Preppers and SHTF experts on Steemit, Please READ and give me, and them, your ideas:
I have a steemit friend in Nicaragua, @cecicastor who is in trouble! Here is what is going on. They live out in the country, within half mile of a river. They have been Prepping for a long time, but Civil War has Begun, and people are dying!` Her Husband built a compound with 21 foot walls, filled with raised bed gardens, etc. He intended to have 5 people there (I know, not enough) but they have 16 total (friends and neighbors) there now. They can Not leave the compound, even to go to the river; because of the very real possibility of being shot. Also they do not want people to think they are still there, which is smart.
Today they lost power and water. They have been locked down for a month, by choice! Can you guys give me any good ideas they can use to help themselves? They only have cell phones, and internet; no other communications.
They know to:
Drain their hot water for extra drinking water.
Catch rain
Ration their food
Plant all the seeds they can find
Use the food in their refrigerators first
Cook hot food on windy days to dissipate the smells
Post guards 24/ 7
Blackout all light sources
Stay QUIET, the best defense is if people do NOT know they are there!
:(
They have a continuous growing season, with winter just being the rainey season.
Please offer any suggestions you can think of that will help these wonderful people in trouble! Here is a chance to practice and apply, all the prepper knowledge we have absorbed; and maybe save some lives! It is difficult, because their biggest weapon is that no one knows they are still there; so this is a real World, life and death, prepping problem!
Come on Steemit family; what suggestions can you add to what I have already given them?
Oh dear, I know Ceci. Her and her son have been on my radio show a couple of times recently to give updates on the situation.
I was just reading her last post.
That is bad that the power has been cut now.
Are you in the Prepper Discord server run by @geordieprepper ? There are a lot of people there who might have good ideas.
Host of The Alternative Lifestyle Show on MSP Waves Radio.
Editor of the Weekly Schedule of Steem Radio Shows.
Founder of the A Dollar A Day charitable giving project.
It is ironic, that I am in Oklahoma, posting about a family of friends fron Canada, living in Nicaragua; with a Lady I just met in the UK, who is branching out to kindred spirts I don't know, in unknown places across the World; AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP!
Technology and knowledge is a powerful tool!
:)I have just got word from Ceci that she and her son Chris should be on my radio show (The Alternative Lifestyle Show) on MSP Waves on Friday.
I hope you will get a chance to tune in and listen to them give the latest update on the situation on Friday.
Host of The Alternative Lifestyle Show on MSP Waves Radio.
Editor of the Weekly Schedule of Steem Radio Shows.
Founder of the A Dollar A Day charitable giving project.
I will try! When does it happen? Chris is a good Kid!
Got it! 10 PM your time (5PM my time). I will try! It would be nice to hear them!
:)You are really so great sir
No, I am not unusual. I am just worried about this Family down south! Hoping that if we find even just ONE idea she can use, it will be worth all the effort!
There are a LOT of preppers on Steemit, that have put years of study into grid down coping methods. I am hoping that these Smart people will think of things I haven't, and give her a better chance of getting through this bad situation! Please spread this around so more people can thiink about what she needs!
:)That will be great.
She thinks theywill cut the country's communications on Wednesday. You had better record the interview.
THANK you so much! The more people thinking on how to help, the better we can all help! She is a smart sweet Lady, and I hate them being at risk! I have talked to them on steemit it for months, and they knew that this was likely, so I know they have prepped; but accumulated knowledge might tip the scale in their favor!
If I could just take one car load of stuff to her, I could fix a lot, but since that is not possible, this is the next best thing!
:(Sorry to hear this is happening.
First thing is first, the situation they are in is the one they are in and they can come out of it ok. It is their compound so those within it have a vested interest in it now too. They should give out tasks and set the daily routines and order of business.
The walls and perimeter needs to be inspected and patrolled throughout the day on rotations, but they need to ensure that there is some randomness to the inspections so that one area is not left for any length of time at a specific interval. Walls are attractive and if it’s defensible then they need to ensure they defend it because others may have had an eye on it before this happened and will certainly have an eye on it now.
The walls may be high, but a quadcopter could go over them, they should setup covers in open spaces for people to go under and ensure that they are within 20 paces minimum of some form of cover from above.
The other things you’ve listed are all good, I would make sure they don’t have any hot food that has strong smells though, even on windy days the smells will carry. They should have as bland a food items as they can stand that are hot, such as rice and pasta’s.
Their Bug out bags and items must be placed in a convenient yet secure location and food highest in calories and need little or no preparation placed with them. Being within the walls and more sedentary (apart from patrols of the perimeter) the lower calorie bland stuff can be had first that there is the largest supply of and leave the more exotic food with the high energy in it, for when they will need it.
More people means more waste, how is there waste system and where is it going? Disease could be a real threat. All those within the walls need to ensure that the systems in place to sustain them are used correctly and everyone needs to know what they can touch and what they CAN’T!
The food aspect, they have more mouths than expected, they need to ration and cut that down immediately. They are in their location so they can cut to the bare minimum right now or even skip a day. Humans can go 3 weeks with no food, but that is extreme, they need to ensure their energy levels are high enough to conduct daily business with extra in reserve. So they need to discipline those within the walls now and make the sacrifice now or there could be tension and worse problems later. Ensure children get a decent meal at regular times if there is any there. A disgruntled hungry child is a noisy child. If people there are overweight or fat then they have a store on them their body can use for many days or weeks, they do not need full rations.
Keep noise to a minimum, no metal objects moved, picked up or even touched if possible that can clang together and make a lot of noise unless there is a place within a structure that could dampen this noise. Place towels between plates so they don’t make noise stacking them, or just don’t stack plates at all. Make sure nobody starts doing any ‘DIY’ and constructing anything that will create loud banging. Generators are good but noisy, hopefully they have them surrounded by things to dampen the noise or can perhaps do without them entirely for now as generators need fuel. Turn mobile phones to silent with vibrate turned OFF.
Rodents, if they see rodents then others will see the rodents too and where there are rodents there are people. This and other indicators should always make them consider that even though they may think nobody knows they are there that people might know, they are just too pre-occupied with other things and have supplies themselves for now. Once people run low on items then comes ransacking and thieving. Hopefully their OPSEC before things was good enough that nobody local knows exactly what it is they have in there.
Any Radio’s, Wi-Fi signals, Bluetooth etc should be turned off and nothing broadcast. Modern Wi-Fi goes a long way and just using another electronic device within 100m of somewhere will detect anything. Ensure that electronic equipment is only turned on when needed and never at the same time during day or night to minimise being discovered.
I will post anything else I can think of as I think of it.
Thanks! They have been locked down and blacked out for over a month. Their neighbors are friends, and are there to support them. I told them to dig a hole for the generators. The noise goes up, and location is hard. They only use them randomly to recharge their batteries. She is a Nurse, so she is tough on clean and waste disposal!
Food is the real risk, they have been rationing and foraging for a while now. Unfortunately, there is no where to bug out too. Outside the compound they are shooting people. BOTH sides!
You are right on the rodents! I would eat them.
Snares for catching animals...set them at night, check them at night.
That's all I could come up with, as you've covered most of the rest.
If they have cell phones is there some other groups of their own style/beliefs they could bring in? A small army could probably go out at day and forage, collect water, etc.
Thanks! The snares are aometing I have in my own supplies, but I forgot. Good add! Fish traps might be possible. Right now, their biggest single help is that people don't think anyone is there. THAT makes things harder, but I understand. Also, the longer they are empty, the safer they are.
That said, the snares might add to their food supply, with very little risk; since they are quiet and easy to set up!
Do they have any weapons? If they don't they need to figure out a way to acquire some. Is there any evidence that there are people waiting for an opportunity to attack them?
Set a perimeter with anything that will make noise. Tripwire, tin cans, something noisy on the ground. Something. If anyone passes through the perimeter, the noise will alert to them to either attack or hide.
Are you in communication with @cecicastor?
@ironshield
@ironshield You just contacted her, she is still in communication for now. I don't know about weapons, and she will not put that online (she IS a smart Lady) I recommended the trip wire noise makers. They have been locked down for a month, because they saw this coming. so I don't know if they have the supplies for a tripwire. I would make one out of vines myself.
Right now, everyone thinks no one remains in this area, so hiding is a good survival tool! They have 3000 plus gallons of clean water, and it is the rainy season there right now. Their food is being hit hard, because they has 21 people safe there right now. She thinks they can go 4 to 6 weeks on what they have. This will be the limiting factor. If they lay low for a month, then start snaring, foraging, and catching fish at night for food, they will make it by not being noticed.
Yes, I did comment on her latest post. I hope she will have internet on Friday. What a situation. Praying for their safety and wellbeing. @ironshield
@ironshield Thanks, tap everyone you know for ideas that she can use, please! She is in a bad spot!
:(Quick update: she is pretty sure they will loose communications on Wednesday, so now there is a time issue too!
@mepatriot
@ironshield
@pennsif
That sounds awful, I'm struggling to think of anything useful for them at the moment.
Other than perhaps a ram-pump for constant water. only downsides are elevation differences/requirements (create a 'head' of water, etc.) and the noise they make.
Yes, it is tough! They have only what is there, they can't go to any stores, as they are all closed. The ram pump is a good system. They are a mile from the river. I dont know about the elevation but they are close to the sea, so it is probably slight.
She is a sweet Lady, thanks for thinking about her!
@geordieprepper has just done a post and youtube video on Nicaragua & @cecicastor.
Wonderful, I will watch it!
How are they charging their cell phones?
They have generators. Food is their biggest problem, with 21 mouths to feed. But they have prepped a lot, and they are foraging. As long as they can stay hidden, they should be okay.