Rules of 3 - Shelter

Welcome to another installment of the Be Prepared Channel. Yesterday we introduced the Rules of 3. You can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food in a survival situation. These are general rules and obviously there are always exceptions to the rules. Yesterday we went over the first and most pressing of these rules. 3 minutes without air, and some things to keep in mind.

Today we are are going to touch on the next rule in your order of priority.

3 Hours without Shelter:

First off we we frame this in the context of survival, and how to be prepared. Being prepared does not mean emptying your bank account to buy a bunch of stuff. The first place you prepare is between the left and right ear... IE Mentally. Of course survival can require some physical preparation, but if you don't have this thought out, have a plan, some skills, and know what is going on your chances of survival are slim even with the best gear and toys money can buy. So let's get into this concept of shelter.

Let's look at a definition from dictionary.com:

shel⋅ter

–noun

1.	something beneath, behind, or within which a person, animal, or thing is protected from storms, missiles, adverse conditions, etc.; refuge.

2.	the protection or refuge afforded by such a thing: He took shelter in a nearby barn.

3.	protection from blame, incrimination, etc.

4.	a dwelling place or home considered as a refuge from the elements: Everyone's basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter.

5.	a building serving as a temporary refuge or residence for homeless persons, abandoned animals, etc.

6.	Finance. tax shelter.

–verb (used with object)

7.	to be a shelter for; afford shelter to: The old barn sheltered him from the rain.

8.	to provide with a shelter; place under cover.

9.	to protect, as by shelter; take under one's protection: Parents should not try to shelter their children from normal childhood disappointments.

10.	Finance. to invest (money) in a tax shelter.

–verb (used without object)

11.	to take shelter; find a refuge: He sheltered in a barn.

12.	Finance. to invest money in a tax shelter.

 As you can see there is a variety of definitions and contexts. But to summarize it is protection. In the context of survival it is the protection of your life, and well being. There are many situations a person can find themselves in search of shelter. You could be in your own home and seeking out shelter as we discussed in the 'Winter - Cold Reality" post earlier. If the power goes out and it is 0 degrees outside and your house becomes freezing it is no longer a sufficient shelter to protect you from the elements. You may not be outside directly exposed to the elements, but at the same time your home is no longer able to protect you from the effects of those elements. So shelter can take many forms, but remembering the essentials is critical.


Shelter:

1. Shelter should get you out of the elements, or counteract the elements or the external threat sufficiently to keep you alive.

For example: You can be out in the pouring rain and it is chilly outside. The combination of the chill and the rain could very well put you at risk of hypothermia. You may not be able to find shelter to cover you from the rain, but you might have the ability, if properly prepared, to start a fire. That fire can counteract the effects of the rain to act as shelter from the cold and wet as it relates to core body temperature.

So remember shelter can be relative to the threat your facing. The ability to make a fire regardless of the conditions has saved many people. Is fire, in the truest sense shelter? No, but it clearly can fall into that category.



2. Pay attention to body temperature and think about what type of shelter you need for your situation.

Example:

Is it freezing outside?
- Then your obvious concern will probably be staying warm.

Is it scorching hot outside?
- Then you obvious concern may be finding shade.

Using common sense and pay attention to your body temperature and the risks.

3. Hostile environments: A massive thunder or lightning storm, hail storm, tornado, hurricane, earthquake, a flat tire in a bad neighborhood, or an angry mob. Taking shelter means very different things in each of these examples. Analyze the threat to your well being and be prepared to take action quickly.

4. Mental preparation: What you do to protect yourself in the moments you have to think about the threat your facing could mean the difference between life and death. Think about your shelter options in advance and always be aware of your environment. Mental preparation has to be first. Just as we mentioned with the first rule air, you have to know your environment and avoid putting yourself in a place where you will violate the Rules of 3.

5. Physical preparedness. So you have mentally thought things through. Your aware of your environment, your place of work, your commute to work, home, and surrounding areas. You are familiar with your neighborhood and have thought about your home and the threats. You have the mental inventory of your situation, now it is time to start taking corrective action where you can to increase your odds of survival and your shelter options.

Things to consider:

- Think about replacing that car that is no longer safe, or to do much needed repairs to enusre that it functions as it should.
- Consider getting a backup power generator, battery bank, solar panels, or wind turbine.
- Consider installing a backup source of of heating and cooking in your home that does not rely on the main power grid or utilities.
- Get the proper clothing, gloves, coats, hats, and other emergency forms of protection from the elements in a kit in your car.
- Do a inventory of the basics you have around the house like we touched on in a previous post about having fuel, alternative heating sources, and other essentials to counteract the threats of the outside weather.
- Get into shape to handle the tasks and the jobs that would be needed in a situation like this so that you can get to, repair, or improvise a shelter.

One of the things you can do is to get or develop emergency kits. Yes, kits plural. Why plural? If you build a emergency kit at home it won't do you much good in your car or at work! LOL If your on a business trip your kit at home won't help you when your away from home, work, or car. So it is time to start thinking about these preparations. Are these kits shelter? Maybe not directly in some instances, but they can very easily help you get shelter.

An emergency kit is personal and specific to you. It is about your specific needs and wants. Each kit is an individual thing. If you keep the Rules of 3 firmly planted first in mind as your building or shopping for a kit then you will have an idea what you will need. Or you can buy pre-made kits. I have no affiliations with any companies, manufacturers, distributors etc. I just did a quick google search and found a company that sells kits.  I am sure you could find many kits like this on Amazon and in many other good places to shop online.


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Here is a list of what they contain in thier 4 person kit:

FOOD & WATER

(4) ER™ Food Bars - U.S. Coast Guard approved. 3 day supply for 1 person, 5 year shelf-life.
(12) Water Boxes with Straws - U.S. Coast Guard approved. 3 day supply for 1 person, 5 year shelf-life.
(50) ER™ Water Purification Tablets - To purify unsanitary water. One tablet purifies one liter of water.
(1) Can Opener - Easy to use GI style can opener. Small and effective.

SHELTER

(4) ER™ Emergency Blankets - Designed by NASA to retain 90% body heat.
(4) ER™ Ponchos with Hood - Don't be caught out in the elements without shelter. Lightweight and compact.
(1) ER™ Emergency Tent - Comes with rope and instructions. A quick and effective shelter.
(1) ER™ Plastic Sheeting - Shelter-in-place for protection from contaminants. Easy to follow instructions.
(1) Roll Duct Tape - Great for various applications.

LIGHTING & COMMUNICATION

(1) ER™ Solar / Hand-Crank Powered Light, Radio, & Cell Phone Charger
(4) ER™ Out-of-state Contact Card - Keep track of loved ones with these.
(3) ER™ Green Lightsticks - 12 hours of bright green light at the snap of a finger. 4 year shelf-life formula.
(1) ER™ Yellow Lightstick - 12 hours of bright yellow light at the snap of a finger. 4 year shelf-life formula.
(5) ER™ Emergency Candles - Each candle lasts 5 hours. Provides light and warmth.
(50) ER™ Waterproof Matches - Light after getting wet. Unique non-toxic formula.

FIRST AID

(1) ER™ 52-piece First Aid Kit - Comprehensive first aid kit in plastic carrying case.

SEARCH & RESCUE

(1) Safety Whistle - Blow loud for immediate rescue attention! Comes with lanyard.
(4) Dust Masks - Prevents dust and germ inhalation. Reduces risk of inhaling toxins.
(1) Pair Vinyl Gloves - Protects hands from infection. Maintains sanitary conditions. Comes inside 1st aid kit.
(1) Pair Work Gloves - Heavy duty with leather palm. Perfect for sifting through dangerous debris.
(1) Swiss Army Style Knife - 5 function folding knife. A must for any survival kit.
(1) ER™ Multi-function Utility Tool - Shut off gas and water, use as pry bar, and dig through debris.
(1) ER™ Nylon Utility Cord - 50 feet of heavy duty nylon rope. Perfect for any number of uses.
(1) ER™ Survival Guide - Complete guide to surviving any disaster.

SANITATION

(1) Snap-on Toilet Seat (optional) - Snaps on to container for use as a portable toilet.
(12) Sanitation/Toilet Bags - For use with container as a portable toilet.
(1) Package Toilet Chemicals - Maintain sanitary conditions by using with container, seat, and bags.
(4) Tissue Packs - Multi-task sheets to maintain sanitary conditions.
(1) ER™ 5 Gallon Bucket Container - Use with chemicals, seat, and bags as a portable toilet.
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Now is this what I would personally put in my home kit? No. But it is lists like this that can give you a starting point for developing your own list.  Then listen to people who are experts in this field that will help you formulate what you would want to have in your kit. Do I recommend buying a kit? Only if you find something that you think will meet your needs. If you choose to buy a kit please take the time to learn what is in the kit, how it works, and be mentally/physically prepared to use it. This is true regardless if you bought a pre-made kit or built it yourself.

Keep in mind that any kit that you might make or buy should be tailored for your specific environment. Obviously getting a list and ideas from someone who lives in a desert may not apply to you if you live in a place that has no deserts and a completely different climate and risks. So pay attention to what your needs for shelter are in your area.

In upcoming posts I will get into my own personal preparations, my kits, and some reviews of some of the gear that I have bought and my experiences so far. I am far from an expert in this field so I am sharing my own experiences and hopefully can help others as they become prepared and avoid some of the mistakes that I have made in this learning process. I hope your enjoying the blog and we will start to get into more of the specifics as we finish up covering the concepts. Thanks for reading!

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