It's Christmas and...

It's Christmas gift time and I'm a preparedness sort of person. My family isn't. They think I'm a bit...odd. =) Still, I'm thinking of making 'emergency boxes' for each family member household as a gift for Christmas. I mean, they already think I'm a nut, so what do I have to lose? LOL. Does anyone here ever give gifts of that type? If so, I'm wondering what response yall got? I'm also wondering what might be best to put into each kit?
Little background...
My family all has roadside emergency stuff already. They aren't hopeless, just not...motivated. =) My brother just bought his own place in a "city" (as big as the Ozarks can have a city). He is a former ranger so hunkering down won't be his thing. I.E. I don't think bags of rice would be an asset in his kit, though I could be wrong... My sister is on the west coast in a major city. My folks are down the road.

Things I've considered:
(oh yeah, price is a factor too. I've common sense but not a lot of cash)
Flashlights
Batteries
Mylar Emergency Blankets
Homemade Rice, Bean, spice combos in decorative jars
MREs (my brother and sister are both ex-mil. I am as well. We can eat them) =)
Candles
Oil Lamps
Alcohol (good for holidays and emergency medical)
or maybe a truly -basic- emergency set up box... rice, beans, water, salt, oil...

I'd really appreciate opinions, suggestions or advice. Also, if any of yall have tried this gift-giving approach how was it received? What would you include?
~ana

First off, well done on putting their well being ahead of something entirely materialistic and unnecesary...




Don't forget a hand cranked radio!

Here

reply to post by chapter29


Thanks for the reply. That site is awesome! Man, the only thing some of those radios don't do is stir-fry. LOL! I've thought of the hand crank radios. Got my Dad one last year. It only took 2 months to get lost... so this year I'm thinking... box, everything in it, open in case of...
Seriously though, great idea and link and really affordable as well.
thanks again,
~ana

Yeah, I'm a "Crazy nut" too! Last year I gave each of my sisters and my parents a "Survival kit" that consisted of a wind-up radio complete with weather band and shortwave, those battery-less flashlights that you shake to generate charge, a medical kit with iodine pills and a water purification system. It's not much, but I knew that they could use it for simple things like power outages and hopefully, get them thinking.

reply to post by anahna muss


Good thread.

My partner lets me prepare in peace, though she herself is not preparing for any given Sitx she is allowing me to do so for the both of us.
I'm not sure if she thinks i'm wacky but she is glad i'm looking out for the both of us.

For christmas already she has brought me a bcb survival kit and a magnisium block and striker and I have also asked her for a hand cranked radio / torch / phone charger.

i recently acquired a broken "crank style radio" only a few days old/...
After disassembling it"to see the power source" I found that it packs quit a walllup, I did not put a volt meter on it, I will when i get home, it is very easily felt!!! I do think if the right guage wires were used it could be used for anything from making a fire to charging a capicitor/car battery in an extreme case"take a while im sure"

reply to post by anahna muss


Sorry to hear about your sister, large West Coast city would be one of the last places on earth I would want to be if I needed to break into my BOB.

Since your family thinks you are a nut, you must be off to a good start on your prepardness.

As far as gift giving to family in this regard, I have often thought of it, but never gone forward with it. Good survival gear is simply too expensive to give to someone who wouldnt know what to do with it and simply give it away. Besides, the best gear is stuff you trust and have used in the past. Without experience with tools, they are worthless or maybe worse. Take those goofy pre-made BOB's on the market. You could give one to those to a family member, they'll think, okay, so I have this if anything ever happens and toss it into the closet. Never open it, never realize most of that stuff in there wont get them through a day of a major disaster.

If you are looking to gift "survival" items to your family, go with practical and high quality, such as medical kits, multi-tools, etc... To give someone 5 lbs of beans and rice is a waste, as it will just get eaten and not replaced. The survival "box" contents you have listed is a good idea, assuming you can afford to put one together for each family member. Also, I would add a DVD or book (SAS Survival Handbook) as well, something to get them thinking about their futures.

Also a note to have them check out ATS and this forum so they know youre not the only one thinking like this.

Good luck and Merry Christmas.

reply to post by kozmo


LOL!
Sometimes I hope there are enough of us crazy nuts to pull others through! Sometimes I'm just not sure...
Iodine tablets -definitely- go on my list! My brother and sister both live on city water supply systems. I'm used to thinking well water, pond water (have a Berkey) so I hadn't really thought about that for them until now. Thanks for the idea.
Bonus, they will both know how to use them!
Thanks,
~ana

Originally posted by colec156
reply to post by anahna muss

 

For christmas already she has brought me a bcb survival kit and a magnisium block and striker and I have also asked her for a hand cranked radio / torch / phone charger.

Lucky guy!
She will be thankful if and when yall ever have an emergency! I'm glad she is understanding. It can be really difficult when an SO isn't.
~ana

reply to post by anahna muss


It gets better than that to my friend.
She is also first aid trained and she did a course while at school ( many years ago ) called the duke of edinburgh award. Basically involves map reading and hiking. Who knows, maybe she will be looking after me LOL ....

Originally posted by salchanra
reply to post by anahna muss

 

Sorry to hear about your sister, large West Coast city would be one of the last places on earth I would want to be if I needed to break into my BOB.

Since your family thinks you are a nut, you must be off to a good start on your prepardness.

As far as gift giving to family in this regard, I have often thought of it, but never gone forward with it. Good survival gear is simply too expensive to give to someone who wouldnt know what to do with it and simply give it away. Besides, the best gear is stuff you trust and have used in the past. Without experience with tools, they are worthless or maybe worse. Take those goofy pre-made BOB's on the market. You could give one to those to a family member, they'll think, okay, so I have this if anything ever happens and toss it into the closet. Never open it, never realize most of that stuff in there wont get them through a day of a major disaster.

If you are looking to gift "survival" items to your family, go with practical and high quality, such as medical kits, multi-tools, etc... To give someone 5 lbs of beans and rice is a waste, as it will just get eaten and not replaced. The survival "box" contents you have listed is a good idea, assuming you can afford to put one together for each family member. Also, I would add a DVD or book (SAS Survival Handbook) as well, something to get them thinking about their futures.

Also a note to have them check out ATS and this forum so they know youre not the only one thinking like this.

Good luck and Merry Christmas.

Thanks for the reply. Those are a lot of my concerns. My sis...not a good situation, she is way west, will fall into the ocean literally. We try to get her to come home regularly. So I'm gonna 'sell' the kit I make to her as an 'in case of earthquake' thing. She has felt a few already out there. Almost came home then..
Those pre-made kits, I wouldn't give them to an enemy..not if I had a choice. Someone tell me what good 5 1"x1" alcohol prep pads are gonna do anyone in a real messy situation? Or why a person wouldnt buy a bottle of alcohol, stuff it with cotton balls and have hundreds of alcohol swabs ready to go instead? Maybe I'm just cheap (broke) but I don't get it!
I am fortunate in thinking about putting together this box knowing that my brother and sister both have some military background. My brother a lot. And they both are outdoor types. I don't know how on earth I'd approach helping them if they weren't. Or if they wouldn't have the common sense to be able to figure out what to do with survival stuff if they had it. People in those situations, with family like that, them I really feel for.
I am trying to keep these under a certain cost but I think getting some field manuals, like you suggested is a great addition. I can get them at the Army Surplus store locally. Definitely added to my list! Thanks for the Idea!
and for the reply!
~ana

[edit on 12/15/08 by anahna muss]

Originally posted by Doc Holiday
i recently acquired a broken "crank style radio" only a few days old/...
After disassembling it"to see the power source" I found that it packs quit a walllup, I did not put a volt meter on it, I will when i get home, it is very easily felt!!! I do think if the right guage wires were used it could be used for anything from making a fire to charging a capicitor/car battery in an extreme case"take a while im sure"

Ok,
I think a lot.. options, alternative, etc.. and that I had -never- thought of! I definitely admire your thinking outside the box and sharing that with me. Now you -know- I'll have to try it. LOL... always wondered what I'd look like with curly hair. LOL. Gonna google it too ...see if I can find ways people have done that. (I love google!) Thanks for replying!
~ana

Hmmm. Im going to set you up with a little help on how you can deal with people who are going to label you a nut.. Ive had my fair share of years of learning how to deal with them, and how to open their eyes.

Firstly.. never open your mouth first.. Let them do the talking. See how they feel about something before you ever jump feet first into a subject.

Agree with them.. Even if you dont agree.. Just agree with them for the time being.. You cant win an agurment when they are mentall set on a subject.. YOU CAN NOT WIN!

However.. You can find points.. Where you can drop seeds. Drop little hints. Let them read articals you find.. Allow them space to find it on their own.. NO one likes having something shoved down our throats!

Just this year.. I finally was able to shake my entire family out of this sleep! I was amazed that it took me 3 years to do.
At first they thought I was crazy.. Becasue I was like the drummer boy who wouldnt shut up.. You have to know when to be silent.. And just agree with them, no matter the cost.

Then you drop those little hints.. Bring up sertin key pages, have them do some light reading.. allow them the space to find this on their own.

Sooner or later you will find you can slowly wake them up..

It works like this.. If you are sleeping sounds in your bed.. And someone busts threw the door with drums, and banging symbols together..
YELLING WAKE UP!!! bang bang bang!! TIME to wake up!!!

You will instantly piss them off.. They will kick you out and go right back to sleep..

It takes years to turn them... And its not something you can do in 1 week
sometimes it takes years of seeding..
Wake them up slowly.. And be sure to have some coffee ready for when they do wake up..

Some people dont want to be awake either.. They might feel life has no reason and just kill themselfs, or kill someone else becasue they lost it.

Not everyone is ready to know.. Not everyone can handle the truths of this world..

That is my Xmas gfit to you sir..
happy holidays! and Merry Xmas!

This is a fantastic idea for gifting this year. I have been planning to purchase a few gadgets for my brother, namely a crank radio with useful accoutrements. A firesteel also looks like a good idea. I don't intend them to be bug-out (I feel a little odd using a survivalist term) supplies, but rather as supplies to take on trips. He's an avid outdoorsman and I think he'd appreciate a few useful tools. Typically, I'd give him a few interesting but impractical books or a piece of art for Christmas; it seems that pragmatic gifts would be best this year.

Do any of you have a personal recommendation for a good, lightweight book or document that could serve as a condensed how-to guide in the event of an emergency? I'm thinking of something that could be thrown into a bag and take up very little room, perhaps providing subsistence and first-aid information. OP, this might be something of interest to you as you prepare gifts.

Originally posted by zysin5

It works like this.. If you are sleeping sounds in your bed.. And someone busts threw the door with drums, and banging symbols together..
YELLING WAKE UP!!! bang bang bang!! TIME to wake up!!!

You will instantly piss them off.. They will kick you out and go right back to sleep..

It takes years to turn them... And its not something you can do in 1 week
sometimes it takes years of seeding..
Wake them up slowly.. And be sure to have some coffee ready for when they do wake up..

Some people dont want to be awake either.. They might feel life has no reason and just kill themselfs, or kill someone else becasue they lost it.

Not everyone is ready to know.. Not everyone can handle the truths of this world..

That is my Xmas gfit to you sir..
happy holidays! and Merry Xmas!

ROTFLMBO!!
Too funny! And so true!
It's really great that you've been able to finally wake your family up. Congratulations! Three years is a heckuva long time, but I guess I've thought/felt/prepared this way for ... a long time and noone else has, too. Originally my family was all within a quarter mile of home, so I just planned for everyone (as much as possible with my limited means, anyhow.) But with my sister being in Kalifornia and my brother just moving a few months ago, this year I'm concerned in a different way about them. Now, realistically my brother, the ex-Ranger (although I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as an "Ex" Ranger, lol..) will probably be able to get here in a LOT of circumstances. But not all of course. My sister, well...like I said, it's a concern. None of them will turn away survival orientated gifts. I'll take some ribbing for it, but I'm ok with that. I don't try to argue with them. You are very right and that's very good advice for me and anyone reading and I thank you for that!
I'm fortunate that they aren't resistant, head-in-the-sand types. Also because I know they -do- have common sense. My Mom coming around a bit has been -such- a blessing though. And I feel like I can't just do nothing... that's where this idea of being a bit 'sneaky' and giving them git boxes like this started for me. Even if they throw it in the closet...ya know...it's still in the closet. And that's good. I used the dropping hints with my Mom a lot. I think you're right. It did help bring her around a bit. With your family was it something particular that brought them around or mostly your quiet, subtle hints like you mentioned? (if that q is to private I apologize in advance)
Thank you for your reply. It really and truly is words of wisdom. I appreciate it! But I do think I'll still make boxes. Maybe I'll just be 'sneakier' about how to present them! =)
And thanks for the humor, Laughed my tail off!
~ana
p.s. coffee... great barter item, also basic luxury..need to stock up more..

p.p.s. ana = a girl =)

reply to post by paperplanes


What would you want the book to cover? You can get brochures of the basics through places like the Red Cross. For basic first aid and other things like that I like to buy Army manuals from my local army surplus store. Inexpensive, small, easy to read... love those things.
There are sooo many books out there. I'd love to hear which ones other people here use themselves and which they would suggest for beginners, too.
Great Idea on getting your brother stuff he will use every day and enjoy. I have pondered between doing that and going with the box idea for a couple of weeks now. I definitely think if your brother doesn't think about prep at all it is a good way to go. For my family, part of the reason I went with the box or kit idea is, from past experience, when I try to sneak in a 'prepared' gift it always, always gets lost, misplaced, can't find it if ya need it sorta thing. Not maliciously, they don't 'lose' it on purpose. It's just part of life here. =)
So this year, a box.
But I think for most people considering 'useful' gifts, you are completely on the right track. Good job
~ana

Originally posted by paperplanes

Do any of you have a personal recommendation for a good, lightweight book or document that could serve as a condensed how-to guide in the event of an emergency?

SAS Survival Handbook by John Lofty Wiseman is my personal favorite. He also has specialized ones, i.e. sea survival, urban, etc...

Aside from that books on wild edibles are good gifts.

Also, overlooked by alot of people are boy scout handbooks, those things teach everything.

reply to post by salchanra


I'm glad to see you all prepare for your survival for days and months ahead. We are in the end time before the return of Christ and the coming of His Kingdom/Government on earth. The world systems and world governments and world religions will soon come to a self-desructive end to usher in the righteous Government of God, hand picked by God Himself. Are you ready for God's Kingdom to come?

reply to post by anahna muss


I agree with you re: the necessity of gathering everything together in a box. It would be my first step if I were to receive these items myself, so extending the same courtesy to someone else would be the reasonable thing to do. Thanks for pointing that out.


reply to post by salchanra


Books pertaining to wild edibles are definitely at the top of the list for me; I think anyone interested in survival kits would do well to look into this subject. Thank you for those recommendations--I'm going to look into them later this evening. My brother is a biologist and is not lacking knowledge about the environment, but I'm sure these books can provide a bit of information for use during a crisis. Regardless of what he knows now, the mind has a way of losing bits of information during times of stress. It would be nice to have a book handy as both a reminder of forgotten knowledge and a source of new information.



[edit on 15/12/08 by paperplanes]

couple more ideas...
Gloves, a big package of those with bumps on them maybe? For digging through debris and for cold weather wear also. I've read that when digging through debris after storms, etc... most gloves are destroyed quickly whether they are expensive or the plain kind. Anyone worked in gloves enough to know a bit about that?
and
Duct Tape and Poly Tape, just because I'm a tape freak. LOL... I have duct tape everywhere just in case. It's amazing what it'll do.
Peppermint Candy, for nausea and low blood sugar. My sister is a bit hypoglycemic. Maybe I could decorate the outside of the 'gift' with them. It -is- Christmas. =)
Aspirin, or maybe Tylenol?
And I was thinking maybe instead of a box... either putting stuff in a rubbermaid container or a backpack? I guess if there ends up being more bugout stuff in it I can do the backpack, especially for my sister on the coast.
More thoughts, anyone? I really appreciate all the replies so far. Thanks to everyone whose been posting. Some great suggestions and it has helped my think more along these lines, as well.
hoping everyone has a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!
Thanks again,
~ana