NatGeo Prepper Facts

S02 ep01
yes its a new season ... and hopefully some new facts ...but they've got a new theme song written for them.

the US and Russia have 2000 nuclear warheads on standby

In February 2012, Putin stated that Russia also plans to build more than 500 ballistic missiles.

It would take less than 30 minutes for a Russian missile to reach the US-- half that if its fried from a submarine.

a nuclear attack would contaminate any above ground water supdply and very likely any underground source as well as it trickled down from radioactive rain

The USSR once dropped a 50 megaton bomb {1200 times more powerful than the Hiroshima & Nagasaki bombs COMBINED}

Naturally occuring gamma-ray bursts in space can release more energy in 10 seconds than the Sun will emit in its entire 10-billion year lifetime

For blocking Gamma rays, steel only needs to be 3.5 inches thick as opposed to 12inches of concrete or 18 inches of dirt.

The largest nuke the Russians tested was powerful enough to inflict third-degree burns on people more than 12 miles away

Practical Preppers, a consulting company in the preparedness field, specializes in sustainable solutions.
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51% of Americans believe a financial collapse could happen in the next 25 years

in 2008, nearly 6 in 10 teenagers were worried that the country's economic problems might hurt their families.

The .22 Ruger is considered the top selling autoloading 22-caliber pistol of all time.

12 billion bullets are manufactured each year, twice as many as bullets as there are people on earth.

Most fire related deaths are caused by smoke inhalation, not burns.

{these teenagers nearly burnt their shelter down when they had the hair brained idea of building a fire INSIDE with out benefit of fireplace or wood stove ... where is child protection??}
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in the 100 Small Pox killed more people than in all the 20th century wars combined.

Survivors can be left with permanent scars, pockmarks, blindness, or sterility.

Small Pox was believed erraticated in 177, so vaccinations stopped being given.

a single case will give the government the authority to confine and isolate entire communities.

5000 troops can be on the ground within 2 days.

the biological response team will take 24 hours to get to an outbreak area.

Biological weapons have been called "The Poor Man's Atom Bomb" because they're comparatively easy to make.

No one has been placed under federal quarantine for small opx in the US since 1964.

If Exposed, experts say:
a)dispose of your clothes
b)3-5 minute shower using soap and water {they obviously don't have long hair}

NatGeo Prepper Facts

Episode 11

In 2008 China became became the worlds largest exporter of goods

China owns $1.1 TRILLION in US bonds

Most people can not distinguish between classifications of gold if it is not stamped on the gold piece, nor could they distinguish between mickle, silver, sterling, white gold, or platinum

Canned dog food is not regulated by the FDA or USDA for human consumption, each can has about 300 calories and high protein **NOTE 1**

In a blind taste test of canned meats and gourmet goose liver (faux gras), less than 17% of people could identify which one was dog food

In this episode there is a shot of a stock trading board - companies shown are (in order of appearance:
• Dupont (DD)
• Disney (DIS)
• GE (GE)
• Home Depot (HD)
• HP (HPQ)
• IBM (IBM)
• intel (INTC)
• Johnson&Johnson (JJ)

1,140 = number of rounds the average gun owner buys in one year

One of the earliest recorded uses of a pipe b--b was in 1886 at a rally in Chicago

Sand tables are used by military officers to plot strategy

Sand tables go back to at least the 1st century AD when the Roman Empire used them

America is one of the largest importers of Chinese goods

Barleys have been used by the US military since 1916. They were used to defend the US border from Pancho Villa's raiders

The average American uses 20,805 sheets of toilet paper a year

According to a recent gallop poll, 47% of American adults report having a gun on their property **notes 2 & 3**

An underground bunker would maintain a constant 55F temperature all year if buried beneath the frost line

The average saving account (today) gives a yearly interest return of <1% while the value of silver has nearly tripled since 2008, going from $11/oz to $32 /oz

Preppers use PVC to make tubes to bury their valuables in so that metal detectors will not find them

Some precious metal dealers have reported customers hide their silver in plain sight by painting the bars black to use as doorstops **Note 4**

Shipping containers can cost up to $5000 each, and are water tight **Note 5**

there about 12.8 million unemployed workers in the US, more than the ENTIRE population of Greece

51% of Americans believe we might face some sort of economic meltdown within the next 25 years

in 2009 a British man using a metal detector found 11 lbs of Anglo-Saxon gold. Belonging to the British crown, it's worth $6.3 Million **Note 6**

As of gentlest 2012, there were 5,846,000 mortgages past due **NOTE 7**

M25 gas masks were developed by the military to protect tanks drivers from chemical attacks

About 12% of people suffer from claustrophobia

•••••••••
**NOTE 1: remember the Eukabena dog food problems of several years ago when dogs were dying from polymer being accidentally mixed into the canned dog food? I suggest extreme CAUTION ... Animal food recalls are not always given news coverage and many go unnoticed by the general public

Note 2: here is an error on NatGeo's pop up .. It read "47% percent of American adults" ... Someone slipped it past the proof-reader and the editor (unless they're the same person of course)

Note 3: National gun sales have shown a sharp rise this year after tax return checks began to be mailed out ... and there has been a marked increase of early filets this year as well

Note 4: in an episode of "Hogans Heroes" they painted gold bars with red paint and then used them as bricks to build some steps

Note 5: actually I'm wondering if these storage containers will also act as Faraday cages since they are made of metal which would allow EMPs to be diverted from any electronics inside

Note 6: I'm betting that was one pissed off British subject! You have to wonder if an American found buried gold from the civil war, would they have to turn it over to the federal government? What if it was Confederate gold? Makes you wonder

Note 7: many people wait to pay their mortgages until the last day of their "grace period" not realizing that they are being considered "past due" and ruining their credit rating as well - so while the number given is high, it may not reflect the true number of homes in jeopardy of foreclosure

•••••••
Final Note - I found the last prepper featured rather disturbing ... There was no indication that he has had any medical training yet he is putting IVs into his wife's arm ... DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME ... While most people have experienced a bruise from a needle missing or nicking a vein (such as when having blood work done or an IV if you've had a baby int he hospital), an improperly inserted IV can cause a number of life threatening health issues

That's why nurses have to go to school for things like this!

Even though she may have had some
Medical training (she work full-time in a medical lab, and she may be trained to draw blood or insert IVs, I'm guessing she is not a trainer (she even commented that she didn't think he would actually insert the needle)

You can also tell that his wife is totally stressed out by all this (during the whole episode you can see her nose is red from crying) ... She even comments to HIM that one of the prep items he wants to get is the cost of a home - $75,000 (and yes there are places where you can get a very nice home for that price but you may not have a lot of land ... Or you could get a plot of land in some rural areas for that price with or without an existing home)

Since his bug-out plan included going into an area that his family was jot comfortable in, why not take that $75,000 and fix up the area so that his family would feel more comfortable there? maybe paint the walls, put in a couple of bunks, perhaps some form of safe heating unit, maybe even something to keep the critters away that the family is afraid of ... Unless he does not own the building and is only renting it, then he would not have the authority to do so -- know your lease

I was especially shocked by some of the things this man said on camera -- from saying the kids would "drag us down" if they take the prepping seriously ("put your gas mask in and stop playing chess or I'm throwing it in the garbage" I'm guessing he was talking the chess board) to his telling the older kids that he hoped his wife wouldn't go into the bug-out shelter with them to telling the kids that their grandparents would be left behind ... WHAT WAS HE THINKING?!

I also noticed that there was no "follow up" clip at the end of this one - it may have been simply for time reasons or perhaps he declined to submit one ... Though jot unheard of in this series (not every prepper had an "after" video) ...

NatGeo Prepper Facts

episode9
1462 = edible species of bugs/insects

Crickets have 13g of protein EACH

"Red, Orange, or Yellow?
Forget This fellow
Black, green, or Brown
Wolf it down"

The Svalbard Seed Vault, 600 miles from the North Pole, holds "spare" copies of seeds as insurance against a global crisis

As of 2007, the US was the most armed country in world, averaging 9 guns for every 10 people

A sealed safe room should have a CO2 detector to monitor oxygen levels

A serving of broccoli sprouts can offer up to 100 times more nutritional value than mature broccoli ... NOTE 1

There are over 500 nuclear warheads on military bases in Montana alone

Produce exposed to radiative fallout can still be eaten but should be washed and peeled to remove any radioactive particles

After the nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, civilians 2 miles away received lacerations from flying objects.

more common Faraday cages include cars, airplanes, office buildings, and tunnels

In a recent survey 24% of Americans said they would share their resources and supplies with people they don't know very well ... NOTE 2

In 1983 during the cold war, the US started preparing for the possibility of an EMP

since 1900, there have been 125 earthquakes that have killed over 1,000 people ... NOTE 3

NOTE 4

¥¥¥¥¥¥
NOTE 1: Bacteria can grow rapidly and live with in the sprouts if they are done so correctly ... So use caution

NOTE 2: but this also means that 76% of people said they would NOT share

NOTE 3: what they don't say is that the majority were pre-quake housing codes or occurred in countries where buildings were ancient

NOTE 4: the description of the shows mentions that the last prepper was working on a tool to escape from under rubble - while they SHOW him working on a hatchet type tool, they do not DISCUSS it so I don't know why it's in the description

NatGeo Prepper Facts

episode 7
Agronomists say the current food supply would have to double in order to meet the demands of a world population expected to reach 10 billion by the year 2100

In 9 months one female rabbit can produce up to 800 babies/grandbabies/great-grandbabies

A recent study shows that 45% of americans collect, store, or can food in preparation for a catastrophe

In 2001, the US Marine Corps revealed a new camouflage pattern MARPAT. It's designed to create "visual white noise" to conceal the wearer

Camouflage works by tricking the eye to associate the colors and patterns with different object

Sleep scientists have discovered that around 80% of dreams focus on negative events

During WW1 approximately 6 million pounds of charcoal was used in the production of gas masks

The Mount St Helens ash plume reached 16 miles high and moved at the speed of 60 mph, and it spread across the US in 3 days

Recent study show that 26%of Americans purchased a firearm to better prepare for a potential catastrophe

Gun experts suggest practicing at a range at least twice a week to become proficient with your weapon

According to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the world is closer to seeing a Global Nuclear War today than in 1960
{ginger says: NO DUH! there are more countries with nuclear capabilities}

Deployed in 1959, the Atlas was the first US ICB (intercontinental ballistic missle)

A recent study shows that 51% of Americans think that the United States might experience a financial collapse in the next 25 years

NatGeo Prepper Facts

Episode 6

A four day provisions bag should have a 16 - 21 gallon capacity

Gasoline has a shelf life of 9 months to 2 years (depending on the blend)

German shepherds are the world premiere military, police, and guard dogs. Their bite force has been measured at 238 pound per square inch

Potassium Iodine tablets will keep for 5 years if stored in a cool dry place

To last more than 10 years, seeds must be kept at below 40F and away from moisture
note: when you pull packages out of your freezer, no matter how "air tight" you have them, condensation will begin to build up within the packaging from the product within it in most cases

The Millennium Seed Bank Project in England is the worlds largest seed repository and banked it's billionth seed in April 2007

Only HEIRLOOM seeds is guaranteed to give you seeds which will grow the same variety as you collected them from
ORGANIC deals with the way the plants were grown and collected but does not guarantee that the plant is not a hybrid which might NOT give you the same variety as the plant from which you collect the seeds from

"Survival Seeds" are both heirloom in nature and organic in harvest

Experts estimate that Fukushima released only 1/10th the radiation released by Chernobyl in 1986

Radiation from the Fukushima reactor reached the United States in March 2011 - exposure levels were small and did not cause any fatalities

note: beware of any product/company/person who "guarantees" that anything will last past doomsday - how would collect on that promise if it doesn't hold up?

In a recent survey, 49% of americas said that they were more likely to buy a house with a bomb shelter over one with high-end appliances

A study by the US Army shows that judgement becomes impaired beginning at 10,000 ft ASL
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a few personal observations about this episode:

• while training your dog for security seems like a good idea, bare in mind that (a)certain breeds will raise your home owners insurance (b)if your dog does attack someone or even threaten to attack they can be subject to capital punishment and you will be held liable for medical bills and possible civil awards as well (c)you may have to report that your dog has had such training to your local law enforcement - check your local ordinances/laws

• a case in WI where a property owner set up a device to harm anyone breaking into his property (I want to say it was in 1990), the intruder was killed and he property owner charged and convicted of murder. In most cases, unless your life or another's is in IMMEDIATE peril - that is there is no question about it - you can NOT use deadly force. This means that if you've got a steel door which is 3ft thick between you and the intruder it would be UNLIKELY that they could actually do you harm

• if the "alarm bells" are going off before you leave your home - DON'T GO with the stranger who has called you up. Offer to call them a tow, have them. All a relative, but do not go with them with or without a weapon.

• I wonder what pressure you use at 11,000 ft for canning? I'm not even sure you could do BWB canning for fruits/jellies/jams ... Since the higher you go the lower the boiling point of water becomes.

NatGeo Preppers facts

Episode 4

(as an aside - I think it's interesting that the truck driver in this episode is a retired police officer, yet he says he hates the police - what's up with that?)

Most grocery stores would be empty in 3 days if there was a stoppage of trucks

In a recent survey, 45% of Americans say they collect and store canned food in preparation for a potential catastrophe

Diesel engines average 30% better gas mileage than their gasoline counter parts, and are made to withstand more punishment and last longer

A semi weighs around 105,000 lbs

The defense industry is developing "active camouflage" that detects and projects a vehicles surroundings onto its exterior, rendering it invisible

In 1920's Germany, hyperinflation devalued the currency so much that a wheelbarrow filled with cash wasn't enough to purchase a newspaper

There are 2 million truckers ... There are 2 million prisoners in the US ... Hmm

At 65 mph a semi is bigger and faster than a military tank, but it's weakness is in turns when it must slow down and has a very wide turn radius - 2 cars parked could stop it

In 2009, 859 truckloads were high jacked on American roads - worth almost $500million

(another side note here - they've done studies that have shown you have a better immune system if you do NOT have an immaculate home. Your immune system will already be active and ready. They also found kids who were allowed to eat dirt tend to have less illness growing up because their bodies fought off those germs at an early age and already had an immunity to it - as opposed to kids who were constantly washing their hands nd keeping clean)

Over half a billion passengers flew on US carriers in 2011 well I'm sure that it was only around half this number since one could assume that most of those people were making round-trips and would have been counted twice, if not more for frequent fliers

It would take less than 24 hours for a single infected passenger on a commercial airline to spread the disease to every populated continent of the world (this lets out Antarctica, since there is no native population there)

40% of Americans say they are not prepared for a catastrophe because they can't afford to stock up on certain supplies

The CDC estimates that a pandemic flu outbreak could last up to 8 weeks, infect over 100 million people, and cause death in 1 million of them

When fitted properly N95 masks can filter out 95% of small particles in the air, and are 75% effective against flu germs

80% of infectious diseases, including the common cold, are spread by physical contact

Flu germs can survive for as long as 48 hours or more on some surfaces

According to a recent study, 29% of Americans say they think a pandemic might happen in the US over the next 25 years

For much of geologic history FL was actually under water my brother used to install fences in FL - he says that houses do not have basements there nor do they dig down to set their posts for fences in cement because most of the state is either at sea level or below ... This also explains why hurricane do such big time damage to it

Rice has a shelf life of 2 years when stored properly in air tight containers, in a cool dry place

According to industry sources, 200,000 US homes use some form of solar technology

NatGeo Doomsday Preppers

Hey - where did the Preppers Facts for episode 4 go???

I'm asking the same thing - not only is it not on my blog bit it's not in my draft section either ...

I will have to check my other blogs and see if I accidentally posted the facts on one of them ...

I'll be back!

UPDATE
Not on my other blogs ... Hmmm ... Where did it go?

I will have to see if the episodes are being put OnDemand ...

Sorry

UPDATE
I found where episode 4 went ...

COMCAST ATE IT

Actually the service they use to update their on-air schedule mislabeled the episode as #5 instead of #4 ...

It took a trip to the NatGeo DP website to learn about the mistake though since IMDB didn't have any episode beyond #1 listed ...

What's up with that?

NatGeo Prepper facts

Episode 3
In 2009 the Pentagon admitted to testing body armor by strapping it on live pigs and blowing them up
{on a side note not given on the show, when asked why recruits join the military the number 1 answer was "to blow stuff up" - I got that from a 1990 documentary on PBS}

Shipping containers are a popular proper accessory. They're durable and can carry up to 67,000 lbs, empty it weighs about 10,000 lbs on it's own

According to a recent survey, 20% of Americans have planned an escape route to leave their neighborhoods or towns

Yellowstone Super Volcano facts:
• has erupted 3 times over last 2.5 million years
• average 71,000 years between eruptions
• last eruption 640,000 ago

Scientists estimate that the threat to human life would likely extend as far as South Dakota

There are over 250 million PRIVATELY owned guns in the US (don't know if this includes rifles/shotguns/etc)

according to a recent survey, 25% of Americans say they have done nothing to prepare for a potential catastrophe

A yellowstone eruption would have devastating short And long term effects, but scientists believe the ash fall on NY would be minimum {note: remember the DustBowl, guys!}

MREs are about 1,200 calories and are eaten for a maximum of 21 days

MREs have a shelf life of 5 years

A typical Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) can provide oxygen for 30-60 minutes at rest

in the US, a family of 4 spends on average $200 a week on groceries

The average US family spends over $3000 a year on gasoline {where are they living? That sounds like just afew months up here}

Biodiesel works in any diesel engine with little or no modification to the engine or fuel system

Vodka can reduce irritations caused by poison ivy and jelly fish stings. It's also an insect repellent

Alcohol in general does not have a "shelf life"

Preppers like it as a bargaining tool, as a fuel, as a wound disinfectant, weaponry, and it gets you drunk

According to a recent Gallop poll, 47% of American adults have a gun on their property

Illinois is the only state that does not allow concealed firearms

NatGeo Prepper facts

Episode 2
EMP = Electrical magnetic Pulse

A solar flare could cause a nation wide EMP

1859 an EMP hit the US and Europe, it caused a world wide failure of the telegraph system

In January 2012 (hey that was just last month!) a massive solar storm hit the earth, disrupting communications and causing flights to be rerouted ... when the heck did that one happen? I don't remember this


By weight, trucks move 70% of freight in the US

Three days without trucking would leave the US grocery stores empty ... Probably less than tat as people ran out to hoard things

Hand Warner's contain fine iron filings that deplete oxygen in the air (can be substituted for the oxygen depletion packs for food storage)

dsarti1 is the former truck driver/Prepper in this episode ... Check him out ... His ham radio code id is WC2V

In 2009 the US switched from analog to digital broadcasting freeing up airwaves for emergency personal. oh everyone knows they did it so that people would buy the newer more expensive TVs!

Ham radios run just on the radio frequencies already in the air and can run completely on battery or solar power without dependence on Internet or phone lines -- it will however need some sort of transmitter/receiver antenna

A Faraday cage would protect electronics from an EMP

Massive solar events happen every 150 years - ones he size of the 1859 event occur about every 500 years they think ... that will put the next one in 2359 ... I think we're safe for now ... Unless he Mayans were right

At the end of 2011 cocoa prices went down 30%

Tte foodie Prepper claimed that cheese dipped in food grade wax will keep without refrigeration for 20 - 25 years

A "Pea Shooter" is a firearm with weak fire power

According to NatGeo most economists do not think the US is at risk for hyper-inflation or economic collapse ... I think they need to change their experts

The New Madrid seismic zone is 120 miles and covers several states : MIssouri, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi (or is that Alabama ... The one next to Louisana), Arkansas

During the New Madrid quake of DEC1811- MAR1812, shocks were felt in New York and Washington DC ... there were 1000s, 20 were above 6.5

If stored properly wheat, dried corn, instant coffee, and pasta will stay fresh indefinitely

If a 7.7 mag quake hit the New Madrid fault line, 200 electric/oil/natural gas facilities will be damaged - leaving millions without power
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There is a 1:50 chance that a large quake will hit the New Madrid fault every 50 years (there have been several small rumblings lately that people are asking if it's from the frack-drilling happening in he area, if so, this will likely change these odds to even greater likelihood)
*****
The total value of US currency currently in circulation is around $2 trillion, including money in checking accounts ... what they aren't telling you is that the "money" in the checking accts is numbers only, there isn't any real physical money there ... Also this number is a bit off because it does not take into account money in collections that while held off he market, still carries a cash value

The best firewood is a combination of soft wood which ignites easily and hardwood which burns longer

In 2010 CO had over 3500 fires ... They did not say if these were all wildfires or if it included structure fires as well

51% of Americans think a financial collapse may happen in the USduring the next 25 years ...if history is any indication, we won't have to wait that long

NatGeo Prepper Facts

Episode 1
.22 caliber rifle is one of the most common guns in America (makes sense since its a hunting weapon)

North & south poles move each year by as much as 25 miles each year (sometimes massive earthquakes like that experienced by Japan and Sumatra will shift the poles to the point of where airports needs to adjust the GPS systems)

Every 300,000 years, scientific surveys have shown, the north and South poles switch ends ... But they have not determined if the earth completely shifts or if the poles just shift positive/negative forces ... They think the last shift happened 780,000 years ago. Oh oh!

2010 & 2011 saw a spike in magnitude 7+ quakes but fewer total quakes than in recent years

A buildings strength, flexibility, and location all effect it's ability to resist an earthquake

A used shipping containers (like those used on ships) cost about $4000 each

Shipping containers are made to carry 58,000 and stack 8 containers high, so 1/2 million pounds can be stacked in one area.

25 pounds of chicken will sustain 4 people for 6 days (assuming there is nothing else and they eat the minimum requirements)

8 gallons of fresh foods = 1 gallon dehydrated ... Lasts 10 years ... and is a 2 week supply for 4 people

A single for could feed 22 people for a week when properly preserved

FEMA suggests you have 3 days worth of food in your home in case of natural disaster

41% of Americans fell preparing for a catastrophe is a smarter investment than saving for retirement

About 750,000 households in the US are "off the grid"

"Bug out" dates back to the Korean War when soldiers used it to signal a retreat

For general emergencies, FEMA recommends having an evacuation destination that can be reached with one tank of gas

Within the next 30years experts believe there will be a 6.8 mag earthquake along the San Andres fault in CA

In 2011 nearly 9 million people took part in the great CA Shake out, a drill which helps residents prepare for "The Big One"

FEMA recommends that a bug out bag for general emergencies have enough supplies for lasting at least 72 hours

Southern CA experiences about 10,000 earthquakes each year. Most go unnoticed

A key ingredient in aspirin, salicylic acid has been used since the 5th century to reduce aches and pains. Willow tea is often used to treat headaches and pain, willow bark has high concentration of salicylic acid

Other terms in a Go-bag, include bug out, 72-hours and GOOD (Get Out Of Dodge)

INCH bag = I'm Not Coming Home

Cooking does NOT reduce the nutrients in fish but it does kill the parasites!

*****
There is no evidence that a swap of polar energies would effect the Earths tilt/rotation/seismic activity

There has never been a COMPLETE cut off of FORIEGN oil to the US, most of our oil comes from Canada and Mexico ... 1/2 oil the US consumes comes from the US ... There is more than 1 months supplies in the Federal Reserves

There is less than a 3% chance that the earthquake expected in CA will be above a 8.0