting place for your loved ones if the power and mobile phone network fails.

  • Do you have an emergency first aid survival kit? You can make one for about $28 if you buy all of this stuff separately and it will be far superior than most $300 kits!

  • Bottled water lasts forever and large water containers can be filled from the river or rainwater. Treat river and rainwater with pure iodine - just enough so you can start to taste it and leave it to work for an hour. Add food coloring to your iodine so you can easily see what water has already been treated. Iodine is far superior to chlorine water purification tablets.

  • Do you have plenty of long-life rations? You don't need fancy stuff, just food with very long expiry dates that you'll use anyway is perfect. These non-perishable foods will last forever... just make sure you have a non-powered can opener!

  • Do you have plenty of extra blankets to keep warm on cold nights if the power is out? Camping sleeping bags are great when it's cold!

  • Are you stocked-up on meds that you or your family depend on, such as diabetic medication or heart pills? If not, get extra - you'll use it so the peace of mind won't cost you a cent. If anyone frowns at you, tell your doctor you lost the last script and tell your chemist that you are stocking up for a 3 month vacation in India;

  • Do you have candles, matches, stove-lighters and a couple of $5 LED hand-crank torches? I have a few hundred little tealights because one of those costs about 20 cents and can provide eight hours of light - which is much nicer than sitting in the dark with your family. Put 'em in a glass cup for safety.

  • Do you have a full BBQ gas tank and a cooker to fit it?

  • Hand-crank or solar USB chargers or even a hand-crank or solar radio will allow you to listen to President Trump's emergency broadcasts if the power is out. Use ear-buds to extend the length of the battery charge and note that not all emergency radios come with headphone jacks. Be warned that "cheap" USB chargers likely won't work with the newer smartphones because even though they provide 5 volt, the newer smartphones require a full ampere of charge which the cheaper solar and hand-crank USB chargers do not provide.

These are just some of the bare basics that will help you to survive.

Just for fun, I bought some low-powered iPhone speakers and filled my old iPod with 2,000 hours of Penguin classic, award winning short stories, Doctor Who and classic horror audio books and all of Art Bell's paranormal, cryptid, UFO and conspiracy theory radio shows because my kids love sci-fi and creepy stuff. I can host at least one hour of before bedtime candle-lit, creepy radio shows each evening for about 5 years or until by iPod batteries stop charging. :-)

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0fsgivin ago

Clothes from Duluth trading, good boots, and socks are very important. Walmart clothes won't last long doing anything survival related. Neither will tennis shoes or cheap boots. Wool socks can get wet and still keep your feet warm also will last far longer.

Clothing and shoes are often over looked. You won't last long naked or shoe less or with blisters.

0fsgivin ago

That baseball bat will deform over time...and isn't as good of a weapon as you think. Long handled hammer is both a more effective weapon and useful for other things than defense.

Farmerberry ago

If you want a survival weapon few items will be better than a nice sharp panga ( machete ) or a spade that has sharpened edges. the latter has the advantage that police will not notice it during an emergency.

0fsgivin ago

You are right machete is a great all around survival tool. Especially if its got a nice flat bottom to the handle can double as a fairly decent hammer in a pinch.

ObamasPinkSock ago

You make a very good point. I've updated the post to include your fantastic suggestion.

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Mah_Selectah ago

Solid post.

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Interim ago

Pack a small paper backed Bible, RSV or even Good News. There is nothing that revives the Spirit as the Word of God in scarey times...gives memorizing back to fill our thoughts.

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ArtistiqueJewelry ago

This is outstanding! Thank you!
If I do a report or article, may I reference this and read it?

Super job!

ObamasPinkSock ago

Please use / quote / steal whatever you like. My intention is only to help people.

ArtistiqueJewelry ago

Thank you! People will appreciate useful information like this!

Excellent job!

Incty ago

That tip about extra meds won’t work since doctors and pharmacies won’t allow you to accumulate meds. Just fyi.

ObamasPinkSock ago

It worked for me: Humalog 50.

In my experience, very few doctors are willing to deny their patients life-saving medication.

exordian ago

You can buy a "water bob" for $20 bucks online. It goes in the bathtub and holds 100 gallons of water, keeps it clean, and has a nice dispenser. You can also buy a bucket of food at Costco for $100. It provides 30 days worth of dehydrated meals for a family of 4, and has a 20 year shelf life. =) A couple of giant jugs of peanut butter is also really affordable. Also, bleach is essential for cleaning... at 10 parts per million of water a gallon goes a long, long way.

Before the '16 election, for less than $400, (i already had ammo) I literally got everything we would need for 2 months of staying put at home, and put it all in 2 big plastic tubs, in case we needed to hit the road fast. My mom said I was crazy, and I told her I'd rather have it and never need it...

ArtistiqueJewelry ago

Nothing wrong with planning!

Better to be prepared than caught without!

Great ideas, thank you!

USAyyye ago

Also, for guns the cheapest good home defense option is probably the Hi Point 995. For handguns, the Canik TP9 variants and Walther Creed are great for those on a budget. If not on a tight budget, the Glock 19 all the way due to aftermarket options. Remember that handguns can be concealed if you're on foot (law be damned if it's an emergency) unlike a long gun. For long guns, cheapest 'best' is the Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport 2. If you have the cash, a Colt 6920 is a combat-grade alternative as would be anything from BCM like their recce rifles or complete uppers matched to a complete lower from say Aero Precision. Just FYI.

ObamasPinkSock ago

This is FANTASTIC advice.

Please create a new post for this info!

I tried to summarize it, but my claims lacked authenticity because I'm lack your knowledge.

I suspect you'd create many new gun owners with a little more detail about price and performance of each of the five guns you mentioned.

This is GOLD - please, please, please share more with us in a new post!

God bless you.

USAyyye ago

Thanks for the suggestion. I created a new post here: Firearm buying guide for home defense and tactical prepping

ObamasPinkSock ago

That is AWESOME!

I've updated my prepper's advice and linked to your fantastic post.

Thank you so much for doing this.

USAyyye ago

Thanks for the link! Take care.

ObamasPinkSock ago

Have you considered x-posting your firearm guide to /v/QRV?

USAyyye ago

Good job. To power phones, one can also buy portable battery banks (10,000+ mAh capacity is ideal) and optionally a 12V car USB adapter rated for 1A or greater output. That combo is pretty powerful and convenient. Solar's great but it's nice having a pre-charged battery bank ready to charge your phone 5x over.

Free5peech ago

Expect protests tomorrow Patriots. It's all over the media and Twitter.
I think it would be smart to avoid crowds especially in liberal cities.

JeepersGypsy ago

It is wonderful that you shared this information! I was raised by an Amish Grandmother, so I have always known how to live simply and prep. I got my family into doing more about eight years ago, and we have all continued and probably always will. The one thing I will tell everyone here is; you absolutely do not need electricity at all. It may be difficult at first if it goes out, but you will find it isn't needed. You will also become much closer as a family without it. You'll find a lot of awesome fun things to do, it will surprise you. We have a library of books and games to play, and we find when the power is out we have the most fun making our own games and telling stories. Properly preserved foods are key, I've canned and dried and smoked my own, but buying canned food items from Aldi or any cheaper store is fine. Also, canned food items last a lot longer than the use by date on the can, so if it isn't discolored or stinky it's usually safe to eat. Everyone should be just fine, just don't panic and follow the curfews, and have a way to defend yourself from those who may wish to take what is yours. God Bless ♡.

ArtistiqueJewelry ago

Thank you!

I usually stock up from aldi's. my mom and grandma canned, but I work so much I never had time.

Super ideas. Thanks so much!

ObamasPinkSock ago

Ha - thanks for sharing that.

My wife and I have been sneakily trying to get our two children used to a routine without power by having a once-a-month one-hour session before bedtime of an almost pitch-black candle-lit audio-book short story evening... the heater is turned down very low and the kids get blankets and we have a discussion interlude half way through so they can have a "distraction break" and a cup of hot chocolate and a brief family discussion about the themes and historical significance of the story.

I've been trying to pick the best-of-the-best short stories and they've been enthusiastic thus-far... largely because of the novelty of it and they like the candles.

We've enjoyed a compilation of the best ghost short stories from Coast to Coast AM that I could find and edit together on the night before Halloween and we listened to a fun Doctor Who audio book called "The Davros Mission" and a radio interview about paranormal and cryptid monsters of London in the 1800-1900's (the stories of Spring-Heeled Jack were their favorites). I'll try to find another sci-fi for them for the end of this month :-).

Farmerberry ago

All these ideas are good, but remember that a retired mountaineer is one who has spent his entire life collecting light weight equipment and cannot carry it any more. Have a back pack light enough to be able to run a short distance with it.

edit: Remember the small camera so you can bore your Grandchildren with your bravery!

ArtistiqueJewelry ago

Love it!

So true, we keep lightly packed bags in case we have to be on the run without transportation.

Got to be prepared for any scenario.

LakotaPride ago

Great Post, Patriot and thank you for posting this, while I think this will go down fast for the scumbags, it is best to be prepared as it could be longer then expected also. with martial law being in the Q drop, how many will still show up. but better to have and not need then to need and not have.

AAngel ago

Beautiful. What a lovely and thoughtful post. Thank you.

patriothenry69 ago

Good info Patriot!!

We_the-People ago

How do you do this if your wife is a hard liberal? If I start collecting stuff she will be like WTF!!

USAyyye ago

Tell her it's to prepare for winter storms or whatever natural disasters may affect your area.

Odius1 ago

Does she trust you to fullest extent? Then do not worry.

Adam_Jensen_ ago

Add in some toiletries, nothing feels better than being clean and showered.

Good info.

ObamasPinkSock ago

Agreed, but I tried to keep everything really basic and focus on stuff that will save your life - tried to keep the list as basic and cheap as possible so as not to scare away the normies.

No self respecting father would make the medical kit that I proposed without including aspirin and child cold medicine and calamine lotion or hydrocortisone ointment to alleviate insect bites and aloe aloe vera lotion for sunburn.

Calculations ago

Coast 2 coast

ObamasPinkSock ago

Yep! You can still torrent download Art Bell's entire Coast to Coast AM back catalogue including the episodes from his other two more recent shows.

Some people may think listening to classic audio books / short stories and interesting podcasts like C2C sounds boring, but those who've spent time in a hospital will understand how mind-blowing such adventures in sound can be when you're bored. A good audio book can be so much better than watching a movie because people use their imaginations. Also because Art Bell is made from pure awesome. :-)

AbjectDynamite ago

This is really cool. Love the idea about the old iPod. What kind of iPhone speakers are you using?

ObamasPinkSock ago

I bought some cheap $20 usb mini speakers about five years ago to get some base and a little more volume from my iPod.

I checked ebay but they don't seem to sell my exact brand anymore but they are similar in price, size and quality to the larger one in this review: https://youtu.be/Tp_A1n7hsqg

I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful but I think the $20-$30 mini speakers tend to be good value and they don't drain the battery too badly, but you'll need to watch some YouTube product reviews to see which available brands are good.

Podingo7 ago

Thanks for list.....Solar powered sidewalk lights work great too ($2-4 @ Walmart or dollar genera)l..take them off ground spikes a put them in window sills during day and they last long time. .saves $ on batteries and less chance of fires than candles. .

ArtistiqueJewelry ago

Smart! Thank you!

ObamasPinkSock ago

Some preppers buy cheap solar powered Christmas lights that they leave outside during the day and bring in to light their rooms in the evening.

I've got two solar cookers which are fantastic too, providing you plan ahead a little to ensure they have time to work.

VigilantTruthSeeker2 ago

This is great. Thanks for the info!

ObamasPinkSock ago

Thanks.

There's plenty of other things people can do, but I wanted to keep this cheap and easy rather than scaring people away.

VigilantTruthSeeker2 ago

You're welcome. Yes, simple and cheap is good for a start. I had bought the book "The Lost Ways" a while back that provides some really good information too.