By Kellene Bishop

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you have figured out by now that I’m not one of the gloom and doomers. In fact, I try diligently to simply take a situation, examine it, and try to determine how I can best avoid an undesirable consequence and vulnerability to it simply by being better prepared. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times, “preparedness is about peace, not panic.”

I still stand by that belief and I’d like you to remember that as I direct you towards an interesting article I read today.  True to the typical brainless “preppers” hype  the article was posted on someone else’s “emergency preparedness” site as an incentive for everyone to dig nuclear bomb shelters or create full-sized Faraday cages “asap”. But when I read the article I felt that it simply gave us a nice, gentle reminder that we are indeed vulnerable to a loss of the electrical or computerized power which keeps our nation civilized.  On April 20, 2010, the Sacramento Press reported that the CIA Director conveyed the reality of our vulnerability to international hacker terrorists and admitted that it’s a full-time job preventing them from collapsing our nation financially, physically, and throwing our society back to the early 1900’s.  (See full article here: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/25185/CIA_Director_tells_CaptoCap_delegates_Cyber_attack_could_be_next_Pearl_Harbor)

For those of you who have not participated in my “Lights Out, Now What?” webinar, I want to remind everyone that there’s a speedy and unavoidable domino effect when and if our financial or electrical system is interrupted.  Because our financial doings are so heavily reliant on all of our modes of communication—to the point that even a mere hour without electricity can cost our economy billions of dollars—if our communication lines are downed for more than 72 hours nationally, it would cause a financial collapse. If a financial collapse occurs, then a national blackout is a natural consequence which will follow quickly on the heels of such a disaster.  If a significant power outage occurs in just one regional grid in the U.S. then that will also cause a financial collapse. A cluster of hard copy research which I read last year suggested the due to the present regional power grids not being strong enough to carry their respective areas on their own, rather are intended to carry the weight as a nationally collective whole, then if our entire nation were to go black at the same time, the task of bringing everything back online is estimated to take a mere 36 months. Apparently no single grid on its own can handle the weight of supporting the surrounding grids long enough to power up the next ones.  (Remember the blackouts that occurred throughout the Western States a couple of years ago simply because a part of the California grid wasn’t functioning well?) With over 250,000 trucking companies in the U.S. and the fact that our economic system relies heavily on such systems, then it is also intimated that if our fuel costs were to exceed $4.00 a gallon, at least 17 % of the trucking companies would have to shut down. Very few transportation companies have the capital to take such a cost increase in a “must have” category of running their businesses.  (Apparently even the trucking companies run their business with a thin margin of profit just like our very own households have done for decades.) Keep in mind that the airlines just got hit with billions of dollars of losses from the recent “volcano black out”—this after they had already opted for the cannibalization pricing practice of taxing their customers for essentials such as luggage, in-flight entertainment, 1 ounce of padding known as a pillow, and 2 ounces of mysteriously colored air known as a blanket. Imagine what even a short-term power outage could do to that industry, especially if it is coupled with a sharp increase in fuel costs.

 So, once again, don’t panic.  Instead, calmly determine how you are able to insulate yourself now from as little vulnerability as possible.  How can you make yourself more independent when it comes to providing environmental control, security, cooking, heat, light, medical aid, and necessary commerce transactions in your life? To answer that, look at what has been done in past history when the luxury of electricity and the internet was not so abundant. Look at what some third world and even European countries do today in order to mitigate the high cost of fuel and sporadic accessibility to power.  Solar power, alternative fuels, butane stoves, pressure cookers, kerosene lanterns. These items aren’t “emergency preparedness” tools for many areas of the world. These are tools of wisdom used in everyday living for real people like you and me. So, take a moment to review the posted article. Ask yourself how you may be vulnerable to the “what ifs” and then determine what you can do today with the control and freedom that you now have to alter those vulnerabilities into strengths of independence.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

by Kellene Bishop

What? The Preparedness Pro is wrong? photo c/o www.smh.com.

“Oh my. What was she wrong about?  Was it how she preserves eggs with mineral oil and without refrigeration?  Was it how she dares to store water on the concrete in her basement? Ooh. Maybe it’s that she uses Diatomaceous Earth in her whole grains.”  Nope. I’m 100% confident that I’m correct in all of those teachings.  However, I have been wrong about a critical aspect of preparedness in the past, and I’d like to correct it today.

I’ve been teaching preparedness classes for a little over 10 years. But I’ve been teaching it WRONG for most of that time. As I look back on what I used to teach and compare it to what I know now, I cringe at the dramatic difference.  I wish I had known this one important lesson back when I first started teaching so that I could have taught it properly all this time.  Instead, I too have had to learn the lesson over time. But doing so has made my world of preparedness much more realistic, applicable, simple, and peaceful. And so today I hope that I can effectively share with you this one lesson as well, in hopes that you too can have the same results.

I’m convinced we would all do significantly better in our preparedness results if we stopped looking at is a “emergency” preparedness and instead looked at it as having greater independence and freedom everyday. We would also do more to help others embrace any level of preparedness if we stopped referring to our preparedness efforts as “emergency preparedness.”

Panic and fear could be replaced by peace due to preparation photo c/o healthcare.zdnet.com

Reason #1:

Preparing for an “emergency” is simply too far-fetched for most people to comprehend. There’s a reason for that. It’s the natural defense systems that our brain automatically provides us.  The first stage of the mental process in the midst of a disaster is “denial.” That’s why so many persons stayed put in the WTC towers on 9/11—some did so even though they had already endured the bombing attack in 1993! Their brain simply refused to admit that a terrorist attack could happen twice!  What I’m saying is that you will always encounter a rational person’s brain denying the possibility that a “disaster” could even occur.  And unless you get them to embrace the possibility for a disaster, then they will NEVER embrace any actions designed to prepare against an “emergency.”  It’s not the delivery mechanism of the information that hinders preparedness efforts. It’s the brain’s natural responses.

Reason #2:

Preparing for an “emergency” is pre-planned panic. Everyone knows that where there’s an emergency, there’s great suffering, stress, and devastation. Who in their right mind wants to plan on encountering that? If you personally do not suffer in this manner, you still will be a witness to other’s suffering. Such a sight will then cause stress and panic in even the most well prepared person.  Trying to talk your mind into pre-planning for a disaster is simply not realistic.  Yes, there are a great number of folks who are better mentally prepared for a disaster than others. But I assure you; they did not open up some overhyped emergency preparedness catalog in the mail and simply decide to be prepared for World War III. Disaster preparedness is a compartmentalized part of preparedness.  It comes with mental conditioning one step at a time.  You are no more likely to be prepared for a disaster overnight than you are able to go from 100 pounds overweight to having a six-pack of abs the next day. 

Reason #3:

Mental Preparedness is imperative in handling emergency situations photo c/o www.katrinahelp.com

Preparedness occurs one day at a time. We have to learn to be prepared for TODAY before we can hope to be prepared for something more serious.  The good news is that being prepared to encounter the changes and challenges that come into your life daily is EXACTLY what you need to be prepared for the potential catastrophic events. Anything less than this would be in violation of natural and eternal laws.  We simply cannot violate them. Trying to do so will only manifest ignorance and stupidity in the midst of a true disaster. Its people who don’t understand this natural process who grow up to be an EMT and tell someone that “an EMP is not life threatening.” In my opinion, this is why FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security are so messed up and ineffective. These entities are run by people who have absolutely NO idea or belief in being prepared on an everyday basis, and yet they are attempting to prevent suffering on a catastrophic level.  Now that’s what I call a disaster and I believe it’s EXACTLY why these entities have been inept in aiding victims of disaster time and time again. Hurricane Katrina is a perfect example. It wasn’t’ FEMA that helped people or government officials.  In fact, New Orleans Mayor Nagin delayed issuing evacuation orders sooner because he was too busy checking on the legal liability that such orders would expose him to. His brain wasn’t trained to handle disasters. His brain was only prepared to administer and manage.  Instead, it was the better mentally prepared individuals, The National Guard, who began rescuing hundreds of people from Hurricane Katrina before a single order was given to them. Kind of an obvious contrast, eh? Their minds are actually trained to think in terms of disasters and catastrophes. No one had to tell them what to do. They knew what to do thanks to years of everyday mental preparation.

You simply cannot prepare for a disaster without having the foundation for daily preparedness. While some of us may quickly progress mentally from one aspect to the other, in order for us to be sane, effective, and credible in our large scale preparedness efforts, we must be successful in our everyday ones. What we are and who we are everyday will only be magnified under the fire of a serious disaster. If we fall apart mentally because we get caught in traffic on our way to an important job interview, we will be even more useless to those around us in the midst of a serious, life or death event. We won’t be able to fool anyone as to our “hoped-for strengths.” They will crumble in light of the Refiner’s Fire. We will not be able to suddenly overcome our weaknesses or infirmities simply because our heart intends to help others.  Our intentions will only be a mask to our true mental fortitude, and an unconvincing one at that.  All of our weaknesses—spiritual, mental, temporal– will be blatantly obvious when held up to the demands of a large-scale crisis.

Reason #4:

Preparedness Pantry

Preparedness simply isn’t about disaster management at its heart. It’s about independence, self-reliance, and freedom–everyday. That’s how we have to learn it, and that’s how it should be taught.  This is why I hate the phrase “food storage” for example. The term food storage is attached to the days of the Depression disaster, the days of famine during Joseph’s reign in Egypt, and other unpleasant thoughts. Whereas a pantry which can sustain myself and my loved ones for several decades—that’s not about doom and gloom. It’s about peace of mind knowing that I control my grocery bill, not Wall Street or any Administration. It’s about convenience. It’s about comfort. This is how all of our daily preparedness efforts should be perceived. It’s healthy. It’s realistic. It’s TRUTH.  Our brain is much more accepting of truth than it is of disasters. I firmly believe that there are no victims in life. There are only volunteers. The day I’m inconvenienced in my pursuit of freedom, peace, and self-reliance is the day in which I choose to be a victim, at the mercy of whatever life throws at me, bowing in submission and futility. I don’t know about you, but futility, submission, victim…none of those words describe me very accurately. If we choose to ignore the countless cases in support of independence from vulnerabilities in our food, nutrition, quality of life, water, medical care, our finances, and so much else, then we choose to be victims.  On the other hand, we are completely free now, every day, to counteract those vulnerabilities and stand independent and free from the manipulations of nature and mankind which are rampant around us. Acting on those freedoms now will ensure that we are fully prepared for more serious events in the future. And that, my friends, is what preparedness is really about.

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Copyright 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to www.PreparednessPro.com & Kellene Bishop

by Kellene Bishop

The fact of the matter is, no law enforcement, government, or rescuer group can prepare a community. It all starts with you—the true first responders.

Just in the last 5 years alone, nearly a billion dollars has been spent throughout our nation upgrading and retrofitting buildings and structures so that previous disasters are not repeated.  And yet not a single dime is being spent on preparing the people in order to avoid defeating responses to disasters.

Case in point: Many of you may not know, or may have forgotten that the World Trade Center was attacked in 1993. All kinds of studies were done afterwards as to how to make the buildings and the perimeter safer—ten thousand pound planters placed strategically around the outside, pictures of truck drivers taken for all deliveries and bomb-sniffing dogs were employed—yet NOTHING was done to make the people safer. In spite of many fire marshals expressing grave concerns about their lack of training after the 1993 WTC attack, nothing changed in training the people. Two-thirds of the on site fire marshals didn’t even know where the stairwells were at the WTC in 1993. That statistic did not change prior to 9/11 either. In fact 45 percent of the workers at the WTC did not even know the buildings had stairwells! Many of the critical human decisions that cost lives as a result of the 1993 attack were repeated verbatim during the 9/11 attacks. Hundreds more people would have survived 9/11 had they been trained WHERE the stairwells were, how to use the connecting hallways, and to actually take an immediate response in evacuating the building instead of doing nothing.  Yes, I realize in hindsight that the thought of someone doing nothing after the first plane hit is unthinkable; but indeed, hundreds of individuals did absolutely that–nothing. Equipment and structures have been altered all over the U.S. as a result of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the I-35W bridge collapsing, but there have been absolutely NO concerted efforts to educate people.

So, what can you do about this? Get yourself educated on the 10 Areas of Preparedness—particularly the first three areas, Spiritual, Mental, and Physical. I have been studying human responses to natural disasters nearly at a PhD level lately. Just in the last two weeks alone I’ve feasted on three hefty books on the subject. If I could summarize the most significant reoccurring theme in everything I’ve read, it is that human beings need to better mentally prepare for these kinds of events. (Of course there aren’t a lot of lay mans books that discuss spiritual preparedness, but that’s simply an indicator of a whole ‘nother issue.)

If the community won’t open their doors to educate you, don’t just sit there and complain—invite the community to come to you! Hold parties in your home in which you discuss what needs to be done as a group in the event of major disasters. I have frequently held “Preparedness Parties” in which I prepared yummy meals made right out of the pantry, handed out recipes, and we discuss specific preparedness topics. And yes, I’ve even created some games that help hit a point home that are entertaining, funny, and memorable.  They are evenings of fun and socializing, not gloom and doom. As such, the things discussed are more memorable and more likely to be acted upon. I once even had a Ladies Night Pampered Preparedness Party in which we played games, got paraffin wax treatments on our hands and lots of yummy food to eat.  (The house was full of women who wanted the hand treatments. Hee hee. Don’t you just love how bribery works?)

Here’s an idea for a game. Do you remember ever playing the game Pit? Well, I created a similar game. I created a bunch of cards with various supplies on them, including spiritual strength and physical strength. I also included some luxury items such as a generator, heated shower, etc.; then as the guests arrive, I had them select 10 cards blindly.  During the course of the first hour of the party they traded what they had in excess in order to try and get what they needed to be perfectly prepared.  It’s a real eye opener. So many people actually gota tad bit stressed out because they aren’t able to trade enough for food or water. And they found the generator or shower was useless without some of the more critical items. They also discovered that they’d rather not have to trade for items because they have no way of knowing what items others will have. So they’d just assume be proactive in having the item on hand initially for peace of mind.

I also did another game in which they are given a recipe which they have no doubt ever made before. And they are given only a few short minutes in which they have to create the recipe and make it edible. They are also given a pressure cooker in which they have to make the meal.  (Most folks have never used a pressure cooker before)  And lastly, they are only given a few other tools to use such as only a quarter cup measuring cup, one spoon, one fork, and a pitcher. So here they have a foreign recipe, foreign ingredients, and alien tools.   Once the timer starts, chaos ensues. Food is flying. Folks are even panicking.  It’d be quite funny if it wasn’t such a real representation of what can happen if people don’t better prepare with their tools and what they intend to eat in a survival scenario. Oh, yeah. And they learn a lot about “panicked communication.”

Push your community to offer realistic training for all community members and especially push your community leaders to TRAIN the so-called “rescuers” for major disasters. I was appalled to hear of a fireman in my community who completely dismissed a question raised by one of his students during CERT training. The student asked the question “What about during an EMP?”  The cocky fireman quipped back “That’s not a life threatening event.”  Can I just tell you that when I heard that my blood boiled?  An EMP is NOT a life-threatening event–REALLY?  Exactly how is the elimination of life lines, refrigeration, oxygen machines, surgical machines, automobiles (including emergency vehicles) classified, then??  A carnival??

Another way you can better prepare is to watch movies and read books that actively engage your mind in which you play a part in–such “what-if” scenarios. All of the successful Olympians will tell you that they run the race mentally before they run it physically.  That’s important for all of us to do in being suitable prepared. I recommend “Red Dawn”, the “Jericho” television series (you’ll have to rent it), “2012” (it gives great perspective, but very little “story”), “Twister” (in surround sound is awesome!) and “The Day After Tomorrow” for some movies to learn from.

When it comes to better preparing your community, it’s important that you understand that you can’t ride out a disaster alone. There are all kinds of logistical problems with that. Even the most brutal gangs of today know that lesson. Whether you like it or not, the community you end up in during a disaster is going to be the community you fully rely on.  Thus it does you no good to isolate yourself from them.  You’re better off trying to improve the people around you through education and interaction one step at a time.  You don’t need to start with the whole community at first. Start with your neighbors; then a larger block, etc. etc. until you’ve created a nice, strong nucleus of educated, like-minded people.  You don’t need to be the brains behind the education either. You can call on expert resources. And you don’t need to spend any money or meeting rooms and supplies.  Libraries usually offer their facilities for free and your community center sure as heck should be able to handle that as well. What you CAN do though is be the fuel behind the push for the community to get educated. So, no more excuses. Do it. And do it now.

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Copyright 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to www.PreparednessPro.com & Kellene Bishop

Ok Folks, here’s the conclusion of the generator series, including the authors overall recommendations. We hope you found this series helpful!

by Guest Author Ted Blanchard

Ag diesel, or “died diesel” or “red diesel” costs less photo c/o commons.wikimedia.org

Operational economy depends in part on the cost per unit volume of your fuel. Diesel generators are generally more fuel efficient (quarts burned per hour for a given power output) than gasoline units, but the overall cost efficiency can be lower depending on what the fuel rates are at the pump.  Ag diesel, or “died diesel” or “red diesel” which is only to be used (legally) in agricultural equipment like farm tractors will run a diesel generator just fine and costs much less than automobile diesel because there are no taxes added to the per gallon price.  Use of died diesel in street automobiles is not legal and the fines are very high if you are caught doing so.  Because a warmed up diesel engine may also be able to run on other fuels such as kerosene, cooking oil and even home heating oil (also generally tax exempt), it gets high marks for flexibility in a TEOTWAWKI environment.

Author’s Recommendations

Given the various pros and cons of the different fuels and their associated generators (note that I did not put it the other way around), my preference for an emergency, backup or transportable generator is a diesel-fired unit with an integrated water blocker and sequential fuel filters.  I even have a recommended family of units, all military surplus.  They are the MEP-002, MEP-003, MEP-004 and even MEP-006 systems, which can be found on auction sites including this one. A MEP-002 is 5kW continuous, 6.25kW peak generator; a MEP-003 is 10kW/12.5kW and so forth.  They are all battery start units and ruggedly built.  They can be used for 120VAC single phase, 120/240 single phase and 208 VAC three phase which makes them very versatile machines.

10KW - 2 cylinder Onan Diesel photo c/o battlegradeelectric.com/

An MEP-002 can typically be acquired at auction for something under $1000, and a MEP-003 for $1000 to $1200.  Often, they have very low hours on them (mine had 163 hours on it, meaning it was barely broken in).  A brand new commercially available 10 kW gasoline powered generator will generally set you back more than that, and have a fraction of the usable lifespan.   Granted, you may have to drive a ways to pick up your military surplus unit, but the results will be well worth it.  Be sure you read and understand the auction site’s rules regarding buyer’s premium (if added) and sales tax for the location currently housing the unit.  Some units are trailer mounted so you may have to do title transfer unless you plan to park it in one place indefinitely and don’t care if it isn’t titled in your name. One other consideration is the 24Volt starter on the MEP-00X units.  They use two car batteries in series, so to keep them charged, you either need to get a 24V trickle charger, or charge one battery at a time with a 12V charger, or run the generator unit regularly to top them off.   The last approach is best because relying on any system that you do not regularly test and maintain is unwise at best and outright dangerous in the worst of situations.

The MEP-00X series have a setup where you can draw fuel from the integrated tank or an external source such as a 55-gallon drum and the unit includes the pumps necessary to make this work.  Some units will even come with the bung adapter and extra fuel line.  Some also come with a long, high capacity power cable.  Some have a sound enclosure already installed, so the noise is very tolerable, without having to build your own enclosure.  They run at 1800 RPM, consume little fuel and – when properly grounded – have decent EMP protection for the internal circuitry.  Spare parts are readily available from a variety of sources.  The units are designed to be operated and maintained by high school grads, so no special skills are required (no offense to you high school readers).  They are all made to mil-specs and come from some of the best manufacturers out there.  They cost you and I (as taxpayers) eight to 15 times what you can get them for at auction, depending on the rated capacity, so it’s your duty to derive some benefit from all that Government spending.

Regardless of your choice do your homework, take necessary safety precautions, test the system regularly, rotate liquid fuels if you use them, and keep the tank and generator well maintained.  It could be the difference between surviving and thriving in a grid-down world.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

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by Guest Author Ted Blanchard

Generator Fuels

What is the best type of fuel for your generator? photo c/o thevote.abc13.com

Different types of generators are designed to run on fuels that may include, gasoline, propane, natural gas and diesel.  Don’t get one that runs on electricity though (that’s a little joke, folks). For the sake of brevity, I won’t go into water-powered or gasified wood-powered generators. Battery started engines are just fine and make the use much more enjoyable.  Some generators can be modified to run on something other than their original design fuel, and some can selectively run on more than one type of fuel.  These are not very common and potentially add complexity to the system that could translate to shorter life span or undesirable operation, but properly configured tri-fuel (propane, natural gas and gasoline) generators provide flexibility and can make sense in some circumstances. The dry fuel “carburetor” does not add much complexity but, as with all things, the KISS principle applies.

I’m going to generalize here and will likely incur the wrath of several readers by slighting their favorite form of fuel.  Too bad.  I’m writing and you’re reading it (at least as far as this point) so give me some additional time and I may manage to lessen your anger.

Propane or Natural Gas photo c/o hoffmanspowerequipment.com

Gaseous fuels

- propane and natural gas (Nat Gas) – have distinct advantages, not the least of which is an incredible shelf life.  A tank that is kept free of leaks should hold your propane or Nat Gas supply in a usable state for longer than you live.  On the down side, plumbing can be tricky and if you do develop a leak, your first indication may be when you house is “remodeled” by the force of the explosion as the leaked gas reaches an ignition source.  Propane is heavier than air and can creep along the ground until it finds a spark or flame.  Nat Gas is lighter than air and so tends to waft up and away from the tank.  Small comfort, however, if it encounters a spark from a chimney or a static discharge from anything that it finds nearby, even many hundreds of feet away.  Natural Gas that is distributed in the gaseous state is considered to be part of the grid, with the associated vulnerabilities.  All that said, gaseous fuels as a generator supply are still a good choice, if proper care is used in selecting the placement of the tank and in running the plumbing to the generator. Gaseous fuels have a decent specific energy and so is generally a cost effective fuel, but this will depend on your location and how much the rates change between seasons.  Here in North Idaho, propane was a delightful $1.40 per gallon this summer, but climbed very rapidly to $2.05 so far this winter and will probably go up even more several times in the coming months. Generators that use gaseous fuels are often very quiet compared to gas or diesel powered systems and that is a distinct advantage if you want to run your generator overnight.  Availability in normal and abnormal times must also be considered.  Will your propane supplier keep refilling your tank if we have a TEOTWAWKI event?  If not, do you have the means to go get some at the supplier – assuming they are still selling it?

Gasoline or Diesel fuel photo c/o images.asia.ru

Liquid Fuels – Gasoline and diesel each have their own good and bad points.  We’ll start with gasoline.  Typically affordable and available almost anywhere, we drive our gas-powered cars without giving too much thought to where we will fill the tank when it approaches empty.  We will simply stop at a station that is convenient and sells at a price we are willing to pay.  Several grades may be available, but generators typically do not require anything better than the lowest grade, with an octane level of 87i.

Gasoline does not store well for long periods of time.  Since it contains several very volatile compounds that separate out of the solution and evaporate given half a chance, fuel that you count on for emergencies should be rotated regularly and even treated with a stabilizer such as “Sta-Bil.”  I’m not recommending them over other providers or products but they have become something of a “household” name.  I do not like the fact that they charge what I consider to be exorbitant prices for what is, chemically, an inexpensive formula.  Nevertheless, properly treated, sealed and stored gas can exhibit a useful shelf life of up to two years. Beyond that you are slowly transitioning to gunk.  Engines do not run well on gunk. To get the best possible shelf life, keep three things in mind.  (1) Store the fuel in an air- and liquid-tight container with as little air in the container as possible (to prevent moisture condensation), remembering that gas expands and contracts significantly when the temperature changes so don’t chance bursting a thin-walled container by leaving zero air space.  (2) Keep the fuel away from light, which can cause heat-induced expansion and also speeds up the chemical decomposition process, and (3) make sure the gas is not subject to wild temperature swings in either direction, which also speed up the decomposition process and may overcome the integrity of your storage container.  Anecdotal stories of shelf life longer than 2 years may be true.  I wouldn’t count on it, in fact 2 years is really pushing it in my estimation.  That’s why you should rotate your emergency supply every year if possible.  Use the stabilized one-year-old gas in your car, boat or other engines.  Treat and store the next batch.  Make sure to put the date on an attached slip of paper.  Remember that as gasoline ages its octane rating decays so it might make sense to store a higher octane fuel. Some will argue that properly stabilized low octane gas is sufficient and that may well be the case.

Gasoline vapors explode. That’s why your car, boat, and generator engines work.  Improper storage of gas can result in leaks that pose a significant fire and/or explosion hazard.  Gasoline composition is important.  Automobile gasoline (every grade) is increasingly treated with ethanol, up to 10% (and up to 85% in the case of ethanol multi-fuel).  This have some dubious benefits to the environment and cost of production, but it has one very clear drawback, which is one of the reasons why I tend to lean toward diesel generators.  Ethanol attracts moisture.  The technical term is hygroscopic, if anyone cares.  Ethanol literally sucks water vapor out of the air.  This water may or may not be visible in a tank used to store your generator’s fuel supply, but unless very specific steps are taken to reduce or eliminate the water before it reaches your generator you can end up with both short term and long term problems. Water will alter your consumption rate, usually for the worse.  When water is absorbed into gasoline it can form corrosive compounds that damage engine components.  Water left sitting in fuel lines, carburetor bowls, injection systems and so forth can make the engine hard to start, maybe even impossible, depending on how long the unit sat with old fuel in it. Leaks in hard fuel lines are a common result of trapped water sitting for long periods.

Now we’ll cover diesel fuel.  Also available in several “grades,” diesel is formulated for variable speed engines operating at normal temperatures, cold temps, and also for near-constant speed engines.  Trying to start an engine with diesel formulated for normal temps when the engine and surrounding air is very cold can be a frustrating experience. Road diesel gels at cold temps and may not be easily pumped through the system, so low temp formulas are warranted in colder regions.  All on-highway diesel fuel in the US is now Ultra-Low Sulfur diesel (ULSD) <15 ppm and there may be issues with older engines not engineered for ULSD. For a complete description of the various diesel grades and their positions in the spectrum of refined petroleum products, please see this piece. 

Diesel exhaust is typically white and dense when the engine is cold and turns almost clear as it gets warm, though this can shift to grey or even black if the engine is under very heavy loads.  Good quality diesel generators are designed to deliver their rated power without reaching this engine loading point, but some people do not like the smell of diesel fumes at all, and it’s a definite consideration when choosing your generator and fuel combination.

Diesel has a significantly longer shelf life than gasoline, with 8-, 10-, and even 12-year old fuel still working satisfactorily.  To get the best results, depending on your location and engine type, you may need to treat the diesel with some combination of a cetane booster, an anti-gel product and/or a biocide.  Seems a fair number of algae and microbe species like to eat diesel fuel and they can foul it beyond recall if not kept in check.  An obvious sign that you have an algae or microbe problem is that the fuel becomes extremely murky, or even black. The biocide keeps the bacteria from attacking your fuel. Mix it in well with a paddle or stir stick.  Warmer climates are more prone to infestations and cold climates may not require any biocide treatment at all.  Higher speed diesels (e.g. 3600 RPM vs 1800 RPM) operate more effectively with higher cetane number fuels.  Anti-gel additive helps keep your fuel flowing well in colder temps and keeps the diesel stabilized.  Diesel is nowhere near as bad as gasoline in this respect, but it is still wise to prevent problems that you can easily avoid.  Diesel is much safer than gasoline since the vapors will not explode or even burn at normal air pressure. You can throw a lit match into a coffee can with an inch of diesel in the bottom and the match will be quenched immediately.  As a result, the long-term storage of diesel fuels is simpler and safer than with gasoline.  Don’t be careless, however, as almost any materials lying around will burn much better if they have diesel on or in them.  Diesel still likes the same handling as gasoline: air and liquid-proof containers, dark storage areas (this also inhibits microbe growth) and near constant temps.  Underground storage is ideal, but not essential. While diesel does not attract moisture nearly as much as ethanol-treated gasoline, diesel engines hate water in the fuel and may not run at all if badly contaminated.  A good quality water-block filter, in line between the tank and the engine, solves this easily.  Keeping an emergency supply tank full is always a good idea since water vapor-bearing air can’t condense out and contaminate the fuel.

To be continued…

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

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By Guest Author, Ted Blanchard

Honda Generator photo c/o hayesequipment.com

I confess. A generator is not one of my chosen tools for preparedness. But then again, I tend to prepare more for a serious survival scenario i.e.: a widespread national crisis, in which case I feel that a generator is useless and simply paints you as a target of the morally deficit and desperate individuals. However, in the event of  a more temporary power outage scenario due to a hurricane, snow storm or such, a generator would certainly be a worthwhile tool to have. As such, I have solicited the assistance of Ted Blanchard, last week’s guest author to provide for us a 3 part series on understanding, protecting, and utilizing a generator. So here is part 1.

Power and Sizing of a Generator

Power and Sizing

We’ll start with an easy topic.  Power is the ability to do work, plain and simple.  It can be measured in horsepower (HP), watts (W) and a variety of other units.  For the moment, we will focus on horsepower and watts.  Electrical power (in watts) is the voltage times the current or 1Watt = 1Volt x 1Amp. In most houses a 75-watt bulb consumes about 0.625 amps, because US homes are almost all 120 volts AC (alternating current).  75W/120V = 0.625 amps of current passing through the bulb’s filament. You can think of voltage as electrical “pressure” and current as electrical “volume” if you need to wrap your mind around the details.  Higher voltage “pushes” harder through any electrical load, including you if you are not careful, and higher current means more “juice” delivered to the hair dryer or overhead lights. For convenience in comparing generators, we can also use kilowatts or kW, which is simply one thousand watts. If you want all the details click on watts, but for our purposes, one horsepower is a bit less than 750 Watts, or 0.75 kW of electrical power.  For this reason, you can dismiss as falsehood any claims by a manufacturer that their 8 HP generator provides 10 kW of electrical power.  A system’s Efficiency Factor – a number between 0 and 1, and often expressed as a percentage from 0% to 100% – is a measure of the efficiency of the system.  A generator with an efficiency factor of 0.8 (or 80%) converts eight tenths of the power developed by the engine into available electrical power, on a continuous basis, to run lights, heaters, appliances and other household items.  The rest is lost through engine heat, radiated sound and radio frequency (RF) energy and other “inefficiencies” of the generator.  As a result, a fair “rule of thumb” is that a generator can be expected to provide roughly 600 to 700 watts of electrical power per engine horsepower, with 700 being an extremely efficient generator, bordering on impossible.  So we have already arrived at Warning One: check the math in the advertisement and if they are claiming an electrical power level that the specified engine simply cannot produce, ignore the nice low price and look elsewhere.  As an example, I saw an ad for a generator allegedly rated at 8 kW continuous and 10kW peak, driven by a 9 HP engine.  Simple math tells me that 9 HP x 0.7 kW per HP –>6.3kW absolute maximum available continuous power.  “Peak power” is the rating that tells how much power the generator can provide very briefly during the first few milliseconds that a load such as a large motor or compressor needs to start up.  Examples might be found in your freezer or a furnace blower.  If they normally consume 1000 watts, they may actually require 1500 or more watts while they start from zero and approach their normal operating state. Such power levels can be attained briefly because of inertia in the generator’s engine and the generators ability to handle loads above the normal rating for a short period until the peak load brings the generator/engine system speed below normal – at which point you have a “brownout” for all loads connected to the generator.  If the spin up time is short enough, you probably won’t even notice the disruption.  This dual rating is why you often see generators listed with two numbers, such as 5kW/6kW.  Those are the continuous and peak power ratings.  Be wary of sellers who list a single number.  They may be indicating the peak power and hoping you think it’s the continuous power available.

What size generator do you need?  This can be determined in a couple ways.  The hard way is to add up the watts used by all your home devices and figuring out some sort of nominal percentage that represents the amount that may be on at a given high-usage time.  A much simpler way is to take your electrical power bill, divide the number of kilo-watt hours (kWH or KWH) consumed in a month by 720 (the number of hours in a 30 day month) and apply a “loading” factor of anywhere between 3 and 7 which takes into account the fact that there is not much electrical demand during the night and so a straight average will give you a much lower number than what you require during active periods.  Using a loading factor of 3 would require you to very carefully manage the household’s electrical consumption to avoid loading down your generator, but it can be done.  A loading factor of 7 (or higher if so inclined and if you have the finances to allow it) lets you to pretty much live as usual without fear of placing too large a load on your generator. Here’s an example from my own bill last month. I used 1060 KWH of power over the 30-day span.  A straight average would say that I consumed 1.47 kW continuously, but if I relied on a 1.5 kW generator to meet my needs, I would be terribly disappointed, to say the least.  In reality, I use a 10kW/12.5kW diesel fueled military surplus generator to power my home when our utility provider is down, for whatever reason.   I don’t have to “ration” my usage and my generator hums along happily, never missing a beat.  Could I get by with a 7.5kW generator?  Sure, and I did so for 3 years, but switched over to the current arrangement for reasons explained in later paragraphs.

Most generators use fuel at a rate that follows the power loading, so if you get a 10kW generator but have household electrical items operating that only consume a total of 3kW it will get much better “mileage” than if you put a full 10kW load on it.  Again, the fuel consumption is not linear with load, so try asking sellers what the consumption is at 100%, 75% and 50% loads.  Be wary if they give numbers that too closely match 100%, 75% and 50% of the max fuel consumption.  It should not be an exactly linear relationship due to the “inefficiencies” described earlier, which are near constant regardless of the power load.

Now, briefly venturing into the technical realm again, we must consider the frequency of the power generated.  North American homes run on 60-cycle or 60 Hz power.  Many European homes run on 50 Hz.  Ours is convenient because there are 60 seconds in a minute, and 60 minutes in an hour.  Analog clocks (those are the ones with the moving hour, minute and second hands for those who have forgotten) maintain their accuracy because the power coming into your home is 60 Hz.  The motor simply runs at a multiple of the power frequency and as a result your analog clock is as accurate as the control circuitry at the power generation plant that provides your power.  As a kid, we marveled at how the “new” digital clocks always seemed to need adjustment, but the old sweep hand clock in the kitchen stayed right on the money for years, unless the power was interrupted. Digital clocks mostly use internal oscillators as the basis for their time standard and often that oscillator is ever so slightly fast or slow compared to a true 60 Hz.

Any generator worth owning has an engine that runs at a multiple of 60 Hz, but we call it revolutions per minute (RPM) since the crankshaft is spinning in a circle.  Most of the very good backup generators run at 1800 RPM, which is just our clocks’ favorite frequency multiplied by 30.  It’s fairly easy to “divide down” and have the output power delivered at a constant 60 Hz.  Some generators run at 3600 RPM, which is 60 times our reference frequency. There is nothing at all wrong with that, but consider the following: an engine’s noise level is usually related to the RPMs.  Rev your car and it gets louder.  Also, each revolution of your engine results in a tiny amount of operational wear on the moving parts.  Not surprisingly, an engine designed to operate at 1800 RPM will generally last longer than one designed to run at 3600 RPM.  The life span is not necessarily linear, however, meaning that an engine running at half the speed does not last exactly twice as long.  In diesel engines, for instance, a designed operational speed of 1800 RPM usually means a lifespan that is 5 to 20 times greater than one designed to run at 3600 RPM.  The slower engine also usually runs quieter, though for higher speed engines sound attenuating materials can be used, usually at additional cost.  At the risk of getting ahead of myself, diesel generator engines built by high quality manufacturers (such as Onan, Detroit Diesel, Caterpillar, and Cummins) which are designed to run at 1800 RPM will generally give you upwards of 20,000 hours of run time before requiring major repair or overhaul. That’s well over 2 years of non-stop use. Gasoline or diesel engines from inexpensive sources (mostly Chinese firms) and built to run at 3600 RPM typically give between 1,000 and 1,500 hours of service before some significant amount of repair or overhaul work is required. So we have reached WARNING TWO: don’t go cheap on something that may save your bacon down the road.  Saving a few hundred dollars now could make for some very uncomfortable days and nights if we should ever have grid power issues spanning many weeks or even months.  For a little light reading on that look up EMP and ponder for a while, the likely results of such an event.  And as an aside, those cheap Chinese generators (gasoline or diesel) have lots of poor quality electronics that are very vulnerable to an EMP.  Expensive electronics can be fried too, but they might at least have a decent protective housing that helps to shunt pulse energy to ground.

To be continued…

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

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By Kellene Bishop

Author’s Note: Before reading this article, I want to be perfectly clear that my objective is not to “freak you out.” Mental Preparedness comes more readily when we allow ourselves to mentally picture scenarios and then allow our brain to strategically work on solving the anticipated problems. I hope this article does that for you today.

If I were a terrorist, I would plan an EMP attack on a day like this. Photo c/o road-safety.blogspot.com

There’s no such thing as an opportune time for a trial, right? As such, it’s a bit naïve of us to think that if an EMP strike does hit, it will conveniently do so while we are gathered all comfy and cozy in our homes. If I was a nefarious terrorist, I would plan an EMP strike for a freezing snowy winter day affecting most of the country AND during a late time of day that would most affect rush hour. To add to that timing, I would plan it to occur while Congress was out of session for the Christmas break. That would be a true formula for chaos.

Our autos and other modes of transportation will be the most noticeable initial casualty as the result of an EMP strike. Just think what would happen if you were commuting home on the freeway and all of the sudden your vehicle, as well as all of the other cars around you, had all of their electronics stop functioning. The power steering would go out. The power brakes would go out. And like a synchronized swimming team, all of the autos that were made after 1970 would simple stop operating. Sure they might travel another few feet—until they slammed into another car that suddenly stopped operating. Imagine this scene on your jam packed freeway on the way home from work or while running errands. Now picture that scene duplicated throughout thousands upon thousands of bustling cities throughout the country.

In an EMP attack, planes would fall from the sky. Photo c/o AP

Keeping in line with the disruption of transportation, planes will fall from the sky as their electronics completely fail them. At any given time there are well over 5,000 non-military airplanes over the air space of the U.S. Boeing estimates that one of their 737’s take off or land every 4.9 seconds, although that’s for the world, not just the U.S. Boeing states that they have over 1.5 million planes in the air at all times of the day. Even without that, picture being one of the casualties stranded in the O’Hare or JFK Airport with no lights, no food, and no way to get out of town to your family.

The second part of this impact will be painfully felt in our modes of communication. Your cell phone will be completely useless for anything other than a paper weight. Your car radio will not function or provide you with any information to figure out what went wrong. Regardless of the abundance of injuries that will take place all over the nation, no ambulance, tow truck or life flight will be available to heed your call for help.

The third largest impact that you will notice is in the availability, or rather LACK of available medical care. If you can hobble your way to a hospital from the site of the freeway catastrophe, you will inevitably find the facilities in chaos, overflowing with panicked patients and medical personnel. Their backup generators will be useless in most cases as they typically operate with some electronics. The medical supplies such as bandages and medicine will be exhausted within a couple of hours, not to mention the medical staff. Can you imagine being in the middle of a life-saving surgery and suddenly have the power go off without even so much as a warning beep?

So, what do you do to be prepared? First of all, have your auto supplied with preparedness tools: first aid, water, coat, some food, etc. Be sure that you have a reliable pair of shoes—especially you ladies. Heels are great for partying in, but they make it pretty darn hard to hike in the snow 15 miles should a survival scenario come up. In addition to the obvious tools in your car, you MUST be prepared to defend yourself as well. Violence and desperation will reign supreme in such an environment. There’s no need to be a sitting duck, folks. Act quickly and decisively. When you’ve lost access to communication or news and your cars have suddenly stopped, you will KNOW it’s an EMP folks. Don’t wait around to deliberate with fellow travelers. Get to where you need to be ASAP.

Have a prearranged plan with your loved ones of where to meet in the event of trouble. At least this way your spouse or family and friends will have some peace of mind knowing that you will try to get to that location. Panic is not your friend in an emergency. Peace of mind is, even if it’s challenged by some “what if” scenarios.

Maintaining physical strength isn’t about being able to run a marathon for most people. But everyone’s physical strength will be tested in an EMP scenario. The simple act of getting a glass of water will require work. Flour for a loaf of bread will require arm muscles. Going to the bathroom will require full consciousness. :) That may not daunt some of you, but keep in mind that you may need to cover longer distances than between your house and the outhouse. Thus having working bikes and wagons you can tow on them may be a lifesaver.  

Familiarizing yourself with basic medical care such as breaks, sprains, deep cuts, rashes, colds, and flu will also be important. While an EMP won’t send us back to the 19^th century in all regards, it certainly would in terms of medical care. We need to take some of the responsibility for self-reliance in this area. 

Again, I hope I’ve given you just a few things to think about today. I also really liked how the books “Alas, Babylon” by Pat Frank, and “One Second After” by William Fortschen helped me through some mental preparedness in this exact type of scenario. If you allow your mind to think about and mentally participate in such scenarios, you’ll have a more sound Mental Preparedness to solve the problems in comfort now, rather than in chaos later.

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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By Kellene Bishop

EMP Range photo c/o irc-online.org

“Do you believe in EMPs?” questioned an older woman in one of my classes this weekend. Until she asked me this question, I suppose I never considered whether or not an EMP was to be “believed in” or not. None of my readers will be shocked to hear that I responded “Of course I believe in EMPs.” My follow-up question to her should have been “What’s not to believe?”

In a previous article I cover the logistics of an Electromagnetic Pulse. But I want to remind you that an EMP is the most economical approach for any enemy country to use against our nation. The EMP technology does exist in the Soviet Union, China, and North Korea. Because it exists in these other nations, that also means it could easily be “for sale” to even more ardent “haters” of the U.S. such as Venezuela or any number of Muslim enemies. Given that our nation is so reliant on electricity for all of the our money circulation, shipments of food and medications, water treatment, and healthcare, an EMP would be the perfect way to debilitate our nation—without the mess and expense that would be necessary with other forms of attack.

If an EMP is used on our nation, it would only take 3 EMP launches above the atmosphere to crumble our entire nation. Parts of Canada and Mexico would likely be affected as well. With an EMP strike there would be no need for an enemy to plan and prepare with all of the expense of shipping large armies and weapons over here. Besides, wouldn’t our detection systems see them coming from a long ways off? Additionally, there would be no need for the enemy army to bear the expense of caring for the sick and wounded. They would simply allow time to take care of that “problem” for them instead. Within 4 to 6 months the weak will have all died from a lack of medical care. (Just think about how many of Americans are dependent on gadgets and technology to keep us alive.) Afterwards, the enemy attacker could easily sweep in and no amount of communication would be available to provide any warnings. They would then have easy access to all of our nations assets along with a strong workforce. Easy peasy, right?

Faraday Cage photo c/o jeddaniels.com

It is due to this awareness that I strongly suggest that if you are going to prepare and protect any electronic devices from the effect of an EMP (via a Faraday Cage) that you focus primarily on communication devices first and foremost. Communication and our hardened resolve will be critical in surviving any enemy attack. Communication enables planning, protection, and strategy. The lack thereof only enables a “sitting duck” scenario. I hear too often of individuals thinking that they will need to protect their cell phones, internet access, and televisions. Excuse me while I laugh at such ignorance and naïveté. If you’re one of those people, think about this for a second. Cell phones, televisions, and computers are only viable communication aids when the originating core network is functional.

While he was a teenager in a small town in the middle of nowhere, Utah, my father-in-law operated a radio station from his bedroom closet. (He actually had a few listeners and he went on to be a great voice of radio many years later.) As I recall this story I’m reminded that having the ability to broadcast a radio signal doesn’t take much effort, equipment or expertise. So I would recommend that you put such skills in your Mental Preparedness category and get it checked off your list. Being able to hear broadcasts of the truth to counteract the broadcasts of brainwashing was critical to the survivors of every major war fought throughout the last 70 years of history. It’s something you can plan and prepare for now.

Now, take heart and fear not. To be clear, based on my scriptural knowledge and belief I do not believe that another kingdom or principality will ever hold this nation physically. But I DO believe that there will be many who try to conquer the U.S. on a more vicious level and an EMP would be the most likely tool. Whether or not an enemy is able to fully execute their plan, they would still be able to do an unfathomable amount of damage in their attempts—such as with an EMP. But the same scriptures which give us this ultimate peaceful assurance also tell us of our “chariots and horses” being “cut down.” (Just imagine an ancient prophet trying to describe our automobiles and other transportation methods hundreds and hundreds of years ago. I’m sure that horses and chariots were about the best they could come up with.) On that note, :) tomorrow I’ll address a bit more of the most likely time an EMP would be launched. Stay tuned.

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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By Kellene Bishop

I’ll be blunt. I’ve rewritten the beginning of this article nearly 10 times now trying to lessen its uncomfortable impact. But it’s nearing 1:00pm already and I still haven’t successfully eliminated any discomfort the article may convey. So, I’m just going to say it like it is.

Charitable Preparedness. Photo c/o elllo

If you are smart, you will have a year’s supply of necessities for you and your family stored. But if you are wise, you will have extra supplies on hand for the refugees that you’ll inevitably encounter after a catastrophic event.

When I say refugees, I’m not talking about neighbors and family members who have willfully made no effort to prepare themselves—you know, those who think that they can just make a “Little Red Hen” play when things get tough. Whether you aid those individuals or not is a decision that is a very personal decision only you can make. (I’ve given you my two cents on this matter in a previous article.) When I say refugees, I’m referring to those who are displaced from their homes, their supplies etc. as a result of whatever disaster arises. It’s simply naïve of us to believe that we will only be aiding our own immediate family. Here are a few scenarios to get you thinking.

Scenario 1: A mandatory quarantine order is issued on Thanksgiving weekend while you have a house full of family and friends. No one is permitted to be out on the streets. What you have in your home is your survival and comfort supplies for those who find themselves stranded at a family gathering. (Hmm…for some this is a disaster in and of itself. ).

Scenario 2: A tornado is heading for your area suddenly as you are out for a Sunday drive. Yes, you have a 72 hour kit in your car and yes, you have a year’s supply at home of necessities. But you are forced to immediately abandon your car and run for the nearest shelter—hopefully a person’s home with a basement. The home survives the impact for reasons only God knows. But the roads, power lines, and communication lines are destroyed in the wake of the tornado. Your automobile is somewhere out there…lying in a heap of course. Will the new friends you’ve made as a result of this disaster even have enough food and water for themselves as well as you sufficient to endure a few days or weeks while FEMA or the National Guard mobilizes for the clean-up and restoration of society?

In the event of an EMP, vehicles would be rendered useless and commuters would be stranded. Photo c/o losgatosobserver.com

Scenario 3: At 5:35 p.m. on a Friday night, the nation is hit with a fully debilitating electro-magnetic pulse. While you were fortunate enough to be in your home with your family in place, millions of others (some of whom you even know and love) are stranded right where they are. Think about it. Commuters, shoppers, night workers, expectant travelers at the airport, families enjoying dinner at a restaurant, parents and kids at a soccer game, etc. All of these people are stuck right where they are. Very few people have ever even conceived of a plan of what to do in such circumstances, let alone communicated it. So what do these people do? Do they begin traveling by foot? Will rampant crimes of unspeakable natures erupt? Yes. Will places of refuge be critical to the survival of all of these displaced souls? Absolutely.

We cannot assume that we will be comfy in our homes when a disaster hits. As all of you have do doubt experienced, trials never come at convenient times. I suspect that a major disaster such as I’ve described will be no different.

Countless narratives have been shared by the survivors of the World Trade Center attack. These narratives convey an almost super-human amount of charity, kindness, concern, and courage that was conveyed from one person to another as they struggled to escape the horror of the crumbling buildings. Not all who were affected by this event found this Christian side of them, but many, many did. I believe it’s impossible to squelch such an inclination in catastrophic types of situations. So what will you do when you encounter refugees from a disaster and you have nothing to offer them? Send them on their way empty handed? Perhaps you’ll be tempted to give of what little you have at the risk of putting your own family in mortal danger? Of course it’s simply not acceptable for us to shirk our duties to our own families in the name of helping others. Our forever responsibilities are to those whom we have been blessed with as a part of our family nucleus. But having to turn others away doesn’t sound like a comfortable moral dilemma to be in either, right? So, to put it simply, don’t put yourself in that position. Prepare for charitable preparedness now. Do so by asking yourself, “Do I have enough and to spare?” 

It’s not common for us to see real life angels nowadays. But that doesn’t mean that the work of our Lord ceases to go forth. The lack of celestial angels on the earth doesn’t mean that lives are no longer blessed. Rather our lives are blessed through the angelic service of others around us. In order to avoid a stressful moral dilemma, we would do well to be prepared to be charitable as well. Prepared is the key word though—not just assuming that you will give charitably when you are confronted with just the right faces of desperation.

Charitable Preparedness: Giving blankets to girls at Allahuddin Orphanage in Afghanistan. Photo c/o thinkbigadventures.com

Even though it’s just my husband and I in our home, why do I have extra square buckets laden with hygiene supplies? Why do I have pans large enough to prepare food for a small army? Why do I keep buying fleece when it gets drastically reduced at the local fabric store? Because I do not intend to live out a disaster with just my husband and I.  I WILL BE FULLY PREPARED TO AID OTHERS WHEN NECESSARY. Can we give any more sincere thanks to a God who blesses us than when we clearly accept some stewardship for the care and concern of others? Are we more convincing in our prayers of gratitude when we actually back it up with actions of charitable preparedness? If I can give them a meal and send them on their way without compromising my own safety and survival then I will do so. If I can provide them with some tools (such as razors, soap, deodorant, toothpaste and a toothbrush) so that they feel more like a human being than an animal, I will do so. Besides, as I’ve pointed out previously, thanks to the use of coupons it costs me nothing anymore to obtain these kinds of items. So what excuse do I really have not to prepare to be charitable and mindful of the needs of others?

I know that this article on charitable preparedness may be a bit stressful to you as you’re probably working hard trying just to get your own needs met. But let me ask you. Do you think you would have some extra Divine assistance getting prepared for your own family if you also had the well-being of others in mind? I’m quite positive you wouldn’t be “doomed” in any way for approaching your preparedness efforts in this manner. I can personally attest that I KNOW that I have been blessed with “enough and to spare” because of this charitable preparedness approach. I have a different level of peace knowing that even if my home is obliterated, I have PROVEN myself willing to aid others in a disastrous scenario. As such I can confidently trust that the Lord will provide for me if ever I find myself a helpless refugee.

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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By Kellene Bishop

Volunteer rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Here’s a component of preparedness that few people think about—obtaining the necessary skills now that will aid in the rebuilding of our society in the aftermath.

Picture this. An EMP has wiped out all of our communications and electrical systems. After 6 months, many have died as the result of such a disaster, but what will those who have survived do now that our nation has been thrown back into the 19^th century? Sure the wise will be able to survive about a year on what they have stored and prepared for such an event. But what about beyond that? Seeds and farming won’t solve all of our ails. Does anyone know how to work a steam engine anymore? Who will make the shoes? How will we obtain clothes? Who’s got skills such as metal work skills, medical skills, child birth skills, construction skills, weaving skills, etc. We need to prepare for that aftermath as well as the immediate aftermath of a disaster. 

Woodworking skills photo c/o bs2h.com

This isn’t just about rebuilding a society. This is also about you developing a skill that you can use to provide for your family. Let’s say that you’re a CEO right now. I’m sure the paychecks are great. But in the event you survive a financial collapse or an EMP strike, your paycheck will cease and your skills as a CEO may bring you very little sustenance. People will be forced to only barter for that which they actually NEED, not titles. Your professional customer service skills may provide for your family now, but what kind of skills do you have to back that up with in the rebuilding of a society and providing for others? Even the most advanced computer programming skills will become insignificant if we experience any type of event like I’ve mentioned in previous articles. So think about this, and fix it. Be sure that you are will be a vital part of your community in the long-term aftermath. Start researching and learning these “old fashioned” crafts and trades such as woodworking, leather working, weaving, iron works, steam power, cheese making (yup, that’s what I’m focusing on…hee hee) Who knows. You might really enjoy it!

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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