Almost all people residing in Manila experienced the wrath of typhoon Ondoy in September of 2009. Me and my family was only affected although not in a major way like other people especially those living in low lying areas like Marikina and those people who were stranded in their offices, malls and some on the streets. We were lucky to not experience floodwater coming into our house, which is a one-storey apartment. Just imagine if it did, we might have been also forced to evacuate or stay on the roof!
Though it was only a day of rain, it was estimated that the amount of water poured all over Manila was equivalent to the amount of rain we get in a month. Imagine if the same kind of typhoon and effects were to happen again, but, will continue for 3 days. What do you think will happen to Metro Manila and other areas of the country that will be affected?
Are you, your family, neighbors and community ready to respond if this happened today? And there was silence in the crowd. I'm sure, 99% will respond with a big NO. Why is this so? Well, based on my observation, and I know you will agree, most of us Filipinos are happy go lucky people in general. We don't really care what will happen tomorrow. We mostly care about our school, work, business, our ka-chikahan, ka-chismisan, ka-tong its, our classmates, schoolmates, the daily noon-time shows, soap operas, and the bad news that we get on TV, friends, barkada, gimicks, tambay that we really don't plan ahead on being prepared for emergencies and disasters. That we rely on the government, NGO's and private entities and corporations to help us. That's why when Ondoy hit, we were caught by surprise and a lot of us did not have preparation. Not even the government during that time had any real preparation.
One purpose of this blog is to convince people to be prepared and self-reliant, especially during the first 24-72 hours of any emergency, calamity, disaster or mass catastrophe. The time when government agencies, local government units and other organizations are scrambling all manpower, equipment and resources to evacuate, help and rescue that most affected places in Metro Manila.
The best shelter is always your home, but if you don't have the basic necessities to survive and if you are not able to get them and help not being able to get to you immediately, your home could also become a deathtrap.
For a detailed list recommended by the Philippine National Red Cross, check my other entries or go to www.redcross.com.ph but here are the basics that you should have for a family consisting of 3-5 persons.
1. Food and Water - these are the most important items that you should have. Crackers, biscuits, canned goods, rice grains. Also keep about a gallon or two of purified bottled water for drinking, there are times especially during floods that the water from the faucet becomes contaminated.
2. Lighting, Illumination and Communications - during natural disasters, the local electrical company shuts down power to affected areas so as to limit accidents from electricity so you need to have a source of light in your home during the night. Have, at the least, 2 flashlights in the house. I would recommend buying flashlights that uses AA batteries which are much cheaper. Also a must is an AM/FM handheld radio that uses 2-AA batteries to be able to listen to news and updates. Keep a handful of extra batteries for the flashlight and radio in the event that you would need to use them longer. Make sure that you use the same kind and size of batteries for all these gadgets so you won't get confused. And if possible, always have an extra battery for your cellphone fully charged and not used accompanied by at least 100php call card for your network.
3. Medical Kit - this is also very important to have, even if there is no disaster. You can buy a small one from the local Mercury Drugstore or Watson's or better yet, you can build your own med kit. Please refer to my 72 hour emergency kit or www.redcross.com.ph.
These are the basic items that you should start with if you want to prepare. You can always include things that your family specifically need and you can add more. It would always depend on your budget and how prepared you would want to be. Preparedness and self-reliance is a mindset that everybody should have if you want to survive a disaster. And you need to start now, now that there is no chaos in the streets, now that there is no panic buying yet, now that the prices are normal. But of course you don't need to have them all now. Start little by little, like I said from the other blog, and soon you'll have all that you would need in case of any natural disaster or emergency.
Always remember that some preparation is always better than none at all.
Linggo, Agosto 21, 2011
Linggo, Agosto 14, 2011
Self-defense/Home Defense Pistol on a Budget
One part of preparedness is having a self-defense weapon. It might be a home invasion, home robbery, shtf or wrol. But whatever the case maybe, you need a weapon to defend yourself, your family and your home. Of course you can choose to have and use any type of weapon, a baton, baseball bat, knives, some even say pots and pans. Still, the best defense, and sometimes offensive weapon, is a firearm.
There are many brands, calibers, models, capacity and types of firearms available in the market. But again this blog is Budget Prepper, and for me the best value for your money firearm manufacturer is ARMSCOR.
ARMSCOR is a Philippine company that manufactures an assortment of firearms. They have revolvers, shotguns, air guns, .22 LR rifles and of course the most popular, the 1911. They also carry 2 foreign gun brands, Tanfoglio and Caracal which are both available in 9mm.
Why choose an ARMSCOR firearm?
Several reasons, first of all is because it is a local company.
Secondly is availability of parts.
Third, almost all gunsmiths in the Philippines knows how to fix an ARMSCOR, 1911 model specifically.
Fourth, availability of customization products, mostly for 1911 guns.
Fifth, caliber choices and chambers. They have .45ACP, 40S&W, 9mm, 38 Special, .22 short and long.
Sixth, they also manufacture their own ammunition. All ammo are compatible with the guns they manufacture, makes a lot of sense.
Seventh, they are very reliable, based on reviews and people who have been using their firearms.
And lastly and most importanly is because of the reasonable prices.
As of right now, I don't have my own firearm but will be getting one soon. Both for home defense and firing range use. And my personal choice is the ARMSCOR 1911 GI Tactical in 9mm and the ARMSCOR 1911 FS GI in .45ACP. Not yet sure what to get first but it would definitely be an ARMSCOR. Once I get one, I will post the pictures and the specs.
For more information visit the website to see what products they offer and the prices. Though not fully updated, this will give you an idea. You can also check out their forum and see what the owners have done to their ARMSCOR firearms.
ARMSCOR Website: www.armscor.com.ph
ARMSCOR Forum: armscor.proboards.com
Having a little preparation is better than not having any.
There are many brands, calibers, models, capacity and types of firearms available in the market. But again this blog is Budget Prepper, and for me the best value for your money firearm manufacturer is ARMSCOR.
ARMSCOR is a Philippine company that manufactures an assortment of firearms. They have revolvers, shotguns, air guns, .22 LR rifles and of course the most popular, the 1911. They also carry 2 foreign gun brands, Tanfoglio and Caracal which are both available in 9mm.
Why choose an ARMSCOR firearm?
Several reasons, first of all is because it is a local company.
Secondly is availability of parts.
Third, almost all gunsmiths in the Philippines knows how to fix an ARMSCOR, 1911 model specifically.
Fourth, availability of customization products, mostly for 1911 guns.
Fifth, caliber choices and chambers. They have .45ACP, 40S&W, 9mm, 38 Special, .22 short and long.
Sixth, they also manufacture their own ammunition. All ammo are compatible with the guns they manufacture, makes a lot of sense.
Seventh, they are very reliable, based on reviews and people who have been using their firearms.
And lastly and most importanly is because of the reasonable prices.
As of right now, I don't have my own firearm but will be getting one soon. Both for home defense and firing range use. And my personal choice is the ARMSCOR 1911 GI Tactical in 9mm and the ARMSCOR 1911 FS GI in .45ACP. Not yet sure what to get first but it would definitely be an ARMSCOR. Once I get one, I will post the pictures and the specs.
For more information visit the website to see what products they offer and the prices. Though not fully updated, this will give you an idea. You can also check out their forum and see what the owners have done to their ARMSCOR firearms.
ARMSCOR Website: www.armscor.com.ph
ARMSCOR Forum: armscor.proboards.com
Having a little preparation is better than not having any.
Martes, Agosto 9, 2011
Are You Prepared? Basic Preparedness: 72-Hour Survival Kit
We know disasters strike when we least expect them. They become great levelers in the aftermath, causing irreparable damages to lives and property. Given the magnitude of its effects, we must ask ourselves, "Am I prepared?"
Acting on this premise, the Philippine Red Cross is campaigning to encourage all households to be smart and assemble their own 72-hour survival kit. Preparedness spells the difference in the crucial first 72 hours of a disaster as they wait for assistance to arrive.
Below is a list of important items to have ready in the event of a disaster. Store these in a location that's easily accessible but safely out of reach for young children. Remember to get the entire family involved in preparation because disaster preparedness is everybody's business.
WATER
✓ 3 bottles of DRINKING WATER (5 gallons/bottle)
FOOD ITEMS
✓ 10 kilos RICE
✓ 10 cans CANNED GOODS (2 cans meatloaf, 2 cans corned beef, 6 cans sardines)
✓ 7 pouches INSTANT NOODLESs
✓ 1 kilo SUGAR
✓ 1/2 kilo SALT
✓ 1 liter VEGETABLE OIL
✓ 1 pack ASSORTED BISCUITS
✓ 1 pack CANDIES or CHOCOLATES
NON-FOOD ITEMS
✓ 2 pieces FLASHLIGHTS with extra batteries
✓ 1 piece AM/FM RADIO TRANSISTOR with extra batteries
✓ 5 pieces WHISTLE (or 1 whistle/person)
✓ 1 piece POCKET KNIFE/MULTI-PURPOSE TOOL with can opener
✓ 1 piece LIGHTER or 1 BOX OF MATCHES
✓ 1 roll PLASTIC OR GARBAGE BAG WITH TIE (medium)
✓ 1 set EXTRA CLOTHING FOR EACH MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
✓ 5 pieces RAIN GEAR
✓ 1 piece WATERPROOF ENVELOPE (containing copies of personal documents, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, etc.)
✓ 1 piece DUCT TAPE
✓ 1 pair SCISSORS
✓ 1 set of GAMES AND ACTIVITIES for children
✓ 5 pieces FAMILY EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION CARD
HYGIENE KIT ITEMS
✓ 2 bars SOAP
✓ 5 pieces TOOTHBRUSHES
✓ 1 tube TOOTHPASTE (225 grams)
✓ 2 pieces SANITARY NAPKIN
✓ 5 pieces PERSONAL TOWEL (14" x 27")
✓ 5 sets CLEAN CLOTHES (long-sleeved shirt/long pants/underwear)
✓ 2 rolls TOILET PAPER
✓ 1 pack COTTON BUDS (100 pieces)
✓ 1 bar DETERGENT SOAP
FIRST AID KIT
✓ 20 pieces STERILE GAUZE PADS (4x4)
✓ 4 pieces SANITARY NAPKIN
✓ 6 pieces ROLLER GAUZE BANDAGE (4")
✓ 6 pieces ROLLER ELASTIC BANDAGE (4")
✓ 4 pieces TRIANGULAR BANDAGE
✓ 3 pieces PLASTER/ADHESIVE TAPE (1" width)
✓ 30 pieces BAND-AID ADHESIVE STRIPS (assorted sizes)
✓ 1 piece BANDAGE SCISSOR
✓ 1 piece TWEEZER (plastic)
✓ 3 pairs STERILE GLOVES (medium)
✓ 2 pieces PERSONAL FACE MASKS
✓ 5 pieces TONGUE DEPRESSORS
✓ 10 pieces COTTON APPLICATORS
✓ 1 bottle POVIDONE IODINE (100ml)
✓ 1 bottle HAND SANITIZER (100ml)
✓ 1 bottle CALAMINE LOTION (50ml)
✓ 1 tube BURN OINTMENT (25g)
✓ 1 piece PENLIGHT
✓ 1 piece THERMOMETER
✓ 1 piece CPR ONE-WAY VALVE FACE SHIELD
✓ 1 piece INSTANT COLD COMPRESS
✓ 2 bottles DISTILLED WATER (500ml)
✓ 1 piece EMERGENCY CALL CARD
✓ 1 booklet FIRST AID/EMERGENCY GUIDE
✓ 2 pieces EMERGENCY THERMAL BLANKET
✓ 1 piece CLEAR PLASTIC CONTAINER BOX (Water Proof)
COMMON MEDICATION
✓ 15 tablets PARACETAMOL (500mg)
✓ 15 tablets IBUPROFEN (200mg)
✓ 15 tablets LOPERAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE (2mg)
✓ 15 tablets ANTIHISTAMINE (10mg)
✓ 10 pieces ORESOL PACK
Source: www.redcross.org.ph
This survival kit is recommended by the Philippine Red Cross but of course, you can personalize its contents according the members and the needs of your family. You can exclude some items or include additional things that suit your needs. Also make sure to store the items in water-proof containers or bags that can be easily accessed in case you need to leave your house or bug-out. And this blog being Budget Prepper, the above items need not be branded and expensive items. And it doesn't need to be bought all at the same time. You can take a few hundred pesos out of your bi-monthly salary and buy the above items one-by-one or by batch until you complete the whole kit.
REMEMBER: It's always better to have a little preparation than none at all.
Acting on this premise, the Philippine Red Cross is campaigning to encourage all households to be smart and assemble their own 72-hour survival kit. Preparedness spells the difference in the crucial first 72 hours of a disaster as they wait for assistance to arrive.
Below is a list of important items to have ready in the event of a disaster. Store these in a location that's easily accessible but safely out of reach for young children. Remember to get the entire family involved in preparation because disaster preparedness is everybody's business.
WATER
✓ 3 bottles of DRINKING WATER (5 gallons/bottle)
FOOD ITEMS
✓ 10 kilos RICE
✓ 10 cans CANNED GOODS (2 cans meatloaf, 2 cans corned beef, 6 cans sardines)
✓ 7 pouches INSTANT NOODLESs
✓ 1 kilo SUGAR
✓ 1/2 kilo SALT
✓ 1 liter VEGETABLE OIL
✓ 1 pack ASSORTED BISCUITS
✓ 1 pack CANDIES or CHOCOLATES
NON-FOOD ITEMS
✓ 2 pieces FLASHLIGHTS with extra batteries
✓ 1 piece AM/FM RADIO TRANSISTOR with extra batteries
✓ 5 pieces WHISTLE (or 1 whistle/person)
✓ 1 piece POCKET KNIFE/MULTI-PURPOSE TOOL with can opener
✓ 1 piece LIGHTER or 1 BOX OF MATCHES
✓ 1 roll PLASTIC OR GARBAGE BAG WITH TIE (medium)
✓ 1 set EXTRA CLOTHING FOR EACH MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
✓ 5 pieces RAIN GEAR
✓ 1 piece WATERPROOF ENVELOPE (containing copies of personal documents, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, etc.)
✓ 1 piece DUCT TAPE
✓ 1 pair SCISSORS
✓ 1 set of GAMES AND ACTIVITIES for children
✓ 5 pieces FAMILY EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION CARD
HYGIENE KIT ITEMS
✓ 2 bars SOAP
✓ 5 pieces TOOTHBRUSHES
✓ 1 tube TOOTHPASTE (225 grams)
✓ 2 pieces SANITARY NAPKIN
✓ 5 pieces PERSONAL TOWEL (14" x 27")
✓ 5 sets CLEAN CLOTHES (long-sleeved shirt/long pants/underwear)
✓ 2 rolls TOILET PAPER
✓ 1 pack COTTON BUDS (100 pieces)
✓ 1 bar DETERGENT SOAP
FIRST AID KIT
✓ 20 pieces STERILE GAUZE PADS (4x4)
✓ 4 pieces SANITARY NAPKIN
✓ 6 pieces ROLLER GAUZE BANDAGE (4")
✓ 6 pieces ROLLER ELASTIC BANDAGE (4")
✓ 4 pieces TRIANGULAR BANDAGE
✓ 3 pieces PLASTER/ADHESIVE TAPE (1" width)
✓ 30 pieces BAND-AID ADHESIVE STRIPS (assorted sizes)
✓ 1 piece BANDAGE SCISSOR
✓ 1 piece TWEEZER (plastic)
✓ 3 pairs STERILE GLOVES (medium)
✓ 2 pieces PERSONAL FACE MASKS
✓ 5 pieces TONGUE DEPRESSORS
✓ 10 pieces COTTON APPLICATORS
✓ 1 bottle POVIDONE IODINE (100ml)
✓ 1 bottle HAND SANITIZER (100ml)
✓ 1 bottle CALAMINE LOTION (50ml)
✓ 1 tube BURN OINTMENT (25g)
✓ 1 piece PENLIGHT
✓ 1 piece THERMOMETER
✓ 1 piece CPR ONE-WAY VALVE FACE SHIELD
✓ 1 piece INSTANT COLD COMPRESS
✓ 2 bottles DISTILLED WATER (500ml)
✓ 1 piece EMERGENCY CALL CARD
✓ 1 booklet FIRST AID/EMERGENCY GUIDE
✓ 2 pieces EMERGENCY THERMAL BLANKET
✓ 1 piece CLEAR PLASTIC CONTAINER BOX (Water Proof)
COMMON MEDICATION
✓ 15 tablets PARACETAMOL (500mg)
✓ 15 tablets IBUPROFEN (200mg)
✓ 15 tablets LOPERAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE (2mg)
✓ 15 tablets ANTIHISTAMINE (10mg)
✓ 10 pieces ORESOL PACK
Source: www.redcross.org.ph
This survival kit is recommended by the Philippine Red Cross but of course, you can personalize its contents according the members and the needs of your family. You can exclude some items or include additional things that suit your needs. Also make sure to store the items in water-proof containers or bags that can be easily accessed in case you need to leave your house or bug-out. And this blog being Budget Prepper, the above items need not be branded and expensive items. And it doesn't need to be bought all at the same time. You can take a few hundred pesos out of your bi-monthly salary and buy the above items one-by-one or by batch until you complete the whole kit.
REMEMBER: It's always better to have a little preparation than none at all.
What is Prepping and What to Prepare For?
In our world today, there are a lot of events that are happening which are uncontrollable and even the government of our countries cannot intervene upon. During the past few years, a movement has been gaining followers because of the internet. This movement of preppers, people who prepare for any event that might hinder them from living a normal life, who use the internet and social networks and blogs to spread awareness to people who care for the safety of their loved ones and those who don't want to wait around for help once an unexpected event happened. These people share their thoughts on how to be prepared for the inevitable which the government does not provide.
People like nutnfancy, YankeePrepper and ThePatriotNurse post videos showing gear and what you would most likely need in case of an emergency or disasters. There a lot more of them on youtube.com who share the same concerns and try to help by posting the same kinds of videos each having their personal preferences and needs focused on.
Some people have branded them radical for putting up topics like SHTF (shit hits the fan), to survialists and preparedness people, this is the big disaster. Normally connotates the total break down of civilization and social order. (source: urban dictionary) WROL (without rule of law) which comes after, in most cases, a big disaster where people loot and do things unlawful for their own personal gain. Zombie Outbreak, which have been shown in several movies. World Economic Breakdown, when the markets and economies of the world suddenly falls and recession occurs just like during the Great Depression. And World War III or a nuclear attack. There are more topics floating around the world wide web but these are the most common.
Preparedness and prepping doesn't mean that these events would all happen, it's just that people should prepare for anything. Although some of them are radical thoughts, they might still be useful if you know how to justify them according to your own values. They are personal thoughts being shared and you don't need to copy or do all the things that they say. The more people you interact with, in this case Vloggers and Bloggers, the more information you gain. And the more information you gain, the more you can be prepared.
Remember, it's better to be prepared than sorry.
People like nutnfancy, YankeePrepper and ThePatriotNurse post videos showing gear and what you would most likely need in case of an emergency or disasters. There a lot more of them on youtube.com who share the same concerns and try to help by posting the same kinds of videos each having their personal preferences and needs focused on.
Some people have branded them radical for putting up topics like SHTF (shit hits the fan), to survialists and preparedness people, this is the big disaster. Normally connotates the total break down of civilization and social order. (source: urban dictionary) WROL (without rule of law) which comes after, in most cases, a big disaster where people loot and do things unlawful for their own personal gain. Zombie Outbreak, which have been shown in several movies. World Economic Breakdown, when the markets and economies of the world suddenly falls and recession occurs just like during the Great Depression. And World War III or a nuclear attack. There are more topics floating around the world wide web but these are the most common.
Preparedness and prepping doesn't mean that these events would all happen, it's just that people should prepare for anything. Although some of them are radical thoughts, they might still be useful if you know how to justify them according to your own values. They are personal thoughts being shared and you don't need to copy or do all the things that they say. The more people you interact with, in this case Vloggers and Bloggers, the more information you gain. And the more information you gain, the more you can be prepared.
Remember, it's better to be prepared than sorry.
Introduction
This blog was inspired by the people on youtube.com who have been posting videos about preparedness and survival in SHTF, WROL, Natural Disasters and even Zombie Outbreaks. I made this blog to show how you can start prepping on a budget. I will also show some of the prepping that I have been doing, concepts of preparedness and survival, guns, gear, and tactics.
The purpose of this blog is to inform and give ideas to people who would like to start prepping. And the contents of this blog will be more applicable to the same locality or type of community that I have.
I live literally in the center of Metro Manila, Philippines and the views and ideas on preparedness that I will be posting might not be exactly applicable to the locality that you are in but I'm sure that they will be also useful in a sense.
Some of the entries that I will also be posting might come from people online (youtube.com and other blogs) and I will make sure that I mention them as the source of information.
I decided to make this blog now and not earlier or later because of the situation that our world is facing at the moment. As I am creating this entry, the DJIA (Dow Jones) has dropped by 500 points and might continue to plummet during the next days. Yesterday, riots errupted on the streets of London where looting and destruction of property is currently rampant. The EU markets are also facing problems and might affect other markets. There is growing tension in Syria between protesters and government forces have been clashing with many casualties for the civilian side.
As a disclaimer, this blog was not made to spread fear but to teach and help people to be prepared. People from the United States cited an example, the time when hurricane Katrina hit south USA. A lot of people were not prepared or did not have any preparedness measures and the government were not able to help them immediately. A lot of people got sick, got raped, got robbed and some lost their life both from the natural disaster but also because of lawless people taking advantage of other unprepared people.
We don't want those things to happen to us and our family. A few preparedness measures will prove to be useful once we get to that point. That point that we never know when will happen.
As for me, I don't want to face that situation ever, but things happen. IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE A LITTLE PREPARATION THAN NONE. And it's also better late than never.
The purpose of this blog is to inform and give ideas to people who would like to start prepping. And the contents of this blog will be more applicable to the same locality or type of community that I have.
I live literally in the center of Metro Manila, Philippines and the views and ideas on preparedness that I will be posting might not be exactly applicable to the locality that you are in but I'm sure that they will be also useful in a sense.
Some of the entries that I will also be posting might come from people online (youtube.com and other blogs) and I will make sure that I mention them as the source of information.
I decided to make this blog now and not earlier or later because of the situation that our world is facing at the moment. As I am creating this entry, the DJIA (Dow Jones) has dropped by 500 points and might continue to plummet during the next days. Yesterday, riots errupted on the streets of London where looting and destruction of property is currently rampant. The EU markets are also facing problems and might affect other markets. There is growing tension in Syria between protesters and government forces have been clashing with many casualties for the civilian side.
As a disclaimer, this blog was not made to spread fear but to teach and help people to be prepared. People from the United States cited an example, the time when hurricane Katrina hit south USA. A lot of people were not prepared or did not have any preparedness measures and the government were not able to help them immediately. A lot of people got sick, got raped, got robbed and some lost their life both from the natural disaster but also because of lawless people taking advantage of other unprepared people.
We don't want those things to happen to us and our family. A few preparedness measures will prove to be useful once we get to that point. That point that we never know when will happen.
As for me, I don't want to face that situation ever, but things happen. IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE A LITTLE PREPARATION THAN NONE. And it's also better late than never.
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