Warm Wrists and Hands while still doing your work...

Another new item which has come in for testing... though perhaps a bit late in the season for a full test. Ex-British Army Woolen Wristlets. 

These have been issued since at least WW2 and have been worn by civilians since long before then. They do a great job keeping the wrists and back of the hand warm, where the blood vessels are closest to the surface, while at the same time keeping the fingers and palm of the hands free to perform any tasks needed. Highly recommended!

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Staying Warm with Base Layers...

This is a recent find I've just had a chance to check out. The British Army Extreme Cold Weather Field Shirt aka the Norgie. 

Developed as a field shirt for the Norwegian Army and first brought to the attention of Royal Marines training there, it was made part of the British Army issue about 1990. Made of 100% knitted cotton with a plush terry loop pile lining, it has a quarter zip with a collar similar in style to a turtleneck when fully zipped. Warmest when the collar is fully zipped and worn folded down, it can also be worn as shown if needed to cool down. Said to be not very good to wear if it gets wet, it is perfect worn with just a heavy wool sweater in temps down to freezing.

Could not pass this up online as part of a 5 for $18 deal! Well worth the money at that price!

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Packing Your "Grab and Go" Bag...

I thought it might be a good idea to post what the building in which I work recommends for an Emergency Bag for everyone who works here:


Recommended personal emergency "Grab and Go" kit
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Small tote bag, fanny pack, backpack, soft-sided briefcase or whatever holds the contents of your kit. It is recommended that you not use plastic bags or cardboard boxes to hold your emergency supplies since these can break open if dropped.

Water - Prepackaged emergency water with 5-year shelf life or bottled water. One to two quarts should be sufficient since the anticipated event duration will be hours, not days. However, since you have no idea how long your return trip home could be, this amount may not be enough during the summer months. Another thing to remember is not to throw away your empties on the way home. You may need to refill them. If you are considering prepackaged water in pouches or boxes be sure to protect them. These packages can leak if not stored properly.

Non-perishable foil wrapped food such as snack or high protein bars that are light and easy to carry. You can also buy prepackaged bars with a 5-year shelf life. These bars are high calorie and do not promote thirst. Regardless of what you choose, keeping them in plastic bags or containers helps to reduce the risk of rodent and insect intrusion.

Three day supply of medicines - While everything else on this list is based on the short term, we recommend a 3-day supply of medications, just in case you cannot make it home and end up staying at a friend's house or hotel. Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription medications. Be sure they are stored to meet instructions on the label and be mindful of expiration dates. It would also be a good idea to have the pharmaceutical name written down inside your kit just in case you cannot remember the exact name or you need medical care.

Small battery operated or solar radio - You may need to walk and not have any way of getting up-to-date information.

Small flashlight.

Extra batteries for your radio and flashlight. If possible buy a radio and flashlight that use the same size batteries so you only have to buy one size and can interchange if you have to.

Light/glow stick (2) to pin to your clothes or carry in case you have to walk in the dark.

Small pocket knife or multi-tool - While you may not know how to use all the tools, it is a good bet someone else will. Any knife or multi tool blade must be under 2½inches in length to comply with prohibitions concerning the possession of weapons in Federal facilities.

Personal toiletries, including toothbrush, non-water hand cleaner, eye drops, etc.

Comfortable clothes, sturdy shoes, socks, and hat for the season in case you have to walk. These items don't need to be in your kit.

N95 paper mask (2) - These masks are small, light weight and inexpensive. They provide added protection from particulate matter (dust) that may be generated in an explosion.

A pen and small note/phone book with the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of your family, friends and neighbors. While many people carry cell phones and electronic note pads, a hard copy back up never hurts and can take a lot of abuse.

Rain poncho

Blanket

Small first aid kit

Area map

Metal whistle that can be worn around the wrist or neck that can be blown to attract attention if you are trapped or unable to move.

Cash, $50, in small denominations to buy food and gas in case you are unable to use your credit or debit cards. Keep this on your person not in your kit.

Remember, an emergency kit is only intended to meet basic needs, and you are the best judge of what your needs are.

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And Now You Have to Carry It All Home...

One of my major considerations for getting home, the 40 miles I need to in an emergency on foot, was having something capable of carrying the things I would need for that potentially very long walk home. I basically would need things to sustain me in extreme weather for up to 24 hours.

This bag would need to be kept in the trunk of my car and used anywhere I go, providing me some level of comfort for 24 hours in any weather. 

For this task I've chosen the British Rucksack Side Pouch with the Rucksack Side Yoke. A number of years ago, these were available from Sportsman's Guide, though now you would have to look on eBay to find them, most likely eBay.co.uk. 

Developed in the 1980s as part of the Personal Load Carrying Equipment (PLCE) each side pouch can carry 10 liters. These can be used individually or in pairs to form a daysack and can be attached to the sides of the 100 liter bergen (rucksack).

The PLCE Webbing is made from double-layered 1000 Denier internally rubberised Cordura nylon, an incredibly hard wearing fabric. Olive Green webbing was initially used, though it was later replaced with a camouflage pattern webbing. I personally paid the bit extra to get the Olive Green as it looked less militaristic.

Once my entire kit is assembled, I will test this out on a weekend outing to make sure I have packed everything I need for 24 hours and to make sure the weight is bearable and the contents practical and functional.

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Warm Hands Even in the Coldest Weather...

This year we were hit with low temperatures we had not seen in 20 years. My wool gloves only would handle temperatures down to about 32 Fahrenheit. It was time to do something when I was dealing with temperatures just above 0 Fahrenheit, and this was the solution I found. 

These mittens have a lining which can be pulled out to allow them to dry out should they get wet. They kept my hands warm in those low temperatures, the only gloves I found which could handle those low temperatures, but then again they were designed for the arctic. 

I picked these up for only $15. Tested and approved!

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Keeping Hot Drinks Hot and Cold Drinks Cold...

An interesting little bit of kit I've found. The British Army calls this a Thermal Insulated Mug. 

It holds 330ml of food or beverage and fits neatly into the standard British magazine pouch, giving civilian use for an specifically military pouch. It was introduced into service in December 2005 and weighs 0.26kg. It will keep contents hot for up to 8 hours and cold for 18 hours and has a secure "leak proof" screw top lid with a lid compartment for sugar, coffee, tea bags, etc.

I had a chance to take this out during a very cold and rainy afternoon filled with hot tea. I had two of these with me and they did the trick providing me with the hot beverage I needed to cope with the miserable weather that day.

They are about the size of a can of coke or a bottle of water, so they take up very little room and can fit just about anywhere. The wide mouth makes drinking easy and would also make it easy for soup or any other hot food you might want to carry in them.

I found these on eBay.co.uk through the seller elecTech Stores. They offered great service.
Highly recommended!

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And So We Shall Begin...

I decided to create this blog after I began to think about my own personal plans to deal with Emergency Preparedness. With Ice/Snow storms causing friends of mine to have a normal commute turn into a 12 1/2 hour slog or Hurricanes causing the loss of power for several days, I began to look into my own personal preparedness for such events.

My own goal is based on the extremes, to be able to survive without food or water for 72 hours without water or electricity in temperatures as low as 0 Fahrenheit and as high as 120 Fahrenheit, and with winds as high as 25-35 miles per hour.

As I live nearly 40 miles from where I work, this also could mean a "hike" home of 40 miles or sheltering in place at work for an over night.

Solutions needed to be durable, practical, and exclusively assigned to emergency preparedness so that they would always be ready. Ideally they would be things which I already had on hand, but if not, they would be inexpensive solutions to my preparedness plans.

I am a bit of an Anglophile, so with that in mind, set out to find British surplus military solutions to my emergency preparedness plans, with items found at low cost from companies like Sportsman's Guide or on eBay and/or recommended on Wilderness Survival or Bushcraft Forums online. Of course I could look at American military surplus, but I did not desire to be confused with American military and other military surplus wouldn't serve my Anglophilic tendencies.

I hope the information found here is of use to others and that I shall never have a need to use any of it for any reason. But if I do, it will be ready for use and allow me to be as comfortable as I could be, even in extreme weather conditions.

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