While looking through the archives, I found this post by John.  It never crossed my mind to consider the fish tank when prepping.  I don’t have fish now, but I did growing up.  They have a calming effect on people.  If you could maintain a fish tank in adverse conditions it would be beneficial to the people you are living with.  Read the article and enjoy!

Josh

The Daily Prepper News

by Who is John Gall »

Ok, I would be the first to admit that if I had to choose, I would choose a loved human over a loved animal and most of my planning has been done with that in mind. But, nevertheless, I do still plan for them.

We have a cat, four dogs, three parrots, a 50 gallon fish tank (with fish), and the koi pond (with koi). I live in hurricane country, so I plan with that in mind… What if we are without power for weeks? What if the house is destroyed (nearly was in Gustav)?

Yes, I do stock extra food and water for everyone (fur, feathers, and scales). But, the fish need good water quality. A well maintained aquarium should be able to withstand 24 (maybe 48) hours without circulating water, but after that the fish will start to suffocate and die in the stagnant water. To try and keep the fish alive (I have had some of them for over 5 years now, they are like scaly family) here are my plans: First, when I know that a storm is approaching, do a water change (time permitting). Next, during the storm when the power goes out, use battery powered air pumps (more on those latter). Then, when the generator gets going, run the tanks filters on the ginny. As a last resort, manually circulate the water (pull out and dump back in a gallon of water at a time every hour or so).

Not sure if I am doing this photo bit right, but here is a pic of one brand of battery powered air pump:

There are others, I have seen some at Walmart in the fishing section for use with live bait wells. Most seem to rum about $7-$15. The one that I have runs off of D cells and plugs into a wall outlet. It does not run off of the AC current, but as soon as that current goes off/the power goes out the little pump comes on. They come with air stones, but I use the little disposable charcoal filters for kiddie tanks from Petsmart. They are cheap, provide some circulation, and provide some filtration too. You just rinse them off with tap water and plug them into the air hose and they are ready to go. I have three of these air pumps for the tank. I am also planning on using this system with the fish in 5 gallon buckets, should we need to evacuate (or when we end up moving in the next year or so…no, toting the fish about during a forced relocation is not my plan, but I am prepared to do so).

Still working on the koi pond. It holds about 800 gallons, which would probably be topped off with the rain during a hurricane, and the fish have all fared well without the pump going for several days in a row. I am thinking of building a solar generator to run some things in the house at need (the generator gets really loud) and will probably have it run the pond’s pump all of the time to exercise the battery.

As for the other animals, I try and keep them all ready to evacuate at need. I keep a 5-gallon bucket sealed with their stuff in it: extra collars and leashes, toys, doggie baggies, copies of immunization records, zip lock bags of kitty litter. I have a travel carrier for each animal (2 of the parrots fit well in wire rabbit cages and the third goes into a wire dog crate) and a disposable litter box for the cat. I also keep a pet first aid kit…amazingly enough, though, the antibiotics for the fish that they sell at Petsmart seem to be the same as the ones that are dispensed for people.

I do know that these pets are all just creature comforts, and if worse were to come to worse and I had to chose what goes into the truck, a case of MREs or a bucket of fish…well MREs can be pretty tasty. Nonetheless, I still believe in planning for the worst and hoping for the best.

To read replies to this post or make a comment follow the link below:

http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=124&t=910

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by Salty Dawg
www.thepiratesrepublic.com

I wasnt going to write anything about The Nat Geo’s tv program DoomsDay Prepper’s because quite frankly I wouldn’t watch it since the last seasons airing of the program. So we have two seasons of Nat Geo portraying Prepper’s as fringe elements of society.

So lets see what we have here if I were keeping score hmmmm, National Geographic 2 vs Prepper Community 0

And the Winner is

Nat Geo!!

Why you ask, well as I admitted I haven’t watched an episode this season and won’t because I get the highlight reels when the people who think Prepper’s are crazy old coots strumming banjos and making googly eyes at their kin folk. So I watch the snippets on NAt Geo’s web site and get a feel for the direction they are going.

I did watch episodes from the first season and I wrote an article on how “Nat Geo” selected mostly people who were out on the fringes. I gathered that was their intent as the name of the show wasnt titled “Regular people who prepare for normal things that just happen often times called Read the rest of this entry »

Map of all American Preppers Network and Partner meetup groups.

Scroll past the map for a listing.

From: Salty Dawg
ThePiratesRepublic.com
(Warning Salty is Grumpy)

Third party commercials are annoying interruption to my thought process. Although, some would say that they are necessary to our free market society. I must agree because word of mouth ain’t what it used to be. I am not talking about the commercials that sell us our goods and services. I am not even talking about the commercials that sell “Snuggies” and “Sham-WoW’s”. Many would say they are annoying but still necessary.

I am particularly irritated by the third party commercials that are brought to you with false pretences. Just like those that are starting to plague many of the Preparedness sites in which I read in search of teachable content. Let me give you an example. For some time now I have railed against prognosticating doom sayers that are only in the game to line their own pockets.

Purveying fear and panic for the sake of making a buck should be combated by speaking out about it and calling it what it is. You might ask me if I believe the world is changing and of course the answer is yes and it is my belief in many cases not for the better. At the Pirates Republic we believe we should prepare for the events that we may face throughout our lives. Gas, food, transportation cost are climbing. The middle class is disappearing, our schools are indoctrinating our children and the government is intruding on our rights at an alarming rate but that is another article.

This rant is directed solely at the people who claim they have the prepping community at heart when truly their main intent is to whore themselves out to any and all comers for penny’s per click or affiliate commission on whatever they can redirect you to. Third party sites trying to sell you products by exacerbating fear and evoking panic so you will feel compelled to purchase whatever product they are hocking at the moment. Cause if you don’t buy it then surely your family will die by morning! FOOLS!

For example, I use to recommend a particular web site because in the beginning the content was valuable and since we primarily instruct people on staying put during an emergency situation and maximize their chances of survival by staying in place. We also teach the skills of bugging out but for many people this is just not practical for them to maintain a double secret location fully stocked with all the necessary items for what they and their family to survive in an apocalyptic event. We teach “Survival in Place” and the content was well presented and much better written than I possess the talent to accomplish. So I would send people over to the site to start a conversation about the content and teach upon that content.

Then we move forward in time and the owner started another web site, then another, then another all linked together and of course you could join by signing up for the newsletter or spend money and join the secret society to help you be prepared. Now this guy has product of his own and to be honest I still recommend one product he offers but can’t in good conscience recommend people to buy it because they will get inundated by third party crap! Remember, I have zero problems with folks promoting the services or products they use and recommend. But the third party solicitations are out of hand and muddy up the informational waters!

On average from this one site after signing up for the newsletter I used to get one or two informational email from him and life was good. However, since he has branched out into multiple web sites I now get on average 8 out of 10 emails promoting third party crap. He recommends videos that I must watch in order to protect my family and finances from impending doom. He recommends that I must click this link in order to read about some guy who knows the stock market is failing and gold is your only bet for salvation. He recommends that I click this link in order to get food preps that are so special that I must buy them now and this is a special offer given to only his readers if you buy now. Of course anybody else could get this “deal” even if they stumbled onto the third party site by accident! You get the point. Well Mr. Morris I do not have to do anything but to keep on preparing myself, my family and my community from what undoubtedly is coming.

I also believe it is also our responsibility to teach the willing regardless of money. This is something people should take note about instead of prostituting themselves out to anybody to who has some snake oil to sell to cure whatever you got. Instead how about you give way to the integrity you initially started your web site adventure with??? Examples you ask???? Oh I have examples and they can be considered recommendations that I won’t get a penny for. Bear Grylls, Dave Canteberry and the bare foot hippie had programs that I personally had very little reason to watch. I figured they had value in the entertainment industry but held little value for the programs until it inspired discussions and debate on their actions during the program. None of the people prostituted themselves out to 3rd party panic profiteers even though they all have web sites and newsletters. Bear Grylls partnered with the Gerber Company and lent his name to some of their survival products. I have used them and still to this day. Dave Canterbury has the Pathfinder schools. I have not been through the school but it comes with high recommendations by attendees if you can afford it. He also partners with Blind Horse Knives and those are quality tools that if you can afford it well made quality product.

Web sites like the American Preppers Network Provides an arena for forums and information exchanges. I do not always agree with the contributor’s ideas but it still promotes thought and does not pander to panic. In fact most every article is a solution based, fact filled article that should make you think about how to adapt the information to your situation. It also breaks down into state networks and they also have forums and articles to read. It is a treasure trove of good information and it is interactive. You can ask questions and there are plenty of people who offer good sound advice or at the very least their opinions. I enjoy reading the postings by The Idaho Prepper and other state contributors. Although I am a diehard Notre Dame fan I enjoy reading articles from the Wolverine talking about his amigos the toolman and tonto. Since I live in God’s Country and in a different climate than he, I am able to read about different perspectives of how they prepare for what is to come.

How about the Survival Blog? This guy has some incredible information on a wide array of topics from sprouting (yuck) to living off the grid. Not everything applies to my situation but interesting and thought provoking none the less.

Speaking about living off the grid take a look at Pioneeerliving.net now I admit I am biased about this site because he resides in God’s country but there is a lot of insight on what you can do as a Prepper right now and for the future. He even has advice on the gold market and I wasn’t asked to watch a video! He formed his own opinion with facts and then presented his opinion to his readership and let them decide without fear mongering. I can site many more examples like Natural News they have several article that are topical for today I don’t always agree with the outlandish stuff but they have passion
.
The Preparedness Pro she offers well thought out great written articles and yes she sells her services and expertise on Coupons.

The Berkey guy contributes several articles that are worth a look I learned about fluoride and 1 part per million found in nature and Preparedness Radio has Podcast as well as live call in shows that are full of information sign up FOR FREE and download podcast FOR FREE and you can hear a variety of opinions and facts from many people that are in the preparedness community.

There are a bunch of others I haven’t listed that provide useful information instead of littering the Prepping community with garbage that they deem useful as long as there is a kick back to them!

I have not taken pleasure in calling out a prepping site for its uselessness because people have their own opinions about what is useful and mine is not always perfect (I know Right?) . I just get furious when we the Prepping Community have to endure this plague we have been inundated with as of late.

I have used one particular site to show the progression that these types of sites use. Fear mongering and preying on the new Preppers is their means to a greedy end regardless the damage they inflict. Preppers should look out for the sites that serve their own ends rather than the good of the community of knowledge seekers. I only used this site as my example because I believed this site to be honorable and after many attempts to contact the creator to return to being relevant. The only reply I got from the sites creator was another solicitation to join another paid membership society created by the same person.

Again, I do not enjoy calling anybody out for being less than is expected of them but our motto at the Pirates Republic is “Evil flourishes when good men do nothing” and silence is nothing. Thank you for allowing me to rant. I am going sit down and have some milk and cookies and read another article from the American Preppers network it seems that Wolverine (Go Irish) and the Idaho Prepper just posted again.
Signed

The GRUMPY Dawg
AKA Salty Dawg
The Pirates Republic.com

3 part lesson

Phase 2

Physical Preparation

This phase is in my opinion is where the wheat gets separated from the chaff because in the cerebral phase although you have to think there are many things that can help you. In the Cerebral phase many people get mired down by paralyzation through analization in which I will be writting about soon. however, getting beyond the Thought process we get to the Action. In the Physical Preperation phase you have to actually do something! There are not magical Prepping fairies to bippidy boppidy boo your Prepping heaven into existence nor can you just will It into being. Much like Noah and a few supporters, you are on your own kid.

You can reach out to the other like minded people within the prepping community to lend a hand and you will reciprocate I am sure! Use the community for help but for the most part you are going to have to actually physically do something and that my friends is where the “Sheep” shine!!!! The Sheople will be glad to stand by and watch. They will be anti-encouraging telling you there is no sense in what you are doing and it is an exercise in futility. If the big boom happens they would just as soon go out with the bang. The Pirates Republic call them the Sheople or Naysayers. The very same Sheep that will come knocking at your door for a handout at the first sign of any trouble or anything that will rock their little worlds they will look to you to set it upright.

Physical Prepping is the place where you will put into action your thoughts. Once you have cleared the cobb webs from head with the onslaught of advice from the “experts”. You will finally settle down and start processing the vast amounts of information and start working on a plan. a plan of what and who you are prepping for. Think about where you are going and what you need to get there. Remember you are building on the cerebral phase using it as a foundation for the next phase. The first thing Pepper’s have to do to begin the next phase of physical is develop a plan. This plan will be the starting point of your roadmap. Even though you will and should put a lot of conceptual thought into your plan, you will undoubtably make mistakes! Everyone does so dont be discouraged just keep moving forward with the absolute certainty in what you are doing, not arrogant just certainty and with purpose.

(Can you see how you transition from just thinking it into doing it, using one phase of the process to prop up the next. You will get stronger in your resolve. )

Your Plan will be and should be revisited often to revise the functionality of your plan. As your situations change so shall the plan. For example if you add members to your family then the plan should change accordingly. You start branching out into the Prepper network so shall the plan change as outlined in an article titled “assets to your inventory”. This may sound like something rather difficult and you may at this point want to retreat back to the Cerebral phase to gather your thoughts, go ahead we can wait……………tick tock, tick tock……

Okay now for the reality check. The making of the plan is actually easier than it sounds. There are a ton of resources out in cyber land that is at your disposal. I suggest you take advantage of these resources. Not all Resources have a fee attached to them; in fact there is a ton of good quality information out there that the only cost associated with them is your time. We offer many a mate council and opinions just for the asking.

I suppose for some it does comes down to time if you want to put in the effort to develop your own plan through the research and advice of trusted people then the rewards are many and the knowledge is a valuable.

There are many plans out there that will guide you through the processes. There are “72 hour kits”, “Every Day Carry Bags”, “get out of dodge bags”, “Bug Out Bags” and “Get Home Bags” which I believe are the same but I guess it helps people sell more bags. There are gardening and storage devices products. We have Gun dealers and ammo suppliers, Clothing manufactures and of course Bag makers. There are people everywhere, some trying to pontificate and just selling fear. However, There are trustworthy merchants actually trying to help and provide a service and trying to make a living at it.

People write Magazines and Ezines and you can buy subscriptions to this and that. Stores are popping up all over the internet as well as your local towns. Apparently Prepping is the new trend for now. For some of us we have been doing this most of our lives we just didn’t know it was cool and trendy until now. I wonder if Barbara Mandrell will right a “Peanuts in my Coke” song for us? it could go like this …I put dehydrated food in my potable water………hmmmm, maybe not, i think it has a good beat but you just cant dance to it. Well not to worry we will still be here after the new labels and the trendy crapola has faded, in fact we will probably be the ones they sell their “never been used” survival items at a ridiculously (everything must go) fire sale prices.

There are many plans that will suffice for your needs but remember all survival is based on shelter, food and water. First satisfy these immediate needs and you are moving in the right direction. Yes I said FOOD, you have to eat, WATER, you have to drink and SHELTER, you have to have a place to store your items as well as rest your little head, correct?

Making a plan can be fun, No really it can be fun. You should involve all the members that the plan will effect because they may have specific concerns that you may not immediately think about.

Guys do not think of all the necessary items that women may need likewise women may underestimate the necessity of a three stooges DVD (the complete collection of course) for the emotional well being of everyone. Laughter for all I say! Therefore let it be so!

yuk, yuk, yuk!

Hey MO,

why I oughta.

I know the dooms day folks are going to trash me and say “Well what if there is no electricity then what now funny guy”? My retort is you should have a power backup such as a solar charging station and a 12 volt T. V. complete with a built in DVD player which happens to fall under the necessities of any RV camper. Besides even if you choose not to have this type of back up then at least the covers are funny to look at and just think of the countless hours of you trying to explain to the women why you think the stooges are funny, yes hours of entertainment to be had by all.

Back to the plan! There should be a master plan that is broke down into several smaller “direct issue” type of plans. It’s a little thing we like to call the “what if, then, else” game. For all you computer geeks out there stop chuckling. Here’s how it goes take a scenario and play it through to fruition. For example in our area we are prone to tornado’s which always cause quite a stir (pardon the pun) but, we can start with that scenario What if a tornado was coming straight at us? Then we will do? Else we will do?

This formula can be used to process any and all situations as well as program computers. What if an earthquake was to occur? Then we will do? (If that solution is not available) Else we will do? If we were caught in a wild fire, then we will do? Else we will do? Now taking it through to fruition what if the world collapsed as we know it? Then we will do? Else we will do? Sorry to get apocalyptic however I did mention it would work in every scenario.

This is a game that is meant to offer positive solution to negative scenarios.

The outcomes should be positive ones that are used to teach and reinforce the positive solutions that have been thought out in advance of the scenarios being played out in real life. If you need help making a plan please ask someone you may trust rather than just throwing your hands in the air and giving up.

If you question your solutions then by all means run them by a trusted source and get feedback that is why the Prepping community is important. The Pirates Republic helps people with their plans and you should do this as well. This is what a community is supposed to do!

I know there is a thirst for the knowledge and you just need to find the trusted sources to assist you on your quest and believe me when I say I strive to learn new things everyday and I believe everyone has the capability to teach me something. Those who have chosen to move past the ability to learn have already died they just haven’t been made aware.

We can help each other with our plans then we can learn and grow together. Then maybe we can get our own TV show and parade around barefoot in the swamps and sell ourselves as survival experts or maybe not! Oh well it puts me right on track with the next phase namely Actual SURVIVAL.

My Beautiful and lovely Bride asked me to lay off the Rum References for ye land lubbers not knowing I be a teaser. so Where’s me milk it’s closing time?

I have never claimed to be an expert, just experienced. so as always if you have inquires or positive comments then drop us a scribe at saltydawg@thepiraatesrepublic.com

Salty Dawg

there need be a captain in thar somewhere Mate!

I thought I would share a few things that I have learned over the years about grocery shopping.  I am sure that many of these you have heard before.  There is a reason for that though.  They work!  With food prices skyrocketing it has become even more important to make you dollar stretch.  And for those of us who are working on our food storage it means that the more we can save in one area, the more we can prep in another!

I like to keep a running list of the things I use.  Mine is on my fridge. A friend of mine keeps her’s inside her pantry door with a pen attached to it so she can jot it down as she takes it out of the cupboard.   When you remove something from your pantry write it down so you will remember to replace it.  And always remember to rotate your groceries.  This makes sure you don’t end up with wasted food. There is nothing worse than having to toss out something that you could have used if you had just rotated it in your pantry!

*** Check out the weekly ads in your area BEFORE you go shopping and use it to help with making your list.  Once you get your pantry stocked up you can use this “tip” to help you prep and save money while you are doing it.  The idea is to try and NEVER buy anything that isn’t on sale or doesn’t have the best bang for the buck so to speak.

*** Always shop with a list

*** If you have to veer off the list… make sure it is because you have found a REAL bargain.  Try and give yourself a little “leeway” just in case you find one of those Unadvertised Specials.  Don’t make a habit of it but always try to be aware of these specials and jump on them if you find yourself a good bargain!

*** Use coupons. You CAN save alot of money using coupons.  There are tons of websites dedicated to couponing.  Check them out and do a little homework. Check out stores that offer double and triple coupons.  Don’t buy things that you will not use or that you don’t need.  Remember:  Eat what you Store and Store what you Eat.

*** Never shop when you are hungry.  There is no better way for me to load up on “crap” than when I go to the store with the munchies.  All the sudden everything looks good!

*** Try to shop alone.  Think about it.  When you take the kids or even the significant other how often do you find yourself buying things you had NO intention of getting when you walked in the store?

*** Check out the store brands.  Not always, but more often than not, the store brands are just as good and usually less expensive.  If you try the product and don’t like it, most stores will refund you your money. They want your business and want you to come back.   I have actually taken back the label of an empty can of soup once that I thought was disgusting.   They gave me my $ back!  OK I know this one isn’t a tip for the faint of heart but hey ….if you are cheap….er frugal…

*** Compare unit prices.  I have found this to be really really helpful.  Most all stores show the price per ounce. Lot’s of times what you “thought” was a good deal really isn’t at all. Compare the per ounce costs of each item.  You would be surprised at how many times “bigger is not always better”.

*** Buying in bulk can save money.  Be careful with this one though.  I have found lately that some smaller sizes are actually less expensive than buying in bulk.  This is where watching your “unit” prices comes in handy.

*** When you are checking out ALWAYS watch the scanner.  I’ve caught mistakes over and over again because items didn’t ring up correctly at the checkout.  Why spend all that time trying to save money just to have them not ring it up correctly?  Don’t be shy about letting them know.

*** Watch for marked down items.  You can save huge money.  I try to go earlier in the day to catch marked down items. Always check what I like to call “the bargain buggy” This is where you can pick up some great deals on “dented” and discontinued items. When a package is torn or squashed they will mark the item down as well. 

*** I also find some excellent deals in the meat department like this.  Since I either use what I have bought the same day or freeze it that same day this works well for me.  I once found sliced cheese (24 oz package) marked down to $0.75 each. And yes it was “real” cheese. I bought all 15 packages and put them up in the freezer.

*** When you find something that you use regularly on sale – Stock up and buy as much as you can afford to. You know you will be using it later on and prices are rising fast these days.  Store what you eat and eat what you store.

*** If the store is out of your “sale” item always ask for a raincheck.  They usually ask how many you want at that price.  I ALWAYS tell them I want the maximum number allowed if it has a limit.  When you redeem the coupon you don’t have to buy that amount but if you can afford it and want to you still have that option.  While you are waiting for them to restock that item you can also start looking for coupons for it.  That way when it does come in, you can save even more.

*** Sign up for the “Store Card”  This can save you money that you didn’t even know about.  If you are reluctant to give up your information to them do what I do.  Make up some BS information.  They NEVER check the information anyway. And if they do, so what? What are they going to do?  Call the grocery cops on you? 

*** Remember that a sale is not always necessarily a sale. Many times a store will try to push something that has been overstocked and will just put it on an end-cap to get your attention.

*** Stay away from convenience foods.  You can make most of the same things at home for half the price. (I should  do a whole post on this one!)

*** Avoid last minute  impulse items.  They put all that stuff next to the check-out counter to try and get you to make unnecessary purchases.  Keep your hands to yourself in the check-out lane!

These are just a few suggestions.  I am sure there are MANY more.  But following just a few basic guidelines can help you save lots of money and help your food storage to grow and grow.
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