Tag Archives: book review

What I Learned From Charlie In ‘The Prepper Next Door’

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As I reviewed Charlie Palmer’s book, The Prepper Next Door: A Practical Guide For Disaster And Emergency Planning, I kept a notebook and pen beside me and a highlighter in hand. His book contains a lot of good information and I highlighted or wrote down notes about: stuff that I wanted to remember, stuff I knew that I needed to be reminded of, things I thought of while I was reading, and some brand new (to me) ideas. I appreciate that Charlie doesn’t hesitate to recommend products, resources, and websites; there are many I now need to follow-up on and learn more about.

Here’s a sampling of my notes/highlights from his book:

  • N95 masks effectively block the H1N1 virus
  • purchase masks with air exhalation valves so your glasses don’t fog up
  • have back-up water even if you have a well, your well could become contaminated
  • add two more 55-gallon rain barrels
  • add two more 5-gallon water jugs
  • consider rain collection on our greenhouse
  • 4 mm plastic sheeting has a variety of uses
  • research Katadyn Survivor 35 water filter, it’s expensive but it can desalinate water
  • use Pool Shock (calcium hypochlorite) for water purification (store extra for neighbors)
  • watch Twilight Zone episode “The Shelter”
  • add two more cases of MREs
  • look up nitro-pac.com
  • research XL50 Maglites (3 AAA) flashlight
  • research Tech 40 flashlight
  • look up brightbuy.com
  • research Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries (we just bought some)
  • buy small battery powered (AA or AAA) AM/FM/shortwave radio (consider Eton Mini 300 PE)
  • look up NorthernTool.com
  • stock up extra spark plugs (can the same ones be used for all vehicles and the generator?)
  • look up OBXSOLWIND’s Youtube channel for DIY solar and wind power
  • put lithium batteries in flashlights in the cars and BOBs (if they need to be used around the house, substitute rechargeable batteries)
  • look up YouTube: The Survival Bookshelf (review of prepper books)
  • research Ruger Mark III .22 and Browning Buckmark .22 pistols
  • look up gun-test.com for gun reviews (no paid advertisers)
  • look up sootch00prepper for gun reviews from a prepper angle
  • research ArmaLite AR-10
  • consider 20 gauge shotgun for Sarah
  • reseach Ruger SP101 (8 shot revolver 22LR)
  • research body armor at Youtube channels MrLockandload and CitySurvivalist, and website bulletproofme.com
  • to find your home’s security weaknesses, consider how you would break-in to your own home if you had to…
  • look up lorextechnology.com for security cameras
  • the Bug Out Bag chapter is a great guide on getting started and/or assuring you have everything you’re ‘supposed’ to
  • most of his BOV chapter was a learning experience for me; mechanical things (including cars) are not my strength
  • The welding part was also interesting; I don’t know anything about welding, but would like to learn
As I stated in my review, “the book isn’t just for novices, there are many things a seasoned prepper will learn.” I learned a lot, I’m glad I read it, and I consider it a valuable resource.

 

What We Did This Week To Prep 6/01/12

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Now that the garden is mostly in place, minus a few things still in the greenhouse, there really isn’t that much to report out there. I go out and check the garden each day and smile as I see the progress our plants are making. Strawberries and squash are starting to bloom, the raspberries have lots of small green berries. I weed as necessary, water when it’s too dry (though we do live in Western WA and that’s not a big problem), and reset the mouse traps.

Mouse traps? Well we’ve had a problem keeping Kate (our 9 month old Border Collie) out of the garden, and especially from digging in the nice soft soil (that we worked so hard to get). We debated options of fencing the whole thing in (but she can easily jump over three feet, she’d just see it as another fun challenge), or putting in an invisible fence–though that costs a lot and seemed to be a bit of over-kill. So I came up with the idea of trying mouse traps. She’s already jumpy and overly cautious of the unknown, so I put traps in the places she had been digging, near the compost, our new plants, and her usual paths. In the past couple of weeks she’s set off several of the traps (getting her nose once) but is getting much better at avoiding the areas they are in and, in general, just staying out of the garden.

I finished reading Holding Their Own II: The Independents (the sequel to Holding Their Own that I reviewed a couple weeks ago). It was okay. It’s changed from being a prepper-type book, with many good ideas incorporated into a novel, to a post-apocalyptic, adventure, “super cool guy hero” book. (If you enjoy Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels you’d probably enjoy continuing this series; though they’re not nearly as well written as Child’s). Joe Nobody expands the scope of his original book and is now taking on the task of rebuilding the nation, with opposing factions–the federal government and the “Independents”–moving toward civil war. The second book ends leading straight into a third book.

Ryan and I (with some help from Emily and Alison) spent quite a bit of time this week building rabbit hutches. I bought a roll of 1” x 2” 14 gauge galvanized wire fencing, cut it and bent in into a square. Then, using J clips, attached it to itself and put on a roof, and using 1/2” x 1” wire fencing, attached the floor. This weekend we’ll build the frame to hold them and be ready for the rabbits. I’ve got a potential lead for rabbits, but haven’t heard back from him yet; if anyone knows of a good source of rabbits in Western Washington let me know, otherwise I’ll just hit Craigslist.

Quote of the Week: “The only time you can have too much ammo is if you’re drowning or on fire.” -Jeff Chudwin

What did you do?

(Monday: We’re Raising Rabbits)