What do I need to survive and be prepared?

[Mtn.man]

You need a brain and some common sense.

[denverco]

ferfal.blogspot.com

this guy has some good REAL WORLD experience. I suggest.

[theGinsue]

Okay, so this is partially for humor and partially something to honestly consider.

I've said it before and it bears repeating: Toilet paper! WHEN you forget to stock up on that, you'll come to realize just how critical it is for your state of well being.

[DD977GM2]

I got that covered!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so this is partially for humor and partially something to honestly consider.

I've said it before and it bears repeating: Toilet paper! WHEN you forget to stock up on that, you'll come to realize just how critical it is for your state of well being.

[BushMasterBoy]

What I learned from the military, a gas mask! Average person can go 30 days with no food, 3 days with no water, 3 minutes with no air. In case of a nuclear war, the air will be contaminated with radioactive fallout. Breathe it in and you are doomed. The gas mask will also protect you from noxious gases, tear gas for example.
I also have a Eurami geiger counter, it is solid state and the battery lasts ten years.
Colorado is a huge military target, but also has the advantage of you being able to hide out in rugged remote areas. Backpack, sleeping bag, and the ability to hunt and fish might mean the difference between life and death in a worse case scenario. Don't count on the Government to protect you, you have to protect your self.
If you are unfamiliar with survival techniques, try buying a book on survival such as a military manual or the SAS Survival manual.
Go camping and practice! Educate your self.

[AP-4Guy]

You have the right attitude, Bushmasterboy, but people who think they can live off the land are called "refugees". It's nice to keep that stuff in your car in case you get caught out, but you need to go deeper than that. You're off to a good start - everyone starts that way.

[mutt]

This survival forum is a great addition. I like it!

Food for a year is relatively easy to build up. Just buy a little extra in non-perishables each time you shop and before you know it, you got a lot of food saved up.

TP - Never gave that much thought.... guess I better start stocking up!

Gas mask - Good idea as well. Though if we get nuked or hit with chemical/biological, you're only delaying the inevitable. You will get contaminated eventually when your entire environment is toxic.

Water - That's tough. You can't store water for as long as food without treating it and it isn't exactly portable in sufficient quantities. I've thought of making one of those solar stills so I can purify water without power or chemicals. Hopefully I'll get around to tinkering with that one of these days. I'm sure most of you know this already but I didn't even think about till I read it: your hot water heater has 40 gallons of drinkable water in it at any given time. That'll get you through a few weeks at least.

[AP-4Guy]

Mutt - Yes, a lot of people don't think of their water heaters. I cringe every time I hear a commercial for a "Tankless Hot Water Heater". Tom Martino spews on and on about them without giving a thought to the ramifications, just like he encourages people to buy things online to save a buck. Sorry, that's another thread...

TP is a big deal! So is practice, like Bushmasterboy stated. All the equipment in the world won't save you if you can't use it or you find out it doesn't work when it's too late.

[gnihcraes]

food grade plastic barrels in 15-55 gallon size work well for storing water. I've stored water for 6 months easy without it going bad...

bought some barrels from this guy locally, but looks like he's going out of business...

http://drum-runners.com/

[MarkCO]

I'm sure most of you know this already but I didn't even think about till I read it: your hot water heater has 40 gallons of drinkable water in it at any given time. That'll get you through a few weeks at least.

I don't totally agree with the notion that your water heater water is drinkable. First, you should NOT routinely drink water from the water heater. The steel tank is glass-lined and the glass is a fine powder. If ingested, it can damage your bowels. Second, the anode rod gets consumed over the period of 5-10 years and forms oxides of aluminum and or magnesium, which are harmful. When you take water from the top, in a pressurized system, the solids will have fallen to the bottom. But taking water out of the bottom will get you in trouble with these solids.

If you need to use the water from a water heater, remove the cold water inlet supply riser and suck the water out. This will leave the bottom 6-10 inches of water at the bottom, but give you drinkable water without the solids at the bottom.

I am planning on building a solar still this summer. In a pinch, surface water in 2 liter pop bottles laid on black plastic will get the job done in Colorado. At lower altitudes, it is a bit un-reliable.

Bottled water, while expensive, is okay for short duration. Drinking too much water with all the minerals removed is not a good idea.

Having some sports drink powder is also a good idea, but skip the soda.