The prepper's pocket guide : 101 easy things you can do to ready your home for a disaster

217 Pages·2014·1.68 MB·English

by  Bernie Carr

THE
BE PREPAREd
BE SAFE
PREPPER’s
From California earthquakes and Rocky Mountain wildfres
PoCkET GuIdE
to Midwest foods and Atlantic hurricanes, you can’t escape
that inevitable day when catastrophe strikes your home
town — but you can be prepared! Ofering a simple DIY 101 Easy Things you Can Do To
approach, this book breaks down the vital steps you should
take into 101 quick, smart and inexpensive projects: REaDy youR hoME foR a DisasTER
#5 Make a Family Emergency Plan
#16 Calculate How Much Water You Need
#33 Start a Food Storage Plan for $5 a Week
#60 Make a Safe from a Hollowed-out Book
#77 Assemble an Inexpensive First Aid kit
#89 Learn to Cook Without Electricity
#94 Pack a Bug-out Bag
US $12.95
Distributed by
Publishers Group West
BERNIE CARR
CARR THE
PREPPER’s PoCkET GuIdE
THE
PrePPer’s
PockET GuidE
BErniE carr
illustrated by Evan WondoloWski
THE
PrePPer’s
PockET GuidE
101 easy Things you Can Do To
reaDy your hoMe for a DisasTer
BErniE carr
illustrated by Evan WondoloWski
Text copyright © 2011 Bernie Carr.
Illustrations © 2011 Evan Wondolowski.
Design and concept © 2011 Ulysses Press and its licensors.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated
in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published
and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent
purchaser.
Published in the U.S. by
UlySSES PrESS
P.O. Box 3440
Berkeley, CA 94703
www.ulyssespress.com
ISBN: 978-1-56975-929-5
library of Congress Control Number 2011925189
Printed in the United States by Bang Printing
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Acquisitions Editor: Keith riegert
Managing Editor: Claire Chun
Project Manager: Kelly reed
Editor: richard Harris
Copyeditor: lauren Harrison
Proofreader: Barbara Schultz
Production: Judith Metzener
Illustrations: Evan Wondolowski
Front cover design: Double r Design
Back cover design: what!design @ whatweb.com
Cover photos: plastic bottle © Picsfve/shutterstock.com; duct tape
© Feng yu/shutterstock.com; light © Isantilli/shutterstock.com;
frst aid cross © Skovoroda/shutterstock.com; tin can lid © Matthew
Cole/shutterstock.com; bandage © cloki/istockphoto.com
Distributed by Publishers Group West
To my family—you are the reason I prepare.
Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................13
Chapter One: Getting Started ��������������������������������������������������������� 17
1. De-Clutter your Home ........................................................17
2. Get Creative About Storage Space. ....................................18
3. rethink your Mind-Set .......................................................20
4. Make a Written Emergency Contact list ..........................22
5. Make a Family Emergency Plan ........................................23
6. Make a Master list of Passwords ......................................24
7. A ssemble a 72-Hour Survival Kit ......................................25
8. Avoid Common Preparedness Mistakes ...........................28
9. Carry These Important Items Daily ..................................30
Chapter Two: Financial Readiness �������������������������������������������������32
10. Create a Personal Economic Disaster Plan ....................33
11. Start an Emergency Savings Fund ..................................34
12. Pay Off Debt with the Snowball Method .......................36
13. review your Insurance Coverage ...................................37
14. Keep an Emergency Cash Stash in your Home .............38
15. Consider Investing in Precious Metals...........................39
Chapter Three: Water Needs ����������������������������������������������������������44
16. Calculate How Much Water you Need ..........................44
17. Start Collecting Water for Emergencies .........................45
18. F ind Hidden Backup Water Sources in your Home .....47
19. learn to Empty your Water Heater ................................48
20. Find Water Outside your Home .....................................50
21. K eep Contaminated Water from Entering
your Home.........................................................................51
22. learn to Filter Water ........................................................52
23. M ake a Simple, Inexpensive Homemade
Water Filter ........................................................................53
24. learn to Purify Water .......................................................55
25. learn to Distill Water .......................................................57
26. learn to Build a Solar Still ...............................................58
27. learn to Build a Vegetation Still .....................................60
28. learn to Disinfect Water with Sunlight .........................61
29. Choose a Commercial Water Filter .................................62
30. Conserve Water in an Emergency ...................................63
Chapter Four: Food Supplies ����������������������������������������������������������64
31. Track What you Eat ..........................................................65
32. learn Basic Cooking Skills ..............................................67
33. Start a Food Storage Plan for $5 a Week ........................68
34. Buy What you Eat, Eat What you Store .........................72
35. Stockpile Food ...................................................................73
36. rotate your Food Supply .................................................74
37. Know the Different Types of Expiration Dates .............75
38. Consider Storing MrEs ....................................................76
39. Store Dehydrated and Freeze-Dried Food .....................77
40. Decide How Much Food to Store. ...................................79
41. Buy Staples in Bulk ...........................................................80
42. Overcome the Enemies of Food Storage ........................84
43. learn to Sprout Seeds and Beans. ...................................86
44. learn to Cook lentils and Beans ....................................88
45. learn to Make Homemade yogurt .................................90
46. learn to Marinate Vegetables ..........................................92
47. learn to Make Freezer Jam ..............................................94
48. learn Basic Canning Methods ........................................95
49. Try Sample Canning recipes ...........................................99
50. D ry Herbs and Peppers without a Food
Dehydrator ...................................................................... 102
51. Make your Own Beef Jerky ........................................... 103
52. learn to Make Bread from Scratch ............................... 105
53. S tart an Inexpensive Container Garden ....................... 107
54. Start your Own Seeds. .................................................... 108
55. Start a Garden in a Small Space .................................... 109
Chapter Five: Ready Your Home ��������������������������������������������������� 112
56. Teach Children About Prepping ................................... 112
57. Don’t Forget About the Pets .......................................... 114
58. Keep Important Documents in One Binder ................. 115
59. Secure Family Photos and Keepsakes .......................... 117
60. Make a Safe from a Hollowed-Out Book ..................... 118
61. Assemble a Car Emergency Kit ..................................... 120
62. Assemble a Desk Emergency Kit .................................. 122
63. Assemble a Mini Survival Kit in a Mint Tin ................ 123
64. S tock Up on Multipurpose Items .................................. 124
65. Make a Can Organizer for your Pantry ....................... 130
66. Prepare for an Earthquake ............................................. 131
67. Prepare for a Hurricane. ................................................. 134
68. Prepare for a Tornado..................................................... 136
69. Prepare for a Flood ......................................................... 138
70. Prepare for an Ice Storm. ................................................ 141
Chapter Six: Personal Health and Safety ����������������������������������� 143
71. Follow the Number-One Safety rule ........................... 144
72. Protect yourself from Crime .......................................... 145
73. Know Basic Fire Safety ................................................... 148
74. Protect your Family from Germs .................................. 149