Spring is in the air, and after a long, cold winter, there’s nothing like seeing the snow melting away. The warmth of the sun and rising temperatures are sure signs of better days to come. The birds are singing and all is right with the world, at least for the moment.
This time of year is our rainy season, and soon lakes, rivers and streams will be filled to the brim with water from rain and runoff from melting snow. These waterways could become primary sources for water and hydration during a crisis.
Winter is hard on the animals of the forest. Only the strong ones know how to survive the cold, and those that don’t make it through are revealed when the snow is gone. The wrath of winter leaves behind dead and decomposing animals that can cause serious problems. Bodily fluids from the decaying animals are carried to lakes, rivers and streams through flooding and runoff. Viruses and bacteria contaminate the waterways and make them unsafe for drinking without proper treatment.
Bacteria are widely detectable, in low concentrations, in all natural water systems. When rivers, lakes, streams and ponds overflow their banks, water may spill into floodplains. These floodplains are usually shallow areas where excess water becomes stagnant. The warmth from the sun warms the floodplains and the stagnant water becomes tepid. These tepid floodplains then become incubators for bacterial and parasitic growth. When spring rains return, the bacteria and parasites in the floodplains may permeate the main waterways.
Waterfalls are not clean, healthy water
This story is from the Spring 2017 edition of BugOut MAG!.
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This story is from the Spring 2017 edition of BugOut MAG!.
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Preparedness: An Overview
If you are reading this, you have probably already become concerned about future events and have begun to take responsibility for your and your family’s survival. You may be alarmed at the increasing number, variety and severity of disasters throughout the world, particularly in the United States. This is not your imagination. Things are getting more dangerous, and the infrastructure and emergency services are starting to break down. One disaster often contributes to another. Who can doubt that the immense costs of the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina contributed to the economic collapse? The shrinking economy reduces funds for infrastructure improvements, safety, emergency services and police; this then sets us up for further attacks and disaster. The eventual result of these combined and multiplying manmade and natural disasters could trigger a general world collapse sometime in the next twenty to one hundred years.
A Prepper's First Year
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Snakebit!
North America has its fair share of venomous snakes, including rattlesnakes, coral snakes and copperheads. According to a The U.S. Food and Drug Administration report, an estimated 8000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year. Roughly .2% of these people will die from these bites. The rest have to deal with the unpleasant effects the snakebites, which may include infections and amputations.
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Whether a storm hits your home, a vacation goes awry, or you fall on hard financial times, there are some items you absolutely cannot do without. It is important to consider personal hygiene as much as good nutrition and first aid care.
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Spring is in the air, and after a long, cold winter, there’s nothing like seeing the snow melting away. The warmth of the sun and rising temperatures are sure signs of better days to come. The birds are singing and all is right with the world, at least for the moment.
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