PREPARING FOR THE EARTHQUAKE THAT WILL HIT METRO MANILA

[brandi]

I wonder where can we go if this happened. Im sure, traffic and roads are not passable anymore.

[khriseeee]

Gosh I'm getting so paranoid with all the stories, and what makes preparation even harder for me is I have 2 young children, a 3 year old and a 7 month old baby.

Where can I buy the Sawyer purification system locally? Or water purification tablets aside from the generics pharmacy?

I have cold water sterilization tablets that I use for travel to sterilize feeding bottles - can this be used for consumption?

[akthung]

Hello Girls,

the best way, imho, to join the emergency / disaster / preparedness groups on Facebook is to go through our fellow member Momentum.

I know privacy is an issue. So by going thru momentum, your privacy will be maintained as far as FB is concerned.

cheers!


Khrisee,

best to join Seseblades and ask Doc Ar re: your concern. but in a survival situation, purified water is safer than dirty water.

[jenny_syngkit]

Ive been following Red Cross is FB and I've just noticed that they report minor earthquakes everyday. Mostly in Luzon and Mindanao with magnitude of around 2. So hindi naman malakas and they expect no impact/casualties. Normal lang ba yun? Kase baka dati pa nangyayari hindi ko lang pinapansin yng mga reports nila.

[momentum]

^^thanks bro akthung..

nagkaroon na ng earthquake seminar na sa building namin kahapon, sa wakas.
we are going to have a meeting narin soon about this within our office.
they put signs narin in our elevators about the drop-cover-hold as of yesterday, but they took them out rin today. weird. dapat iniwan nalang nila duon para laging nareremind yung mga tao.



para sa mga sissies na magp-pm to add them in the fb groups, please make sure your privacy settings will allow me to send you a friend request..or you can also find me instead and send me a request. don't worry about your privacy, once I added you sa groups, you can delete me naman as a friend..I don't snoop/stalk at anyone's fb, I respect privacy. I'm just there to learn from the groups as well, and help us all to prepare and be informed at all times.   

[ishopnowfeelguiltylater]

super thanks to sis momentum. share ko lang, baka meron ding katulad ko dito na nagaalangan simulan ang pagprepare. matagal na ako nagmember dun sa fb groups and usually lurker lang ako. nung una hesitant ako to prepare kasi baka masayang lang all my preps tsaka magastos din. but naisip ko mas ok masayang kesa nangyari na tapos madami nga ako natutunan, hindi naman ako nagprepare. what I did inunti unti ko na.

Inuna ko na yung portable na lutuan because I have a baby. This is a justified purchase kasi kahit simpleng brownout wala kami lutuan kasi nakainduction cooker kami. Peso power 800+80 per canister of butane. Each canister daw

Next yung canned goods/bigas/beans. I will just use this every 3 months para hindi mabulok. Tapos palitan na lang agad. Around 1000pesos nagastos ko dito. Tempted to hoard pero worry ko lang baka magexpire so alalay lang din.

Transistor radio. Bibili na sana ako kaso nanalo ako sa paraffle sa office after a talk on earthquake preparedness. This would cost me around 500pesos so nakatipid!

First aid kit. I thought para lang to sa mga may maintenance meds. Haha! Pero nung nagresearch ako online, this would be needed after the earthquake for possible injuries na related dun. Base sa research ko online, more on open wounds and joint dislocation (amputation din pero natatakot ako just thinking about it lol). Kanina lang I went to the pharmacy tapos tanong pa ako dun kung para san ba yung mga nasa listahan ko. apparently maraming klase ng bandage/gauze/dressing. So far cost me less than 200 for small gauze pads, tape, gloves, paracetamol, betadine, band aid sa susunod naman yung iba.

Next in line - flashlight, extra batteries, baby stuff, complete first aid kit, tapos prepare naman ako dito sa office in case andito ako when shtf

Challenges -
Storage of water. Kasi we live in a condo so di ko pa rin maisip papaano.
Packing the go bag. Hubby and baby are left at home. Kung sila lang andun at andito ako sa office, I can't imagine how he can carry baby and the go bag at the same time. Dilemma ko pa rin what to put in a go bag kasi ang ginagawa ko ngayon is what to prepare at home in case buo pa rin ang structure, wala lang maayos na utilities and sarado mga tindahan. Any ideas?

[momentum]

No worries sis.


Actually sis you can post that question rin sa fb group and a lot will answer you. Pero lets wait narin for the input ni bro Akthung

Ako rin mejo hirap sa pagbubudget but inuunti unti ko na. As much as possible lightweight yung mga bibilhin na foods. Meron sis mga naka sachet na ulam, I remember someone posted a pic of that sa fb group.. Kasi mabigat nga naman yung delata. Para sa BOB ko sa office, puro bars and crackers lang food ko since lightweight ito and contains sugar para pampa energy. Kelangan ko narin dagdagan ng pocket knife, whistle sa ID, lightweight flashlight etc.. Still canvassing for these.

Kelangan talaga mag gastos. Pangmatagalan naman yung equipments. Better prepared than sorry, diba? Lalo na't mahirap asahan government natin. Paunahan at patayan sa kapiranggot na relief goods, if ever magpapamigay the first few days. Kaya dapat itatak nalang natin sa isip natin na wala na tayong ibang aasahan kundi sarili natin. Survival of the fittest talaga.

[summersong]

I understand how it can be overwhelming for someone who wants to start preparing for disasters and other emergencies. Isipin nyo na lang mga sis that it's like insurance. We might not ever need to use this stuff during our lifetime - and I hope it never does come to that - but it's good that it's there. There's an old saying among those who prepare - better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

One technique with regard to food preps: every time you shop at the supermarket, get a few more than what you usually buy. Say, if you usually buy 3 cans of sardines for the week, make it four. Put away the 4th can as your prep. This way, hindi biglaan at mabigat sa bulsa, and before you know it you'll have a growing stock of foodstuff na hindi sabay-sabay ang expiry date. Rotate your foodstores. Yung mas una mong binili, yun ang maunang gagamitin. This way hindi masisira at masasayang ang naimbak mong pagkain.

It will really be a long-term, continuous learning experience. Maganda nga ngayon that there is already a growing local group kaya meron nang techniques tried and tested na to our social and geographic conditions. Many years ago, the only resources I could find were mostly based abroad, kaya isipin pa kung ano the best way to apply it to our country.

[brandi]

We bought canned goods yesterday that could last for a wk. a sack of rice. Sack of dog food for our dogs. We put it in a bin that we could easily pull in case of emergency. We also have water, meds, first aid kit, whistle for each and everyone of us, face mask if needed, flashlight. A sack of charcoal too haha! If we need to evacuate, we'll just put it in the car and good to go.

[akthung]

the good thing about preparedness is many have gone deeper into preparation up to the point na nakakatipid sila.

one example is may mga veggie garden na sila. whether sa likod ng bahay or sa BOL meron.

meron naman pumasok sa aquaponics.

meron naman pumasok na din sa pag aalaga ng farm animals.

meron naman pumasok sa long term food storage like canning. of course meron din techniques to prolong food like coating uncooked eggs with oil.

yung iba gumagawa na ng sarili nilang jerky.

tapos yung iba naka solar power na sila sa bahay / BOL nila.

may mga totally or almost totally independent na from supermarkets, meralco, nawasa...

[Heatherette]

Uy this is a nice thread! I am currently building my go bag. Iilan nalang kulang ko. So far I have the following:

Water:
Sawyer Mini
Foldable bottle
Hydro bag
Water bottle 1L

Q: should I also have a water purification tablets or ok na yung meron ako?

Food:
Canned goods but I want to switched to MREs, namamahalan lang ako haha any alternatives?
Crackers

Q: should I also invest in a mess kit? If yes, anong magandang brand? Yung compact lang din sana at wag masyadong mahal haha di ko rin alam kung mag-Esbit ako or gas canister or kung ano man.

Fire:
Firestarter
Waterproof container for my matches and striker
Lighter

Lights:
SnapLight
Small flashlight but thinking of investing in a compact and waterproof flashlight

Q: which is better, Fenix or Nitecore?

First aid kit - I followed yung list sa Red Cross
Clothing - good for 3-5 days
Hand crank radio
Paracord
Whistle
Garbage bags
Duct tape and electrical tape
Alcohol and wipes
Small notebook and permanent markers (still thinking of getting a waterproof notebook)
Poncho
P-51 can opener
Spork
Hygiene kit

EDC:
Swiss Army knife
Leatherman Wave
Band aids, meds
Zip ties
Duct tape
Whistle
Pen and paper
Safety pins
Lighter
Nail clipper

Then may iba pa kong kulang like N95 mask (ang hirap hanapin dito sa atin), emergency blanket, compass, magnifying glass, eyeglass repair kit (cause I wear eyeglasses) and a small towel.

Q: do I need a sleeping bag? LOL

[akthung]

Uy this is a nice thread! I am currently building my go bag. Iilan nalang kulang ko. So far I have the following:

hi sis, mag comment lang ako ng aking 2 cents

1. better na din may water purfication tabs ka as some sort of back up.

2. MREs are bad. the military actually avoids them. and my military friends always tell me they bring real food as much as possible and they are only the last resort. a friend of mine from a first world tier one unit would never go beyond 3 days using MREs. kung sila nandidiri dahil sa negative effects and bad taste, tayo pa.

one thing outdoor people like to have is the century tuna paella, may rice and ulam na in one ang dating. you can also look into preparing your own MRE. some of my friends make beef jerky and they dehydrate other stuff.

3. water. also if you can get a stainless steel cup that can fit the bottom of your water bottle ( so they can fit in the pouch). its very useful. you can boil and cook in it, and of course eat from it. just put 3 stones near each other then place the Stainless cup in the middle, chuck sticks between the stone and light them.

get a water bladder for your ultra clean water needs. and the 1 liter bottle is where you'll pop the aquatabs. i hope this is what you meant by hydro bag

you can also boil water from the SS cup.

4. yeah mess kit is okay. if you can lug it why not. though others prefer the stainless steel cup or army cup. get stainless ha, not aluminum.

5. the beauty of a gas canister is you can cook even if its raining hard. often people bring alternative methods of cooking etc. they try to have gears that are multi functional para magaan ang dala dala

6. flashlight, either brand is okay. but better if you have a low powered light too. and very handy ang head lamp, lalo na pag may red LEDs, sometimes having really bright light at night can be disadvantageous. sometimes you need to have a low profile para hind mabigay position mo or hindi maka istorbo sa kasama. RED is to keep a low profile but primarily to save your eye's natural night vision.

you can also bring down the head lamp to your neck. na parang necklace. okay din sya na ganun for some people.

7. get a small *full tang* knife.  you can beat the heck out a full tang knife. bibigay yang swiss knife and leather man mo sis if you go beyond light duty. you need something that is strong and pag push comes to shove pwede ipang kawayan, hardwood, etc etc.. 

many get two. one 4 inch blade na knife and they pair it with a Bolo. you can get a 4 inch muna. some okay sa kanila ang 6 inch lang. but best is to have 2.

maganda din yung may malaking foldable na saw.

8. sleeping gear wise, i suggest getting a light weight hammock with a tarp. you can add sleeping bag if you like basta kaya mo buhatin.

hammock will keep you from the ground na kung saan maraming animals, insects, and pag binabaha pa yung place.

9. yung first aid kit, i suggest that you have two. one should be the blow out kit, for wounds and burns, yung tipong nasa labas ng bag mo or nasa chest rig mo (yes some of us have custom made chest rigs). para mabilis mo sya ma access. isang hila lang na malakas. then pag bukas mo, bubulatlat na lang sila. and you or your friend/mate can patch up quickly.

yung isang FA kit, nasa loob ng bag.

also sis, sa woods, pag umulan, mababasa ka talaga, if you're well suited up, it will only take days or even a few hours and mababasa ka from the inside. so plan din yung pag bug out mo in the jungle pag rainy season.

10. okay din naman waterproof notebook

11. get the grabber emergency blanket. makapal din yun. pwede gawing tarp. good quality yung reflective surface.

12. learn how to sharpen your knives.

13. walkie talkie to hook up with others should S happen or if you happen to join with a group when you're bugging out.

14. portable charger ie solar charger and battery

lam mo ba sis may nawala na group noon sa pinas.  ubos tubig nila. nahanap sila ng rescuers dahil sa cellphone nilang dala. its a new world now. better have juice for diff gadgets.

most important of all, once in a while, bug out. so you'll know what u need, u know how to use what you have, and you'll know what is redundant. sina Doc Ar, nag bubug out at least twice a year (dry and wet season).

[Heatherette]

^Thank you akthung for your reply!!!

1. Sige, I will get water purification tablets na rin. Magaan lang naman yan haha

2 I will look into that Century Tuna Paella. What I have are 4 canned goods and 2 na nasa sachet (pork and beans haha). I can survive without eating breakfast kasi sa usual ko naman di talaga ako kumakain so lunch and dinner lang iniisip ko haha

3. Yes, I have the water bladder. Still waiting for my backpack kasi may compartment siya ng water bladder.

4. Yung sa mess kit, I was thinking of getting Toaks. Titanium siya. Magaan daw pero I haven't seen one in person.

5. I would probably get gas canister din. Kasi I live in a condo so bawal LPG sa amin so baka pwede gawin kong backup yung gas canister dito haha

6. Yes, I have a head lamp din pala. I forgot to include sa list ko. But yung flashlight that I was planning on buying para sa bag ko. I have a small flashlight sa keychain ko. It's a Streamlight Nano. Sa EDC keychain ko I have pepper spray, personal alarm, flashlight and Gerber Shard.

7. Yung knife, what can you recommend? I have a Spyderco Delica 4 but I think I need a much tougher one. Ka-Bar Becker is ok ba? Kasi yun ang madalas ko nakikita na dinadala.

8. Hammock is a nice idea! I will go look into that.

9. Dun sa FA kit, ano ano ang mga kelangan ko for wounds and burns? I was planning on joining the Red Cross training din.

Kay Tactical Asia ako namimili, yung iba inaantay ko pa talaga magka-stock like yung blanket nga haha

So far yan ang mga meron ako. Hoping to complete them by the end of the month. Yung bag na napili ko eh ordinary looking backpack lang. Kasi naisip ko if I go tactical baka maisip ng iba ay kumpleto to ng dala hahaha

[summersong]

@ Heatherette

Good list. Looks like you've got most things covered.

Additional points to consider na lang:

Documents. Have copies stored in waterproof envelopes. Have them stored in an encrypted flash drive as well.

A map and a compass. When structures around you are destroyed, you might not see familiar landmarks that will help you go to your preferred location.

Quality moisture-wicking socks. Sturdy, comfortable footwear that's been broken in. Flip flops or river sandals to let your feet breathe once in a while.

You can't go wrong with either Fenix or Nitecore. Choose a model na lang that suits your needs. Consider na rin the type of battery the flashlight uses. I would also recommend one that has a long-lasting low mode para hindi madalas magpalit ng battery. Other notable brands: Olight, Sunwayman, Klarus, 4Sevens, Zebralight, Surefire, Eagletac, Thrunite.

About sleeping bags, it will depend on how long you expect to be on the road, if you anticipate to be staying outdoors, in a forest, if you'll be sleeping in a tent or on a concrete floor.

Yes, get a fixed knife with a full tang that can take a lot of use and abuse. Try to look into Schrade, (moras or) Morakniv knives. They're inexpensive yet matibay din.

I personally don't like MREs, unless I'm looking at food that I'll need to stay hidden and stocked for years. There are lots of more palatable food that you only need to rotate every few months or so.

Glad you considered an ordinary backpack. Always better to blend in. Pansinin ang tactical/military designs.

[Heatherette]

^Thank you sis!

I listed down yung mga nasabi niyo.

Yung mga docs, I have them stored na in a safety deposit box. Then I already have photocopies. Di ko pa nagagawa yung sa flash drive dahil wala ako makitang maliit na pwede isabit sa keychain LOL

Do I need a signal mirror? I found one kasi sa Amazon na meron compass, magnifying, whistle and LED light in one. So I might get that pero yung mirror di ko pa alam. I also have cotton balls with vaseline stored na.

Kanina I checked Base Kamp, wala sila nung maliliit na gas canister and cups so I will get nalang these sa Amazon too.

Yung mga food na napili ko yung no heat, no cook meals. Kasi naisip ko paano kung wala akong source of water pangluto (mas important sa akin yung inuman than pangluluto ko) or iinitin ko pa yung food. MRE yung nakita ko na isang set ba yun, saw reviews sa YT sarap na sarap sila kaso ang daming piraso kasi sa isang set (orange juice, coffee, snacks, nuts, etc...) so hindi din conducive na bitbitin ko siya. Yung Wise Company and Mountain House naman needs hot water. I don't about Datrex na bar kung anong lasa nun LOL

And I found a wire saw, since di ko kaya magbuhat ng sobrang bigat I might get that one. It's compact lang kasi. About sa knife, machete yung iniisip kong bilhin LOL Probably Cold Steel.

[akthung]

Hello Sis,

1. regarding compass and signal mirror, sa akin lang, i suggest getting quality compass like Suunto. may models na may mirror na usually ginagamit sa bearings, but you can also use it for signalling.

useful din for traveling yung global compass. may global compass ako yung Suunto MC-2. lagi ko dala yun pag nag tratravel. malaki room niya for magnetic pull and mabilis mag adapt ang needle. nung nawala kami sa northern china, yun ginamit namin.

in some countries, having a GPS can get u into trouble

2. look at canteenshop.com. madami sila magagandang cooking ware doon. but many of my friends buy yung zebra brand from thailand. cheap but durable. available sa SM dept stores. yung iba they modify the zebra ice buckets into billy cans.

3. re: food  ang dami sa inyo magagaling mag luto, lalo na mga luto ni momentum, picture pa lang nakakagutom na. i think may edge ang female preppers pag na simulan eto.

so i suggest going into home made "MREs". maraming gumagawa nyan na preppers and outdoors people. it doesnt have to last for years. 6 months to 1 year pwede na. you can stock on other items. and just keep on making them and eating them before they expire. but grabe yung gawa ng ibang preppers parang ayaw mo syang istock for years. gusto mo na chibugin agad. hehe.

but you can stock up on MREs too for the sake of being fully covered.

4. knives,

Mora is good. but its not strictly full tang. most are 1/2 tang. the best of the Mora outdoor knives are 3/4 tang. however its worth having them because the steel is good, and its relatively cheap. sharpening is easy too due to their design. and if you know how to properly handle a knife, it should be able to take a few beatings. i have two nga eh. but i've designated them as light duty all around knife, na nasa bag ko. my go to knife is the one from sese blades (below *)

don't go for cold steel bolos,  rather go for a locally well made bolo. good bolos should be made of good steel and should be heat treated well. one indicator of a well made local bolo would be to take a US made metal file and scrape it over the edge of the bolo. kaskasin niyo. pag dumulas yung file. maganda yun. even jeff randall of esse knives said that he'd choose a bolo/machete over his knives. LOL

also, a local made bolo is relatively cheap. pag nahulog or manakaw. oks lang. so some buy 2-3 bolos for back up.

Cold steel knives, the shorter ones are okay. the old ones from the 90s and back are very very good. if you want a good bolo, go to Seseblades, member si Momentum doon. there are also others out there pero proven ko sa buhay ko ang sese blades. they're also quite popular sa mga preparedness groups.

*my personal fixed blade knife is actually a custom forged knife from Sese blades. its made out of a vintage guide bar steel we found (true L6 Steel is hard to find these days.). L6 is one level below the steel used in Jackhammers. a female friend borrowed it in the US and nahuli ko she was chopping wood hammering wood on top of a steel plate. but the Heat treatment was so good that the edge did not bend or chip.

agree with moisture wicking socks. even clothes. if you have moisture wicking clothes better. but medyo may danger lang for synthetics kasi mabilis sila mag burn.

some invest na din in a good strong pair of pants and belts. make sure u can run with them. some invest in "tactical pants" dahil matibay na marami pang bulsa. yung iba masgusto nila yung non tactical for blending with the public. cargo type na lightweight pwede, not those flashy ones na feeling mo galing kang shooting range. lol but it all depends. eto 2 cents lang.

[Heatherette]

^Will look into Suunto

I already have Toaks Titanium cup with lid sa Amazon ko. Yung mode of cooking ang di ko pa talaga sure haha Sis momentum, thanks for adding me sa prepper groups! I was able to asked about the mess kit. Some suggest kerosene, gas canister, Esbit, etc... Mukhang babagsak ako sa Esbit kasi ang purpose ko lang naman for a mess kit pang-boil ng hot water kung kinakailangan ko lang haha

I have 2 5.11 Tactical pants and that's because I do target shooting LOL but no way will I bring them. Gusto ko maki-blend.

[akthung]

^Will look into Suunto

I already have Toaks ...

hows your cup doing? many prefer titanium because of the weight.

but many prefer steel because of how good steel is with cooking.

[Heatherette]

^I haven't purchased it pa kasi gusto ko isang bagsakan ako bumili so still looking for other items to put in my bag LOL

Iniisip ko nga at kalabisan ba kung bumili ako ng alcohol stove and Esbit? Para backup sa isa't isa? hahaha takot talaga ako sa gas canister. Feeling ko sasabog anytime sa akin hahahaha

[akthung]

Ah okay. Marami ayaw sa titanium dahil marami nakakaranas ng napapaso at nasusunugan ng pagkain.

Best way talaga to know what you like is to go to the boondocks.

As for your fire needs see how u can cook in the rain using alcohol/esbit.  Mas madali pag walang ulan but you'll know what u prefer when youve done it.

May product ang vargo, pwede esbit or alcohol. But sabi ng iba mahina sya as an alcohol stove.