Frozen22 - Member - The Prepared

Reply to: Smoke hoods etc Posted August 13, 2023

This is useful to know. I live on the 20th floor so will need to think about a system.

Reply to: Relying on the Red Cross Posted July 6, 2023

I don’t think the Red Cross is as bad as you suggest–they’ve been around a long time and have deep understanding of what to do in crises. Nonetheless you’re right that too many people overestimate (if they even think about it) what kind of help is available. If anything, the reason the RC puts most of its communications into promoting preparedness suggests they’re pretty realistic. It’s annoying to hear people being blase’ about preparedness. Some people are paralyzed by the notion, but a lot of people just don’t care. I’m still astonished at the number of times people have referred to my preps as “survivalism” (i.e., lunacy) even right after a crisis when people are comparing how they got through it. When I discuss it socially, assuming peple won’t immediately write me off as a nut, my summary of prepping is that 50% of it is stuff that you’d own/do/think about if you lived in the country, and the other 50% of it is stuff that you’d own/do/think about if you camp regularly. But people love their talking points and slogans. My best to you, and hoping you aren’t in the path of another wildfire.

Reply to: News for week of 2023-04-03 Posted April 9, 2023

Ice storm in Canada leaves over a million without power in Quebec, and many more who still think prepping is distasteful: Deadly ice storm leaves 3 dead, hundreds of thousands still without power I’ve been on the Montreal reddit and am amazed at how many people think canned food and some AAA batteries are robust preparedness. A family member of mine was affected and she had to throw out all the perishable ingredients for a large Easter dinner. When I told her about emergency power options, she lightly dismissed it as “survivalism.” OK. I also notice how people romanticize this stuff. People online are repeatedly lauding the efforts of power workers repairing the grid, and the “heroism” of people at coffee shops, and of course trashing politicians (the same ones that have websites advising people to prepare). In other words what they always do. Also sentimental anecdotes about pulling together and someone letting strangers charge their phones.

Reply to: Sneak peek of whole new TP website launching soon Posted November 26, 2022

It was already a great site, but thanks for putting so much work into making it better.

Reply to: Prepping victories: When has prepping paid off for you? Posted September 17, 2022

When I had small children I learned very quickly about the importance of prepping for barf incidents in the car or while out. So I put together a very basic but effective emergency barf kit. This is just a bag that contains 3-4 smaller plastic garbage bags, some pilfered airplane barf bags, a package of wet wipes, two bottles of water, a travel bottle of mouthwash, and a roll of paper towels. It sits in the back seat and I always replenish it. It has come in handy a couple of times when one of my kids or their friends have gotten sick. I’ve had no nasty messes to clean up, and at least one parent has expressed their awe at such a simple idea. I know this is hardly disaster-related, but it definitely reduces the gross factor and the significant cleanup time and money costs. More dignified for the kid too.

Reply to: Prepping victories: When has prepping paid off for you? Posted September 17, 2022

Your “pooping in a pail” post was the first entry I ever read when I joined this forum, and also what sold me on this being a reliable place to meet sensible people. Well done on both the post and the prep!

Reply to: Potential large scale nation-wide Railroad Strike this coming week Posted September 15, 2022

I agree. Prepping isn’t about immunity to events, but about assessing risks and deciding what trade-offs to make, at least for most people who aren’t 100% off the grid. This will affect all of North America but it’s telling that I don’t see it in the Canadian press.

Reply to: The impending moon wobble and expected effects Posted September 15, 2022

I’m just adding this as it’s a current example of the threat. I realize that prepping is prepping, mostly regardless of the reason, but it’s interesting that scientists are seeing a link well before 2030. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/sep/14/wobbly-moon-probable-cause-of-mass-tree-deaths-in-australia-scientists-say

Reply to: Tons of great bushcrafting and survival books on HumbleBundle this month Posted September 8, 2022

Thanks for the tip! I picked up the whole set.

Reply to: Late summer means it is muscadine picking time! Posted September 7, 2022

I was seething with envy by your third sentence, and that picture…. Nicely done. Would love to have a small patch of land myself one day.

Reply to: The impending moon wobble and expected effects Posted September 5, 2022

The link is to a NYT article but it turned out weird in the page. https://www.livescience.com/high-tide-flooding-climate-change-2030

Reply to: If we prep skills, we should also prep to trade them Posted August 22, 2022

You’re absolutely right. A cousin of mine has an adult child with a severe cognitive disability. She lives with her mother, but goes to a respite program twice a week for half a day. Those two periods are a lifeline when my cousin can shop, etc. Covid shut that program down and my cousin was basically trapped in her house, it was awful.

Reply to: If we prep skills, we should also prep to trade them Posted August 22, 2022

I was thinking of this too and agree there’s an element of social networks to consider. Whenever there’s a water shortage, people get outraged at others who are selling water because they should “give it away for free” or “out of the goodness of their hearts.” Those people have needs too, and why should they be penalized for being organized and thinking ahead? Providing healthcare is probably the trickiest one because people are so irrational about it. I live in Canada, and I guarantee you that, if there was a crisis that caused emergency wait times to balloon to 12 hours, and I offered to patch up someone’s small injury in exchange for something, I’d be drawn and quartered by people who’d also demand that I give away all my bandages and saline rinse. Exchange of services otherwise might be seen with less hostility than offering to trade your prep goods, because some people (who were warned but did nothing) would perceive that as you gloating about your supplies. Perhaps if there was some network of preppers specifically engaging in the trade of services, if you’re in a region with enough preppers?

Reply to: If we prep skills, we should also prep to trade them Posted August 22, 2022

That’s a huge one. Not everyone knows how to raise plants for food, and there’s way more skill and knowledge to it than people assume.

Reply to: Growing amaranth– Lodging Posted August 21, 2022

There you go. Thanks!

Reply to: Growing amaranth– Lodging Posted August 21, 2022

I strated growing this last summer and loved it. I was only able to get the leaves (grew it on a small balcony) but they were great and apparently high in nutrition. I think watercress is technically the most nutritious green, but finicky to grow.

Reply to: Book Review: “Walkable City Rules”, by Jeff Speck Posted August 9, 2022

Thank you so much for adding this issue. I think we miss a lot but not talking more about how the 85% of people who are urban can prep without radically uprooting themselves. And cities have essential resources that everyone needs.

Reply to: What OTC medications should we have on hand? Posted July 24, 2022

I agree with the above comments. One item that’s important (not technically OTC meds) is good, sometimes heavy-duty skin cream. If you’re suddenly doing a lot more manual work, fiddling with equipment, increased sun or cold exposure, or having to sanitize your hands frequently, you’re more likely to have skin issues and even breakdowns. Odorless is best, and it’s good to test various brands to make sure they don’t irritate you or family members, given that people react differently to various ingredients.

Reply to: Recommendation for bugging in or out in Taiwan Posted March 6, 2022

I know this is outside the bounds of prepping, but here’s an interesting article that challenges conventional thinking. I would have hesitated to post it two weeks ago, but seeing Russia stumble badly in the recent days has encouraged me a little: Taiwan Can Win a War With China

Reply to: How to survive a nuclear attack Posted March 6, 2022

Thanks for attaching those, and interesting how recent they are. I was a Cold War kid so nuclear war is sort of an obsession of mine.

The impending moon wobble and expected effects

If we prep skills, we should also prep to trade them

The impending moon wobble and expected effects

If we prep skills, we should also prep to trade them

What is a working (i.e., preppable) definition of “civil unrest” or disorder?

What are my fellow urban Canadians doing different about prepping? Here’s some of what I have done and worked.

Quantifying safety