I grew up in a home that listened to Kenny Rogers and Barbara Mandrell. I am reminded of one of Barbara's songs, "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool" . I feel similarly when talking about self reliance. For YEARS those "wacky Mormons" stored food, gardened and all that crazy, peculiar stufff...FOR WHAT? Well, now if we fast forward to 2013, "prepping" is now cool! You can find numerous websites and videos to help you along your way in getting more prepared.
We all prepare differently and there are some who choose to be REALLY extreme in their "Dooms Day" preparations. There are so many conspiracies...what do you actually prepare for? Can you be over prepared? I just watched a show where a man paid just under half a million dollars for an underground bunker for his family....if you have that kind of money...go for it, but I feel that is a little extreme.
Among the many "conspiracies" is the threat of and EMP (not to be confused with Imp....a little fiery fairy thing that is a mythological character that doesn't exist). Unfortunately, EMP's can actually happen. I am going to enlist the help of another blogger who says it better than I could...I will turn the time over to her....
Go Low Tech to prepare for an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse)
From http://
Have you ever heard of an EMP?
Here is a paragraph from the government's report about EMPs:
"Several potential adversaries have or can acquire the capability to attack the United States with a high-altitude nuclear weapon-generated electromagnetic pulse (EMP). A determined adversary can achieve an EMP attack capability without having a high level of sophistication. EMP is one of a small number of threats that can hold our society at risk of catastrophic consequences. EMP will cover the wide geographic region within line of sight to the nuclear weapon. It has the capability to produce significant damage to critical infrastructures and thus to the very fabric of US society, as well as to the ability of the United States and Western nations to project influence and military power. The common element that can produce such an impact from EMP is primarily electronics, so pervasive in all aspects of our society and military, coupled through critical infrastructures. Our vulnerability is increasing daily as our use of and dependence on electronics continues to grow. The impact of EMP is asymmetric in relation to potential protagonists who are not as dependent on modern electronics. "
(I took that paragraph from the fifth page on the above link.)
I do this blog as part of my church calling as a ward preparedness specialist. I steer away from political or crazy things on this blog, but since this EMP information is on our government's website I assume I can talk about it in on this blog without looking too wacky.
Let's just consider what would happen if all of our electronics and technology were wiped out in one day.
Here's some simple things you can do.
Think about every thing you do each day which uses electricity and technology, and come up with things that you can substitute. Ask yourself, "What if I had no electricity. What do I need to store NOW, to substitute for that item."
Here are some:
No electric washing machine? Get some washtubs, and a wringer.
No Dryer? Get a clothesline and clothespins.
No Electric drill, power saw, chain saw? Get a hand saw, a handpowered drill, regular screwdrivers, etc.
No Electric wheat grinder? Get a hand wheat grinder. (I also have an antique meat grinder, hand powered.)
No electric sewing machine? You might be able to find a foot-powered treadle machine somewhere.
No Computer or ipad? Learn to hand write again. Get pencils, pens, paper.
No computer files anymore? You better have printed out all your recipes, and other important documents, in case you never have a computer again.
No internet? You better have all that stuff in regular old books, on the bookshelf, because you might not be able to look it up anymore.
No grocery stores, or trucks bringing food from faraway farms? Better have food storage, plus garden tools and garden seeds, because you will need to grow your own food sooner or later.
This might be scary to think about, but if you have the low-tech equivalent, you will be able to make it through most crises and disasters better than someone who relies strictly on electricity.
So, I challenge you to take a day in the next few weeks and go "electricity free" and see what you might need to adjust in the event of extended power loss.
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