Most men are so busy prepping that they forget about their better half. (I'm talking about the ladies!)
We can change that!!
My name is Deb. J. I am ex-military and ex-policewoman.
Today, we discuss the female side of prepping.
For beginners, we will start with the basics…
Have you ever considered that there is a good chance that your male counterpart may not be with you when it hits the fan!
You can help yourself by learning your own techniques for survival.
Let's get started!
The Pack.
Pick a very durable, light weight pack. As color fashion won't be an issue, try to pick a color that blends into your area. You do not want to stand out this time!
Weight of the empty pack should be 4-6 pounds best. You will want plenty of pockets for special needs. (No! Not your brush or make-up! Those monthly needed items.)
Just remember, everything in your pack could be used as a weapon or to get you out of a jam. Also think about the clothes you pack. Try not to dress in anything that will attract a man. No need for making a target out of yourself..
Remember, you could be carrying this for miles and over some rough country, so get a good fit and don't pick a cheap or designer bag….
Now, let's talk about rope;
Rope is very important to have in your pack.
It could save your life.
Here are just a few ways rope could be used:
1) for rappelling over an obstacle.
2) tying items together
3) attaching items for security.
4) making a trip line.
5) making a hand grip
6) hanging your food
There are hundreds of uses for a good, strong cordage.
Parachute cord/rope is one of the best available.
Rope can even be used to cover your trail, hide parts of your gear, and even provide a place to sleep….
Let me elaborate on that a little:
You can use rope to hang your food-so critters won't get it.
Just hanging in a tree is not enough. Look on the ground and about the area. Animals leave signs.
Look for disturbed nut shells, or rubs (marks) on the trunk of tree.
Look for disturbed soil, broken branches, even over turned leaves.You are not just looking for bears. Squirrels can chew on your rope, even birds can try to get your hang.
It is very important that your hang is odor free or odor disguised. Hang all provisions in a heavy bag. Make sure all provisions inside should be wrapped individually, in packaging.that conceals odor…
That's all for now but keep checking back, there will be more “tips for gals ” coming soon.
Thanks. It’s nice to have a female perspective on this subject. This is off-topic to your current post, but I’m new to prepping/survivalism and I wondered if there are others like me who, for various reasons, have no plans to bug out because they have nowhere to go. Our family lives in a ground floor apt. (with many windows) as my husband is a superintendent of the building –and although we have a retirement home (about 10 yrs. away from that scenario), it’s about 2,000 miles away. In an extreme situation our only option would be to try and shelter in place. Can anyone suggest the basics of what we would need to try and survive (and possibly fend off roaming hordes)? We live in the tri-state area (NY/CT/NJ) and saw what happened (no food, water, electricity or gas, & the breakdown of civility) in less than 24 hours after a major storm here. Thank you!
Hey! Lots of people are in your position. Please keep reading Survival life. As long as Joe lets me, I will continue to give knowledgeable information that can be used ion several different areas of bugging in and out. Watch for my next article. I believe it will come in handy . Thanks for your question. Keep them coming.
AND thanks to Darlene Kay for responding.
See you soon.
Dr. D. J. Taylor
First thing that comes to mind for you Paula is canned food that doesn’t need heating. Remember the people power can opener too. Doesn’t matter if you have a way to heat your food or not, the smell of cooking will attract attention. Is there a vacant upstairs apartment? Or better yet someone upstairs you can trust? You need to be off the ground floor but water storage that is quickly moved will be a challenge, better to have several 55 gal stored in an upstairs apartment. Aluminum foil and duct tape for your windows, blocks out any light from candles (non-scented) etc upstairs or not. Don’t forget to seal any cracks around your doors. Not to be a buzz kill but the odds of surviving in the city for any extended length of time will be more luck than anything. Personal protection is all well and good. I own enough to keep me safe for awhile, but if you can’t keep on the move you need to be aware that any bodies need to be buried quickly. I myself don’t relish the thought of a rotting corpse outside my window. Think lime.
Look dirty and sick if you have to go out. Some dark circles under your eyes and sunken cheeks. Don’t bath or use deodorant. Don’t change your clothes. Think homeless person who dresses in many layers.
And try to keep in mind that survival isn’t pretty. You are surviving until you can live again that’s all.
If you have $ you can do better than what I have wrote here but these are some cheap basics. Good luck. 🙂
Hey Darlene, thanks. You gave us some good tips. Since leaving isn’t really an option, we’re thinking more of self-defense strategies and making our apt. look uninhabited. I was thinking of 3/4 ” plywood that we could have pre-cut, and put up in a hurry over the windows. Ideally, 1 or 2 would have select knot holes for seeing outside. Our main entry door is steel with a 2ft. square window in it. Great security, right? Someone can just break the glass, reach in & turn the doorknob. I thought a metal grill on it might prevent that. We do own handguns, but are complete amateurs! In order to move upstairs, we’d have to take over another apt. after someone had left. We’re stocking up on (canned) food (per your suggestion) & water. It’s nerve-wracking to feel so vulnerable & unable to leave, but if we go we’ll just be wandering aimlessly so actually feel safer here. 🙂 Thanks again for your reply.
We’re just the opposite, Tomas! Took hubby camping for the first time and have brought him around to BOBs and preparedness (although I do most of the planning!). I grew up hiking and camping and just taught him how to patch sheetrock. I do appreciate the female-centric viewpoint and I’m looking forward to most posts!