Blog Index - Page 2 of 3

Preparedness Goals and Objectives

January 5, 2020January 14, 2021 by Chip Feck Comment Closed

If you want to be prepared, no matter what you are preparing for, it is much easier if you set goals and objectives and then make a plan to reach them. Without these, it is very hard to achieve the things you want to do. It is a new year and a good time to think about setting goals to start or increase your preparedness. (more…)...

One80 Headlamp Review

December 18, 2019December 19, 2019 by Chip Feck Comment Closed

When you need a flashlight, you don’t have many different design options to choose from. There hand held, headlamps, lantern style and flexible work lights that let you hang them in places to see better. Flashlights have certainly got better over the years especially with the incorporation of the LED bulb but the design of a single bulb throwing light right in front of you has not changed. It has now with the One80 Headlamp. (more…)...

Creating an Estate Preparedness Portfolio

December 8, 2019January 14, 2021 by Chip Feck Comment Closed

Whether you have to bug out or are preparing for end of life, creating an Estate Preparedness Portfolio is a critical task that needs to be completed. It is one of the least fun things to do in preparedness but can be one of the most satisfying and important things when documents are needed after a disaster has displaced you and your home has been destroyed. (more…)...

Disaster Preparedness for Seniors – Preparing to Bug Out

November 24, 2019January 14, 2021 by Chip Feck Comment Closed

Sometimes a disaster forces you to leave your home and when that happens the last thing you need to be doing is to start gathering the things you need without planning and preparing. You are bound to forget really important supplies and equipment in your haste. The best thing you can do is to think about preparing to leave now, make plans and start organizing the things that you need to take with you. (more…)...

Disaster Preparedness for Seniors – Preparing to Bug In

November 17, 2019January 14, 2021 by Chip Feck Comment Closed

Unless you are forced to leave your home due to a disaster, bugging in (sheltering in place) is much more preferable to evacuating/bugging out if you have prepared to survive. If you have to leave your home you can only take so much with you and the costs of travel and temporary accommodations can be expensive. The inconvenience of being away from your home and the things you use every day can be especially tough for seniors. In this post I am going to discuss a few of the main things to do to start preparing to bug in. If you have not read Disaster Preparedness for Seniors – Part 1 and Part 2, please do so that you have a bit of context for this post. Although this series on preparedness for seniors will apply to the smaller 2- or 3-day power outage or minor disaster, it is primarily about dealing with long term preparedness. Please see my previous posts on Concerns with our Power Grid...

Disaster Preparedness for Seniors – Part 2

November 10, 2019January 14, 2021 by Chip Feck Comment Closed

Getting Your House in Order Before we talk about some of the fun stuff about getting prepared, lets dive in to some things that seniors need to do first off and that is getting your house in order. Meaning there are few important things that should be done right away before you dive into long term food and water storage and making plans to bug out. If you have not read Disaster Preparedness for Seniors – Part 1, please do, so that you have a bit of context for this and the next couple of posts. Although this series on preparedness for seniors will apply to the occasional 2- or 3-day power outage or minor disaster, it is primarily about dealing with long term preparedness. Please see my previous posts on Concerns with our Power Grid and Effects of a Prolonged Power Grid Outage to get a sense of what I am talking about. If you are not a senior...

Disaster Preparedness for Seniors – Part 1

November 3, 2019January 14, 2021 by Chip Feck Comment Closed

A lot of the conversations in the preparedness community on tasks, supplies and equipment applies no matter what your age, but people in their senior years (50 +) have several things to think about that younger people do not. This is the first post in a series on Disaster Preparedness for Seniors that I hope you will learn from and enjoy. (more…)...

My Experience with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training

October 28, 2019October 28, 2019 by Chip Feck Comment Closed

I recently completed the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Level I training given by the Chesterfield County, VA Emergency Management Department and wanted to share my experience. In a nutshell it was fantastic. (more…)...

How to Prepare for a Prolonged Power Outage – Part B

October 20, 2019October 20, 2019 by Chip Feck Comment Closed

Have you thought about how to prepare for a prolonged power outage? If (likely when) the lights go out for a prolonged period and you have not prepared, your family will have a hard time coping with a world without electricity. (more…)...

How to Prepare for a Prolonged Power Outage – Part A

October 13, 2019October 13, 2019 by Chip Feck Comment Closed

Lantern for a power outage Have you thought about how to prepare for a prolonged power outage? If you haven’t then that puts your family at risk and will cause anxiety if the lights go out for a few weeks. This is the third post in a serious about our power grid. The first post discussed concerns with our grid, the second talked about effects of a power outage and this post (one of two parts) will address how to prepare for a prolonged power outage. Introduction Instead of just creating a list of supplies and equipment that you need, I will frame the content around the capability to perform everyday day tasks that still need to be done when the power is out for a prolonged period of time. I will list some things that you need but the article is meant to make you think through the tasks so that you can determine what you have and what you need to complete a task based...