BUCKHORN CLIFFS

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Start hereStart hereThe order to build preparedness in, one step at a time, with the page to open for each step.Open the full page Master guideWhat to stock: the long shelf life master listOne list of what to stock, sorted by need, with the real shelf life of each item, how to store it, and the products I buy.Open the full page Master guideMedical preparednessWhat to stock in a house, mobile, and vehicle medical kit, what to do first in 15 common emergencies, and how to store medicines and records.Open the full page
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Medical · Guide 3 medical books for homesteaders and preppers Auerbach for acute emergencies, Werner for diagnosis, Alton for long-term care Garden and Livestock · Guide American wild plum tree (Colorado wild plums) Fruit flesh and skin are safe; pits, leaves, and stems release hydrogen cyanide when chewed or crushed Security · Guide Ammunition storage for long shelf life Sealed ammo can plus desiccant pack; stored well, ammo can last 50 years or more Communications · Guide Backup internet with Starlink Mini and portable power Starlink Standby Mode: $10 a month, unlimited low-speed data around 0.5 Mbps Medical · Guide Baking soda for body care (pH, muscles, teeth, odor) Antacid use: 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in 8 ounces of water, short term only Kits and Planning · Guide Barter items to stock A category-by-category list of easy-to-trade goods to stock for a time when money loses value, from food and medical supplies to compounds. Food · Guide Beef tallow and cayenne pepper: uses and storage Tallow keeps 1 to 2 years at room temp, 2 to 3 years frozen, vacuum-sealed or in airtight glass Power and Light · Guide Blackout guide: first 45 minutes, first 3 days, and beyond Fill every container with water first; a bathtub holds 40 to 80 gallons Compounds and Cleaning · Guide Bob's Red Mill vs Arm & Hammer baking soda Both are one ingredient, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3); neither adds aluminum Kits and Planning · Guide Books for self-reliance (print reference library) A printed book needs no batteries, signal or power to work Water · Guide Boroux Legacy gravity water filter: why I switched The Boroux Legacy is my top gravity filter: seamless 304 stainless, 3 gallons, no power, and up to 12,000 gallons per pair of filters. Kits and Planning · Guide Brands I use and discount codes Code BUCKHORN: 10% off Avid Armor, 20% off FlipFuel Kits and Planning · Guide Bug-out bag gear list (packs, medical, water, tools) Packs: Eberlestock Switchblade (pistol), Fade Adapt (carbine), GRAYL Transport EXP 30L Kits and Planning · Guide Camping gear list Top of the list: water bottle and purification method, then the right clothing and food Kits and Planning · Guide Car survival kit (two-bag setup) Two canvas bags: large for trunk or under the back seat, small for the glove box Security · Guide Chemical weapon types and their effects Six families: nerve, blister, blood, choking, incapacitating, riot control. The first response is the same for all: get away, get it off, get clean Garden and Livestock · Guide Colorado high-elevation vegetable gardening Front Range last frost: first half of May. Foothills and mountains: late May into June Communications · Guide Communicate without cell service or internet (GMRS radios) Pick: Rocky Talkie Expedition Radio (5 watt GMRS); 2-8 miles typical range, 4-6 days per charge Cooking, Fuel and Fire · Guide Cooking, Fuel and Fire When the Power or Gas Is Off Cook outside, eat the fridge first, and store fuel deep, because the two common mistakes are owning a stove with no fuel and running combustion indoors. Garden and Livestock · Guide Difference between straw and hay Hay is animal feed from dried grasses and legumes; straw is leftover hollow grain stems Garden and Livestock · Guide DIY garden fence gate (wood and welded wire) Lower end of the diagonal cross brace goes on the hinge side of the gate Garden and Livestock · Guide DIY garden fence to keep deer and rabbits out Drop dry concrete in the post hole, spray with water, mix with a digging bar Kits and Planning · Guide Emergency backup laptop in a Faraday case (files to keep) Pick: JACKET Pro Faraday CORDURA Laptop XL Bag with magnetic closure Power and Light · Guide EMP (electromagnetic pulse) sources and effects A high-altitude nuclear EMP can potentially cover an entire continent Security · Guide Everyday carry tactical sling: my setup and what is inside My daily sling is an Eberlestock Fade Flex carrying a Springfield Hellcat 9mm, two spare magazines, a Toor Mullet T, an Olight Warrior 3S, and ASP pepper spray. Power and Light · Guide Faraday-protected emergency electronics: the sling bag and the grab-and-go kit Two builds: a Faraday Defense 10L sling bag, or a Milwaukee Packout case with every device in a Faraday bag or jacket Kits and Planning · Guide FEMA 2024 National Household Survey findings 83 percent took at least three preparedness actions, up from 57 percent in 2023 Cooking, Fuel and Fire · Guide Fire-starting methods without matches or a lighter Fine steel wool rubbed across battery terminals ignites; a 9V battery is commonly used Tools and Repair · Guide Fix-all repair kit: tapes, fasteners, plumbing and electrical bits Three groups: repair tapes, fastening and securing items, plumbing and electrical Communications · Guide GMRS vs FRS radios (power, range, license) GMRS: up to 50 watts mobile or base, 5 to 25 miles, $35 license. FRS: 2 watts, 1 to 2 miles, no license Cooking, Fuel and Fire · Guide Grab-and-go camp kitchen checklist Packed in a Pelican Vault hard case with a 1lb propane tank and stove adapter Kits and Planning · Guide Grab-and-go preparedness kit (non-tool gear list) Packed in a Milwaukee PACKOUT Deep Organizer; water pick is the Grayl Titanium bottle Food · Guide Harvest Right freeze dryer: sizes, prices, and my experience I bought my Harvest Right in 2016 and it has been worth every penny: home freeze-dried food keeps 25 years or more, and the small unit starts at $1,595. Tools and Repair · Guide Hatchet vs. axe Axe: two hands, twice the length, larger wood. Hatchet: one hand, small wood Garden and Livestock · Guide Highland cow horns (purpose, growth and differences by sex) Mature horn spread reaches 3-4 feet tip-to-tip; growth is fastest in the first 3 years Power and Light · Guide Home backup power system (ETHOS battery and LUXPower inverter) 3 x 48V ETHOS 5.12kWh modules (15.3kWh) with a LUXPower 12kW hybrid inverter Kits and Planning · Guide Home emergency readiness (power, water, comms, security) Run portable generators at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust pointed away Security · Guide Home Security and Defense: Deter, Detect, Delay, Deny Security is bought time: distance, barriers, and awareness come first, and force is the last layer you reach for. Water · Guide How water becomes unsafe (contamination risks) Store at least one gallon per person per day; replace stored water every six months Hygiene and Sanitation · Guide Hygiene and Sanitation When the Water Is Off When the water stops, human waste and unwashed hands become the fastest health threats on the property, so a working toilet plan with soap beside it comes before anything else. Medical · Guide Jase Medical: prescription medication supplies to keep at home Jase Medical prescribes, fills, and ships an emergency medication kit to your door after a short online form: five antibiotics plus five other medications in the Jase Case. Medical · Guide Medical Preparedness: First Aid Kits, Supplies, and 15 Emergencies Stop the bleed first: a major bleed can kill in under 5 minutes, so a tourniquet, hemostatic gauze, and the training to use them come before everything else in the kit. Medical · Guide Medications to stock for survival situations (top 10) Ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, amoxicillin-clavulanate, metronidazole, azithromycin Medical · Guide Mullein for lung support: harvest, dry and store Tea: about a teaspoon dried leaf, steep 10 to 15 minutes, strain through a coffee filter Food · Guide Mylar bags: which foods gain the most shelf life (ranked) Best for dry, low fat foods at 10 percent moisture or lower; 300 to 500 cc per gallon Medical · Guide Natural remedies vs antibiotics for skin infections Natural remedies for mild infections only; MRSA needs real antibiotics Communications · Guide Off-grid communication options (no cell service required) Starlink Mini on Standby Mode: $10 a month for about 500 Kbps, unlimited data Power and Light · Guide Off-grid solar power setup under $850 EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic (1024Wh) plus Zoupw 400W panel, combined under $850 Kits and Planning · Guide Overnight readiness pack loadout (Breakwater Fogland 25L) Fogland 25L: IP68 submersible, 2.1 lbs empty, floats with over 40 lbs of gear Medical · Guide Parasite kit (ivermectin and mebendazole) for home medical supplies Jase kit: compounded ivermectin and mebendazole; label expiry 1-2 years Medical · Guide Parasite treatment options (Rx kit, herbal cleanse, bentonite clay) Jase kit contains Ivermectin and Mebendazole; clay binds toxins, does not kill parasites Security · Guide Personal resilience checklist: privacy, money, records and security A checklist of practical steps across money, digital privacy, records, legal awareness, medical, communication, home control and training to build personal resilience. Food · Guide Pickled eggs (refrigerator recipe) 1 1/2 cups white vinegar to 1/2 cup water; keeps in the fridge 3 to 4 months Kits and Planning · Guide Pill bottle survival kit 16 items in a (typically waterproof) pill or supplement bottle Kits and Planning · Guide Portable SSD backup for home inventory and documents Pick: SanDisk Portable SSD in a Faraday jacket, plus cloud and an off-site copy Power and Light · Guide Power outage gear checklist Pick: Anker 548 Power Bank, 60,000mAh, over 10 full device charges Garden and Livestock · Guide Prefab metal barn kit: build experience and costs 20x30 steel barn installed cost $15,828; prep plus shell total $23,796 (2020) Medical · Guide Shelf life of medications past the expiration date In the military's Shelf Life Extension Program, 88% of 122 drugs stored under ideal conditions had their expiration dates extended, by an average of 66 months Power and Light · Guide Solar power basics Best battery choice: lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4); MPPT charge controllers are more efficient than PWM Food · Guide Spoilage Cheat Sheet A one-page recap. When something looks off, run these in order and trust the result. Food · Guide Spotting Spoilage Most spoiled food fails one of a few sensory checks. Learn these signs once and you can judge almost any item, no expiration date required. When a food shows any red flag below, do not taste it to confirm. Communications · Guide Starlink Mini and Star-Batt: off-grid internet that travels Starlink Mini plus a Star-Batt battery gives you internet anywhere with a clear view of the sky, with no grid power. Code BUCKHORN takes $100 off the Star-Batt. Warmth and Shelter · Guide Staying Warm and Sheltered When the Heat Goes Out Heat one room, not the house: close off a small, well-insulated room, put everyone in it, and add heat only from a heater labeled for indoors, run with the ventilation its label calls for and a battery CO alarm next to it. Warmth and Shelter · Guide Staying warm with limited gear (mild or warm climates) Manage heat loss first: block wind and insulate underneath you before adding layers Cooking, Fuel and Fire · Guide Storing and using propane for self-sufficiency Propane has an indefinite shelf life; store tanks upright, secured, and ventilated Kits and Planning · Guide Survival bucket for under $300 from Walmart Everything fits in one 5 gallon bucket and costs under $300 at Walmart Kits and Planning · Guide Survival supplies for flood victims Clean drinking water is the most critical need after a flood Kits and Planning · Guide Sweden's "In Case of Crisis or War" pamphlet: key lessons Sweden's target: self-sufficient for at least a week, three liters of water per person per day. I store 1 gallon per person per day for at least two weeks Security · Guide Two-rifle starter setup (.308 Win and .22LR) with case Pick: .308 Win for medium to large game, .22LR for small game Medical · Guide Vacuum-sealing medications for long-term storage Seal in original containers, store cool and dark, inspect every 6-12 months Water · Guide Water purification methods Store 1 gallon of water per person per day: three days bare minimum, two weeks the target Water · Guide Water: Storage and Purification Store one gallon per person per day, half for drinking and half for hygiene, and aim for at least a two-week supply at home. When stored water runs low, know how to make more safe to drink. Communications · Guide weBoost Cabin signal booster: my before and after numbers The weBoost Cabin took my signal from -123 dBm, a dead zone, to -86 dBm, a 37 dB gain that turned dropped calls into reliable service. Communications · Guide weBoost Drive Reach Overland: the cell booster on my truck From one bar and a failed speed test to strong data, stable calls, and working GPS three minutes after I powered on the weBoost Drive Reach Overland. Kits and Planning · Guide What to look for in an off-grid property South-facing, unshaded open space for solar plus a reliable, legal water source Kits and Planning · Guide What to stock: the long shelf life master list Most of the best things to stock are cheap, dry, and keep for a decade or longer: salt, honey, white rice, wheat berries, vinegar, baking soda, and pool shock. Food · Guide When the Power Goes Out Cold food is safe only while it stays cold. Keep the doors shut, know your timelines, and eat down the fridge before you open the freezer. Kits and Planning · Guide Why bugging out early is a mistake Prepare to leave, but plan to stay Kits and Planning · Guide Wilderness survival basics Rule of threes: 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food Medical · Guide Winter immune supplements: vitamin D3/K2, vitamin C, zinc, magnesium D3/K2 with your largest meal; zinc on an empty stomach; split vitamin C and magnesium Warmth and Shelter · Guide Wood stove installation through a ceiling and roof (DIY) Took less than 10 hours at a total cost of $2,682, using 6" DuraVent pipe