How to better prepare yourself and your family against climate change, natural disasters and the post-oil economy (opinion)

Friday, July 20, 2007 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...) Tags: preparedness, personal preparedness, LED flashlights

I've been a proponent of personal preparedness for many years. "Preparedness" simply means having some backup supplies on hand to help you get through unexpected events or hard times, and over the last decade, we've seen numerous examples of why preparedness is so important: Hurricane Katrina, power grid blackouts, ice storms, tsunamis, earthquakes, riots, nuclear accidents, terrorist events and freak weather patterns.

In every case, those individuals who were prepared fared much better than the unprepared masses. People who had stored some water, food, heat, blankets, flashlights, fuel, radios and cash were in a far better position to get through the events than everyone else.

In terms of preparedness for coming events, including dwindling oil supplies, climate change and freak weather patterns, there are two things every person must carefully consider right now:

1) The frequency and severity of such emergency events is increasing each year. (Things are getting worse...)

2) Most people will not prepare in advance, meaning that they will truly find themselves in an emergency during the next unpredictable event.

Keep reading to learn how to avoid becoming an unprepared victim. Below, I've also listed some recommended sources and a tremendous discount (50% off for NewsTarget readers) on some essential preparedness items that you may want to consider acquiring before the next difficult event appears.

Essentials of preparedness

Every family and household should cover basic preparedness needs. The primary areas to consider are:

WATER: You must have water to survive even a couple of days. Low-cost preparedness options involve filling empty soda bottles with water and storing them around your house or apartment. You can also fill your bath tub with water if you have advanced warning of an approaching emergency.

A medium-cost solution is to purchase water storage containers and fill those in advance. You can add a few drops of plain clorox bleach to each container to discourage the growth of bacteria (for long-term storage). You'll find affordable water storage containers at www.BePrepared.com

It's also a good idea to have a hand-pump water filter on hand. I recommend an affordable water filter bottle made by Katadyn (a water filter company I've used and recommended for years). You can find other water filters at any camping store or outdoors equipment supplier such as www.REI.com

FOOD: Having extra food on hand is easy. Just buy some extra dried or canned goods at your local store. Raw, fresh nuts are good to store, as well as dried foods in #10 cans. Avoid salty, sugary foods because they dehydrate you and suppress immune function. Stick to bland foods that provide nutrition, not entertainment. They key here is to store your food before the emergency hits and make sure you have enough water to rehydrate dried foods.

A source I recommend is www.BePrepared.com but avoid their pre-made food recipes. Stick with their freeze-dried fruits, vegetables and meats in #10 cans. And remember, none of it is organic. (That's too bad. I still cannot locate an organic freeze dried storable food manufacturer that doesn' use hidden MSG.)

LIGHT: You'd be amazed how difficult life gets when you're fumbling around in the dark trying to find something to eat or drink. Don't be caught in such a situation: Get some reliable light!

But what works best in emergencies? Candles are a terrible choice because people fall asleep and burn down their homes with candles. (No kidding.) Flashlights that need batteries are also a terrible choice because few people bother to check the batteries, and they always seem to be dead right when you need them.

The best choice is a dynamo-powered LED flashlight that allows you to generate light by simply turning the handle. One minute of winding the dynamo handle can provide up to 30 minutes of light with the LED flashlights we offer through www.BetterLifeGoods.com and we've put together an amazing 50% off discount package on dynamo LED lights, radios and combo tools (see below for discount link).

HEAT and SHELTER: In every emergency, you'll need heat and shelter. (Or, if you're in the desert, you'll need shade and water.) Heat is easy to conserve with a well-made low-temperature sleeping bag. A wood-burning stove is also a fantastic solution and far better than any fireplace (which loses most of the heat it generates). Don't try heating your house with a propane heater or outdoor cooking stove, either: The carbon dioxide emissions will fill your house and cause you to never wake up again. So prepare with ample clothing and a good sleeping bag for each person in your home. Again, you can find quality sleeping bags at www.REI.com (get yourself some lightweight, hi-tech fiber sleeping bags that are easy to carry, yet still very warm).

COMMUNICATIONS: In emergencies, keeping in touch with emergency broadcasts is crucial. That's why a radio is one of the most important tools you can have. But guess what? Most people don't have a radio that actually works when the electricity is out!

This is why a dynamo-powered radio is the best solution for emergency preparedness. By turning the dynamo handle for one minute, you can generate up to 30 minutes of radio listening time. No batteries are required, and the units are so small and portable that you can slip them into your pocket or store them in the glove box of your car.

The best dynamo devices can also charge your cell phone. This lets you make outbound emergency calls when needed, even if your batteries are empty. When the electricity is out, it's crucial to have a reliable way to make a cell phone call. (In many cases, cell phone towers are still working even when the electricity is out in a particular region.)

The Better Life Goods preparedness bundle

To help NewsTarget readers enhance their preparedness, we've put together an incredible deal on four preparedness products to help protect you at home and when traveling -- or even during any major emergency like a freak storm, act of terrorism or natural disaster. (Please note, I am the founder of Better Life Goods, and I do have a stake in the sale of these products. However, given what it costs to have them manufactured using eco-friendly materials, plus the 50% off pricing you'll see here, I feel this offer is more of a service to our readers than a profit endeavor. No other retailers would dare offer these products as such a low price because there's hardly any margin in doing so...)

Dynamo Emergency Tool with Radio, LED Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger
This dynamo-powered device is designed as an emergency preparedness tool for your car. In addition to the LED light, AM/FM radio and cell phone charger functions, it has a glass break, audible siren, and doubles as a makeshift self defense device, too. Plus, you can shine the endless LED light and listen to AM/FM radio anytime by simply winding the dynamo handle for a minute or two. Comes with five connectors for various cell phone manufacturers.

The retail on this device is normally $39.99 (but you can get it for half that, see below...)

Dynamo LED Flashlight with Cell Phone Charger and AM/FM Radio (ECL-802)
This pocket-sized device combines all the essential preparedness functions in a handheld unit with a clever, built-in dynamo winding handle. The LED lights are extremely bright, and the rubber grip helps you hold on to even if rain makes things slippery. Comes with one cell phone connector (Nokia), which plugs into various cell phone charging adapters you can find at Radio Shack or other electronics supply stores.

Retail price is $29.95 (but again, you can get it for half that...)

Dynamo LED Flashlight Multi-tool with Interchangeable Bits (ECL-600)
This dynamo-powered LED light includes six double-headed interchangeable screwdriver bits that allow you to make simple repairs, even when there's no electricity or light. This handy tool gives you a source of light and a reliable toolset, all in a single device that fits easily in a kitchen drawer.

Retail price is $24.95

Dynamo LED Water Lantern with Emergency Beacon (ECL-900)
This is the world's first device to turn a durable water storage container into an LED lantern that can be recharged by winding the embedded dynamo handle. This gives you light and water storage in one clever device that's perfect for taking with you on the road, in a vehicle or camping in the great outdoors. A switch on the top lets you choose between white LED lights or red LED lights (which won't ruin your night vision). Retail price is $24.95

These four products retail for a total of $119.84. We're making all four available to NewsTarget readers for 50% off retail, or just $59.92 for all four.

This is an unbeatable preparedness deal, and it's only available to NewsTarget readers. You won't find this offer on Amazon.com, eBay or anywhere else. It's by far the least expensive way to help ensure the safety of your car, home and person during difficult times. (And if there's one item you don't need, you can offer it to a friend as a gift. Each of these four comes individually packaged.)

Click here to take advantage of this special NewsTarget 50%-off discount right now.

This offer is only good while inventory lasts. We reserve the right to end this offer at any time.

(Note: These prices are barely above our cost, but we'll still honor our satisfaction guarantee. If you're not completely satisfied with any of these products, you can return them for a full refund, less shipping costs.)

Why BetterLifeGoods preparedness products are better for the environment

By the way, three of the four products mentioned here are RoHS certified, meaning they are made with non-toxic materials. We've also had these specifically manufactured with internal NiMH batteries instead of NiCad batteries, so these products have longer life and are safer for the environment. The battery capacity is higher on these than on any similar product you'll find anywhere.

Most manufacturers just choose the cheapest, most toxic batteries they can find, because consumers usually don't know the difference. But we went out of our way to have these manufactured to be far safer for the environment while offering greatly improved battery life. The result is a line of products that are superior to anything similar you might find in mass marketing retailers.

And at this 50% off price, it's simply the best deal you'll find anywhere on environmentally-friendly preparedness products. (It's the best deal we've ever offered, period!)

Take advantage of this now. Quantities are limited. Click here to order this four-product bundle at 50% off retail.