SPEAR Lesson 5 Load 1.3 Tools Beyond Total Load

Load 1.3 Tools Beyond Total Load

The "stuff" that we acquire in our quest to better prepared for the world can be roughly broken down into three main areas: 

• Gear that you carry with you
• Gear that you keep in your vehicle
• Gear that you keep at your home 

You carry your core bag with you.  We will be building upon that in future lessons.  You have your total load for you vehicle and your home which defines what you need to have to make a hasty retreat from your home.  So this lesson is about the "stuff" that you can/should have at your home to be better prepared.

I bet that you can already guess some of the things I am going to list here.  Batteries, candles, generator, fuel etc.  You would be correct on all of these but there is more to it than that.  Lets start with batteries.  Did you know that the new led flashlights will last three times as long as a conventional bulb flashlight?  Did you know that those cheap batteries you get at the discount store for next to nothing have a much shorter shelf life and might not even work when you need them?  Let me just ask you this:

Do you have a flashlight or two that is ready to go right now if the lights went out?

I hope the answer to that is yes because when the lights go out the only way that you can do anything is with light.  Imagine now that the power goes out and stays out.  How long will your light last.  The simple answer to this problem is a small solar generator and rechargeable batteries.  A couple of sets of rechargeable batteries could last you for months if the grid went down.

Candles are the second choice for light but given the fact that we aren't used to using candles for light and haven't developed the necessary safety practices I wouldn't recommend them without first practicing.  People a hundred and fifty years ago used candles everyday and were quite practiced in keeping that small flame from burning down there house.  We use candles as a novelty these days more for the aroma or ambiance.  If given the choice of spending your hard earned money on candles or rechargeable batteries then skip the candles.

Power!  Electricity is king in our world.

  I don't know if you have ever imagined what it would be like if we didn't have it.  If it just went out and didn't come back on for months.  Electricity is the glue that binds our society together and without it things would quickly fall apart.  We can prepare for the power staying off for months and this way we will be better prepare if the it goes out for a couple of hours.
     Whenever there is a storm that blows down some branches and takes out some power lines you can bet that the hardware stores are going to be overrun the following day as people purchase generators for there home.  This has become a common theme for every storm.  Generators are a fine investment if you know how to keep them running for more than one storm.  Generators that were purchased last year for a storm and put in the back of the garage will probably not start again without mechanical intervention.  Gasoline has a shelf life of about three months.  Stabilizers can increase that to about a year but eventually it will go bad.
The best practice is to drain to gas out of your machine and run it till it runs out of fuel in the line.  Keep fuel stored in five gallon containers that you can put into you vehicle once a month and refill with fresh fuel.

Investing in a propane generator will cost you  more in the beginning but the fuel will stay fresh indefinitely and the engine runs cooler,easier and quieter.  This is a far better choice than the gasoline model.

Power can also be generated at home with solar panels or wind turbines.  There are more options than those but those are the biggest.  The problem with this is that they are only as good as the sun or the wind that they receive.  I would recommend investing in a small solar panel kit like the Harbor Freight set that will be big enough to run your most essential items and to charge batteries.
 These units are easy to use and will give you a huge step up in your preparedness.

The next item on the preppers home purchase list should be some good quality garden equipment.

1. Spade shovel and flat shovel
2. garden rake
3. bow saw and ax 
4. splitting maul 

These tools are very handy to have around the house just for the everyday needs but in a long term survival situation they will allow you to do so much more than you could without them.  From digging hole for trash or sewage to processing firewood to keep your family warm they will be worth the cost of investment.

The final item I want to add to this list is a wood stove.  Now there are many other items that you can add to your inventory that will help you survive but nothing as essential as this.  A wood stove will allow you to heat your home and family without relying on the fuel in your generator and whether or not you can get more.  It will allow you to boil water to make it safe to drink.  It will allow you to cook food as well as make tea and coffee which will be huge for moral.

To use a wood stove is dangerous if you don't understand the dangers so educate yourself on how to keep the flue clean and storage of combustibles around your stove.

These four things are a great place to get started in getting yourself and your family prepared for whatever may come.  This is level one of many.  The farther you go in your training the better you will face an emergency.  I know that some of these items are costly but start the process of educating yourself on your options and making the best choice for you and your family.  All of these items can be acquired at a low cost if you take the time to look.  Second hand generators are cheap because they won't start.  You can convert them to propane with a kit available online.  Garden tools are great yard sale finds as well as wood stoves.  If you avoid the fancy glass front units and stick to a basic traditional design you will save hundreds in this purchase.

What tool or item could you not live without in an emergency situation?

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