Where Should I Live?

Where should I live? Homesteading, Survival and Bug Out Locations.

First, there is no one right place to live. Everyone has different needs and values to consider when choosing a location to put down roots. Many people never move, they live where they are born and that is great. In the U.S., however, many people choose to move around for many reasons; finances, employment, schools, family ect. For those of you that are looking to move in the near future, this guide will help you make some decisions about where to live or at the very least get you thinking about what to consider before making the leap.

There are many factors to consider before moving, we will go over each one individually (in no particular order) with maps and statistics, then combine the most important factors and try to come up with the best locations overall.

1. What country should I live in?

This is a complex question and I am only going to touch on it briefly. It's a wonderful world out there, but not all countries are the same. Lets just say, I would avoid countries with instability, war zones, religious hot beds, high risk of natural disasters, overpopulated, or high disease and crime rates. For the sake of this guide, I will only be examining the U.S. and Canada.

2. Extreme disasters (Infrequent)

For the sake of this list I will not discuss, end of the world events, because lets face it, if it's the end of the world I just want a good spot to watch from and where I live won't really matter if it's all over for us all. However, in the U.S. there are two major threats that would mean danger for many people. 1. The Yellowstone super-volcano http://survivalpreppers.blogspot.com/2012/07/yellowstone-caldera-to-erupt.html and 2. the New Madrid earthquake zone. Each disaster has happened in the past and both are predicted to happen again based on historical recurrences. The impact zones are shown on the map.

3. Natural Disasters (frequent)

A. Flooding - Most of the U.S. lives near water for obvious reasons, unfortunately this means flooding. Sometimes caused by storms, sometimes, winter thaw. This FEMA map shows states prone to frequent flood damage. Be sure to check a particular area for more accurate information. Be aware of local flood planes, 100 year flood planes and rainfall expectations in your area.









B. Drought/Extreme Heat - Global weather patterns, natural topography, jet-stream, ocean currents can all affect climate, including rainfall and drought. Many areas are dry year after year, but any area can experience a drought. The NOAA frequently releases drought reports that look like this typical map.

C. Fire - Wildfires often follow the trends of drought and extreme heat. Many dry areas are susceptible for frequently than others.

D. Storms/Hail/Lightning

E. Landslides/Mudslides/Avalanche

F. Blizzard/Extreme Cold

G. Hurricane - Tropical storms formed over the Atlantic Ocean can become more powerful and turn into a hurricane hitting mainland along the East Coast. Any area along the East Coast is susceptible, however Florida, Lousiana and Texas are hit more frequently.

H. Tornado - Caused by cold air currents from the north along the Rockey Mtns. meeting up with warm air flow from the Gulf of Mexico, tornadoes are found frequently in the area known as Tornado Alley and move East with weather patterns.

I. Earthquake- This USGS map shows fault lines, areas where earthquakes are typical produced.

J. Volcano - Caused by tectonic plate movement, volcano eruptions are mostly rare in North America. The ring of fire area being the most susceptible. Of course, areas east of a volcano eruption can be affected by smoke and ash, depending on weather patterns.

K. Tsunami - Caused by earthquakes under or on the ocean floor, tsunamis occur typically along the ring of fire region. Damage is often located up to 25 miles of the coastal areas. While the west coast is largely susceptible, the east coast is also at risk.

L. Epidemics - Disease and epidemics are spread fastest among highly populated areas, but can often originate from rural farm areas or out of the country.

4. Man made Disasters

A. Nuclear Power (meltdown/leaks/spills) - The U.S. decided to move many of its nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain in Nevada, this map shows Nuclear Power Plants, Routes of waste removal and Nuclear missile sites.

B. Dam Breaks

C. Infrustructure

5. Water

 6. Climate/Weather/Growing season - http://www.bonap.org/Climate%20Maps/ClimateMaps.html

7. Crime

8. Population

9. Taxes/Cost of land

10. Political Affiliation

11. Unemployment

12. Pollution

Analysis:

Disaster Map

So, where should I live?
 Vancouver
 Toronto
 Washington
 Oregon
 Wisconsin
 Vermont
 New Hampshire
 Maine
 Colorado
 Utah
 Virgina
 Ohio
 Pennsylvania
 N. Carolina
 Georgia
 Michigan

Least appealing:
Oklahoma
Kansas
Louisiana
Florida
Nevada
Los Angles 

http://moving.about.com/od/BestPlacestoLive/a/Best-Places-To-Live.htm
http://www.survivalblog.com/retreatareas.html




  There is a lot of information to put together here. Hope this helps.

Sources:
Risks & hazards - A State by State Guide - FEMA196
USGS
NOAA

Star Wars: How to Survive on Hoth

Star Wars: How to Survive on Hoth

Welcome to the Survival Preppers winter edition. Within, you will find tips on how you and your Taun Taun can make it from Echo base to the first marker, how to use your Taun Taun for shelter, and how to fend off a Wampa attack.

Here on the ice planet Hoth, the sixth planet of the Hoth system, it is a dry cold, meaning that the average daily temperature is 14 degrees and there is no thaw. Of course, with wind chill it feels well below zero. Besides hiding from the Empire, ducking probe droids, and watching for Wampa attacks your biggest threats are frostbite and hypothermia. 

Frostbite is when your skin cells are killed off by ice crystals and is marked by changed in skin color red to black. Severe frostbite can kill off muscle and bone causing amputation, loss of hands, feet, ears or nose. Frostbite can be avoided by making sure your clothing doesn't restrict your blood flow, putting your hands over your ears and hands under your arms and getting yourself into shelter. Avoid rubbing and submerging into water that is too hot.

Hypothermia is when your core body heat drops because you are losing more body heat than you can produce. Symptoms include disorientation, talking about Dagobah and/or Obi Wan, slow pulse, and shivering. Seek layers, shelter and medical treatment as soon as possible. Avoid becoming wet or wearing wet clothing. Stay calm, your medical droid will put you inside a warm bath to speed your recovery.

On Hoth you will need shelter to protect you from the cold. If you are lucky enough to have a Taun Taun you may need to cut open his stomach for shelter from the cold. It might smell bad, but it'll keep you wam. Of course, you'll want to have a light saber handy for easy cutting. If not, snow is a good insulator. You will want to dig a trench or find shelter beneath a tree that has a snow bank, and build a wind break. Avoid building near water or areas that may be in risk of avalanche. Be sure to insulate the ground with tree debris, pine needles ect. If no snow is available, build a debris hut using the trees around you. Poke holes in the ceiling and never build your fire inside without proper ventilation. Carbon monoxide can be very dangerous.

Hydration is very important everywhere, but you never eat snow. If you have a container put some snow in it and let it warm beneath your layers before drinking, you will still need to filter or boil your water if possible. Otherwise, find fast moving water and filter for sediment. 

Dressing in layers and staying dry are best for keeping warm. Wear water/sweat resistant under layers to protect you from sweat, over that wool is great because it stays warm even when wet, ideally your outer shell should be waterproof and insulated with goose down or similar. Wear nylon socks and layer with wool. Have separate dry clothing to wear at night. And of course, have a good hat. 

After shelter and water are obtained, get that fire going. I am not going into a lot of detail here, but remember that your fire has many survival uses here, including; warmth, boiling your water, drying your clothes, signaling for help ect. ect.  

Wampa

On Hoth you will need to watch out for Wampas. They are a carnivorous snow creature and can attack without notice. They suspend their prey upside down in the icy ceiling of their ice caves until they are ready to eat. You will need to stay calm, remember your training and use the force to recover your light saber, and free yourself. When you visit Hoth it is your responsibility to bring what you will need to survive. Appropriate clothing, a fire start and a quality knife can be essential. 


If you are stuck at Echo base with no power, remember never use your stove or drier as a heat source.

Also, remember to keep a winter kit in your X-wing. Extra clothes, blankets or sleeping bag, a gallon of water, granola bars, first-aid kit, and a fire start. 

The At-At's shields will be too strong for blasters, use harpoons and tow ropes and go for the legs. At all costs you will need to protect the shield generator until the last transport is away.  "May the force be with you."


Star Wars "Empire Strikes Back"
http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/how-to-survive-the-freezing-cold.htm

Track Hurricane Isaac

Here are some storm tracking sites that are great. Follow Isaac as it makes landfall. Do you live in a high risk Hurricane area. Are you prepared? If so, what do you do?

ABC news report.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/tropical-storm-isaac-nears-rainfall-biggest-concern/story?id=17092364#.UD14QKMyCuI

Follow the storm here:

http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/tracker/2012/isaac
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/

Coastal erosion estimated:

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3383#.UD15S6MyCuJ

Yellowstone Caldera to Erupt

Yellowstone Caldera to Erupt (a possibility?)

Yellowstone National Park, located primarily in the state of Wyoming, is home to some of the most active volcanic activity in the continental United States. The Yellowstone caldera, the most active supervolcano in the world, sits across the states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming and has been formed over the past 2 million years. Violent eruptions have shaped the region as late as 600,000 years ago, the latest eruption being just 70,000 years ago. Of course, the volcanic activity of the region is responsible for the many geysers, hot springs and mud pots that have brought millions of sight seers to the park over the past few hundred years. Earthquakes are common throughout the region as well. Mainly, low magnitude quakes beneath the surface but as high as 6.1 in 1975 and 7.5 on the Richter scale as recently as 1959.

Yellowstone's geothermic, hydrothermic and volcanic activity is due to a stationary hot spot in the mantle below the Earth's crust. Similar hot spots can be seen throughout the world, the Hawaiian island chain in the Pacific Ocean and in Iceland. Tectonic plates moving a couple of inches a year slide above these areas creating geologic formations and a raising and lowering of the Yellowstone plateau.

The past three catastrophic eruptions have significantly reshaped the area and caused smoke, ash and debris to be spewed across western and central United States. "Ash deposits from these powerful eruptions have been mapped as far away as Iowa, Missouri, Texas, and even northern Mexico".

Could we be due for another eruption?

Fortunately, there is no immediate threat, as there are no signs of impending danger. But, as you can see from Yellowstone's tumultuous history another catastrophic eruption is a real possibly. An eruption of this magnitude would be devastating, worst case scenario, an apocalyptic event, killing billions and possibly changing the global climate forever. Previous eruptions have been about every 600,000 years, putting us about 40,000 years overdue. Geologists, however, continue to study and monitor the area for changes in geothermic activity, changes in toxic gas pressure and other signs of volcanic activity.

Related Articles: National Geographic & USGS

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110119-yellowstone-park-supervolcano-eruption-magma-science/

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3024/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/04/yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption-unlikely_n_1569214.html

If you recall the 2011 disaster film, 2012, scenes depicting an estimation of a cataclysmic eruption of the Yellowstone caldera are shown.

 http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Yellowstone/description_yellowstone.html (1).
http://www.armageddononline.org/yellowstone_caldera.php (2).

Wallet First Aid Kit

Wallet First Aid Kit

In  previous posts, Everyday Carry (EDC) and Theft Prevention: Drop Wallet, I mentioned using an identification size lanyard as an everyday theft prevention technique. Putting your valuable items and money in a safer place. In implementing the use of a wearable neck wallet and drop wallet left me with some space to fill, an empty wallet, so I came up with the wallet first aid kit.

I wanted to be able to have a simple first aid kit as everyday carry and this empty wallet was the perfect place. Included in my kit is protective equipment, such as a face mask and gloves, basic first aid stuffs, such as band aids, antibiotic ointment, gauze and Purell sanitary wipes, also basic individually wrapped over the counter (OTC) medications, such as Pepto Bismol (Antidiarrheal ), Motrin (Pain reliever/Fever reducer),  Benadryl (Antihistamine), an antacid and some others. Also inside are some matches, tape and some plastic baggies. Attached to the wallet is a small Swiss Army knife with scissors and tweezers and a small LED flashlight. While this isn't everything you might have in a more complete first aid kit, all of these items easily fit inside this wallet and is very portable. I have only used the kit a handful of times, but I am always glad it's there.

Now technically, this is my drop wallet and putting all this equipment in it seems like it might defeat the purpose, but all these items are actually very inexpensive in the small quantities here. The knife and the light being the most expensive items. If I had to give this up to a thief I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Actual kit in an early stage

I will update this with a complete list of items, shortly.

Survival Knife Guide

Survival Knife Guide

 When It comes to blades there are many choices out there. Everything from ninja stars, throwing knives, push knives, bayonets, folding pocket knives, multi-function blades, multi-tools, survival knives, bowie knives, hunting knives, axes, saws,  machetes, and swords. All these blades have their own uses and a variety of specialized purposes. When it comes to picking out a survival blade, I recommend first the survival knife.

"That's Not A Knife..."

What is a survival knife? A survival knife simply is a knife that serves as your tool for survival. If the only knife on you is a Swiss Army Knife, well guess what, that's your survival knife. For the purposes of this article, however, we'll go a step further. A survival knife is a fixed blade, full tang knife made of stainless or carbon steel between the lengths of 3 inches to 1 foot long. Whoa, that's quite the definition, what does all that mean? We'll get to that. But first, don't let anyone tell you your knife is not good enough. Purchasing knives is a subjective experience. There are hundreds of styles of survival knives out there and many of them are just as good as the others. Becoming informed about what is on the market will help you choose the one that's right for you. 

The survival knife might just be the most important survival tool you can have. If it came down to just you and the elements your survival knife will save you a million times over. Great for making shelter, setting traps, chopping firewood, forging a trail, hacking brush, digging, prying, hunting, self-defense and a million other uses. So what should you look for in a quality survival knife?

How to choose the right Survival Knife for you.

1. Tang (Not just a delicious orange flavored powdered drink mix for astronauts)

Tang

Tang is the most important feature of a durable blade. Tang is the piece of metal that extends from the end of the blade and into the handle. Some knives have little to no tang, a medium size tang or a full tang. A full tang will extend all the way down to the very end of the handle. A full tang blade will give you more strength, power and durability. A full tang also means the knife is a fixed blade knife as opposed to a folding style knife. And while folding blade knives have their place, a good survival knife should be a fixed blade. Knives that have no tang and stop at the handle will eventually break with heavy use. So when you are shopping for that survival knife and you see that awesome knife that has an empty handle that will keep your matches waterproof and topped off with a fifty-cent compass at the end, keep on walking. I do not recommend that type of knife for a survival knife.

2. Metal

Most knives are either stainless steel or carbon steel. Both are strong, quality metals. The trade off comes with a personal choice, carbon steel will most likely hold an edge and stay sharper longer, but carbon steel tends to rust a little easier. If you are willing to put in a little bit of care into your knife, this will not be much of a problem, if you are going to leave this in your garage for years, maybe stick with a stainless steel. Just a dab of oil once in a while will help keep any blade form rusting. With the exception of some machetes, however, blades longer than a foot or two long, such as swords, should be heat treated carbon steel.

Doesn't my knife look huge?

3. Size

When it comes to survival knives, size does matter. But, you don't have to be like Rambo or Dundee carrying around huge knives. What you want is a size that feels comfortable to you and is appropriate for the tasks you will be using your knife for. Earlier I said a survival knife is 3 inches to a foot long. That's a big difference in sizes. These movie guys seem to have enormous...  knives, looks like just over a foot long blade for Mr. Rambo there. For most uses, except maybe hacking your way through a jungle, that's going to be way too big and you don't want to end up hurting yourself. Besides, if the blade were any bigger these guys may just want to carry a machete instead. On the other hand, a knife less than 3 inches really isn't going to help you do much more than whittle or pick your splinters out. So really I made up my size definitions based on those parameters. Ideally, I would recommend 5 to 7 inches, but again go with what is comfortable for you. When it comes to thickness, about 3/16 to 4/16 of an inch will be durable enough for wood chopping and prying. You will want a blade that does not have a lot of flexibility. My advice, pick up some knives, compare different sizes, think about what your main uses are going to be and how easily you want it to be to carry.

4. Cut

Serrated or straight? A serrated blade can be great for light sawing and cutting rope, but the draw back is that serrated blades often require a special tool to sharpen, whereas, straight cut can be easily sharpened on a stone. In the U.S. most blades are sharpened on both sides but some countries will only sharpen one side of the blade.

5. Handle

The handles of knives are also a very subjective choice. They come in rubber, polymers, wood and many others. Some are ergonomically designed to fit your hand some have tools built in, and ends that are made for hammering. Some have holes to put a holding loop through. I like rubber polymer handles. They tend to have a nice grip, last a long time, prevent blistering and are waterproof. Just do not buy a knife because it has a compass on it! Hollow handles and two piece blades equal bad.

6. Sheath

Last but not least, the sheath. Again a subjective choice, sheaths come in nylon, hard plastic and leather to name a few. And while these all have their pros and cons, my favorite is the KYDEX sheaths for both knives and firearm holsters. Kydex is a thermoplastic acrylic-polyvinyl chloride material, basically it is used as a substitute for leather but looks and feels like a hard plastic, great stuff. Sheathes can have holes around the sides or bottom for securing the sheath to your leg, clothing or backpack, some have a loop for your belt as well. Many good sheathes will also have a snapping or Velcro strap that prevents the knife from falling out.

7. Cost

Lucky for you a good survival knife doesn't have to cost a fortune. Some cheap blades can be found starting at around $10 that will work just fine, the average prices range from $30 to $60 and up to $100 or more. Prices don't always mean quality, so find what works for you first then compare prices second. If you are on a budget that's OK too, but be sure you are not buying something that is going to fall apart on first use or you are just throwing your money away.

Your survival knife should be your first tool for survival. You have a lot of information now to make an informed decision. Just remember your survival knife should be a fixed blade, full tang knife made of stainless or carbon steel between the lengths of 3 inches to 1 foot long, otherwise you can't go wrong. 

I bought my first survival knife only a few years ago and I couldn't be happier with it. I have put it through a lot of abuse and it's still holding strong with a very sharp blade. Up until now, I've only ever owned a small Buck knife, a Schrade folding knife, small and large Swiss Army knives, a multi-tool and a kitchen fillet knife for fishing. I will post a review of my first survival knife shortly. 

Meanwhile, here is a list of knife manufactures that are known to make quality blades.

Ka-Bar
Cold Steel
Gerber
SOG Specialty Knives
Smith & Wesson
Buck
Remington
Leatherman
Victorinox - Swiss Army Knives

Movie Review: Right At Your Door

Right At Your Door Movie Review

Right At Your Door

Multiple dirty bombs have been detonated in Los Angeles spewing out a cloud of toxic ash. As a husband waits for his wife's return from work, he and a handyman work to seal themselves up in the house. Meanwhile, the city is in a panic as phones are down and transportation is cut off. Isolated and unprepared the husband now has to make difficult decisions to protect himself as his wife returns home and chaos grips the city.

Right at your Door (2007) is a small budget disaster thriller that really hits home. Despite relatively unknown actors and a first time director this movie still manages to have great acting and maintain a grand scope while being a character driven narrative. Right at your Door brings the terror, panic and claustrophobia of a terrorist attack right to your door. This apocalyptic tale will make you think about your own survival should the unthinkable happen. Right At Your Door may just have you stocking up on duct tape and bottled water.

Some viewers may have a problem with the pacing, the lack of Hollywood special effects or the twist ending, but I think the movie brings home something special and I recommend it easily to fans of the apocalyptic and disaster movie genre. Especially if you enjoyed films like Testament, The Day After, The Crazies or On the Beach.

Available on DVD from Amazon.com

By the way, I don't yet own a DVD copy of this movie, so if you want to donate me one I will send you my mailing address.