Prudent Prepping: Semi-Monthly Round up

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping.

Another of my occasional posts,where I collect bits and pieces of ideas that I can't turn into a separate post, or follow-up on things already done.

Fire Starter Add-Ons
Last week's post talked about Sparkies as a secondary or backup means to make a fire. I admitted to not having a backup in my stored equipment, only waterproof matches. Going forward, I will be adding Sparkies to my Buckets of Holding, along with extra tinder which I had forgotten to add. I will be saving dryer lint, placing it into baggies and stuffing that inside the toilet paper rolls in the buckets.

There are some crazy videos of really elaborate tinder styles, like this one of Vaseline-soaked cotton balls placed into plastic straws, to me the time and effort involved seems to be too much for the end result. I don't know anyone who has done this, but would like to hear from anyone who has and what their opinion is of the process.

Get Home Bag, pt. Again

Fog

I posted this picture to the Blue Collar Prepping Facebook page as a semi-follow-up to my last Get Home Bag post and as a refresher to those who assume California is all warm waves, sandy beaches and palm trees. That is Southern California; I live in the north, where we have Alaska water. Working two miles from the ocean means there is fog most mornings, all year long. It is at least not freezing in the summer, but even chilly and damp will be uncomfortable if you don't have proper clothing. The linked post shows a rainy day. In this picture, it's just foggy, cold and 55° F, even though where I live it's sunny and 100° F.

I mentioned having a sweater and poncho in my gear, and a Loyal Reader wanted to know what the sweater was made of. It's wool, which (besides some synthetics) is a very good fiber for keeping a body warm, even while wet. One of the classic (and I think best) books on outdoor basics from a climbing point of view is Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. I happen to own both an early edition and one published in the 1990's. One thing that has not changed are the various editors' beliefs that "Cotton Kills" in a survival setting. That's why I wear a standard sweatshirt over my company Polo when I make my sales calls, but have proper gear close by.

The Takeaway

• There is always something new to learn or explain to someone else. 
• Have the correct gear for your situation, even if it sounds odd to others, since only you know your circumstances best... but you should also know why you have what's in your bag. 

The Recap

• Nothing was purchased this week, but if anyone is interested in an outstanding book on mountaineering, I recommend Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, the 50th Anniversary edition: $20.06 from Amazon.

If you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running!

If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.