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 by Stacey Thompson
You haven’t really owned a car until you’ve replaced a flat tire. In my over a decade-long ownership of two automobiles (an Altis was my first car, and now I have a Prius), I’ve probably encountered flat tire problems around eight times (I have the worst luck with sharp metal objects on the roads), and out of all those occasions, I had to do the entire procedure (unassisted) thrice.
I may not be your regular greasemonkey or automotive enthusiast, but those experiences did teach me a thing or two about how to get through this irritating but necessary ordeal with most of your sanity and humor intact. Along with wisdom from other more grizzled car owners, I found these handful of tips most useful concerning on-road flat tire changing:
Crappy Tools and Spares
Unless you got yourself an automobile model that’s worth six figures or more, you shouldn’t expect the extras like tools and spares to be anywhere near impressive. I (Read more....)
 by Stacey Thompson
In a previous piece I wrote, I enumerated a few possible alternative bug-out locations that could be utilized in case of an emergency situation. I realized that among them, the repurposed truck is probably one of the most ideal of the lot, given that the combination of mobility, hardiness against harsh weather and terrain conditions, and capacity make it the best overall.
If money was no object, there wouldn’t be much to worry about in creating your mobile survival truck, but unless you’re one of the few excessively wealthy individuals in the world, this is more of a pipe dream than a viable solution. One must make the effort to find affordable yet fully functional vehicles to convert into a veritable prepper mobile fortress, and this is the aim of my little piece.
Why Light Trucks May Not Make the Cut
First of all, let’s isolate an entire category of trucks out of the possible bug-out live-in vehicles due to (Read more....)
 When I say "apocalypse", please don't misunderstand. I actually meant any kind of destructive force,whether it's man-made or made by the wrath of Mother Nature. If one day, a nuclear holocaust or a super typhoon almost successfully destroy your home town or city, then you will need to do everything you can to survive. If you happen to live near an area where buildings and establishments are dependent on computers and all sorts of high-tech communications equipment, then consider yourself lucky. If you and your group are low on food and water, building your own communications center is a must. You can gather parts and put them together until you've successfully built a radio control device and you can call for help. However, what about those who live in the rural areas? Where exactly do you find such parts?
Actually, this isn't much of an issue anymore. Most data centers and communication centers nowadays
prefer to build their presence in the rural areas. They know for a fact that competition is strong enough in the urban scene, so they usually build and establish their businesses in places (Read more....)
 Whether it's a hurricane or a blizzard, a large-scale disaster can seriously disrupt distribution patterns. Unfortunately, it can also create situations that make quick relief distribution a necessity. The only way to maintain supply during a disaster is with detailed preparation and planning long before things go wrong. Below are five important factors to consider from both sides of the supply line.
1. Joint transport services. In case of a crisis, collaboration is key. One fleet may have lost vehicles, while another simply needs people behind the wheel. Aid organizations take advantage of joint transport services to use the best assets from every branch of the distribution, and this strategy works just as well for independent business owners. Companies should create partnerships in advance with local industries.
2. Driver technology. Certain types of (Read more....)
 By SurvivingSurvivalism.com
We know that waiting till the last second is not a good idea, but for some it is the only option. So we have taken three possible average scenarios and broken them down for you. All scenarios will include a family of 4 – Mom, Dad and two kids under high school age – living in the suburbs of a megaplex city...
Scenario #1
1. You have a few cases of water
2. You have some freeze-dried storage food, maybe a 30 day supply.
3. You have some sleeping bags and some basic camping supplies.
4. You have a general idea of the area to which you want to go.
5. You think maybe something might happen in which case you could need to get your family out of the city.
6. All supplies are in the garage, ready to load into your minivan should the need arise.
You live in a suburban area of a mexaplex city – first and foremost, where the (Read more....)
 It’s a hot summer’s day and you’re enjoying an afternoon beer when bang! A nuclear explosion obliterates modern society as we know it. When all modern luxuries are stripped away, your knowledge and resources will determine your odds of survival. Guns prove to be one of the most versatile pieces of equipment. The U.S. is full of avid gun collectors. For every 100 Americans there are 90 registered guns. With violent crimes on the rise, many have questioned the usefulness of guns. So should a survivalist stock up an arsenal, or are other resources more important?
Guns in a Survival Situation
First, it’s important to understand the potential uses of a firearm. In any survival situation, your ability to obtain food is pivotal. Understand that obtaining food quickly is essential because the less time you spend collecting nourishment, the more time you’ll have to overcome another obstacle. A gun, especially a hunting rifle, will enable you to hunt for a wide variety of food. Hunting provides a strong alternative to scavenging, which requires a gross amount of time without the guarantee of success. Hunting, in a survival scenario, will likely also provide food throughout all four seasons. Foraging and growing crops would (Read more....)
 Superstorm Sandy was a stark reminder of potential climate change and a new normal when it comes to natural disasters. Some people in the Northeast were without power for weeks following the storm, while others had to wait hours in line for a couple gallons of gasoline. Every household should have a survival kit containing the essentials needed to weather the storm until normalcy can be restored. The cost to compile the kit is nothing compared to what life will be like without it in the aftermath of disaster.
Water
Human beings can only survive a maximum of five days without water, and that is under ideal conditions. Floods, hurricanes and earthquakes can knock out municipal water sources for weeks at a time. Whether in the basement, attic or spare room, a few gallons of water should be stored in every home, especially when there are children. Some water may still flow through the pipes when the faucet is turned on, but it could be contaminated with bacteria. Purification tablets can be (Read more....)
 Weather experts had predicted for decades that New Orleans, Louisiana, was in danger of catastrophic damage and devastation if the city received a direct hit by a large hurricane. Unfortunately, on August 29, 2005, the worst-case scenario that experts had foretold unfolded when Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a strong Category 3 storm and passed just east of the city of New Orleans. The storm left a trail of destruction that is unrivaled in modern times. The damage caused by Katrina can be broken down into several categories.
Lost Work and Productivity
Lost work and productivity are some of the hardest aspects of storm damage to accurately quantify. The fact that many jobs are provided by small businesses and self-employment makes collecting a complete data set difficult. However, the Department of Labor estimates that 230,000 jobs were permanently lost due to Hurricane Katrina.
Lives Lost
Hurricane Katrina’s most tragic statistic is the final total of 1,836 lives lost during and immediately after the storm. Nearly 1,600 were (Read more....)
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