op40k, Author at Bug Out With Dannelle

How to Protect Your Home from Intruders

How to Protect Your Home from Intruders? The best way to protect what you have is not to let anyone know that you have it. If everyone in your area understands that your home has medicine and supplies, they’re going to make a run on it.

Be quiet about what you have. No one outside your home should know what’s in there. Be careful about letting little children know what’s in the house. They tend to be a bit more open and will blurt things out faster than adults will – even to perfect strangers.

How to Protect Your Home from Intruders Who Want to Steal Your Medication and Supplies

Amid a full-blown pandemic, if everything is in chaos, those who want to rob and loot are going to go from home to home looking for what they need as well as valuables.

Fortify the Building

Make your home as difficult as possible to get into. Re-enforce all the doors and windows in your house. Use things like police locks and plywood to protect against glass being busted into.

Never make it easy for a possible intruder to enter your home. Sometimes people will leave things lying around outside that a thief can use to break in with. Get rid of any large rocks or bricks that can be used to smash into windows or through the wood.

How to Protect Your Home from Intruders with an ax in a chopping block

Don’t have garden tools where a thief can get to them to use them as a way to break in. Anything that can be used as a projectile should be out of sight. Walk around the perimeter of your house and look at it the way a thief would.

Test it Out

If you were one, how would you break into your home? Try to find the most accessible access points and make sure they’re not easy for a thief. Secure your garage door by bracing it from the inside.

Secure all Doors

We are talking about ALL doors – any possible way someone can try to enter your home.

Garage doors

You might not think that this is a big problem, but the door between your home and garage is usually a hollow core gem. THAT is easy to break through if you can get into the garage.

Sadly, that can be pretty easy to do.

People hunt often for unlocked car doors in order to steal garage door openers – in hopes that they can return later, when no cars are visible, and use that electronic key to enter your house through the garage.

They also know how to jimmy a garage door open with something as simple as a coat hanger and your garage door safety release!

You can place a long piece of steel through the slide that rides along with the brackets that open the door. That way, no matter how hard your thief tugs on the handle, the garage door will not give way.

Glass Sliding Doors

If you have sliding doors, thieves know how to pop these off the track and gain access to your house. To prevent this from happening, place a dowel rod or a piece of wood in the slider track that’s cut to exact measurements for that slot.

We have talked before about how to use those blocking bars, as well as installing shatterproof film and even about installing a security pin ... but check out this video on what a thief actually thinks:

“Breaking in is never the problem. You move fast, get in, hit it…and get out.”

Border Patrol

Looking at the world OUTSIDE of your doors, let’s see what you can do for increased security.

Fence it in

Having a fence around your home can help make would-be thieves want to move on because sometimes a fence can cause others to wonder if you have a dog or not.

Check for estimates with a few different companies and decide if chain link or wooden privacy fences are better for you.

We have a mix of both, but we also have a dog…

Find Fido

Having a dog can be an excellent way to keep intruders at bay – but you want to have a dog that looks like he means business.

It is OK to put up those Beware of Dog signs and leave a pile or two of poop where someone can see it – every bit helps!

Arm Yourself

The only thing I want to say about guns here – is that make sure you know how to use it and that you also know how to store them safely. We like these:

Secure It Gun Storage Accessories – Shelves, Door Organizers, Gun Wall Panels, Hand Gun Storage – Your One Stop Gun Storage Solution Shop Now

How to Protect Your Home from Intruders with a handgun

During times of pandemics, people can get pretty desperate to get their hands on supplies. Arming yourself and hiding supplies can mean life or death for you and your loved ones. It isn’t that hard when you know how to protect your home from intruders.

5 Books on Survival You Should Get Now

If you’re in a situation with a pandemic or other survival situation and you don’t feel prepared for it, you can stock up your house with books that will help you learn the necessary skills. At the very least, you’ll have tools that teach you even if you don’t have all of the supplies you’d like to have.

Our list of books on survival should make you a solid library for any future emergency.

Five Books on Survival You Should Order Before Your Internet Goes Out

I know we have talked about books to get before – but those were more of a Sci-Fi “what if” kind of book that took a lot of possible things into consideration. They opened the doors for family conversation and helped you make a list of possible things to brush up on and learn more about.

Make sure you check out what we said were great reads for preppers…even though today, we are talking about getting more “manual” type of books for your prepper library.

OUTDOOR LIFE – The Ultimate Survival Manual – 333 SKILLS That Will Get YOU Out Alive by Simon & Schuster

5 Books on Survival You Should Get Now skills book

If you want a reference book that helps you learn the skills you need when you need them, you can’t beat this definitive guide. It’s full of hundreds of skills, from building fires to searching for shelter to handling first aid situations. Get this book HERE.

The Survival Medicine Handbook: A guide for when help is NOT on the way by Joseph Alton

5 Books on Survival You Should Get Now medicine book

We’d all like to think we can call an ambulance or police officer to help us in times of need, but in a survival situation, you may only be able to count on yourself.

This guide is a gem that will help you treat all types of health problems from minor first aid to major chronic illness. This book won’t give you a medical degree, but it can help you to cope when there’s no expert by your side. You can get it HERE.

Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods by Thomas Elias and Peter Dykeman

5 Books on Survival You Should Get Now plant book

If you have to survive and you don’t have a garden already planted, this guide will help you to learn which plants you can eat and which ones you should stay away from. In a situation that requires you to forage for food, this field guide will give you the information you need. We found it HERE.

Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series) by Steve Solomon

Gardening is one of the best ways that you can learn to survive in a difficult situation. But if you have no experience gardening, it may seem very overwhelming. This book is a complete guide to gardening to help you get started. While you’re at it, you also need to begin ordering seeds as soon as you can. Check it out HERE. You also might want to check out our sister site www.TrytoGarden.com.

SurvivalNations – Surviving a Disease Pandemic (Survival-Survival Planning Book 1) by Dr. Leland Benton

All survival situations have specific needs – and a pandemic brings certain risks and needs for survival. This book explains how pandemics spread. It also tells you what you need to do to protect yourself, as well as your family, in the event of a worldwide disease outbreak. You can get it HERE.

If you liked these books on survival, check out our other ideas:

First Aid Items for Your Pandemic Survival Kit

The ready-made kits that you can buy at the store or online are packed with the essential items needed during a regular first aid emergency. They are not prepared for pandemics, so you’ll need to make sure that your kit has what will come in handy during a viral health situation like bird flu or Ebola. Your pandemic survival kit has to be properly stocked.

Every first aid kit should have at least the basics when you buy it – but you can build onto that kit by adding what it’s lacking. You can find some first aid kits that are made explicitly for pandemic use – or you can just create it yourself by adding items one or two at a time.

The Best Things to Have in Your First Aid Kit During a Pandemic

You want to start by making sure your kit has at least a week’s supply of the prescription medications that every family member uses regularly. Don’t forget to add medicines to treat allergic reactions since this can spring up without warning.

Your kit should also have a list of numbers that you can reach out to in case of an emergency. You’ll need a flashlight and fresh batteries in the kit. These items are necessities because you don’t want to try to administer first aid treatment to someone when you’re in the dark.

In the kit, you need sterile dressings that are big enough to cover large wounds. But you also want to have a hardy supply of bandages in assorted sizes. Plus, you’ll need medical tape to put on the dressings so they’ll stay in place.

Antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone ointment, and alcohol wipes are staples that should be in every kit. Pain medication should be the kit as well. You’ll want a thermal blanket to use to protect the injured from cold, to cover them from bad weather, or to wrap around them if they’re in shock from the injury.

Are you ready to give mouth to mouth?

You’ll want a lip protector in case you have to give CPR to someone. During a pandemic, you may not know if the person you’re treating is disease or virus-free, so you’ll need to protect yourself as you’re giving CPR.

For that same reason, you’ll need a supply of gloves, facemasks, biohazard bags, and a way to protect your clothing from being contaminated in your pandemic survival kit. There should be a pair of scissors in the kit that are strong enough to cut through clothing.

You’ll want to have a regular thermometer as well as a supply of disposable thermometers in the kit. If someone could have been exposed to the virus, they should have their own to use instead of sharing. Tweezers should also be in your kit.

You’ll need a supply of anti-diarrhea medicine to treat that ailment along with medications that can ease nausea. Don’t forget to plan for dental emergencies in your kit. Have a supply of topical gel to relieve toothaches.

You can find supplies that can help you temporarily pack a cavity to relieve pain, too. Most importantly, if you’re dealing with a disease where fevers are an issue, invest in fever reducers and items to help you keep hydration levels stable.

Hate piecing it all together yourself?

You are not alone – a lot of people would rather just buy a kit and be done with it. Our favorite place to shop? MediTac.

The best part? They have a FREE SHIPPING offer going on right now for all orders over $50.

Dangerous Side Effects of Supplements

Claims that certain supplements can cure anything and keep you healthy and wise have boosted the vitamin business to billions of dollars per year. Most people today want to stay young and avoid diseases and have bought into the idea of supplements to enhance their health. Side effects of supplements aren’t something they often think much about.

Side effects of supplements article cover image

Health food stores in America abound with shelves laden with goods that promise miracles for your health. But there are certain dangers involved in surreptitiously ingesting vitamin supplements. Some risk occurs if you’re taking other medications that the supplements might have an adverse reaction to.

The Dangers of Vitamin Supplements

Some people think that “natural” is safe, but that isn’t always true. Some supplements that might endanger your health are:

Weight loss supplements that contain “theophylline.” Theophylline is taken from a black tea extract and bitter orange. It’s sometimes prescribed for asthma but can cause seizures and irregular heartbeat.
Aristolochia. An herb supplement that sometimes causes cancer or kidney failure.
Bitter orange. This is a weight loss supplement that may cause seizures.
Kava. It can be the source of liver failure.
Pennyroyal. An herb that has been linked to nerve damage and liver and kidney failure.
Comfrey. An herb that sometimes causes liver damage.
Lobelia. An herb that can cause tremors, dizziness, breathing difficulties, and low blood pressure.
Androstenedione. It can increase cancer risk and decrease good HDL cholesterol.

Despite possible side effects, there are many instances when supplements are effective. For example, if you’re a vegetarian, senior citizen, or a woman who’s menopausal or post-menopausal, you may not get all the vitamins you need.

Dangerous Side Effects of Supplements hand full of vitamins

People on a severe diet plan, smokers, heavy drinkers, and pregnant women may also need extra vitamins to supplement their diets because many vitamins are difficult to absorb. Gastric surgery people have a list that their doctors recommend for them.

It’s always best to consult a health professional if you suspect that your body needs dietary supplements. Also, check with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to see if there are current bans on a particular supplement. The side effects of supplements can be serious if you don’t know what to look for.

Why We Love the Lifestraw Prepper Water Filter

It’s common knowledge that you can’t survive long without water. Usually, having a clean water supply isn’t a big deal. Most people have access to plenty of it. Yet, it’s those times of emergency and those times where you’re away from a clean source of water that can have a significant impact on your life. That is why we wanted to test the Lifestraw Prepper Water Filter.

If there’s a situation where the only water you have to drink may be contaminated with bacteria, you could be in trouble. You’d be forced to take a chance and drink it anywhere, opening yourself up to some severe health risks.

People need water to survive and oddly enough, the human body is made up of about 75% water. On average, a human will lose approximately a half-gallon of water each day through urination and perspiration. This amount increases when you sweat due to excessive heat or activity. The fluids lost, simply must be replaced to maintain good health.

With this information, it is easy to understand why water is so crucial to survival. For this reason, it is a great idea to keep an extra stash of water on hand in case of an emergency.

Make finding water a priority

Even if you have some water with you in your survival kit, it is important to locate water quickly if you are stranded for a period of time out in the wilderness. Depending on the length of the situation, you may need more water to drink. It is never too early to plan ahead and search for water.

Adults can survive for several weeks without food but will last only days without water. When fluids that are lost are not replaced, dehydration occurs. Symptoms of dehydration include weakness and loss of mental capacity. Dehydration can not only be serious, but fatal. Finding water is crucial for outdoor survival. This is a skill that must be learned in order to survive.

Find water before food

Often, people make the mistake of searching for food before they give much consideration to locating safe water for drinking. Never wait until you are out of water to decide it is time to look for something to drink.

Finding water can be tricky and takes time. Furthermore, water must be made safe to drink. This task also uses up your valuable time. Keep in mind, that your body is continuously losing water that must be replaced.

While you look for water, it is important to avoid dehydration. To prevent water loss, stay cool. Rest whenever possible. Overexertion will only add to the amount of water your body is losing. Find shade and avoid direct sunlight. Avoid alcohol and fatty foods. This simply wastes the water your body has on hand.

Water needs to be potable

Know That all water is not the same. Although the body needs water to survive, unhealthy drinking water can have serious problems associated with it. Learn about what types of water are considered safe and dangerous. Learning how to properly treat water is a life-saving skill for outdoor survival.

It is wise to make sure that your outdoor survival kit contains the tools you will need to treat water and make it suitable for consumption. You should know how to use the products in the event of an emergency.

Simply having the tools to purify water is not enough. It is imperative that you learn how to properly use these items to make the water safe to drink.

Lifestraw Personal Water Filter in a hand

One of the top tools we love that should be in every bug-out bag or medic kit: a Lifestraw.

Lifestraw Prepper Water Filter

Fortunately, there is a way that you can always be prepared. If you have a Lifestraw Personal Water Filter, you’ll never have to worry about being able to drink water.

It’s the perfect tool in the event of a crisis, and your survival is depending on water. One of the reasons that it’s such a perfect item to have around? The simple fact that it doesn’t take batteries in order to operate it. You will never have to worry about it not being usable. It also doesn’t have any parts that need to move for it to work, so you’ll never be caught with a water filter where the elements have worn out.

This Lifestraw is a great item to have on hand at home, as well as in your car. The filter is strong enough to keep out even the most robust bacteria. That means that you would have protection against nasty things like Giardia and Salmonella.

You also won’t have to worry about cryptosporidium or E-coli either. The filter is especially helpful when you’re going to an area that’s known to have problems with the safety of the water supply.

How Lifestraw Works

How to use a Lifestraw Personal Water Filter

The filter is lightweight and can fit into your pocket or backpack. Since it doesn’t require you to mix any chemicals, you don’t have to worry about being thirsty and having to wait to get something to drink.

You can insert the filter right into a body of water and drink as much as you want. Because it does the job so well, if you know you’re going to go out hiking or camping and you’ll be near water, you won’t have to load down your gear with bottles of water.

All you need to take to have something to drink is the filter. It can effectively eliminate 99.9999% of bacteria found in water. The EPA rating on this water filter is higher than the score needed to pass approval.

It’s simple to use, too. All you have to do is take the caps off the ends and put the bottom of the filter straw in the water source. As you drink through the straw, the membrane stops the bacteria from reaching your mouth and holds it there.

All you get is good, refreshing water. You’ll want to get one of these filters for every member of your family so that you are prepared in the event you’ll need them.

Best Supplements for Immune System : Vitamins to Look At

During stressful situations, your immune system will naturally become stressed, and this can make you more vulnerable to infection. It’s essential to stock up on vitamins that will help your immune system stay in tip-top shape. We came up with a list of the Best Supplements for Immune System stability and strength.

Best Supplements for Immune System article cover image of a hand holding pills

Let’s just look at vitamin C as it is commonly known for its immune-boosting effects. Keeping a supply of it onhand can help you stave off illness. Whenever you got a cold or the flu, you may have heard your mom (and doctor) warn you to drink plenty of fluids and get extra vitamin C. That’s because this particular vitamin can help boost your immune system.

Stock Up on Vitamins to Boost Your Immune System

It’s preferable that instead of waiting until you’re already sick, you bulk up on vitamin C beforehand – to stave off any foreign invaders ahead of time. You can find vitamin C naturally in oranges and other citrus fruit.

Aside from boosting your body’s natural defense system, taking regular doses of vitamin C helps your body heal from minor cuts and wounds. Your tissues benefit from the intake of vitamin C as well, as do your teeth and gums.

This unique vitamin contributes to your absorption of other vitamins within your body, so a deficiency in vitamin C can have prohibited other nutrients from helping your health. Each organ needs specific vitamins to stay healthy and to function correctly. Vitamin C helps those other nutrients get carried out to the organs and tissues that need them most.

Best Supplements for Immune System : Vitamins to Look At citrus fruit for vitamin c

Your muscles need vitamin C to stay healthy and flexible, which can help lessen some of the pain you may suffer from now – or in the future. It helps your joint muscles retain their resiliency so that they can bend adequately with a good amount of pressure placed on them.

Vitamin C is also known to be an antioxidant, which helps eliminate free radicals within your body. This simply means that it can help prevent you from developing some types of cancer. Can you see how this made our list of the Best Supplements for Immune System yet?

It can also get rid of toxic byproducts that can be produced from fat metabolism.

Because of its ability to neutralize the toxic byproducts, vitamin C is now known to help prevent heart disease.

It promotes healthy blood flow, which can help fight against atherosclerosis. The healthier your heart is, the longer you may live! Vitamin C can be purchased in pill form that you can get from your local grocery store or as a supplement online.

You can also find it in oranges, strawberries, and cantaloupe. In vegetables, you can find it in tomatoes, broccoli, and cabbage. If you’re not into fruits and vegetables, then it’s recommended that you drink a glass of orange juice every day. Get your daily dose of vitamin C and give your body the boost it needs to stay healthy!

Best Supplements for Immune System variety of pills that work well together

Vitamin C, though, isn’t the only vitamin that will help you, and many scientists believe that vitamin C works in connection with other vitamins but isn’t as effective alone. It actually helps your body absorb iron better!

Why Iron Is Important for Your Health

An iron deficiency isn’t apparent to spot, but it can wreak havoc on your overall health, leaving you feeling sluggish and tired without an apparent explanation. Restless leg syndrome, anemia, dyspnea, and an odd disorder called pica are all a result of having a low iron count. We have to have it in our list of the Best Supplements for Immune System strength.

Restless leg syndrome causes uncomfortable feelings in your legs when you’re at rest and trying to sleep. It can cause insomnia because as you’re trying to fall into a slumber, your legs are still feeling like they need to get up and walk or move around.

Some people who suffer from this have reported that they experience involuntary movements with their legs when they’re at rest or an annoying tingling sensation that drives them to give up on getting rest, so they get up and move around to make it go away.

The restlessness they feel usually can only subside when they move their legs around to wear them out. Although the exact cause of restless leg syndrome isn’t known, those who suffer say that an increase in iron helped alleviate the problem.

Anemia is another condition that’s caused by an iron deficiency. Anemia is when iron levels are low for an extended period without relief, which makes red blood cell production ineffective. This disorder causes chronic fatigue and weakness for the person suffering from it.

It can also cause dyspnea, which is shortness of breath. The low iron levels cause oxygen not to flow freely, therefore sapping you of energy. You can also experience heart palpitations and increased sweat production, and it can even lead to heart failure if left untreated!

Pica is an odd disorder seen in people with a low iron count. Pica is a term used for those who crave unusual items that are considered not edible. Low iron causes your body to want iron. Sometimes, this can result in people eating paper, buttons, and chalk – and in some cases – soil!

Pica can result in other hazardous conditions that may result from eating unhealthy items. Eating soil, for example, can cause a person to contract bacteria or microscopic worms. This behavior can sometimes be treated simply by consuming extra iron.

Low iron can cause excessive bleeding in menstruating women or women who shouldn’t be menstruating at that time. The blood is thinned to the point that blood clotting becomes a little more complicated, and you could essentially lose other nutrients that your body needs.

If you think you’re low on iron, have your doctor run a simple blood test to find out if you’re anemic. You don’t want to take too much iron – just enough to get your levels back to a normal, healthy state. If you need to take it or want to stock up on it, we love THIS brand on Amazon.

More of the Best Supplements for Immune System Strength

Selenium is a mineral that’s been shown in studies to help boost the immune system and prevent disease.

Vitamin D is something your body naturally produces when it’s exposed to sunlight. But if you’re stuck indoors during a pandemic, you’ll likely need a supplement. Vitamin D supplements can be added to your storage to keep your immune system healthy and help you to fight illness.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps your body fight stress. It is especially helpful in increasing your body’s ability to produce antibodies when it comes into contact with a virus.

More of the Best Supplements for Immune System Strength

Zinc is a mineral that’s been found to help boost your immune system. Zinc is one you only need to begin taking if you feel that you’re becoming ill. It can help your body produce more white blood cells and shorten infection time.

Both vitamin B2 and vitamin B6 are known for improving the immune system’s ability to fight infection. Most vitamin B supplements contain both of these and additional forms of the vitamin as well.

Echinacea is an herbal formula that is a natural antiviral and antibiotic. Having this on hand is useful at the first sign that you’re ill. You don’t want to use this to prevent illness.

Much of your immunity lies within your gut through beneficial bacteria. Unfortunately, the antibacterial products and medications that are common can also cause you to have reduced resistance. Taking a daily probiotic can help you have a more robust immune system to fight off infections naturally.

Garlic is also a natural antibiotic and antiviral that helps to reduce inflammation in your body. Eating fresh garlic is the best, but you can store herbal supplements contain garlic in your emergency supplies.

You may get most of what you need by taking a multivitamin daily. Vitamins can help make up for any nutrition you’re missing from your daily diet. This is especially important if you primarily depend on canned foods for your meals in times of duress.