Launch of New Preparedness Website!

This post is a bit personal...in addition to this blog, I'm now collaborating with a few other people to launch a new website about survival – and how you can do it in style.

You see, I've never seen Disaster Preparedness as a burden, and if/when hard times do come, I don't want to just be surviving on the gritty basics.  I don't want to just survive...I want to thrive.

So please, come check out what I've been up to.  It should also interest anyone in gardening, as I've been experimenting with garden arrangements of my own for the past few years, and the first official Not Just Survival product is a seed vault!  The website is http://NotJustSurvival.com.

Hope you all are doing well, and best of luck out there!

Don't Think Disasters Are Common?

In that case, you might be surprised to see this "active disaster" map that I saved a few months ago.
It is published directly from the government, and shows states with an active disaster going on RIGHT NOW.

That's a lot of people who could use some disaster preparedness in their lives.  And this wasn't just a particularly bad month...let's take a look at what it looks like right now.

You can keep up with active disasters at fema.gov.

They also have a listing of all of the declared disasters at fema.gov/disasters.

For me, this is some great awareness.

Anyways, best of luck out there to you all, and I'll see you around!
Daniel Wescott

Zombie Apocalypse Fun Times

Most of us has had fun thinking about this at one point or another - how would we survive in a Zombie Apocalypse?  (Obviously, today's post is just for fun – but there are some ideas that can help you in real life!)

So, what are some fun habits to develop for disaster (or the Zombie Apocalypse)? Well, a few good habits include:

1.) Food storage.

It's easy enough to get food storage in house, and to eat it before it reaches it's expiration date – no money is wasted, and you're prepared for an emergency, should one come.  If you can't eat all of your emergency food when the expiration date is approaching, you can always give to the hungry – they'll appreciate it.  I know some people who have food storage enough to last them for A YEAR.  Hopefully, the zombies will have starved out by then.

2.) Know alternate shelter areas.

Search out areas you could flee to.  Perhaps you know of a church you could take shelter in, or you could go to stay with family.  Either way, if you do need to abandon your house, it's best to have these kinds of plans in place BEFORE the zombies march on your neighborhood.

3.) Walking.

Outside might not be the best place to be during a Zombie Apocalypse, depending on the situation, but there are plenty of situations where it might be best to be able to move great distances, even if there's no way to gas up your car anymore.  I personally love hiking, and find it's a great way to stay in shape and keep up my endurance.

4.) And of course – have a Bug Out Bag!

This is the ultimate type of kit for getting up and going, so make sure you have one!
Wondering where to start?  At EmergencyBugOutBags.com, we have a large gallery of options, depending on your needs.  One great example of a quality kit is the Elite Survival Kit by Guardian Survival Gear.

National Preparedness Month Has Come Again!

That's right, it's that time of year: our nation officially encourages its citizens to be prepared for disasters and emergencies.  Are you more prepared this year than you were last year?  It's the perfect time to take stock of your efforts, and evaluate where you want to go from here.

Do You Know Your Medical Care Options?

Your options aren't simply "Go to your doctor for a checkup" or "Emergency Room."  You have other resources for problems that surface calling for a plan of action between those two extremes.

For example, have you heard of "Urgent Care" facilities?

Let me give you a quote - "Emergency Departments experience high wait times because patients are treated based on the severity of their illness or injury, not who came in first. Great if you are having chest pains, not so much if you have an earache. Another distinguishing comparison is cost.  On average, an Emergency Department visit is approximately 30-50% more costly than a doctor’s office or Urgent Care visit.  In the event of a true emergency, the extensive services offered in an Emergency Department, along with the fact that they are open 24/7, is priceless – cost should never be considered in the case of true medical emergency.

An alternative is going to an Urgent Care clinic.  Urgent Care clinics are walk-in medical facilities that provide medical care on a no-appointment basis and are generally open for extended hours, including nights and weekends.  Urgent Care clinics are a cost-effective alternative for the treatment of non-life-threatening medical conditions.  Some clinics provide basic laboratory and X-ray services and can perform some diagnostic tests."

That comes from an article from myfox8.com, at http://myfox8.com/2014/07/08/expect-the-unexpected-emergency-department-or-urgent-care-sponsored-content/

So remember, if you have a non-life threatening but urgent medical need, you can go to your nearest Urgent Care clinic for a better experience, and cheaper cost.  It helps to know your options.

Amazing Storm

I just thought I'd write today and admire the power of nature a bit.  I saw an awesome photo today, which led me to a video.

This is the photo:

The video is here:



Wow.  It makes me stop and think, at least.  How about you?

SBA (Small Business Administration) Disaster Assistance Program

Hello everyone,

Here's something you probably didn't know - in the wake of a disaster, the Small Business Administration (SBA) provides low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations.

It's not something that comes into play when you're surviving the disaster in the first place, but it just might be VERY helpful to have in your toolkit afterward.

Check out this short video for more information:


Have a nice day!
Daniel