SOS: Thoughts on Italy’s Costa Concordia’s Capsizing

The tragedy in Italy this weekend has definitely shaken many individuals who will be traveling on cruise ships, no doubt. While we are awaiting the causative details of this tragedy, we already know that Captain Francesco Schettino had deviated from the ship’s charted course. Five fatalities are the current count as of this writing, with many more injured amongst the 4,000 passengers and crew. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those whose hearts are grief-stricken from this event.

I, for one, have been curious since the unfolding of this accident, as to how one might be prepared for having to abandon ship? What should I consider in such an event and what kinds of unique supplies would enhance my EDC on a cruise? Here are the main points of what I have found, but please continue your studies to fit other potential situations:

1. Be sure to have the appropriate PFD (Personal Flotation Device) secured & worn properly.
2. Be sure to have an EPIRB (Emergency Positioning Indicator Radio Beacon) with you whenever you’re out on open waters, and activate it immediately when abandoning ship is imminent.
3. Grab the “ditch-bag” if possible, as well as any other flotsam (potentially useful objects) before evacuating, if possible…i.e. fresh water/filter/purifier
4. Secure a safe distance from the sinking vessel within a life-raft/dinghy.
5. Assist other victims as possible.
6. Maintain calm & gather available resources. This includes provisions & means of shelter to reduce exposure to the elements.
7. If with others, establish clear communication & priorities.
8. Assess & continually reassess provisions, situation, & opportunities.
9. Don’t lose hope, maintain morale.

• Abandoning Ship Procedural Recommendations
• Advice for your “Abandon Ship Bag”
• Distress Signals
• How to Abandon Ship
• What to do if your ship capsizes?

navcen.uscg.gov

-TBG

Featured SnoMan Article: 1-Day Emergency Plan

The following article is featured from our friend SnoMan @ SurvivalNewsOnline.com. Enjoy!

You can be ready for emergencies in just one day

I know tons of people who haven’t prepped because they have big plans and just can’t seem to get started. If you’re one of those people, this plan is for you. Follow these 10 easy steps to get ready for an ice storm, a blackout, or an economic meltdown. Just a few hours’ work can make the difference between life and death.

This is not by any means a complete survival plan — it’s just a list of items that will get you more prepared than you would be if you do nothing. This plan is designed to get you prepped today, because you never know what might happen, or when. So it’s quick, easy, and cheap.

Most of these items can be found at Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, or Costco. Feel free to make adjustments as necessary, depending on your circumstances. Like, if you have a year-round spring, stocking water jugs might not be your top priority, and if you have a large family, maybe increase the quantities. (Incidentally, these items are not necessarily in order of importance).

1. Buy 3 to 5 six-gallon water jugs and fill them as soon as you get home. You can find these in the sporting goods section.
2. Get 20 lbs each of beans and rice. You can get detailed about your food stock later (how to build up a one year food supply). Right now, we’re just getting you some basic food so you don’t starve.
3. Canned fruits and vegetables. Just get 20 cans of each, and make sure you’re buying stuff you’ll be happy to eat.
4. Canned meat and fish. Get 20 cans of Spam, tuna, salmon, jack mackerel, beef stew, or any combination of these.
5. Chocolate and peanut butter. They store well, they provide tons of calories, and they’re great for morale. Get about 5 lbs of peanut butter and a couple or 3 lbs of chocolate.
6. Multivitamin supplement. You should have several hundred doses — say, a year’s supply.
7. Ammo. Make sure you have a few hundred rounds for your primary defensive weapon (I don’t know… 200 to 500, maybe?), and 50 to 100 rounds for your primary hunting weapon.
8. Flashlight and batteries. LED flashlights use less power, so they last longer. Also, candles and lighters.
9. Firewood. Just get a pickup load and have it on hand. You can cut more later, but you need some right now. If you don’t have a fireplace or wood stove, get a kerosene or propane space heater — and fuel, of course.
10. Battery-powered radio. When you get home, tape a new pack of batteries to the radio, then stow the lot with your emergency supplies.

Print this off, go to the store, and be ready for 2012.

~SnoMan

Welcome to The Berkey Guy’s Blog!

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The Berkey Guy

Bullets and Beans: Consideration of Priority & Being Practical

Facts & motives are powerful catalysts to action and must be weighted in moderation.

Over the years, customers call in and ask some interesting questions. An infrequent question recently surfaced when I had a conversation with an individual who decided to pick my brain about almost all-things-preparation. To paraphrase her question, she asked, “I have a 72 hour kit and because I live in [in a densely populated U.S. metropolis] I think I really need a gun…what do you recommend?” Here are some of our thoughts with respect to setting priority in steps toward greater self-reliance. My recommendations can be summed up in one word: Practicality.

It is too easy to get side-tracked in our preps when there are so many areas that seem appealing and meritorious of highest priority status. Newbies and old-timers alike can easily find themselves concentrating in many areas of detail such as:

• Should I raise a Barnevelder or Brahma variety of chickens?
• Should I start off with a handgun, rifle, or shotgun?
• What are the criteria I should employ in choosing a brand of colloidal silver?

To avoid this analysis-paralysis one must remain focused and concentrate on building the basics. There is the idea of utilitarianism which essentially declares: do the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. In the particular case of the individual I spoke with, what was most practical for her and that which would accomplish the greatest good was working on her food and water storages. She, like many, was lacking in her practical preps. In her mind, she was most concerned about the first 72 hours post-incident. She anticipated that those 72 hours might require the use of a firearm for protection from looters and vandals. Indeed, I don’t discredit the manifest potential of her scenario, but ultimately, bullets aren’t beans. In other words, hydration, energy, & nutrition are life-sustaining priorities that will provide the stability and foundation, upon which she can progress to personal/group safety considerations.

I know an individual who is intent upon improving his marksmanship in close-quarter combat as well as “reaching out to touch someone.” No problem. Range time is fun. However,he has no medical preparations, horrible social skills, and lives in a crowded apartment building. For him, one practical need is to become more sociable and learn to interact with others, so he can create & strengthen his support network. The support network is the second-point of emphasis that I shared with my friend during our conversation. It is completely do-able and necessary for individuals to strengthen ties & relationships with trusted & like-minded individuals whose interests are shared. While you are building your supplies and hardware inventories and learning self-reliant skills, specialization in interpersonal communication and conflict resolution/negotiations is an ability that is priceless. It can be learned and improved upon no matter your degree of experience and comfort level. Individuals who develop these skills are able to understand human behavior much better and are in a powerful position to act appropriately with/without weapons training & availability.

Beans represent food.

In the interest of time & to keep this post short, I offer this summary. Bullets (security measures) prove valuable in hunting, defense, and offense. Beans (food) sustain life and are the fuel to simple survival and being able to weather the storm during a sustained power outage. Get your beans & then your bullets, or get them both together.

-The Berkey Guy

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Emergency Lighting: The Importance of Lighting

Many people underestimate the importance of having light available during an emergency, but what does that mean? Why is lighting needed? Here are five basic & obvious reasons:

1. Safety
2. Security
3. Search & Rescue
4. Utility
5. Comfort

Professionals make sure their basics are covered. You should too!

Safety

In the event of power-outage, disaster, or emergent event, distancing yourself from hazards and danger areas is crucial. When lighting is limited, poor, or nonexistent, your lighting solutions will prove life-saving. Lighting which does not pose a threat to life will also help to avoid a sudden explosion or fire in the event that combustible gases/liquids are present.

Security

Lighting that does not pose a threat to explosion, fire, or releasing dangerous products of combustion is the only viable option. Flashlights, emergency strobes, and glow-sticks will perform well as solutions to darkness. Appropriate lighting can also prove beneficial by allowing individuals to become identifiable either by color coding light lenses, being able to visibly discern faces/features, and communicate via light-signals, traditional or improvised. Laser pointers are also excellent solutions to strategic pinpointing without necessarily exposing the origin of the sender of the laserbeam, just never shine the laser directly into an individual’s eyes!

Search & Rescue

We all need to be able to avoid becoming part of the problem (becoming a victim) and being able to see clearly is essential to that. In a house where structural damage is almost unavoidable, the ability to safely and clearly access injured children, adults, pets, etc., will be a matter of highest priority. Because we are all potential victims, providing personal lighting solutions may be a method that saves our lives when rescuers have to dig through rubble and confined space in order to extricate.

Utility

Lighting provides the ability to disassemble car engines, mechanical applications, and medical treatment. Even in daylight, access to a proper lighting solution such as a pocket-light will allow assessment of a victim’s pupils, to determine brain or optic injuries, as well as taking one’s vital signs. A pen light also allows us to examine sensitive areas of the body where visual indicators or serious injury are visually limited at best, such as the nostrils, ear canals, mouth, genitals, and deep puncture wounds.

Comfort

Lighting also offers psychological advantages such as site identification, landmark recognition, comforts individuals with phobias of darkness, and allows us to visually observe people/locations to keep them safe and free from unwanted/unauthorized visitors and intruders.

-The Berkey Guy

Pelican 2360 LED Tactical Flashlight

Pelican’s 2360 LED Tactical Flashlight gives you the performance of lithium batteries, with the convenience of (2) AA alkaline batteries. The 2360 LED emits a peak output of 95 lumens with a run time of up to 2 hours.

• Aerospace grade aluminum body
• Impact Resistant LED lamp module
• Non-slip textured body
• Push button tail switch
• Removable two way pocket clip securely attaches the 2360 to your pocket or the brim of your hat

Manufacturer Guarantee
Pelican Products, Inc. guarantees its flashlights for a lifetime against breakage or defects in workmanship. This guarantee does not cover the lamp or batteries (rechargeable or alkaline). All warranty claims of any nature are barred if the flashlight has been altered, damaged or in any way physically changed, or subjected to abuse, misuse, negligence or accident.