Are you really prepared?

[QuietH3art]

I just read this article and it is an excellent focus on reality. After you read it, share with how you are really prepared.

http://graywolfsurvival.com/3660/really-prepared/

I am really prepared by my focus on eating healthier and now by adding daily exercise to my regimen - now that the rain has finally stopped, my son's dog and I will begin going for brisk daily walks. I didn't want to start in the rain but will walk rain or shine from now on. I am also going to be doing as much of the work around my tiny urban farm manually rather than using power tools from now on.

 

[jimLE]

i could of told you NO im not really prepared for what i need to be,before reading that article..now i have a better idea to how much..thanks for the post..

 

[jontte]

QH, thanks for the post...everyday things there...ok,I smoke but don't drink..everything manual labor at my garden, even watering, don't use a hose...take my bike there, not by car or bus..exercise..still I'm not prepared in the way I wan't to...perhaps someday I will,othervise I'll adapt..have to.. 'cause I'm not that prepared I wan't to be

 

[Gazrok]

My fire alarms are old-school wired into the house grid, with battery backups. My wife is a bit paranoid about fire, and we'll actually be adding more with the kids now moved in. We also have CO2 alarms. We regularly check their batteries and the levels in fire extinguishers (one in the kitchen, one by the AC units/electric panel, one in each stable, and one in the garage). I also have a fire extinguisher in each truck.

Both the wife and I are First Aid trained and good swimmers (I used to even be USCG lifeguard certified). We keep regular first aid supplies which include some hospital stuff and vet stuff, in all four bathrooms (and each of the stables). Seems like a lot, but the shorter distance you can make it, the better, right?

Health-wise though, we're getting older, so working on it. I have high blood pressure, but trying to keep it in check with meds and change in diet and exercise. As it is though, I leave the house at 7am, and get home at 7pm, so doesn't exactly give me time during the week. On the weekend though, I work around the ranch and exercise that way.

I feel pretty prepared for most short-term things. Just the long term actual grid being down that I'm working towards, and that is going to take a few years, most due to money involved, and some due to time involved. Not just SHTF though, but really just trying to be a bit more self-reliant in general. A garden and eggs from chickens can lower the grocery bill some. Same with grown herbs vs. bought spices. Fruit from trees instead of the store can help too.

 

[Warriorhealer22]

Of course, being prepared is a state of mind- so prepare your mind. keeping your body in healthy physical condition this will help in lean times. I've never been the super in shape type but always seemed to be healthier than most. My friend and I used to joke on deployments that our extra weight was our POW stash! Of course since they executed prisoners, our strategy wouldn't work! I think what that link really hits on is to be prepared for the emergencies that actually do happen on an everyday basis. Make sure the tools you do have actually work, and know how to use them.

 

[QuietH3art]

I test my smoke alarms pretty regularly. It doesn't take much. Just something spilled on the stove
But I don't have a fire extinguisher, so that now goes to the top of the priority list.
I just spent the afternoon watching a dear friend replace a brake line on my truck. I headed out to go to the college to take care of some paperwork and realized very quickly that my brakes weren't working. Thank goodness it was just a $12.00 line and I could have fixed it myself if I had had to but I am grateful for my friends who do these things for me. My truck is old and little things are going on it a little bit at a time. But I live with a constant concern that I will be without a vehicle very soon and no way to replace it. On the other hand, I'm building up my stamina and a shopping center is only a 1/2 mile bicycle ride or walk away. In a couple of weeks, I may add the bike ride or walk there to my weekly exercise plan.
I could conceivably stay home for months at a time and have everything I need right here. Except for going back to school. It's too far away to walk. In time, I could probably ride my bike there. I better add a bike chain and lock to my list of things I need to get.

 

[Maverick]

I gone down yesterday and got my tetanus and pneumonia (Pneumococcal) shots, don't forget about vaccination! tetanus is very important to stay upon especially working in and around live stock and gardens, if your around a lot of smoke (indoor/outdoor fires, smoke houses [meat]) and you are above 45yrs of age get the pneumonia shot so make sure you are up on your vaccinations and I might add shingles vaccination is another one! in a post SHTF these shots may save your life.

 

[QuietH3art]

I gone down yesterday and got my tetanus and pneumonia (Pneumococcal) shots, don't forget about vaccination! tetanus is very important to stay upon especially working in and around live stock and gardens, if your around a lot of smoke (indoor/outdoor fires, smoke houses [meat]) and you are above 45yrs of age get the pneumonia shot so make sure you are up on your vaccinations and I might add shingles vaccination is another one! in a post SHTF these shots may save your life.

Maverick, I had the pheumococcal shot 3 years ago. Prior to that, I got pneumonia or bronchitis at least once a year requiring hospitalization. I have not gotten that sick since having the shot. I had the tetanus shot at the same time.
They said I was too young for the shingles vaccine and refused to give me that one.

 

[jimLE]

i haven't gotton any of them shots since i dont know when.and yes i know im taking my chances when it comes to that..but yet,to many folks get sick after the shots..and what they get sick with.is what the shots are for to begin with...

 

[QuietH3art]

i haven't gotton any of them shots since i dont know when.and yes i know im taking my chances when it comes to that..but yet,to many folks get sick after the shots..and what they get sick with.is what the shots are for to begin with...

I did not get sick after getting the tetanus or pneumococcal shots and I have a very compromised immune system. You should try to get those if no others, Jim. I've heard nothing but good things about the pneumococcal and the tetanus shot has been around for decades and has never been a problem. I'm wary of the flu shots because I've heard too many negatives and I don't get those.

 

[Maverick]

i haven't gotton any of them shots since i dont know when.and yes i know im taking my chances when it comes to that..but yet,to many folks get sick after the shots..and what they get sick with.is what the shots are for to begin with...

the tetanus and pneumonia shots are not the same as the flu shots, I known several people that got the flu shot and got sick, reason I never had the flu shot, I do encourage tetanus and pneumonia vaccinations though

 

[Silent Bob]

i haven't gotton any of them shots since i dont know when.and yes i know im taking my chances when it comes to that..but yet,to many folks get sick after the shots..and what they get sick with.is what the shots are for to begin with...

I've attached the CDC recommendation for vaccinations here for you Jim and those who are not sure what is recommended. Also from my point of view, here is the ones I would recommend to any prepper.

Influenza (yes the notorious flu shot, if you don't want the shot, their is a nasal one, but it is aged limited to ages 2-49, sorry Jim). I get it yearly and experience no side affects, short of some localized muscle soreness at the injection site.

Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis...a great shot, Tetanus is waterborne so a great one for any prepper.

Varicella, if you've had chicken pox, then opt for the Zoster, this will help lessen the severity of sign/symptoms of shingles. I have mine, since I had chickenpox as a kid. No shingles experienced to date.

You should have had a Measles, Mumps and Rubella shot as a kid, its a standard school vaccination requirement, no shots are required if you completed it. I had the Measles, Mumps and German Measles as a kid and still completed the series in the military. Ran a titer on me and I could pretty much be exposed to it full blown because my titer was so high.

Pneumococcal highly recommended for all of us age 40 and up.

Meningococcal Vaccine, a 2 series shot, this is highly recommended for preppers because of the probability of overcrowded conditions, if one comes down with Meningitis, because it is bacteria, it is very highly likely you will be exposed. Ages 16-21 in college dorms, its highly recommended. The vaccine is good for 5 years, revaccination is recommended. You will need to convince your health care provider to give you one or just tell them your traveling outside the U.S., its recommended.

Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B series vaccination, highly recommend the Hepatitis A, since it can be transferred via food and water. Hepatitis B is blood borne, so as a prepper, you might be faced with blood borne exposure, so another injectable recommended for preparedness.

HiB shot or Haemophilus influenza shot, another one that is recommended for children and should be considered by a prepper.

Lastly, I recommend that preppers get the Human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), especially those who come in contact with wild game. I recommend this to most active hunters and wildlife enthusiast. Also those who work farms that are prone to come in contact with skunks, raccoons, etc. The challenge will be is to convince your likelihood of exposure and their are some allergic reactions/muscle tightness at the injection site. I've included the CDC handout on the subject for your information.

Hope this helps.

 

[QuietH3art]

I've attached the CDC recommendation for vaccinations here for you Jim and those who are not sure what is recommended. Also from my point of view, here is the ones I would recommend to any prepper. I've included the CDC handout on the subject for your information.

Hope this helps.

Bob, I appreciate where your heart is in all these recommendations, but I really don't think most of us trust the CDC. They are, after all, just another government organization, and I personally have seen many cases where they have been wrong, hidden information, made mistakes and made recommendations for vaccines that were later found to cause severe problems.

So how do we know which vaccines are really safe? Go with the tried and true - the vaccines that have been around many years without research proving a high rate of adverse side effect.
I took my chances with the pneumococcal, since it was new, and I got lucky.
But I have heard of too many people who have suffered life-altering side effects from the flu vaccine; not just sore muscles and a sniffle, but severe disfiguring defects.

Perhaps if there were recommendations from an organization other than something owned by our government, we'd be more inclined to take our chances on some of the other vaccines.

 

[jimLE]

Last shot i had,was back in 1998.even then.thats because i was sick with something bad enough for a shot..,it had been i dont know how many years its since had any type of shot(s) of any kind..i guess that a good amune system.on account i rarely get sick.

 

[Silent Bob]

Bob, I appreciate where your heart is in all these recommendations, but I really don't think most of us trust the CDC. They are, after all, just another government organization, and I personally have seen many cases where they have been wrong, hidden information, made mistakes and made recommendations for vaccines that were later found to cause severe problems.

So how do we know which vaccines are really safe? Go with the tried and true - the vaccines that have been around many years without research proving a high rate of adverse side effect.
I took my chances with the pneumococcal, since it was new, and I got lucky.
But I have heard of too many people who have suffered life-altering side effects from the flu vaccine; not just sore muscles and a sniffle, but severe disfiguring defects.

Perhaps if there were recommendations from an organization other than something owned by our government, we'd be more inclined to take our chances on some of the other vaccines.

QH, Again its a choice issue.

 

[Maverick]

Last shot i had,was back in 1998.even then.thats because i was sick with something bad enough for a shot..,it had been i dont know how many years its since had any type of shot(s) of any kind..i guess that a good amune system.on account i rarely get sick.

I don't get sick either, over a year ago, I was on a trail and got hit with a bronchitis attack, the emergency room doctor said I was hours away from getting walking pneumonia, it was blamed on the smoke house I use for smoking my meat and being around the fireplace smoke indoors and my pit fires, I never had problems like that and totally caught me off guard, the doctor recently told me because of my age getting pneumonia would very likely put me in ICU, as she said, the pneumonia shot won't prevent from getting sick it would keep it from getting bad enough to put me in ICU, I since stayed away from the smoke house and installed a insert in the fireplace to help limit my exposure to smoke in enclosed areas. The bronchitis attack was a wake up call, I only had one and that was enough.

 

[QuietH3art]

Every time we get into a discussion here at DPF, I see something relevant to it in my Newsfeed on Facebook. This is very interesting reading. There is a 2 hour video also, but the highlights of the video are written below that if you don't have 2 hours.

http://gnowfglins.com/2013/02/08/4-...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[Silent Bob]

I don't get sick either, over a year ago, I was on a trail and got hit with a bronchitis attack, the emergency room doctor said I was hours away from getting walking pneumonia, it was blamed on the smoke house I use for smoking my meat and being around the fireplace smoke indoors and my pit fires, I never had problems like that and totally caught me off guard, the doctor recently told me because of my age getting pneumonia would very likely put me in ICU, as she said, the pneumonia shot won't prevent from getting sick it would keep it from getting bad enough to put me in ICU, I since stayed away from the smoke house and installed a insert in the fireplace to help limit my exposure to smoke in enclosed areas. The bronchitis attack was a wake up call, I only had one and that was enough.

Hopefully you have a nebulizer or rescue inhaler that can open up your clogged breathing. My daughter has one in her BOB, one in her college room, one here.

 

[Maverick]

Hopefully you have a nebulizer or rescue inhaler that can open up your clogged breathing. My daughter has one in her BOB, one in her college room, one here.

My wife made (MADE) me get one for the just in case.. ya I have one (by force) as I tell her 'elder abuse' she not even old enough to know what old is and she starting to sound like an o'l nagging lady (sorry my rant)

 

[Maverick]

Every time we get into a discussion here at DPF, I see something relevant to it in my Newsfeed on Facebook. This is very interesting reading. There is a 2 hour video also, but the highlights of the video are written below that if you don't have 2 hours.

http://gnowfglins.com/2013/02/08/4-...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

We humans are living longer because of vaccinations, it makes the argument mute when I see web sites proclaim vaccinations are poisoning our children and causing issues further down the road granted, there has been problems but keep in mind, the population has expanded on a grand scale and people are living longer so yes, we are going to see issues in an aging group that we never seen 100yrs ago perhaps it's because the life expectancy wasn't as high 100yrs ago Example; in 1900 M 46.3 F 48.3 - 1998 M 73.8 F 79.5 thanks in no small part to vaccinations

 

[QuietH3art]

We humans are living longer because of vaccinations, it makes the argument mute when I see web sites proclaim vaccinations are poisoning our children and causing issues further down the road granted, there has been problems but keep in mind, the population has expanded on a grand scale and people are living longer so yes, we are going to see issues in an aging group that we never seen 100yrs ago perhaps it's because the life expectancy wasn't as high 100yrs ago Example; in 1900 M 46.3 F 48.3 - 1998 M 73.8 F 79.5 thanks in no small part to vaccinations

Our medical technology has certainly advanced to keep people alive longer. There are a lot of advances that contribute to that, not least of which is transportation. Interestingly, we've also made many "advances" that are more likely to make us sick or kill us, too.
I think what bothered me the most about that article is that it never occurred to me what medium they were using to create those vaccines. The idea that I've been injected with fetal or animal tissue really makes me want to throw up.
I also was interested in the difference between a vaccination and an immunization.

 

[jimLE]

i havent had a shot of any kind since the late 1970's or very early 1980's..only shot i've had since,is one for a bad cold or something i had at time..even then.and if i remember right..it was a antibiotic shot of some kind.

 

[Maverick]

Our medical technology has certainly advanced to keep people alive longer. There are a lot of advances that contribute to that, not least of which is transportation. Interestingly, we've also made many "advances" that are more likely to make us sick or kill us, too.
I think what bothered me the most about that article is that it never occurred to me what medium they were using to create those vaccines. The idea that I've been injected with fetal or animal tissue really makes me want to throw up.
I also was interested in the difference between a vaccination and an immunization.

though transportation have help the spread of diseases too and it is because of transportation that's carrying ebola We must take the bad with the good unfortunately... that's why a Doctor is *practicing medicine* on a side note;

In 1952 polio paralyzed more than 21,000 people in 2002, there were no cases of polio in the United States, in the early 40s there was an average of 175,000 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) per year, resulting in the deaths of 8,000 children annually in 2002, 9,771 cases were reported, in the 20s there were 200,000 cases of diphtheria each year and 13,000 people died from the disease in 2002, there was only one case of diphtheria in the United States