Here a few of my favorite things:
I listen, read, research a LOT of stuff about Prepping and Survival. I don’t remember everything.. but some things stick because they just make plain good sense. And I’d like to share them with you. Check back often; I add to this list pretty frequently.
#1. Night Colors
Navy Blue is harder to see at night than black. Actual black stands out in evening, or night light as a “void” of color, making whomever wearing it actually more conspicuous than wearers of dark blue. I consider myself pretty fortunate to drive a Midnight Blue half ton truck! I guess if I had to hide out in it somewhere that wasn’t entirely secure, I’ll take every advantage I can.
#2. Walk on the Dark Side
Walking in the dark… not a lot of people actually do this. Try it in your house at night… just stop reaching for the light. I promise you, you will be surprised at how hard this is to do. Yes, you will stumble around like a putz, reaching out blindly in front of you and patting walls… but learn. It’s a small achievement, but enough to make you feel like a Bad-ass. Get to know your home’s layout… It’ll give you a HUGE advantage over the Bad Guy that breaks in during the night.
Once you feel secure in doing that, graduate yourself up trying it outside. Lately I’ve started walking my dog on our neighborhood walking trails at night. Obviously this depends on how secure you feel in your neighborhood. Seeing outside in the dark is actually quite difficult for some people. Your eyes need to train themselves to look at things from a different perspective… like looking right AT a target you wont see it… but if you focus your eye a few feet from it.. it pops right out at you. And let me tell you… it gives you a WHOLE new appreciation for moonlight. If it’s icy in your area, get those cleat things that strap onto your shoes. (And if you bring Fido, do bring a flashlight so you can find his poop.)
#. Hide Stuff in Plain Sight
Put your food stashes in Rubbermaid tote bins, or plain cardboard boxes, and mark them like stuff you keep in storage; Christmas Decorations, Grandpa’s Stuff, Kids Toys, whatever. They’ll think Grandpa is dearly departed, and the kids are grown. It’s the old Hide in Plain Sight trick, and quite brilliant, actually. One caveat though, for us Canadians. A good chunk of my storage space is in my unheated garage. So the only preps that I can store out there are freeze dried or some other type of food that can be frozen solid for 3 months of the year, and suffer no harm from being thawed again.