Top Survival Resources: Five Popular Stories and Subjects
After 20 years of training and writing about disaster preparedness, and with well over 500 articles now under my belt, I discover that some topics keep coming up again and again – in the news media, in questions people ask, and on the various internet sites and in specialty magazines that report on “survival trends.” Thanks to Google Analytics, we can also track which articles are most often viewed on our site, too. Here are our top survival resources!
Here are the 5 most popular topics on our site, with links that will take you immediately to more information.
Are you in the mainstream? Are these among YOUR favorite subjects? Check them out!
1. Emergency Radios and Radio Communications
If there is one topic that stands out, this is it. In fact, radios and radio communications are twice as popular as anything else we report on!
A radio for your personal survival kit.
Are you ready to buy an emergency radio for yourself or a family member? Check out our Updated Reviews of Emergency Radios with comments about solar, hand-crank, etc. We’ve added new info about some nifty, palm-sized radios that fit perfectly in a pack, glove box, etc. Most of the radios we discuss are found on Amazon, where prices are as good as they get, and buyer comments are very helpful in selecting the best fit for your needs.
Two-way radio communications for groups.
Interested in how to use walkie-talkie radios effectively for your group, whether it’s your family or a neighborhood response team? Then you need a way to not only listen, but also to speak.
We have used many different models, and review walkie-talkies here. EmergencyPlanGuide.org also has a number of Advisories on walkie-talkie use:
If you are serious about building a neighborhood group, each of the books in our Survival Series has a complete discussion and a diagram showing one way to use radio communications, how to assign channels for your different divisions and specialty teams, etc.
2. Emergency/Survival Kits
We know that some people simply don’t have time to actually build their own kit, so we start with a review of Popular Ready-Made Kits to be found on Amazon. The purpose of the review is not to recommend any one kit in particular, but to highlight different things to look for as you shop. (Again, please be aware that if you buy something from Amazon through one of our links, we may receive a commission from Amazon. The commission does not influence the price you pay.)
Because every person and family is unique, we recommend strongly that you build your own basic kit, and we have written a booklet to guide you through the various decisions that need to be made. Once you have the basic kit, add items that fit your climate, your skill and your interest level.
We have also discovered that most people continue to improve their kit by adding specialty items. Some of the most interesting additions:
3. Special Preparations for City Dwellers
Much of the “prepper” literature deals with developing skills that allow you to survive by living off the land. For urban or suburban dwellers, particularly people living in apartments or condos, these survival skills need to be adjusted to the realities of the city.
Some of the top survival resources for city dwellers:
4. Emergency Water Supplies
We probably spend more of our time on water than on anything else (even though, as reported above, website visitors seem to prefer reading about radios!). How to store water for an emergency, where to find more water when the emergency hits, and how to protect yourself from contaminated water – these are ongoing challenges that need to be overcome if we are to survive.
A few of the most comprehensive articles focused on water:
- Water, water everywhere
- Collapsible water Bottles
- Lifestraw Personal Water Filter
- Storing water in plastic bottles
- Emergency water supply – Your swimming pool
And finally, one topic unique to EmergencyPlanGuide.org . . .
5. Counting on Neighbors for Survival
We know that the first people to be there to help in an emergency are the people already there – the neighbor at home next door, or the co-worker at the next desk or in the next room.
With that being the case, we think that the more we all know, the better chance we’ll all have to survive, at least until professional help arrives.
We also know that professional help – police and fire – will be overwhelmed in the aftermath of a widespread disaster, so it may be hours or even days before they do arrive. A strong neighborhood team, ready to take action, just seems to make great sense.
Our 20-year commitment to neighborhood emergency preparedness has been focused primarily on building a neighborhood response team. It has been a labor of love – and yes, a LOT of labor!
The website has many stories about what it’s taken to build the group. You can find many of these stories by heading to the list of categories in the sidebar and clicking on “CERT” or “Neighborhood.”
We have even compiled much of this information into two in-depth resources:
- Emergency Preparedness Meeting Ideas
- Survival Series (One for Apartment Dwellers, one for Mobile Home Communities, and one for Single Family Neighborhoods. Each has suggestions for building a neighborhood team on the foundation of CERT training)
I hope you’ll find this list of top survival resources helpful, and a reminder of areas in your own planning that may not be as secure as you’d like. Also, if you would like to see more on any aspect of emergency preparedness or disaster recovery, please just let me know!
Virginia and Joe
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team
We mean it! Let us know in the comments what topics YOU like to read more about!